threat was homegrown. the suspect, an american citizen from massachusetts. abc's tahman bradley joins us, now, from washington, with the details. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, rob and tanya. sources tell abc news, the fbi gave this suspect chances to walk away from his plot. but he was intent on killing americans. federal prosecutors say this man, a 26-year-old american citizen, wanted to help al qaeda kill americans. the alleged plot is chilling. he wanted to pack large remote-controlled model planes with c-4 explosives and crash them into the pentagon and u.s. capitol. >> c-4 is obviously a high explosive. in other words, it can cause a tremendous amount of damage. >> reporter: the fbi began its investigation last year, after it ferdaus told an informant about his desire to wage jihad against the u.s. he sent agents to meet ferdaus. ferdaus, prosecutors say, began rigging cell phones into net naters for bombs he thought would be used to kill american military personnel. undercover agents told him his bombs had killed u.s. soldiers. his response, that's exactly what i wanted. >> individuals, self-radicalized. they're not really looking to cause big, massive casualties, like 9/11. because they're trying to employ fear. >> reporter: the government says ferdaus traveled to washington, d.c. to take surveillance and take this photograph. in the suburbs where ferdaus grow up, residents were stunned. >> i couldn't believe it. you don't think of a terrorist being one street over. but it's scary. >> reporter: ferdaus was arrested after officials delivered weapons he allegedly requested. officials say the public was never in danger. rob and tanya? >> all right, tahman bradley, live in washington in morning. the u.s. embassy has issued a strong warning to americans living in saudi arabia. intelligence officials say a terrorist group may be planning to kidnap westerners in the capital of that country. they are urging, now, extra vigilan vigilance. and the king of saudi arabia has stepped in to overturn a woman's punishment for driving. the woman had been given ten lashes for violating a ban of female behind the wheel. the king declared that women will be able to vote and run for office, come the year 2015. the house is on course to pass a spending bill today that will keep the government running for another week. but even a single objection today would force congress to return to work tomorrow to head off a shutdown. the government's new fiscal year begins saturday. the supreme court could end up ruling on president obama's health care plan sooner rather than later. the justice department is asking the high court to hear a case involving the new law. a decision by the court could have a major impact on the president's re-election chances. in other news this morning, health officials are worried in a the death toll from that wisteria outbreak will go even higher. so far, the outbreak has caused at least 72 illnesses, including as many as 16 deaths. but since it takes four weeks for the disease to actually develop, experts fear there will be many more cases. symptoms include fever and muscle aches, often with an upset stomach, as well. the mighty ipad may be facing its toughest competition yet. amazon has just introduced a new touch-screen tablet. it's much smaller and much cheaper. but how does it really measure up when it comes to function? more from wabc's jamie ross. >> let's meet the family. kindle fire. kindle touch 3g. kindle touch. and kindle. >> reporter: amazon introduced a new family of products. three, new ereaders. and for the first time, a tablet, the kindle fire, which costs $199. >> i want to stress at this point, these are premium products at not premium prices. >> reporter: the new tablet, the kindle fire, offers ebooks, music, movies, mag spooens it may give the ipad some competition, according to "new york times" technology editor, sam grobart. >> everybody has come out with a tablet, hey it's $499. and they go buy the ipad for 499. for something that costs $200, that's hard to turn away from. >> reporter: the kindle fire features the cloud accelerated web prouzer. >> the new browser they're showing, that looks impressive. and it's leveraging the unglamorous stuff that amazon does on the back end with their computing power. and delivering something to the consumer, which they can understand. which is a faster loading web page. and smooth aeroquickly delivered media. >> reporter: you can preorder the kindle fire today. it ships november 15th. >> that was jamie roth, reporting from our station wabc. the tech wars tonight. >> indeed. now, for a look at your warning weather from around the country. drenching rain and flooding from new england to washington, d.c. another wet day around milwaukee, chicago, detroit and cleveland. also some scattered showers and thunderstorms from orlando to miami. and also, from new orleans to east texas. showers in the mountains of colorado and new mexico. >> 86 in albuquerque. 93 in sacramento. 101 in phoenix. a mild 68 in minneapolis. 70 in chicago. and 77 in kansas city. dallas hits 89. and miami, 90. 83 in atlanta. 73 in boston. and 77 here in new york. and coming up after the break, business news is next this morning. and major payout for reebok, told to tell the truth about its shoes that promised to tone the body without that workout. and after a half a century, some new cars are coming to cuba. welcome back, everybody. well, markets here and around the world are looking to a key vote in germany today. the vote to put more money toward bailing out struggling european countries is expected to be a major step in solving the debt crisis. germany is europe's biggest economy, which means it will have to guarantee some more risky loans. and on that news, tokyo's nikkei average rose 85 points today. hong kong's hang seng was down 55 points. and in london, the ftse opened lower. on wall street, the dow lost nearly 180 points yesterday. the nasdaq index lost 55. and we heard that companies are sitting on a lot of cash. well, now, there's evidence they may be spending some of it. companies ordered more machinery, computers and communication equipment in august, despite the slumping economy. economists say that suggests they are confident about the future. reebok will pay $25 million to customers who bought its popular toning shoes. the companies claim that it would strengthen muscle size in the legs, thighs and buttocks, was untrue. it can no longer make that claim. >> have to tone up the old-fashioned way, i guess. look out, marx. change is coming to cuba. it's legal to buy and sell a new car there and to own more than one. cubans could only exchange cars older than the revolution. that's why there was so many old, american cars on cuba's roads. many of them restored. next up, cubans will be able to buy and sell real estate by the end of the year. >> when will americans be able to buy real estate there? >> really. and next on this thursday, just another day at the office for the engineers inspecting the washington monument. and then, the meltdown they will be talking about for years. a wild night in baseball. whoa! what is that? it burns! it's singeing me! woman: i can't see! it's the sun. get out of the office more often with chili's $6 lunch break combos, featuring texas toast half sandwiches. ♪ chili's lunch break combos ♪ welcome back, everybody. you can expect some wet roads this morning from portland, maine, to richmond. wet on flooding on i-80, from new york to pennsylvania. and i-90 boston and buffalo. showers and thunderstorms make for a slick ride on i-10. and wet roads in the midwest, from minneapolis to chicago and detroit. >> if you're taking to the skies, airport delays are possible in boston, new york, philly, d.c. and detroit. and now, to the riveting testimony from the trial of michael jackson's doctor. a security guard who arrived moments after the singer's death has been on the stand. >> he revealed new details about what dr. can ronrad murray did those chaotic moments. abc's jim avila. >> reporter: it was the first sign of trouble on the day he died. on the line, a panicked conrad murray, to michael amir williams, jackson's personal assistant. >> he said, where are you? i said, i'm downtown. he said, get here right away. mr. jackson had a bad reaction. get here right away. and i said, what's going on? and he said, get somebody up here immediately. >> reporter: conrad murray did not call 911. and neither did the young assistant. instead, williams calls jackson's private security team and reaches faheem muhammad, chief of security, who goes up the stairs and sees conrad murray working on the boss. >> i saw mr. jackson's feet near the side of the bed, on the ground. and as i continued to walk over, i could see the rest of his body. and i saw dr. murray near his side. i asked him, how's it looking? how's it going? and he said, it's not looking good. and then, i proceeded to go and look at mr. jackson. >> reporter: muhammad said dr. murray was doing cpr and in a panic. >> he appeared very nervous. he was on his side. he was sweaty. >> reporter: and jackson? >> his eyes were open. and his mouth was slightly open. >> did he appear to be dead? >> yes. >> reporter: muhammad said he then noticed jackson's children, watching it all from the hallway. >> paris was on the ground, balled up crying. and prince was just -- he was standing there. and he was just -- he just had a real shocked, you know, just slowly crying type of look on his face. >> reporter: the children were then herded into a family suv, which followed the ambulance to the hospital, where michael jackson was pronounced dead. jim avila, abc news, los angeles. american student, amanda knox, is set to make what may be the most important statement of her life later today in perugia, italy. knox is expected to deliver an impassioned plea in italian court, asking the court to overturn her conviction for murdering her former roommate, meredith kerjer. a verdict is expected on saturday. a federal judge has ruled that tucson shooting suspect, jared loughner, will soon be fit to stand trial. a court psychologist says that laugher in is die dlujal. the judge extended loughner's stay at a prison hospital for another four months. baseball's regular season is now over. not soon enough for the proud fans in boston. their team endured an epic meltdown in the last four weeks. at the end of september, the red sox had a lock on the playoffs. then, they lost 20 games, never winning 2 games in a row, including last night, as we learn from espn news. >> good morning. with your espn news update, i'm max bretos. we knew the final day of the season would be crazy, with two postseason berths up for grabs. but nothing could prepare us for what would happen. first, jonathan papelbon and the red sox, looking to close out the orioles in the ninth. game tied at 3-3. next batter, robert andino. carl crawford could not come up with the catch. orioles walk off win, 4-3. now, boston has to put their hopes in the hands of their dreaded rivals, the yankees, who must beat the rays for their season to continue. they were this close. bottom of the ninth, rays down 7-6. ryan johnson ties it. we're going to extra innings. evan longoria who hit a three-run home run, hits the walkoff home run. tampa bay beat the yankees, 8-7. dealing the lethal blow on the red sox. tampa bay going to the alds. how about the national league? phillies and braves. braves saw hugely the wild card disappear. top of the 13th, hunter pence. that will bring in brian schneider. phillies take a 4-3 lead. still hope for atlanta. bottom of the 13th. freddy freeman had a great rookie season. this play will not negate that. 6-4-3 double-play. this meaning the cardinals will make the nlds. they will face the team that saved them, philadelphia, in game one. this has been your espn news update. for all the latest in the sports world, there's one place to tune into. "the highlight express," starting 11:30 eastern time, on espn. the team is repelling down the landmark, in search of cracks and other damage caused by last month's earthquake. they're armed with cameras, climbing tools and ipads full of information about the monument. we should know soon when it can be repaired and reopened. and another view to show you this morning from 500 feet up there. that's emica reenny, dangling outside of the observation room. she keeps a hard hat in the backseat of her car and has zero fear. found her true calling. the right job for her. >> great talent. up next, "the pulse." an incredible story showing the power of music and the mind. >> absolutely. this man can play any song after listening to it just once. we'll be right back. living with diabetes is a reality for me, but i learned that i don't have to use a vial and syringe as part of my daily routine anymore. my doctor showed me the novolog mix 70/30 flexpen. flexpen is discreet and comes pre-filled with my insulin. flexpen goes with me and doesn't need refrigeration. and it's covered by most insurance. if you're still using a vial and syringe, ask your healthcare provider about the benefits of flexpen. flexpen is a discreet, pre-filled, dial-a-dose insulin pen. you can dial the exact dose of insulin you need. and inject insulin by pressing a button. novolog mix 70/30 is an insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. do not inject if you do not plan to eat within 15 minutes to avoid low blood sugar. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. most common side effects include reactions at the injection site, weight gain, swelling of your hands and feet, and vision changes. other serious side effects include low blood sugar and low potassium in your blood. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions including body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat, sweating, or if you feel faint. flexpen is made by novo nordisk, a healthcare company committed to diabetes care for nearly 90 years. i've made flexpen part of my routine just like spending time with my family. ask your healthcare provider about novolog mix 70/30 flexpen today. learn more about the different insulins available in flexpen at myflexpen.com. flexpen. insulin delivery that goes with you. it gets stuffed up and that means i stay up all night. good mornings? not likely! i've tried the pills, the sprays even some home remedies. then i tried something new. [ male announcer ] drug-free breathe right nasal strips. [ woman ] you just put it on and...amazing! instant relief. i breathed better, slept better. and woke up ready to face a fresh new day. [ male announcer ] get 2 free strips at breatheright.com. it's my right to breathe right! all right. time for "the pulse," everybody. offbeat stories this morning, starting in bulgaria. a possible game-changer for millions of smokers who want to quit. >> we're just learning that a pill developed during the cold war has showed some real results in helping people kick the habit. generic versions of the pill are really cheap, as little as $5 a month. >> that's cheap. it's not clear whether the cure will make it here to the u.s. there's a billion smokers around the world. a lot of people could benefit. if you can afford to smoke, you can afford to quit. >> at 5 bucks a month, why not? next up, the highest paid actresses on the tube. "forbes" says tina fey and evan longoria are at the top. >> another star from "desperate housewives" isn't doing too bad. marcia cross is making $10 million. a lot of that money is not just from tv performances. tina fey wrote a book. it's surprising that eva longoria makes the same amount as tina fey. >> impressive. the last season of that show, too. they're winding down with the green. >> indeed. now, to the performance of a lifetime for a british man wowing the music world. derek is blind and autistic. he played his first concerto for him last night, written for him. he has been playing the piano since he was 2. and learns everything by ear. and nick watt has found out why he is fittingly called the human ipod. >> reporter: derek, is that okay? i'm going to play you "crazy in love" by beyonce. play derek a tune he's never heard before. ♪ he can play it right back. "crazy in love," with a flourish. ♪ >> amazing talent. >> incredible. just pure, got-given talent right there. genius for sure. >> ten seconds listening to something. for some of you, local news something. for some of you, local news is next. thank you i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. ♪ ♪ vegetables picked at their peak ♪ ♪ so fresh my knees grow weak ♪ ♪ inspired by fine chefs in rome ♪ ♪ gourmet soups you make at home ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing new bertolli frozen meal soup for two. like chicken minestrone with crisp vegetables, white meat chicken, al dente pasta. [ chef ] ♪ fresh tasting restaurant style ♪ [ both ] ♪ bertolli soup's in the freezer aisle ♪ [ male announcer ] new bertolli meal soup. and finally this morning, proof that it is never too late to reinvent yourself. >> a new jersey grandfather is now enjoying a second act, thriving at a new career later in life. abc's claire shipman has more on the man who has found a wellspring of energy that keeps him going and going. >> reporter: imagine this. you're a business exec in your 60s with a hobby. dick druckman, always the unofficial chronicler of family events and celebrations. >> i like capturing magic moments. and i'm particularly good at that. >> reporter: but he also reveled in the high-octane world of business for 35 years and wasn't eager to face traditional retirement. so, dick made the unlikely and risky decision to jump from one frame into the other, in search he started marrying his other love, sports, with photography. and has actually turned it into a well-paying job. not easy in a competitive industry. to lug around the 25 pounds of gear, the 72-year-old grandfather of eight works out twice a day. he's lost 25 pounds. and there's no griping about stress or strain. he now looks for his moments here. his specialty, finding humanity in the blur of competitive action. he's since captured this thrill of michael phelps winning his first gold medal. the arc of derek jeter's 3,000th hit. the drama of michael jordan playing his last home game. the intense triumph in lance armstrong's eyes. he's looking right at you. >> he's looking right at me. >> reporter: his pictures appear in newspapers around the country and in "sports illustrated." druckman's tips for breaking into a new arena? he found a mentor, an established sports photographer. >> i said, would you be willing to coach me? teach me everything you know. >> reporter: and, he says, be different. he still shoots from the stands, which gives him a unique angle. >> i'm 72 and learning as much now as i did when i was 22. >> reporter: some days, he seems to have discovered a kind of fountain of youth. claire shipman, abc news, princeton, new jersey. >> combining your passion and your talent. >> and he keeps learning. that's the best part about