Condemns these kinds of terrorist acts. It is a very serious matter when americans are taken hostage along with others. Reporter it all began when 20 Armed Islamic militants, believed to be affiliated with al qaeda, approached a group of oil workers. The attackers were reportedly heavily armed, driving in three unmarked vehicles. The oil workers were on a bus headed to a nearby airport. There was a fight Security Forces for the workers battled back. When the smoke cleared, at least one Foreign Worker was dead, others wounded. The terrorists then headed to the compound where the gas refinery workers live. While it is unclear how many Foreign Workers they seized, sources say it could be as many as 15 to 20. Along with the americans, there are british, norwegian, french and japanese workers, too. The attackers claim this is retaliation for the frenchled invasion in the african nation of mali. The french are trying to stop an Al Qaedalinked group from taking over that country. Algerian troops have now surrounded the gas field where the hostages are being held, but they are moving cautiously. Secretary panetta tonight compared the terrorists to 9 11 attackers who have little regard for innocent lives. Diane . All right, thank you, martha. But this is new, this is different. I want to bring in abcs chief investigative correspondent brian ross, hes been following the group implicated in this. Brian . Reporter there are claims by responsibility by an Al Qaeda Group run by mokhtar belmokhar, who actually was kicked out of al qaeda just last year, because it was thought he was more interested in making money as a criminal than in pursuing the islamic agenda of al qaeda. So, he was kicked out of al qaeda reporter kicked out. As a criminal. Reporter right. And he has the nickname of mr. Marlboro, because he runs these smuggling routes through this region, carrying cigarettes, diamonds, guns and drugs and made millions of dollars kidnapping westerners. And collecting ransoms. So, its not just ideology, hes also about money. Was he on the u. S. Radar . Reporter he is not on u. S. Terror watch list that we could see. But weve been told for years now to watch out for this man, because he accumulated such wealth, it makes him a real threat to carry out these kinds of attacks. Well, again, the news is breaking right now. And i know youll continue to have Details Online and throughout the evening. Thank you, brian. And this morning, the president made his move, his plan to curb gun violence in america. He said 900 americans have been killed by guns in the one month since newtown. The powerful nra responded to him immediately, saying they would fight the president hard. And they even put the president s daughters at the center of the argument. Heres abcs chief White House Correspondent jonathan karl. Reporter as gun sales across the country continue their record pace, gun advocates reacted swiftly to the president , declaring they will fight his proposals on every level. In mississippi, the governor said he wants to make it illegal in his state to enforce any new federal gun law. To use this tragedy somehow as to say we need great reforms is just the wrong thing to do. Reporter in oregon, a sheriff stood by his intention not to enforce any law he believes is unconstitutional. Making criminals out of honest citizens, thats not the right path to go down. Reporter when the president made his announcement, he was joined by four kids who wrote him letters after sandy hook. These are some pretty smart letters from some pretty smart young people. Julia said julia, where are you . There you go. Im not scared for my safety, im scared for others. Reporter Rush Limbaugh mocked that. The children are writing letters to the president , we dont want to die, we dont want to die. Reporter the president s proposals if passed by congress would ban assault weapons and high capacity magazine clips and require background checks on virtually every gun sale, even those between private individuals at gun shows. He called on his supporters to put pressure on members of congress. Ask them whats more important. Doing whatever it takes to get an agrade from the gun lobby that funds their campaigns . Or giving parents some peace of mind when they drop their child off for first grade. Reporter the president also announced 23 executive actions he can take without congress, including improving existing background checks and helping get Security Officers for schools that want them. Even before the announcement, the National Rifle association took a personal shot at the president , calling him an elitist hypocrite. Why is he skeptical about putting Armed Security in our schools when his kids are protected by armed guards at their school . Reporter the white house called that repugnant and cowardly. The nra did not back down. Oh, its going to be its going to be a battle. Were going to be there and were going to fight it. Reporter as the white house launches a fullscale campaign to promote the plan, children like 11yearold julia stokes will be front and center. What made you decide to write to the president . Well, i was so overwhelmed with sadness about the sandy hook shooting and i knew as one person, i couldnt do anything, but i knew president obama could. Reporter the president s first task is to convince members of his own party to support his plan. Specifically the 11 democrats in the senate who have an a or b rating from the nra. Without their support, diane, his plan doesnt have a prayer of passing. At the white house, jonathan karl. Thanks, jon. And now, we have breaking news from the faa tonight. The faa suddenly announced they are grounding the dreamliner. That new plane that ran into trouble. Six of the planes are flying for United Airlines here in the u. S. And for the latest on whats happened, abc Senior National correspondent jim avila joins me. Jim . Reporter diane, this is a huge blow to boeing. This is the faa telling united it cannot fly the dreamliner 787 starting right now. Its grounded until it can prove to the federal government that the airline has fixed the problem with the battery that continues to overheat. United is the only u. S. Carrier flying the 787 so far. The plane of the future is expected to dominate american skies soon. But right now, as you say, only six are flying. There are 50 total flying in the world. Most of them in japan. And japanese authorities grounded all of their 787s overnight after a battery warning light and the smell of smoke forced an Emergency Landing there. Panicked passengers were evacuated on the emergency chutes. Three people suffered minor injuries, but the most damage has been done to the reputation of americas largest plane manufacturer. But all along, inspectors seem to be saying these arent real safety issues. Are we now seeing safety issues . Reporter it has to be a safety issue, for the faa to ground it. Theyre worried they dont have a handle on that battery fire. And until they do, and there was a fire, possibly a fire in the air over japan, they dont want these planes flying until they fix it. Okay, jim avila, as we said, this is new, just today. And now, dramatic images out of london today. Two people died, 13 others injured when a helicopter slammed into a crane perched on top of a building 52 stories high. Debris hurdled to the sidewalk at the height of rush hour. The helicopter pilot was experienced. He died. But at the time, there was Poor Visibility when he was flying because of heavy fog and Authorities Say its a miracle there were not more casualties on the ground. This evening, a huge story caught everyone by surprise. A love story that led to a kind of sensational hoax. The star athlete for the Notre Dame Football Team riveted the nation with his inspiring story of a girlfriend who had died of leukemia, right before a crucial game. It turns out that girl apparently never existed. Abcs dan harris explains the incredible tale of fame and deception. Reporter it was one of the most dramatic and emotional stories in recent sports history. Manti teo, the star linebacker for notre dame, enduring the death of both his grandmother and then his girlfriend within just six hours. You take the love of my life. Last thing she said to me was, i love you. Reporter teo then went on to lead his team to a series of epic victories. Propelled by his success and his story, he was a finalist for the heisman trophy. All along, he spoke freely about his twin tragedy. Older brother called me and he was just crying and crying and crying and thats when i kind of knew, but i was still in denial. Reporter but tonight, word that that girlfriend, lennay kekua, never existed at all. The story, first reported on the sports news website deadspin, says she was a hoax, and the picture we all saw was of another woman who is very much alive and says she doesnt know teo at all. Late today, notre dame released a statement that coaches were informed by teo and his parents that the star had been a victim of what appears to be a hoax. The college says someone using the fictitious name lennay kekua apparently ingratiated herself with manti and conspired with others to lead him to believe she had tragically died of leukemia. The question was this a case of catfishing . A term based on a documentary about a young man who is fooled into an online romance with a woman pretending to be somebody else. Teo himself has now issued a statement himself to our partner network, espn, saying he developed what he thought was an authentic, emotional relationship with a woman he met on the internet and they communicated online and on the phone. He calls this entire episode incredibly embarrassing. Thats a direct quote. And he says he hopes others can learn from it. Twists and turns of a modern world and a modern era. Thank you, dan harris. And one more note from another athlete in the news, lance armstrong. Speaking out today, 24 hours before his big interview with oprah winfrey, airs. He offered a kind of preview, saying, quote, i left it all on the table with oprah, and when it airs, the people can decide. He also made a prediction about the road ahead, saying, quote, i have no idea what the future holds, other than holding my kids. And still ahead on world news, a new warning about Energy Drinks. And the new increase in people heading up to the e. R. Our experiment shows what caffeine can do to your body and your brain. Ive always had to keep my eye on her. But, i didnt always watch out for myself. With so much noise about health care. I tuned it all out. With unitedhealthcare, i get information that matters. My individual health profile. Not random statistics. They even reward me for addressing my health risks. So im doing fine. But shes still going to give me a heart attack. Were more than 78,000 people looking out for more than 70 million americans. Thats health in numbers. Unitedhealthcare. Until i got a job in the big apple. Becoming a fulltime indoor cat wasnt easy for atti. But he had purina cat chow indoor. He absolutely loved it. And i knew he was getting everything he needed to stay healthy indoors. And after a couple of weeks, i knew we were finally home [ female announcer ] purina cat chow indoor. And for a delicious way to help maintain a healthy weight, try new purina cat chow healthy weight. 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[ male announcer ] usaa Auto Insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaas commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. Begin your legacy. Get an autoinsurance quote. Usaa. We know what it means to serve. A new report out tonight contains a real surprise. In just four years, the number of people who go to the emergency room after Drinking Energy Drinks has doubled, from 10,000 to more than 20,000 people in the e. R. So, what has changed . And what are the drinks doing . Abcs lisa stark has a caffeine experiment of her own. Reporter on youtube, downing these Energy Drinks is a game. Lots of fun. On your mark, get set go reporter but this new government study calls consumption of Energy Drinks a rising Public Health problem. Of those 20,000 emergency room visits in 2011, 42 reportedly had mixed the energy drink with another stimulant, like adderall or ritalin, or with alcohol. But 58 reportedly used Energy Drinks alone. So, what might be going on to send someone to the e. R. . Blood pressure goes up, heart rate goes up, and then theyll start to feel the effects. Heart racing, heart skipping, panic attack symptoms, irregular heart rhythms. Reporter caffeine is a drug. In fact, the most popular drug in the world. You can feel and see the effects on the body. I downed the equivalent of about four cups. Doctors took a look at my brain before caffeine. And heres after. The blood flow dropped 40 . Its like a 40 drop in the blood flow to your brain. Thats a lot. Reporter that lower blood flow is still within normal range, but those constricted vessels meant my Blood Pressure shot up. A cup of coffee alone wont send you to the e. R. And the most popular Energy Drinks have less caffeine than that strong cup of coffee you buy out. So whats going on here . Theres other substances in them which are completely unregulated, which can add to the caffeine or the stimulant nature of the drinks. Reporter tonight, the trade association representing the Beverage Industry said the drinks are safe and denounced the hospital study, saying the limited information makes it impossible to understand the actual role, if any, of Energy Drinks in these hospital visits. Still, doctors are calling for a whole lot more study and are on the lookout for the next patient to come through the door. Lisa stark, abc news, washington. And coming up here, you have to see what this dog does for his owner, who is trapped in the ice. This is karen and jeremiah. They dont know it yet, but theyre gonna fall in love, get married, have a couple of kids, [ children laughing ] move to the country, and live a long, happy life together where they almost never fight about money. [ dog barks ] because right after they get married, theyll find some retirement people who are paid on salary, not commission. Theyll get straightforward guidance and be able to focus on other things, like each other, which isnt rocket science. Its just common sense. From td ameritrade. I have a cold, and i took nyquil, but im still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesnt unstuff your nose. What . [ male announcer ] it doesnt have a decongestant. No way. [ male announcer ] sorry. Alkaseltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms plus has a fast acting decongestant to relieve your stuffy nose. [ sighs ] thanks [ male announcer ] youre welcome. Thats the cold truth [ male announcer ] alkaseltzer plus. Oh what a relief it is [ male announcer ] to learn more about the cold truth and save 1 visit alkaseltzer on facebook. But, dad, youve got. [ voice of dennis ] allstate. With accident forgiveness, they guarantee your rates wont go up just because of an accident. Smart kid. [ voice of dennis ] indeed. Are you in good hands . Until i had the shingles. I have never encountered [such a burning sensation. Indeed. It was like a red rash. Like somebody had set a bag of hot charcoal on my neck. I had no idea it came from chickenpox. Its something you never want to encounter. For more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo. Com [ male announcer ] how do you turn an entrepreneurs dream. Into a scooter that talks to the cloud . Or turn 30million artifacts. Into a hightech masterpiece . Whatever your business challenge, dell has the technology and services to help you solve it. And coffee is coffee, a quick bite is a quick bite, and play time is play time, because for 24 hours my heartburn is lights out. Prevent acid for 24 hours with prevacid 24 hour. And heres what the twitterverse was buzzing about today. Our lead story for the instant index. Looks like this. There is no longer a reason to live on the east coast. Its a testimonial from a Dunkin Donuts fan after the Company Announced they are opening 1,000 Stores Across california. In a nod to all the time californians spend in their cars, dunkin says many of the new stores will have drive through service. So, for california, finally, the long dunkin drought is over. And a picture that puts this dog in the loyalty hall of fame. He is standing watch over his owner who fell through the ice on the colorado river. And he barked for help, but refused to leave his owners side for 30 minutes, until firefighters were able to rescue him. The two had been out hunting. Other hunters saw it, called 911. Tonight, man and dog are recovering from the icy cold. And we have a passing to note. The tv dad who taught us all that the world does not move to the beat of just one drum. Ahha. Youre here. Welcome. Gentlemen . Talking to us . Of course. How about that, willis . Downtown two minutes and already were gentlemen. Come on conrad bain, who played the beloved adopted father on d