sharyn alfonsi, abc news. >> what the heck is that? books, not toys. if you want the rest of the stuff you have to ask the big guy. sitting on santa's lap could cause kids to reaction strange ways like bawling their eyes out. >> if you have pictures of your kids on santa's lap that may crack us up on the overnight. tweet them to #wnnfans. can't wait to see all the pics. we'll be right back. and me... discovering once-daily levemir® flexpen. flexpen® is prefilled. doesn't need refrigeration for up to 42 days. no drawing from a vial. dial the exact dose. inject by pushing a button. flexpen® is insulin delivery... my way. levemir® (insulin detemir [rdna origin] injection) is a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes and is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. do not use levemir® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion, and headache. severe low blood sugar can be serious and

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> and thank you for watching. "nightline" will be along later. we leave you tonight with the national christmas tree. 28 feet tall, the lights just switched on. good night. /jok;v <o

here is abc's sharyn alfonsi. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: she has had 52 hits, 16 number one songs, and at 80-year-old. loretta lynn is bona fide country royalty. and she is still on the road. what is it that you like about performing still? couldn't you just kickback? >> i can still sing. >> reporter: pushing the boundaries of country. writing about the double standard women face. ♪ >> reporter: and writing "the pill" about birth control. when she released the songs country music stations retoed to play them. loretta pushed forward to become the first lady of country music. whose early years inspiring the academy award winning film "coal miner's daughter." ♪ well i was born the coal miner's daughter ♪ >> reporter: and antics became fodder for songs like "you ain't woman enough." ♪ you ain't woman enough to take my man ♪ >> reporter: have you ever had to punch a woman? >> uh-huh. >> reporter: and? >> there is one i would look to punch more. >> reporter: it is the honesty that drew him to loretta and produced her album bandleader rose. the album would top the country charts and alternative ch

our thanks to sharyn alfonsi. >>> just ahead, what does it take to find a snow leopard in afghanistan? one tracker shows us how it's done. i had enough of feeling embarrassed about my skin. [ designer ] enough of just covering up my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer up to 9 months. [ male announcer ] because enbrel®, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have c

and sharyn alfonsi is here with the latest on all of that. sharyn? >> reporter: even as the agents surround the broadwell home, neighbors, friends and family are coming to paula's defense. this morning saying, as crazy as this story is, there's a lot more to it. >> he was captain america. >> reporter: overnight, the man who once invited paula broadwell to talk about her best-selling biographer about petraeus, gave his spin on the scandal. >> paula broadwell. why does that name seem so familiar to me? welcome to the program, paula broadwell. no, no. that's not it. >> reporter: jon stewart co-hosted a barbecue with broadwell for wounded vets on labor day. >> i was staring at how defined her arms were. >> reporter: on "the daily show" monday night, he roasted her. >> the title of her book was "all in." a powerful man had an affair with a fawning admirer. she saw some other girl flirting with him. she was e-mailing. you petter step off. i saw him first. >> reporter: broadwell hasn't been seen since the scandal broke friday. but her friends and family are

and abc's sharyn alfonsi now has those new details. >> reporter: her north dakota class mates voted her most likely to be remembered. but no one thought it would be for this. paula broadwell was exceptional. high school valedictorian. homecoming queen. west point cadet. and later, a graduate student at harvard. where a chance meeting with petraeus would change everything. on c-span, revealing she approached him about researching she was doing. >> and he was kind enough to take the paper and give me his business card. >> reporter: that research led to a book and later, a book tour. broadwell was reportedly having an affair at petraeus the same time she was out promoting her book about him. >> is he awesome or incredibly awesome? >> he can turn water into bottled water. >> reporter: the 40-year-old often admired for he biceps as much as her brains, then had push up contest with jon stewart. her husband scott joining in. >> six, seven, eight. >> reporter: those book tour interviews now being viewed and revi reviewed. >> it's not -- i'm not in love with david petraeus. i know holly, his wif

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> fascinating fish bowl life that has to be for those two girls. wow. >> i don't want to be the guy that's trying to court either one of those girls. >> no, no. not with that secret service around, right? >> nope. >>> that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay with us for "good morning america." have a great thursday. and thanks for joining us, everybod

here is abc's sharyn alfonsi. >> reporter: as they walked on the stage last night, everyone noticed, especially dad. >> sasha and malia -- before our very eyes you are growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women. >> malia and sasha once hoisted in their parents' arms. you can't help but marvel as they inch up before our eyes. malia now shoulder to shoulder with her mother. she is now 14. sasha 11. the next four years for them marked by first dances, college applications and dating. >> teenage hood is complicated. i should also point out that i have men with guns that surround them often. it means they never get in the car with a boy who had a beer. >> reporter: malia anxious to get her driver's license. >> >> we will have to figure out the logistics. i promised her she will learn how to drive. >> reporter: they will spend most of their lives living in the white house yet we rarely get glimpses of them or hear their voices. their parents trying to preserve benchmarks of home, family dinners, after-school games, life lessons, a family dog. >> i am so proud of you guys

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> and we thank you so much for watching this night after the big election. we are always here at abcnews.com. "nightline" will be here later. and i'll see you again tomorrow night. good night.

sharyn alfonsi who was covering wisconsin for us on election night, reports to us from milwaukee with the years ahead in the teenage years. those can be tough years. >> reporter: i know, you have to feel for them. throughout the campaign, we kept seeing the romney kids and the grandkids on the stage. we only got glimpses of sasha and last night, they walk on the stage. and we all thought, they've gotten really big. they're 11 and 14 years old right now. they have four more years in the white house. four more years as teenagers. overnight, once again, front and center. >> sasha and malia. before our very eyes, you're growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom. >> reporter: sasha and malia obama, older, more poised and taller than four years ago. >> hi, daddy. >> hey, sweetie. >> reporter: presidential daughters, rewarded for a grueling campaign, with a new dog. >> you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the white house. >> reporter: 7-year-old sasha and 10-year-old malia obama, from chicago, were uprooted. new home, new friends and

abc's sharyn alfonsi reports on their workload. >> reporter: for michelle obama and ann romney, it is the end of a long grueling road. >> it is an emotional day for me, because i were i could tell you what i learned. >> reporter: they have been there every step of the way from the photo-ops. >> may i introduce to you. >> to the stump speeches. >> this is our time. >> reporter: to the conventions. >> michelle, i love you so much. what a lucky man i am. >> ann would have succeeded at anything she wanted to do. >> reporter: both women displaying equal parts charm. >> i love you so much. >> reporter: and steely endurance. >> we have been in so many of your communities. >> reporter: michelle obama's been a key fund raiser campaigning at 191 events. >> it sound like you are fired up and ready to go. >> reporter: ann romney a regular on the trail too. just this weekend appearing in five swing states, exhausted, and emotional time. >> that is amazing to walk in and have this kind of emotion come to us. it makes me believe we can win colorado. >> reporter: throughout the campaign both women ha

abc's sharyn alfonsi on finding some easy money. >> where are your feet? where are your feet under there? >> reporter: lily and lexi godwin have a bit of a bedtime problem. >> when you sleep, lil, where do your feet go? they're touching. >> reporter: the girls have outgrown their toddler beds. >> what do you want instead of these beds? >> bunk beds. >> reporter: the family's been saving up to buy bunk beds. but they're still about $700 short. so, we went in to help. hi, i'm sharyn. >> i'm mary. nice to meet you. >> reporter: and brought tech expert jessica dolcourt with us. she says most families can find hundreds of hidden dollars in the old electronics just sitting in their home, if they follow this three-step treasure map. and we went hunting. >> can i get anything for these? >> definitely. you'll be able to get money for this. >> reporter: jessica's tip number one? almost everything's worth something, even if it's broken. >> believe it or not, you can get a little bit for this. >> reporter: tip number two, sell the big stuff, computers and cameras, onl

i'm sharyn alfonsi for "nightline" in san diego. >> and that is worth every penny. our thanks to sharyn alfonsi. >>> and just ahead for us, the speeding school buses, caught on tape, barrelling down neighborhood roads at over 70 miles an hour. with kids on board. foot?" nd you a "who thinks about stuff like that?" "vince mahe grew up on two continents... and noticed that wherever you go, people have their hands full, but their feet free." "the result? a liftgate you operate with your foot." "code name?" "open sesame" "the all new twenty thirteen ford escape. it's what happens when you go further." he loves risk. but whether he's climbing everest, scuba diving the great barrier reef with sharks, or jumping into the market, he goes with people he trusts, which is why he trades with a company that doesn't nickel and dime him with hidden fees. so he can worry about other things, like what the market is doing and being ready, no matter what happens, which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense, from td ameritrade. which isn't rocket science. >>> every morning, and

>> well done, sharyn alfonsi. >>> and coming up next right here, our "instant indirection." the most famous rendition of happen by bir "happy birthday," marilyn monroe. hear who shot the video and where. [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus presents the cold truth. i have a cold, and i took nyquil, but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] it doesn't have a decongestant. no way. [ male announcer ] sorry. alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms plus has a fast-acting decongestant to relieve your stuffy nose. thanks. [ male announcer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth! [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus. ♪ oh what a relief it is! [ male announcer ] try new alka-seltzer plus severe allergy to treat allergy symptoms plus sinus congestion and pain. to bring you a low-priced medicare prescription drug plan. ♪ with a low national plan premium... ♪ ...and copays as low as one dollar... ♪ ...saving on your medicare prescriptions is easy. ♪ so you're free to focus on the things that real

abc's sharyn alfonsi has the story. >> we were on a break. >> reporter: they were our friends. >> it's always been you, rach. >> reporter: ross and rachel. >> you're over me? when were you under me? >> reporter: but after ten years, america's favorite will they? >> he's a lobster. >> reporter: or won't they couple? >> we are so over. >> fine by me. >> reporter: finally made a final decision. >> did she get off the plane? did she get off the plane? >> i got off the plane. >> the question is, what do we do with ross and rachel? >> reporter: for the series finale, creator david crane said they sought for a resolution between the two. but they gave viewers what they wanted. >> we looked at each other like, no. we can't do that. >> not getting them together would have been a blip or a downright disappointment for so many. >> reporter: "friends" isn't the first tv finale having a tough time figuring out how to wrap it up. "sex and the city" taped not one -- >> big is going to move back to new york. >> reporter: not two. >> i can't believe you got married to the russian without eyes. >> repor

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> thanks to sharyn. >>> and tropical storm sandy is on its way to becoming a hurricane as it heads for jamaica and cuba this morning. winds from hitting 65 miles per hour. and sandy could dump up to a foot of rain as it comes pass hispanio hispaniola. it will possibly bring rough surf to the east coast. >>> and downpours have hit the streets of kingston, where jamaicans have been securing their windows and clearing out grocery store shelves. the government is earning residents to take storm warnings seriously, especially those living in flood-prone areas. >> good to see sandy veering out to sea, as opposed to coming in. exactly. >>> time, now, for weather from across the country. light morning showers in the northeast. some severe storms around minneapolis, des moines, omaha, and kansas city. a wintry mix from rapid city to salt lake city. some snow in the cascades. and some showers from seattle to portland. >> 50s in the pacific northwest. mostly 40s in the northern rockies. 70s in the midwest. 80s around dallas, miami and new orleans. and way abov

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >>> now we turn to the race for the white house, and our new poll shows candidates are remarkably close. with just 13 days to go now. our latest abc news/"washington post" numbers put mitt romney ahead of president obama by just 1 percentage point, 49%, 48%. you see right there. it is actually even tighter than that, without rounding the numbers they're separated only by .07 of a point. >>> and president obama is hitting the swing states, campaigning in ohio yesterday. after starting the day in florida following a final debate and today he kicks off a two-day, eight-state campaign blitz. day one will take him to iowa, colorado, california and nevada. before he spends tonight, back in the sunshine state. >>> meanwhile, his challenger, mitt romney is crisscrossing many of the very same battleground states. he went from the debate in florida to nevada, then on to colorado yesterday. today he is set to swing right back to nevada. and then, campaign in iowa. >>> these numbers are dizzying. obama's job approval rating is now 49% among likely voters. which

abc's sharyn alfonsi tells us. >> reporter: that closing bell sounded like the end of a prize fight but there was no winner today. stocks tumbled across the board after a series of low earnings reports from some big household names. first chemicalmaker dupont reported a 98% drop in profit, declining sales across the world and announced it will cut 1,500 jobs then xerox reported earnings down too 12%. consumer products giant 3m scaled down future earnings projection sending the stock south. and add to that unrest in spain today. european debt concerns that had been on the back burn are rearing their ugly head after moody's downgraded spain's credit rating. the market went into free fall. the average 401(k) dropping nearly $1300 today. investors say another round of earnings reports in a too close to call election could make for a bumpy month ahead for investors. >> probably not a bad time to assess just how much risk you have in that 401(k) and try to think about being a little more defensive heading into 2013. >> reporter: so, again, if you have the courage to peek at your 401(k) tonigh

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> that is the war on women. did you hear what he said? he does not want the shoes to be comfortable. he is not wearing them. >> there you go. reaping all his profits. the way the last model fell, graceful and smiled and went, that's the way you handle it i think. >> what i don't understand about women's shoes. the anatomy of our feet. >> yow. >> gets wider toward the toes. the way the shoe is shaped. it gets narrower at the toes makes abslaught lyababsolutely sense. you have dudes designing. >> i don't design shoes. 7 inch heels are too high. like the ones shorter. >> i like flats. pumps. i still trip in pumps. >> you would be in big trouble on 7 inches. >> a heart warming story of lost and found next. [ mother bear ] you're not using too much are you, hon? [ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft is so soft you'll have to remind your family they can use less. it's made with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent. plus you can use four times less. charmin ultra soft. try these. new cepacol sensations cools instantly, and has an ac

so, abc's sharyn alfonsi asked around. are they worth it? >> reporter: she is the first female prime minister of australia. accomplished, well-spoken, but not above the one thing all women know. stilettos and soggy grass don't mix. and it's the third footwear fiasco for the prime minister. but she's certainly not the first woman to fall head over heels. see "sex and the city." remember carrie bradshaw's catwalk tumble? >> oh, my god. she's fashion roadkill. >> reporter: runways are littered with roadkill. wobbles, tumbles and wipeouts. at heathrow airport, lady gaga showed she wasn't the practical, rolling luggage type, and ended up rolling her ankles. but for the rest of us, why do we bother when we know it can end like this? the man behind those skyscraping red soles, christian louboutin, explained it to me like this. >> some women are not completely comfortable with their body. and even if you're not really comfortable with your body, you are comfortable with your feet. >> reporter: at the time, i was six months pregnant, so he proved it

and abc's sharyn alfonsi has been pouring through them. >> reporter: it was so hard to choose just a few favorites because everyone had something to say. joe biden's laugh alone got 500,000 mentions on twitter. and that was just the beginning. >> reporter: to some, the debate sounded like a song. ♪ hope and change ♪ turn his campaign into attack, blame and defame ♪ >> reporter: this mashup, courtesy of the gregory brothers. ♪ this is a bunch of stuff ♪ this president doesn't bluff ♪ we got to tackle this debt crisis ♪ ♪ before it tackles us >> reporter: but where they heard music, others heard bickering. on twitter, one user wrote, "joe biden would very much like for paul ryan to get off his lawn." >> that's a bunch of mularkey. >> reporter: another compared ryan to a nervous walmart manager. biden to an irate customer who is friends with the store owner. biden's wild gesturing and giggles were dissected online. buzz-feed even naming the poses. >> oh, my goodness. >> reporter: from the redd foxx, the "knuckle-sammy" -- and the "two tickets to the puppet show" -- pose.

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> all right. it's now time to meet kate middleton's look alike, heidi. >> come on out, heidi. >> so nice to meet you. i'm not sure if i should curtesy or not. >> not for me. i don't like it when people do it for me. >> how much has your life changed? you've gone from a $10 an hour waitress to what do you charge for each appearance now? >> it's about $1,000 an appearance. >> $1,000. and what do people ask you to do? >> it depends. it can be advertising campaigns. or corporate events. or just walk around and be filmed. >> how did you find this out? i mean, were you just standing and people rushed you to say, oh, my gosh, kate, can we get a picture of you? >> it was when i worked in the restaurant. customers would come in. and so, they'd tell me i look like kate. and they'd bring their friends in and point me out. >> this was back when kate was still dating prince harry? prince william, i mean. >> it was around the time of the engagement and the wedding, when it was really high-profile then. >> and y

abc's sharyn alfonsi brings us the best strategy for selling your old wheels. >> reporter: meet the gross family. brian, his wife lauren, dog layla and that's their baby, who often gets into the car through the trunk. doesn't take long to figure out why they need to sell their car. >> it's a disaster. >> reporter: so, if your wife wanted to get in here she would have to sit like this, right? she would have to be, like, in the fetal position. the blue book value for the car is $9,000, but a local car dealer offered him four. he thinks it's worth more. so, brian is trying to sell it himself, putting up signs, listing it online at auto trader. two mant months later, zero ca. the car is in fair shape. and it's supposed to be a seller's market. so, we called autotrader.com and asked them to troubleshoot the gross' problem. they sent out brian moody, a sells expert who, with just a few simple changes, was able to help get the gross family an extra $3,000 for their car. moody explained there are basic things anyone can do to get a top price for their used car. key number one, clean it up. the co

real money, sharyn alfonsi. good to see you again. >>> and coming up right here, a new dinosaur, we're seeing ini the first time. could change the way you think about the prehistoric beasts.tt, not quite knowing what the next phase was going to be, you know, because you been, you know, this is what you had been doing. you know, working, working, working, working, working, working. and now you're talking about, well you know, i won't be, and i get the chance to spend more time with my wife and my kids. it's my world. that's my world. ♪ starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news. [ male announcer ] how do you turn an entrepreneur's dream... ♪ into a scooter that talks to the cloud? ♪ or make 70,000 trades a second... ♪ reach one customer at a time? ♪ how do you help doctors turn billions of bytes of shared information... ♪ into a fifth anniversary of remission? â

abc's sharyn alfonsi takes us inside a home which proves that a growing middle class is ready to buy made in america, and not just here, around the world. >> reporter: remember the usry family? that was a family that let us take everything out of their house not made in america and then were shocked to see this vase was all that was left. well, meet the campos family. they have a big surprise for you, too. >> made in america. made in america. made in america. and guess where they are? 1,120 miles south of the usry family, in mexico. antonio, sandra, carlos and tony jr., apart of mexico's new middle class. >> this is my son's favorite peanut better. >> reporter: so, what is behind mexico's love affair with all things american? >> when i see made in america, i'm thinking big. what do you think? >> quality. i think quality. >> quality and big. >> reporter: a generation ago, 12% of mexico's population was middle class. most were in poverty. today, over half are considered middle class. that's more than 70 million strong. and they're scooping up american-made products. $198 billion worth

sharyn alfonsi brings us the incredible 48-hour makeover. >> reporter: meet jessica and her husband, karl. their whole family lived in this town of new jersey, their mom, and dad, up the road and everyone so close to skres ka a jessica and carl. but they decided to move. >> we all put our house on the market at the same time. there's sold and they're gone. >> reporter: they can't sell their house and can't figure out why. they bought the house for $325,000 six years ago. today they're asking $225,000. $100,000 less. but it still won't sell. >> $100,000, it's real money and our savings -- we're going pay to get out of it. is it overpriced? they brought in an appraiser to find out and got bad news. he estimated their home was worth just $190,000. $35,000 less than what they're asking. that gap could be a huge problem if they ever do get an offer. . when a bank gets a low appraisal they often won't do the loan at all. they feel it's overvalued. and they feel at risk. you can implore with the bank they have a second look but the fact of the matter it's rarely urn turned around. >> report

abc's sharyn alfonsi is on the real money beat tonight. >> reporter: >> reporter: jessica doerres' whole family lived in this new jersey community. then, the whole family decided to move. >> we all put our houses on the market at the same time, they already sold. they're gone. >> reporter: but jessica and her husband, carl, are stuck in jersey. they bought the house for $325,000 six years ago. today, they're asking $225,000. a $100,000 loss. >> $100,000 is -- it's real money. >> reporter: what's worse, the house was just appraised at $190,000 -- $35,000 less than what they're asking. that gap could be a huge problem if they ever do get an offer. >> when a bank gets a low appraisal, they often won't do the loan at all because they feel as though it overvalued the house and they feel at risk. so, you can implore with the bank that they get a second look. but, the fact of the matter is, it's rarely turned around. >> reporter: but could we turn it around? we brought in one of the country's top appraisal experts for the inside scoop. she let us in on three ways appraisers are sizing up your h

abc's sharyn alfonsi, co-captain of our made in america team, tells us what kind of jobs and where. >> reporter: look closely. right there, underneath elton john. that floor. and this floor at the opening ceremonies in london. both made right here in the u.s. so you're watching the ceremonies, you're going, "hey, that's my floor!" >> absolutely. you know, i could see the floor. i know they put stuff on top of it, but i could always see where the floor was. it was exciting. >> reporter: we met the workers behind those floors today. this is a dance floor? >> this is a dance floor. >> reporter: a few years ago, they had $10 million in annual sales, selling only in the u.s. today, $20 million. and half of their customers now are overseas. >> everybody is always amazed we ship products to china because everybody thinks -- >> >> reporter: it's only going that way. >> we actually ship product back to china. >> reporter: and they're quadrupled their workforce. their comeback among those behind this -- economists had estimated up to 3 million jobs in the next few years. today, they revised it

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> that may be my all time favorite. >> tasty too. the best scene. >> i also like when she was smushing grapes with her feet. stomping the grapes. >> classic. on assembly line, stuffing chocolate in her mouth. >> to make it official. and "i love lucy" was voted the best show of all times. >> lucy, seinfeld, m.a.s.h., all comedies. look ! no ugly spots ! and see that shine ! you've got to try finish. because once they try finish, they can't keep it to themselves. i'm switching for good. wow ! awesome ! finish is seriously good. cannot believe how great it works. incredible shine. i won't use anything else. love, love, love finish ! so far over a million neighbors, friends, and family have switched to finish. join the finish revolution. recommended by more dishwasher brands worldwide. and one wedding, 2 kids, 43 bottles of olay total effects many birthdays later, still looks amazing. thanks to the trusted performance of olay. still looks amazing. that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical

and sharyn alfonsi tells us about the top five shows. >> reporter: there are five favorite tv shows. and we noticed something, each of them, an american family. some traditional -- ♪ >> reporter: some unexpected. >> reporter: families formed in bars, or on the battlefield. ♪ >> reporter: depicting the korean war -- "m.a.s.h." was on the air 11 years. eight years longer than the actual war. star alan alda pushed for more scenes in the operating room, to give a full portrayal of the heartaches of war. and it did. capturing our hearts in the process. that last kiss between hawkeye and hot lips, the longest on screen tv kiss ever, 35 second. and there was this kiss, too. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: that moment improvised by sammy davis jr. "all in the family" originally running a warning before the show saying they were trying to shine a light on our frailties and prejudices. doing it with a punch line. who whoopdy. >> reporter: some of our tv families almost didn't happen. the "seinfeld" pilot was apparently a disaster. producer said they needed a girl, so they got one. >> get

and abc's sharyn alfonsi is here with more. this is a huge business. $40 billion a year. >> a huge business. we're going to be hearing a lot about this. it's called qsymia. it's available today. in clinical trials it helped users drop 10% of their body weight. it could be an effective tool to fight obesity. but they warn, it's not for everyone. qsymia, the new weight loss drug in 13 years and available by prescription today. it's a combination of two medications that have long been used in weight management. one an appetite suppressant. the other, reducing cravings for food. >> when you add the two together, you get good weight loss. >> reporter: it worked for gwendolyn barton, who tried just about everything to lose those extra pounds. >> i've done diet. i've done exercise. i've done weight watchers. and none of it has ever helped me. >> reporter: that is, until she tried qsymia. in one year, as part of a clinical trial, she dropped 50 pounds. >> i went from a size 14 into a size 6. it made me feel great. >> reporter: prescrip

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> who knew? >> who knew? you know some things are high in salt. sound look everything is high in salt. if it comes out of a box or package better check it. >> bread has salt. everything has salt in it. >> all right. now we know. better get on that. >> i know. i like salt. >> i love salt. we're older. older folks love salt. you don't want to get your kids appetite for it at that age. >> got to be careful. coming up next, the best of tv over the years. >> we will give you a preview of a trip down memory lane from barbara walters herself. you are watching "world news now." >>> welcome back. the people have voted and to night here on abc, you will be able to see what the viewers have chosen as the best tv programs ever in 15 categories. >> a nostalgic trip hosted by abc's barbara walters. right now she shows us what to expect from the best variety show category. >> it is one of television's most enduring legacies, the variety show. >> "ed sullivan show." >> the tv sets may have been black and white. >> you know i

sharyn alfonsi >> reporter: they are the food kids crave. >> i love mac and cheese. >> what's your favorite thing to eat for din never. >> dane sour chicken nuggets. >> what do you like to eat for breakfast? >> this cereal called captain crunch. >> i'm very familiar with it. >> reporter: some staples could have high levels of salt. a new study finds children and teens consume as much sodium as adult, putting them at risk of high blood pressure of more than 6,000 kisd studied. 15% had high or elevated blood pressure. in the 70s, 1% had high blood pressure. high blood pressure can weaken vessels, causing strokes. and can lead to kidney problems and cardio vacuum cue lar disease. children should consume less than a teaspoon but have on average of 3300 milligrams wlcht is it coming from? a single serving of mac and chas has half of the daily dose. spaghetti sauce, 48 amilligrams. handful of chicken nugget, 470 milligrams. >> i don't think parents are paying attention to sodium. we didn't realize that it was just as high as adults. >> doctors say like adult, kids who eat salty foods early, can d

as sharyn alfonsi discovered those tiny magnets can be a pediatricians nightmare. >> reporter: they're called bucky calls. 2 million cubes sold in the u.s. but they can also be extremely dangerous. >> what does this dinosaur say? >> reporter: 1 1/2-year-old presley was hospitalized after he swallowed 18 buckyball beads last month. >> they were on the table when he found them. >> reporter: his mother never saw the warping labels on the package accidently left the toy out where presley could reach them. >> he was here out of my sight for less than five minutes. >> reporter: at the time he had no way of knowing if he swallowed the magnets but laura took him to the pediatricians office the next day. this x-ray shows 18 buckyballs lodged in his stomach. i knew if they had passed from his tstomach into his intestine he could die. they could stick together and puncture holes in his thin intestinal lining. the consumer product safety commission said presley is just one of estimated 1700 people who have been hospitalized in the past three years after ingesting these kinds of magnets. as a resul

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> so not more nutritious necessarily. but you do get to avoid. >> pesticides. >> pesticides. i get. what that stuff can do to your body. there is an advantage. not like -- whatever. >> yeah. >> down on the farm, yes, indeed. >> looking good, looking good. so, you are farm organic tomatoes. i will be peeling my tomatoes from now on. you can taste the nutrients. >> in those tomatoes. >> coming up. talking to dead people. we'll we will introduce you to a communicator with the great beyond. >> uh-huh. >>> a new york woman says she can walk down the streets and hear messages of dead people. >> i see dead people. she is known as the long island medium, and she has her own tv show these days. >> of course she does. >> abc's linsey davis introduces us to theresa caputo who has no trouble finding believers. >> i'm theresa caputo, i look to think of myself as a typical long island mom. >> theresa and typical don't belong in the same sentence. it's not so much her hair or even her nails that make her different. it's her unusual abil

here's sharyn alfonsi. >> reporter: you don't need to go to a specialty supermarket to find organic. it's on the shelves of the biggest stores in the country, fills our shopping carts too. but with the cost of organic so much higher, you have to wonder if it's worth it. stanford researchers sifted through 200 previous studies to answer this question. are organic produce and vegetables more nutritious? the answer, no. the study found organics actually scored equally on vitamin and mineral content as conventional produce. >> just looking at the food, we can't conclude organic is healthier than traditional alternatives. >> organic doesn't guarantee the nutritional value is any higher. it's how you grow it. i eat the stuff, and i know because i can taste it. >> reporter: you can taste the nutrients? >> i can taste the nutrients. >> reporter: but is organic food safer? yes. it's 30% less likely to have pesside residue on it. although organic isn't pesticide free. still there are levels of residue that are well within what's considered safe. >> the organic consumer has a 35 viewpoint on wh

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. we know a place where tossing and turning have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. 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. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as $15 at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. ♪ [ female announce

and tonight's abc's sharyn alfonsi tells us more about what robin said this morning and what awaits her on the journey ahead. >> reporter: like so many big stories, it was robin who broke the news to us this morning. >> i had planned to let tomorrow be the last day, and then something's happened at home and i wanna take care of that. >> reporter: robin's heading home to see her ailing mother in mississippi. treatment for mds, myelodysplastic syndrome. she needs a bone marrow transplant. hear sister,Ñi sally ann, is a perfect match. >> i just want this to work. this has got to work. >> reporter: robin calling it all "a journey," and allowing us to tag along. for the tests -- >> how did it go? >> reporter: to the countless trips to the hospital. ♪ >> reporter: and teaching us along the way about this disease we knew so little about. robin developed mds after going through chemotherapy for breast cancer. now, she has to have more chemo. >> when people have heard that i am going to have chemotherapy, they've said to me, but wasn't that what got you in trouble to begin with? so why are yo

abc's sharyn alfonsi looks at the treatment. >> reporter: from the couch where she has been a fixture so many years, robin roberts broke the news. >> friday, george, will be my last day. i will check into the hospital the following tuesday and begin the process. >> reporter: it starts with chemotherapy in preparation for the bone marrow transplant, mds is a disease where the bone marrow doesn't make enough healthy blood cells. each year, 10,000 americans are diagnosed. only a small number of cases come from cancer treatments like robin. how will doctors try to replace robin's sick cells with healthy ones? first the chemotherapy to wipe t all problematic cells so her body will accept the good cells from her donor. her sister sally ann, sat with robin, her marrow a perfect match. she'll be given an iv of stem cells which will rebuild her bone marrow. the procedure will take 30 minutes. robin will be fully awake. then the waiting begins. doctors will be monitoring her blood count closely. >> we have to give antibiotics and blood products and immune system regulating medications to keep t

tonight, abc's sharyn alfonsi tells about you about robin and the life ahead. >> reporter: from that couch, where she's been a fixture for so many years, robin roberts broke the news. >> friday, george, will be my next day, i will check into the hospital the following tuesday and begin the process. >> reporter: it starts for chemotherapy in preparation for her bone marrow transplant and treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome, or mds. a disease where the bone marrow doesn't make enough healthy blood cells. each year, as many as 10,000 americans are diagnosed with mds. only 300 cases are from cancer treatments like robin's. so how will doctors try to replace robin's sick cells with healthy ones? first, the chemotherapy to wipe out all robin's problematic cells so her body will accept the good cells from her donor. her sister, sally ann, swapped with robin this weekend -- her marrow, a perfect match. robin will be given an iv full of her sister's stem cells which will begin to rebuild her bone marrow. the procedure will take about 30 minutes. robin will actually be fully awake. then the

details from abc's sharyn alfonsi. >> reporter: she walked into this pittsburgh hospital in broad day light and walked out with this 3-day-old baby, bryce coleman. just as his parents were preparing to take him home. the woman wearing black medical scrubs like this. police believe she bought the scrubs at a nearby store. the woman is being questioned. and bryce has been found alive. according to the national center for missing and exploited children, since 1983, 131 babies have been taken from hospitals. most of them found. only five are still missing. and most of the times the babies aren't taken from the nursery but from the mother's room. that's what happened earlier this month in southern california. watch as this woman, also dressed in hospital scrubs, posing as a nurse, walks into a room to tell aother to take a shower befe a doctor examined her. >> the victim turned h back, went to ke a shower. and the suspect placed the baby inside of the tote bag and tried to leave the emergency room floor. >> reporter: she walked into a high tech security web. the baby was wearing a tiny id

abc's sharyn alfonsi has more details. >> reporter: she walked into this pittsburgh hospital in broad daylight and walked out with this 3-day-old baby, bryce coleman. just as his parents were preparing to take him home. the women wearing black scrubs like this. police believe she bought those scrubs at a nearby store for just $17 this morning. tonight, a woman is being questioned and bryce has been found alive. according to the national center for missing and exploited children, since 1983, 131 babies have been taken from hospitals. most of them found. only five are still missing. most of the times, those babies aren't taken from the nursery but from the mother's room. >> the victim turned her back, went to take a shower. the suspect placed the baby inside a tote bag and tried to leave. >> reporter: that's what happened earlier this month in southern california. watch as this women also dressed in hospital scrubs posing as a nurse walked into the room to tell a new mother to take a shower before the doctor examined her. she walked right into a high-tech security web. the baby was wear

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> and you heard she was trained in classical piano. she toured with 100 orchestra playing piano. we thank you for watching this monday night. we're always here at abcnews.com. "nightline" will be along later. we'll see you right back here again tomorrow 90 have a great night. the second installment of the tournament, dedicated to honoring our nation's educators, originally followed the broadcast of the college championship. so once again, folks, class is in session.

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> if you live in boston, chances are your bike has been stolen. >> the most common place. apparently the most crafty thieves according to kryptonite are in new york. they're good at it. real good ate. >> look at us. >> who would want to steal our doosie there. keep pedaling. stop talking. keep pedaling. i need something to drink, dear. >> yes, honey bun. >> want to make sure i don't get sun burned. did you make sure the canopy is up. it had a canopy. impressive. we roll in style. >> bob marley's songs define a generation, now ziggy marley is talking about his legacy and his own style. you are watching "world news now." >> catchy music. the son of one of music's iconic figures, ziggy marley, son of bob malye. >> ziggy is embracing his father's legacy to show the world what he was all about. here is abc's neick watt. ♪ get up. stand up ♪ >> reporter: he sings like his old man. ♪ get up, stand up, and don't give up the fight ♪ >> reporter: he seems to channel bob. >> i'm relaxed. very relaxed. ha-ha. i am very relaxed. >> reporter: when you l

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >>> and coming up right here, it seemed like a good idea at the time, how one adventurous little boy was saved by some strangers. nothing complicated about a pair of 10 inch hose clamp pliers. you know what's complicated? shipping. shipping's complicated. not really. with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service shipping's easy. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. that's not complicated. no. come on. how about... a handshake. alright. priority mail flat rate boxes. starting at just $5.15. only from the postal service. hgotta start the day off right. wardrobe. cute. then new activia breakfast blend. a great way to help start the day. mmm... creamy lowfat yogurt with grains in yummy breakfast flavors, like apple cinnamon. its hearty, with twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt and helps regulate your digestive system. important, aren't they? new activia breakfast blend. the shares of facebook took another beating on wall street, hitting an all-time low which is the first day that some insiders and early inve

for "good morning america," aaron a sharyn alfonsi, abc news. >> she was married for 51 years. >> she treated her husband like a geisha. >> i love that. >> and an industry titan. absolute titan in the publishing industry. >>> let's get a check of the weather from ginger zee, who is in for sam champion this morning. >> good morning to all of you. good morning, everyone. i want to start with a severe weather risk for this afternoon and evening. thunderstorms will erupt from the southeast to the northeast. and one of the areas that really has to pay attention, is the mid-atlantic to new york city. they'll have damaging winds, isolated hail. and the circle i'm putting in here, isolated tornadoes. pay attention this afternoon and evening to your local abc stations. an area in a needs rain is north texas, south of oklahoma. they're going to get a stationary front, one to two inches. look at the southeast. parts of florida don't want it as much. but they're going to get it today, too. >> cooler and pleasant conditions continuing in the great lakes. i had to point that out. a real bright spot

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> her book "sex and the single girl" while the name seems. >> 1962. >> 50 years ago. only imagine the stir it made. 50 years ago. >> quite scandalous and racy at the time. >> these days, it is a little benign. >> set her up for the gig she had. she said, as the cosmo girl, she was the young woman she had been or dreamed of being 20 years before. >> what did she say there are three things, sex, and you can't remember the other two? >> i thought that's what she said too. >> all right. coming up what robert pattinson did not talk about on a late night talk show. but he did talk, first time he has spoken since kristen broke his heart. >> you have it. while miley cyrus's hair-do is a such a big deal. we will have that in "the skinny" as well. >> announcer: abc's "world news now" will continue after this from our abc stations. ♪ ♪ skinny so skinny >> so robert pattinson picking up the pieces of his broken life after kristen stewart cheated on him with her "huntsman" director, rupert sanders. so he goes on the "daily show" with jon stewart last night, t

abc's sharyn alfonsi has that. >> reporter: she was one of the most successful and most provocative magazine editors ever. >> sex is one of the three best things there is in my opinion. i don't know what are the other two. >> reporter: helen gurley brown, the grande dame of "cosmopolitan" magazine for three decades. long before "sex and the city's" carrie bradshaw started typing, brown wrote "sex and the single girl." the year 1962. her book encouraged young women to find pleasure in work and sex. three years later, that philosophy and brown took over cosmo magazine. famously quoted for saying "good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere else" and humorously credited with separating more young women from their virginity than anyone in the world. drawing criticism from feminists and conservatives. >> the accusation, if i may, that "cosmo" is a sex manual and we deal prolifically and prodigiously eternally everlastingly sex, sex, sex, yes we have always covered that particular topic willingly, gladly, happily, enthusiastically. >> reporter: even after he was editor in chief, she would com

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> i just wonder if that much pressure that young is healthy. >> she is only 17. >> that's a lot to handle. >> i was devastated for. devastated for her. that is an odd rule. i would have been devastated for you too, rob. >> after the show going to go get the gold. i am going to make it. >> i am going

for sharyn alfonsi back in new york and for all of us have a good evening. good night from jerusalem. ñ'