=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x tonight on "nightline" -- up in smoke. $2.3 trillion wiped out in a single day. as the market plunges,s, the blame game ratchets up. >> this is essentially a tea party downgrade. >> so, who are these guys anyway? prime-time jane. jane fonda's secret to aging well. love, sex and a little fly-fishing. the actress and activist opens up about her parents, her exes and her biggest regret. >> i would lose an arm if i could take that back. plus a few good men. 30 troops killed. most from the same elite forcece that killed osama bin laden.

the latest details about what really happened as the heroes' names and faces are finally revealed. good evening, i'm cynthia mcfadden. we begin tonight with the worst day on wall street in more than two years. the stock market fell 634 points today for a loss of approximately $2.3 trillion. as we go on the air tonight, markets around the world are reacting. japan's stock market, the nikkei, was down nearly 4% in the first hour of trading. as stock prices plunged, the finger-pointing surged. john donvan reports. >> on friday we learned that the united states received a downgrade by one of the credit rating agencies. >> reporter: words just could not do it today. the president stood there trying

to talk the nation or at least the markets into just taking it easy. >> but here's the good news. our problems are imminently solvable. and we know what we have to do to solve them. >> reporter: like a thermometer plunged into ice water, the dow jones average kept going down today. to close with a startling loss of more than 600 points. in terms of lost wealth $2.3 trillion. and while his goal was to tell us there's a way out. >> there are plenty of good ideas about how to achieve long-term reduction thaha doesn't hamper economic growth right now. >> reporter: but the question that remained unanswered was how. which is why the downgrade that exacerbated all this was given in the first place. the man speaking for the company that did that, he's not flinching. >> no second thoughts? >> about our decision absolutely not. >> reporter: standard & poor's is sticking by its guns having seen the political temper tantrum of the debt limit debate. lowering the american governmentnt credit rating from

its king of the hill status aaa, which let us borrow at the lowest rates, down to aa plus which means that s&p'ss lost a little faith in the good faith and credit in the united states and urour ability to pay our debts down the road. in washington anger at standard & poor's is palpable. >> i think s&p's shown really terrible judgment. >> reporter: almost proving s&p's point, the parties started immediately going at each other again. >> i believe this is without question, the tea party downgrade. >> the president has no plan to restore the aaa credit rating to the united states of america. >> reporter: the fact is this bad sort of financial history was made on the president's watch and so the white house was at pains to point out that bond prices went up today which has the effect of holding interest rates. >> the market has spoken very clearly against the judgment s&p

made. >> reporter: literally it was a judgment call. that's what standard & poor's does among other thins. they judge. like an umpire. except in this game it's n n ball and strikes for the batter it's financial stability and reliability. and at that s&p says the u.s. struck out. so what is this s&p, this private company, with roots that precede the civil war? why does it, and the agencies like it, most notably fitch and moody's, why do they have such power? >> these companies have been around for quite a long time. and the paradox is the government has essentially increased their importance. >> reporter: that's because it's the government that issued rules requiring certain huge investors like insurance companies and banks, to invest only in securities that had higher ratings. and somebody had to do the rating. >> this essentially imbedded the importance of these ratings in the entire investment arena. >> reporter: which is not to say

their track record is perfect. as predictors of whom you can trust to pay back a loan or not, they've had big missteps. >> during the enron and worldcom crises, all of the ratingg agencies performed woefully. >> reporter: the big one was '08, the housing bubble, when healthy ratings were given to mortgage-backed bonds that turned out to be sick. is this to say the ump needs glasses? the white house thinks so. >> it is really breathtaking that s&p made an over $2 trillion mistake in their analysis that showed a fundamental misunderstanding of the most basic elements of the budget that we would even expect our interns to understand. >> reporter: now it's done. s&p has spoken. saying the real issue is the political process itsese seems to be broken. that the government will not be able to get the debt down. which, again is a judgment. >> they're predicting that it will not be resolved.

they're predicting that these difficulties will continue. and so how do they know that? >> reporter: but the fact is there is no answer to that question. and it doesn't seem to matter. not when the dow is down 600 points and wealth is down $2.3 trillion. and part of the reason for that is simply that the ump called strike three. john donvan, abc news washington. >> we'll keep bringing you the latest from wall street. and up next i sit down with the always controversial and tonight, confessional, jane fonda. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

introducing purina one beyond a new food for your cat or dog. [ jane ] here's me. and here's my depression. before i started taking abilify i was taking an antidepressant alone. most days i could put on a brave face and muddle through. but other days i still struggled with my depression. i was managing, but it always had a way of creeping up on me. i felt stuck. i just couldn't shake my depression. so i talked to my doctor. he said adding abilify to my antidepressant could help with my depression, and that some people had symptom improvement as early as 1 to 2 weeks. he also told me about a free trial offer from abilify! now i feel more in control of my depression. [ male announcer ] abilify is not for everyone. call your doctor if your depression worsens or if you have unusual changes in behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens and young adults. elderly dementia patients taking abilify have an increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor if you have high fever, stiff muscles and

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sprint business specialists can help you find the answers. sprint. america's favorite 4g network. trouble hearing on the phone? visit sprintrelay.com. how you doing? my name i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i jane fonda has been a

fixture in american life for more than 50 years. often controversial but never dull. fonda has written a new book out tomorrow called "prime time." in which she digs deep down into her own life at 73 and why she believes she's happier now than she's ever been. tonight, the two-time academy award winner on regrets, forgiveness and learning to laugh. this is what jane fonda calls her prime time. we caught up with her at her new mexico ranch. it's hard to believe she's now 73. but not only does she not mind it, she says she's rather enjoying it. >> about 68 and i said i'm inside oldness now. and it's not scary at all. i've never been happier. >> her dance partner is richard perry, her boyfriend of the past two years. >> i could never have been with him earlier. >> why?

>> because i needed a man to validate me. the three men i married were alpha men. richard is an extremely successful music producer. he is not what i call an alpha male. >> alpha male or not, he has helped her find true intimacy she says. and in the process she's come to a new understanding of those other alpha males from her past including her third ex-husband who we just missed when we arrived at perry's house high in the hollywood hills. ted turner spent the night here last night. >> right, with his girlfriend. >> how's that work? >> we're not in love but we love each other. he taught me so much. especially humor. how many men have you been sexually active with? >> what? >> that many huh? >> if i could be good in "monster in law," it's because i spent ten years with ted. >> by age 60 she says she started thinking about what she wanted from the third act of her life.

that led her to write this new book, "prime time," in which she mixes her own journey in old age with the latest science about it and a healthy dose of self-help. >> one chapter that is called the low down on getting it up in the third act. i love that title. >> she says she was amazed to discover the joys she's experiencing at this stage of her life is not that unusual. >> most people over 50 are happier. and it seems counterintuitive. >> so if someone gave you a special ticket and said you can go back to being 20 would you take it? >> no, no. yeah, i would if i could go back knowing what i know now. mm, would i have a life. >> still by all accounts what a life it has been. the daughtererf the legendary film actor henry fonda. her own acting career took off in the 1960s. with flashy roles like "barberelo." >> we must fly back to my

spaceship. >> by the 1970s, it was clear she was more than sexy. she won two academy awards for her roles in "clute" and "coming home." >> i'm going to miss you. >> but her most meaningful role may well have been this one. >> i don't even know him. >> "on golden pond" where she appeared alongside katharine hepburn and her own father as a daughter yearning for his love. >> i want to be your friend. >> i know that you really tried with your father. i mean "golden pond" was really your tribute to him. >> i knew he was dying and i wanted to make a film with him. it was so close to the way it wale was. >> for jane, the film was a painful echo of reality. >> he was critical of you too. >> he was critical. as i became an adolescent, i was fat. i wasn't really fat. he let me know i wasn't good enough physically. that's hard. >> that criticism helped lead to 20 years of eating disorders. she admits it's been tough to

reflect on some of the darker parts of her past. but deems it critical for happiness now. she calls it a life review. something she recommends to everyone approaching their 60s. examining her relationship with her mother was especially difficult. >> i knew shee didn't love me and -- >> you knew she didn't love you? >> yes i knew she didn't love me. >> her mother committed suicide when jane was only 12. it wasn't till she began her life review that fonda obtained her mother's medical records. she was stunned. >> i discovered she'd been sexually abused by the piano tuner. and that second, i knew everything. i knew everything. >> if you coulul have her back? >> oh, i would put my arms around her. i would be able to forgive her and to tell her, you know, how i understand and i think my father -- i told my father before he died but, you know, i

feel their presence, i do. and so they know. and i'm comforted by that. >> this fonda, the wounded onon doesn't seem to be the same strident confident fonda who led those protests against the vietnam war. >> because the american protesters are holding out last hope. >> that brings us to what she says is one of her biggest regrets. this photograph taken in 1972 of fonda posed atop a north vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. >> i still say fonda, stay away! >> it launched a wave of outrage and a painful nickname, hanoi jane. >> i'd lose an arm, i would, i would lose an arm, if i could take that back. because it sent a message that has nothing to do with me that i will live with forever and i will regret forever. >> perhaps it is the things she cannot change that helped boom her zest for the things she can. little surprise perhaps, that the queen of the workout video is up to some of her old tricks.

>> it's always better to work out with somebody handsome, right? >> making fitness videos now for other people in their prime time. >> get into it now. >> i'm, like almost falling over and people like that. >> and it's vital, she says to try new things. >> that's it. >> hence tennis. >> reach. >> wow. >> she took up the game only recently. >> i just want to say how humble i am that i'm letting you film me -- this is my second lesson. >> second lesson. >> right? >> you've mastered everything else. >> you look great. >> i'm very happy. it takes a village. i'm sitting here in front of a camera. i've spent an hour and a half someone put makeup on me. and do my hair. and there's a filter on the camera. and there's beautiful lighting. and without all that i don't look that great. when all of that goess away i still look goodd for my age but i don't look great. >> so what's next for the resilient fonda? is retirement in the picture?

hardly. >> i'm ambitious. but i don't feel competitive. >> one more oscar, one more something, one more big thing, no? >> i'm ambitious. would i like another oscar? you bet, yeah i'd like another oscar. but i'm not -- i don't feel competitive. i am what i am. it can erase boundaries and hold its ground. it can even the score and start a movement. -it can... -[ beatboxing ] [ male announcer ] it can buy time and tell time. shhh. [ baby giggles ] [ male announcer ] we use our mouths in so many ways to open up to the world. after all, life opens up when you do. crest and oral-b. tell us your story at lifeopensupproject.com.

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the war in afghanistan has raged for a keck decade, costing u.s. taxpayers billions of dollars. a tragedy this weekend really brought hope the high cost of war. 30 soldiers killed. theeadliest day for u.s. forces since the war began. abc's martha raddatz reports. >> these navy s.e.a.l.s, they don't do it for the medals or for tv interviews they do it because it's the right thing to

do. >> friday afternoon, kimberly vaughn was at her parent's home in northern virginia carinin for her two kids. the highlight of her day, a phone call from her husband, aaron, a member of navy s.e.a.l. team 6 serving in afghanistan. >> his last words were "i love you. i'll talk to you later." >> it was late friday in afghanistan. some 7,000 miles away a team of army rangers in the tangi valley moving in on their target a taliban commander. a firefight erupts. the rangers call for reinforcement. and within minutes aaron vaughn was heading into the fight, on board a chinook helicopter. with him 21 other s.e.a.l.s, including texan stephen mill commissioned a s.e.a.l. on 9/11. high school buddies robert reeves and jonas kelsa from

louisiana. around 1:00 a.m., now saturday as the helicopter descends in darkness, the taliban take aim with an rpg. normally easy for a helicopter to evade. >> it is an inaccurate weapon. it's not able to hone in. it's like shooting a bullet. >> but this night was different. the taliban were able to set up an ambush and fire on the helicopter as it came into the landing zone. a single shot and the helicopter burst into flames. >> an rpg is designed to blow up a tank so it is no match for the thin skin of a helicopter. >> the greatest catastrophe in afghanistan in a single incident since this war began. 30 american warriors gone. young patrick hamburger was going to propose when he got back. michael strange had just gotten engaged. his brother trying to remain stoic. >> everyone hears about it

happening, you know, happen to us. >> and kimberly vaughn who had just given birth to a daughter eight weeks ago with her husband at her side she got the terrible word on saturday. >> i just fell to my knees. there's just -- the energy everything, just drops out of you. i just remember saying no no. >> at the wave church in virginia beach near where s.e.a.l. team 6 is based, prayers for those lost and those left behind. the remains of the fallen heroes will be returned to dover air base tomorrow. kimberly vaughn will be there to meet that plane load of grief, clinging to the pride in her husband's selfless service to help her through. i'm martha raddatz for "nightline" in washington. >> a series of painful good-byes to come. finally tonight, remarkable scenes from london where hundreds of rioters and lootd