making news in america this morning. spy plane down. >> iran claims they have taken out a top secret unmanned u.s. drone. what sensitive information could they now control? then iowa intrigue. now that herman cain is out of the race, who will scoop up his supporters? wait until you see the surprising results of our new poll. and speaking out. the man at the center of the penn state sex abuse scandal opens up. what jerry sandusky is saying now about the charges against him. and good morning, everyone, i'm dan kloeffler sitting in for rob nelson. on this monday morning. >> and i'm sunny hostin. we begin with morning with a possible threat to american

security. iran says they have shot down a supersecret u.s. drone. the cutting edge technology may have fallen to america's enemies. abc's tahman bradley joins us from washington. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, dan and sunny. the kind of aircraft that iran says it has recovered is made by lockheed-martin. the aircraft was reportedly used to spy on osama bin laden's compound in pakistan. now iran says it's recovered the aircraft. the claim was made on iranian state television that iran shot down and captured an unmanned u.s. spy plane in the eastern part of the country. they say it was the rq-170. a secret drone that can presumably go without detection. they have lied about such things in the past. but if true, it could be a significant capture.

>> important secrets can be lost by looking at the kind of material on the skin or looking at the kinds of shapes employed. >> reporter: the u.s. military acknowledges that a reconnaissance plane crashed. official says it was not shot down. a senior u.s. military official tells abc news that the military is quote assuming iran has something. there are provisions built into drones. informs -- information can be erased if the plane is lost. if this is a stealth drone, it could help the iranians better understand the vulnerabilities of the u.s. >> it would have been poor planning to use the top technology on a platform they knew might go down. >> reporter: this is only the latest incident of the military losing secret information. pakistan reportedly let china look at a crashed stealth helicopter used in the raid that killed osama bin laden. the iranian television has not released pictures of the aircraft. back in july, they said they shot down another plane but later backed away there that

claim. dan and sunny? >> abc's tahman bradley. thank you this morning. more than 2,000 protesters have been arrested in washington, d.c. police moved in after demonstrators refused to demolish that wooden structure. after the initial arrests, there was a tense, hours-long standoff between police and demonstrators. it finally ended with more arrests. president obama has no public events on his schedule today. instead, meeting behind closed doors with top advisers. later in the week, he's expected to put more pressure on lawmakers to pass an extension of the payroll tax cut. if it's not passed, taxes will go up for 160 million americans starts next month. and to presidential politics now. and the donald shows he is still a force in the republican race. front-runner newt beginning irish is meeting up with trump this morning in new york. >> and trump tells "usa today"

he hasn't ruled out a run himself. with more, here's chuck sivertsen. >> a lot of cain supporters have been calling our office. and they've been coming over to our side. >> reporter: newt gingrich is still the man to beat. with just over four weeks to go before the iowa caucuses. the latest des moines register poll shows him with 25% support followed by ron paul and mitt romney. and a sizable amount of undecided voters. >> we're hearing that still 60% to 70% of the people in iowa are undecided. >> reporter: so nothing is for certain right now in this topsy-turvy, roller coaster ride for the rep nomination. >> we have had the flavors of the month up and down so far in this campaign. >> i was supposedly dead in june and july. i apparently am not dead. so i'm not going to say that any of my friends can't suddenly surprise us. >> reporter: meantime, they

continue to slug it out at debates and forums all over the country. >> this 2012 election is going to present a choice to people about what kind of america we're going to have. >> it's been a wild and woolly ride. i expect that to stay the same. >> reporter: chuck sivertsen, abc news. >> it's certainly getting contentious out there. and interesting. >> interesting. and it will continue. mitt romney's campaign announced last week, they're rolling out "the right answer." the advertising campaign he plans for iowa. >> and newt gingrich releasing his first video today. titled -- is the america we love a thing of the past? newt says no. it will be ard statewide. that is where the campaign money goes to. >> we'll be watching. saturday night's republican

debate from iowa will air right here on abc news. diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos moderate. voters in russia have delivered strongman vladimir putin a setback there. the united russia party will hold on to just a slim majority in the parliament. the vote went to the communist party, who looks to get 20% of the seats. putin is still looking to win back the president's seat. californians who just got their power back are bracing to lose it again. the powerful santa ana winds pick up steam today. utility crews scrambled over the week end to restore power. winds as high as 150 miles an hour toppled trees, overturned trucks, and damaged cars and homes. rough weather in california. >> those folks need break out there. we hope they get it in the next couple of days. time now for the weather across the nation. flood advisories in nearly a dozen states from texas all the way up to ohio. heavy rain in little rock,

shreveport, memphis, louisville, cincinnati. that will spread to the northeast. that will happen by this evening. thunderstorms from houston to new orleans and montgomery. and unfortunately, up to a foot and half of snow across new mexico and several inches in west texas. >> a snowy 21 in albuquerque. 25 in salt lake city. a biting 11 degrees in colorado springs. just 14 in fargo. 21 in minneapolis. 34 in kansas city. a mild 61 here in new york. and 57 in boston. >> a balmy 61 for the beginning of december. >> not bad for december. some of the biggest names showbiz descended on washington, d.c. for the kennedy center honors. >> yes, the president and first lady presided in her beautiful blue dress. meryl streep, neil diamond, yo-yo ma, sonny rollins and barbara cook were all recognized for their influence of american culture.

and smoky robinson serenaded caroline kennedy with "sweet caroline." >> she's probably had a lot of people sing that over the years. >> she's enjoying it i think. >> makes you wonder. how many times has she had that sung to her? >> so many. >> not with a crowd like that. pretty amazing. coming up, jerry sandusky speaks out about the sexual abuse allegations leveled against him. also major changes coming to the u.s. postal service. what it means for your mail delivery. and how this car crashed through a san diego restaurant leaving customers horrified.

it's going to take longer for your cards and letters to arrive. facing bankruptcy, the u.s. postal service planning cuts that will virtually eliminate the chances of overnight delivery for regular mail. more than 100,000 postal jobs could be cut. italian prime minister mario monti outlining the government. it includes taxes on luxury cars and boats. the yale-educated economist says he won't take a salary as prime minister or finance minister. hopes that there will be a break through this week toon european debt crisis. hong kong's hang seng rose 139.

in london, the ftse opened higher. on wall street, the dow gained 788 points. the nasdaq was up 185. it's been a week since cyber monday. we're still buying online. shoppers spent nearly $6 billion online last week. that's a record. free shipping was the big draw, aploying to almost 2 of 3 sales. many customers are now almost expecting it. the sun never sets on the "twilight" saga. "breaking dawn" notched its third straight top finish. it took in $17 million. "the muppets" was second. and "hugo" made nearly $8 million as it expands. >> you contributed to qult the breaking dawn" right? >> i did. when we come back, tiger

woods does something on the golf course that he hasn't done in more than two years. and got insurance? what the most expensive car crash in the world looks like. coming up next. i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer. if you have painful, swollen joints, i've been in your shoes. one day i'm on top of the world... the next i'm saying... i have this thing called psoriatic arthritis. i had some intense pain. it progressively got worse. my rheumatologist told me about enbrel.

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is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. a san diego restaurant in for a huge repair job after a car smashed right through the front door. look at this. the car sent that customer who was walking flying several feet, plowed into two other people. they were seated. amazingly, they all walked away with minor injuries. the driver said she accidentally hit the fwas pedal instead of the brake. it's amazing more people were not hurt. now for a look at morning road conditions. windy on i-5 and 10 in southern california. snow and ice on i-25 and 40 from albuquerque to el paso.

i-20 in texas. rain drenches i-30 from dallas to little rock. also wet on i-40, 64, and 70 in tennessee, kentucky, and ohio. >> if you're taking to the skies, airport delays possible in dallas, houston, memphis, los angeles, new orleans, denver. and san francisco. >> my goodness. a lot of delays. >> a little bit. jerry sandusky is speaking out again about the serious sex charges he now faces. >> and the former coach is answering questions oddly again about whether he's attracted to children. here's t.j. winnick. >> reporter: in this no holds barred interview with "the new york times" jerry sandusky maintains he's innocent of molesting eight boys for 15 years. >> i didn't do those things. >> reporter: so why is the former penn state assistant football coach having such a difficult time tackling the one question everyone wants answered? first posed to him in a phone interview last month. >> are you sexually attracted to young boys, underaged boys? >> am i sexually attracted to underage boys? >> yes. >> sexually attracted?

no. i enjoy young people. >> reporter: for the alleged victims, and their families, it was a an especially cringe-worthy moment. >> i asked him how he felt about the answer. mr. sandusky said he wished he did it differently. >> reporter: just like the first time around, he seemed incapable of answering directly. >> i was sitting there saying, what in the world is this question? what is it? am i going to be -- if i say, no, i'm not attracted to boys, that's not the truth because -- i'm attracted to young people. boys, girls. >> reporter: his attorney, joseph amendola, sitting off camera, had to rush to his client's defense. >> not sexually. >> that's what i was trying to say. i enjoy spending time with young people. >> that's a question that's ready to be hit out of the

ballpark. are you sexually attracted to young boys? the answer is no. >> reporter: why is jerry sandusky even doing these interviews? one theory is so he can make his case while avoiding the witness stand and cross-examination during a trial. t.j. winick, abc news, new york. the investors that picked up a megalottery ticket last week are making good. they're giving $1 million to five groups that help veterans and service members. among the organizations getting a $200,000 the the foundation started by our own bob woodruff. tiger woods is back on top. he clinched the chevron world challenge in california. he birdied to win by just one shot over zach johnson, the 2007 masters champion. it was his first victory since the sex scandal two years ago.

after the win, he said, it feels awesome. oklahoma state university officials say two people remain hospitalized in guarded but stable condition because of that. saturday's post game riot. including students, thousands of fans stormed the field. ripping down the goal posts. 12 people were injured. six of them hospitalize and released. staying with sports, here's the crew from espn with the highlights from week 13 of the nfl. >> good morning, i'm jorge andres. we start with the peak e eer -- packers and the giants. the packers looking for perfection. manning. hakeem nicks with the score. a two-point conversion. it's tied at 35-35. last chance drive for the packers. rodgers to jordy nelson for the 27-yard completion. the drive is still alive. three seconds left in the game.

mason crosby with the 31-yard field goal. the packers go on to win this one 38-35. tim tebow and the broncos taking on the vikings. we pick it up in the third quarter. broncos trail, 22-14. tebow, looking. looking. scrambling some more. and there he is. finds thomas, who muscles his way all the way in for the score. and the broncos are down now just 22-21. 1:30 left to play. the game is tied. 32-32. christian ponder. it's andre goodman. and he runs it. gives great field position for the broncos. ensuing bronco drive. two seconds left in this game. matt prator with a 23-yard field goal. the broncos win it.

35-32. that's your espn news update. for more, tune in to espn news. now to japan and what may be the most expensive car crash ever. >> insurance company is cringing over this one. it includes more than a dozen luxury cars traveling in a convoy. among them, eight ferraris, three mercedes, and a lamborghini. no one was injured. >> some cars were a total loss. damages are expected to hit get this -- nearly $4 million. >> oh. i hate when rich people lose money. painful to watch. up next, "the pulse." why a woman who was sexually assaulted by her husband now has to pay him alimony. >> interesting. and a new study that says teen sexting is not as popular as we think it is. sexting is not as popular as we think it is.

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now it's time to check "the pulse." stories you'll be talking about today. get this one. a california judge has ruled that a woman who was sexually abused by her husband has to pay him alimony when he gets out of jail for the crime he committed against her. >> the judge ordered her to pay her ex $1,000 a month and $47,000 for his legal bills because she was the breadwinner when they were married. because the husband is serving time for raping her, the payments won't start until 2014 when he gets out of prison. this blows my mind. >> i have never seen anything like this. usually, the defendant has to pay the restitution to the victim. there must be something more to the system. >> to simply say it is because she's the breadwinner is not a good argument to me. >> it doesn't make sense. there's got to be something else. it looks like teen sexting is not as widespread as

originally thought. people thought this was going rampa rampant. >> only 2.5% of kids surveyed said they sent racy images. >> previous reports said 20% of teens participated in sexting. that surprises me. >> are they being truthful? >> it could be a bragging thing. >> who knows. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be right back. news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be right back. hello? pretty sure? consider this yor wake-up call. everybody has a price guarantee. but only sears guarantees the best price on all top 10 brands, because only sears carries them all. with experts who know them all. it's called the top 10 advantage. boom! what you.g some knowlen thinking about buying appliances somewhere else? think again. sears.

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. next the new plan to prevent a planned shutdown of ports. new questions about fans safety at at&t park. >> cuts that could mean the end to next day delivery by the postal service in months. meteorologist mike nicco has the forecast. bone dry air and sun means -- >> frances going old school with that tune. >> i love it. i was singing along. >> a good tune to start the monday morning on. finally, some christmas

elves busy in reno last week. >> reporter: the dad, terry, couldn't believe his eyes when he saw five of santa's helpers decorating the outside. >> i was just thinking the other day that i need to get into the garage and find where the stuff is because he's coming back next week. i walk in and see this. this.e never seen fig like where people come in and do something like this for somebody in the military. it's something to behold. >> reporter: he's been living with his daughter and two kids since her husband, josh, was deployed about two months ago. christmas decorations josh's josh's things. >> she was nominated by a bunch of her friends. >> reporter: her friends nominated her to a decorate contest. she was chose on the have her home decorating at no charge.

>> the deciding factor was the quantity of nominations, the support in the community. the other part was her story is wonderful. >> reporter: the same friends have kept her away from house most of the afternoon. she has no idea what is going on. it took about 2 1/2 man hours to make everything just right. how does dad think his daughter will react? >> i think there will be tears flowing. and she's got a big heart. and you know, the two kids, especially, with their dad here. this is a christmas they'll remember. >> i think so. >> beautiful. the holiday spirit. >> that's what's making news in the holiday spirit. >> that's what's making news in closed captioning by closed captioning services,inc good morning.