making news this morning, countdown to iowa. >> just one week until voters' voices are heard. iowans bracing for a full-court press by the candidates, beginning today. severe storms, threatening to bring tornadoes to parts of the south today. while winter's wrath, that returns to the great lakes. and record-breaker. nice guy q.b. drew brees is the talk of the sports world this morning. breaking a record that stood for nearly three decades. and good tuesday morning, everyone. i'm dan koeffler. >> i'm sunny hostin. so much for christmas truths. the presidential candidates are lashing out at each other before next week's iowa caucuses. mitt romney, newt gingrich,

michele bachmann, they will all be in the hawkeye state today. but the man there with the momentum seems to be ron paul, despite the controversy. with just one week to go until the iowa caucuses, the candidates have come out swinging. rick perry released an ad accusing many of the other candidates of being washington insiders. >> that's the reason i'd call for a part-time congress. >> reporter: meanwhile, the gingrich campaign, which made a promise to be positive, is hammering mitt romney at the montana. but mitt romney is increasing his efforts in iowa, and releasing a new ad. >> i'm going to do something to government. i'm going to make it simpler, and smaller and smarter. >> reporter: he'll begin his day in new hampshire. long shot, rick santorum, spent his day after christmas, hunting in adel, iowa. he has picked up support of christian conservatives in the

state and is now looking for an upset. >> i think we're going good. >> reporter: but the candidate with apparently the most momentum, right now, is ron paul. but he's facing questions about a controversial newsletter, which contained anti-semitic and anti-gay comments. >> i didn't write it. i disavow the messages, whatever was written. that's been 20 years ago. and it's been rehashed many, many times. >> reporter: the latest gallup poll -- and in new hampshire, which is one week after iowa, romney has a commanding lead with 39%, with gingrich and paul tied for second at 17%. and that same, new poll has good news for the white house. it shows 47% approve of the president's performance. that is up 5% since mid-december. the same poll also showing 45%, do not like the job the president is doing. that job is done, since the president pushed congress to

pall tax extension. new details overnight. a missing 9-year-old girl who had been the subject of a massive search in her indiana neighborhood, has been found dead the suspect is expected to make his first court appearance later today. new details in that christmas day fire that killed three children and their grandparents in suburban new york city. authorities now believe what caused the fire. wabc's kimberly richardson reports from stamford, connecticut. >> reporter: there's so much darkness in a place where there was once so much light. >> my heart is bleeding for them. i can't imagine -- excuse me. i can't imagine what she's going through. >> reporter: one can't help but stare which this pile of burnt debris and wonder, what

happened? what happened the spark inside 2267 chipan avenue, inside a home where a family was fast asleep on christmas morning. >> just horrific. and the whole neighborhood, we just, you know, kind of tempered our celebration of christmas. >> reporter: 47-year-old madonna badger and her male companion, who was her contractor, escaped the fire. firefighters tried to save her 10-year-old daughter, lily, her 7-year-old twins, grace and sara, and her parents, but couldn't. just hours before, he was in his element, working as santa claus in saks fifth avenue in midtown. crews demolished the home, which was under renovation. confident they found what they were looking for. the fire was most likely caused embers from a fireplace. and the blaze was burning for about an hour before anyone realized it. >> i just couldn't believe it.

that a house of that stature burnt so quickly. >> thanks to kimberly richardson. the fire chief says the grandfather's body was found just outside the bedroom, where one of his granddaughters was sleeping. he had obviously been trying to take or lead her to safety. a medical helicopter crash in rural florida has killed a cardiac surgeon, medical technician and the pilot. the aircraft was flying to gainesville hospital to pick up a heart for transport. that heart could no longer be used in another transplant because its viability had expired. the patient that was going to receive it is back on the donor list. many americans heading home after the long christmas weekend is going to have rough weather to cope with it. it's a huge area of rain blanketing the southeast and the midwest right now. in fact, it's packing winds topping 70 miles per hour.

it could be causing flash flooding. even tornados in some spots the afternoon. that system is expected to move into the northeast. >> that's not all. holiday travelers are facing several inches of snow around detroit, cleveland and the adirondacks, spreading to northern vermont later this evening. snowshowers around knoxville and lexington. up to ten inches of snow in the cascades and northern rockies. rain from seattle to portland. >> mostly 40s in the rockies. 56 in sacramento. 56 in phoenix. fargo, only up to 19. chicago, 39. 49 in new york. and 59 in new orleans. a nice, warm 81 in miami. not too bad. >> it always seems to be 81 in miami. and it was a record-breaking monday night of football down in new orleans. >> that's right. saints quarterback drew brees became the nfl's single-season passing leader with that touchdown pass. it moved him past dan marino's 5,084 yards that marino set back

in 1984. we'll have more on that and that record coming up from espn. big smiles. new reasons to be optimistic about the economy in the upcoming year. plus, plummeting prices on televisions. why this might be the best time in a long time to buy. and facebook heroes. a woman held captive for days is saved after she posts a plea for help online.

and welcome back, everyone. there's optimism about the economy for the new year. top analysts surveyed by the associated press expect the u.s. economy to grow slightly faster than it did this year. 2.4%. that was verse an even 2%. but the economists' biggest concerns, well, as usual, unemployment. and europe's financial problems. however, they are upbeat about job growth, based on the last couple of months. so, today, asian markets were down on a warning about the economy of the bank of japan. tokyo's nikkei average lost 39

points. hong kong's hang seng was closed, as was london's ftse. u.s. markets, they're going to reopen today. last week, the dow gained 428 points. the nasdaq index, that was also up, 63 points. the numbers aren't in yet. but it is believed yesterday was the third-busiest shopping day of the year. customers flocking to stores to shop bargains and use gift cards. there was a huge increase in sales using mobile devices. those online sales is one reason it's a great time to buy a television. the internet deals are forcing brick and mortar retailers to cut prices. there's also been a big increase in manufacturing capacity. so, there's more than enough tv sets to meet demand. and big-name manufacturers are being squeezed by lower-cost labels. the 12 days of christmas itunes giveaway is under way.

but so far, it's only available for customers in canada and europe. and the app doesn't work with some older apple devices. and a classic rock 'n' roll band is reuniting and heading back out on tour. tickets for van halen's concerts go on sale in two weeks. and an added bonus, david lee roth will be aboard. a new album is also promised. >> is that "panama" i hear in the background? >> maybe. maybe. >> nice. good reunion there. next on this tuesday, more on that historic night for drew brees. reaction still coming in from one of the most popular players in the nfl. and the all-out search. and the $30,000 reward to find a missing toddler. [ female announcer ] splenda® no calorie sweetener is sweet... and more.

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temperatures in minneapolis are plunging after the warmest christmas there in over a decade. golfers, runners and bikers took advantage of the unseasonably warm december weather that climbed to a record 52 degrees yesterday. today's high is just 28. but still, a few degrees warmer than normal. >> looks beautiful. now, for a look at the morning road conditions. wet on parts of i-10, 75 and 95 in florida. i-85, from charlotte to richmond. and 95, from d.c. up to boston. icy on i-80, from south bend to cleveland. also, wet on i-5, in the pacific northwest. slippery on i-84 and 90 in the rockies. >> if you're flying, delays are possible on the east coast from atlanta to boston. and snow could affect flights in detroit. and there's news out of detroit this morning where police are stopping just short of saying they have a serial killer on the loose. they are now saying three of

four women who have recently been found dead, all advertised themselves as escorts on the same website. >> two badly burned bodies were found in a car trunk christmas morning. two others were also found in a trunk last week. the website linking the women is called backpage.com. it's an online marketplace that includes personal ads. police in maine are now offering a reward in the case of missing toddler, ayla reynolds. $30,000 will go to anyone who helps to ultimately find the 20-month-old girl. reynolds' father reported her missing ten days ago. an unbelievable story. a utah woman has been rescued after being held captive and beaten in her own home. her boyfriend, the alleged attacker, had taken all the phones from the house. so, she reached out for help, using the only thing that she had left, facebook. more, now, from noah bond, of our affiliate in salt lake city.

>> reporter: the victim wrote on christmas eve at 4:39 p.m., hello? is anyone out there? i'm having serious problems and will be dead by morning. she was hiding in a closet with her laptop, the only device she could find to get help. the reaction was quick and strong. roughly 20 minutes later, a friend responded, i have her address if it helps. i'm in south carolina. so, i can't do much else. one by one, friends logged on. and together, they schemed to call police and lead them to her home in this neighborhood. police could see where he tried to strangle her. and they found bruises all over her body. they also found a 17-month-old child, the couple's son, bruised, as well. the victim doesn't want to talk on camera. but neighbors are shocked facebook could be her only outlet for help. >> for her, i'm sure she considers it a lifesaver. it's another tool that is now available to people. i'm not on it. all my nieces or nephews are. if i got in trouble, i probably could get on it and find somebody to help me. >> reporter: police arrested troy critchfield.

he faces several criminal charges, including kidnapping. this isn't the first time he has been charged. he held his girlfriend against her will about a year ago. this time around, he beat her and strangled her for about four days, only letting her go after she sought help on facebook. troy critchfield is in a county jail. meanwhile, his girlfriend and their young son is recovering from several injuries to their body. noah bond, abc news. from california, something of a mystery, christmas. check out the guy in the santa hat. he's also wearing a mask at this san diego pharmacy on saturday. he hands the pharmacist a note, asking for money and drugs, including oxycontin. the guy behind the counter wasn't taking any chances. >> i assumed that he had a weapon. he had one in his hand in his pocket of his jacket. i didn't want to find out. i just gave him what he wanted.

>> the suspect also took his note back before he left, which left police without any fingerprints to work with. and now, on to those details that we promised from last night's record-breaking feat on "monday night football." we get them from espn news. >> good morning. i'm zubin mehenti here with your espn news update. and in a sport full of numbers, the one that dominated on monday night, 305. that's how many yards drew brees needed to break the single-season passing record, held by dan marino. taking on the atlanta falcons. pick it up on the third. they start on the ground. darren sproles takes the draw 36 yards. sproles had 67 yards on 5 carries. later in the drive, it's brees, stepping back and hitting robert meacham, the former tennessee volunteer, in the end zone. it's a 24-yard score. the saints cruising up 28-10. 31-16 lead, matt ryan hits julio jones. he's stripped of the ball by malcolm jenkins. right place, right time, right bounce and right to the house. takes it all the way back for the score.

take one more look. a great job of stripping the ball by scott shanle. and new orleans, all over it. that aggressive defense by gregg williams, doing the work. late fourth. same score. third and nine, brees 30 yards from the record. marques colston, for the first down to extend the drive. next play, brees to devery henderson, for 11 yards and another first down. he needs seven more yards to make history. two plays later, nfl immortality. >> brees back. he needs seven yards. brees throws. end zone. touchdown and there's the record. >> unbelievable. >> drew brees, in rare air. the all-time single-season nfl passing record. >> brees breaks the mark. saints break the falcons, 45-16. i'm zubin mehenti, with your espn news update. by the way, brees still has one more game to go. a scary thought for any opposing nfl defense. >> i absolutely -- >> that's right.

>> widely regarded as one of the nfl's genuinely good guys. in fact, a reflection of that was dan marino's reaction to that accomplishment. just after brees broke that record, marino said great job by a great player. >> and character and style. brees said the record isn't about one person. it's about the whole team. >> that's true class right there. >> clearly, that's why he's one of the most beloved players in the nfl. i remember his picture with his little child when he won. wonderful. >> very cool. big congrats there. "the pulse" is up next. and the question is, which pop star's reportedly eyeing a move to amish country? plus, should maria take arnold back? 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. i'm surprised how quickly my symptoms have been managed. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system,

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the singer has been spotted several times in central pennsylvania at bars, restaurants, even a grocery store. and gaga is said to be house-hunting in lancaster, pennsylvania, where her boyfriend, actor taylor kinney, is from. she was looking at a mansion in an exclusive, gated community. >> somehow, i don't see her making quilts with the rest of the amish community. >> i don't either. but who knows? a second true or false. is maria shriver having second thoughts about her divorce from arnold schwarzenegger? >> unfortunately, that also seems to be true. the couple spent christmas together at their l.a. home. and they were also spotted at the lakers' home opener later that day. sources tell tmz, that due to a number of factors, including her catholic faith, shriver is rethinking divorce plans. >> that hurts you. >> it does hurt me. on behalf of all women.

i understand wanting to keep the marriage together. >> all for the sake. >> yeah. here's some evidence of christmas that one family in utah is never going to forget. take a look at this. while waiting for santa and the reindeer, one buck, a full-grown eight-pointer comes right through the basement window. >> all they heard was a window crash. when they opened the bedroom door, there he was. >> that room that the deer was in also had to have the family's christmas gifts in there. a few crushed boxes, bng broken. for some of you, your local broken. for some of you, your local news is next. umm, nah ad. i'm good. alright. ♪ [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette, you celebrate a little win. nicorette mini helps relieve cravings in minutes. so you can quit one cigarette at a time. nicorette mini helps you go from one little win to another. until you reach your goal. nicorette mini. quit one cigarette at a time.

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>> meteorologist frances dinglasan will have the forecast. another chilly start. no freezing temperatures. i'll have details and talk about the chance of rain comi updating the day's top stories. one week now until the critical iowa caucuses. and there's still no clear gop front-runner. the new poll finds newt gingrich only slightly ahead of mitt romney. the man they all want to beat, president obama, is getting more approval in a new poll from voters. and britain's prince philip smiled and waved as he left the hospital today. the 90-year-old royal was being treated for a blocked artery. and looking at today's weather, severe storms in the southeast. snow for detroit, cleveland and knoxville. also, snow in the cascades and

the northern rockies. and finally, is going to the movies losing its appeal? ticket sales are not only down this year. they're back to where they were in the '90s. >> yeah. well, the question is, will dinner and a movie soon be going the way of the drive-in? abc's cecilia vega reports, now, from hollywood. >> reporter: it was supposed to be the year of megahits. >> your mission, should you choose to accept it. >> reporter: now, movie executives have a new mission on their hands, to get people back into movie theaters after a year of death-defyingly low turnouts. 2011 ticket sales are on pace to be $500 million behind last year. and attendance hasn't been this slow since the mid-'90s. are people still in love with the silver screen? >> i think people love going to the movies. and it's getting more expensive. and that's excludeing a lot of moviegoers from going to the theater. >> i just watch it at home. >> reporter: not even conan's

muscles were enough to draw the huge crowds this year. among the other forgettable blockbusters in 2011 that turned out to be so unforgettable, "the green lantern," "cowboys and aliens," and "mars needs moms." it cost $150 million to make. but sold just $39 million in tickets. >> alvin. >> reporter: critics say there were too many family movies, pushing out teens and young adults who typically pack theaters. and one too many dark flicks. >> it's over. >> i'm sorry. >> reporter: moviegoers are getting the movies they want in new venues, too. streaming big hits online and at home. >> i really don't feel i need to come to the movies and actually watch it when i have a tv at home. >> reporter: there still hope for a mad rush to the box office. and if not? well, there's always 2012. >> happy new year. >> reporter: cecilia vega, abc news, los angeles. >> people want to see their movies at home. >> it is nice to be able to pause it when you t