this morning, the battle for new hampshire. >> just one day until the abc news debate in manchester, where jon huntsman is getting new support this morning. as rick santorum gets booed. also, the video diary surprise. casey anthony's first words since being cleared of murder. but is it enough to improve her image? and the dramatic rescue of four people, including two, young boys, clinging to a cooler in the middle of the ocean. good friday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm paula faris. we begin this morning with a surprising twist on the road to the white house. >> that's right. jon huntsman who was dead-lost

in the polls gets a surprising endorsement from a leading newspaper. abc's tahman bradley joins us with all the latest news from the campaign trail. good morning to you, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, rob and paula. karl rove wrote in "the wall street journal," that mitt romney should expect to be treated like a pinata at tomorrow night's debate. he is the front-runner in new hampshire in the race. as for the other candidates, they're going to face some tough questions, as well. before new hampshire votes on tuesday, there are some crucial questions for the gop candidates headed into tomorrow night's abc news debate. fresh off a near-victory in iowa, rick santorum is hoping conservatives coalesce around him as the romney stopper. but he found out new hampshire is not as conservative as iowa. >> are we saying that everyone should have the right to marry? everyone? >> reporter: the former senator got booed when he legalizing same-sex marriage was similar to legalizing polygamy.

>> so, anybody can marry several people? i'm happy to engage in a discussion. and i'm calling up people. and i'll give people a chance to answer. but we're going to have a civil discussion or we're going to move on to another question. >> reporter: front-runner, mitt romney, still faces questions about whether or not he can seal the deal with his party's base. >> i think this president believes in something that some call crony capitalism. >> reporter: romney's home paper endorsed jon huntsman over him. huntsman is betting everything on new hampshire. he skipped iowa to focus on the granite state. and his superpack has upped the attacks on romney. >> i'm out working for and earning your support. i just have a request of you. i want your vote. >> reporter: gop donors are giving rick santorum a serious look. abc news has learned he's raised $2 million in two days. paula and rob? >> santorum is seeing this surge in cash. but can he raise enough for what is likely to be a long and

pretty drownout campaign? >> reporter: it's got to be difficult for him. santorum just does not have the kind of money that mitt romney has. the romney campaign says it has raised over $20 million over the last three months. but ron paul, on the other hand, is rolling in dough. his campaign says it's raised $13 million over the last three months. mitt romney has the cash, the money in the bank to spend. >> all right. tahman bradley. thanks for that live report this morning. appreciate that. and a reminder. just one day until the candidates' first clash since iowa. see the debate right here on abc news at 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific. baghdad is on-edge today as the victims of a wave of sectarian violence are laid to rest. at least 78 people were killed in bombings yesterday, including 45 shiite pilgrims in a single attack. it was the biggest large-scale attack since u.s. forces pulled out last month.

joran van der sloot goes on trial today in peru. the dutch native is accused of murdering a young peruvian woman in his hotel room in lima last may. that murder took place five years to the day since american tourist natalee holloway went missing in aruba. van der sloot was the last to see her alive. but prosecutors could never prove he actually killed her. a minnesota man is in more trouble than he is already in after being removed from a delta flight. the man was drunk and got into a fight with a flight attendant as the plane was flying to los angeles. he was restrained by other passengers until it landed at l.a.x. that's when the man was dragged off by police and charged with a misdemeanor assault. cities are heating up instead of cooling down. it may be the beginning of january. but americans have been enjoying some warm air, actually, from coast-to-coast. nearly 900 record highs over the last week. incredible stat there. abc's duarte geraldino has more

on all this wacky weather. >> reporter: the winter warmup has many people in the midwest and plains states wondering, where am i? >> this is like florida in nebraska. >> it's not nebraska. >> reporter: but it is nebraska, where the average temperature should be in the 20s. on thursday, it was in the upper 60s. in des moines, iowa, it hit 65. in rapid city, south dakota, a higher temperature than in miami, florida. and in alexandria, minnesota, people lost their coats as the temperature hit 54. >> nice to be out here just wearing a t-shirt. >> reporter: golfers in missouri took full advantage of the weather. several factors are causing this winter warmup. cooler pacific waters known as la nina, are pushing the jet stream further north. causing mild, dry weather in the south and southwest. then, there's arctic oscillation. it acts like a fence, trapping cold weather and keeping the midwest warm. scientists say global warming is also playing a role. while the strange weather pattern is a blessing to some.

>> it's a gift from god. no snow, no frost to deal with. >> reporter: warming is expected to make snowstorms worse. >> the atmosphere has more moisture. the storms can tap into more moisture. when it is cold enough to snow, we would expect to see heavier snowfall events. >> reporter: get your warm weather while it lasts. a storm coming in from the gulf of mexico next week will likely make it feel like winter again. in new york, duarte geraldino for abc news. >> warm in january. no complaints. we know old man winter will be back soon enough. >> until like may. time, now, for a look at weather from across the country on this friday morning. rain from seattle to portland. snow in the cascades and northern rockies. showers in south texas, from houston to corpus christi and brownsville. light snow in western new york and northern new england. warming up here along the east coast. >> it is 50 here in new york. 60 in baltimore. 62 in atlanta. 70s from miami to dallas. kansas city climbs to 56. chicago, 49. and minneapolis, 42. mostly 40s from seattle to colorado springs. phoenix hits 71.

and sacramento, 60. and coming up after the break, desperate measures as a couple tries to find a misplaced $300,000 ring. >> yikes. and big news overnight from penn state. a new era for the football team is about to begin. also, an incredible survival story this morning. two, young boys adrift at sea. clinging to just a cooler.

welcome back, everybody. the government issues the december unemployment report this morning. but there are already signs it's going to be a good one.

based on private reports, economists think it will say that employers added about 150,000 jobs. much of that growth was actually in the private sector. the unemployment rate last month fell to 8.6%. overseas markets are mostly down this morning on worries about the health of europe's banks. tokyo's nikkei average fell 98 points today. hong kong's hang seng dropped 220 points. in london, the ftse opened lower. on wall street, the dow slipped three points yesterday. the nasdaq index rose 21.5. after those jobs numbers come out, the president plans to visit the new consumer protection bureau. just two days ago, he defied senate republicans by appointing richard cordray. his summer negotiations had been stalled. mr. obama may also be able to capitalize on those unemployment figures. two airlines say they did not affect safety. but they found cracks in the rips of their aairbus a-380s.

and it's not related to engine failure a quantas airbus had about two months ago. it's not a recall, onl suggestion. but general motors says chevy volt owners should bring their autos to dealers for repairs. the dealers will strengthen the area around the batteries. well, the private investigator in south florida usually tracks down cheating spouses and missing cars. but joe malato's latest target is a diamond engagement ring worth $350,000. it's a 10 carat beauty with a diamond on either side. the owner doesn't know if the ring was lost or stolen. but, rob, it was not insured. >> a ring that big, that pricey, not insured? oh. should cling to that with dear life. >> get insurance before you pop the question. >> amen to that. coming up next on this friday morning, casey anthony's revealing video diary without a single mention of her daughter.

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now, for a look at morning road conditions out there. icy spots on i-90, from syracuse to boston. i-87, from albany to the canadian border. wet highways in south texas. snow on parts of i-84 and 90 in the cascades. >> and believe it or not, it is another great day to take to the skies. some snowshowers could sauce some light weather-related delays in boston. the world is getting its first look at casey anthony since last summer. >> she surfaced online this week with a new video, with a new look, offering a glimpse of her new life. more, now, from s david abc's d wright. >> this is my first video diary. it is october 13th.

>> reporter: it's the first time we've heard her speak since a florida jury found her not guilty of murdering her 3-year-old daughter, caylee. >> we, the jury, find the defendant not guilty. >> i'm extremely excited i'll bv able to take a video log. take some pictures. and i have something i can finally call mine. >> reporter: a black and white video diary, posted this week on youtube. it's not clear by whom. the only thing that hints to something strange is what she says about her whereabouts, which clearly is not home. >> it's going to be a while before i leave. i'll be here for many, many months more. >> it's almost like a therapy session, in a lot of ways. i'm feeling better. i got a dog. i think this was really her attempt at catharsis. >> reporter: eerily, casey never mentions her dead daughter, not once. >> if this was an attempt to tell her own story for public

consumption, she did it very bradley. >> reporter: howard bragman is an expert at repairing a tarnished image. 's no statute of limitations. >> reporter: casey anthony's name was one of the top-ten google searches last year because millions of people were shocked by the crime. and equally shocked the jury did not convict her. >> this is the end of my first video log. i'll probably do another one later. >> reporter: casey anthony's image problem runs much deeper, says bragman. >> there are tens of millions of people that believe she murdered her daughter. and i believe that someo could come forward and say, i did it. and they'd still hate her. >> reporter: after all, she's famous for just one thing. >> end of the first. just the beginning. >> reporter: i'm david wright, in los angeles. >> we'll have much more to this story coming up on "good morning america," when dan abrams and

nancy grace weigh in. some stirringly emotional words as the mother of those three, young girls killed in a christmas day house fire said her final farewells. in her eulogy, madonna badger says her girls now live in her heart. and she's hanging on to love in the wake of her death. the coffins of the three girls were carried by the very same firefighters who tried to save them and their grandparents who also perished in that blaze. penn state university appears ready to begin a new chapter with a new football coach. espn reports it's the current new england patriots offensive coordinator, bill o'brien, who recently had a sideline spat with quarterback tom brady. o'brien will stay with the patriots until the season ends. his hiring is expected to be announced tomorrow. and bill clinton did not come home empty-handed from last night's new york rangers game. one of the rangers tossed a puck over the glass to the former prez. he watched the blue shirts defeat the florida panthers, 3-2. >> nice catch, mr. president.

and from the ice, we head, now, to the nba hardwood. >> highlights from some of last night's action, now, from espn news. >> good morning. and welcome to your espn news update. i'm zubin mehenti. game of the night in the nba. a triple-o.t. thriller. lebron james, dwyane wade not playing. chris bosh, for three. the only one of the big three playing. co heh the three. he had 33. game tied at 93-93. it's only appropriate we head to o.t. number three. mario chalmers dribble-drive. he scored in the triple o.t. session to win, 5-7. san antonio spurs looking to stay perfect at home, taking on the defending nba champions, the dallas mavericks. second quarter, spurs on the run. in command. matt bonner from downtown. he had 17. third quarter, spurs comfortably in front. duncan hasn't scored more than

20 in a game this season. but they really haven't needed it to this point. but with ginobili's hand being broken, they're going to need some other scorers. bonner comes in. the spurs win by 22. that is your espn news update. i'm zubin mehenti. have a great weekend. coming up next after the break, which celebrity just bulldozed a $12 million mansion? >> is it you? >> no. and that incredible video we got overnight. kids floating at sea, clinging to a cooler. we're right back. i don't want healthy skin for a day.

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learn more at lipitorforyou.com. time to check out "the pulse," the stories you'll be talking about today, beginning with two dramas on the high seas. >> two dads, each with their 11-year-old boys were left clinging to a portable cooler after their fishing boat caught fire and sank off sydney, australia. fortunately, one of the dads was able to activate a distress beacon before the ship went down. we've seen this situation so many times before. thankfully, they were able to activate that distress beacon in time. >> very lucky group of folks there. it doesn't end there, either. an 84-year-old man from ohio has been rescued in the south pacific, after the mast of his sailboat broke. thomas lewis corrigan was making his seve his seventh attempt to sail

around the tip of south america. the navy picked up his emergency distress signal. and directed a japanese merchant ship to pick him up. another lucky call. 84-year-old. had to be dramatic. >> good for him for going for it. >> maybe next time. coming up next, what you call an extreme home makeover for sure. tiger woods' ex-wife decided to make some pretty significant changes to her mansion. >> this is not the mansion she shared with tiger. this is what elin nordegren's estate looked like when she parched it last march. now, you see it. >> now, you don't. this is what it looks like now. tmz snagged a photo of what was the six-bedroom, eight-bath home, completely reduced to rubble. she had it demolished to build her dream home. and justin bieber is sporting something new this year. another tattoo. >> the biebs was spotted on an l.a. beach with the new at the

on his left calf. it's an image of jesus wearing a crown thorn. this is tattoo number three for the 17-year-old superstar. >> his two other tattoos are also religious. a small dove on his hip. and the name jesus written in hebrew on his torso. >> he is advertising that. you know, right there on his body. so, whatever you want to do, biebs. it's your world. we're just living in it. >> we are. my daughter was singing a justin bieber song. she's only 4. it was frightening me a little bit. >> a little bieber fever in your house. >> i don't know where she heard it. >> he's everywhere. the biebs will find them. all right. well, some of you, now, your local news is coming up next. >> for everyone else, the late-night comics on this week in politics. >> "america this morning" will continue in just a few seconds. do not go far. we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] no matter how busy your morning...

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next, an overnight accident turns lights out for hundreds in the east bay. why it could mean problems for contra costa commuters. >> flurry of late night gunshots a from the san francisco police department. s.w.a.t. team search that put a neighborhood on lockdown. >> meteorologist mike nicco with the forecast. >> cooler breezes today. i'll update you on the conditions at our coast. and updating today's top stories. gop presidential candidate jon huntsman gets a big boost from a

boston globe endorsement. that's a big-sim slap to former massachusetts governor, mitt romney. rick santorum is having a harder time with swing voters in new hampshire than he did in iowa. he was booed at an event with college students as the discussion turned to his opposition to gay marriage. we're awaiting the december jobs report. based on private reports, economists think it will maybe add about 150,000 jobs. >> some good news. looking at today's weather, some rain in the pacific northwest. some snow in the cascades. light snow in western new york and new england. and record heat for parts of the east coast. and finally this half hour, the result of the iowa caucuses was, of course, the big story this past week. >> it dominated. and the late-night comics, well, they wasted no time weighing in to have a laugh. >> the gop presidential race is heating up. romney and santorum, tied in iowa. perry, soldiering on. and michele bachmann dropping out to spend more time fiercely

staring at her family. >> those of you who might not know who rick santorum is, he usually wears a sweater vest, which is puzzling. he's not the only candidate who has been trying to work a little of the sweater vest magic in his campaign. >> a massachusetts moderate, who has given no evidence in his years in massachusetts, of any inability to change the culture or change the political structure or change the government. >> i would have gone one size smaller with that. >> i read that facebook is hosting a republican debate on sunday. candidates will see debates on their poll numbers with romney in the middle, santorum on the side and rick perry down. >> and romney gave his troops a rousing speech. >> oh, beautiful, for spacious skies. amber waves of grain. does corn qualify as amber waves of grain? not exactly. but you get the idea.

>> no, um. jimmy, actually, that speech was from last week. i want last night's heartfelt victory speech. >> oh, beautiful, for spacious skies, amber waves of grain. if corn qualifies an amber wave of grain. >> that's from thursday. last night. >> oh, beautiful. for spacious skies. >> i want last night's victory speech. mitt romney moved by the moment. >> oh, beautiful, for spacious skies. >> all right. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you, jim. that's enough. i think we'll all remember where we were every time we heard that. >> got to love colbert. >> can we see newt gingrich in the tank top again? >> trying to forget. that's what's making news in americ stay with us for that's what's making news in americ stay with us for >> stay with us for "good closed captioning by closed captioning services,inc