this morning, a clash for the ages. >> completely off immigration. >> i thought we were talking about immigration. >> i do want to -- >> tense and testy. mitt romney and barack obama went round after round, duking it out in their second debate. reaction, fast and fierce, pouring in overnight. we have complete coverage and analysis. it was also a night new englanders will not forget. a rare quake shaking the region. a fright for millions. and sinking feeling. an expensive, high-tech boat being tested for next year's america's cup flips over. and it's a major setback for the team's billionaire backer. and divine intervention. the story that has millions talking. a husband's gesture for his

cancer-stricken wife, ends up saving his own life. and good morning, everyone. rob will be joining me in just a moment. and we begin this wednesday with the presidential debate rematch, turning into a fiery, full-on political rumble. and tumble. there was plenty of finger-pointing, with the candidates sparring from the opening moments. one of those moments captured in this image. president obama, clearly not about to repeat his performance in denver two weeks ago, with a lot of people calling that a lackluster performance. this was contentious. it was uncomfortable. the only thing missing was the boxing gloves. well, we are in the final stretch right now. just 20 days from the election. and abc's t.j. winick, he is in hempstead, new york, with more on the long island fight night. good morning, t.j.

>> reporter: paula, good morning to you. that's right. many on both sides are calling this a great debate. it was high-stakes. and that was clear from the outset. just 45 seconds into his first answer, the president went after his opponent. >> governor romney said we should get detroit go bankrupt. >> reporter: but mitt romney pushed right back. >> the president took detroit bankrupt. you took general motors bankrupt. you took chrysler bankrupt. so, when you say that i wanted to take the auto industry bankrupt, you actually did. >> reporter: that's the way it was much of the night. >> have you looked at your pension? >> i have to say -- >> mr. president, have you looked at your pension? >> i don't look at my pension. it's not as big as yours. >> reporter: the republican challenger told president obama that the middle-class has been crushed over the last four years. >> 23 million people struggling to find a job. the president's policies have been exercised over the last four years. and they haven't put americans back to work.

>> reporter: it took more than an hour for the debate to turn to foreign policy. once it did, the candidates bitterly argued about the administration's handling of last month's attack in libya that killed four americans, including the u.s. ambassador. >> i want to make sure we get that for the record. it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in benghazi an act of terror. >> he did, in fact, sir. let me call it an act of terror. >> can you say that louder, candy? >> he did call an act of terror. >> reporter: and the president finally brought up the infamous 47% comments in his closing statement. >> when he said, behind closed doors, that 47% of the country considers themselves victims, who refuse personal responsibility, think about who he was talking about. >> reporter: this was the one and only town hall style debate. next monday's debate will focus exclusively on foreign policy. paula? >> i've got my popcorn and soda ready for round three.

t.j. winick, live on long island this morning. thanks, t.j. and as you can see, there's lots to analyze on both sides. so, earlier this morning, rob and i talked to our senior washington editor, rick klein. >> rick, always appreciate you being here with us. talk a little bit about, i guess, what was the strength for each guy last night? what was their home run? >> president obama was able to look presidential. he had the big moment that he needed, especially on that libya answer, which i thought was so effective. and then, beyond that, he made the argument for the next four years. he hasn't really -- until the end of that debate, he didn't ask for another term. explicitly in one of these deba debates. and he finally got around to that and began to fill in the gaps. and i think for mitt romney, the aggressive style of questioning, for a lot of people to ask questions, particularly of the republican base, but also independents out there, they want to know is this president going to be held to account for his tenure, for his missed opportunities and broken promises. he was able to do that and showed he belongs on the stage. i think another strong debate

for mitt romney. >> what do you think this does for both candidates? and when will it shake out who benefits more? >> the stems the tide for those going to the romney column. i think the rates are frozen right now. and the obama supporters will be more energized. and you'll see the polling reflect the likely voters in this election, are going to be edging towards obama. a chance to pause things right now and re-establish the race in the next debate and beyond. >> very aggressive romney and more aggressive president. listening to the twitter verse talking a little bit. mitt romney came across a little rude at times. tried to steamroll over candy a few times. approaching the president in a very aggressive way. did he lose any style points tonight? >> he was assertive, there's no doubt. he was having the debate that he wanted to have. he didn't care what the moderator was saying about. i was struck by the physicality of this debate. two guys that clearly don't like each other. they have no personal respect or love for each other, getting in each other's faces. walking past each other. talking over each other at times. it got very aggressive. very tense in that room.

>> and on monday, the third and final presidential debate in florida. all about foreign policy. >> stay tuned for that. third and final. things winding down. thanks. we do appreciate it. thank you. >> there's much more ahead to dissect this morning on the debate. we're going to get reaction from the vice president, as well as paul ryan, later on "good morning america." and we have some breaking news overnight. a suicide attack at a joint u.s./afghan outpost in afghanistan. the car bomber struck a base in an eastern province early this morning. initial reports say no americans were hurt. but ten afghan soldiers were injured. the taliban has already claimed the responsibility for the attacks. and a busy border crossing between the u.s. and canada. the peace arch in washington state turning violent tuesday. the crossing was closed after a man driving a van with washington state plates shot a female canadian guard in the neck. and then, killed himself. police are trying to figure out

why the gunman opened fire. hundreds of mourners remembering u.s. ambassador chris stevens, during a public memorial at san francisco city hall. former colleagues say stevens will be remembered for his skill as a diplomat and his personal charm. stevens was killed in that attack on the u.s. consulate back on september 11th. and some rattled nerves in the northeast this morning after a rare earthquake hit southern maine. the 4.0 magnitude quake struck just after 7:00 last night, about 20 miles west of portland. it could be felt throughout new england. people running into the streets, as the ground shook. but there were no reports of major damage or injuries. and it is time, now, for the weather from across this great nation. fargo, minneapolis, and chicago will see showers, perhaps, even thunderstorms. severe weather is a threat for little rock and memphis, with high winds and hail. the northern plains could see wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour.

and the southwest, hate to tell you. you're going to bake in temperatures well above normal. downtown l.a. will hit 90 or above. phoenix is 93. dallas will be in the upper 80s. mostly 60s in the middle of the country. boston and seattle in the upper 50s. and when we come back, what's really behind a huge shakeup at a major bank? and then, if your ipad's too big, your iphone's too small. well, get ready for something new from apple. and later, the $8 million wipeout. this wasn't just any boat that capsized in san francisco bay.

welcome back, everyone. there's been something of a coup on wall street. although citigroup ceo vikram pandit claims his sudden resignation was his choice, several reports say he was pushed out. the board and investors were unhappy with how slowly the banking giant was recovering from the economic meltdown. but if it really was his idea, he could lose a $33 million retention package. ouch. and the postal service is going to have to live within its means. the beleaguered mail agency has hit its $15 billion borrowing limit. it's been losing money because of less volume and paying into a pension fund. the postal service does not get taxpayer money and legislation to help it cut costs is stalled in congress. and apple is making another announcement next week. it's expected to be the ipad mini. it will compete with other small tablets, all of which start at about $200. unlike its big brother, the ipad

mini will be more for reading and viewing content than for producing it. and target stores will match prices this holliday season, not only with other stores but also with online competitors. this is the latest effort by a retailer to combat showrooming, where customers browse in stores but order online. and still ahead on this wednesday morning, as that brave pakistani girl recovers from a taliban attack, we go inside the secret schools where young girls risk their lives for a chance to learn. and later, a-rod puts up some numbers. phone numbers, that is. reports that the yankees star was on the bench, trying to score a home run with some of his female fans. i was living with this all-over pain.

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don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. we're going to take a look at the morning road conditions. severe weather could bring heavy rain and high winds to memphis and little rock. showers making for slick roads in the upper midwest. rapid city, you're going to see

wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour. if you are flying, airport delays are possible in minneapolis, chicago, kansas city, memphis and miami. and back to the news this morning. it now appears that the government is building a criminal case against that massachusetts pharmacy that's at the center of the meningitis outbreak. criminal investigators from the fda were at that facility yesterday. and a u.s. attorney confirmed it was part of an ongoing investigation. officials believe tainted steroids produced at the pharmacy led to at least 16 deaths from meningitis. and the 14-year-old pakistani girl shot in the head for standing up to the taliban is improving this morning. doctors say they are impressed with her strength and her resiliency. abc's muhammad lila has more on her progress and the way of life she so bravely opposed. >> reporter: for the very first time, doctors treating 14-year-old malala yousafzai say the worst is over.

>> she's showing every sign of being, every bit as strong as we've been led to believe that she is. >> reporter: her case drew offers of help from around the world. from angelina jolie, to former congresswoman gabrielle giffords and her husband, astronaut mark kelly. for years, malala defied the taliban, speaking out, demanding the right for all girls to go to school. raising her voice for girls like these. this is a secret girls school in afghanistan. our camera crew risked their lives to come here. dozens of young girls, crammed into a tiny room, so determined to get an education, they study in secret. we've blurred their faces for safety. the taliban don't want girls to get an education, this village elder told us. to get to school, the girls walk an hour through afghan fields in small groups. and never wear a uniform. they hide their books. if anyone asks where they're going, they just say to a friend's house. inside, they study english,

something the taliban oppose. a powerful act of defiance, one they know could get them killed. even in the relative safety of kabul, we found young girls fighting for an education. this 14-year-old's family fled their village when the taliban shut down their school. what kind of future would you have if you couldn't go to school? >> i think a dark future. a bad future. >> reporter: now, she attends a regular school with hope for the future. the same hope malala yousafzai is fighting for. muhammad lila, abc news, kabul. >> unbelievable what we take for granted here in this country. malala is getting an outpouring of prayers and support from across the globe. her family is expected to join her in england very soon. and a stunning sight to show you in san francisco's bay. as an $8 million sailboat flips over on a training run for the america's cup. the 72-foot catamaran broke apart. and then, many of the pieces were carried past the golden gate bridge and out to sea. some crew members were thrown

into the water. thankfully, everyone's okay. can't say so much for the boat. it was one of two being tested for the america's cup race next year. i think we can all safely say it didn't pass the test. and the nhl has tabled a major, new offer to its locked-out players. commissioner gary bettman was in toronto yesterday for talks during which the league offered the players an even 50/50 split of what's called hockey-related revenue. bettman's offer would also preserve a full 82-game season starting next month. everyone, including hockey fans, waiting for a formal response from the players. and in baseball, the giants and cardinals play game three of the national league championship series this afternoon in st. louis. as for the alcs, last night's highlights, now, from espn. >> randy scott here with your "sportscenter" update. and we start in the alcs. game three in the motor city last night. could be our final glimpse of

the yankees in the postseason. there would be no alex rodriguez. but plenty of justin verlander. more on him in a second. in the fifth, miguel cabrera, mr. triple crown, plates a run. that would be big. makes it 2-0, tigers. top seven. verlander rolling. getting robinson cano swinging. yankees get one in the ninth. but that's not enough. 2-1. tigers take a 3-0 games lead. also a big one on the pitch in kansas city. u.s. men's national team, world cup qualifying. semifinals. they got a tie with guatemala. early, carlos ruiz. that's a goal. and he hurt himself celebrating, sure. let's go to the tenth. same score. clint dempsey, who sees all of the net with his noggin. we're tied at 1-1. 18th minute, to dempsey. u.s. up 2-1. and in the 36th, more with michael bradley, to dempsey. his second goal of the night. second time he's done that in his career. united states is through to the

finals. 3-1 is your final. as for the yankees, they have not gotten swept in a seven-game series since the '70s. we could have history tonight. i'm randy scott. that's your update. have a great day. >> thanks, randy. well, you saw alex rodriguez of the yankees on the bench in detroit last night. now, we're hearing what he was apparently up to during saturday's loss. "the new york post" reports after a-rod came out of the game, he was flirting with two young women seated behind the yankees dugout. a witness claims he even had a ball boy toss a ball to the ladies, on which he asked for their numbers. one of the women wrote something on the ball. the flirting apparently stopped after derek jeter broke his ankle. up next, "the pulse." and the hottest moments as the fireworks really flew in last night's debate. then, a husband's act of solidarity with his cancer-stricken wife might have saved his life. or the worry my pipes might leak get in the way

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welcome back, everyone. it is time to check "the pulse." and the buzz this morning, of course, is all about the battle. it felt like a literal battle between president obama and mitt romney. and we have put together a few of the fiercest and most uncomfortable moments from the 90-minute exchange. >> how much did you cut licenses and permits on federal land and federal waters? >> governor romney, here's what we did. there were a whole bunch of oil companies. >> i had a question. and the question was, how much did you cut them by? how much did you cut them by? >> i'm happy to answer the question. >> it is? have you looked at your pension? >> i don't look at my pension. it's not as big as yours. >> we're way off topic here. >> we're a little off topic. >> completely off immigration. >> i thought we were talking about immigration. >> i came back here -- >> i want to make sure --

>> you can thank us later for that. the president and mitt romney clearly did not see eye-to-eye. their wives appeared on the same page. first lady michelle obama and ann romney were both thinking pink. hot pink, to be exact. it may have been just a fluke, or quite possibly a salute to breast cancer awareness month. and lastly, a story going viral with tens of thousands of hits on facebook. it's about a couple in georgia who are battling cancer together. first, dolly stringer was diagnosed with breast cancer. so, she shaved her head before beginning chemo. her husband, bud, shaved his head, as well. that was when an aggressive form of skin cancer was found on his scalp. they were told that if bud's cancer was not found, he would have died by christmas. they are both continuing with treatment. and their doctors say their prognosis is good. supporting his wife ended up saving his own life. for some of you, your local news is next.

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next, three us is expects injured after a police chase. >> oracle's america's cup team has repairs to make after its yacht flipped. >> new polls on who americans think won last night's debate. lisa argen has the forecast. clear and cool now. sunny and hin the upper midwest. it's going to be warmer than usual in the southwest. and finally this wednesday morning, another couple left the ballroom last night on "dancing with the stars." bristol palin and her partner, mark ballas, are gone after four weeks of some intense and tough competition.

abc's george pennacchio has the details. >> bristol and mark. >> reporter: after bristol palin got booted off "dancing with the stars," she opted not to talk to the press. and that's something that's only happened a handful of times in the show's 15-season history. bristol left the politics of defeat to her partner, mark ballas. what happened? why is she not here? >> i think it's a lot right here. bristol's never been eliminated. we made the final last time. it's emotional. we did the best we could. at least we went out on a routine that the judges said was the best one so far, rather than you could have done it better. >> reporter: what did she privately say to you after you were eliminated? >> we hugged. and she said she had fun. it was fun. we had a good time. >> reporter: season nine champion, donny osmond returned to the ballroom tuesday night to sing. but not with his sister. with susan boyle. do you feel a little like marie standing next to donny? >> i do. >> she sings better, though.

♪ this is the moment my final say ♪ >> she told me, she used to listen to my albums, as a 13-year-old girl and sing along with me. and she said, someday, wouldn't it be cool to sing with donny osmond? and it happened. >> reporter: but will something else happen when it comes to susan and the "dancing with the stars" stage? are you a future "dancing with the stars" contestant? >> i don't know about that. >> why not? how's that, george? how's that, george? you like it? >> i like it a lot, yes. >> reporter: and speaking of dancing, there is much more to come. there will be a double-dose of dancing for the eight remaining teams next week. they'll have their individual guilty pleasure dances. then, they'll be divided into two teams for some special team dances. in los angeles, george pennacchio, for abc news. >> i think i got that. bristol and mark will join us on "good morning america." that's what's making news today. have a good one.