making news in america this morning -- a light show for millions overnight. a meteor that looked like a fireball, streaking across several states. taking everyone by surprise. also this morning, important, new research on autism. scientists now say they can pinpoint the disorder earlier than ever. and it's all in the eyes. plus, making way for america's heroes. the passengers who gave up their first-class seats for troops returning from the war. and country music honors its rising stars and living legends. the artists that took home the top awards and the songs that won the hearts of fans everywhere. good morning, everybody. we begin this thursday with new video.

a surprising light show in the skies above several western states. >> a meteor streaked across the sky, taking even astronomers off guard. you can see it here from a car's dash cam. people from malibu, california, to mexico, saw the fireball streak across the sky. >> that's incredible video. take a look at that. my goodness. the national weather service says this meteor was likely associated with the southern taurid meteor shower. which doesn't really bring a big number of meteors. but when they do appear, they are very bright. >> when i saw it, it was in slow-motion. it was about as big as a continue lope. it was all blue. and the very tip of it. humongous. the tip was just orange. we go to new developments in the troubled health care rollout. a key government official linked to the website has stepped down. >> this, as the president hits the road to defend the program. abc's tahman bradley joins us with the very latest. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: diana and john,

good morning. republican states are refusing obama care, complicating the rollout. it's a problem the president is taking head-on. president obama is back on offense, defending his health care law on hostile turf. he traveled to texas, 1 of 36 states that have refused to set up its own insurance marketplace. the lone star state has declined to expand medicaid. the president urged governor rick perry to reconsider. >> folks who are complaining about how the website is not working. and yet, they're leaving a million people right now without health insurance, that they could immediately fix. >> reporter: president obama again admitted he is frustrated by the failure of the healthcare.gov website. >> this is like having a really good product in the store, and the cash registers don't work. and there aren't enough parking spots. >> reporter: the obama administration is now taking heat about the botched health care rollout from democrats. yesterday at the white house, the president heard complaints

from 16 democratic senators up for re-election next year. on capitol hill, health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius, faced more tough questions from republicans and democrats. >> why not shut it down and do it right? >> no more caveats. no more excuses. no more spin. just give us the truth. >> reporter: sebelius pledges to fix healthcare.gov by november 30th. but warned initial enrollment numbers will be low. >> i'm hoping with the site improvement we'll see more robust numbers. >> reporter: in another twist, the official who managed the government office who created the troubled website, plans to step down next week. diana and john? >> tahman bradley, live in washington. thank you. the military also under scrutiny for the way it handles sexual assault within its ranks. 46 senators are now backing a bill to move prosecution of the attacks outside of the military chain of command. top commanders insist they should be allowed to police their own ranks. statistics show 26,000 sexual

assaults in the military last year alone. two-thirds of the victims don't report them. and new this morning, former pakistani president, pervez musharraf, has been freed from his months' long house arrest. musharraf had been held since april, in connection with the death of a radical cleric, back in 2007. he's still barred from leaving his country. and his life is still threatened by al qaeda and other groups. and scientists say they have new evidence suggesting that the late palestinian leader, yasser arafat, was poisoned. arafat died under mysterious circumstances at a french military hospital in 2004. his widow and palestinian officials have long accused israel of having a hand in his death. a new report says that soil and bone samples taken from his grave, had high levels of radio active polonium. a federal bill to protect gays against workplace discrimination is expected to pass in the senate this morning. in most states, a worker can be denied a job or even fired because he or she is gay or transgender. all 55 senate democrats are backing this anti-discrimination

measure, in addition to a number of republican senators. the bill could still stall in the house. and a couple of notes here following up on election day. re-elected new jersey governor chris christie did everything he could yesterday to dispel talk of a possible 2016 presidential run. he called all of the attention flattering. but he said, he could ignore it. meanwhile, the next mayor of new york city, bill de blasio, had what he called a helpful conversation with the man he will replace, michael bloomberg. de blasio criticized bloomberg during his campaign. and it was a slight embarrassment for vice president biden, as he made post-election calls. biden called to congratulate the new mayor of boston, marty walsh. only the walsh on the other end of the phone call was not the one who had just been elected. biden boomed out, marty, you did it, you son of a gun, before his error was revealed. >> oops. two people have been killed after gunfire erupted inside a detroit barbershop. ten people injured.

police say it was a particularly gruesome scene, even by detroit standards. the motor city ranks second in the nation for murders and violent crime. the new jersey mall where a gunman opened fire this week has reopened, as police release 911 calls. shoppers ran for cover at the sound of the gunshots. some of them forced to hide for hours. you can hear the fear in their voices as they called for help. >> 911. i can't hear you. what? >> there's somebody that's shooting at garden state plaza right now. >> somebody's shooting? >> somebody's shooting at garden state plaza right now. i'm in the bathroom. >> stay on the phone with me, sweetheart. how many people in the bathroom with you? >> three. >> are they in your store? >> yes. >> at the time, they didn't know the gunman was on a suicide mission. 20-year-old richard shoop took his own life and no one else's. now, for a great story, featuring a group of marines making their way back home to san diego after serving in afghanistan.

they were in chicago. and it only got better when they boarded an american airlines plane. >> plenty of smiles when some first class passengers voluntarily gave up their seats and flew coach so that group could fly together. when they got to san diego, they were greeted with a water canon salute and plenty of handshakes at the gate. welcome home and many thanks to them. >> now, that is quite a story. >> that is an amazing story. >> we all need to take a look at this story and remember it the next time we happen to be sitting in first class. and see a group of guys in uniform come in. >> that's when we know they deserve that and more. it's really hard to give up a first class seat. kudos to those people for being so classy. you stay classy, san diego. >> there you go. and speaking of flying, the olympic torch is launched into space this morning. it's headed to the international space station onboard a russian rocket. >> the trip into orbit is part of a promotion of next february's games. the olympic torch will be taken on its first-ever spacewalk.

for safety purposes, it will not be lit while it's in space. >> i wonder if it will be able to be lit on the spacewalk. probably not. time for weather across the nation. windy and heavy downpours and mountain snow in the pacific northwest. chilly across the plains and great lakes. rain for the northeast. scattered showers from virginia to florida and along the gulf coast. >> mostly 60s from dallas to atlanta and into the northeast. 40s across the upper midwest. 50s from seattle to portland. 85 in phoenix. coming up, investors gear up for another big day. the new stock that could spark a rally on wall street. plus, a promising development in autism research. how doctors may soon be able to diagnose the disorder earlier than ever before. but first, deals that were too good to be true. walmart's low prices went rock-bottom yesterday. that didn't last long. we're going to tell you why when we come back.

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shares in the highly-anticipated twitter stock offering go on sale just hours from now on the new york stock exchange. anticipation about the ipo helped fuel a rally on wall street. the dow jones industrial average closing up 128 points to 15,746. the dow is up more than 20% this year. a sign of the times. all but a handful of blockbuster video stores will be closed by early january. the chain was once the necessary stop for just about anyone who wanted to watch a movie at home. that changed with the rise of on-demand and other services like netflix. the store closures will put about 2,800 people out of work. 50 franchise stores will remain. big changes coming to abercrombie & fitch. the struggling retailer plans to roll out larger sizes by spring in hopes of attracting more customers. ambercrombie's ceo has famously justified its lack of plus

sizes saying they're going after the, quote, cool kids. but the company is changing its tune as sales and stock prices have plummeted. and starbucks is joining the effort to put veterans to work. the coffee chain says it will hire 10,000 vets and military spouses in the next 5 years. walmart apologizing for offering rock-bottom prices that were too good to be true. the retailer set off a buying frenzy on its website with computer monitors going for 9 bucks. treadmills at 20 bucks. kayaks, 11 bucks. can you imagine? i'll take three of each. a technical glitch is to blame. it will not honor those absurd bargains. the customers will get a $10 gift card. >> i never go on shopping sprees at the right time. i could have gotten a $10 gift card out of this. >> it would break my heart if i had a monitor and a kayak and -- >> in your shopping cart. >> yes. for 30 bucks and get a $10 gift card. >> sorry. when we come back, the heartbreaking diagnosis for an nfl legend. the consequences of years of violent hits for tony dorsett. this morning, he speaks out about physical and emotional pain.

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only at one of our 425 sleep number stores nationwide. sleep number. comfort individualized. people in south dakota were breaking out the snowblowers and shovels earlier than expected. a storm dumped half a foot of snow across sioux falls yesterday, shattering a record for that day set back in 1959. and now, looking at your morning road conditions. wet roads and slick mountain passes across the northwest. drivers could face windy conditions in southern california. slippery around the great lakes. also, wet along much of the east coast. >> it is shaping up to be a great day for flying. no weather-related airport delays are expected. researchers have identified what may be the earliest clues of autism ever observed. and they say it's all about eye contact. >> children with autism are usually not diagnosed until they're at least 2 years old. but the study at emory university used eye-tracking software to see what babies are focusing on.

it turns out, by 6 months old, autistic children look less and less time looking at the eye. >> what this study shows us is there are changes already happening that wouldn't be detectable to the naked eye. >> doctors say the earlier they detect autism, the earlier they can intervene. and that means a better long-term outcome. new developments about the nfl bullying case. the nfl says there's deadline by which its look into the issue must be completed. some teammates of jonathan martin and his alleged tormentor, richie incognito, say they were friends. martin is said to have told multiple people he considered quitting football before he reported the bullying. another story with roots in the nfl. this one involving running back tony dorsett. he starred for the cowboys in the 1970s. he underwent brain scans two weeks ago.

and it showed signs of conditions caused by head trauma and linked to dementia. dorsett talked about it in frightening terms to espn. >> it's getting worse and worse as the days go by. i'm really short-tempered. it gets worse. you know, i thought about crazy stuff. sort of like, why do i need to continue going through this? i mean, i'm too smart of a person, i like to think, to take my life. but it's crossed my mind. >> dorsett also says he's suffered memory loss and that he's been diagnosed with depression. he says it's frustrating to realize he's not the person he used to be. and dorsett also says that the worst part is when his daughters say they're scared of him. one more player in the news now. former denver broncos lineman john moffitt. he's walking away from the game. he started in the nfl with seattle. but after half a season with

denver, he's said he lost the love for the game and is tired of risking his health. he is leaving more than $1 million of salary on the table. and on to good things. a burglar in naples, florida, had to be rescued after trying to take a lead from santa claus. the man tried to break into a home by sliding down the chimney. and then, he got stuck. one of his feet left dangling into the fireplace. his accomplice was forced to turn to police for help. while rescuers took an hour and a half to dislodge the trapped thief. he was arrested along with his friend. check out this dangerous situation on a chicago street. a man driving what police say was a stolen car in a hurry to get away. he's not going anywhere. he's confronted by an angry cab driver. then, he decides to make a run for it. except that he's crashing into cars all along the way. he did get caught. and he faces a list of charges. that's just the second car he hit. give him some time, he hits another three cars. wait for it. there's another one. and then, he makes a peel and hits two more cars. you have to watch this video.

>> something out of a movie. >> oh, yeah. >> wow. speaking of chicago, it's nba doubles action last night. highlights from our friends at espn. >> good morning, america. welcome to our "sportscenter" set here in los angeles. that's neil everett. i'm stan verrett. just one unbeaten team left in the nba on wednesday. >> the pacers may go 82-0. that would be something else. first, they had to go 5-0 and beat chicago. and derrick rose. derrick rose was good in the first half. had 12 in the first half. finished with 17. turned it over a bit in the second half. this was a game of runs. that was rose running around. and then, hitting the shot. paul george, our george karl, he's seen some players. he thinks that paul george, top-seven in the nba. he is starting at top-five. george had 21. lance stephenson had 15 in the second half. pacers, 5-0. 97-80. mavericks and thunder from oklahoma city. second quarter. thunder up three. russell westbrook, splits the "d" and finishes. thunder up by five.

kevin durant. he had 23 points. he also hooked up his teammates. he had ten assists, as well. and westbrook, i'd say he's okay. had an injury in the playoffs last year. second game back. thunder win it, 107-93. oklahoma city, now 3-1 on the season. >> you folks back east, try to stay up late tonight. okay? you have oregon at stanford. they both play in what they call the pacific 12 out here out west. and i think it will be a pretty entertaining game. >> all right. big game. that's all we got. back to you. >> a rousing endorsement, wasn't it? >> it was. up next, country music honors its greatest stars. a surprising choice for entertainer of the year that made the audience go wild. plus, a kid dressed up as a tiger, playing with a tiger. that's coming up next in "the pulse." due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat,

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we begin your thursday "pulse," with glitz, glam and ten-gallon hats, y'all. nashville's big night. >> millions watched the cma awards here on abc last night. hosted by brad paisley, carrie underwood. both of them had numerous wardrobe changes. >> george strait taking home the entertainer of the year. >> and our own robin roberts was there, looking as glam as ever. the crowd gave her a standing ovation. we'll have more from nashville in a moment. >> robin looked fantastic. hair-raising moment on "the price is right" when a contestant couldn't contain her excitement. it happens to diana all the time. >> all the time. the california woman was so hyped about playing, she flipped her wig. she put her wig back on, despite

constant ribbing from drew carey. we can't give up on halloween, not with adorable videos like this one. a couple of youngsters having fun at the zoo. >> 2-year-old marshall dressed as a tiger. and on the other side of the glass, a tiger cub named cali. >> cali seems too eager to follow along. >> the tiger saying, come in here and play. >> that's a trick or treat for the tiger there. >> that's a real game. >> little reese's pieces. >> this little guy had no idea going on. probably neither one of them. the real tiger has never been to the wild. >> i wish i was -- clearly, that tiger does want to play and is having a ball or is really mad. i don't know which. >> i can't tell. probably thinks it's one of his siblings, right? >> and the outfit. and the red hair, no less. surely a tiger. for some of you, local news is next.

>> for everyone else, we'll be right back with more highlights from the cmas. i tell them, "come straight to the table." i say, "it's breakfast time, not playtime." "there's fruit, milk and i'm putting a little nutella on your whole-wheat toast." funny, that last part gets through. [ male announcer ] serving nutella is quick and easy. its great taste comes from a unique combination of simple ingredients like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. okay, plates in the sink, grab your backpacks -- [ male announcer ] nutella. breakfast never tasted this good. [ male announcer ] nutella. hurry in to sears for ourleep? veteran's day mattress spectacular get 50 to 60 percent off, plus an extra 10 percent off, with even more ways to save, better sleep starts here. sears. mayo? corn dogs? you are so outta here! aah! [ female announcer ] the complete balanced nutrition of great-tasting ensure. 24 vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and 9 grams of protein. [ bottle ] ensure®. nutrition in charge™.

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. good thursday morning. it is 4:28. thanks positive join -- thanks for joining us. >> well start with live doppler 7 hd and show you how we have clouds. they is kept temperatures up. it is very mild stepping outside. there are a few 40's. most of us are in the 50's. from our roof camera, you can see the dancing lights on the western side of the bay bridge. temperatures are still mild today. they are above average away from the coast. we will be from 64 to 66 and the bay is 70 to 75 and inland, 72 to 75. enjoy the mild weather. >> traffic is mild, too. it is early, though. happy friday eve at 4:28.

in san jose, we have a construction project until 5:00 this morning. morning and southbound highway 87 at sky port drive and we are see no slow downs. the cones will be picked up. highway 4 is looking clear. 101 headed law marin county and san rafael is under 20 minutes is wide open and great. eric and kristen? >> developing news. a sunnyvale mom is waiting for her baby to be returned from the father allegedly abducteder him triggering an amber alert. we have details on the story. matt? >> relief in sunnyvale. the boy will be reunited with

his mother at their home on helen avenue. the 22-year-old guler was captured in mexico with his two week old son. police say the father abducted the child on tuesday afternoon and sent his girlfriend and the mother of the child a text threatening to harm himself in the baby if she called police. guler's cell phone signal was picked on in san diego but he got past the border control. henry's mother spoke to us with the help of a friend. >> i was afraid i would not be able to find him begin. >> the 2-week-old baby is cared for by mexican authorities until he can be returned to his mother. the 22-year-old guler is held by arizona authorities until the district attorney extradicts him. no word on when henry is expected to