it's monday, july 020th. a desperate search for a missing american soldier in afghanistan. he's in taliban custody and it is a race against time. 40 years ago today -- >> one small step for man. >> the man who first landed on the moon has been remembering the historic journey. tom watson comes up short after giving the youngstera tom watson comes up short after giving the youngstera lesson at the british open. captions paid for by abc, inc. good morning, thanks for joining us on this monday. the american war in afghanistan now has a new human face. it's bowe bergdahl taken hostage by the taliban three weeks ago. >> his captors released a video

in which the soldier says he is afraid he won't be going home. abc's sonia gallego is in london with the last. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, vinita and jeremy. the video of private bowe bergdahl shows him shaken and emotional as he was being questioned. his head shaved and dressed in tradition afghan clothing. his statements gave some indication of the immense pressure that is being faced by the private. this is the first that has been seen of bergdahl since his disappearance three weeks ago in circumstances that are still unear. bergdahl had according to u.s. officials just walked off the base that he was stationed at forward operating pass solono after his shifted ended. he was apparently with three other afghans. in a series of comments that u.s. officials belve were coerced from him he appealed the troops to return back to the states. >> please, please bring us home so that we can be back where we

belong and not over here wasting our time and our lives. >> reporter: but he appeared most moved when talking out his family and spoke of his fear of not seeing them again. >> i miss them and i'm afraid that i might never see them able to tell them that i love them again. i'll never be able to hug them. >> reporter: his family issued a statement asking people to keep the soldier in their thoughts and prayers and requested privacy during this time. after he disappeared the taliban claimed the capture of him on their website. it is believed that he had been sold to higher ranking taliban officials after his capture. the military are stepping up efforts to search for him. now the feahe'll be moved to other forces in neighboring pakistan which would make it difficult to locate him.

and while the search continues this poses yet more strain on the forces here. unable to locate more militants while they hunt for their missing soldier. >> sonia gallego reporting from london this morning, thanks, sonia. it has been a devastating couple of days for.s. and nato air support in afghanistan. two crew members were injured at an air base in southern afghanistan. at the same base yesterday 16 civilian contractors died in the crash of a night to operated helicopter. on saturday two usairmen died when their jet crashed in eastern afghanistan. military officials say none of the aircraft were brought down by enemy fire. >> terrorists have plunged indonesia into a state of uncertainty again. investigators have now linked the suicide bombings at two western hotels there to militants who have struck before. they are getting a clearer picture of how they were carried out. clair riggs have ward reports

from jakarta. >> reporter: security forces powered on with a forensic examination today, trying to reconstruct the severed head of the man they believe to be the first bomber for hotel workers to identify. and they announced the explosive materials found at the blast scene were identical to the explosives used in the bombings of two bali nightclubs in 2002. another piece of evidence that this man, noordin top, is behind these attacks. the malaysian-born militant has been one of indonesia's most wanted for years. as the investigation stretched into its third day, a clearer picture emerged of how the attacks may have been carried out. the marriott and the ritz are actually connected by an underground passageway for staff. and sources are now telling abc news that they suspect that after the first blast, the second bomber used this tunnel to get through to the ritz undetected amid the chaos. new surveillance video shows the scene at the ritz immediately following the blast. smoke fills the room, as panicked guests run for the doors. many consider e bombings a

retaliation against indonesia's pro-democratic president. re-elected just three weeks ago, his government has fought hard to crack down on terrorism over the past few years. and terrorists know that large-scale attacks on american hotels hurt indonesia's tourism industry. "since the president took over, he has stabilized the country," this supporter told us. "now there are people that want to ruin things and tarnish the image of indonesia." people laid wreaths and said prayers for the victims. contemplating their future, as the calm of the last few years now hangs in the balance. clarissa ward, abc news, jakarta. it is 40 years ago today that apollo 11 landed on the surface of the moon. the three apollo straws made a rare joint appearance last night at the national air and space museum in washington to mark the historic occasion. but neil armstrong, buzz aldrin and michael collins didn't dwell

on the moon mission the instead they urged nasa to aim for a trip to mars. >> apollo 11 is a symbol of what a great nation and a great people can do if we work hard, work together and have strong leaders with vision and determination. that is what apollo 11 means to us today, to me today. >> it was the ultimate peaceful competition. usa versus ussr. i'll not assert that it was a diversion which prevented a war, nonetheless it was a diversion. it was intense. and it didllow both sides to take the high road. >> and the apollo crew members get another chance to make a pitch for a mars trip with they meet with president obama today at the white house. mean wile the astronauts making history right now have a

bit of a plumbing issue on their hands. one of the international space station's two toilets broke down and so far the crew has been unable to fix it. nasa says it's not urgent but it couldn't come at a worse time with the crew of "endeavour" a reco 13 people are now at the outpost. astronauts will try to fix the toilet again this morning. but today's space walk is their first priority. after six months on the job, president obama's popularity has started to slump in some key areas according to the latest poll. 56% said they were confident the stimulus plan would improve the economy down from 72% in january. 59% approve of the president's job performance compared to 69% in april. all right. now for this morning's weather from around the nation, strong thunderstorms from texas up to the dakotas. it could get so swear with hail and gusty winds. showers and thunderstorms today in the east from d.c. to miami and scattered thunderstorms in

arizona and nevada and utah. it will be dry in the northwest and in the northeast. highs in the 80s from boston to atlanta. 91 in miami. 88 in new orleans and 94 in dallas. just 78 in chicago while st. louis, omaha and the twin cities all hit 82. hotter than normal out west, sacramento climbs to 101. boise, 95 and portland, 92. and when we co back on "america this morning," a deal for a documentary about michael jackson's final days is in the works and it is worth a lot of money. that's part of the business news straight ahead. and president obama is set for a full-court press for health care reform but the clock is working against him. hmmm... well... naaa... yeah! calculating for getaway. ♪ find your way to a perfect destination at busch gardens... and water country usa... where family-fun surrounds you... and world-class rides astound. start at buschgardens.com.

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stocks are starting the week higher building on wall street's best week since march. the market was closed in japan for a holiday but hong kong's hang seng is sharply higher. the ftse opened higher and the dow starts at 8743 after surplusing nearly 600 points last week. the nasdaq jumped 130 points to close at 1886. one of the nation's biggest lenders to small and midsize business is getting an emergency loan. cit group's major bond holders are lending the company $3 billion. helping it avoid chapter 11. it buys them time to restructure billions of dollars in debt payments. cit lends to roughly a million businesses, many retailers. the $700 billion bank bailout is drawing criticism

once again. in a report outoday a government watchdog says many banks misuse the money. about 80% use at least some of the funds for loans but it didn't all go towards lending. of the 360 banks surveyed 110 said they invested some of the money. 52 used it to repay debts and 15 bought other banks. a long running dispute could end at the "boston globe." they are voting on a contract that cuts pay and benefits by $10 million a year. they rejected a similar deal in june. if accepted it could make the paper more attractive to potential buyers. a documentary about the final days of michael jackson's life could soon be coming to a theater near you. "the wall street journal" is reporting negotiations are under way for distribution rights to a movie based largely on footage shot at jackson's final rehearsals. concert promoter aeg live and jackson's estate are in talks with several studios. the bidding starts at $50

million. and harry potter cast his spell on audiences yet again. "harry potter and the half-blood prince" took nearly $80 million in just its opening weekend and almost 160 million since wednesday. that is the fastest start in the six-movie series. "ice age" was a distant second. "transformers: revenge of the fallen" it finished in third. remember, you can get the latest business news any time on our website, abcnews.com. so many are hitting triple digits and the crowd is only going to keep getting bigger. florida goes to war against its unwanted snakes. it's a problem that didn't exist 20 years ago.

welcome black. these are the latest headlines from abc news. the family of army private bowe bergdahl is asking the nation to pray for him. the taliban released this

videotape of bergdahl after taking him hostage in afghanistan. president obama will welcome the crew of apollo 11 to the white house to mark 40 years since the moon landing. shuttle "endeavour" astronauts go on another space walk while the crew aboard the space station will try again to fix a broken toilet. president obama is facing an uphill battle in his push to get health care reform by next month. public support is sagging according to a new abc news poll. 49% say they approve of how he is handling the health care issue. that is down from 57% in april. and republicans are sharpening their attacks. here's abc's john hendren. >> reporter: president obama's goal to have health care reform by august is increasingly in doubt. >> it would be analogous to a hail mary pass at a football game. it would -- increasingly looks virtually impossible. >> reporter: with three weeks to go before congress takes its month-long break the white house was on the defensive.

>> there are some who are advocating delay simply because they don't have anything to put on the table. >> reporter: opponents of the president's plan got ammunition last week from the nonpartisan congressional budget office which found the plan would leave millions uncovered. >> on the contrary, the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs. >> reporter: the president's top health care adviser conceded there's much more work to be done. >> this is a work in progress and i think the house leaders and senate leaders share the president's goal that costs will come down. >> reporter: in the senate even democrats are dragging their feet. >> hey, our democratic friends are having a hard time selling this to their own members. very difficult time. >> reporter: the white house clearly believes that having deadline is key to bringing in a health care bill the president can sign. >> the deadline is artificial but does reflect a reality and the reality is the longer this drags out, the less likely it is that the president will get exactly what he wants and all that he wants. >> reporter: this week president

obama launches a full-court press on health care reform with an appearance on pbs on monday and a full press conference on wednesday. but time is running out. john hendren, abc news, the white house. more people around the globe are living past the 100-year mark and those numbers are expected to boom. census bureau figures show there are currently 75,000 sen ten theirians in the u.s. and more than 600,000 by midcentury making it the fastest growing ache segment attributed to improved diets. michael vick's time comes to an end today in federal system. the suspended nfl star served 23 months for running a dogfighting ring. whether he'll be allowed to return to the nfl is an open question. some analysts speculate he'll be given a conditional reinstatement. the obama administration is moving to protect a million acres of land near the grand canyon.

the interior department is trying to curb uranium mining there by temporarily barring the filing of new mining claims in that area. the decision comes ahead of tomorrow's congressional hearings on a bill to preserve land to the north and south of the canyon. well, a dramatic rescue off the coast of new jersey. three fishermen were saved from their burning boat as it sank off ocean county yesterday. a coast guard cutter quickly put out the flames from an engine fire. the men managed to make it into a life boat. they were pulled to safety by the crew of a fishing vessel who heard their distress call. in florida, the adult daughter of a pensacola couple murdered earlier this month says she will take care of the children they left behind. byrd and melanie billings were killed in an apparent robbery. nine of the adopted children were at home. ashley and her husband says she will move this and raise the kids. frank mccourt has died. he was a second act for 30 years he was a new york city public schoolteacher. then he wrote "angela's ashes" a

memoir of his impoverished childhood in brooklyn and ireland. it earned him a pulitzer prize. he was 78 years old. coming up on "america this morning," tom watson was a putt away from an historic british open win but it wasn't to be. your sports coming up next. [ announcer ] you make healthy choices every day-- oh, max! and you want to do the same for your laughab, lovable dog. [ barks ] that's why purina fit & trim is specially formulated... with high-quality protein, including delicious real chicken, to help him maintain lean muscle and a healthy weight, so he can make the most of every day. long live your buddy. long live your dog. purina fit & trim. i felt this deep lingering pain that was a complete mytery to me.

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while helping you hydrate. one a day women's 2o. refreshingly healthy. announcer: no surprises. no shocks. dulcolax stool softener provides stimulant-free constipation relief that's grdual and comfortable, like nature intended. dulcolax stool softener. feeling free to be. singers: feelin' free. while it will take a virtual miracle for lance armstrong to win another tour de france title, on a stage in the alps he moved up into second place. >> but his teammate contador finished over a minute and a half ahead and is now the race leader. armstrong says he will help him win. >> armstrong 37 years old. he wasn't the olest sportsman making news. >> that goes to m watson. here's j.w. stewart at espnews. good morning. tom watson gave us a british open we will never forget.

on a round of turnberry at 59 years old trying to be the oldest major championship winner. at 18 stewart cink for birdie. around 69 for cink moves into the tie for the lead. on 18 third shot from off the green for tom watson. runs it by the hole so he's got this par putt coming back the other way to win the british open. he said i made a lousy putt. he bogeys 18, finished at 2 under so stewart cink who made that birdie putt on 18 comes out for a four-hole aggregate playoff with tom watson. third playoff hole on 17, tom watson would double bogey the hole and that was pretty much it. stewart cink taps this in to win the british open. he wins it by six strokes in the four-hole playoff and stewart cink captures his first major championship.

roy halladay and the blue jays taking on the boston red sox. challhalladay went the distance. fourth complete game of the season. jays take it by a final of 3-1. yankees going for the three-game sweep of the tigers. 1-1 game. mark teixeira into the second deck. 23rd home run of the season. tigers get swept and the yankees are one out in the a.l. east. now back to you in new york. >> a snake population has been exploding in florida and they have been menacing the residents so now it is open season. >> state officials have authorized legal snake hunting to round up huge pythons and boa constrictors. some them were pets while others were pushed into the area by hurricanes. scientts say they are eating all the species that they're trying to restore. >> for some of you your local news is next. >> for everyone else "america th morning" continues after this. my name is quinn, and this is my eggo.

on fridays, i have hockey befoe school, so i take two eggo homestyle waffles and put peant butter inside. i add a couple chocolate chips when dad's starting the car. there's only one way to eat an eggo -- your way. l'eggo my eggo.

finally from us this morning the apollo 11 astronauts visit president obama today and are expected to lobby him to back a manned mission to mars. 40 years ago they were the men making history walking on the poon for the first time.

here's how it all happened. >> 30 feet down 2 1/2. picking up some dust. forward, drifting to the right a little. 30 seconds. contact right. okay. engines stopped. the eagle has landed. >> okay. we can see you coming down the ladder now. >> okay, i just checked. it's back up to that first step. it's adequate to get back up. do we copy? >> pretty good. >> i'm at the foot of the ladder. it's only depressed on the surface about one or two inches although the surface appears to be very, very fine grained as

you get close to it. it's very fine. i'm going to step off to land now. that's one small ste for man, one giant leap for mankind. from the plan met earth, first step for america arrived 1969. we came in peace for all mankind. it has the crew members' signatures and signature of the presidents of the uned states. >> great look back and stay with us for "good morning america." much more on that american soldier captured in afghanistan plus reaction from secretary of state hillary clinton in a "gma" exclusive. >> that's it for us. have a great morning and tha