and a plot to blackmail him for millions. decision day. will the president's four-hour stop in europe be the key for chicago olympics? and safe skies. captain sully returns to the controls. >> it's friday, october 2nd, controls. >> it's friday, october 2nd, 2009. captions paid for by abc, inc. good morning. and anks for being with us. well, david letterman dropped a bombshell on his show late last night, saying he was the target of a $2 million blackmail scheme. pay up or his sexual affairs with some staffers will go public. >> letterman said he cut a phony check to reel in the suspect. now, an employee of the cbs show "48 hours" has been arrested. the "late show" audience got more than he expected. letterman told them he had been the target of a $2 million blackmail attempt. >> there seems to be quite a lot

of terrible stuff he knows about. and he's going to put it into a movie. unless i give him some money. >> reporter: pay the money, he was told, or his sexual relationships with female employees would be made public. letterman says he admitted the affairs to a grand jury. >> i have had sex with women who work for me on this show. and would it be embarrassing if it were made public? perhaps it would. perhaps it would. especially for the women. >> reporter: it is not the first time letterman has tried to diffuse a painful night on-set with humor. in 2005, he dealt with a kidnapping attempt ofis son and nanny at the family ranch in montana, this way -- >> last week, my family and i were involved in a little legal activity. >> reporter: and in june, he apologized for jokes he made of then-alaa governor sarah palin's daughter, after a public outcry, this way. >> there's thousands of jokes i

regret telling on this program. >> reporter: this time, it wasn't a laughing matter. >> i need to protect these people. i need to protect my family. i need to protect my job. >> radar online, says the suspect lived with letterman. and that the affair happened long before his marriage or the birth of his child. did david letterman do the right thing in telling the truth? that coming up later on "good morning america." to our other big story this morning, the decision being made in just a few hours in copenhagen, denmark. will chicago win the right to host the 2016 games? >> president obama arrived this morning for a brief but pressure-packed visit, where he participated in chicago's final presentaon. >> diana alvear begins our coverage. she's in chicago. good morning, diana. >> reporter: good morning, vinita and jeremy a wet and chilly windy city. nonetheless, we're ready. we're ready for the final push for the 2016 games, bringing them here to chicago. and everyone, including the president and the first lady,

are saying yes, we can. president obama and the rest of the chicago 2016 delegation, pulled out all the stops to sway every possible vote. >> i come as a faithful representative of the american people. and we look forward to welcoming the world to the shores of lake michigan, and the heartland of our nation in 2016. >> my dad was my hero. and when i think of what these games can mean to people all over the world, i think about people like my dad. >> reporter: the president, the first lady, even oprah winfrey, are using their star power and emotional appeals to bring the games to their beloved hometown. ♪ sweet home my home ♪ >> reporter: it's the right approach, according to one of the very voters they're targeting. >> it's a real, almost emotional selling exercise now. we're quite satisfied that the stadiums will be fine. the swimming pools will be fine. we might want to check on

transport in a couple of cities. but there will be relatively little in technicalities. and a lot in motivation. >> reporter: but amidst all that olympic brotherhood, has been a chair of bicry. backers formed protest, over chicago mayor, richard daley, about comments he made, they felt their city. and even in the windy city itself, not everyone is feeling the olympic spirit. protesters are concerned that the billions spent on the olympic games should go to basic needs. but the focus in copenhagen was firmly on the future. chicago's visions of olympic gold, just hours away from possibly becoming reality. and the odds are literally in chicago's favor. as of last week, it was 4-1, that the games were going to be here in the windy city. but after the president announced he was going to copenhagen, those odds soared to

815. but keep in mind, that paris has the bookies locked up. and london stole them away for 2012. jeremy and vinita? let's check in with yunji de nies with the president in copenhagen. the big question everyone wants to know, did he do enough this morning to make the case for chicago games? >> reporter: it's funny. when he was leaving the hall, he stopped with reporters quickly. and he said the only thing he was upset about in his presentation, is that he followed the first lady, which he says is never good. and let me tell you, he's got a good point there. the first lady dressed in olympic gold for the occasion. really stole the show. she spoke in a personal way. her voice quivering almost throughout the presentation. she talked about t importance of the para olympic games and her father's battle with multiple sclerosis. the president talked about the broad strokes, and america's desire to inspire. but it was the first lady's

personal pitch, when she told them she was dreaming of these games. dreaming big. how much she wanted the athletes to come to chicago. i think that is really what stole the show today. you know, brazil hasn't gone yet. and rio, they say, is the one to watch. >> certainly sounds like a heartfelt pitch from the first lady. have to ask, though. just hours to go, what's the mood? is there a front-runner right now? >> everybody's money is on rio here in copenhagen. but you never know. like diana said, london came in and stole it from paris. so, we just have to watch. there's a lot of people who think that the president, oprah winfrey, and the first lady, did a lot of great work here on the ground. you know, the olympics have never been in south america. rio's got a very strong argument. they have the most money on the table. so, we're just waiting for their presentation. >> yunji de nies, thanks for that report. >> again, the olympic committee decision is expected today, just before 1:00 p.m. eastern. nuclear talks involving the u.s., iran, and five other

nations will resume before the end of the month. now, president obama's calling on iran to take action on its promises. in geneva yesterday, the iranians said they would allow international inspections of a newly-disclosed facility in the next but weeks. and they agreed to ship some uranium to russia. rescue crews in indonesia, pulled a teenager arrive om rubble of her collapsed college this morning, about 40 hours after wednesday's 7.6 earthquake. heavy equipment is expected to arrive there today, to help with the search for possible survivors. the death toll of that quake and the second one on thursday, is estimated to be 1,100 and counting. the death toll has claimed to nearly 170. and many people remain missing. some areas aren't expected to have power for at least a month. a mass funeral and burial for victims is set for tuesday. the pilot some called the hudson hero is back in the cockpit. u.s. airways captain sully

sullenberger returned to a familiar route yesterday, flying from new york to charlotte. this flight was uneventful, except for the passengers who cheered when sully announced he was behind the controls. >> well deserved. >> that's for sure. now, for this morning's weather from all around the nation. a large storm covers parts of the midwest today. the ohio valley and the gulf coast, too. minnealis, chicago and detroit will see rain. new orleans and houston, just some showers. still dry in the southwest, with an increased risk of fire. and there will be fires across south florida. >> the midwest and the dakotas are in a pocket of unusually ol air. los angeles is warmer than usual, in the mid-80s. seattle is cool and damp in the mid-50s. coming up on "america this morning," overseas stocks are following the dow's 200-point plunge. we'll check the latest numbers. then, tales of terror. elizabeth smart on her abduction ordeal. making revelations even her

parents never knew. and the grandmother who fought off a bear, inside her own bedroom. ♪ save up to an extra 30% on beautiful and affordable fall style at jcpenney. come in for your extra savings card... ...to get an extra 15, 20, or 30% off all sale and regular prices when you use your jcpenney card. stores open early saturday with doorbusters. st. john's bay sweaters for her are just $14.99. st. john's bay sueded polos are $12.99. save 70% on all gold jewelry. go to jcp.com and see everything on sale. style, quality and price matter. jcpenney.

a stock plunge marked the opening of the year's fourth quarter here in the u.s. and the selling has continued overseas. tokyo's nikkei average slumped almost 247 points today. hong kong's hang seng was down, sharply in late trading. in london, the ftse opened lower. wall street starts the day with

the dow jones industrial average industrial at 9509, after plunging 203 points. the nasdaq index dropped almost 65 points. the labor department releases its monthly unemployment report. analysts expect that about 175,000 more jobs disappeared last month. and that the unemployment rate rose to 9.8%. although the economy is growing again, employers are still finding ways to do the same work with fewer people home sales rose in august, for the seventh-straight month. first-time buyers are driving the trend, rushing to take advantage of a tax credit program that expires in november. that also sparked a rise in construction in august. the biggest jump in nearly 16 years. it looks like michael vick will not be paid to endorse nike. the company announced yesterday that there was no deal with the philadelphia quarterback. just two days ago, one of vick's reps said there was an agreement. i nike says it supplies products

to vick, but there is no contract. coming up next on this friday. now, a grown woman. elizabeth smart describes the horrors she endured during her kidnapping ordeal years ago. and the surprising details in michael jackson's autopsy report, just made public.

we continue, now, with the road conditions. rain is going toake the going tough on i-80, from cleveland to des moines. >> and lots of airport delays this morning. chicago, detroit, minneapolis and st. louis. also, seattle, kansas city, houston, atlanta, cincinnati, and charlotte. well, kidnap survivor, elizabeth smart, revealed horrifying details about her 2002 ordeal, during a competency hearing for her accused captor,

brian david mitchell. >> she said she endured being raped repeatedly, every day of her nine h-months captivity. barbara pinto has details. >> reporter: elizabeth smart went to court, to describe the ordeal of being held captive. the self-proclaimed prophet, refused to submit to psychiatric tests. her words may prove he's fit to stand trial. smart described the horror she endured, at the hands of the man who held her captive. saying, there wasn't an actual 24-hour period that he wasn't able to rape me. we learn more details of her fright nng day-to-day. he had a big cable bolted on to my leg, which was strung between two trees with a lock, she said. he had the key around his neck. she was given alcohol and drugs. and was traipsed around the country, she said, begs for money and food. it was revealed that mitchell raped the teen at will. she testified in court.

anything i showed resistance or hesitation to, he would turn to me and say, the lord commanded you to do this. you have to experience the lowest form of humanity to experience the highest. smart cast mitchell as a sexually obsessed drifter, who moved her from state-to-state. and even tried to kidnap another young girl. years later, the teen has become a poised, young woman, intent on putting mitchell and barzee in prison. but so far, both have been found mentally unfit to stand trial. her mention of mitchell in court, evil, wicked, manipulative, sneaky, slimy, selfish, greedy. not spiritual. not religious. not close to god. >> i was very proud of her, the way she was able to be so forthright. and basically, paint the picture of brian mitchell, of what he is. since day one of her return, i have been amazed at her strength. >> reporter: in fact, after this difficult day in court, elizabeth smart plans to head overseas on a church mission

trip. i'm barbara pinto, in salt lake city. michael jackson's autopsy report says his overall health was fine. the report claims the singer's heart was strong. and had no plaque buildup. and his kidneys and most other organs were normal. jackson's lungs were reportedly chronically inflamed. and had reduced capacity that could have led to a shortness of breath. but that's not considered serious enough to be deadly. the first doses of the h1n1 swine flu vaccine arrived in the u.s. beginning tuesday. most will go to health care workers. t officials are expressing new concerns about the toll the swine flu is taking on pregnant women. the cdc says at least 28 expectant mothers have died from swine flu. pregnant women may be more susceptible because their immune systems are depressed. time, now, for some sports. we have playoffs and faceoffs to tell you about. robert flores at espn news as the details. >> good morning. let's start with major league baseball. colorado rockies, one win away

from clinching a playoff berth. taking on the brewers. in the first, garrett atkins, two-out knock. that will bring in todd helton. the rockies strike first. 1-0. same score, bottom of the third. troy tulowitzki. ducks on t pond. that will work. ryan spilborghs scores. 2-1, colorado. the rockies go on to win, 9-2. this team left for dead, until skipper, jim tracy, took over. they clinch a playoff berth. they still have a shot at the division, as well. nhl season-opening game between the caps and the bruins. alex ovechkin, get up by alexanr semin. nasty wrister there. it's 3-0, in the third. ovechkin strikes again. lights the lamp for a second time. two goals and a helper. a 4-1 win on opening night over the bs.

wnba finals, game two. phoenix mercury, indiana fever. mercury won game one. second half, here come the fever. ebony hoffman, bumping 2 bucket. tamika catchings, one rebound shy of a triple-double. fever even the series, 93-84. jeremy and vinita, now back to you. a colorado grandma has a good story to tell her grandchildren. how she chased away a momma bear. >> sally raven described what happened as she was in her bedroom the other day. >> i heard the door open. i thought, it's got to be yoo-hoo, the dog, you know? and here was this big bear pip was screaming. and she went up on her hind feet. and i grabbed one of these pillows. and i just flung it at her. >> reporter: rebehn locked herself in the bedroom, while her son called 911. police using pepper spray were able to get the bear back ithe

woods. one of the hazards living in colorado, i guess. >> a brave grandma. coming up, a look ahead at the stories we'll be following today, including the fallout from david letterman's shocking confession on air. and round two. a region already slammed by a deadly storm prepares for another. i'm semi retired and i'm here to tell a story. my parents all smoked. my grandparents smoked. i've been a long-time smoker. you know, discouragement is a big thing in quitting smoking. i'm a guy who had given up quitting. what caused me to be interested was, chantix is not a nicotine product and that intrigued me. the doctor said while you're taking it you can continue to smoke during the first week.

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this friday. chicago and other cities competing the host the 2016 summer olympic games will learn the international olympic committee's final decision around 12:30 p.m. eastern time. president obama participated in the city's final presentation this morning in copenhagen denmark. and an employee of the cbs show "48 hours" is under arrest, accused of trying to extort $2 million from david letterman. the tv host stunned his audience, admitting to sexual relationships he had with his staff. family members of michael jackson are due in court today over custody hearings. unemployment figures for september are released today. the national jobless rate could hit up to 10%. evacuations under way in the northern philippines, when a secondyphoon is expected to hit. and indonesia, crews helped pulled survivors from quake-rubbled buildings. >> more on those stories coming up throughout the day here on

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well, finally from us on this friday morning, handicapping the olympic decision. as we've mentioned, chicago, rio, tokyo and madrid, find out in just a few short hours, if they are hosting the 2016 games. >> and you can bet on which city can win. as miguel marquez reports, a lot of people think it's chicago's to lose. >> reporter: chi-town, it's the odds-on favorite. so, the bets are coming thick, hot and heavy for chicago? >> absolutely.

only one city in town at the moment, that's chicago to win the olympics. >> reporter: at britain's bet makers, chicago looks good. but that doesn't mean jackpot. >> betters are never wrong. you might think that. but the olympics has a strange history. >> reporter: for the 2012 game, betters were putting their money down on paris all the way along. but where are the olympics coming? london. same was true for beijing in '96. atlanta won. bookmakers say chicago's odds went up because of one person. and they're not talking about oprah. chicago has been favored all along, but just by a hair. 5 to 6. when president obama announced he would make the case in person, the odds skyrocketed, 8-15. that is, for every 15 pounds you bet, the winner gets another 8 pounds back. safer bet, poorer payoff. and what does vegas say? chicago is still the favorite. but with rio de janeiro is a strong second. >> rio is probably the second choice because south american country has never had it before. >> reporter: want a long shot?

pick tokyo at 24-1. winning that bet might feel like olympic gold. miguel marquez, abc news, london. >> of course, so many people with their fingers crossed for chicago. some talk that the streets in the loop are going to be shut down so celebrations can happen, if, in fact, they're picked. >> it would be nice to come back to the u.s. speaking of celebrations, you're going to have one soon. you're we're not going to be seeing you for a couple of weeks, because you're getting married. >> i'm paying attention to the weather boards. >> it's very exciting. 457s a little over a week from now. the planning's gone on for quite a while. >> he's heard too much about it. >> we're happy for you. >> thank you very just moments away, it is decision day. we will find out if the presence's personal put -- if the president's's