making news this morning. lions and tigers on the loose. >> dozens of dangerous animals escaped their special farm in ohio. roaming neighborhoods and near highways. the all-out hunt before someone gets hurt. fighting words. things get personal between the republican candidates for president. and what happens when a bear walks into a grocery store? we'll show you the unbelievable believable. and good morning. i'm yunji de nies. >> i'm rob nelson. we start with breaking news out

of ohio. dozens of wild animals on the loose and being described as very big and very aggressive. authorities are not taking chances with this. everyone's been ordered to stay indoors. >> police are conducting searches. not on foot, but from the safety of patrol cars. abc's john hendren is live with the latest. >> reporter: it's a scene out of a far-fetched horror film. 48 exotic animals, many of them man-eaters, are roaming the country side of rural, ohio. >> there were grizzly bears and black bears there. there were cheetahs. there were lions and there were tigers. >> reporter: animal farm owner, terry thompson, was found dead. his fences opened. a figure of curiosity in the community, he had just been released on federal weapons charges. >> we hear noises every once in a while. we tried to figure out what it was. it's not a domestic animal or anything like that. >> reporter: the staff from the columbus zoo were on the scene, hoping to tranquilize the animals.

but sheriff's deputies have organized the hunt not normally seen outside of africa. >> we're shooting to kill. >> reporter: two duhhen animals have been gunned down. two dozen more remain on the loose. >> scary. you don't know where they're at. and if the cops don't catch them, they'll be running wild, and crazy. >> we recommend staying indoors right now. we're going to recommend to a couple of local school districts to close, just for safety reasons of kids standing at the bus stops. >> reporter: the farm's owner was no stranger to the law. he had been cited in the past for animal abuse and neglect. this time, he shut down much of the animal for the first time due to an exotic animal invasion. rob and yunji? >> tell us more about this owner and this farm. did the authorities allow him to keep dangerous animals on his property? >> reporter: apparently, ohio

has some of the loosest laws of exotic pets. but in this case, the guy had been ordered to remove those animals within 20 days. and the judge who sentenced him on weapons charges allowed him to avoid jail time to take care of those animals. about 100 of them in all. now, they're being tracked down by a s.w.a.t. team with night-vision goggles. >> unbelievable story. abc's john hendren, thanks so much. later on "good morning america," we'll talk live with jack hanna about the danger the animals pose to the people who live nearby. we're live in ohio coming up at 7:00. things got lively last night in las vegas, as most of the republican candidates for president took the stage. rick perry got pretty aggressive in his attacks on mitt romney, as well as herman cain. with more of the feisty back and forth, here's karen travers in washington. >> reporter: the republican debate got personal. >> mitt, you lose all of your standing from my perspective because you hired illegals. >> reporter: and even physical. >> i don't think that i've ever hired an illegal in my life. and so, i'm afraid -- i'm

looking forward to finding your facts on that. >> i'll tell you what the facts are -- >> rick, again -- >> the new speaker -- >> i'm speaking. >> reporter: it was the most feisty, most exclusive showdown yet. and it was clear who the field considers the candidates to be. there was mitt romney and rick perry sparring on illegal immigration. >> you sit here in front of the american people and did not tell the truth, that you had illegals working on your property. >> you have a problem with allowing someone to finish speaking. and i suggest that if you want to become president of the united states, you have to let both people speak. >> reporter: and romney and rick santorum squaring off over health care. >> your plan was the basis for obama-care. >> excuse me. >> you're allowed -- >> rick, you had your chance. let me speak. rick, you had your chance. >> reporter: new front-runner, herman cain, came under attack right out of the gate for his signature 9-9-9 economic plan. >> that's a taxes plan.

it's not a jobs plan. >> i don't think so, herman. it's not going to fly. >> those are knee-jerk reactions. >> reporter: rick perry took some thumps. and herman cain got battered as the gop contenders tried to stop his unexpected rise in the polls. karen travers, abc news, washington. in more political news, president obama wraps up his southern bus tour today with some stops in virginia. the president and first lady will speak at a military facility in hampton, on the importance of hiring veterans. mr. obama's been trying to drum up support for a jobs bill. in an interview with abc news, he also addressed the anti-wall street protesters, saying he does understand their frustration. overseas, secretary of state hillary clinton has delivered a personal and blunt message to libya's leaders. she urged the libyans to keep working towards democracy. in an unusually strong statement, clinton said she hoped former leader moammar gadhafi would be captured or

killed soon. it now appears that police may have dropped the ball in looking for one of the victims of the philadelphia captivity case. herbert knowles was reported missing in 2008 in norfolk, virginia. his social workers told authorities that his benefits chekt was going to an address in philadelphia. when police went to the address, they were told knowles didn't live that. scientists say debris from the dead german satellite could hit the earth as soon as friday. engineers are predicting that it will break up on reentry into about 30 pieces. the biggest piece will be an 880-pound mirror. your chance of being hit by that debris, about 1 in 14 trillion. not very likely. but still, keep your eye on the sky on friday. >> with those eyes. now, for your morning's weather around the country. heavy downpours for much of the day, from washington, d.c., to philadelphia, new york, and new england. thunderstorms in the carolinas. and lingers showers down in

florida. chilly rain around nashville, louisville, cincinnati, detroit and chicago. a frosty morning in oklahoma city, kansas city and des moines. >> highs only in the 40s, from fargo to omaha. a wet 63 in boston. 66 in new york. and 71 in baltimore. just 57 in atlanta. and 68 in new orleans. 60s across the pacific northwest and the rocky mountains. coming up after the break, the cost of stamps going up yet again. >> bad news there. and some surprising news from apple. and why the stores will close for several hours today. and also this morning, the lighter side of starbucks, the coffee giant out with something new.

welcome back. the darling of the tech world isn't so dear to investors this morning. apple's net income was up 54% last quarter. revenue up 39%. but analysts had been expecting even more gains. iphone sales were disappointing, as many customers held off waiting for the new model that didn't go on sale until after the quarter ended. apple sales will be off today, too, somewhat. all of its retail stores will close for several hours so that employees can watch a web cast of a company-wide memorial service for co-founder, steve jobs. apple calls it a celebration of jobs' life for employees only. bank of america is no longer the country's biggest bank. jpmorgan chase is. according to their earnings report, jpmorgan chase has more

assets, more deposits. bank of america held the title for two decades. but it's cutting back to try to become more profitable. asian markets are higher this morning on optimism about europe's debt crisis. tokyo's nikkei average rose 31 points today. hong kong's hang seng picked up 248. in london, the ftse opened lower. and on wall street, the dow gained 180 points yesterday. the nasdaq index was up 43. it will cost another penny to mail a letter next year. 45 cents. the rate hike next january will be the first in 2 1/2 years. postcards are going up, too. but express and priority mail rates are not. forever stamps purchased now for 44 cents will still be good to mail a letter next year. and starbucks is going blonde, responding to long-st d long-standing complaints that its coffee is too dark and bitter. 40% of u.s. coffee drinkers prefer a lighter roast.

the company went through 80 different recipes to choose the new roast. the big news on this staff. very cool. >> these hours, you need that caffeine. >> amen. next on this wednesday morning, potatoes under attack. should school lunches use fewer spuds? the senate weighs in. and is a glass as wine just as good as calcium for one and is a glass as wine just as good as calcium for one ailment that impacts women? h there's tons. french presses, espresso tampers, filters. it can get really complicated. not nearly as complicated as shipping it, though. i mean shipping is a hassle. not with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. that is easy. best news i've heard all day! i'm soooo amped! i mean not amped. excited. well, sort of amped. really kind of in between. have you ever thought about decaf? do you think that would help? yeah. priority mail flat rate shipping starts at just $4.95, only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. all she wants to wear is hoodies. hoodies and cargo shorts. getting dirty. then she left some crayons in her pocket and they went through the wash.

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to miami. also, i-80 from new york to chicago. and i-94, from milwaukee to detroit. a slick ride on i-40, from nashville to raleigh. and i-64, from louisville, to charleston, west virginia. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible in chicago, detroit. and on the east coast from boston to miami. good news here for the millions of americans who count on social security benefits. they'll see a little more this their checks come january. >> that's good news. the increase will be about 38 bucks on average every month. that may not sound like much. but according to a new study, social security is the only thing keeping many newly retired americans out of poverty. a number of people were deported from the u.s. in the last fiscal year. the government says 400,000 people were told to leave. about 55% of those had criminal convictions. but it's not clear how many convictions were related to reentering the country after being kicked out. the senate is supporting the

spud. it blocked a proposal from the president yesterday that would have limited schools to two servings of potatoes per week. it was meant to cut down on the servings of french fries. but the potato industry and lawmakers from potato-growing states objectioned. a federal advisory panel has refused to recommend hpv screenings as a way of preventing cervical cancer. but scientists say pap tests should be given to women every three years between the ages of 15 and 25. and more medical news this morning. a new study finds that one glass of wine a day may help older women stop osteoporosis. a moderate amount of the grape helps build bone density. moderate, of course, is the key word here, since heavy drinking can weaken bones. and a new movie is under way

to ban the use of chewing tobacco in major league baseball. a group of senators, as well as health officials is calling on the players union to agree on the ban. players are unlikely to give into that demand. baseball's current labor deal expires in december. speaking of baseball, the world series gets under way tonight in st. louis. some of the cardinals and texas rangers greeted each other yesterday, as they went through the final workouts. game one starts after 8:00 p.m. eastern tonight. now, we get the hockey highlights from espn news. >> good morning, i'm don bell with your espn news update. a big night in the nhl. we start with a huge game in washington, d.c. the capitals, taking on the panthers. first period we go. capps on the powerplay. alexander ovechkin gets the puck on the powerplay right there. he's surrounded by three defenders. gets it over to marcus johansson. he finds the back of the net. 1-0, capitals. third period, same score. alexander semin with a wicked wrister right there.

his second of the season. third period, same score. tomas vokoun playing his old team. he had 20 saves. the capitals win, 3-0. the penguins, making the trip to minnesota to take on the wild. early second period, no score after the turnover. chris kunitz, with a one-timer. his first of the season. and it's a beauty. penguins take a 1-0 lead. later this the period, same score. penguins on the powerplay after shots from the point. jordan staal, smashing home the rebound. penguins up 2-0 on the road. third period, they're up by two. matt cooke, with the pass off the boards to pascal dupuis. and he scores. the penguins would go on to win it. 4-2, your final score. jarmir jagr and the flyers. off the goalie. 1-0, flyers. reed's second of the season. later on, flyers continue to play tough.

wayne simmonds, 2-0, fly guy. simmonds' second of the season. flyers on the powerplay. claude giroux, the slap shot. 3-0, fly guys. his fourth of the season. one minute left in the period. maxime talbot, getting it done. flyers win in beatdown fashion. 7-2, your final score. that is your espn news update. i'm don bell. okay. you have to see this one. a dallas area mechanic has confronted many challenges. but none ever like this one. the driver came in over the weekend with a red tail hawk stuck in the grille of the car. >> the mechanics thought the bird was dead until it blinked. he carefully removed the hawk by breaking apart that grille. the bird suffered a concussion and internal injuries. but a vet says he's going to be okay. up next, "the pulse." which celebrity fell asleep on live tv. hint, it is not rob nelson. plus, the west wing mystery.

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we've combined conditioner with a weightless nutri-oil treatment. to give 3x the internal nourishing power of our regular conditioner. new dove daily treatment conditioner. make friends with your hair. welcome back, everybody. time for "the pulse" this morning. beginning with a mystery over at the white house. >> for more than a year now, the area right outside the west wing has been a noisy, congested con construction site. this giant hole has been dug up to upgrade the air conditions.

but they may not be the whole story. >> many of you have weighed in at abcnews.com about what this could be. some of the guesses, a usc-style octagon. or perhaps, a presidential man cave. the president would like some private time. >> i like that. >> or some of you just say it's a money pit. >> that's probably right on target. now, to the new viral video, unwittingly starring harry belafonte. the singer, actor and activist, was smanything but active in th one. >> he was making morning rounds on morning tv to promote his new memoir. but apparently the singer was a bit sleepy. >> harry belafonte, joining us live from new york. good morning, harry. harry, wake up. harry? wake up. wake up. this is your wake-up call,

harry. >> daylight coming and i am not going to wake up. belafonte's rep says he was just resting his eyes. the audio was not in his ear. so, he did not hear the anchor. can't blame him. folks in alaska, probably a little more used to seeing wildlife than many of us. but maybe not so in the grocery store. >> this brown bear cub got in the store and made his way to the produce. he didn't stop and have anything to eat. >> a store employee grabbed him and put him outside. presumably out to momma bare. and that produce, thousands of dollars worth, was thrown out. all that food. >> it was a waste of food. he didn't touch anything. >> a little cub dirt on your lettuce. for some of you, your local news is next. for everyone else this morning, the latest castoff from the dance floor. an update on "dancing with the stars" when "america this

morning" continues right after this. don't go far. i kept feeling this radiating ache everywhere. the pain was so frustrating. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia -- thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and less pain means i can feel better and do more of what i love. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision, or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery

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morning, another exit from the ballroom. >> after five weeks of low scoring yet entertaining performances, carson kressley no longer has a shot at the mirrorball trophy. highlights from kabc's george pennacchio. >> reporter: fashion expert, carson kressley, came dressed for success, on "dancing with the stars." despite often low scores, he managed to stay in the competition for five weeks. but after this week, '80s' themed jive, he was 86'd out of the game. >> everybody in this building embraced me and made me feel like i belonged. that's not something i always feel. that's really special for me. >> i genuinely feel terrible that carson is not going to be on the show. it's not going to be as fun of a show without him. >> the fun has left the building. >> he inspired me in so many ways. that's why all our routines were awesome because of you. >> i want to do a dropping

dance. i'll take that. i'll take that. i don't feel conceited in the slightest. i got a free spray can. my life is good. >> bedazzled. >> we came. we saw, we bedazzled. >> reporter: carson dressed like a pirate. while he's just walked the "dancing with the stars" plank, he may have already discovered h iz treasure. >> i think, you know, his score after this. it allowed more people to get familiar with him. and he's going to have a great -- carson's the greatest. >> carson brought something extra special. he wasn't maybe the best dancer technically. but he always gave a performance that we all looked forward to seeing. >> what he managed to do in five weeks what everyone's striving to do in ten weeks. >> sincerely, this has been a fantastic experience. one of the best of my life.