make news in america this morning -- california burns. >> police in l.a. release a new video overnight showing a person of interest, suspected of setting more than 40 fires. are they close to solving this case? also this morning, manhunt. a ranger gunned down in mount ranier national park. what is a caucus and how does it work? we'll show you. good monday morning, everyone. happy new year. happy to 12. this is my new tv wife, the new permanent coanchor of "world

news now" and "america this morning." >> where's my tv ring? it's good to be in new york. >> it's good the have you, welcome aboard. >> there is an important new clue in a search for a serial arsonist. >> police are asking for the public's help. abc's abbie boudreau reports from los angeles. >> reporter: surveillance video of a person of interest, as investigators search for the serial arsonist responsible for a series of fires set throughout hollywood. >> these are kept public safety fishes up at night. >> reporter: it's being called the worst string of arsons in l.a. >> i could have died with my children. >> reporter: firefighters and

police officers doubled and tripled their coverage in the city. it did not stop a serial arsonist from striking again. seven more fires. most of the fires began as car fires. the flames quickly spread to nearby structures and apartment buildings. >> by the time i got out there, the whole carport was engulfed. >> reporter: arson investigators are searching for clues. >> they do it for recognition of fame. they do it out of spite, out of anger often times. >> reporter: many arsonists act alone, typically white maels with below average rks qs. >> the primary motive may be attention, not killing people. >> reporter: it looks like another restless night for firefighters. experts say that many serial arsonists find pleasure coming back to the scene of the fire.

investigators say anyone that cease anything suspicious should contact them right away. abbie boudreau, abc news, los angeles. federal authorities in texas are trying to find out why an active duty soldier would try to go through security with explosives in his bag. >> trey atwater was arrested over the weekend after a screener spotted suspicious material in military grade wrapping. he's set for arraignment tomorrow. a story out of washington state developing overnight. there's an intense manhunt in mt. rainier national park. >> reporter: such destruction on day meant for celebration if a place known for peace. over 10 on officers dezended on

mount ray near on sunday to track this man. he brew through a tire check point to be stopped later by a park ranger. a 34-year-old mother of two young girls. barnes shot and killed her and continued to fire at officers until he fled on foot. >> she was a kind person. a hardworking. the kind of person who always had a smile for you. always had a smiles. >> reporter: there has been little time to mourn. >> we know, at minimum, he has an assault rifle. he's shot people at a party. he killed a law enforcement officer. we're going what we can to catch him. >> reporter: that fear caused a complete lockdown of the park. 100 guests were at a visitor

center under lockdown. >> reporter: if barnes wants to live until morning, he has to come through the main gate. the officers will be ready to defend the memory of one of their own. >> there's nothing that is going to stop him from shooting somebody else, taking somebody hostage. >> this hurts. >> reporter: tranquility is shattered, as a mother dies on new year's day. >> she was -- she was so thrilled about her kids. >> reporter: and the search goes on to find a killer. john humbert, for abc news, washington. a utah family has a bunch of strangers to thank for a daring rescue. their car slid off a road, plunged down an embankment and ended up in an icy rooif. ten people jumped into the river

to help turn the car over. south korea's president says he's open to nuclear talks with north korea. in a nationally televised speech, president lee warned ans provocation. vowing that the south will hit back hard. he added that with the death of kim jong-il, the divided peninsula is at a turning point. iran says it has test-fired a medium range surface-to-air missile. 20% of the world's oil experts travel through the strait of hormuz. iran has threatened to close that passage. time for a look at the weather across the country on this first monday of to 12. some of the coldest air of the season from the plains into the midwest and new england.

a foot of lake-effect snow around grand rapids and cleveland. snow in the cascades. >> 40s from seattle to sat lake city. fee nick warms up to 80. a biting 10 degrees in fargo. 40s from boston to atlanta. 50s in new orleans and dallas. >> i love that she said new orleans. you're coming from chicago. you're used to winter and the cold. >> it's not chicago, it's chicago. >> the iowa kcaucuses are tomorrow. do you know what they are? we'll explain. thousands of birds died last year in arkansas on new year's. would you believe it happened again? and j.r. martinez talks about his new role as the

well, all of the major markets are closed today for the new year's holiday, of course. from overseas markets, a year to forget. the lowest end of year closing nor the nikkei. in london, the ftse was off 5.5%. and on wall street, the do you lost 76 points. the nasdaq index fell 13 points end tlg year down not quite 2

the%. turbulence ahead for european economies. this are major challenges such as widening deficits and increasing cuts in services. there are questions about the future of the euro. many economists expect a recession in europe this year. a u.s. oil giant has score maid jor arbitration victory against venezuelvenezuela. they must pay exxon $9 million for the company's assets. no longer a dollar and a dream. at least not if you're a powerball player. the multistate lottery can doubling the price of tickets later this month to $2. they figure people will pay more for chance at bigger jackpots. >> i think people will still probably play. >> you owe me $2. and beating tom cruise's latest movie at the box office

seems to be something of a mission impossible. "ghost protocol" was in first, at $31 million. "sherlock holmes" was in second and "alvin and the chipmunks" was third. when we come back, everything you knee need to kno about the iowa caucuses. and the teams in and out of the playoffs. your family loves. >> hi, i'm snuggle. snuggly softness that feels so good. look, i get towels fluffy... [giggles] blankets cuddly... and clothes stay fresh... [sniffs] for 14 days, with my snuggle fresh release scent droplets. and i cost less than the leading brand. let's make the world a softer place. let's snuggle. nyquil (stuffy): hey, tylenol. you know we're kinda like twins.

tylenol: we are? nyquil (stuffy): yeah, we both relieve coughs, sneezing, aches, fevers. tylenol: and i relieve nasal congestion. nyquil (stuffy): overachiever. anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't. the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ?

if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. ♪ that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm [ male announcer ] for half the calories -- plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. welcome back to "america this morning." two daredevils raced back into the recordbooks by besting themselves. levi lavalee and robbie maddison shattered their own world records. the snow meebl went more than 400 feet and the bike nearly

380. >> braver than me. now for a look at your morning road conditions. snow in michigan. and western new york. slick on parts of i-79 and 81 in the northern and central appalachians. icy on i-90 in the passes of the cascades. if you're playing, airport delays possible in chicago, new york, seattle, washington, d.c., detroit, boston, atlanta. >> chicago, did i say that right? to politics now, as the republican presidential candidates head into the final day of campaigning before the crucial race in iowa. the latest polls show mitt romney in first, ron paul behind him and rick santorum surging. >> why is so much attention focused on this particular contest? abc's karen travers explains. >> sure, i want to win iowa.

everybody wants to win iowa. >> reporter: iowans have proudly voted first in the nation for 40 years. whwhat exactly is a caucus. it comes from a native american work that means a gathering of tribal leaders. on tuesday night, only registered republicans are allowed to participate. but democrats and independents can show up, change their affiliation, and take part. there are 1774 precincts in iowa. some are he would in churches, fire stations. and private homes. in most precincts, it's a simple, secret ballot. votes are added up and each pree singt announces their winner. they're a state-wide straw poll, indicating which candidate iowa republicans prefer.

iowa voters have a mixed record at picking the eventual nominee. they've picked the winner just 50% of the time in the last 40 years. no candidate that has finished worse than third place has ever gone on to win the nomination. each candidate is looking for the gold, but a silver or bronze may be enough to keep their hopes alive. >> after iowa, it's time to get ready for new hampshire. abc news will be hosting a republican candidates debate with diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos moderating. tune in saturday at 9:00 eastern. black birds fell from the sky in arkansas again. this time, about 200 dead birds, far fewer than the thousands that fell to the ground last new year's eve. authorities believed they were spooked by fireworks and became disoriented. they say this time, someone they have deliberately set off

fireworks near the roost. now for a little football. the final sunday nfl regular season. here's the crew at espn news. good morning, and welcome to your espn news update. i'm zubin mehenti. the cowboys and giants met last night. tony romo playing are a bruised right hand. eli manning was the man. he found victor cruz. six catches, 178 yards. the team's single-season receiving leader. second quarter, 7-0, nfc east is on the line. bradshaw to the outside for a five-yard touchdown. 21 nothing when they headed to the locker room. third quarter, here come the cowboys. to robinson. 34-yard score. the scoring is broken for the boys. fourth quarter, down by 14.

it's 21-14. but the giants were going to become the first team to win the nfc east with less than ten victories. they're going to be 9-7. g-men win, 31-14. they'll face the atlanta falcons in the wild card round. the lions will taken to saints. new orleans is on an eight-game winning streak. they finished the season at the superdome undefeated. the giants in the playoffs against the falcons, for the first time. in the afc, the bengals face the texans. for houston, their first ever playoff appearance since entering the league. in a ree match of a 2005 playoff game, the steelers face the broncos. that's your espn news update. i'm zubin mehenti. >> you follow the bears and the

bengals. i root for the saints. they crush carolina. >> i grew up a lions fan. zbrand the saints play detroit next saturday. interesting. for most of us, new year's day means taking in some football, relaxing with family, maybe gearing up to go back to work. the dutch do things a little differently and strangely. >> thousands showed up at beaches to take part in the annual new year's day dip. most of those who took the plunge said they wouldn't start the new year any other way. >> maybe next year we'll try that. >> never in a million years. why ce rks lo green changed the words to "imagine" and tock some heat. and other stories coming up next in "the pulse."

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disrespect. he believed in a world where people could believe what they wanted. some critics said he not only changed the words but didn't sing well either. lebron james kicked in the new year with a surprise proposal to his long-time girlfriend savannah. >> he did it in front of teammates and their two young sons. >> he kept the ring sidden until finally the right moment. looks like reggie bush played santa claus over the weekend. he bought the entire offensive line segways. they're thank you gifts for the hard work of the men who block for them. >> they call up to $7,000 each. very generous. nicely done. for some of you, your local news is coming up next.

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updating the day's top stories. authorities in l.a. are hoping this video will help them put an end to a string of arsons. this man was seen leaving the scene of a burned out car. there's an intense manhunt inside a national park after ranger was shot and killed opinion an iraqi war vet is now a person of interest. for the second straight year, dead blackbirds littered the streets in arkansas. this year, someone may have targeted a roost. looking at today's weather, rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest. up to 18 inches of lake-effect snow from grand rapids to buffalo. and finally, a new reason for j.r. martinez to be floating on cloud nine.

>> he's still walking on air after, of course, winning "dancing with the stars." and today, the iraq war veteran is enjoying yet another honor. he's the grand marshal of the rose parade. kabc's george pennacchio has the story. >> reporter: has this been the best year of your life? >> absolutely. by far. >> j.r. martinez! >> reporter: it was a three-month whirlwind of nonstop challenges. if he could give the experience a number it would definitely be a 10. >> you don't realize the pow you are of it and what i can do for you until you're in it. and then until it's done. and it's been an amazing experience. it's transformed my life to allow when people say, j.r. martinez, people know who you're talking about. >> reporter: more people will discover j.r. on monday.

he serves as the grand marshal of the rose parade. he love this is year's theme. just imagine. because he needed to imagine things could change, after he was badly injured in the landmine explosion serving our country in iraq. >> i really do have a purpose. i do have a lot of weight that i'm carrying on my shoulders. i'm blessed with strong shoulders. all i could do 8 1/2 years ago, was just imagine what would become of my life and what i would be able to do with it. i worked hard. believed, had a great attitude. i want to share that with everyone on january 2nd. >> reporter: with this parade, he wants you to understand if you can just imagine there is hope. once the parade is over, there's another big even on the way for j.r. he'll be honored by the city of los angeles on march 2nd. in pasadena, george pennacchio, abc news. >> and happy