making news in america this morning -- outrage overseas. a story growing more tense by the minute. a diplomat arrested on american soil. was the treatment too harsh? and can she be punished for the crime she's accused of? brazen breach. target warns customers that credit card information may have been stolen during shopping season. proof that real-life

grinches do exist. must-see video for anyone getting packages delivered for the holiday. and star suspended. the controversial xhenlts by a "duck dynasty" cast member that may have put an end to his lucrative television khmer. good thursday morning. we begin with that story that is threatening to strain international relations between two nuclear powers. the united states and india. >> protests are growing in new delhi, following the arrest of dupty consul general, devyani khobragade. she's accused of getting a housekeeper for her house in new york. >> abc's tahman bradley, live in washington, now, to explain to us. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, john and diana. india is furious about this arrest and alleged treatment. they call it barbaric. they cannot believe one of their

diplomats was picked up off the street, thrown in jail and treated like any other alleged criminal. diplomatic tensions between the u.s. and india are escalating. prosecutors have charged an indian diplomat with falsifying visa documents. they say she lied about how much she was paying her nanny. allegedly giving the woman far below minimum wage. and requiring her to work far beyond 40 hours a week. the diplomat was arrested, jailed and strip-searched, treated like any other criminal. >> she understands the deep insult that has been given to the indian government by the conduct of the united states government against her. >> reporter: despite claims of diplomatic immunity, khobragade was thrown in jail. she said she was subjected to a cavity search, which the state department said did not happen.

protests in the streets. in retaliation, the government ordered removal of barriers around the u.s. embassy in new delhi. john kerry called india's national security adviser to express regret. even the white house has weighed in. >> we recognize this is a sensitive issue in india, we're continuing to review exactly what happened in this case. >> reporter: the manhattan u.s. attorney, sought to clarify details around the diplomat's arrest. saying in a statement. ms. khobragade was accorded courtesies well beyond what other defendants, most whom are american citizens, are accorded. the u.s. attorney says the diplomat was not handcuffed or restrained. if convicted, she could face up to 15 years in prison. diana and john? >> abc's tahman bradley, live in washington for us this morning. thank you. now, to some tough decisions that president obama has to make after a scathing report about the nation's surveillance program. it says the nsa's collection of

american phone records should be shut down because it presents a lurking danger of abuse. former white house counterterror official and abc news consultant, richard clarke, helped write the report. >> we think the meta data program has not been essential. has not contributed significantly to the prevention of terrorist attacks on the united states or abroad. >> also among the recommendations in that report, greater security of decisions to spy on friendly foreign leaders. president obama expected to announce any changes to u.s. intelligence programs next month. and our other major story this morning could affect millions of target shoppers who used their credit or debit cards in the store during this busy shopping time. the secret service is investigating what appears to be a major breach in the retailers security system. hackers were apparently able to steal the information encoded in the black magnetic strip on credit and debit cards. and the breach likely happened

on or around black friday. >> the more traffic you have, the more people are swiping their cards. from the bad guys' perspective, that's the perfect day to launch an attack like this. >> reporter: target has not commented. security experts have advice for all of the shoppers this time of year. keep checking your statements for anything suspicious. we will have more on this on "good morning america." the stock market headed towards the end of the year on a high note. the dow shot up nearly 300 points yesterday, following the closely-watched decision by the fed to scale back. it was the federal reserve's strongest signal in years about the recovery. heard loud and clear on wall street. when the markets opened today, the dow will be well above the 16,000 mark, after yesterday's 292-point gain. that surge followed ben bernanke's big announcement. the government will scale back on its stimulus that's been beefing up the economy since the recession. >> it is a vote of confidence that the fed has were for the economic recovery. >> reporter: to keep the economy

moving, interest rates will be kept low. for homebuyers, mortgage rates will stay low. and car loans, affordable. the goal, keep americans in the buying mood, while simulating employers to create more jobs. this owner plans to add dozens of jobs and hopes to hire veterans. >> we take people off the street with no experience and train them to do engraving. i want to do the same thing in solar. >> reporter: today's unemployment rate at 7% could be dropping to 6.3% in the new year. >> the economy is continuing to make progress. but it also has much farther to travel before conditions can be judged normal. >> reporter: and just days before christmas, holiday shoppers are doing their part. sales up 2% since november 1st. and analysts are optimistic this will continue, even as stores cut prices. but the entire economic picture, not as rosey as it could be. consumer prices and inflation

are heading up. a government shutdown early next year has been avoided now that the senate has passed a budget. the spending plan passed easily with a 64-36 vote. in a statement late last night, president obama said he was pleased with that vote. the president also said it marks the first time in years that the house and senate came together to pass a budget. and now, to breaking news overnight. a massive fire rips through a strip mall near los angeles, destroying several businesses. the fire erupted last night in hawthorne, sending flames high into the air and collapsing at least two roofs. the blaze was so intense, it took 100 firefighters to put it out. fortunately, though, no one was injured. dennis rodman is on his third trip to north korea for another round of what's being called basketball diplomacy. rodman plans to train their national basketball team for an exhibition game next month to celebrate the birthday of leader kim jong-un. rodman, undeterred by the execution of kim's uncle. he says he is hoping the basketball game will create an opportunity for dialogue between the u.s. and north korea.

and nasa has designed new low-tech gear to keep astronauts safe on their upcoming spacewalks. they got a snorkel and a sweat band. this is to guard against liquid in their suits, which was an issue during a previous spacewalk. they are aiming to fix the broken cooling system. they should begin on saturday. let's turn to the weather and check what it's doing across the nation. milder in the northeast. with snowshowers across northern new york and vermont. light snow for the upper plains and upper midwest. snow in the northern rockies and sierra nevada. off and on showers in southern california. >> 60 degrees in los angeles. mostly 60s from dallas to atlanta. 14 in the twin cities. and just 10 in billings. new crash test results are released overnight. which cars are scoring the highest? and the country's newest megamillionaire. wait until you hear how many tickets she bought. and passenger beatdown. a man on a bus armed and

determined. new video shows how people onboard stopped him.

welcome back. a new list of the safest cars on the road was released overnight, with 39 models getting high marks in crash tests. the small cars that performed the best, include the honda civic hybrid, mazda 3 and toyota prius. the ford fusion, honda accord, mazda 6. you can see the full list at abcnews.com. whole foods is propping the most popular brand of greek

yogurt. it is to make room for products free of modified organism. allowing passengers to make cell phone calls during flights. delta's ceo ruled out the calls, saying they would be disruptive to the travel experience. jetblue and united are indicating they don't intend to allow in-flight cell phone calls. the fcc is seeking public comment on whether or not to list a call band. and starbucks is calling today latte thursday. it expects record sales in activation of its payment cards today. starbucks said it sold more than 2 million of the cards in north america on the thursday before christmas last year. >> good gift. >> it's a nice stocking stuffer, for sure. when we come back, controversy. some experts say guidelines for those who need blood pressure medication should be changed. not everyone agrees, though. and grounded. how a ferry packed with people ended up like this. ♪

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uh. all right, now, for a look at the morning road conditions. snowmaking for a slippery ride in the sierra nevada, upper rockies and upper midwest. wet at times in parts of southern california. snowy roads in upstate new york and new england. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible in salt lake city, los angeles, san diego and minneapolis. back to the news now. a georgia grandmother has claimed her share of the mega millions jackpot. >> ira curry bought one ticket at the last minute. she'll get about $120 million before taxes. curry chose not to make a personal appearance at the lottery office. but she did share her winning formula. >> she did picks in numbers. they were a combination of family birthdays and her family's lucky number, number 7. >> yep. she picked them herself. now, the holder of that winning ticket that was bought in san

jose, that's still a mystery. the store's owner was very happy, though. he learned he would get $1 million for making that sale. >> happiness all around. now, to medical news this morning. millions of americans battling high blood pressure now have new guidelines for the first time in 30 years. a committee of experts set a new marker saying blood pressure for people over 60 should not exceed 150. that goes against many doctors who still believe anything above 140 should still be the number to look for when prescribing medication for hypertension. >> now, i think based on the guidelines, you can feel comfortable saying when you have the patient below 150, you're now at your goal. having the ability to get them to goal, without overmedicating them, i think is very encouraging and very exciting. >> the american heart association and the american college of cardiology are among those that disagree. they say the old guidelines are working, credited with dramatically reducing strokes and heart failure. a ferry that ran aground on

the north carolina coast is still stuck on a sand bar this morning. efforts to refloat the 64-foot boat has failed. now, the company has to come up with another plan to remove it. 14 people were hurt in tuesday's accident. they've all been released from the hospital. wild landing for passengers onboard an air france flight in the u.k. the plane was caught up in powerful crosswinds as it approached bristol airport. you can see it coming in for a lopsided landing. touching down on the tarmac almost completely sideways. the pilot somehow managed to touch down safely. newly released video shows a robbery attempt on a seattle bus and riders putting an end to it. the 19-year-old suspect robbing two people of their phones. closer to the surveillance camera, he tries it again. and you see what happens. the passenger lunges forward, sparking a melee. they hold the suspect down until police get there. the suspect is facing 15 years of prison time. and another surveillance video caught a grinch at work in michigan. you can see a man in a bright

orange sweatshirt taking a package left on a porch by fedex. >> the box contained about $200 worth of gifts. a fifth grade teacher planned to give to his students, no less. she's hoping to get replacement gifts by tomorrow before school is out for a holiday. terrible. >> i hope he faces 15 years, too. that's just awful. >> that video, they're going to get him. a grinch was busy in new hampshire, too. police searching for someone who can be seen running on a lawn, slicing several decorations and causing hundreds of dollars in damage. the family has been setting up decorations around the home for christmas for about a dozen years. they added each year to their display. >> what's the point of that? just to be a grinch? >> i can't begin to imagine. i don't know. time, now, for sports. an intense game between the heat and the pacers. >> and timberwolves putting on quite a show at home. here's espn's stan and neil in los angeles. >> good morning, america. he's stan. i'm neil. this is the los angeles "sportscenter" set. and, man, we have two unreal

basketball games. wednesday. >> it's thursday now. >> let's start in the east. you're on top of this day thing. >> thank you. >> pacers and heat. eastern conference showdown. under two minutes to play in the game. heat down three. chris bosh, with a big three. he had 15 points, 8 rebounds. he had missed his previous 14 three-pointers. ray allen is always reliable from out there. heat up three. lebron james, 7 assists, 24 points and 9 rebounds to go with him. paul george, 20 points, 8 assists. dwyane wade led heim with 32. the heat win it at home, 97-94. the best record in basketball belongs to portland. home of kevin love. he plays for minnesota. and kevin love can pass that basketball. ricki rubio. stan love, kevin's dad, happy for what he did. >> when you learn from a guy name stan, what are you going to get? >> damian lillard did not have a

good first half. minnesota led by 32 at one point. they ended up winning by 11. love and j.j. barea. he was a dish shy of his first-ever triple-double. >> going to be a bid for kevin love's services when he becomes a free agent in 2015. >> look at that. he just knew that. >> a wealth of knowledge, those two. >> thanks. coming up next, it's "the pulse." a "duck dynasty" cast member suspended. but will it end the most popular cable show of all-times. barbara walters' final most fascinating people of the year list. with a surprise number one pick. ♪

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[ giggles ] [ female announcer ] tide, downy, and bounce free & gentle. great on their own, even better together. thanks, guys. i think this is the best thing you made all week. steve, we love you but you know you live next door, right? uh-huh. don't your brothers and sisters miss you? no. we text. ok. [ female announcer ] here's to moms who know what a dollop of daisy can do. unlike others, it is 100% pure with nothing else added. ♪ do a dollop, do, do a dollop of daisy ♪ ♪ do a dollop of daisy time to check "the pulse." and we start with some controversial comments from one of the guys on that hit reality

series "duck dynasty." >> we're talking about 67-year-old phil robertson. he explains why he believes homosexuality is sinful, along with beastialty and other stuff we can't get into. >> a&e, which airs "duck dynasty" has suspended robertson. saying it is extremely disappointed by his comments. but he will appear in episodes that have already been taped. the end of an era. the last time barbara walters has unveiled her list of fascinating people. >> once again, hillary clinton has been named the most fascinating of all. clinton topped the list when the abc special debuted 20 years ago. she told barbara she hasn't made up her mind about a run for the white house in 2016. >> jennifer lawrence, edward snowden and our own robin roberts, among those who made the list. you didn't make the list. >> i tried really hard. >> i'm amazed. here's another political

veteran making news this morning. mitt romney like we have never seen him before. including the moment he realized he would lose the election. plus, a more relaxed romney. even ironing his clothes while wearing them. >> playing in the snow. sleeping in the campaign van. even some tender moments with his wife, ann. it's all in the new netflix film, "mitt," to be released next month. >> a lot of people said it was hard to connect with him. had we seen this side way back when, who knows how the polls would have spun. finally, a truly great christmas prank. this is all on unsuspecting folks who thought they were going to have their picture taken. take a look. [ screams ] >> i think that may be one of

the funniest pranks i've ever seen. there's someone inside that tree. it's at a high school in texas. everyone seemed to take it in good spirits. >> i have a funny feeling that the one guy or gal who punched that tree out is not included in the viral video. >> i think that guy should bear hug that tree. >> oh, these reactions are too great. >> i know. great. >> i know. good stuff, right? intense ache it was hard to do what mattered. 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 significantly relieve fibromyalgia pain. for some, as early as the first week of treatment. now, i can do more with the ones i love. lyrica is not for everyone. it 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 swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision,

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overnight. posting big gains. up sharply after the fed announced they will begin scaling back the stimulus program. snow in the sierra nevada and northern rockies. falling lighter in the upper midwest. finally, a follow-up on a story we told you about yesterday, involving a blind man here in new york and his guide dog. >> as abc's marci gonzalez reports, he is able to keep his dog a whole lot longer than originally thought. >> reporter: he has some bumps. some bruises. and one incredible story. >> i'm sitting here right now because of him. things like this here don't happen for everybody. >> reporter: cecil williams, 60 years old and blind, still in disbelief that he survived fainting and falling on to subway tracks in new york city, right in front of an oncoming train. his service dog, orlando, unable to stop the fall.

tumbling on to the tracks below with williams. never leaving his side. >> he stayed down there with me. you know, he was licking my face. but he was there for me. >> reporter: there for him, as the two ducked in the trough between the tracks. low enough so two cars of that oncoming train passed over them, before the emergency brakes kicked in and they were rescued. williams promising the 11-year-old labrador is in for some extra treats as he processes his overwhelming ordeal, some are calling a holiday season miracle. >> i'm thinking about god and a few other things. you know, why did he save me? you know, i don't know. i do believe it's for a reason. and one day, maybe i'll find out. >> reporter: williams says he was sadly planning to give orlando up for adoption when the elderly dog retires and williams gets a new service dog. cost was his only concern. now, someone has anonymously