it's wednesday, august 19th. in the news this morning, texas tragedy. fatalities mark a day of harsh weather in the houston area. now, there is a big mess left to clean up. promises kept in afghanistan, as the taliban's violence mars the end to the race for president. and back to work. the auto industry kicks into higher gear to meet new demand the auto industry kicks into higher gear to meet new demand from america's consumers. captions paid for by abc, inc. good morning. and thanks for being with us. we begin this morning with the violent weather, which has ravished parts of eastern texas. >> it started yesterday afternoon, in the houston area, with heavy rain, strong wind and

at least one tornado. >> meanwhile, a construction worker died after rainwater flooded the tunnel he was working in. >> water came in from everywhere. they were saying. and didn't know where it was coming from. had to go in there while they were on air, breathing air. we had to have hoses in there. we didn't know what the atmosphere was. >> two men were able to escape. but a body of a third worker was found about 50 feet inside the tunnel. in nearby beaumont, texas, a tornado struck without warning in a crowded shopping center, sending people running for their lives. the twister touched down outside the kohl's department store, around 2:00 tuesday afternoon, catching shoppers offguard. a worker at a nearby restaurant grabbed his cell phone, capturing this video of the twister's powerful winds. >> it went over towards walmart. and the car flipped over at walmart, which we hear had a lady inside it. >> reporter: the storm jumped across the street, ripping apart

the roof of this walmart. on the ground, shopping carts and debris littered the parking lot. the wind rearranged and overturned cars. >> another car just landed on top of mine. and the entire hood of my car came in on me. it was just very scary. >> reporter: the roof of the kohl's department store collapsed. and several shoppers were injured by flying debris. the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital. it was surely not the shopping experience they had expected. >> i see a lot of debris everywhere. it looks like a lot of roofing material. a lot of the shopping carts were moved out of their positions, pushed across the parking lot. >> an emergency official says given the amount of damage, they had luck on their side in that no one was seriously hurt. hurricane bill is still gathering strength out in the atlantic. and expected to become a dangerous category 4 storm later head to. bill is forecast to move between bermuda and the east coast this weekend. that could mean 12-foot waves on

the coast. and 20-foot waves on the coast of bermuda. this is what bill looks like from outer space. it was taken from the international space station, far above the earth. now, for this morning's weather from all around the nation. violent thunderstorms in the middle of the country today. hurricane-strength winds. large hail and a chance of tornados from oklahoma city to chicago. showers and thunderstorms across the gulf coast. and the deep south. and a bit cooler in the northeast. but still hot and humid. >> a sticky 89 in new york. it's 90 in boston. and 91 in baltimore. 80s for chicago, st. louis and detroit. just 72 in fargo. record highs in the pacific northwest. 100 in portland. and 89 in seattle. now, to afghanistan, where violence threatens to disrupt tomorrow's presidential election. gunmen stormed the bank in the capital, of kabul. and the taliban claims to have infiltrated the city with suicide bombers. abc's nick schifrin is in kabul with more. good morning, nick. >> reporter: good morning, jeremy.

yeah. that gun battle has now ended. but as you said, not after -- not for a few hours after gunshots rang out on the streets of kabul. police stormed the bank and actually shot dead each one of those robbers. it was probably the worst day possible to try and commit a crime in kabul. this city and, indeed, most of the country is on absolute lockdown. the taliban promised to disrupt afghanistan's second-ever election. so far, they are living up to their word. suicide car bomb exploded next to a british convoy just outside of kabul. most of the dead were civilians. more than anyone, they are the victims of violence in afghanistan. fear in this city is growing. three rockets fell in different neighborhoods didn't cause much damage. the markets are empty. and kabul will likely shut down for the next two days. until this month, kabul felt quite safe. foreign aid workers would move freely around the city.

but the worst fears have been realized this week. most workers have left the city. and those who are still here, are being told to stay inside. security fears are even larger outside of kabul. this is about two hours north of the city, safe enough to deliver ballot boxes by donkey. all over the country, these election workers are targets. in northern afghanistan, a group of them were attacked and killed. for u.s. troops, this country is also more violent than ever. two more soldiers were killed and three wounded in an attack in eastern afghanistan. as president obama said monday, leading democracy to this country will not be quick or easy. it's not only the foreign ngo workers that are staying inside their homes. the people who run the car dealerships have actually taken off all the new tires of all their cars and hid them, knowing there will be violence, not only up to election day and on election day, but mostly in the days that follow. jeremy? >> desperate measures. nick schifrin reporting from kabul, afghanistan. thanks, nick.

president obama says he is encouraged by efforts to restore peace negotiations between israel and the palestinians. and he is given special thanks to egyptian president hosni mubarak for his help pushing through a breakthrough. during his visit, mubarak credited obama for improving relations in the muslim world. bill richardson is hosting a delegation of diplomats from north korea today. richardson says the koreans requested the meeting to learn about renewable energy projects in new mexico. a richardson spokesman emphasized he will not be negotiating nor will he be representing the obama administration. and when we come back, some rare good news for the american auto industry. workers coming back and getting overtime. they can thank cash for clunkers. and dr. conrad murray speaks out for the first time since michael jackson's death. he says he has told the truth so far.

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overseas stock markets are stumbling once again this morning. tokyo's nikkei average fell 0.8% today. hong kong's hang seng is down, as well. in london, the ftse opened lower. and this all comes after wall street bounced back from its steep losses on monday. the dow climbed 82 points yesterday, closing at 9217. the nasdaq added 25 points to close at 1955. it is almost hard to believe that general motors emerged from bankruptcy just over a month ago, with lots of help from the government. now, thanks to another

government program, the automaker is shifting its production into overdrive. emily schmidt joins us from washington with more, and some rare news -- some rare good news for the auto industry. >> reporter: they will certainly take it, vinita. good morning. automakers are getting more mileage from cash for clunkers. sales are up. and for the first time in a long time, factories say they need more workers to make more cars. cash for clunkers now means cash for more auto workers. just called back to work after the sudden surge in car sales. >> i love it. we have all our guys back to work right now. staying busy. >> it feels great. as long as we keep working, it's going to be great for the economy and the local people. >> reporter: gm now plans to make 60,000 extra vehicles this year. reinstating 1,300 jobs. >> we're seeing a huge uptick in sales. >> reporter: it's a classic case of supply and demand. when the government offered up to $4,500 for gas-guzzler

trade-ins, sales went up. honda, toyota and hyundai report increased sales. ford just increased its sales forecast by 500,000 vehicles. >> the demand did take us by surprise. not so much the amount. but how quickly people came to ford. >> reporter: dealers are busy. but many are also waiting for government reimbursements. >> right now, probably only 4% of the approved deals have actually seen checks back from the government. >> reporter: one north carolina dealership is owed more than $22,000 in clunkers checks. >> we do legitimate deals. and we got 130-page rule book. and we followed your rules. and you won't live up to paying us our money. >> reporter: cash for clunkers went through nearly $1 billion in its first week. now, car site edmunds.com says car sales are wayning. down 15% from the peak. vinita back to you. >> emily schmidt in washington this morning.

thanks. ford won't put an electric car on the road until next year. but it's already start trying to solve the challenge of keeping it charged. ford is allowing cars to talk to power grids across the country, making it easier for car owners to control when they charge their vehicles. ford's first battery-powered vehicle will be an electric van. shares of hewlett-packard are expected to slide today, after they reported a quarterly slump in profits. ink sales have been hurt by cheaper, generic brands. while lower prices from pcs meant lower revenues. the company's stock is up 75% since march. the recession appears to have more americans trading in wine and spirits for high-end beers. sales of craft beers rose 5% in the first half of the year to 4.2 million barrels, despite a drop in overall beer sales. good beer can cost about half as much as a decent glass of wine. >> we'll drink to that. remember, you can get the

latest business news anytime on our website, abcnews.com. and when we come back, the military's new effort to combat stress. multiple tirns years of war are taking their toll. and the controversial cervical cancer vaccine, gardasil. is it more trouble than it's worth? my muscles ached all over. i felt this deep lingering pain that was a complete mytery to me. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia muscle pain

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welcome back. these are the latest headlines from abc news. panicked shoppered ran for their lives after a tornado touched down without warning in the houston area yesterday. cars were tossed around. and a store roof collapsed. hurricane bill is expected to become a dangerous category 4 storm later today. on its present track, it can bring 12-foot waves to the east coast this weekend. and gunfire and explosions excoed through kabul, afghanistan, this morning, ahead of tomorrow's presidential election there. the taliban has promised to disrupt the vote.

the nearly eight-year war in afghanistan and six war years of war in iraq, are taking a toll on soldiers and their families. one in five troops now reports suffering from mental health problems. it's launching a new major effort, as bob woodruff reports. >> reporter: this is a new kind of army training. beginning this fall, every u.s. soldier will be required to take classes like this, from recruitment to retirement. the hope? to stem the rising tide of mental health disorders inflicting so many service members, including posttraumatic stress and suicide. >> we think we have a lot more war fighting to do in the future. we want to build the resilience of the soldier. the idea is to raise mental fitness to the same level of physical fitness. >> reporter: the army calls this new program comprehensive soldier fitness. >> it's to give them a long-term strategy. soldiers helping soldiers. gives them ability to build resilience in each other. a buddy sense of reinforcement. >> reporter: today, multiple army deployments are making for

multiple stresses on soldiers. >> as you know, soldiers are on their third and fourth and fifth deployment. so, the idea is to give them better coping skills, better cognitive thinking strategies to deal with the deployment. >> reporter: the army recognizes that soldiers are overworked and overstressed. already this year, 96 active duty soldiers have taken their lives. military psychiatrists we spoke with in afghanistan told us the challenge lies in convincing tough soldiers to talk about their emotions. >> it's not a sign of weakness. but actually, it's a sign of strength to be able to say, hey. i need some support. i need to be able to talk about what's going on. and also looking at it, it's a short-term investment for really long-term gain. >> reporter: a similar program up and running at ft. carson in colorado teaches soldiers to cope with the stress of war. >> just trying to teach you how to calm down, and take a deep breath when stuff starts going on. how to react to situations and

make sure that everybody around you stays calm. >> reporter: the army is allocating more than $100 million to this mental toughness program. and will also offer it to the family members of those fighting in the wars for so many years never expected by so many. and they, too, are facing stress. i'm bob woodruff, abc news, in new york. the controversial doctor who was tending to michael jackson in his final days is speaking out for the first time. dr. conrad murray has admitted to investigators that he gave jackson a powerful anesthetic, along with multiple sedatives in the hours before jackson died. murray posted a video online, insisting he has nothing to hide. and thanking his supporters. >> because of all that is going on, i'm afraid to return phone calls or use my e-mail. therefore, i recorded this video to let all of you know that i have been receiving your messages. i have done all i could do. i told the truth.

and i have faith the truth will prevail. >> investigators have searched murray's home and medical offices. but so far, he has not been formally charged in jackson's death. there are new questions this morning about the controversial cervical cancer vaccine given to preteen girls. a new study found more than 12,000 medical problems after patients were given gardasil. they include dizziness, headaches and faintings. but there were hundreds of serious problems, including blood clots and 32 case where's the patient died. the preliminary findings have caused some doctors to stop administering the vaccine. seattle voters have rejected a promoted 20 cent fee on every paper or plastic bag they get from stores. the city had charged the order to begin in january. but the plastics industry stepped in to bankroll the referendum. conservative columnist robert novak is being remembered as one of the nation's most influential journalists. novak died at his home in washington yesterday, after a

battle with brain cancer. known as the prince of darkness, novak made his mark with the column, "inside report." but he was also a host. he co-hosted cnn's "crossfire," and other shows. robert novak was 78 years old. coming up on "america this morning," we seem to have seen this before. >> quarterback brett favre is back on the field. this time, as a viking. details of his new deal, coming up. it's what doctors recommend most for headaches. for arthritis pain... in your hands... knees... and back. for little bodies with fevers.. and big bodies on high blood pressure medicine. tylenol works with your body... in a way other pain relievers don't... so you feel better... knowing doctors recommend tylenol... more than any other brand of pain reliever.

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talk to your doctor about prescription treatment options. and make this time, your time. ness and freedom of the outdoors for your indoor cat. talk to your doctor about prescription treatment options. specially formulated to promote hairball control and healthy weight. friskies indoor wet cat food. feed the senses. all right. in case you're trying to keep track. he has retired, returned. reretired and again rereturned again. we're talking about brett favre. >> who else? he signed a reported two-year deal to play football for the minnesota vikings. it could earn him up to $25 million. the 39-year-old three-time mvp says he wants to help the vikings win their first super

bowl trophy. >> i'm sure the packers fans are happy about that. time, now, for other sports. >> for that, here's jonathan coachman at espn news. >> good morning. as the dog days of summer heat up, so do the races in major league baseball. we start in philly. pedro martinez making his first home start for the phyllis. leadoff hitter, steven drew. takes the 3-2 offering, deep to right. that's a leadoff home run. 1-0, d-backs. but then, here comes the rain. pedro, three innings. he would leave after the rain delay. jamie moyer is in. he was stellar. up 5-1. and gerardo parra, lines out. moyer gets the win. red sox/blue jays. boston trying to draw even with texas in the wild card race in the american league. david ortiz takes romero keep to right center.

papelbon. barajas, into foul territory. kevin youkilis, great hustle. red sox are now tied for the wild card lead. how about cardinals and dodgers? that's manny. bottom five, dodgers up 2-0. manny, the inside-out swing. andre ethier comes in to score. dodgers up 3-0. cardinals up 5-2. albert pujols. you don't see him do this very often. the 5-4-3 double-play. the dodgers go on to win 7-3. that will do it for now. jeremy and vinita, back to you the studio. couples looking for a quicky wedding can tie the knot at breakneck speed. they don't have to get out of their car. a store in florida is offering drive-through weddings. >> the bride and groom have to show up with the marriage license, two witnesses and 20 bucks.

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good morning. wednesday august 19th. thank you so much for joining us. rock 'n' roll night last night. a lot of you you are looking at your clocks, it's blinking 12:00, we'll give you plenty of time checks here. top stories first -- it's happened again. another c.o. leak at cove village. a baby and young couple rushed to the hospital. we're live this morning with linda so. a hit-and-run to tell you about. happened on hammonds ferry road. someone is dead, the driver is still out there. and the buffalo bills, they can't agree on a contract. first, meteorologist susan schrack has the forecast for today. >> good morning. a little bit of fog around first thing for the commute. be aware of that.

can be tricky on the roads. as far as temperatures, we're in the low 70s everywhere, certainly feels warmer than that. will feel near 80 everywhere and we got rain. there's a big surprise. most of you heard it in the overnight hours, especially last evening. we're seeing as much as a half-inch of rain in some places. looking at the storms now, things are much quieter, we had the last little bit moving off the coastline at the time. we could see a couple of scattered showers around yet this morning. the thunderstorms are back though this afternoon. by noon some of you may be seeing them, by late afternoon most of us will see them. looking for a high of 89 degrees. let's check the roads with kim. >> good morning. the roads are doing well, just a little road spray. no problems to let you know about on either loop of the beltway. in the counties, lights out and trees are down blocking intersections in glen arm. harford road closed in both