making news, in america this morning. >> the president's message. today, his high-stakes speech to the world. what will he say to iran, russia and all sides of the middle east? southern discomfort. homeowners who never worried about flooding before, are returning. finding damage and destruction. and an american girl with a guardian angel. a 6-year-old survives this unbelievable crash. >> it's wednesday, september unbelievable crash. >> it's wednesday, september 23rd, 2009. captions paid for by abc, inc. good morning.

thanks for joining us early this wednesday morning. the world has come to new york this week, represented by more than 100 world leaders. but the main event is today's speech by president obama. >> security is incredibly high around the united nations, with snipers on rooftops and major roads shut down. john hendren joins us now with details on what the president might say. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning, jeremy and vinita. president obama begins the day, meeting with the prime minister of japan. and he ends it, meeting with the prime minister of russia. but his day will be judged largely by the speech he gives between. at his general address to the u.n. general assembly today, president obama faces intense scrutiny. >> he needs to prove he has something to say. something. some organizing principle, in terms of his foreign policy. we haven't seen that yet. >> reporter: the president is expected to ask leaders who have been critical of the u.s. acting alone, to act together, on nuclear nonproliferation, and peace, in such hot spots as the

middle east, where yesterday, he expressed impatience with stalled peace talks. >> it's pastime to start talking about negotiations. it's time to move forward. >> reporter: israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu, told abc news, he rejects a palestinian precondition that construction stop on israeli settlements before talks start. >> it's something that belongs to the final negotiations. >> reporter: the president will expand on yesterday's call on developed nations, including the u.s. and china, to address climate change. >> we cannot meet this challenge unless all the largest emitters of greenhouse gas pollution act together. there's no other way. >> reporter: but at home, climate change is stalled behind health care reform in congress. >> we're going to push climate as hard and as fast as we can. >> reporter: and with china refusing to specify goals, it's unclear the president's call will be answered. the president will also thank those nations that have

contributed peacekeeping troops to afghanistan, where he's likely to ask for still more help. jeremy and vinita? >> abc's john hendren in washington. thank you. moammar gadhafi is speaking to the u.n. today. and there's quite a controversy, over where the libyan leader would stay. he wanted to pitch his tent in central park. but it's popped up here, in a tony, new york, suburb, on property owned by donald trump, who was apparently unaware. the property was leased on a short-term basis, to middle eastern partners, who may or may not have a relationship with mr. gadhafi. there's reports that gadhafi's staying at the home of the libyan ambassador, in midtown manhattan. thousands of additional police have been brought in ahead of the meetings, because of planned protests. among the items on the g-20 agenda, rebalancing the world economy, and tackling climate

change. four people were injured and dozens are in custody after a brazen shootout at a crossing on the mexican border. three vans accused of smuggling illegal immigrants, tried to crash through the border. three people in the vans were injured and closing a busy port of entry for hours. the threat of rain hovers again today, over areas of the south, reeling from severe flooding. roads, more like rivers. schools are closed. and worst, at least ten people are dead. georgia's government has declared a state of emergency and has asked for federal help. steve osunsami reports, now, from georgia. across this region, many homeowners will have to start over. nearly 20 inches of rain in a few, short days was just too much. >> the sofa was floating. i mean, you can see where the ring stops on the wall. >> reporter: we had to travel today by boat to see many of the flooded homes. >> this is the water line.

>> reporter: john knox and his sons came home to see the heartache and collect what they could. >> we were in here yesterday. we put things up on cinder blocks. we thought high enough. unfortunately not. >> oh, man, wow. >> reporter: like so many people here, jackie futch doesn't have flood insurance. is this a creek? >> no. this is my lawn! this is my lawn. >> reporter: she never needed it until now. >> what am i going to do now? i don't know. i don't know what i'm going to do. >> reporter: all across georgia, schools were closed, which was good, because a number of them were under water. authorities today were forced to shut down parts of interstates 20 and 285. they, too, were submerged. a fire truck on its way to a burning home never made it. the truck died here. the house was still burning. and the waste water treatment plants were so overwhelmed, they were dumping sewage into a river that provides water to millions of residents. >> what really has happened here is very widespread flooding, in some of the most populated areas

in metro atlanta. so, very significant historical flooding, affecting a tremendous number of people. >> reporter: and it wasn't just atlanta. most of north georgia saw areas with major flooding. there were flood watches throughout alabama and mississippi, too. a rather large area of wet. mother nature appears to be giving this area a break. the sun and the heat have returned, and it begun to dry things out. but there's still a chance, of more rain. steve osunsami, abc news, bostell, georgia. and now, for this morning's weather from around the nation. the heaviest rain falls today from the texas coast, to the middle east. scattered showers and thunderstorms in the southeast. and the northeast, today,. a mix of rain and snow around denver. and a foot of snow in the nearby mountains. >> 66 in albuquerque. but seattle climbs to a record 84. and portland 88. chicago, minneapolis and fargo

hit the mid-70s. 80s from boston to atlanta. 80 in dallas. and 89 in new orleans. we got amazing video overnight from sydney, australia. we wanted to show it to you. sydney is shrouded in a blanket of thick, red haze, after getting hit with its worst dust storm in 70 years. >> international flights had to be diverted and commuter ferries suspended. drivers are facing dangerously low visibility. and hundreds of people have complained of breathing problems. >> like the whole city has been put in sepia tone in photoshop or something. coming up, major banks, changing the fees they charge. plus, new wildfires across southern california. one weather expert says autumn is beginning with a bang. and the truly amazing video with a very happy ending for this one, 6-year-old girl. come on. [ kissing ] come on. good girl. mollie's never looked better. i really was amazed to see the change in her coat. people stop us when we're walking,

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it i it is a mixed picture for overseas stock markets this morning, ahead of today's interest rate decision from the federal reserve. markets are closed in japan for a holiday. hong kong's hang seng is lower. in london, the ftse opened higher. wall street starts the day with the dow at 9829, after gaining 51 points yesterday. the nasdaq added 8 points to close at 2146. two of the nation's biggest banks are overhauling overdraft fees that have been criticized as excessive. starting next month, bank of america will allow customers to cut off their debit cards when their account hits zero, to avoid being charged. it will also cap its fees.

beginning next year, jpmorgan chase will also allow customers to opt out of overdraft coverage and eliminate some fees. well, despite the worst economic downturn since the great depression, most chief executives didn't take a pay cut last year. a new study finds ceo pay was essentially flat, ticking down just slightly. at the same time, the du jones plunged more than 37%. the study's authors said the board of correct directors didn't blame ceos for the bad economy. many stores say they will higher fewer workers than last year. 25 of the nation's biggest retailers, including best buy, and saks, say they will cut back their seasonal hires. general motors is a bit more optimistic. the automaker is recalling 2,500 laidoff workers as it adds third shifts at midwest factories. and 600 workers will be brought back to parts factories the

automaker is expecting sales to increase next year. and has to restock its depleted inventory, which was at a record low at the end of august. the beatles are still breaking records. more than 2.25 million copies of the beatles remastered albums were sold in the first five days after being released earlier this month. the band had 16 titles on the top-50 pop catalog chart. the most ever for one time for a band. a robot may be the next big thing at children's birthday parties. the u-bat, being unveiled in texas today, allows a child to get in and control it from inside. it can spin in circles, make laser sounds, and beam lights and fog. the u-bat has a voice modulation system to transfer a child's voice into robot speak. >> how cool is that? >> great idea. >> wonder if it's more darth vader-ish. next on this morning, transit systems on alert. plus, the latest in the

search for terrorists who may be planning to target new york city. and in sports, at least one big league team is already playoff-bound.

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we continue, now, with a look at the road conditions you can expect for your morning commute. wet and flooded highways in houston, new orleans, memphis and st. louis. there may be problems at both ends of interstate 95. and roads could get slippery in colorado. if you're flying today, expect a few airport delays that could crop up in st. louis, memphis, houston and denver. well, there is stepped-up security this morning around stadiums, entertainment complexes and hotels because of the ongoing investigation, into a possible terror plot against new york. >> agents are trying to find up to a dozen people, and also storage units where bomb components could be.

as viviana hurtado explains, the vigilance extends far beyond new york. >> reporter: as the search continues for others involved in an suspected plot to build bomb and attack locations inside the u.s., law enforcement officials have issued a new bulletin, issuing increased vigilance and security at sports arenas and hotels. the fbi and the department of homeland security, sent the message to police departments across the country. response to a suspicious package to new york's port authority. and an earlier bulletin on mass transit, are examples of the heightened sensitivity. >> we think that the things we're doing now and things we do every day, are the appropriate tactics and strategies to use, to protect the city. >> reporter: law enforcement is on guard, as the investigation into zazi, continues. he is under arrest on suspicions of plotting to carry out a terrorist attack, possibly in new york city. >> nypd and the fbi, are

actively hunting down bombs and the bombmaking facility. they believe there's a garage, a warehouse, somewhere, where the bomb parts are still being stored. >> reporter: the jakarta ritz hotel bombing in the summer, is the proof of vulnerability of the new york police department commissioner says his department changes strategy every day. >> the critical response vehicles. the thousands of police officers, we're moving them every day. sometimes go to the same location, two days in a row, three days in a row. sometimes they don't. that's part of our strategy and tactic. >> reporter: police are continuing to ask people to immediately report any suspicious activity to authorities. viviana hurtado, abc news, washington. the ntsb has issued an urgent warning to the nation's railroad and trachbs sit lines about a possible faulty signal system. it goes into the investigation of the d.c. area crash last june

which kyled nine people. the safety board said the system had failed to detect stopped trains. and that can lead o the other similar, tragic accidents. several new wildfires are burning in southern california this morning, driven by fierce, santa ana winds. 8,500 acres and forced the evacuation of several neighborhoods. firefighters say it may have been caused by the spontaneous combustion of manure. there will be no letup, as tinderbox conditions continue, with triple-digit temperatures and low humidity. state investigators have found that a philadelphia area swim club diskram nated against a group of mostly black day campers when it withdrew them permission to swim there. the human relations committee ordered the valley club to pay a 50,000 penalty to the state. the club says it will appeal. disgraced politician, mark foley, has embarked on a new career. the former congressman now has his own radio show in florida, called inside the mind of mark

foley. foley left congress three years ago, after sending salacious e-mails to male teens who worked on capitol hill. in sports, the yankees are the first team to clinch a spot in the playoffs. and they didn't even have to win a game to do it. here's the highlights from espn news. >> thank you. and good morning. the new york yankees who missed the playoffs last year for is first time since 1993, with a chance to get back to the past season. yankees, taking on the angels. top of the third. alex rodriguez, off urban santana. two-run home run. his 27th of the year. 580th of his career. three shy of mark mcgwire, for eighth all-time. jorge posada throws out willis. yankees clinch the playoff berth, 6-5. the tigers in a battle in the a.l. central, trying to hold off the minnesota twins. taking on the cleveland indians. ryan rayburn, solo home run

here. his 14th. edwin jackson, seven shutout innings for detroit. when the tigers got in trouble, they got out of it. bases-loaded jam here in the eighth. tigers win, 3-1. that means the twins need to win to keep pace with the tigers in the a.l. central. top of the sixth, michael cuddyer, off john danks. solo shot. 6-5, minnesota. later in the inning, matt tollbert, deep to left. carlos quentin back at the wall. can't make the grab. goes over the wall for a two-run grab. that will do it from here. now, back to you in new york. now, to really unbelievable video. a 6-year-old girl from washington state is still shaken up after a narrow brush with disaster. and it was all caught on surveillance camera. yasmine was trailing behind her parents outside a supermarket, when an out-of-control car

barrels toward her and crashes against the building. >> look at that. if it weren't for those concrete parking poles, she, of course, would have been crushed. afterward, yasmine feared her parents had been hit. now, as you can imagine, she says cars frighten her. >> poor, little girl. so lucky, though. >> that's for sure. amazing. coming up, a look ahead at the stories we'll be following later today, including the president's major speech at the united nations. an audience that will include friends and foes. plus, what sarah palin is doing today in asia. my name is herb. i live in northport, alabama. 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.

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if prescription chantix is right for you. now, a look ahead at the stories we'll be watching on this wednesday. president obama has a full day of diplomacy ahead, speaking to the u.n. general assembly. and meeting with russia's president. yesterday, president obama tried to kick-start middle east peace talk. the president, along with other world leaders travels next to pittsburgh, where preparations are under way for the g-20 summit. also today, there's heightened security around so-called soft targets, like hotels and stadiums. former vice presidential candidate, sarah palin, is in hong kong today. it's her first trip to asia. it could boost her credentials, over criticism of her lack of foreign policy experience. traffic, flowing again, at

one mexican border crossing, after a shooting there last night. officials opened up on three vans who tried to crash through the barrier with a cargo of illegal aliens. and now at least ten people have lost their lives in what is some of the worst flooding to hit the southeast in a century. several feet of muddy and sometimes contaminated water will take days to recede. certainly, a big mess there. >> it is, yeah. coming up on "good morning america," our exclusive interview with the former girlfriend of alleged killer, ray clark. >> were there any clues in the past that his friends and family may have missed? that's coming up on "gma." and he's accused in the death of the grad student, annie le. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, "america this morning" continues after this. and i have activia every morning for breakfast. activia definitely helped with my occasional irregularity. activia is clinically proven

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good morning. 5:00. cuts are coming and it's not going to be pretty. if you work for the city expect to take days off without pay. a group of kids swimming at a club say racism. may they be on to something? those stories and more coming up. in the meantime we're going to get to a developing story. thank you for joining us. i'm megan pringle. i'm jamie costello. flooding has become a serious issue in the southeast, especially in georgia.

>> take a look at this video, straight out of the atlanta area, where you can see neighborhoods, neighborhoods roadways completely swamped. storms killed nine people in alabama. there's still flooding. it will take time for the waters to actually recede. a lot of this is really contaminated water. even six flags amusement park was under water. trees down. unfortunately there may be more rain for them. as we're watching here, another round of really heavy rain from the deep south. some of this may stay just west of atlanta but problems near huntsville, alabama. we have that moisture lingering across the north carolina and south carolina coast. we're in this soupy environment. we can't rule out the chance of showers here though nothing well organized. 72 degrees in downtown baltimore. 67 perry hall. 66 monkton, westminster. and that updated number you saw there in ellicott city. generall