making news on this friday, september 17th. >> killer storm. the new york region is hammered by lightning, rains and wind that turn deadly and left thousands of commuters stuck. one of the nation's best-known hospitals under siege. a surgeon shot and a standoff with the gunman. and all a hoax. a woman attracted global attention with the story of being ambushed and burned with acid. but now admits, she made it up. and good morning, everybody. thanks for being with us. it will be a day of a lot of cleanup across new york city, after getting hit by a storm that brought torrential rain and winds of up to 100 miles per hour. >> this is what it looked like

in brooklyn, as it tore off roofs and knocked down countless trees. >> it swept across the entire new york region with little warning. whipping up high winds, flooding and hail. emily schmidt shows us the spots that were hardest hit. >> reporter: just as rush hour hit new york city thursday afternoon, so did a fierce, fast-moving storm. >> i thought it was the end of the world. >> reporter: tornado warnings went out around 5:30. at least 30,000 people lost power, as lightning filled the skies. >> all the doors in my house flew open. the air conditioning in my room crashed in. the windows crashed in. >> reporter: terrifying for people at home. trouble for commuters trying to get home. >> back up. back up. back up. >> reporter: new york's busy penn station closed because it was so packed with people after winds knocked down trees and power lines on train tracks. drivers didn't fair much better. >> i was just driving down the street. and it was like -- it was just like a giant, human car wash. everything just started spinning. and i saw, like, the small branches flying all over. >> reporter: one woman died when

a tree landed on her car. others wondered how they survived. >> didn't know what hit me at first. glass was scattered everywhere. and i was thinking, am i alive? >> reporter: the same system moved through ohio hours earlier. changing the landscape in a matter of seconds. damaging 18 homes in 1 county alone. >> there was a red barn. and there was a house right in front of it, next to the road. and it's not there any longer. >> this is one of those things, while it may be an act of god, it doesn't make it easier for us. >> reporter: the national weather service says new york has had eight confirmed tornadoes since 1960. meteorologists will confirm today whether the city has now survived tornado number nine. emily schmidt, abc news. >> extensive damage across several states. our sam champion will have more on "good morning america." and a look ahead to the effects of hurricane igor, this weekend. a world-famous hospital is reviewing security procedures today after a siege by a lone gunman. police say paul pardus shot a

doctor who had been treating his mother at johns hopkins hospital in baltimore. he then barricaded himself in her room, as s.w.a.t. teams locked down the hospital. >> from the frontside of the building, which faces the hospital, to the back. none of us could be by any windows. >> you had to be scared. >> yeah. it's scared. >> police discovered pardus' body and his mother in the room. the doctor identified by colleagues as orthopedic surgeon david cohen, underwent surgery. he should be okay. president obama's latest trip on the campaign trail may signal the trouble facing democrats in a usually reliable democratic state. in connecticut, the president helped raise more than $1 million for his party. outside, dozens demonstrated against the president and a new connecticut law. meanwhile, delaware senate candidates faced off for the first time. tea party-backed republican, christine o'donnell, and democrat, chris koons, battling for the seat that used to be

held by vice president biden. o'donnell said she raised nearly $1 million in a day, following her primary win this week. and president obama makes it official today. wall street critic, elizabeth warren, will be a special adviser overseeing the creation of a new consumer protection bureau. the harvard law professor will have vast powers to enforce regulations that will cover mortgages, credit cards, and other financial products. and another announcement from the white house today. a new report on how the billions of dollars in stimulus money is being spent. it's an effort by the administration to push back against republican criticism. here, now, is jonathan karl. >> reporter: the report highlights projects like this one in south plainfield, new jersey. where a toxic area contaminated by an old electronics plant is being transformed into a new industrial park, thanks to $30 million stimulus dollars. >> we're getting folks in there, leaning up that environment. and this will be a new

industrial park, creating hundreds and thousands of new jobs for decades to come. >> reporter: the project has already created 68 jobs. and is designed to be an economic boone to the south plainfield area once it is completed next year. the white house is touting the $175 million in stimulus funds being spent here at new york's staten island ferry terminal, replacing nine bridges like this one that are in a dangerous state of disrepair. there are now 120 workers on the job here, rebuilding a transportation hub that services 65,000 commuters every day. the white house report is a direct response to senators john mccain and tom coburn, who have issued 3 separate reports on what they call the top 100 wasteful stimulus projects. those reports highlighted things like the $3.4 million spent on the so-called turtle tunnel, allowing animals to go from one side of florida's route 27 to the other. here's what mccain told us about his last report. >> i think all of them are a waste. i think none of them, really, have any meaningful impact on creating jobs.

>> reporter: jonathan karl, abc news, new york. overnight, we learned of a major step forward in killing the oil well, which caused a huge environmental disaster in the gulf. a relief well has now intersected with the blownout well. the next step will be to pump mud and cement to seal the blownout well from the bottom. further south, mexico's yucatan peninsula is soaked after hurricane karl. the storm is expected to gain strength today as it heads for another landfall on mexico's east coast. it's closing in on an area that's been hit by other storms over the last month. and now, for this morning's weather from around the country. the ohio valley and northeast will dry out, after some wild weather that included some tornadoes. severe storms today from omaha to kansas city. more showers in the pacific northwest, stretching down to california. rainy from northern idaho to eastern minnesota. south texas gets showers, spun off by hurricane karl. >> unseasonably cool to the

south. billings is 53. fargo, 59. minneapolis, 64. pleasant along the east coast. new york 75. baltimore, 79. in the south, it is hot. dallas is 97. and new orleans, 91. and when we come back this morning, some stunning numbers about how many americans are now living in poverty. plus, many questions this morning about a story that initially attracted so much sympathy. a woman admits she made up the story of an attack that deformed her face. she now admits she did this to herself.

overseas markets are ending the week on a high note. tokyo's nikkei average rose 1.2% today. hong kong's hang seng is higher. in london, the ftse opened higher. on wall street, the dow added 22 points yesterday. and the nasdaq ticked up two points. fresh evidence this morning of the toll that the recession is having on americans. nearly 44 million people now live in poverty. that's 1 in 7 americans, the highest rate in 15 years. experts actually expected the numbers to be worse. but many people are moving in with family now to save money and share expenses. the head of the johnson & johnson division responsible for most of those recent recalls is now retiring. pauline goggins is leaving early next year after nearly 30 years at the company. the consumer products division was behind a series of embarrassing recalls, including children's tylenol. gm's new ceo says taxpayers won't get their bailout money back when the company has its

initial public offering. instead, he says, it will take several years for the remaining $43 billion to be repaid. a deal to create the world's biggest airline could get shareholder approval later today. united and continental airlines will announce results of a vote today. if shareholders approve, the $3 billion deal could close in about two weeks. but it will take much longer before passengers notice much difference. all four, major wireless carriers will sell samsung's galaxy tab. that's the company's answer to the ipad. the device has a seven-inch screen, two cameras for video conferencing and runs on google's software. the company has not said when it will go on sale or how much it will cost. >> a lot of people are talking about the new service where you can purchase or rent tv shows on that satellite. >> nothing you can't do. >> i know. coming up next on this friday morning, we'll get a live update from london on the pope's historic visit to britain. and no joke. big announcements from some

stars over on comedy central. $20 dinner for two. his share one of five appetizers, like our famous texas cheese fries. then choose two freshly prepared entrees from 14 chili's favorites, like our chicken crispers with new sweet & smoky sauce, our new slow-smoked honey chipotle baby back ribs, or grilled all-white meat chicken fajitas served over a bed of sizzling peppers and onions. grab a friend and get one appetizer plus two entrees with chili's $20 dinner for two. blend it. sprinkle it. sweet! [ female announcer ] just about anywhere you use sugar you can use splenda® no calorie sweetener. [ male announcer ] savory. fluffy. yummy. sweet! [ female announcer ] splenda®. america's favorite no calorie sweetener.

when allergies make them itch, don't wait for your pills to kick in. choose alaway, from the eye health experts at bausch & lomb. it works in minutes and up to 12 hours. bausch & lomb alaway. because it's not just your allergies, it's your eyes. new aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers, with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on, to even skin tone in four weeks. new aveeno tinted moisturizers. [ female announcer ] kids who don't eat breakfast may not be getting the nutrition they need to keep their bodies strong. ♪ a nutritious start to the day is essential. that's why carnation instant breakfast essentials supplies the nutrients of a balanced breakfast. so kids get the protein and calcium they need to help build strong muscles and healthy bones. carnation instant breakfast essentials. good nutrition from the start.

the national weather service will visit new york city today to decide whether this storm was a tornado. it hit at rush hour, with winds up to 100 miles per hour, snarling traffic, damaging buildings and knocking out power to at least 30,000 people. one woman died when a tree fell on her car. commuters in the new york area could see some effects of that storm this morning. elsewhere, flooding is possible on i-80, from des moines to omaha. and on i-35, around kansas city. the roads in south texas will also be a little wet this morning. and i-94, from billings to bismarck, could be slick, as well. >> if you're flying today, expect airport delays in seattle and kansas city. pope benedict xvi is in london today. he's the first pope ever to be invited to the u.k. for an official state visit. >> after centuries of religious differences, the pope and queen elizabeth are emphasizing their

shared christian heritage. lama hasan has details this morning. good morning, lama. >> reporter: good morning. the pontiff has another packed day today. first off, a private mass at a chapel here in london. following that, he will be meeting with about 4,000 catholic schoolkids, as well as politicians, including former prime minister tony blair and gordon brown. and other leaders, as well. the pope got off to his first full day of his visit, touching down in edinburgh airport and being welcomed by the queen. after, they exchanged gifts. the queen gave him art. and the pope gave her a gospel. both gave short speeches. the pope spoke about asserting the value of god and religion, attacking atheism. warning against an aggressive form of atheism. and for the first time, pope benedict xvi admitted that the church hasn't done enough on handling church abuse cases. of course, he'll get the chance to meet with about ten victims of sexual abuse here, most

likely on saturday. >> lama, as you know, this trip was widely criticized. what do people think of it so far? >> reporter: i think his trip was not expected to generate this much interest because of sluggish ticket sales to the open-air masses that had been organized. people were comparing him to john paul ii, who got a rock star welcome when he came here in 1982. but on the whole, pope benedict's trip is going well. at the mass yesterday, for example, they were expecting around 60,000 people. but it's estimated that around 70,000 turned up. rob? vinita? >> lama hasan in london this morning. thank you. it turns out that the story of an acid attack on a woman in washington state was all a hoax. bethany storro had said she was attacked by a black woman who threw acid into her face, causing some severe burns. but now, she's admitted to police that she made the whole thing up. investigators said that during questioning several discrepancies emerged about the alleged attack. >> she is extremely upset.

she's very remorseful. in many ways. this is something that just got bigger than what she expected. and so, she has shown that this has affected her a great deal. >> local prosecutors will decide whether or not to press charges. money that's been donated to storro is being returned. and a father in orlando is in trouble after threatening boys on a school bus, who he claims were bullying his daughter. james jones was seen on bus surveillance video confronting the youngsters. he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. jones is now out of jail on bond. we'll have more on this story coming up later today on "good morning america." the man who killed john lennon apparently had a list of other targets. john david chatman said he considered killing johnny carson and elizabeth taylor. the details are in a transcript of his latest parole hearing. chatman said there were other victims but he couldn't recall who they were. it was a night to hand out hardware in the wnba.

that and some baseball highlights from adnan virk at espn news. >> good morning. the seattle storm had been tremendous all season in the wnba. unbeaten at home. trying to close up the atlanta dream in game three. fourth quarter. 15 seconds to go. the dream down by three. and castro-marques, with a lay-in, cuts the lead down to one. six seconds left. is the dream still alive? mccoughtry, who had 35 points, misses the 3-point attempt. dream weaver. one last chance for coco miller. huh-uh. the dream could not fight off the perfect storm, as seattle wins it, 87-84. their second wnba title. to baseball we go. the padres, in first place in the n.l. west, taking on the cards. on the first, matt holliday, base hit up the middle. jon jay would score. cards up 1-0. bottom of the sixth. two on for albert pujols. fat albert, hey, hey, hey. ryan ludwick can't make the diving catch.

skip schumaker would score. the cards lead it 2-0. later in the inning, yadier molina, a flare to right. that just drops into fair territory for a hit. two runs will score. the cards blank the padres offense 4-0. so, aubrey huff, and the giants with an opportunity to take san diego, hosting the dodgers. bottom of the third, it's huff. a three-run bomb off of ted lilly. the giants up 4-1. next batter, buster posey. so long, and thanks for all the fish. a solo home run to left. his 14th of the year. the giants led it 5-1. they crushed the dodgers. 10-2, was the final. they take the top spot in the national league west. you're up to date for now. back to you in new york. in the wake of glenn beck's much-publicized rally in washington, comedy central stars have announced their own. >> "the daily show's" rally to restore sanity, is for, quote, people too busy to go to rallies. and jon stewart's conservative

foe, stephen colbert will hold the keep fear alive rally, on the same day next month. now, we know the truth about what actor joaquin phoenix has been up to. you may remember phoenix's very bizarre appearance on dave letterman's show last year. >> he carried on that persona in the documentary, "i'm still here." well, now, the movie's director, casey affleck, says his film is completely fake. and that joaquin has just been playing a role, while telling everyone he was giving up acting in order to pursue a rap career. >> i saw that movie. i'm not surprised. >> casey said, it's the performance of his career. >> we'll see where his career goes for now. up next, the stories we'll be following today, including a milestone for england's future king. milestone for england's future king. we'll be right back. estive syst. think i'l pass. no, no, no! trust me. it is beyond tasty. mmm! wow! i can't believe it, i loe it! mmm, this is really good! new best tasting activia ever!

♪ activia / now you can join the fight against breast cancer every time you enjoy an activia. give hope with every cup of activia. so, we set out to discover the nutritional science at purina one, we want your cat to be as healthy as possible in some of nature's best ingredients. that's how we created purina one with smartblend. nutritionally optimized with real salmon, wholesome grains and essential antioxidants, for strong muscles, vital energy, a healthy immune system, and a real difference in your cat. purina one improved with smartblend. discover what one can do. trying to be big like you, dad. you're so good at keeping everyone full... and focused with your fiber. [ laughs ] but you already are great at doing that. really? sure. you're made with fiber, just like me. but best of all, you're the perfect size for smaller kids. [ female announcer ] give your little ones kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats little bites™ cereal in chocolate and now original flavor.

they're an excellent source of fiber packed in a smaller size. [ doorbell rings ] oh, it's original little bite™. we're off to practice keeping 'em full and focused. yeah! we've got big shoes to fill! we'ri don'i heard thatd keepinnearly 4 out 5 womened. aren't getting enough vitamin d. so i take one a day women's, a complete multivitamin with more vitamin d to support bone and breast health. [ female announcer ] one a day women's. [ female announcer ] have you ever seen a glacier while sunbathing? why not? have you ever climbed a rock wall in the middle of the ocean? or tried something really wild? why not? it's all possible in the nation of why not. royal caribbean's floating nation where you're free to do anything you want.

which may be nothing at all. royal caribbean international. visit royalcaribbean.com today. now, a look ahead to the stories we'll be watching on this friday. thousands are without power after a powerful storm system swept from the ohio valley into the northeast. the storm produced at least 11 tornadoes. one person died in west virginia. and major cleanup is also under way in parts of the northeast after a deadly series of storms moved through. one person was killed in new york, when a tree fell on her car. the white house rolls out a new report on how billions of dollars in stimulus money is being spent. it is an effort to blunt criticism about the economy from the republicans. yom kippur, the jewish day of atonement begins at sundown tonight. jews around the world will atone and fast on what is the most solemn observance of the year.

and prince william graduates from flight school today. he's spent the last 18 months training to be a search and rescue pilot in the air force. and coming up later on "good morning america," interesting story here. the sleeping on the job make you a better employee? there's a new trend among companies to allow, even encourage workers, to get shut-eye on the clock. does it work? >> i have a feeling i know what the employees think about this idea. >> no kidding. that's not bad at all. take a little nap on the desk, maybe. for some of you, coming up, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, a special story comes to the stage. wgwgwgwgwgwgwgwgwg thanks to the venture card from capital one, we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned an la getaway twice as fast. we get double miles every time we use our card.

[ whistling ] no matter what we're buying. and since double miles add up quick... romans! get em! [ garth ] ...we can bring the whole gang. [ sheep bleats ] it's hard to beat double miles. whoa -- he's on the list. but we're with him. [ male announcer ] get the venture card from capital one and earn double miles on every purchase, every day. go to capitalone.com. [ indistinct shouting ] what's in your wallet? when allergies make them itch, don't wait for your pills to kick in. choose alaway, from the eye health experts at bausch & lomb. it works in minutes and up to 12 hours. bausch & lomb alaway. because it's not just your allergies, it's your eyes. long summer days, an not enough sleep. what i wouldn't do for a do-over. [ female announcer ] neutrogena® clinical skincare,

exclusive ion2 complex combined with activating cream helps restore collagen depleted skin. neutrogena clinical skincare is clinically tested to undo the look of a year's worth of skin aging in just 4 weeks. do-overs do exist. [ female announcer ] clinical skincare. neutrogena. #1 dermatologist recommended brand.

captions by: caption colorado,

llc (800) 775-7838 comments@captioncolorado.com a hospital is supposed to be a safe place, but things turned violent at hopkins after a gunman opened fire. i'm linda so. the latest on this frightening ordeal that locked down this frightening medical place. a woman was held prisoner in a baltimore county apartment. and i'll trade you a lawn mower for a printer. that's how many people are getting through a rotten economy. good friday morning. thanks for joining us. i'm megan pringle. jamie's on the go. first, let's start things off with weather and justin berk. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, megan. i was just getting the update that the tropics are getting a little bit more dangerous. hurricane carl is now up to a category 3 storm. it was expected to reach a major hurricane status. we'll show you that in a couple of minutes. locally, though, we had our own

problems with the rain that moved in. while it moved in four to five hours earlier than i expected, it's now out of here and we have a decent friday stacking up. wet grounds this morning and clouds left over to the north around the city itself, we should have early morning sunshine with strong winds and skies turning partly to occasionally mostly cloudy as we get to 82 degrees. the good news is again that the rain that had come in early yesterday may have ruined some of your afternoons is already out of here and should speak for an improved friday setup. we'll have more on that hurricane carl, now a category 3 storm about to make landfall in mexico later today. right now, let's see what's happeningen our baltimore beltway and beyond. >> reporter: thanks, justin. yesterday's rains left the roads wet so you could see semi slick conditions out there. as we get a clean sweep of the area, we are incident free at this