making news this morning, on a roll. >> our new poll showing newt gingrich with a firm lead in the republican race, forcing mitt romney to play catchup, exactly a month before voting begins. and it's going to be eight against one. eight alleged victims say they'll soon testify. and this morning, creating the perfect body. lingerie ads featuring computer-generated models. can you tell which is real? good morning. i'm sunny hostin. >> and i'm rob nelson. call it a seismic turnaround for

the newt gingrich campaign. fresh off his face-to-face meeting with the donald. >> our new poll overnight shows gingrich with a 15-point lead heading into the iowa caucuses, which are just four weeks from today. >> almost there. and it is a race few would have expected just a few weeks ago. tahman bradley breaks it down for us this morning. >> reporter: our new abc news/"washington post" poll, is encouraging news for newt gingrich's campaign, on the economy and the candidate most likely to defeat president obama, gingrich tops the republican presidential field in iowa. with just a month to go before voting begins, a new abc news/"washington post" poll out this morning, shows the size of newt gingrich's lead in iowa. among the republicans planning to attend the iowa caucuses, 33% favor the former house speaker. and 43% of likely caucus

attendees says gingrich has the best experience to win. >> it's a great honor to have newt up here. it's amazing how well he's doing. >> reporter: surging in polls, gingrich traveled to new york on monday, to kiss the ring of the man who wants to be the gop kingmaker, donald trump. gingrich got into a dust-up with mitt romney, responding to this criticism. >> he's a life-long politician. gingrich reminded voters that romney's been around the block, too. >> i don't know the senate run in 1994, and running for governor. and running for senate for six years. i don't know if that makes him a career politician or not. >> reporter: the man that the candidates hope to battle next fall, president obama, travels to a place where teddy roosevelt summoned the nation to a new progressive era. he'll attack congressional republicans for not signing on. >> there are many folks who can afford to give up $1,000. not right now.

>> reporter: our now abc news/"washington post" poll shows 31% of iowa voters say they support newt gingrich on handling the economy. romney, the businessman, is 11 points back. rob and sunny? >> what an amazing turnaround. people thought that campaign was dead over the summer. tahman bradley, thanks for that live report. the president will push congress to get the payroll tax cuts. a giant clock appeared there yesterday. the white house scolded the media, actually, for using gimmicks during last summer's big debt showdown. we are following breaking news from afghanistan. dozens of people have been killed or injured in acoordinat. in the deadliest attack a bomber blew himself up at a religion shrine in the heart of kabul.

the blast came as worshipers gotter for a o holiday. the court has set up an online lottery for tickets for the penn state sex scandal. and there's new reason for the high interest. as jim avila reports, we'll hear from the alleged victims firsthand. >> reporter: jerry sandusky may soon face his accusers. prosecutors plan on alling all eight alleged victims to testify at next week's preliminary hearing. sandusky's second high-profile interview has so incensed his accusers, they're anxious to tell their story. >> first, he serially abused my client. then, he has to hear sandusky deny he did those things. >> reporter: sandusky told "the new york times" over the weekend, he's being turned into a monster by prosecutors, who are mistaking fatherly affection for sexual abuse. >> i didn't do those things.

>> reporter: but when given yet another chance to answer the simple question of whether he is sexually attracted to children, the former coach needed offcamera coaching. >> if i say no, i'm not attracted to boys, that's not the truth because i'm attracted to young people. boys, girls. >> yeah. but not sexually. >> yeah. i enjoy -- that's what i was -- i enjoy spending time with young people. i enjoy spending time with people. >> reporter: after two major on-camera fumbles, many wonder why the former football coach is talking at all. >> i think people will get used to the fact that that's just the way jerry responds to questioning. and that's the way he gives answers. >> reporter: a legitimate but risky strategy, says critics. >> he wouldn't make eye contact. his legs, his hands are moving all about. and those are potential signs of

deception. >> reporter: a strategy sandusky is having trouble pulling off. former illinois governor rod blagojevich is back in court today as his sentencing hearing begins. blagojevich could face ten or more years in prison for trying to sell president obama's senate seat. he is expected to speak to the judge directly. his sentence will be pronounced tomorrow. and country music singer mindy mccready spent yesterday in a closed-door hearing before abarkansas judge. mccready and her 5-year-old son were found i'ding in a closet next week. he's now in foster care, awaiting the judge's ruling. the navy is trying to figure out how one of its training mines ended up on a miami beach. the six-foot-long mine washed ashore yesterday, not far from a condo building. the bomb squad was called in to haul it away. the mine appears to be live. but not as explosive as a regular mine.

in other news, a new planet has been spotted outside our solar system. one that is strikingly similar to earth. the planet is inhabitable. water does not freeze or boil. and it even circles a sun-like star. but scientists say it's mostly covered by ocean, with no hard surface to walk on. on top of that, it is 600 light years away. that would be a pretty long flight. >> that's right. and maybe there's life already there. >> who knows? time, now, for the weather across the nation. mild in the northeast, with rain for much of the day from new england to new york and washington, d.c. that wet weather also stretches to nashville and knoxville. showers and thunderstorms along the gulf coast, from new orleans to birmingham, tallahassee and atlanta. >> 80 in miami. and 60s from atlanta up to boston the some of the coldest air of the season in the middle

of the country. highs in the 20s from fargo to minneapolis and seattle, 41. and boise 34. chockaholics have reason to be happy this morning. cocoa prices are plummeting. we'll explain why. >> good news there. would you watch a short ad to avoid the atm fees? a novel idea coming to a cash machine near you. a model's devastating injury after she walks into a plane's propeller. we'll hear from her parents ahead.

there's more pressure, now, on european leaders to solve the debt crisis. standard & poor's is threatening to downgrade the credit rating of all the euro zone countries. the ratings company wants them to take action this week. france and germany are calling for sweeping changes to rebuild confidence. while there's a dark side to the european crisis, there's a milk chocolate side. europe is the largest consumer of cocoa beans. and it's not buying as much these days. that's pushed prices to their lowest in three years. sweet. overseas markets are down because of the downgrade threat. tokyo's nikkei average dropped 121 points today. hong kong's hang seng fell 237 points. in london, the ftse opened lower. and on wall street, the dow picked up 78 points yesterday. the nasdaq index rose 29. and it's shaping up as a good holiday season for retail workers. a consulting firm says stores

hired 27% more workers for the holidays last month than a year ago. and almost twice as many as three years ago at the height of the recession. that was before thanksgiving weekend's big sales. that could boost hiring this month, as well. if you auld wanted to be an nfl team owner here's your chance. new shares on the green bay packers go on sale today. they're the only publicly traded team in the league. they don't go up in value, and don't get you a discount on tickets. >> good warnings there. do you hate paying atm fees? who doesn't? a new system would give you an alternative. watching a short commercial while your transaction is processing. some banks run ads for their own services. these would be for outside businesses. so far, it's only being used on one atm machine. and that's housed in a brooklyn bar. >> i think i would watch that.

>> most people would. i'll give you ten seconds to save my two or three bucks. coming up next, in her own words. we're about to hear the full story from amanda knox. and the miracle boy doing fine, after his heart stopped to nearly half an hour. [ female announcer ] why do your holiday shopping at walgreens? so you don't have to deal with this. [ boy ] she's pushing me. you guys stop it. look for spaces. [ horn honks ] hang on. [ horn honks ] are you sure that's a space? keep walking. [ horn honks ] [ female announcer ] just go to walgreens. great parking...short lines... and a perfect selection of just the right gifts. now earn up to $20 in jingle cash good on your next purchase of $30 or more. shopping. simplified. with walgreens...there's a way. i can't breathe... so i can't sleep... and the next day i pay for it. i tried decongestants... i tossed & turned...

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southern california is in for another breezy morning. but not as bad as yesterday. winds hit nearly 60 miles per hour as utility crews continue to restore power to thousands of people affected by last week's windstorm. red flag warnings were also posted, putting firefighters on high alert. >> let's hope those folks get a break soon. let's look at your morning road conditions. slick with black ice around albuquerque. i-40, from amarillo to oklahoma city. and parts of i-10 and 20 across texas. wet on i-10, from new orleans to tallahassee.

and i-40, from nashville to raleigh. rain soaks i-95, from d.c. up to maine. >> and if you're flying, airport delays are possible on the east coast, from boston to atlanta and in new orleans. turning, now, to a pretty horrible story here. a young texas model and magazine editor is facing a long road to recovery after a horrific freak accident. >> she lost her left hand after walking right into a the propeller of a private plane. we get the latest from abc's lucy yang. >> reporter: she loved fashion. she wrote about it and talked about it. even started a magazine about it called "lolo." 21-year-old lauren scruggs is in a hospital. the young fashionista was flying around saturday night looking at christmas lights. what began as a holiday treat ended up costing the young model and fashion editor her left hand. officials believe when the plane landed at a small private

airport, scruggs got off and in a bizarre accident, walked into the propeller, which sliced at her like a giant blender. she was rushed to the hospital, where doctors removed what remained of her hand. it is also reported she suffered brain, face and shoulder injuries. her family insists she was not drinking at the time. >> we have a strong faith in jesus christ, as does our daughter, lauren. and it's going to be a tough road. a long way back. >> terrible accident. we're all -- all of us at the accident are saddened by this. >> just such a sad story. how she walked into it. a lot of questions about what exactly happened. thanks to lucy yang of wabc. an arizona family is look forward to a heartfelt holiday season. their little boy's heart stopped working for 30 minutes after he

fell into the backyard pool. and then, miraculously, his heart started beating again. doctors were worried about brain danger. but little calleb has made a full recovery. >> lucky, little guy. new questions this morning about whether tsa agents are going too far with airport security checks. two elderly women have come forward saying agents basically strip-searched them at new york's airport. ruth sherman said she felt violated when inspectors wanted to look at a medical device. their claims are being investigated. also, there's a growing movement to have the government rethink what we all know as airplane mode. a new petition seeks to change the rule under which we all have to turn off electronic devices just before takeoff and landing. it follows a recent column in "the new york times," saying there's no genuine safety reason to do so.

amanda knox has hired an agent to shop a book deal about her ordeal in an italian jail. knox returned to her hometown after she was cleared in the death of her roommate. experts figure she could score a seven-figure deal, given that she has not spoken publicly about her experiences. college's most prestigious award, the heisman trophy, will be given out on saturday. the list of finalists on espn.com. as for last night, we have the highlights from espn news. >> good morning. i'm steve weissman with your espn news update. we begin with "monday night football." norv turner and the charger looking to snap their losing ways in jacksonville. chargers driving. philip rivers, vincent brown. san diego retakes the lead, 17-14. 23 seconds left before the half. chargers with another chance. rivers, heck of a game. this time, to vincent jackson. rivers, 22 of 28, 294 yards and 3 touchdowns. move to the fourth quarter. san diego up 31-14.

how about the running attack? it's ryan matthews. hits the outside and gone. had 112 yards. chargers win 38-14, snapping their six-game losing streak. to the ice we go. sidney crosby and the penguins, taking on the bruins. this one in the first period. check out the coach. dan bylsma. he's an athlete. doesn't even keep the souvenir. gives it to a fan. puck trickles in front of the net. gregory campbell there. and sneaks it home. take another look at this one. nice deflection. bs up 1-0. wrister past marc-andre flurry. tyler seguin, the bruins hottest game on ice.

15-win point streak, as they win 3-1. that's your espn news update. i'm steve weissman. for all of your highlights, check out "the highlight express" on espn news. up next, "the pulse." a lingerie company admits the bodies in their ads are fake. >> stunned. get ready for a whole, new version of that holiday classic, "a christmas story."ywhere. the pain was so frustrating. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. 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 provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and less pain means i can feel better and do more of what i love. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica 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 any swelling or affected breathing or skin,

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it's time to check "the pulse," stories you'll be talking about today. there might be some mighty smug santas out there. a new poll finds that one-third of shoppers are already done with their holiday shopping. >> i'm not one of them. >> i am. >> that's a problem for stores. that means retailers will have to offer bigger bargains to move merchandise in the days leading up to christmas. also this morning, h&m is

fending off criticism for showing off its holiday lingerie line with models that are too good to be true. >> check out these two models. their bodies are identical. same clothes. siem proportions. they're not real. the swedish retailer superimposed the heads on the bodies. >> h&m says it's not about ideals, it's about showing off its garments. >> i can accept that. >> interesting here. you would like to think they're real. we can't find women to pose in a magazine? >> that's true. a chris season cult classic is getting a new breath of life on stage. who hasn't seen the 1983 film "a christmas story." and ralphie and his wish for that beebe gun. >> some producers have set the thing to music and are on a

five-stage tour. >> you'll shoot your eye out. we know that one, right? one of the producers is peter billingsley, who played ralphie. there's a possible broadway run being talked about next year. cool to see that hit the stage. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, a fourth grader's message in a bottle is finally found. you won't believe how far that bottle travelled. stay with "america this morning." we'll be right back. ♪ [ male announcer ] these days, even your trash can be a gold mine for identity thieves. ♪ we don't believe your garbage should be used against you. [ alarm blares ] we're lifelock. go to lifelock.com and join the fight against one of the fastest growing crimes in america. lifelock. relentlessly protecting your identity.

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and finally from us this morning, remember that police song "message in a bottle"?

a similar theme played out this week in upstate new york. >> a message sent by a fourth graded wouldn't up in an unlikely place. >> reporter: chris albrecht gets a lot of e-mails. >> hello. good morning. i'm anna. >> reporter: the four sentences of english that arrived in his inbox last week, he is affixed to. >> it's a teacher's dream come true. >> reporter: meet curtis. he doesn't say much. he does write, though. >> i said i like to play football with my dad. and play video games. >> reporter: last year, the instruction of his fourth grade teacher, mr. albrecht, curtis stuffed a letter in a bottle like this one. >> i called her and said, can you find a person that takes bottles out in the gulf stream. >> good job. >> reporter: turns out, finding

fishermen who will throw 40 bottles into the ocean isn't too hard. >> awesome. >> reporter: they will even shoot video of it. a year passed and that was it. or so they thought. whoever found the letter got a nicely written letter. >> and curtis' handwriting is impeccable. >> reporter: last week, the letter written by a fourth grader was reeled in by a fisherman in portugal. >> we asked if possible to inform the curtis that we received the message with the bottle. >> chris albrecht sees another message inside this story. >> it's a dream come true for a teacher. it tells kids you can dream a little bit. and dreams do come true sometimes. >> and how cool is it the guy from portugal wrote him back? >> i know. so many miles away. we're all so connected. >> unbelievable. >> that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay withfo