making news in america this morning, making his case. >> mitt romney accepts the republican presidential nomination, saying it is time for the nation to lift its eyes to a better future. moving on, nation's midsection. the storm leaving behind widespread flooding and thousands of people displaced. sharks force a change of plans for some holidaymakers alonthe east coast, as we enter the unofficial last weekend of summer. and at long last, the new york jets finally get where they wanted to go all preseason long. now, it's time for some real football.

good friday morning, everyone. the last day of august. >> here we go. >> mitt romney and paul ryan, headed into the holiday weekend, with joint appearances today in florida and virginia. >> two key states. the republican convention, of course, came to a close last night, with romney's acceptance speech. and also his endorsement by a legendary hollywood tough guy. abc's t.j. winick is standing by in tampa with a full wrap-up. good morning, t.j. >> good morning, rob and paula. some of the thunder may have been stolen by a hollywood legend. mitt romney appeared emotional speaking to the crowd in tampa last night. and he sounded some of the campaign themes he will look to hammer home over the next two months. >> mr. chairman and delegates, i accept your nomination for president of the united states. >> reporter: the nation's eyes were on mitt romney. the businessman and former governor, who made his case for leading america.

>> what america needs is jobs. lots of jobs. >> reporter: the republican nominee promised, if elected, 12 million jobs over the next four years. he expressed disappointment with the current chief executive. >> you know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president, when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him. >> reporter: romney also opened up about his mormon faith. he spoke emotionally about his parents and his mother's run for the u.s. senate. >> i can still see her saying in her beautiful voice, why should women have any less say than men about the great decisions facing our nation? >> reporter: but it's finale was combative, climbing president obama has thrown u.s. ally israel under the bus. and hasn't been tough enough with russia. >> now is the moment when we can stand up and say, i'm an american. i make my destiny. we deserve better. my children deserve better. my family deserves better. my country deserves better.

>> reporter: the gop mystery speaker turned out to be clint eastwood. the legendary actor and director might have had more awkward moments, like pretending this empty chair was president obama. >> i can't tell them that. can't do that to himself. >> reporter: than he did effective attacks on the white house. >> when somebody does not do the job, we've got to let him go. >> reporter: now, romney and running mate, paul ryan, will get new campaign planes later this morning here in florida, before taking off to the critical swing state of virginia, where they will hold a joint rally this afternoon, in richmond. rob and paula? >> abc's t.j. winick reporting from tampa, in the early morning hours on this friday. thanks, t.j., for that report. of course, this was clearly the biggest speech of romney's political life. and also, the chance to sell the personal side of himself. >> but abc's senior washington editor, rick klein, did it wasn't a brand-new romney. >> people talked about his failure to connect. failure to get a softer side.

we didn't get any of that. we may never get that. i can guarantee we're not going to see a mitt romney that the nation will fall in love with. laying it out there, doing it in an interesting way. this country is angry. and it's also disappointed. he played up the disappointment. he knows that the voters are disappointed with president obama. as t.j. said, clint eastwood ad-libbed a long conversation with an empty chair on stage, meant to be president obama. the criticism has been pretty harsh, especially from roger ebert, who called it sad and pathetic. people in the arena loved it. mr. obama did shoot back with a tweet saying, this seat's taken. that's a picture of the president in the presidential chair. >> touche. there's been a major ruling in a hot-button political issue this campaign season. those state laws forcing voters

to show a photo i.d. a federal court has just struck down the tough voter identification law in the state of texas, ruling the law puts strict burdens on the poor or more likely to be minorities, as well. >> this issue which has played out in several other states could end up before the supreme court, which has ruled such laws unconstitutional. supporters of the i.d. laws say they prevent voter fraud. now, to our other big story on this friday morning, the heavy rain and the heavy damage in the path of isaac. >> the huge storm just downgraded again, from a tropical depression. it's slowly moving north this morning, after delivering a deluge to parts of louisiana and mississippi. abc's brandi hitt is in new orleans this morning. good morning, brandi? >> reporter: good morning, rob and paula. isaac dumped ten inches of rain on new orleans alone. that's more than this city saw during hurricane katrina.

with that kind of rain, it's easy to understand why some of these outlying areas are flooding. from the air, you can see communities swallowed whole by isaac's floodwaters. and down below -- >> hello? >> reporter: families who lost everything in louisiana are still being rescued by national guardsmen in boats. local levees have failed in many areas. >> nobody expected this. we knew it was a worst-case scenario. but people didn't expect it. >> reporter: people are also being rescued from lake pontchartrain by coast guard helicopters. >> it's more surge than anybody expected. and it just so happened, it came right on us. >> reporter: and emergency crews are keeping a close eye on a mississippi dam, damaged by isaac. >> the front of the dam's earthen structure has sloughed off and fallen down. >> reporter: low-lying areas have been told to evacuate. >> i didn't want to be in it. i'll tell you that. i didn't want to be caught. >> reporter: so far, the dam hasn't failed. and crews are working on a

controlled release. isaac has now weakened. and is moving through arkansas and then missouri. over the past week, thousands have fled to shelters in several states. >> we're waiting to get back home to assess the damages. >> reporter: and they still don't mow when they can go home. now, oil and gas companies are also assessing the damages at refineries and oil platforms. gas prices have been going up ever since isaac's arrival. and they're slowly, now, starting to restart those operations there. rob and paula, back to you. >> abc's brandi hitt in new orleans. great work all week, brandi. thank you. the pentagon is threatening to take any legal action it can against the former navy s.e.a.l. who has written a book revealing details in the raid that killed osama bin laden. the pentagon's top lawyer says the s.e.a.l.'s firsthand account violates an agreement not to divulge military secrets. the book "no easy day" contradicts some of what the government has said about the mission. >> and the guy giving an

interview this weekend. it will be interesting to see what he has to say. here's something to say about swimming. >> yes. >> it is off-limits this holiday weekend along some cape cod beaches because of sharks, in the water. an infestation. >> here we go again. shark sightings, including great whites have increased off cape cod in recent years, in the increase of the population of seals, which the sharks feed on. >> no thank you. time, now, for the weather from across the nation. stay on the beach, just out of the water, right? the remnants of isaac, move inland, drenching shreveport, jackson, and memphis. monsoon storms into the colorado rockies. scattered showers around detroit, moving later on through cleveland and buffalo. >> much of the east coast hovers around 90. 103 in phoenix. and just 69 in seattle. coming up this friday morning, ford motor company with some impressive sales numbers. and speaking of impressive, wait until you hear how the new

madden video game is selling. business news is up next. and it's one of those events where you always remember exactly where you were. diana's death, 15 years later.

welcome back this morning. well, ford is focused on a title. the automaker says its focus model is on-track to become the best-selling car in the world this year. it's ahead of the perennial

champ, the toyota carolla. the federal reserve's conference today in jackson hole, wyoming. ben bernanke is not expected to announce any moves to shore up the economy. but that the central bank is actively considering another round of buying bonds. new jobs, they are being created. but they're not necessarily good jobs. a study finds that most of the new jobs pay poorly. while the majority of the jobs lost during the recession were mid-level. and jobs traditionally taken by young people are being filled by older workers who lost more lucrative jobs. the madden nfl 13 video game scored a touchdown for the series this week. it sold 900,000 copies on its first day on sale. that's a record for the franchise. >> that's a 7% increase over last year. it also set a record for online usage. the reviews have been generally good. and this edition has several new features. >> everyone loves that game. as we head into what's usually a slow weekend at the

movies for the holiday, disney is increasing the number of theaters showing two of its films. "the avengers" and "brave," have been in theaters all summer. >> here's the pitch. a last chance to see the films on the big screen before they go to video in a few months. abc news is also part of disney. you have to see a movie over the holiday, right? >> indeed. part of the tradition. >> of course. when we come back this morning, one of the nation's most prestigious universities embroiled in a cheating scandal this morning. and we remember the mother of our friend and colleague, robin roberts. we're right back.

we're going to take another look, now, at isaac's watery path. the remnants of the much-raining storm, is moving into memphis after leaving homes under water.

three people were found dead in louisiana floodwaters. and hundreds of others had to be rescued by boat and helicopter. the storm floods rose from the gulf coast, tennessee and arkansas. it's going to be a slick commute into vegas and salt lake city. wet highways around the great lakes. >> if you're flying today, airport delays are expected in memphis, kansas city and in new orleans, where the airport has reopened after isaac. harvard has a cheating scandal on its hands. university officials say they're investigating dozens of students after administrators found they might have shared answers or plagiarized a final exam. it's affecting 250 students. and harvard officials say the cheating involves over half of the take-home examines. we're learning about the moments before the colorado shooting. james holmes tried to call his university psychiatrist nine

minutes before he opened fire. they're trying to show that holmes and dr. lynne fenton had an ongoing doctor/patient relationship. and that would make the conversations confidential. a former lacrosse player has been sentenced to jail for killing his ex-girlfriend in a rage. he said he hoped they could find peace. princess diana is being remembered in the u.k. and across the world today, on the 15th anniversary of her death. >> can't believe it's been that long. diana was just 36 years old when she was killed in a car crash in paris, along with her boyfriend and driver. no official memorial is planned. but devoted fans are expected to gather outside kensington palace, her former home, to lay some flowers in her memory. >> you always remember where you were the moment you heard that news. moving on to some football. it finally happened for the new york jets last night. their first touchdown of a winless preseason. >> the short t.d. pass against

the eagles was the only visit to the end zone so far. they were the first team in 35 years to go 3 preseason games without a t.d. and for some college football and some touchdowns that matter, highlights from espn. >> welcome to your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. let's play some football. ninth-ranked south carolina, taking on vanderbilt in their season opener. pick it up second quarter. vandy down ten. jordan rodgers, baby brother of the packer aaron rodgers. showing the genes off there. connecting for 78 yards with jordan matthews. rodgers, 13 for 23. vandy down three now. let's go fourth quarter. thomas shah finds some running room. getting down to the 1 yard line. he had 14 carries for 92 yards. it's first and goal, gamecocks. two plays later, marcus venable,

coming off a knee injury. one of two touchdowns on the night. he is one touchdown shy of a school record. as south carolina goes on to win, 17-13. ucla, starting the jim mora jr. era. taking on rice in houston. brett hunley, taking the handoff and turning on the jets. 17-yard touchdown run. he's also 21 of 28, 202 yards and 2 passing touchdowns. the bruins are up 7-0. later in the first quarter, jonathan franklin. he would have a game. first, this 74-yard touchdown run. and the bruins are up 19-0 after the extra point. this would be the highlight of the second quarter. again, 78 yards for the score. 214 yards and 3 touchdowns, as ucla goes on to win 49-24.

that was your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. have a great day. moving on, this is a very sad morning for our friend and colleague, robin roberts. yesterday, she started her medical leave early to go see her ailing mother in mississippi. >> and just a few hours ago, we got word that robin's mother has passed away. robin did travel home to mississippi across flooded roads, even. and was there in time to see her mother. >> lucie marion tolliver roberts, she was the first african-american to lead mississippi's board of education. she was passionate about music and wrote a sorry, "my story, my song." we'll be right back. wider awake. only the beautyrest recharge sleep system combines the comfort of aircool memory foam layered on top of beautyrest pocketed coils to promote proper sleeping posture all night long. the revolutionary recharge sleep system from beautyrest...

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it is time to check "the pulse," and some of you like rob may need a tissue to wipe your tears when you hear this. the upcoming season of "jersey shore" will be its last. are you okay? >> i think the kids are fun. love it or hate it, the >> i think the kids are fun. love it or hate it, the fight-filled boozefest is a and has its own language. but ratings have fell after cast members have busy with their spin-offs. the sixth season begins on october 4th. here's some guys who just keep coming back.

>> reports say the rolling stones really are going to get together for a handful of gigs later this year, to celebrate their 50th anniversary. two shows are planned for a new arena in brooklyn and two others in london. it's not just nostalgia bringing mick, keith and the band together. sources say they will get 25 million bucks for those shows. >> $25 million? really? i'm sure they're going it for nostalgic reasons. you won't see a play like this. it happened last night. >> the return man bobbles the ball. and kent state's andre parker scoops up the ball and starts running towards his own end zone. he made it 58 yards before being forced out of bounds. despite the mistake, kent state held on to win 41-21. back to the practice field, fellas. oh. a little confused, huh? a little turned around there. >> like shooting the basketball in the wrong bucket. >> that one will haunt him forever. you know that?

for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with the guy behind all those convention balloons. [ male announcer ] fight pepperoni heartburn and pepperoni breath fast with tums freshers! concentrated relief that goes to work in seconds and freshens breath. ♪ tum...tum...tum...tum... tums! ♪ [ male announcer ] tums freshers. fast relief, fresh breath,

starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news.

updating the top stories on this friday. one day after his acceptance speech, mitt romney joining running mate, paul ryan, on the campaign trail today. the pair makes appearances in florida and virginia. president obama travels to ft. bliss, texas, today, where he will speak to the troops on the second anniversary of the end of the u.s. military mission in iraq. and a rainy weekend to the midwest and mississippi valley. the storm killed at least three people in louisiana and mississippi. looking at the rest of the weather today. thunderstorms in florida. scattered showers from buffalo to detroit. monsoon storms in the colorado rockies, salt lake city, and in las vegas, as well. and finally this friday morning, a great scene to close the republican convention last

night. sheer joy from the candidates' children and grandchildren, with those balloons and popping them. >> the low-tech balloon drop is a mainstay at these political conventions. david wright met the master behind this tradition. >> reporter: it's a crowning moment for every person running for office. pulling it off is this man's responsibility, brett heining is uniquely qualified. >> my first job in life was a balloon seller in disneyland. and i learned how to tie balloons very fast. >> reporter: a skill he has honed in 40-plus years as a balloon man. >> i can do 40 balloons an hour myself. i can tie very quickly. >> reporter: must be great at birthday parties. birthday parties and grand old parties. he's done every gop convention since '88. do you only do the republican conventions? >> i worked on the democratic

convention in 2000. >> reporter: in 1980, for jimmy carter, they seemed to come down one by one. >> this is the great hoorah. and so, we all said it's an omen. and it turned out to be an omen for jimmy carter. >> reporter: in 2004, cnn happened to be listening to the audio from the control room during john kerry's balloon drop. another failure. bursting his bubble on what was supposed to be his big night. the republicans, by contrast, are good at this stuff. in 2004, for george w. bush, he dropped 1,000 balloons. four years later, for john mccain, double that number. so many balloons, nbc's andrea mitchell seemed to be drowning. they were hoping to avoid the avalanche. so, they s