this morning, your voice, your joke? >> i had a lot more energy in our second debate, after the nice, long nap i had in the first debate. >> usually when i get invited to gatherings like this, it's to be the designated driver. >> candidates together again, with a different tone. jokes instead of jabs. with three days to go until they faceoff again. storm shutdown. near blackout conditions closing a major interstate. dozens of cars caught in this massive pileup. developing right now. a new probe into the murderous manson family. were they behind even more killings? and motown mania. the tigers punch their ticket to the world series.

good morning, everybody. i'm john muller, in for rob nelson. >> i'm paula faris. it is back to work today for the presidential candidates. for the second time this week, they were back together. first was tuesday's hard-hitting debate. and as tahman bradley reports, last night was all about the laughs. >> reporter: the presidential contenders took a break from campaigning, for a night of comedy. appearing together at the al smith dinner in new york, president obama and mitt romney competed for laughs. >> the employment rate is the lowest since i took office. i don't have a joke here. >> it's nice to relax and wear what ann enand i wear around the house. >> reporter: the there's no partisan rhetoric allowed. just self-deprecating standup and light jabs. >> has some of you noticed, i had a lot more energy in our

second debate. i felt well-rested after the nice, long nap i had in the first debate. >> president obama and i are each very lucky to have someone in our corner. someone we can lean on. i have my beautiful wife, ann. he has bill clinton. >> reporter: also while in new york, president obama stopped by "the daily show with jon stewart," and things took a serious turn discussing the consulate in benghazi, libya. >> we had to ramp up security around the world. >> reporter: president obama heads to virginia. while mitt romney campaigns in florida. the latest gallup poll shows mitt romney leading by seven points, 52% to 45%. but polls of the battleground states that will decide the election show a much tighter race. paula and john? >> tahman bradley, in washington.

thank you for that much-needed humor from that dinner, tahman. >> indeed. as for the candidates' wives, ann romney presented her husband's shift on abortion on "the view." he was opposing abortion when it came to creating embryos for stem cell research. and first lady michelle obama appears on "live with kelly and michael." in response to rapid-fire questions she says her guilty questions are french fries and the real housewives. the candidates will showdown monday night at 9:00 eastern. we'll have live coverage here on abc. now, to the shocking child sex abuse scandal plaguing the boy scouts. decades of allegations released to the public. named more than 1,200 men that allegedly molested young boys and were not punished. >> there's no question that there are times in the past, these go back for 40, 50 years

old, where we did not do the job we should have. and for that and for people were hurt. and for that, we're profoundly sorry. >> it's not too late to prosecute the accused scout leaders because the statute of limitations have run out. and two weeks after receiving what amounts to a life sentence, jerry sandusky has asked the judge to overturn his child sex abuse conviction and grant him a new trial. the filing comes as the accuser at the heart of his case stepped out of the shadows. aaron fisher who is known as victim one, spoke exclusively to abc's chris cuomo, who said police and other officials did not take his allegations seriously. sandusky singled him out when he was just 11 years old, molested him, stalked him, pulled him out of class and chased him down in his car. we'll have a preview coming up on "good morning america," before tonight's full story, an exclusive on "20/20." a victory for gay rights

activists. a federal appeals court in new york has struck down the law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. the court is the first to declare that gays and lesbians are entitled to be free from discrimination. a widow had to pay taxes after the death of her same-sex spouse. and makes it more likely the supreme court will hear the issue. the student visa system after a bangladeshi man used one of the visas to enter the u.s. quasi nafis transferred to school in new york. charles schumer says that should have raised red flags. >> we do know that the student visa program, in the hands of a few wrong doers, sham universities around the country, are serving as a back door for foreign nationals to enter our country improperly.

>> schumer says there's no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of missouri university. but he is calling on congress to tighten up oversight on all student visas. engineers at the gulf of mexico are trying to determine the source of a new sheen on the water surface. the oil is leaking from the so-called containment dome which was unsuccessfully used in the crisis and is sitting on the gulf floor. and a stretch of interstate 35 near the oklahoma/kansas border, shut down during a massive dust storm has reopened. the swirling dust created near-blackout seasconditions al the four-lane highway. the worst was a pileup involving more than 30 vehicles. amazingly, there were a couple of injuries but no one was killed. >> thank goodness for that. it is time, now, for the weather from across the nation on this friday. a stormy day on the east coast, with the heaviest rain from

maryland to maine. scattered thunderstorms from the carolinas to northern florida. cool with showers but not as windy for minnesota down into illinois. >> 60s and 70s in the rockies. mostly 50s in the central plains and midwest. 80s from new orleans to miami. coming up on this friday morning, a new recall of food. and a new warning about what should be one of the healthiest things in your fridge. and this time it's google searching for answers. why the company had a very bad thursday. and later, do you hate robocalls? well, do something about it. and maybe win $50,000.

welcome back, everyone. google and its investors have to be hoping that today is a whole lot better than yesterday. disappointing earnings numbers were released ahead of schedule, sending google shares plummeting almost $80. that's more than 10%. trading was halted for 2 1/2 hours. the news rattled other tech stocks, sending the nasdaq down 1% for the day. google blames a printing company that filed the company's quarterly statement hours before it was supposed to. drivers are getting a break at the pump. a seasonal slide in gas prices. the average price has fallen for ten-straight days. it's down to $3.74 a gallon. more relief is on the way. some predict gas could drop 5 to 15 cents. that could bring prices down to last year's levels or lower. and the jump of people applying for unemployment benefits. the weekly number was up 46,000, to 388,000, the highest in 4

months. turns out california processed a lot of delayed applications, skewing the figures higher. prewashed bagged lettuce is being recalled. it's produce giant dole foods recalling its american blend 12-ounce bag salad, sold in ten states in the northeast. listeria has been found in one sample. and no illnesses have been reported. stop the presses. after 80 years, "newsweek" is going out of print and going all-digital. the magazine's last print issue will be december 31st. its circulation is down about 1.5 million, less than half it was five years ago. "newsweek" says with the growth in tablets, it's reached the tipping point. and remember 25 years ago today, by chance, wall street had a day that has never been seen and never been seen since. black monday, october 19th, 1987, the market crashed. the dow plunged 508 points, 22%.

it was the biggest one-day percentage decline ever. the dow managed to close up that year. >> 25 years. >> i was in college. i remember that day. didn't really affect me. but i remember it. when we come back, could there be a new manson family murder mystery? and then, they are breaking out the brooms in detroit. the tigers sweeping the yankees. next stop, the world series. i've worked hard to build my family.

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we serve more than starters. we serve igniters. and now, so can you. introducing succulent dumplings and crispy spring rolls. ignite the night with p.f. chang's home menu appetizers. find them near our frozen meals. uh-oh. someone may be a few ja jack-o'-lanterns short this halloween. an 18-wheeler with pumpkins crashed into a guardrail. the truck broke into flames. some pumpkins were roasted while others were burnt to a crisp. and wonder about the pumpkin seeds. roasted pumpkin seeds.

i made some myself last week. now, let's look at road conditions for this morning. heavy rain soaking highways from boston and d.c. also, a slick commute in the southeast. wet roads in the midwest, from detroit to the twin cities. and much of the same in the pacific northwest. >> if you are flying, airport delays possible from boston to d.c., detroit, chicago, minneapolis, seattle and portland. did we miss any cities there? >> i don't think so. more news, now, from the centers of disease control. they've issued a new warning about the laundry detergent pods. >> the shiny, colorful packets of concentrated soap are becoming a public health hazard. children are mistaking them for candy, eating them and getting sick. nearly 500 children ingested detergent pods. most of them under 5 years old. >> they do look like candy. a body found in san diego trash bin may be linked to a murder mystery in newport beach.

the body may be that of quee chadwick. they are charging the husband, saying he killed his wife over money. and l.a. police investigators say the 40-year-old taped conversation between charles tex watson and his attorney could clear up more than a dozen unsolved homicides. a federal judge in texas has blocked an attempt by l.a. police to use a search warrant to get their hands on the tapes. and the government is seeking your help to stop those annoying prerecorded phone calls or robocalls. you heard that the federal trade commission is offering a $50,000 prize for the person who comes up with the best way to block robocalls, which are illegal. the agency says the winner gets the money and will likely become, quote, a national hero. you can find more at ftc.gov. will they get taxed on it? high drama on the african savanna after a baby elephant

fell into a muddy pit. conservationists first had to drive off the frantic mother, to rescue the calf. they managed to pull the baby girl to safety. as you could imagine, mother and child couldn't wait to reunite. a big sigh of relief for all involved. that's awesome. and now, for some sports. plenty of action to show you from the road to the world series. jade mccarthy at espn. >> i'm jade mccarthy with your "sportscenter" update. let's pick things up with the nlcs. tim lincecum getting the ball for the giants. trying to even it at 2-2 games against the cards. cardinals up 2-1. matt holliday lines that into center. angel pagan can't make the catch. the throw is beat matt carpenter home. the cards up 3-1. bottom six. two runners on. jon jay, adding to the lead for the cards. that one's hammered to the wall

in right. cardinals win 8-3. a 3-1 series lead. it comes down to barry zito friday night. a-rod, a spectator with the season on the line. miguel cabrera, off of c.c. sabathia. the two-run shot puts the tigers up 2-0, in the fourth. jhonny peralta looking to add to it. he will. that one is gone. two homers in the game. tigers up 6-0. they had 16 hits. top of the ninth. yanks trailing 8-1. and jayson nix to prince fielder. tigers sweep the yanks in the first time in the postseason since 1980. alex smith and the niners looking for the best in the nfc west. niners down three. smith, to walker. the first touchdown. and just about a tiptoe there.

under a minute to play. niners up 13-6. russell wilson, finding ben. short of the first down. but a penalty on the play. 49ers decline it. they win 13-6. that is a look at your sports this morning. i'm jade mccarthy. hope you have a great day. >> thanks, jade. you wouldn't think this is possible unless you see it. it took place in a high school football game in spokane, washington. >> central valley high, austin rico steps up and nails a 67-yard field goal, sending the game to overtime. 67 yards. four yards longer than the longest field goal ever in nfl history. central valley went on to win the game, as well. >> he had plenty of length on that one. went way past. >> that was a bang. >> that could have gone at least 72. >> we're going to have to remember that name. that's going to be a pro someday. a lot of big marathons going on these days. this guy caught our eye. check out keith who finished

last saturday's baltimore marathon. look at his feet. wearing flip flops. >> really moving. finishing in just under 2:47. a phenomenal time. he kept his fast pace by maintaining an even stride. >> i love flip-flops. >> i would run bear feet. i can't run in those things. >> i can run in anything, except heels. up next, "the pulse." and america's tallest man gets custom kicks for his size 24 feet. those are big flip-flops. she's too young to drive. but this kid can pay for a car by selling one of her paintings. we'll explain.nk you need to go to a department store counter to treat your toughest skin concerns? join the counter revolution and switch to olay pro-x to see results in 28 days. anti-aging results so you look up to 12 years younger. reduce the look of pores and fight red acne for clearer skin get cleansing results as effective as a $200 system no matter what your skincare issues you'll see results in 28 days guaranteed

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[ humming ] [ male announcer ] kraft macaroni & cheese. you know you love it. it is time to check "the pulse," stories you're going to

be talking about today, beginning with an extremely talented artist whose works are collected around the world. >> an extraordinary feat when you consider that autumn deflorence is only 5 years old. >> you with hear the babbling brook. you can smell the desert flowers. this painting is an adventure in itself. and the mountains represent man versus nature. and the river, the brook, represents man versus self. >> autumn's work has been featured in exhibitions around the u.s. some of her paintings have gone for 25,000 bucks. >> i'm going to tell my 5-year-old to get on it now. they say money can't buy you love. but it doesn't hurt when it comes to healing a broken heart. >> a man got dumped by his girlfriend a few weeks back. but her crystal ball must have

broken. sunny just won $30 million. >> he plans to help his mom and family pay bills. as for his ex-girlfriend, sunny is getting over the heartbreak. the girl is saying she wouldn't have gone back to him anyways. >> how do you like me now? the nation's tallest man knows how it feels walking on pillows or mattresses. after trying out his new custom-made shoes. >> he is 7'8". and now, he's got three pairs of size 24 tennis shoes to get around in. >> he looks like a happy guy. it took reebok five months to make the shoes. but obviously, well worth it. >> 7'8", size 24. >> large feet. those are boats. >> you could ski on those easily. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with the candidates poking

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updating the top stories. president obama and mitt romney head to different battleground states today, with 18 days to go until the election. the president will be in virginia, while romney heads to florida. the boy scouts are under fire as newly-released files reveal decades of child sex abuse. many scout leaders accused of molesting young boys were shrouded in secrecy and not reported to the police. an oklahoma highway shut down during a dust storm has reopened. near-blockout conditions caused dozens of car wrecks. >> no one was injured there. looking at today's weather. a windy, rainy day from maine to maryland. showers around detroit, chicago and minneapolis. rain in the pacific northwest. and finally this half hour, they were just too good not to hear more of talking about the presidential candidates. >> after tuesday night's brutal debate, it was really nice to

see them offering up the punch lines last night in new york. we heard some earlier. and here's a few more. >> people seem to be very curious as to how we prepare for the debates. let me tell you what i do. first, refrain from alcohol for 65 years before the debate. second, find the biggest available strawman and mercilessly attack him. big bird didn't even see it coming. and by the way, in the spirit of "sesame street," the president's remarks are brought by the letter "o," and the number 16 trillion. let's just say that some in the media have a certain way of looking at things. when suddenly, i pulled ahead in the major polls. what was the headline? polls show obama leading from behind. i have already seen early

reports from tonight's dinner. headline, obama embraced by catholics. romney dines with rich people. >> this is the third time that governor romney and i have met recently. as some of you may have noticed, i had a lot more energy in our second debate. i felt really well-rested after the nice, long nap i had in the first debate. now, win or lose, this is my last political campaign. so, i'm trying to drink it all in. unfortunately, mayor bloomberg will only let me have 16 ounces of it. that's okay. i'm still making the most of my time in the city. earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> good stuff, right? >> i love self-dca