relationship burns had with those victims. an 86-year-old california woman has died after running the marathon. sunday was joy johnson's 25th time in the new york city race. she stumbled at mile 20 and hit her head. medics wanted to take her to the hospital but she insisted on finishing. monday afternoon she laid down on the bed at her hotel and never woke up. her family says it is the way she would have wanted to do. an 83-year-old jewelry thief plead not guilty to swiping a diamond ring from an upscale shop. diana payne escorted in the courtroom yesterday and the judge set bail at $62,000. payne's history of thefts dates back to 1953. her 60-year crime spree inspired a documentary. former councilman in california pleaded guilty to accepting what is believed to be the biggest bribe ever taken by a public official. marcello cothought he would be

paid $2.3 million for guaranteeing a rezoning vote. turns out the deal was part of a sting operation and he is facing up to 13 years in prison. a frightening end to a long flight for passengers at the montreal airport. the cabin filled with smoke as they waited to get off the plane. the captain ordered an emergency evacuation. the truck carrying baggage burst in to flames. seven people suffered from smoke inhalation. 250 passengers were on the flight from morocco. the order comes five years after this crash outside of buffalo airport which killed 50 people. the victims families had been waging a relentless campaign ever since to upgrade pilot training. here's jason grinour of our buffalo station the dressed in signature red familiesame over in victory over the faa's passage of new training rules. pilots will be required to

complete simulator training in airport stalls an how to recover from them. training the 3407 didn't have. >> the pilots did the opposite. if they would have had the training that is implemented right now they wouldn't -- everybody would be alive today. >> reporter: this is the fird major victory for the families group, including putting a limit on flight time for pilots, mandating pilot qualifications and now specialized training. >> i never could have imagined on day one we could have accomplished what we have. we have had changes in the faa rules that have been in place 25 years and couldn't change them. it is a real sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. >> reporter: this isn't the end of the road. the families group says it will continue to push for a pilots records database and safety management systems for all airlines all in the name of avoiding another tragedy like the one that took the lives of their loved ones. all right. everyone knows tiger woods has a

killer swing. the world's number one golfer took it to a new level. >> woods warmed up for a tournament in turkey by hitting balls from europe all the way in to asia. the bridge links the two continents so the swings weren't at impressive after all. but still impressive. >> still impressive. >> those who had to wait while the bridge was shut down were less impressed. >> isn't he shooting from the middle of the bridge. >> yeah, he has a stronger swing than that. >> i'd like to give it a go. >> yeah, i it this would bounce on the pavement and roll the rest of the way. sometimes you hit the car path and it goes another 50 yards. >> so 3 things that we said, i don't know if i would be a teed off driver i'm watching tiger woods right outside of my window. >> the ones going by in the

other lane. >> why are we stuck on that bridge. >> talk about rubber necking. >> tieg who are has done just about everything said this was a very cool experience. >> no doubt about it. >> it takes a lot for somebody of his caliber to say it is cool. >> because he does so many cool things. >> europe to asia pretty cool. mayor of toronto admits to smoking crack. why his constituents may forgive him. and later on taking a dip with the killers of the sea. a man who is trying to change the image of sharks from predator in to pet. ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by woolite every day. save them.

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♪ cocaine ♪ >> it's no lie. the mayor of toronto admitted he smoked crack cocaine. >> despite the jaw-dropping admission he faced cameras head on yesterday and refused to step douchbl abc's linsey davis has the story. >> reporter: it is the admission heard around the world. >> yes, i have smoked crack cocaine. >> reporter: for months rob

ford, the embattled mayor of toronto has been dogged by allegations that he had been caught on tape smoking crack. the mayor of canada's biggest city came clean. >> am i an addict, no have i tried it? probably in one of my drunken stupors. >> reporter: hours later he fell on the sword again. >> admitting it was the most difficult and embarrassing thing i have ever had to do. >> reporter: other embarrassing moments caught on tape, like this one of what appears to be a tipsy mayor posted on gawker. but despite calls for him to step down, ford says he has no plans to resign. >> i love being your mayor. >> reporter: and many in toronto love him. his is an ordinary guy image, faults and all. the heavy-set mayor slipping off the scale during a public weigh in. amidst the scandal, out trick or treating with his kids. despite the admission,

fun-loving ford just might be able to hang on to his job. linsey davis, abc news, new york. here's what is upsetting about this case. >> everything. >> if you have a problem, you have a problem. you go get help. if his constituents want to forgive him and he wants to keep his job and that's what they are going to allow him to do, that's fine but for months he lied. that's the biggest problem here. >> of course. >> he said that -- it all started with this video that apparently surfaced and there is a video of you smoking crack and what do you have to say, what are you talking about. this is coming back to may. it wasn't until the cops said no, we have a copy of this video that he finally decided to come clean. >> an the sound byte is interesting where he says, no i'm not an addict. it is something i did in one of my drunken stupors. one of your drunken stupors. >> so addicted to something. >> sounds like maybe an alcohol problem. this guy must have some personality for him to weather this and not everybody calling for his head on a plate. he must be something. >> we will see if he is able to

weather this one. that's for sure. coming up, swimming with the sharks. matt gutman giving us up close personal look with someone who is making friends one of the most feared creatures on the earth. we will call him the shark whisperer.

♪

>> i want too draing martini and hear the rest of that song. >> this man may have thought a shark had pretty teeth but he is in good company. >> one man admires the feared creatures and swims with them unprotected. even treating them like pets. we are "up all nightline" with abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: it maybe the sum of all human fears. maybe just mine. >> on your left. on your left. >> reporter: coming face to face with jaws, a 14-foot tiger shark, the size of a car. >> wow. >> you instinctively think jaws, the apec predators that can swallow you whole those great whites gnashing at shark cages. these must be aggressive, blood-thirsty creatures, right? maybe not. we flew out to the shark mecca

of the bahamas to find out for ourselves, motoring out 30 miles on the turquoise atlantic. tell me when you want it, one, two, three. >> all for a rendezvous with a shark conservationist. >> good to see you. >> you too. >> reporter: a man that believes shark can be friends, not foes. minutes later that bait, packed in these crates, is tossed over to entice his friends to circle. about ber na think has been diving with sharks for 30 years one of the first to escape the steel cages and interact with the animals directly. interaction that has turned in to affection. abernathy gained international notoriety and critics with a kiss with a tiger shark. he would develop an unusual theory about sharks. that they are do sill and can even be trained.

about ber that think calls them his pets but there is a 14 foot tiger shark he named emma. we suit up. abernathy an i wearing special dive masks that able us to communicate under water but wearing nothing thicker than a wet suit under protection. 40 feet down it is a whirl wind of sharks. our very own sharknado. >> he swims with me in tow. >> turn around. turn around. >> suddenly we are surrounded by giant tiger sharks. >> wow. >> they see your camera. >> there if on cue, emma the big one there spots an old friend. >> i don't know if you saw that, but she just came right up to my lap, incredible. >> the others are also curious. >> they keep looking at the camera. >> in one case gobbling the camera i'm holding.

the white camera reminds them of fish so they try to taste. >> see how you don't realize there are a bunch of other sharks here now. >> actually i have because they keep trying to eat the camera. now it is my turn to show emma some love, scratch as she slides back to abernathy. >> matt gutman, abc news, bahamas. >> that would have to qualify right there maybe as the coolest stand up close ever matt gutman, abc news. >> nope. >> would you rather bungee jump or swim with the sharks. >> those are my options. >> those are the options. not good. >> i would bungee jump. >> i would go with the sharks. >> would you really? >> yeah. >> here's the thing. bungee jumping if i'm well restrained i know i survived. with sharks there's no way of knowing. >> that's true. >> one little thing.

you get a nick on your finger down on a reef, they smell blood and you are dead. >> worldwide only five fatalities a year. lightning strikes take more people than sharks. tell that to matt gutman. >> still scary. cleaning power than bleach. the secret is the hydrogen peroxide formula. it kills 99.9% of germs. that's healthing . powerful cleaning that's family friendly. lysol. start healthing.

and for where it matters most, save them. woolite detergents clean your jeans and won't torture your tanks. so clothes look like new even after 20 washes. ♪ >> all right "mix" time. talk about wedding night the infamous wedding night when you are supposed to consummate the marriage. the big wedding night. for centuries it's the big deal, right. >> right. >> listen to this, recent polls suggest half, a 0% of couples forgo sex on their wedding night. >> what? >> there's a few reasons for this. apparently half of the couples who don't have sex on the wedding night is because the groom is too drunk. you have to love that one. second biggest problem apparently is the bride being too tired. >> weddings are tiring and stressful. >> so check this out. it says also the idea of couples

living together, presumably having premary thal tall sex which is the modern way, if you will, please don't send me hate mail a lot of it is the modern way for better or worse and it doesn't have all of the things it used to have the importance. >> we did that yesterday and tomorrow. >> what's the point of doing it tonight. let's sleep. >> according to a recent study, 23% their wedding day was the most stressful day of their lives. >> and 16% of women. >> i would think that would be. >> i would think pushing out the baby is more than that. >> i think you are right about that. 29 happens to be the age where women feel most beautiful and i'm not surprised by this at all. this is a survey done by saint ives that found a bunch of things but they said the reason is that at 29 women are most confident, falling in love,

enjoying a stable relationship and women feel the most beautiful at friday 10:00 in the morning. >> because you are wearing your best outfit, you have your mojo going. >> a good night's sleep before. another thing the research found is that women feel their most naturally beautiful on their wedding day when they are on holiday, on vacation or pregnant. and i'm not sure about the last one. >> you are not feeling it. >> i'm not feeling it. >> you are looking it. so how's that. >> maybe that is what it is. we hear it but feeling it, it is cumbersome to walk around like this. >> this is interesting. chant documents unearthed now. you know stonehenge. how did these massive boulders get there from 15th century laborers. there is archives on an ancient document saying these massive boulders, 100-ton rocks were put on wooden sleds an dragged over the yiechls no more speculation.

i don't know what is more impressive they did that or have documents saying that's how they did it. they have been found. it wasn't aliens. >> finally. glad that was put to rest. by a network of good people at local food banks, giving hope to millions of children who struggle with hunger. they've earned their wings. and you can, too. together we can solve child hunger. support feeding america and your local food bank at feedingamerica.org. ♪you may say i'm a dreamer ♪but i'm not the only one ♪i hope someday you'll join us ♪and the world will live as one♪

this morning on "world news now," new and old faces in major races. with election day 2013 in the books, we will show you who's in and who's out. >> her name is sweetie and she singly identified sexual predators around the world. how technology and determination created this new way to get some very dangerous men off line. and exercising while expecting. how much is too much? cross fit might be king in the gym, but some say elite fitness is too much for moms to be. ryan lochte takes one for the team. how a run in with the fan will keep him out of the pool. it is in "the skinny" on this wednesday, november 6th.

>> announcer: from abc news, this is "worjohn muller and dia >> any extreme lifting in the gym with the baby on the way? >> no, i see those people and i want to be one so badly but no way in heck i'm getting out of my bed. >> i'm imagining the baby in there jostled around like on a roller coaster saying take it easy now. >> plus, you lose so much energy. i'm having a hard time going up and down the stairs these days. you lose so much energy when you are creating another human to think you are going to do cross fit on top of that. that's just me though. i'm a different breed of cat. >> i think you are right. let's get it to. we begin with the closely watched elections in virginia and new jersey. >> results are being analyzed with an eye toward the presidential race in 2016. karen travers has been watching the votes and is joining us. >> reporter: two big gubernatorial races yesterday. one in virginia and one in new jersey.

they are very different states with very different electorates but that hasn't stopped us from trying to look for significant meaning especially about 2016. in new jersey, chris christie cruised to re-election. >> how about this, new jersey? >> reporter: last year, president obama won the reliably democratic garden state by 17 points. this year, polls shoed christie cleaned up in key demographics. big leads among women and independents. it sets up christie nicely for a 2016 presidential run but good luck getting him to talk about it. >> whatever the future brings it will bring. first things first. >> what a great night, everybody, huh? >> reporter: in virginia long-time clinton confidant terry mcauliffe won over ken cuccinelli backed by the tea party. >> republican party has two different versions of its future right in front of it.

and toward success or possible failure. >> reporter: hundreds of cities elected mayors, including new york where bill de blasio became the first democrat to lead the city in two decades. turn out in off-year elections is often very low. some areas estimated only 10% of eligible voters would show up at the polls yesterday. john and diana? more on the ballot measures that karen mentioned. colorado voters approved a 25% tax on marijuana. to fund school construction. here in new york, a plan for seven las vegas-style casinos upstate was approved, but in houston an effort to save the famed astro dome has been defeated. those are interesting measures, by the way. safe to say that colorado is here to say. we're not going to give it up. let's talk about gay couples who will soon be able to legally wed in the state of illinois. lawmakers approving a bill that will allow same-sex marriage and they sent it to the governor that promised to sign it. a prominent illinois lawmaker

tweeted the decision. the president tweeted michelle and i are overjoyed for the couples. the first visitors were welcomed by the residents themselves. the president and mrs. obama. the video of the receiving line streamed on the white house website, with dogs bo and sunny mingling with the crowd. tours were cancelled in march when across the boards kicked in. secretary of state john kerry is hoping to give a boost to middle east peace talks today. he arrived today ahead of meetings with the prime minister and palestinian president. but first he visited a memorial to slain peace advocate yitzhak rabin. kerry convinced the two sides to reopen talks in july but so far they have made no progress at all. an under way in canada after a frightening ordeal. passengers from morocco touched down safely but a fire broke out under their plane. more from abc's david kerley. >> an emergency evacuation, slides deploying, passengers leaping to safety.

this was no small fire, a blaze under the 767 that just landed. the rubber conveyer belt on a baggage loader erupting in fire. >> we are talking about fire beside a plane. >> reporter: with most of the 250 passengers still on board, the pilot of the royal air morocco flight from casablanca had to make a decision, his call to order an emergency evacuation. >> people were running everywhere. like we don't know what to do. lost. >> some of the injured were hurt from jumping down the slides but the majority suffered smoke inhalation. five taken to the hospital. as remarkable as the pictures are, the damage to the aircraft is apparently not that significant. still, canadian investigators are being sent to montreal to probe the incident. flight lines are dangerous places. still incidents around parked planes are rather rare. as this one shows, they can become serious quickly. david kerley, abc news,

washington. the new jersey mall that was terrorized by a gunman on monday night reopens to the public this morning. workers at the garden state plaza repaired the damage after a man dressed in black shot off rounds from an assault-type weapon at closing time. the body of 20-year-old richard shoop was later found inside the wall, an apparent suicide. all friends had to say is he had become paranoid as of late. now to an apparent suicide. in dramatic fashion, a man plunging 500 feet to his death in the middle of a helicopter ride. the pilot said he was giving a man a tour over newport beach, california when he opened the chopper door and jumped out. the 60-year-old was pulled from the water but died at the hospital. the last of four inmates who escaped an oklahoma jail by climbing through a trap door above the shower have been captured. the two men who were considered armed and dangerous were taken in to custody not far from the jail. the facility was built just last year, but it took only moments for the four convicts to escape. it happened last month.

>> finally got them. >> finally got them. turning to the weather now, sunny and clear. the western half of the country, mild santa ana winds quieting down. clear and dry in the atlantic coast as well with clouds moving in later on. a big band of rain across ohio valley in to the great lakes is coming. >> 58 boston. atlanta 68. 84 miami. chicago 55. minneapolis 39 degrees. dallas 62. los angeles 76. there was plenty of puckering at an elementary school and for a good cause. students cheered as their teachers lined up for a kiss the pig at a fund-raising effort. >> got to kiss the pig. >> the money will help to cover the expenses of the gym teachers son who is bat alg rare illness. the pig didn't seem to mind the affection. >> it is a girl teacher and the girl teachers are lining up to kiss the girl pig. what's that about? >> she is cute to me. of course in a swine kind of way. >> all pigs are cute. >> except the ones that are

muddy. >> i didn't think of that. coming up an intense workout that gets great results, but is cross fit a good fit for pregnant women? why some experts say it is too much. >> looks intense to me. but first the little girl who's pointing out predators. how this virtual creation is highlighting some very real danger. you are watching "world news now." ♪ she blind me with science ♪ she blind me with science >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by colonial penn life insurance. it's time to change the way we clean.

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she blinded me with science ♪ she blinded me with science ♪ >> she's a young girl who through the help of science has helped to track down more than 200 suspected child predators here in the u.s. alone. >> she did this in a span of just ten weeks. the secret, the little girl doesn't just use science, she is science. cecilia vega explains. >> my name is sweetie. i have been here for -- >> this little girl from the

philippines single handedly helped identify 1,000 predators around the world. >> every day i have to sit in front of the web cam. >> reporter: the predators flocked, sometimes hundreds at a time, but they had no idea what they were seeing was completely fake. >> but what they don't know, i'm not real. i'm a computer model. made piece by piece to track down these men who do this. >> reporter: she's a virtual girl, created by a dutch children's rights group, trying to crack this growing form of child exploitation, where men, mostly from wealthy countries pay to have web cam sex with poor children. this was a high-tech trap as predators gave sweetie their names, investigators tracked down their foe toes and addresses and handle them over to interpol. but interpol says criminal investigations like this should be done by police. in all of the 1,000 alleged pedophiles this group identified it says 245 of them are from the u.s. >> nothing is being done about the source of the problem.

this phenomenon will only increase even further. >> the fbi estimates more than a half million pedophiles are on-line every day. to catch them, federal investigators have set up fake ads on websites. they have even created an app. it is a virtual problem that spans the globe. >> my name is sweetie. >> reporter: now there maybe a real solution. cecilia vega, abc news, los angeles. >> so 200 and change potential sexual predators in the u.s. alone but sweetie has attracted 20,000 sexual predators from 71 countries who have been asked for a sexual performances. >> really disturbing numbers. apparently these chats take place around the clock and cover multiple time zones. researchers are able to identify about a thousand adults in 65 country countries. did it by cross referencing their e-mail and skype addresses with other public information. it is making a dent. >> i'm not saying anything about

our viewers here, but this stuff gets on the news and then her face is out there and then people start to recognize her and then this is less effective. >> they will come up with a new profile. >> they have to come up with new faces. not only that, every police department in the world should be picking up on this. if it is relatively simple and even if it isn't, and we can protect our kids it is the thing to do. >> absolutely, positively. call this a fan fail. an olympic athlete suffers a serious injury at the hands of an eager fan. tom cluz on the defensive about his parenting skills. you are watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now"

skinny so skinny. >> welcome to the ♪ skinny ♪ so skinny >> welcome to the "the skinny," everybody. we start with sad news for ryan lochte. the famed olympic swimmer. he is apparently out of the pool for the foreseeable future because he got in to a freak accident with a fan. apparently he was in florida, where he either lives or has been for a while. and a fan who sees him, a

teenager girl, goes crazy, runs up to him, throws herself on him, he catches her. they both tumble to the ground. he hits his knee on a curb and she is completely unharmed. complete freak accident. now he has a torn mcl and sprained acl. his rep is saying he is taking a break from training and competition but they expect him to make a full, speedy recovery and he is of course thanking everyone for the well wishes. there you have it. >> i hate it when the fans run up to the street and throw themselves in to my arms. i have almost wiped out a bunch of times. it. >> happens to you all the time. you come in with bruises. >> i know. >> take it easy, ladies, come on. >> tom cruise coming out swinging. he's been tight lipped about the divorce and tight lipped about his fathering of suri but he is coming out swinging. tmz reporting he filed documents for a $50 million lawsuit against life and style publisher and in touch magazines for cover

stories claiming he abandoned suri after divorcing katie back in 2012. according to the documents, tmz quotes i have no way cut suri out of my life, physically emotionally or financially. or otherwise, that's a quote. he said he saw his daughter in person and even when i was working overseas i was not able contact and extremely close. the documents are revealing. tom said almost nothing publicly about the divorce from katie and tom cruise is saying i'm a good dad and did not abandon my daughter and wants compensation. >> you have got nothing to print and make something up and throw it against the wall and hope it sticks. but people, like these stars, who fight back is when you have to start thinking maybe i should print stuff that is actually true. >> this is according to tmz. apparently amanda bynes will be home by christmas. you heard it right. tmz is saying her medication and

psychological counseling has sufficiently stabilize her and her doctors are going to allow her to leave the malibu facility where she has been held since september. tmz says her release from the psych ward to this rehab facility happened some time ago because she was, these are tmz's words, was being freaked out by the people at the initial facility, at the psychiatric ward and they were preventing her from improving. now she is at the therapy, the therapy rehab center rather, she's kind of going stir crazy. she can't go outside. can't be seen with other people because there's fear the paparazzi will take pictures of her and everybody else. she is stuck inside and going stir crazy. everything is working out for her and she will be released to her mom and be home for the holidays. that's the update. >> let's hope she's doing better. >> it's about time, right? >> i guess. hope the doctor and families know what they are doing. miley cyrus has pended a letter to liam hemsley saying she is story for her wild ways.

that's them in happier times. since time has gone on and anger subsided, apparently miley has started to feel the pain of the split according to the "sun." she apparently thought about writing songs but she's decided not to right them and write a letter to tell liam how it feels. if i was him i would be grateful she didn't write a song. those songs have to be tough, right? she admitted she pushed him away and said she was sorry for acting so mad and said she loves him deeply and asked him to meet up. could be for closure or to start again but wants to talk things through. this is in the "sun." >> she's been linked to a string of guys. once again, this is all just reports. he is linked to a beautiful actress/model. so it seems like he's moved on. interesting to see what the deal is. or it might be one of those, one of those things where he's feeling a little lonely. who knows. >> must be nice to have that

problem. coming up, a growing controversy among moms to be. is it the obsession to remain fit during pregnancy that has many expectant mothers risking their health? we'll find out. ectant m risking their health? we'll find out. [ dad ] oh boy, fasten your seatbelts everybody. [ mixer whirring ] good thing we've got bounty. bounty select-a-size. it's the smaller powerful sheet, that acts like a big sheet. look! one select-a-size sheet of bounty is 50% more absorbent than a full size sheet of the leading ordinary brand. [ humming ] [ dad ] use less with the small but powerful picker upper. bounty select-a-size. and try bounty napkins.

prove it. enough is enough. d-con baits are specially formulated to kill in one feeding. guaranteed. d-con. get out. more than ever tloohese day, moms are obsessed with keeping in tiptop sheet during pregnancy. >> and it has more of them jumping in to high intensity cross fit workouts. >> it is inspirational or irresponsible? iona carson checks it out. >> two. nice. there you go. >> reporter: jennifer timmins is killing it in cross fit, dead lifts, kettle ball swings and yes, that's a baby bump.

she's due in december. >> absolutely it pushes your body. >> reporter: jennifer has been doing cross fit for 2 1/2 years and can't imagine not doing it during her first pregnancy. she is still lifting up to 65 pounds and makes it look easy. >> this is 45 pounds. >> 45 pounds. >> and you are -- i really can't. >> reporter: the rise in expectant mothers performing these intense workouts has sparked a lot of debate. mom to be lee anne ellison felt a major burn when she posed for these pictures in national magazine doing overhead squats weeks before birth. angry comments and criticism flooded the web. exercise is generally deemed safe and even encouraged during pregnancy but some think that cross fit is over doing it.

jennifer admits cross fit is not for everyone. she has scaled back on her intensity. she's had an east easy pregnancy, thus far and most importantly, she says, she listens to her body. >>'it wasn't good for the baby i wouldn't do it. >> reporter: this houston mom to be is convinced all of these workouts will have an impact on her son. >> i'm breeding an athlete here. >> i don't know. >> what do you think? >> i got nothing. here's the thing. it's not for me. i wouldn't do it. at the same time i'm not going to criticize her for doing it. she looks wonderful. >> in the old days, way back in prehistory you were running from predators, trying to eat and hunt and all of that stuff. >> yeah. the american college of ob-gyn recommends exercise during pregnancy and say moms should start -- should not start with any workouts right away. facebook question of the day, do you think intense workouts are safe for women? wnnfans.com. let us know. ts are safe for women? wnnfans.com. let us know.

making news in america this morning -- a big victory. chris christie wins in new jersey. but delivers a message to the nation. >> the folks in washington, d.c. -- >> where do his national aspirations now stand? and voting across the country, from virginia to maine, colorado and texas. we have all the results from overnight. and the shocking admission from a big-city mayor. saying he did smoke crack-cocaine. why does he still have a job? from tragedy to triumph. families killed in a commuter plane accident. and burger wars, heating up again, thanks to the new addition to the menu at burger

king. it sure looks a lot like its rival. and good morning. we begin this wednesday with election results, pointing the way towards presidential politics in 2016. >> winners in the two biggest races, virginia and new jersey, carry prestige for their parties. >> abc's tahman bradley has been tracking the results this morning. and he joins us now from washington. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, diana and john. we're not at the midterms yet. but it was closely watched for the clues it could provide about the next presidential race. >> how about this, new jersey? >> reporter: new jersey governor, chris christie, won re-election in a landslide, setting the stage for a possible run for president in 2016. christie's victory speech went beyond the garden state and had all the hallmarks of a candidate with national aspirations. he sold his win as a path

forward for the republican party. >> maybe the folks in washington, d.c. should tune in their tvs right now. see how it's done. >> reporter: christie won big. a decisive 20-point victory by a republican in a democratic state. he won a majority of women, latinos, even one-third of all democrats. in virginia, a closer contest. terry mcauliffe, the former democratic fund-raiser, party chair and friend of bill and hillary clinton, was elected governor. >> there are proud democrats here. and aren't we proud today, folks? >> reporter: virginia was something of a testing ground for hillary clinton's machine, which is standing by for a possible white house run. mcauliffe, defeated tim cuccinelli, a tea party-backed conservative. >> the republican party has two different paths towards success or possible failure. >> reporter: hundreds of cities elected mayors. in new york, the end of an era. bill de blasio running on a more

liberal agenda than michael bloomberg, cruised to victory. >> the people of this city have chosen a progressive path. >> reporter: president obama worked the phones, congratulating some of last night's big winners, including de blasio and mcauliffe. one person he did not call, governor christie. john and diana? >> tahman bradley in washington for us. other notable elections. voters in portland, maine's largest city, legalized possession of recreational amounts of marijuana. >> the measure got about 67% of the vote. pot possession remains illegal under state and federal law. >> in colorado, voters agreed to a tax on marijuana sales. the money will go towards building schools and regulating pot shops. >> and the mayor won't have much to say about running detroit.

an emergency manager will maintain control of the city's finances until it emerges from bankruptcy. >>. an effort to save the astrodome has been defeated. the dome became the city's defining landmark. but bigger and better stadiums and arenas took its place. the dome sits empty. it will likely be demolished. and illinois is about to become the 15th state to legalize same-sex marriage. the house of representatives approved the measure yesterday. the senate passed it on valentine's day. governor pat quinn who was in the chamber when the house voted, he is set to sign it into law. the first gay marriages took place in illinois in june. new gallup poll makes for rough reading for president obama. it ties the president's approval rating at 39%, one point above his all-time low. one point under his record. those numbers a reflection of how voters are feeling about the launch of the health care program. proble