matt johnson reports from beebe, arkansas. >> i didn't believe it. but now i do. >> reporter: charles moore never thought he would see the -- [ no audio ] >>> well for the second year una row a small arkansas town has ushered in the new year in eerie fashion before the stroke of midnight. the streets were littered with dead black birds that mysteriously rained down from above. katv's matt johnson reports from beebe, arkansas. >> the bird were brought down, you know, by, by fireworks this year. i didn't believe it. but now i do. >> reporter: charles moore never thought he would see the sequel to what he considered the greatest unsolved mystery of 2011. >> this morning when i came out, i had seven birds. mostly red winged black bird dead in the yard which is quite a surprise. >> instead of near thely 4,000 that plummeted to the ground exactly a year ago, a modest 200 littered the streets of beebe in 2012. >> there were some fireworks that shot off early last night. we did see the bird leaving their roost and falling out of their air. >> reporter: this

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dozens of blackbirds died and fell from the sky on new year's eve in beebe, arkansas. last year thousands of birds were found dead on the streets in the same town. officials suspected that fireworks were to blame last year and could be this time as well. biologists believe birds become disoriented by the loud noise, which sends them crashing into roofs, windows, and streets. >>> today is the deadline for the 9/11 victims who say their health was affected by the collapse of the world trade center towers. more than 1,600 people filed lawsuits saying ground zero made them sick. they must decide today whether to keep fighting in court or apply for benefits from a government compensation fund. applicants have to dismiss any pending lawsuits and give up rights to sue over 9/11 health problems. anyone with a lawsuit still pending tomorrow is banned from the compensation program for life. >>> former congressman ed jenkins has died. the democrat represented georgia in congress for 16 years. he also served as the house budget -- on the house budget and ways and means committees.

>>you have seen drastic changes the beebe course standard is a new rule in student baseball bb core measureshe trampoline effect of the ball coming off the bat and a high school federation has adopted this as of this year >>this is not make it safer for the players? paramus high-school federation adopted the ruling essentially to make these bats perform more like wooden bats they want to create an offensive/defensive balance in the game >>i was doing the college world series and this is a way to make the ball react as with would and it gives players that time to react and the statistics could be affected but the game will play more authentically ... >>it's different you have to alter your swing and the field will be different for the players ... and the timing and the body dynamic will also need to be tweaked ... >>what are some tips that you would give some of these high school ballplayers? >>even for the major-league players working with a wooden bat is different. i use a model like this one it's all about the way you grip the bat and the way it feels in your hand you can really get a feel

. >>> in the town of beebe, arkansas, 2012 got started in the same creepy way 2011 did with blackbirdsling to the ground dead. experts say the reason is the same as last year, fireworks sent flocks of birds into a panic and flying into houses and cars and each other. as many as 5,000 birds died last year, which led local officials to try to impose a ban on fireworks last night. it looks like that was only partly successful. about 100 dead birds have been found today. >>> when we come back, wrapping up the holidays with the true meaning of the season, making a difference for others in difficult times. my name is robin. i'm a wife, i'm a mom... and chantix worked for me. it's a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your d

. >>> history repeating itself today in the town of beebe, arkansas.olks woke up to find hundreds of dead black birds littering their streets. the same thing happened there last year, though the number of birds falling this year a little smaller. animal control experts suspect birds were spooked by the fireworks. that's what they said last year, too. >>> there were plenty of fireworks elsewhere around the world, spectacular displays lighting up the night skies everywhere from sydney, where 1.5 million people turned out, to seattle, where the space needle provided a glorious launching point. 250,000 people filled the streets of london to see their display. and in las vegas, police cleared a four-mile section of the strip for a spectacular display in vegas, too. >>> prince philip made his first official public appearance after spending four days in the hospital for a heart procedure. the 90-year-old walked 400 yards to attend traditional new year's day services with the queen. great to see. >>> when we come back here on world news, we were so impressed b

row hundreds of blackbirds plummeted from the sky and died in a small arkansas town authorities in beebeansas say that the birds were deliberately targeted. last year by 4000 black birds were found dead in the same area on new year's day is believed fireworks caused those birds to become disoriented and fly into stationary objects if an emergency ban on us fireworks was put into place but fish and game officials say there's evidence that fireworks were set off in the middle of a wrist. >>pope benedict the 16th will visit cuba in march and plans to perform to open air masses the pope will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the statue of the virgin of charity found by three fisherman floating in the bay in eastern cuba is not known of the pontiff will meet with fidel castro but the pope will be greeted by castro's brother cuban president role castro the visit is scheduled march 26th-28 the pope will also visit mexico undecided voters before tomorrows iowa caucuses. >>faugh as jim acosta reports the gloves are coming off >>making his way to and i was sports bar newt gingric

the same thing happened, you may remember, in beebe last new year's eve.0 birds dead in a square mile area. in both cases, officials believe fireworks startled the birds. last year's incident was considered an accident. this time around, investigators think someone intentionally went into the bird's roos and set the fireworks off. >>> a north carolina man is in federal custody charged with trying to board a commercial flight with an explosive device. it happened saturday in midland, texas. tsa agents say they spotted a suspicious item in the man's carry-on bag. they arrested trey scott atwater, briefly evacuated the airport, then declared an all clear. it's currently carrying military grade explosives, but he did not have a detonator. that same source tells cnn this incident is, quote, nothing nefarious. >>> and other news, banana sam is back. you may remember the squirrel monkey that was taken friday from the san francisco zoo. our affiliate ktvu reporting a good samaritan spotted the 17-year-old animal in a tree at stern grove park and coaxed it somehow

dozens of blackbirds fell from the sky on new year's eve in beebe, arkansas. last year on new year's eve, dozens of birds were found dead on the same streets in the same town. officials believe fireworks were a factor last year and could be this year as well. biologists believe the birds become disoriented by the loud noise that sends them crashing through roofs, windows, and streets. >>> and three utah children are safe this morning thanks to quick thinking good shaamaritan who braved icy waters to rescue them. the father crashed into the water trying to avoid another crash. the father was able to free himself, but his three kids were trapped in the car. several by standers helped the father free the children. >>> demonstrators from the occupy movement now have their eyes on a new year's tradition to get the message out. protesters say they plan to march in the tournament of roses parade even though they're not officially in the parade. organizers say the movement will have their own floats, banners, and drums in the parade out in pasadena, california. the gr

in a debate with barack obama, it's unlikely we will get sugar beet questions or zom beebe fidel castrouestions. >> thanks to both of you. how much of what they said last night was trooul -- truthful? >> good morning. >> gingrich defended his record as spooe speaker of the house. >> when i was speaker we had four consecutive balanced budgets. most people think that's good. >> four consecutive balanced budgets. sounds good. >> but it didn't happen when he was speaker. so we rated that false on our truth-o-meter. we have heard this many times. he actually made this when he announced he was running for president, but he's referring to two years when he had already resigned, 2000 and 2001, so he gets a false on the truth-o-meter. >> mitt romney criticized president obama's jobs record. let's listen to this. >> this president came into this office saying he would turn this economy around and everything he has done has made it harder for the people of florida. we have 25 million americans out of work. >> 25 million americans out of work. where is that number from? >> well, we gave that a half

matt johnson reports from beebe, arkansas. >> birds were brought down, you know, by fireworks this yearcharles moore never thought he would see the sequel to what he considered the greatest unsolved mystery of 2011. >> this morning when i came out, i had dead birds. mostly red-winged blackbirds. what a surprise. >> reporter: for the birds that plummeted to their deaths a year ago, happening again in 2012. >> we had this thing, the birds leaving their roost and falling out of the air. >> there were some fireworks that shot off early. we did see the birds leaving their roost and falling out of their air. >> reporter: this time they were targeted. arkansas game and fish said fireworks were set off right next to the roost saturday night, even with the fireworks ban in place. soon the bird will be under the city's cross hairs. >> there's construction we hope that is going to take place during the year to eliminate the roosting areas. >> reporter: the small town likely has more bird living there than people. and when they're not falling out of the sky, they're falling out of favor with some o

lee will first attend a memorial service at beebe memorial cathedral on telegraph avenue at 9:45 this morning. then tonight she will attend the tenth annual musical tribute honoring dr. king at paramount theater. that is from 7:00 to 9:00 tonight. we still have more ahead for you on "today in the bay." coming up, searchers on board a half sunken cruise ship in italy find survivors, honeymooners, and the captain of that ship finds himself behind bars. we'll show you why he was arrested. [ female announcer ] back to school means back to busy mornings. that's why i got them pillsbury toaster strudel. warm flaky pastry with delicious sweet filling my kids will love. plus i get two boxtops for their school. toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. and these are the ones you'll love on a school night. pillsbury ham and cheese crescents. with just a few ingredients, you have an easy dinner. pillsbury ham and cheese crescents. school night ideas made easy. >>> as the san francisco 49ers and the fans celebrate that gigantic win last night, that exciting finish, they are probably wondering wh

it seems everyone's talking about what's happened again, more dead black birds in beebe. this neighborhood has seen the most birds fall, although this year it's estimated in the hundreds, not the thousands when it happened at the beginning of last year. robbie lives at the corner of winwood and said they had hazmat crews picking up the birds last year. instead, it's thought the loud noise caused by fireworks caused them from scatter from their roosting area and crash into each other, falling to their deaths. they say this year isn't as bad as last year, which can't easily be forgotten. >> it was pretty wild. we got up and backed out of the driveway, and it was like freaky, man. i mean, there were dead birds laying everywhere. i mean, this year is not near as bad as it was last year. >> that's a shame. those poor birds. 6:41, 35 degrees on tv hill. up next, a look at the stories you need to know about before starting your day. >> if you are traveling this morning, good news is light volume out there once again, so enjoy the morning rush. one problem of note in aberdeen, ot

first lee will attend a service at beebe memorial cathedral at 9:45 this morning and then tonight shesical tribute honoring dr. king at paramount theater. that's from 7:00 to 9:00 tonight. >>> he was nicknamed mr mr. elusive, and now an injured elephant seal is all patched up and back in the pacific ocean. the seal eluded rescue attempts for more than two years, and rescuers from the marine mammal center, with the help of volunteers, were able to remove that strap that was tightly wound around the elephant seal's neck for more than two years. that's cleaned out the wound and then determined that the elephant seal did not have any other medical problems so he was released back into the ocean. coming up at 7:00 on "today in the bay," the real jaws, where this white shark was caught on video, and it's not too far offshore. that story and all the day's news, plus more of the 49ers victory coming up right here at 7:00. the word is swapportunity. can i have the definition? swapportunity: the opportunity to swap a higher calorie snack for a yoplait light. can you use it in a sentence? mmm. s

nearly 4,000 that plummeted to the ground exactly a year ago, a modest 200 littered the streets of beebe early last night. we did see the bird leaving their roost and falling out of their air. >> reporter: this time they were targeted. arkansas game and fish said fireworks were set off right next to the roost saturday night, even with the fireworks ban in place. soon the bird will be under the city's cross hairs. >> there's construction we hope that is going to take place during the year to eliminate the roosting areas. >> reporter: the small town likely has more bird living there than people. and when they're not falling out of the sky, they're falling out of favor with some of the locals. >> many people have not liked them. the mess, and actually the smell. >> reporter: for now he is taking in the spectacle before all the birds are taken away for good. >> the time is growing near that the birds will be leaving. so i am going to be a little sad about that. >> reporter: matt johnson, abc news. >>> a look now at your weather. temperatures plummet from the northern plains to the east coast

an investigation is now underway in beebe, arkansas... dead birds were found scattered across yards. it's happened before... this same time last year. bakari savage has more on what scientists say is likely too blame. 3 it's making headlines again--- from yahoo to the huffington post.it seems everyone is talking about what's happeneddagain... more dead blackbirds in beebe.tte winwood neighborhood has seen the most birds fall although this year it's estimated to be in the huudreds--- not the thousands when it happened at the beginning of last year. robbie stroud lives at the corner of winwood and goff and says they had hazmat crews cleaning up the dead birds last yeaa, which tests did not confirm death by disease. instead it's thought the loud nnise caused by fire works caused them to catter from the roosting area and crash their deaths.ssroud says this year isn't as bad as last year which can't easily be forgotten."it was pretty wild. we got up and backed out of the driveway and it was like freaky man. i mean, there were dead birds lying

a lot of people say they hate justin beeb person they just hate me because they hate the idea of me.y think i just got here because of that. even with millions of fans, over 14 million in album sales and 58 awards, he's taken his share of hits. from a recent good-natured ribbing on saturday night live to a more damaging blow from a woman who says she had his baby. bieber tells the magazine, new that i'm on top, everyone wants to bring me down. >> the clean-cut image gives people a vast opportunity to make fun of what would appear to be a goody-goody type persona. >> reporter: when it comes to love, he says, i'm into love. maybe i'll get more into making love when i'm older. but i want to be someone who is respected by everybody. still, beesh says he's not changing who he is for anyone. i'm not going to try to conform to what people want me to be. have people see me with alcohol. he wants people to see him as a performer with a career ahead that will one day match michael jackson. i want people to know this is not a fluke. i'm here for a life time. no one is going to get rid of me. on

this is happening in the small town of beebe.iving calls about 7:00 that night that dozens of blackbirds were landing in yards and on roads. the same thing happened last year when thousands of birds fell to their deaths on new year's. experts say fireworks, fireworks are likely to blame for both incidents. >>> president obama is under fire from some of his strongest supporters after he signed the defense authorization act into law over the weekend. that is because it allows the government to lock up terror suspects indefinitely without a trial. and it also puts the brakes on plans to goes down guantanamo bay which is one of the president's biggest campaign promises. chief intelligence correspondent catherine herridge live in washington. >> reporter: thank you, megyn, good afternoon. in a scathing statement the head of aclu said mr. obama decision he is could tarn third quarter his presidency. because he will forever be known as the president who signed indefinite detention without charge or trial into law. from a national muslim