in new york city, this is "nightline," september 28th, 2012. >> good evening, i'm bill weir. well, by now, you might have heard about the pararells that come from the synthetic street drug known as bath salts. but now there is another designer high causing concern. it is known by the street name smiles. ah ha lose jen with a high that can last for hours or days. and, it has become part of the national vocabulary thanks to the ghastliest of crimes. abc's david wright has details. >> reporter: up until now, johnny lewis was just another aspiring actor. familiar mostly to fans of "sons of anarchy." >> i had to leave. >> reporter: now, johnny lewis is a household name. >> a new hollywood murder mystery. >> her ex-boyfriend, just found dead. >> reporter: star of a tabloid tragedy. a hollywood murder-suicide. >> one of those stories that almost seems too crazy to be true. >> tragic. >> reporter: lewis beat his 81-year-old landlady to death. he tore her cat to pieces. eye witnesses who tried to stop him say he showed super human strength. there are reports that some sort of drugs we

september 20th, 2012. >> good evening, i'm bill weir. well, tonight, across this country, some 80,000 prisoners are locked in solitary confinement. prison reformers pushed it as a humane alternative to hanging, almost 200 years ago. but some modern reformers think it is pure torture. practice has led to congressional hearings, u.n. reports, inmate hunger strikes. to better understand the toll of forced solitude, abc's dan harris volunteered to spend 48 hours in the hole. >> reporter: i'm cuffed and stuffed in the back of a sheriff's vehicle. >> right in front of you. turn around, put your hands -- >> reporter: this is everybody's worst nightmare. >> come on this way, please. >> reporter: the fther we get into this, the more real it feels. >> look up at the camera, please. >> everything you need for your spell upstairs. shoes, a blanket. >> reporter: i am about to enter what some have called a monster factory. we arrive at what will be my new home. it's 7 by 12 feet, all concrete and metal. i am in solitary confinement. everybody agrees c

in new york city, this is "nightline," september 14th, 2012. >> good evening, i'm bill weir. well, the fires of anti-americanism are burning around the world tonight. all sparked by a film called "the innocence of muslims," which may not even be a real film. only a laughably amateurish trailer exists online, created by a convicted fraudster in hiding and described by one man who worked on it as something like a "saturday night live" sketch directed by the three stooges. but even the lamest portrayal of the prophet muhammad as a thug and child rapist was enough to enrage crowds on a deadly scale today. the u.s. state department is deeming with a full-blown crisis. tonight, even as they mourn four of their own. some were small pockets of chanting and flag burning. others, exploded into deadly riots. but if we put all the demonstrations on a map, you can see how the anger has spread like a global plague. over 30 countries saw protests today, and now a total of six american posts have come under attack. in tunisia, two were killed by local police as an embassy building burned. tl

. >>> good evening, i'm bill weir. hope you had a great holiday. religious refugees help found this country. spiritual pioneers helped settle it. nowadays, no need to hitch a wagon. tonight we'll meet a very young man, a rapping preacher with an exploding internet audience. here again, neal karlinsky, for our series, faith matters. >> what if i told you geus came to abolish religion? >> his rap video has been viewed more than 22 million times. it is a slickly produced youtube video from a guy no one ever heard of, a born-again christian who makes the claim ha he hates religion, but loves jesus. >> if religion is so great, why does it build huge church, you but fail to feed the poor? >> you see a lot of hypocrisy in organized religion? >> i see a lot of it in the world. >> in the speed of an upload he's found himself speaking for a generation jaded by scandal. >> i think the biggest thing, my generation desires authenticity. we want someone to tell the truth and live it out. we're kind of sick of the typical person held up on a pedestal that then si

i'm bill weir. twin towers of light mark the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in new york tonight. but a day of somber reflection ends with breaking news of american diplomatic posts under attack in the muslim world. one state department officer was killed, another injured during a militant assault on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya, tonight. this is the city you'll recall where rebels held out against gadhafi's army last year until u.s. and nato forces flew to their revolutionary cause. in neighboring egypt it wasn't militants but angry protesters who rushed the walls of the u.s. embassy in cairo, tore down the american flag, and replaced it with a black islamist banner. all of it apparently sparked by an obscure american film critical of the prophet muhammad. after a clip was posted online, the embassy in cairo put out a statement condemning the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of muslims. tonight, the white house distanced itself from that state

i'm bill weir. tonight a murder mystery full of outrageous twists. when one woman took the stand to testify in court she found herself being questioned by her own stalker. the same man on trial for killing her roommate and attacking her roommate's 5-year-old son. it's a strange tale that unfolded over 17 years and came to a dramatic head in court today. steve osunsami brings us the latest. >> reporter: he may be dressed the part of a lawyer in suit and tie and legal briefs but he's the accused murder and convicted stalker, representing himself as the law allows and questioning the alleged victims in court. >> in 17 years you have never told anyone -- >> yes, i have. >> when? >> a few days after you murdered carmen. >> reporter: at times the exchange is painful. the woman he stalked for years so scare she asked for her face to be kept from cameras. >> the question is inappropriate. >> it's hard for me to answer your questions. after you stalked me. >> reporter: police suspected he broke into this lower level apartment, strangled carmen smith and stand

. >> announcer: from the global roe sources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weirnew york city, this is "nightline," september 21st, 2012. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. you have could call it the macho man's little helper. the latest performance enhancing drug to sweep the nation. banned in professional sports. testosterone injections have become a magic bullet for men looking for more energy, more muscles, even a better sex life. but for some, the side effects can be dangerously unpredictable. so much so that police departments nation wiwide are n cracking down on their own officers. here's abc's neal karlinsky. >> reporter: chris running has bulging biceps, two homes and four businesses and still has time for walks on the beach and wine with his wife, rebecca. >> cheers. >> reporter: but he doesn't do it on his own. his secret, a little vial he injects into his leg twice a week. a tiny dose of testosterone. >> i wouldn't run four companies without this program. >> reporter: he is part of a new generation. a driven, successful man who doesn't mind shooting up

. ♪ >> from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden, and bill weir in nework city. this is "nightline." september 7th, 2012. >>> good evening. i'm cynthia mcfadden. tonight, pregnant at 61. when her young daughter needed a surrogate, one woman stepped up, giving birth and becoming a grandmother at the same time. and she is not alone. in fact, an illinois woman gave birth to her granddaughter just last week. but to quote president lyndon johnson, our problem is not making miracles. it's managing them. just because a woman can do this, doesn't mean that she should. here's abc's amy robach with one family's story. >> reporter: little finn and his 61-year-old grandmother christine casey share a very rare bond. not only is she his grandmother, but she's also his surrogate mother. >> how could that possibly happen? no offense, but who would do that? and what doctor would let them do that? >> we kept thinking, we were going to be stopped anywhere along the way. at every turn, they kept saying, well, you're really in amazing shape. >> reporter: chris gave birth to

. >> from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden, and bill weir in new york city. this is "nightline." september 18th, 2012. >>> good evening, i'm terry moran. a political firestorm rages on tonight over the secretly recorded tape where republican presidential nominee mitt romney is shown making controversial off the cuff remarks about nearly half of american voters. while the debate swirls, romney believed he was speaking privately to wealthy supporters, someone in that room had secretly pushed the record button. but who was it and why? abc's chief investigative correspondent brian ross has been searching for the answers. >> reporter: the setting was this mansion in boca raton, florida, the home of a longtime supporter and friend, multi millionaire investor known as a private equity party boy in the gossip pages, mark leader. it was may 17th. reporters were told the event would be closed to the press. >> too bad you can't go to the fundraisers. >> reporter: the dinner was lavishly catered and supposed to be private. limited to those who paid $50,000 eac

first bill weir with what you will see. >> bill. >> tary confinement. some say it's the way real monsters are made and our reporter spends 48 hours trying to stay sane while locked up alone. [ male announcer ] airtran airways is having a sale. which means our already low fares...are even lower. that's like making the grand canyon...grander. or the great lakes...greater. or the rocky mountains... rockier. you know what i mean. lucky for you, airtran offers flights to destinations like these across the u.s. we just made something awesome, awesomer. airtran is having a sale with flights starting at 69 dollars one-way. all with wifi. book today at airtran.com. go. there's nothing stopping you. . >>> or off tonight but still a game to be one here. look at jamie. showing off their o's pride. who do you think came up with the better cheer? you can find the full video of each of them on the website and vote for your favorite. >> think they are both good. >> i was going to say we have to stick with our guy. >> yeah. he is a good -- quite the cheerleader. was he

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," september 13th, 2012. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. tonight, it was a day of fury, as violent anti-american protests erupt at u.s. embassies across the arab world. in cairo tonight, clashes with police have turned violent, after hundreds stormed the american compound in yemen earlier today. it's all part of the uproar over an american-made movie that mocks the muslim prophet muhammad. tonight, american officials are warning that extremist groups could spread this violence back here at home and abc's martha raddatz brings us the latest. >> reporter: tonight, protesters and egyptian security forces are facing off outside the embassy in cairo. the crowds, throwing stones and molotov cocktails, greeted with tear gas in return. it has been a long day of unrest in the region. this morning, outside the u.s. embassy in yemen's capital, protesters smashing windows and climbing the walls to the compound. at around 4:30 a.m. east coast time, yemen's spo

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," september 27th, 2012. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. if you've ever lost something at an airport, you probably wondered where that camera or ipod really ended up. well, tonight, we've got a sting operation that could bring you some answers. sometimes your favorite shiny toys can end up in the homes of people who screen your baggage. the tsa officers at the security gate. with the help of simple tracking technology and some tempting bait, abc's brian ross brings us this "nightline" investigates. >> reporter: this is the tsa security screening checkpoint at terminal b of the airport in orlando, florida. a place where this $600 ipad, belonging to abc news, was left behind, on purpose, and then disappeared. abc news tape shows it was last seen at the airport in the hands of this tsa officer, andy ramirez. and then, several hours later, we were able to track our i pad using its find me app also it moved away from the airport. step by step, until it

i'm bill weir. tonight, you'll get a glimpse behind the closed doors of power and into the dysfunctional relationships that can make or break this nation. bob woodward is best known for uncovering watergate but his new book takes us into the obama white house where last year's clash with republican leadership brought america to the brink of financial armageddon. tonight you'll hear tapes from the president and speaker of the house and what happened in the heat of those crucial moments could provide large-lor ammunition. diane sawyer has the exclusive first look. >> reporter: it is the kind of moment that tests a president, the nation on the edge of a financial cliff. >> really say in the book nobody was in charge? >> in washington. >> and is that a failure of leadership? >> some people are going to say he was fighting a brick wall. others will say, it's the president's job to figure out how to tear down that brick wall. >> reporter: for 44 days last summer barack obama was hostage to events outside

first, here is bill weir with a look at night line. >> hello.ing up, a as protests erupt in 30 countries and embassies are burned we will have the latest on the growing crisis. >>> and we 1nw anncr: a good job. it's the key to a good life. but it isn't always easy to find one... a vote for question seven is a vote for maryland jobs. two thousand construction jobs to build a new resort casino. four thousand permanent jobs, paying... on average fifty five thousand a year. six thousand jobs from increased tourism... and table games like blackjack and poker. add it up: it's twelve thousand new maryland jobs. but to build it you have to vote for it. vote for question seven. and get maryland back to work. . >>> we are showing you what it means to be a telecontest, nt. instead of a board meeting you can win a 50,000-dollar prize on a game show. the new craze about to land in baltimore. >> reporter: the music, the host, the rules, the prize. this is how game shows have worked for more than seven decades. think outside the tv box for a moment. >> good sh

. >> from the global resources of abc news, with cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city and terry moran in charlotte, new york city, this is a special edition of "nightline." "your voice, your vote." the democratic national convention. >>> good evening. i'm terry moran. and a momentous night here at the democratic national convention in charlotte, north carolina, where just a short time ago, bill clinton had this crowd eating out of his hands. it was a speech, a stem-winder that culminated in the remarkable moment when president barack obama joined him onstage, breaking precedent. the man clinton told the crowd they must re-elect. >> reporter: the big dog and the one. an extraordinary and historic moment. and what led up to it, tonight and over many years, just as extraordinary and just as historic. >> we are here to nominate a president. and i've got one in mind. >> reporter: bill clinton was back and democrats loved this moment. the 42nd president of the united states seized his prime time slot, burning joe biden into tomorrow, so that he, the man from hope, the comeback k

. >> bill weir with a look at what you will see. >> coming up, the explosive look inside the oval office to reveal the faceoff between the president and republicans as financial disaster loomed. >>> and the pressures of being perfect inside competitive cheerleading. [ male announcer ] for the dreamers... and those well grounded. for what's around this corner... and the next. there's cash flow options from pnc. solutions to help businesses like yours accelerate receivables, manage payments, and help ensure access to credit. because we know how important cash flow is to reaching your goals. pnc bank. for the achiever in you. . >>> searching for her could put a spell on your computer. emma watson named the most dangerous online celebrity, it calead to links that down load viruses. . >> this is no normal -- a marriage of agriculture and technology. the family out of canada decided to create a qr code, you have seen them, you can get -- you can scan them on the phone. i bet you have never seen this. seven acres worth. it's a cool marketing tool. when it's scanned it'll take you to their famil

tonight, "nightline" anchor bill weir goes back in time to that showdown. >> and the oscar goes to --nd matt damon. >> reporter: when "good will hunting" brought ben affleck a writing oscar at age 25, it was enough to turn tinseltown green. and in the coming years, critics would mock his big-budget choices. >> and he's the last person you'd ever expect. >> reporter: tabloids would stalk his every romantic move. but rather than flame out, affleck grew up. settled down, poured himself into helping the people of the eastern congo and directing the kind of films that earn best picture buzz like "argo," a rousing portrayal of the top secret, real-life bravery that played out in the early days of the iran hostage crisis. few knew that when those crowds stormed the u.s. embassy in tehran, six americans escaped and fled to the home of the canadian ambassador. while they spent weeks hiding from the revolutionary guards, a cia agent named tony mendes hatched an insane rescue plan. he would fly them out posing as a film crew, scouting locations for a "star wars" rip-off called "argo." >> i'm the

for much more here is abc's bill weir. >> we're keeping our eye on reports of a fast moving fire that'surning through dry brush and heading close to homes in los angeles tonight. firefighters are on the ground battling a 15-acre blaze, burning near the 405 freeway tonight. they're hoping to contain that blaze with the help of water-dropping helicopters. now, the getty center conducted a voluntary evacuation of visitors and staffers although officials say there's no imminent threat to the museum. while conditions are dry, temperatures soaring to 100 degrees today. winds are calm and crews are hopeful that blaze will be contained quickly. as of now no word on what caused the fire. >>> we shift gears to the photos and the firestorm overseas. the royal family now suing a magazine in france. bob woodruff is traveling with the royal couple. >> reporter: the royal couple put on brave faces as they left the malaysian capital today to tour the jungles of borneo, but there's no escaping the uproar over those topless photos of the duchess and the couple's decision to sue the french magazine that p