for "nightline," i'm cynthia mcfadden. >> an amazing story from everest. thanks to cynthia. thank you for watching abc news. we hope you check in for "good morning america." they're working while you're sleeping. we're always online at abcnews.com. jimmy kimmel is coming up right next. have a great weekend.

for "nightline," i'm cynthia mcfadden. >> an amazing story from everest. thanks to cynthia. thank you for watching abc news. we hope you check in for "good

go ahead, jessica. >> hi, cynthia. so, i'm wondering, i saw that the mission of the fec is preventing corruption in federal campaigns. do you think that the current fec regulations are working or do you see reform in the near future? >> well, i'll start with your first question, the statute and the

tonight fairfax county recognized 10-year-old cynthia amanderez for her bravery and smarts.ngie goff with more on the story. angie? >> reporter: the 911 call dialed by this 10-year-old, cynthia, that saved her 2-year-old nephew's life. >> i was like a little bit scared. but i know i had to stay calm so i controlled it. >> reporter: back in july when cynthia kept her cool and translated cpr directions in spanish to her mom. they got the baby breathing, before help arrived. >> 911 dispatcher cheryl dean was the voice. >> you don't get a lot of children that are able to handle calls and be that exceptional when they call. >> reporter: her bravery earned cynthia big recognition. with her nephew the fifth grader was honored with an award, the first for the fairfax county department of safety communications. [ speaking foreign language ] >> she says thank you for having me here. it is wonderful my daughter is being ak nocknowledged and my grandson is healthy. >> her best advice -- >> when you call to not be afraid. to stay calm. it's all going to work out. >> reporter: something s

for "nightline," i'm cynthia mcfadden. >> an amazing story from everest. thanks to cynta.

do you know, cynthia? >> i'm here. can you hear me?> i think that this is one of the things that we've really learned in the process of making this film, that bullying affects 13 million kids every single year. if you extrapolate back generation after generation after generation, this is something that affected millions upon millions of people in this country and people around the world. and it doesn't end in high school, and the scars do not end once you graduate from high school. i think that what we're seeking to provide through our website, www.thebullyproject.com are great resources for parents, for adults who have gone through this, for teachers and administrators. i think that there are absolutely organizations out there, including our own, that are providing support to adults, including adults who are being bullied in the workplace. so i would absolutely invite your viewers to please join us and contact us. if there are things that we could provide on our website, speaking specifically to that issue that could be increased, cou

>> that's right, cynthia, good evening. we know president obama's secret elite force tasked with guarding him, members of that force has been sent home today for allegations of misconduct, involving prostitution. the reports first came out from the associated press, who said they received an anonymous tip that as many as a dozen agents may have been involved. while prosecution may becolumbi service says it is not something they turn a blind eye to and are looking to see exactly what happened. meanwhile, this could be the single most embarrassing moment for the secret service, if these numbers, are, in fact, true. >> our thanks to you. embarrassing and sad. "good morning america" will have much more on this developing story in the morning. >>> and we turn now to the question of toddlers and tests. how far would you go to get your child into one of the best public schools in the country? would you spend thousands of dollars, give up your week ends? well, tonight, we show you three families that did just that, desperate to get

tomorrow night on "nightline," we'll have cynthia mcfadden's intervwi

i'm cynthia mcfadden. tonight, we begin with the outrageous case of a debt collector who harasses and torments a woman for a debt she doesn't owe. millions of people across the nagts are in debt, and the collection business is booming. but some of the collections techniques you will see tonight are way over the line. and this time, they tangled with the wrong woman. abc news's elizabeth leemy reports. >> reporter: wheeling, west virginia s a small town. but diana mey has done something big. going after a debt collector that went after her and others nationwide. >> i'm a mom and a housewife and an accidental activist. >> reporter: the court ordered the company to pay diana $10 million. but she is is not stopping there. the latest project to turn the tables and collect from the collectors. >> i don't know that i will ever collect a dime, but if i can get their operation shut down that would make me happen. >> reporter: it started two years ago when a debt collector called her and said her house was in jeopar

i'm cynthia mcfadden. tonight an investigation that blows the lid off a steamy world where girls are bought and sold for sex online. police all over the country tell us the sale of sex has dramatically increased with the advent of internet classified ads. two years ago a public outcry led craigslist to shut down its sex ads but much of their business went to another web site site, backpage.com owned by village voice media. would shutting down backpage help stop the trafficking of underage girls? or are they as they claim, part of the solution? "nightline" investigates. >> reporter: it's a battle that's been waged on street corners since there were street corners -- sex for sale. but cops say the red light district is old-school. the new market is online for sex. >> you can buy it on backpage. you want a tennis racquet, you go to backpage. you want to go buy a teenage girl, about 13, you go to back page in the don't section. >> reporter: we'll call herges jessica. takes courage to do what she's doing, come

i'm cynthia mcfadden. tonight, terror in the skies as severe storms cause turbulence at 30,000 feet. the same storm demolished dallas-ft.worth yesterday. tonight, we bring you one amazing story from out of the rubble. a grandmother who hung on to her infant grandson for dear life as the winds tore down the house about them. >> reporter: the same storm system that spawned 13 tornadoes in the dallas area tuesday caused more chaos today. this time, at 30,000 feet. a united airlines flight was jolted by turbulence this morning. the plane, originated in tampa, made a mergely landing in houston. at least three people had to go to a hospital, including this flight aten dent in a neck brace. >> you can hit turbulence and everything goes that is not strapped down. >> reporter: in dallas, planes are being inspected by damage. american airlines canceled 400 flights today alone, after almost 15,000 passengers were stranded at dfw last night. >> just laying on the floor, cots, everywhere. >> reporter: still, it could h

good evening i'm cynthia mcfadden. tonight you can find thousands of videos documenting this online and a new study found that one in seven college students have admitted to trying it as early as age 14. it's called the choking game. and kids are doing it to chase a drug-free high. many who try it think it's not as dangerous as drugs or alcohol, but abc's david wright discovered this can be a deadly game. >> i'm going to choke him out. >> reporter: some call it the choking game. or the pass-out game. or even california knock-out. auto asphyxiation just for the rush of it. >> holy [ bleep ]. >> reporter: the videos are all over youtube. >> a lot of people are doing it and they don't know the consequences. >> kids are doing it and think it's a game. >> they think nothing's going to happen. >> judy has made it her life's mission to put an end to the choking game, spreading awareness of its dangers. >> a lot of kids say, at least we're not doing drugs. they think it's an alternative, and they don't understand that they're

cynthia is right.nality transplant to be a candidate who can fix this problem. right now he is rye re lying on one thing and one thing only, that is that the economicic will stall or go into reverse. it is hard for me to figure out what his narrative would be. >> cynthia, one of your fellow columnists, richard cohen, in the washington post says romney lies. let me quote richard cohen. he çsays, i admire a smooth li, and romney is along the best. he's not on honest about himself. do you think this is part of what comes off where w the public, why he is doing bad in favorbility ratings. >> of course. and let me just say that he has told so many huge untruths in this campaign that i'm glad some members of the major media establishment are starting to pay attention to this. but you know, it takes a special kind of personality to be a shameless as mitt romney is. you know, as governor of massachusetts he was pro gay rights. he was, at least when he ran for office for governor, he was pro choice on abortion

it was so perfect, cynthia, we had launched on our brothers. we stayed there for the next 3 hours, and closed the cafe. sara said this brother sister thing is huge and no one writes about it, no one talks about it, the affect our brothers and sisters has on us. this is your next book, this is what you need to write. are you kidding me, i could never write anything so personal, never. that is how it started. when you >> when you were working on this, friends, you would talk about my relationship with my difficult older brother, what happened? what doors opened up, what did you learn about what people carry around about their siblings? >> it is huge. so many share this. it is like the asian flu. the first year of trying to work on this, i couldn't do it, so i approached it like a reporter. i was dancing around what it was really about, which is the red hot emotions between the 2 of us and where it had come from. i spent a year reporting, interviewing every expert, i flew the london, and the importance of relationships and psychoanalysis. >> did y

tomorrow, cynthia mcfadden will have a special report on one man's ordeal on mt. everest.ma" g." congratulations to making it to number one last week. before we go tonight, we'd like to mark a passing. levon helm, the great drummer and singer for the band died today at 71. you can watch your interview with him at abcnews.com/nightline and we send you off with levon tonight singing. ♪ the night is over ♪ take me down ♪ when all the bells are ringing ♪ ♪ the night is over ♪ take me down ♪ and all the people are

the attacker was cynthia apkaw. >> apkaw is extremely violent.everely assaulted that inmate to the point she needed facial reconstructive surgery. so that's why we do what we do now for the precautions of these people. >> she disrespected me so i beat the crap out of her. i went out there and i beat her ass in the cell and i pulled her out. dragged her in the middle of the hall and started beating the [ bleep ] out of her. i stomped on her face and beat her head in the floor. >> i don't think you can ever prepare yourself for everything. for something that brutal, we've had fights before, but that one probably is real close to the top. it was very violent. and the young lady in question that was injured looked to be passed out with the last few kicks and she could not defend herself. so it was very bad. >> we're going to check the lock, apkaw. >> because apkak got to her victim with blocking her lock with magazine pages, detention officers follow a strict protocol before entering her cell. first they cuff her up, then instruct her to lie down on

cynthia, i will direct this to you. from ryan, those of us stop of a student loan debt, how do we continue this work while facing the reality of meeting our basic needs? >> be very creative. [laughter] personally, a year ago that was something i were about. how audacious it was to think to move to another country to start another business without being from that country, without speaking that language, how to get it up and running. rally support, get people behind me who believe in what i'm doing. you have to think in sometimes short time increments. what is going to get into next week, next month, next quarter? not necessarily what does this look like 20 years down the road. you have to juggle both in your mind, but the creative and tighten your belt all about. that is great and wise for any of us and what we may want to do. >> even if small businesses receive funding to get off the ground, how can the startups complete with global mega companies? >> i think when you will see more and more in the world is how the chang

joining me now is cynthia tucker, thanks for being here, cynthia. >> good to see you, rev.when he says the supreme court shouldn't let politics cision?not. he never said anything that was in the slightest thuggish. he did not threaten the court in any way, he didn't intimidate the court. and let's just for the sake of this conversation, i'm not even going to address what rush limbaugh said, since nobody is pa bigger thug on the right than rush limbaugh, but i thought more of carl rove. let's be clear about what the president said. he first of all said i fully expect that the supreme court will uphold the law because it is constitutional. then he went on to remind conservatives that for years, they have been the ones complaining about judicial activism. we don't apt group of unelected judges overturning the will of congress. he pointed out they have been saying that for years and years. at least 40 years. he said i expect the justices to remember that. that's what he said. no threats implied suggestive, figtive, or otherwise. >> he criticized activist judges in 2007. look at

. >> reporter: cynthia has 12 employees at her nail salon in los angeles. they work up to ten-hour days, so it's crucial the nail polish they use is safe for them and their clients. >> especially if some of my customers are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. >> reporter: california department of toxic substance control found some polishes only used in nail salons are mislabeled and contain dangerous chemicals linked to by the way defects, asthma and other illnesses. known as toxic trio. investigators randomly chose 25 nail polish brands to test. they found more than 80% claiming to be free of a certain toxic chemical, actually had it. and 30% had dangerously high levels. >> no worker should have to suffer health impacts due to a manufacturer's false claims. >> reporter: a group that represents the company that make the nail polish argue the level of chemicals are actually very low and don't present a significant health risk. nicole fisher is a nail polish distributor and recommends salon owners buy from well-known companies. >> yes, you'll pay a little mor

they call themselves the forgotten ones. >> thank you, cynthia. abc news at 11:00 continues >>> brace yourself for gridlock if you plan to cross the golden gate bridge. doyle drive is closing for construction on friday night. drivers are being warned to steer clear of the area all weekend long. the closure begins at 8:00 at night. it will allow crews to demolish the existing doyle drive which is seismically unsafe. the 76-year-old structure was so bad that a retrofit was rejected because of a frightening low safety rating. >> it was pretty low. out of the inventory of all of the bridges in the highway network in california, it is probably the lowest. >> this is animation of what the roadway will look like common day. traffic will be transferred to a testimony pour ray bypass that connects to a new southbound tunnel. it will accommodate traffic in both directions until the tunnels are completed in 2015. the primary alternate route to the willed goen gate bridge is -- to the golden gate bridge is 19th avenue. it can cut through the presidio. the ric

they call themselves the forgotten ones. >> thank you, cynthia. abc news at 11:00 continues right after this. ♪ okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours? gridlock if you plan to cross the golden gate bridge. doyle drive is closing for construction on friday night. drivers are being warned to steer clear of the area all weekend long. the closure begins at 8:00 at night. it will allow crews to demolish the existing doyle drive which is seismically unsafe. the 76-year-old structure was so bad that a retrofit was rejected because of a frightening low safety rating. >> it was pretty low. out of the inventory of all of the bridges in the highway network in california, it i

>> hi cynthia. thank you. do you believe that increased campaign finance disclosure will be beneficial or harmful to candidates in campaigns? >> it depends -- i guess i don't ever believe disclosure can be harmful. i think it's -- not only is it a good thing, as a matter of public policy, it is something that the supreme court has said that voters are entitled to. one of the aspects of citizens united that doesn't get quite as much attention than the part where they said corporations could make this kind of -- engage in kind of spending was, they did uphld on an 8-1 basis the disclosure that goes along with making some of these expenditures. and they said that it -- disclosure serves an important governmental interest in making sure that those who are watching the messages can understand who is paying for them and assess them as they make their decisions about who they want to vote for in an election. so, even if some are reluctant or feel like they could -- this is some how a negative, the supreme court has t

one of whom was cynthia parker. this was a defining moment and one of the most famous events on the frontier. >> along the stand most brutal war between americans and a single native tribe. the second, no word the because it involved a woman destined to be the most famous captive of her era in an era with many captives. what happened was more than that. it took precisely at the point when the westward building the american empire and this is the other thing the parkers didn't realize. you had this enormous american empire moving west meeting 250,000 square mile planes comanches empire right at the point when you could only -- this is in retrospect. no one could see it at the time. it really was right there. that is where the parkers build that house. had they had any idea that is what they were doing i am sure they never would have done it. i will say a word about what those -- why was that empire there? the reason that empire was there was a result of 150 years of sustained combat with one goal. the goal was the so

. >> cynthia was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.at prior to killing her husband, she worked as a prisons correction officer. >> a lot of people will look at a woman in prison. they want to find an excuse. they want to say there's got to have been some provocation, some reason why she did such a terrible thing. i will say right out, in my case, that is not the case. my husband did not abuse me. he did not deserve what i did to him. we had been married 22 1/2 years and he was a good man. but my husband was clinically depressed. he was not an easy man to live with at that time. he was hard to please. >> when cynthia became involved with another man, she shot her husband and made it look like suicide. >> i wish i could go back. there's no way you can say sorry for something like that, no matter how sorry you are, you can't say i'm sorry because it's just so insufficient. there's nothing that can ever fix it or make it right again. >> despite the fact that cynthia will probably never leave this prison, at 46, she's found a new purpose fo

let's begin with you, cynthia. this was your, this is your film, you're the writer and the producer of the film. tell us about what made you decide to make this movie. >> when director lee hirsch and i set out to start this film in april 2009, we were really sensing a tipping point moment occurring. we were seeing on youtube, kids posting videos about their experience of being bullied. we were seeing parents writing in to news stories on message boards, saying we're struggling with this. we need help. we need a voice on this issue. we're seeing educators writing in, saying i need tools to deal with this problem. it's important, and we really thought that it was time for us to go from i think what had become a point of crisis on bullying, to moving beyond that, to change and to being proactive about preventing bullying. >> corina, have you seen the movie? >> yeah. >> dell me what you think of it? >> i thought it was really moving and i felt really touched and i wanted to help after seeing it. >> how serious do you t

. >> reporter: cynthia kelley.can-american juror during the civil suit says the jury deliberations were contentious. >> half of them had no sympathy whatsoever. they did not care at all. they just didn't care. like, he broke the law. he deserved what he got. >> reporter: and what to you think of that? >> i told them they were crazy. no one deserves to get beat like that. >> reporter: the jury eventually sided with kelley and awarded rodney king $3.8 million. >> so many people have been through what i went through. and i just happened to be first in line to -- for it to get recognized and people to say, hey, we're not taking this shit no more. we're through. >> reporter: up next, rodney king's battle to put the beating behind him. are you able to forgive those cops? when you have diabetes... your doctor will say get smart about your weight. i tried weight loss plans... but their shakes aren't always made for people with diabetes. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," april 18th, 2012. >> good evening. i'm bill weir. for over 30 years this show has appeared in this time slot. except for one night for one man. dick clark. new year's eve. he earned that after importing music and happiness in the american living rooms in the form of "american bandstand." today, a massive heart attack took the life of him at the him at 82. and tonight, proof of a life well lived. >> i want my mtv. >> long before anyone wanted their mtv -- >> let's have a look at the top ten board. >> there was his bandstand. long before we feared pyramid schemes, there was his afternoon delight. >> dick clark! >> and long before ryan seacrest came in to pinch hit for the ball in chief, dick clark launched 7 billion kisses while counting us down on new year's eve. >> i remember as a kid, i was allowed to stay up and watch dick clark with the headset and the microphone and the abc logo. i felt that was the coolest thing in the world. he made you fee

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden, bill weir and tonight juju chang in new york city, this is "nightline," april 10, 2012. >>> good evening. i'm juju chang. tonight it's the age of the super smartphone, where one little device can carry your private e-mails, your passwords and even act as your credit card. but, while having your phone inside and out makes life more convenient, it also makes theft a graver danger. today there's a whole new way to fight back and make your smartphone less tempting for thieves. >> reporter: in los angeles, a thief sneaks up on his victim, knocks her over, punching her. she fights back. he slams her against the wall and beats her down, all this to steal her cellphone. >> it could happen to anybody. you just need to be careful. >> reporter: in san francisco, this unsuspecting woman has her cellphone snatched right out of her hand. in baltimore, thieves knock this victim out. among the items stolen, his cellphone. they even strip him naked as onlookers revel at the inhumanity. sometimes thieves are des

. >> reporter: cynthia amahas 12 employees at her nail salon in los angeles.hey work up to 12 hours a day. so it's crucial the nail polish is safe for them and their clients. >> it's crucial if some of my clients are pregnant. >> reporter: some polishes, only used in nail salons, are mislabeled and contain dangerous chemicals linked to birth defects, asna-- asthma. they're known as the toxic trio. >> they first chose 25 brands to test. they found more than 80% claiming to be free of a certain toxic chemical actually had it. and 30% had dangerously high levels. >> no worker should have to suffer impacts due to a manufacturer's false claim. >> reporter: the group who take make it say the levels are low. nicole fisher is a nail polish distributor and recommends salon owners buy from well- known companies. >> yes, you're going to pay a little more am but at least they know it's regulated by the state and it's safe. >> reporter: cynthia amas says the well being of her business and her employees depends on it. >> it's pshed for -- important for them to know that our