cynthia state right where you are, it's friday in "the war room."n us and we have a little bit of politics and some fun in the next block. so stick around. only on current tv. >> we're not through just yet, mr. vice president. >> they're swimming against the tides. (vo) brought to you by pradaxa. i have the most common type of atrial fibrillation, or afib. it's not caused by a heart valve problem. i was taking warfarin, but my doctor put me on pradaxa instead to reduce my risk of stroke. in a clinical trial, pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) reduced stroke risk 35% better than warfarin. and unlike warfarin, with pradaxa, there's no need for regular blood tests. that's really important to me. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition like stomach ulcers, or take aspirin, nsaids, or blood thinners, or if you h

cynthia grew up in takoma park. when she was 18, she was attending classes at the old blare high school working on her ged. in april of 1980, she left the family home in a wooded area off the parkway for a job interview. and dropped out of sight. her family reported her missing. >> cindy was a beautiful, vibrant soul. she was a gift to our family. >> felice tried hard to find her. >> we checked with the social security administration, motor vehicle administration, we checked with family members. >> takoma park police ran into a brick wall. two years later, prince william county police stumbled on to a clue. >> on february 12, 198 2-rbgs a hiker found a skeletal remains of an unidentified victim in the 1100 block of mountain road. >> jump ahead to 2001. detectives submitted the bones and remains to virginia's department of forensic science to extract dna. ten years later, dna from family members was collected in an unrelated case. earlier last month, authorities discovered a dna match identifying the remains as cynth

for "nightline" i'm cynthia mcfadden. >> a fight for the truth. thanks to cynthia for that. next up we'll shift gears. ladies are lining up to see the dancing beef cakes and magic guys. why this is shaping up to be a sizzling hot summer. and corrects for wheel slip.cs we imagined a vehicle that can increase emergency braking power when you need it most. and we imagined it looking like nothing else on the road today. then...we built it. the 2012 glk. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. yep. the longer you stay with us, the more you save. and when you switch from another company to us, we even reward you for the time you spent there. genius. yeah, genius. you guys must have your own loyalty program, right? well, we have something. show her, tom. huh? you should see november! oh, yeah? giving you more. now that's progressive. call or click today. >>> 1967 was the summer of 2012 and 2012 is the summer of lust. astonishing popular "fifty shades of grey" to hot new movie about a ripped stripper, this year male e

. >> cynthia, do you mind, i'm going to the prom. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm cynthia mcfadden in new york. >> keep it up, nick. thank you, cynthia. >>> coming up next, they're poor, they're rich and they're buying up america's most unbelievably expensive homes often with cash, inside the recession bubble most often forgot. a house that they really wanted. it was in my sister's neighborhood. i told you it was perfect for you guys. literally across the street from her sister. [ banker ] but someone else bought it before they could get their offer together. we really missed a great opportunity -- dodged a bullet there. [ banker ] so we talked to them about the wells fargo priority buyer preapproval. it lets people know that you are a serious buyer because you've been credit-approved. we got everything in order so that we can move on the next place we found. which was clear on the other side of town. [ male announcer ] wells fargo. with you when you're ready to move. they claim to be complete. only centrum goes beyond. providing more than just the essential nutrients, so i'm at my

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," june 20th, 2012. >> good evening, i'm bill weir. and ladies and gentlemen, start your air conditioners. man, you didn't need a calendar to tell you today marks the first official day of summer. and if today is any indication, it's going to be a scorcher. the heat index soared past 100 degrees in cities across the northeast. stepping out the front door felt more like stepping into an on oven. and it's not over yet. here's abc's ginger zee with the latest. >> reporter: the relentless wild fires in colorado fueled by low humidity, high winds, and this week, record-breaking heat. that heat shifted east today and picked up a whole lot of humidity along the way. the sudden sizzle brought near record-breaking temperatures up and down the east coast, just in time for the official start of summer. here's how it all goes down. stick with me here. a little science. a ridge of high pressure ahead of a cold front brings more sunshine, compresses the air and o

cynthia, what's the story behind those numbers? >> well, i think it's pretty clear. the economy is still not in great shape. and that has been dragging down the president's job approval rating for some time now. the good news for him, it isn't as bad as it might have been. having said that, it is clear people still like the president very much. now you that, certainly doesn't apply to hardcore republicans, who hate him. but many americans like the american. he's a good guy. he is a good father, a good husband. he projects warmth on the campaign trail. and so that has helped him i think some. >> alex, you wrote about this for politico, i think cynthia is right in terms of characterizing what drives the personal favorability numbers. the question is it enough? you know it presents that old beer question, many people think we select presidents based on with whom would you rather have a beer. if that is the decision in this case it will be to the benefit of the president. >> it sure will michael. and this goes to the heart of the big interpretive debates between republic

weir in new york city, this is "nightline," june 13th, 2012. >> good evening, i'm cynthia mcfadden. we begin with crime. it's been said that all is fair in love and war, but when you come across a murder for hire plot, wrapped inside a murder for hire plot, all belts are off. after one woman landed in prison for hiring a hitman to take out her boyfriend's wife, she's now being accused of ordering another hit. this time, on her former boyfriend. here's "20/20" co-anchor chris cuomo for our series "crime and punishment." >> reporter: this woman is the mistress who pleaded guilty or the hiring a hitman to kill her lover's wife. now, in a new twist, michelle gaiser is also accused of taking out a hit on that lover. from behind the bars of her jail cell. >> michelle gaiser, from her jail cell, has plotted yet another murder. she has solicited an inmate to murder jeffrey stern for $20,000. >> reporter: the allegation comes from the attorney for jeffrey stern. he read from an intercepted letter, allegedly from gaiser, to a hitman. >> whatever you do, it must not look like a hit. it's going

in new york city, this is "nightline," june 1st, 2012. >> good evening, i'm cynthia mcfadden. tonight, are those super-sized drinks really responsible for the escalating obesity epidemic? new york city's major michael bloomberg seems to think at least in part they are. this week, he proposed a city-wide ban on sodas and juleses over 16 ounces. and while those sweet drinks do contain a shocking amount of sugar, many opponents are drawing a battle line between big government and big soda. abc's john donvan takes us inside the sugar war. >> hey, mayor mccheese. >> reporter: mayor mccheese versus mayor bloomberg. yeah, that's what we had today. mccheese, of course, the one-time official of mcdonald land in those old tv commercials. bloomberg, of course, the real-time mayor of new york city. where the city has just proposed a law that will bar restaurants and other food service businesses from selling soft drinks in cups that are larger than 16 ounces. >> all we're doing here is saying, if you want to order 32 ounces of soda, in a restaurant, that we supervise, they must give you t

in new york city, this is "nightline," june 8th, 2012. >> good evening, i'm cynthia mcfadden. tonight, controversy is swirling around a country singing contestant on "america's got talent" who claimed that he was injured by a grenade while fighting in afghanistan. but the army says his war story never happened and while he may have talent, he now has an awful lot of explaining to do. tonight, our new abc news colleague amy robach brings us the latest. we're delighted to welcome her to "nightline" for the very first time. ♪ if tomorrow never comes >> reporter: it was a dramatic fall from grace. from instant reality star -- >> wow! how does it feel, man? >> amazing. >> reporter: to ashame and confused. >> it's the truth that i truly think is real. >> reporter: it was just earlier this week when sergeant timothy poe was all smiles. >> i am doing well, thank you. >> reporter: winning the hearts of americans by telling his touching tale. a wounded soldier left with an audible scar. >> i had got hit by a grenade in afghanistan and it broke my back and gave me a brain injury, so that

confirming the remains belong to cynthia. police aren't saying how cynthia was killed, but they say they would like to talk to this man, who is not a suspect. anyone with information is asked to come forward. >>> the edge where a new council chairman has been voted in less than a week after kwame brown's resignation. phil will be the chairman of the council, but before he was able to take his seat as chairman, things turned ugly as council members argued over the number two vacancy, chairman protem. vincent orange put himself up against michael brown and held up a media report criticizing brown. we talked to the new chairman earlier on the news at 10:00. here's what he had to say about people's concerns with the council given the recent drama. >> there's not a dramatic step that can be taken that wipes away all of the concern. we're going to have -- it's going to take time. we'll have to work at rebuilding the people's trust in the government. >> now despite councilman orange's attempts, the council selected michael brown. >>

. >> the first, seupbtia with what you will see right here, -- cynthia with what you will see right here. >> bringing out the s.w.a.t. teams that can hack your x-box and tell the police they are you. emergency pranks and an undercover investigation. why it may be more dangerous than you think, spray tans, that is coming up right after abc 2 news at 11:00 . >>> in alaska, a 30-year-old hiker had an extremely close call on a trail just south of the anchorage when he stumbled on to a brown bear cub and his mother. ben had only a backpack and ski poles on him before the bear attacked him. he was chewing on his back before he chimed on a tree and call 911. >> climbed on a tree and called 911. >> i am as high in the tree as i can get. >> when the medics got to him he had a huge wound on his back and scrapes and bruises all over. he was taken to a local hospital and recovering at home. wildlife officials are looking for him. that is one lucky man. >> yeah, ge, i swear. . >>> a town made aggress and i have public cursing a civil violation punishable boy a $20 ticket. -- punishable by a $20 ticke

para posiblemente saldar la vida de adolescentes como cynthia y muchos más niños y adultos.

de cynthia lideraba los esfuerzos. >>> ojalá que traten de encontrar alguien para mi hija u otro niñoara toda la gente que necesita. como parte del proceso tomaron muestras que van a analizar después. con la xpe a la espera de un trasplante de médula o sea que le salve la vida. hacen falta muchos más donantes de origen latino. si será tu hijo o tu mamá. pidió que se pongan en su lugar. no hay suficientes latinos registrados. esta ayuda es importante para ellos. en el registro nacional de donantes de médula o sea. los hispanos tenemos una variedad genética que puede incluir origen africano, europeo y nativo americano. contigo regreso a los estudios. el caso de violencia doméstica que se le sigue aros miro kari ni. su esposa. explica el maltrato del que fue víctima. escuchemos. lópez dice. >>> citamos textualmente Él es poderoso y lo puede hacer. >>> si encuentra en venezuela con mi hijo te'o si testifique en laas audiencia por una video conferencia. los derechos y mi esposa y no cumple ningún beneficio público. la peor destrucción política. y que ab gen por su publicación deben tener v

joining me now is ed rendell and cynthia tucker. a visiting professor of journalism at the university of georgia. thanks to both of you for being with me this evening. >> my pleasure. >> good to be here, reverend. >> governor rendell, let me start with you. the republicans are trying to use health care to their advantage this election, but do they have the wrong messenger? >> no doubt about it. the message is skewed. president obama since he's been president, he average working family has seen a tax cut of $3600. then secondly make clear that on the mandate which the supreme court properly says is a tax, only 2% of americans will pay the tax penalty. which is after the first year $666. that's what 2% of americans will pay. if you're in a health insurance plan now and you're paying into that health insurance plan, you do not have to worry about the tax that comes from the mandate. it's only the people who are the free riders. so it's less than 2% of the population. and they're attacking a president who's cut taxes to almost the tune

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," may 31st, 2012. >> good evening, i'm bill weir. john edwards may be a liar, adulterer and per rye ya, but thanks to a hung north carolina jury, he is not a criminal. those jurors never saw the once golden politician on the stand, never heard from the mistress who had his baby or the benefactors who gave him all that money allegedly used to cover the whole sordid miss. the trial ground to a halt, and tonight, john edwards walked, and talked, and abc's bob woodruff was there. >> reporter: today, john edwards walked out of a court a free man. it took nine days of deliberations and a wrenching false start, but a jury found him not guilty on one count, but they could not agree on the five others. so, the judge declared a mistrial. >> while i do not believe i did anything illegal, i did an awful, awful lot that was wrong. >> reporter: the verdict, as full of drama as the trial itself, leaves open the possibility of edwards being retried. but that seems

were you able to talk at all to cynthia today? >> reporter: i did. it was early this morning, and she was extremely distraught. just very much unable to compose herself and understandably so. she was a protective figure for rodney king, and also an integral part of his life, especially during this recovery process. and, you know, when we were preparing for our documentary "race and rage." it was quite unusual for him to allow us into their lives because they are so protective. he was joyous to have cynthia in his life, and she was very grateful to be able to help someone who had been tormented. rodney king was a -- had a gentle heart but a tormented soul because of hiss str strugg with addiction. >> and rodney king, his fiancee, they will tell you, listen, rodney is not an angel. he said i'm not an angel. i'm not a role model. he was just someone who did something silly, as he said, he shouldn't have been speeding. he admitted to us for the first time just how fast he was going that night, stan, and he said, listening people should not look at me as

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

[laughter] in the spirit of his remarks -- cynthia was carried over the bridge with her father. was a baby at the time. in that spirit, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary, it is pretty exciting for us in the theme of, from sea to shining sea, national park service, national conservancy, golden gate, recreation area -- i would like to knowledge the role that president obama had in passing the recovery act, which provided some of the funds for us to be able to do the presidio parkway. the beat goes on in terms of enhancing what this means to us and what it does for us. in that spirit, i also want to acknowledge some one -- when the superintendent was speaking, he referenced this golden gate recreation area is celebrating its 40th anniversary. none of that would have been possible without the leadership in congress -- of congressman phillip burton, my predecessor there. [applause] and dr. it occur we burn, amy meyer, who were inspired. anyways, it took a lot of people with their thinking, their ideas, the termination, to get the job done. today, i am honored to join our great m

by the way, my sister cynthia, she walked across the bridge the first day. [applause] there she is. my father has a picture of that. i was not born yet. it was the next year. [laughter] by the way, 1937, there was higher unemployment than aren't we do then there is today. and most people were a lot for them there are today. when people say we cannot afford it, you have to question that. when we could not afford it, we greet -- built great monuments, great expressions of courage. that is what this bridge represents. [applause] now we want to distinguish between foolishness and boldness. but if we are never bowled, we never get anything done. yes, we have a lot of problems and we need some fiscal discipline, that is true, but still have to invest. weather is the city hall in san francisco for this bridge or our airports, high-speed rail, completing the california water plant. we have to build, invest, and we have to do that together, as a people. that is what this bridge represents. i am glad that we are thinking about stuff that happened 75 years ago. to not tell me about how much it

king was found unconscious in his pool early today by his fian fiance, cynthia kelly. she called 911 and found king unresponsive at the bottom of his pool. just last year on the 21st anniversary of his beating, i spent time with them at lair los angeles home and talked about the wake of the beating and high profile trial and riots that followed. king said he still had nightmares about the pummeling he suffered from officers. for the first time since the beating, he went back to the scene to relive that hellish night. here now is the documentary of "race and rage," the beating of rodney king. >> what do you think when you see it? >> stay alive. i knew i had to -- no threat. >> this was a lynching on video. >> we the jury in the above entitled action find the defendant -- >> i think the verdicts lit a match. the tinder was already in place, very dry. >> are you able to forgive those cops? have you let those demons go? did you hang onto the money or did you throw it away? >> can we -- can we all get along? can we get along? >> march 3rd, 1991, 25-year-old rodney king is t