in new york city, this is "nightline," december 8th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm cynthia mcfadden. we begin tonight on the front lines of a seasonal struggle. the shopping wars. there are only 16 days til the clock strikes christmas and stores are fighting over every cent you have to spend. for some retailers, the holiday season represents up to 40% of annual sales, with such high stakes, you can expect retailers to aggressively pursue any sales edge they can get. but what they actually do might still surprise you. tonight tonight, abc's dan harris goes shopping. >> reporter: they can play you christmas carols, ladle on the tinsel and cart out the mall santas, but make no mistake. the holiday shopping season is a war. and in the battle for the $465 billion we will spend, some stores will try to pick your pocket, white others will literally try to read your mind. but there are ways for you to fight back. it is literally one-fifth the price. more on that in a moment, but let's start with some sneaky tricks you should look out for. >> it's a huge campaign of disinformation, if you wil

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, and terry moran in washington, this is "nightline," december 9th, 2011. >> good evening. we don't hear very often about the acts of citizen heroism that

. >> from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline." december 26th, 2011. >>> good evening, i'm terry moran. we're going to start in iraq tonight. many military families around the nation got a holiday gift they could hardly have imagined a few years ago, their loved ones finally home from the battlefield in iraq but amidst all the celebrations there is tension. that's because iraq is still facing widespread strife, a spate of sectarian violence tearing the country apart including another suicide bombing in baghdad today and an increasingly fragile government there. our martha raddatz was there when the last troops left iraq and she brings us the very latest. >> reporter: they could be scenes from the height of the u.s. war in iraq. at least a dozen explosions tearing across baghdad in the last few days, car bombs and improvised explosive devices targeting schools, markets and today the interior ministry leaving more than 60 dead and hundreds wounded. and in the halls of power, a different kind of crisis, the

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 29th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm bill weir. it is a startling fact. tens of thousands of preschoolers in this country are on anti-psychotic medications. and the number has doubled in the last decade. but most of these drugs in question have not been tested on children. and doctors have no idea what their affect may be on the developing brain. tonight, we meet a family faced with a profoundly difficult choice. and here is my co-anchor, cynthia mcfadden. >> reporter: for this little boy, what you're seeing is not just a mow men tear tantrum, but the stuff of every day life. >> that hurt. >> reporter: day in and day out, cole eva vold's parents, jennifer and chris, have had to cope with his thrashing, banging and screaming. it's certainly not what they thought life would be like when they adopted him as a newborn seven years ago. >> i guess he really was fussy. he cried and needed to be held a lot and he never slept. i thought, he's a baby

cynthia mcfadden, abc news, hinkley, california. >> our thanks to cynthia.he'll have much more on a special edition of "nightline prime time." bringing america back. we'll also be taking you behind the scenes with my interview with the ceo of ford. inside the american brand as we ask, how did they bring it back? that's bringing america back, american dreamers, at 8:00 p.m. eastern, 9:00 pacific. right before the debate right here on abc. >>> when we come back, i'm heading to the floor to show you what you don't see at home. you don't see at home. her as "that woman with the great gums." because great gums are a foundation of a healthy smile. so she uses crest pro-health clinical gum protection toothpaste. it helps eliminate plaque at the gum line, helping prevent gingivitis. it's even clinically proven to help reverse it in just 4 weeks. and it protects these other areas dentists check most. crest pro-health clinical gum protection. because healthy smiles are built on healthy gums. life opens up when you do. try bayer advanced aspirin. it's not the bayer asp

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 28th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. well, viral internet videos make for good entertainment. some of the most popular of them feature kids caught on camera in moments of truly towering misconduct or cuteness or both. but what many people don't realize and some parents have figured out, is that it's possible to capitalize on all those videos and that may change the picture. here's abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: we're all guilty of it. flicking off that spreadsheet or word document to wash the deliciously funny. often touching. >> ouch, charlie! >> reporter: sometimes wonderfully irreverent. ♪ the silliness of children starring in viral youtube videos. david is likely the undisputed king of monetizing his 7-year-old son's trippy few minutes of post-dental delirium. >> why is this happening to me? >> reporter: he won't say exactly how much, but after 100 million views, he's made several hundred thousands dollars. he has created a

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, and terry moran in washington, this is "nightline," december 9th, 2011. >> good evening. we don't hear very often about the acts of citizen heroism that lift the american reality closer to the american ideal. but 11 years ago, hollywood brought us the extraordinary story of one exceptional hero, erin brockovich, who stood up for a community who she says was being poisoning. she's out there again raising the alarm, and the community she's trying to protect might just be yourses. here's my co-anchor cynthia mcfadden. >> so, ball up and make it right. >> reporter: meet the real erin brockovich. bold, brassy, with more than enough fast to play herself in the movie named for her. >> you want me to trust you? do me a favor, ed, don't use big words you don't understand. >> reporter: instead, julia roberts got the part and the oscar. >> once the chromium hits the pound -- >> reporter: we met the real erin brockovich 15 years ago, reporting on the discontent in inkley and another small t

i'm chris cuomo. >> i'm cynthia mcfadden. thank you for watching.h more about the republican debate tomorrow on gma and this week. for all of us at abc news, good night. your turkey was delicious like always sweetheart. ah...thanks mom. bye. drive safely. yes, we will we will love you. ♪ it's beginning to look a lot like christmas ♪ ♪ toys in every store. egg nog? ♪ the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be on your own front door ♪

i'm chris cuomo. >> i'm cynthia mcfadden. watching. like always sweetheart.elis ah...thanks mom. bye. drive safely. yes, we will we will love you. ♪ it's beginning to look a lot like christmas ♪ ♪ toys in every store. egg nog? ♪ the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be on your own front door ♪ .

cynthia mcfadden brings us this encore report. ♪ >> reporter: it is death defying stunts that make spider-manne of the most anticipated broadway shows in recent memory. wh how fast are you going? >> about 45 miles an hour. >> reporter: bravo. as thrilling as it is to watch in the audience it's more fun to watch it up here. it's hard to believe he's back in the air performing the same stunts that temporarily shut the show down last year. he was in a life-threatening accident falling 30 feet below the stage. >> i broke three vertebrae, my skull, my scapula and elbow. >> reporter: got some pretty good scars. >> yeah. >> reporter: can i see? >> oh, my gosh. wow. >> reporter: we were with him the day he came back to work months ahead of schedule. >> someone who represents the total spirit of this company. >> reporter: tierney's recovery seemed to go much faster than the show's. after five serious accidents delayed opening night six times, critics broke broadway protocol and published scathing reviews about it months before it opened ♪ the world should end >> reporter: so i've never read quite so h

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 1st, 2011. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. we're going to begin tonight with an abc news exclusive. it's the first interview with an american businessman, immediately after his release from four months in jail on the caribbean island of aruba, wra he but suspected of, though never charged with, the murder of his traveling companion. she was robyn gardner. a 35-year-old maryland woman, not presumed yesterday. he is gary giordano, answering some questions and raising others. abc's matt gutman has been covering the story from the start and here he is now. >> reporter: after 116 days in an aruba prison, gary giordano, arrested for the suspected murder of robyn gardner, back on u.s. soil. did you ever think this would come, all those nights in prison? >> no. no. i'd accepted the fact that they were going to -- keep me from my kids forever. >> reporter: in new york, an onslaught of reporters. and soon, this emotional reunion with his three t

. >> announcer: from the global resourtss of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 16th, 2011. >> good friday evening, i'm bill weir. shyness is hardly uncommon. just about every kid experiences a paralyzing moment during show and tell or meeting someone new. but imagine a child so stricken with fear, she goes without speaking for an entire school year. you're about to meet two such children, their parents, desperate for help and one man who says he can cure them with a technique that just might work for anyone with a severe phobia. here's abc's juju chang. >> reporter: jake has trapped himself inside a world of silence. so, what's your favorite tv show? he won't talk. his parents were baffled. >> i heard himself at camp this summer and he didn't tell anybody. i said, did you cry? he said no. i said, did you tell the counselors? he was like, no. >> reporter: maya is the same way. watch. she doesn't move a muscle during her school pageant. maya's extreme social phobia made it impossible for her to blow out her own birth

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 6th, 2011. >> good evening, all, i'm bill weir. well, there are 60 billion reasons to get into the weight loss business. that's mow many dollars we the people spend each year in the struggle for a smaller silhouette. but all the fad berries, roots and hormones lead to a staggering number of americans getting ripped off, sick or both. today, the fda pulled one wildly popular group from the shelves. don't, we survey what other diets are popular and how they perform. here's abc's sharyn alfonsi. >> reporter: it is a holiday tradition. big meals, batches of cook keeps, endless cocktails and then -- scale shock. tis the season for weight gain. and then almost immediately, a desperate attempt to lose it. cue up the diet du jour. fad diets sprout as fast as weeds and wither away just as quickly. yet, they all offer the promise of the same thing. a quick fix to fat. but do these diets work? and more importantly, are they safe? for gam pl, today,

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 30th, 2011. >>> good evening, all, i'm bill weir. for american troops serving in afghanistan, one killer has surpassed all others. the improvised explosive device. they have either taken the lives or shattered the bolds of more than 8,000 u.s. service members of that war. and they are such a relens lent scourge because they are so easy to make, with a couple of ingredients that end up being disturbingly easy to buy. here's nick schifrin with our series, "nightline investigates." >> reporter: down every rutted road in afghanistan, nothing scares u.s. troops more than this. an ied, just blew up beneath this truck. >> is everyone okay? >> reporter: ieds are the u.s.'s enemy number one in afghanistan. >> oh, my ears. >> reporter: they killed or wounded more than 8,000 american troops. and the numbers are getting worse. >> [ bleep ]. this is close as we get to the source of all our problems. ieds. >> reporter: meet this sar jet. he's an explo

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 27th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. and tonight, we begin at the check-in counter and end up at a surprise destination. maybe you're among the billimil of americans flying this holiday season and you encountered the fees airlines now charge at every turn. but you may not know that $30 checked bag fee is just one way airlines can get money out of your luggage. they can also sell it. here's abc's ryan owens. >> reporter: whoever coined the phrase half the fun is getting there clearly hasn't flown in awhile. and certainly not during the holidays. nearly 44 million americans are expected to crisscross the country by air, in the weeks leading up to christmas and new year's. the price tag for that holiday trip home? an average of more than $400 round trip. industry experts say airlines have increased fares nine times this year alone. and that doesn't include those dreaded fees. last year, americans shelled out an eye-popping $5.7 bil

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 2nd, 2011. >> good evening. it's friday, let's talk about sex. never has our culture been so sex saturated, so explicitly carnal in the age of the internet, sex really is everywhere. so much so that adults who do not have sex, who remain virgins into their 30s and beyond, they not only seem exceptional, they seem in a way, revolutionary. and, in fact, their numbers are growing. so, tonight, we meet these sex dissenters, you may call them. here's abc's stephanie sy for our series, "modern sex in america." >> you may kiss your bride. >> reporter: it may be one of the most cringe worthy kisses in american history. two virgins hitting first base on their wedding day. easy fodder for "the ellen degeneres show." >> dear diary. today, i had my first kiss. not worth the wait. >> reporter: ryan and shanna are part of tlc's new show, "virgin diaries," kron kming the lives of virgins in their 30s. >> i'm 35 years old and i'm a virgin. >> we're both

. >>> good evening, i'm cynthia mcfadden. much of the world is on high alert tonight as the death of north korea's leader kim jong-il raises new questions about nuclear security. the deceased leader gave rise to a cult of personality, as well as chronic poverty and famine conditions within his own country that killed millions. but, might his death be an opportunity for a new kind of north korea? here's abc's david wright in south korea. >> reporter: he was the pint-sized dictator of a pariah country. with his finger on a nuclear trigger. whenever kim jong-il rattled his saber, as he did with some regularity, he'd fire off one of these. remember george w. bush's famous phrase? >> states like these and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil. >> reporter: he was talking about iraq, iran and north korea. and that was before kim jong-il succeeded in building a bomb. today on north korean state tv, the news anchors wept as they broke the news of his death. beneath the giant statue of the dear leader -- a display of abjec

. >> 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," december 15th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm juju chang. are you being watched? it's a disturbing thought, but a recent rash of voyeurism cases suggests it's not just a paranoid suggest. criminals are using tiny hidden cameras in public and seemingly private places. worse still, in many states, these crimes are only misdemeanor, meaning even peeping toms that are caught aren't seriously punished. here's abc's dan harris. >> reporter: these are boom times for peeping toms who are watching you by hiding cameras in places you would never expect. you're looking at jonathan willing. police say this video shows him putting a tiny camera in a tanning booth where he recorded four naked women. and this here is james allen reesy, shown on video apparently placing his cell phone camera under an unsuspecting woman's dress. and police say he did the same thing as a nearby thrift store, achling the lens underneath the door of a dressing ro

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 7th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm bill weir. and tonight, we bring you a special edition of "nightline." in a major network exclusive, abc's barbara wealters is just back from another arab country seemingly on the brink of overtloug another dictator. syria. barbara is the first allowed access to the country since a nine-month-old revolution began. she was invited there to conduct an extraordinary interview with the embattled syrian president, bashar al assad, accused of a brutal crackdown that's taken at least 4,000 lives. barbara, welcome home. >> thank you. >> reporter: you sat with saddam hussein, mubarak, gadhafi. how does this man compare? >> very different. he's not a wild, crazy person, at least that's the way gadhafi seemed to us. he is kaup. he is soft spoken. he is articulate. he speaks very good english. there were no ground rules. he answered every question. but there is this disconnect, bill, between what we hear about this co

. >> 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," december 23rd, 2011. >> good evening, i'm juju chang. for all of us, the holidays are a time to reflect. even more so, if you're the commander in chief. this year, president obama scored some victories, including the elimination of osama bin laden. but many feel he's failed to fix the economy. nearly three out of every four americans say the country is on the wrong track. in this exclusive joint interview, the president and the first lady talk with our barbara walters and answer some surprising questions from inquisitive children. >> reporter: this season, some 85,000 people will visit the white house. with american troops finally coming home from iraq, this year's theme honors military families. >> and this is where many of our holiday guests come when we have receptions. >> reporter: first lady michelle obama took me on a tour. >> this would be me, mrs. obama. this one is a cute one, this is the president. you see, by th

i'm cynthia mcfadden. we begin tonight with one of the most extraordinary and disturbing scenes ever captured on a camera phone. it began when a man arrived at his mother-in-law's door to pick up his 3-year-old son. the bloodshed that followed and the question of blame might have ended up a pure matter of he said/she said but one factor makes this case different. when things went wrong, he's already hit record. here's abc's matt gutman for our series "crime and punishment." [ gunshots ] >> what are you doing? >> reporter: that shriek, the crack of gunfire, the chilling sound of what police say is a man being shot at point blank range. >> -- you shot me! >> reporter: he later said he turned on his iphone video camera knowing something, quote, stupid was about to happen, in this cookie-cutter south florida senior community. the shooter was 66-year-old sheryl, his mother-in-law and grandmother of his 3-year-old. >> i can't believe you did that! i can't believe you did that! >> reporter: is it common for you t

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 14th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. and we're going to begin tonight with a bright spot in a bleak economy. the women of mary kay cosmetics. 165,000 people started mary kay businesses in the united states last april alone. it's a second job for many of them, but they work for themselves and they chalked up 2$2.5 billion in 2010 worldwide. here's abc's ryan owens in our network series, "bringing america back." >> reporter: it has all the glitz and glamour of the academy awards. >> perfect. >> reporter: but this red carpet is in dallas. and it probably should be pink. >> are you ready for the most exciting night of your life? ♪ baby you're a firework >> reporter: it's awards night at mary kay cosmetics, and for the next few hours, hundreds of women will receive a lot more than little golden statues. >> featuring almost two krar rats of diamonds. >> reporter: they're being recognized and rewarded for growing their business when so

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, the this is "nightline," december 22nd, 2011. >> good evening, i'm bill weir. it is the first night of winter. we have two more nights before christmas. and so the travel forecast looms large for so many of us out there. ma nature has been tough on denver, bringing two and a half feet of snow. another major storm down south brought wind damage across five states with a confirmed tornado touching down in alabama. reports of another one in rome, georgia, just a few hours ago. and tomorrow, that system will bring rain and possibly snow to the northeast. and travelers are not the only ones affected by all of this. anyone with a package flying around out there en route to a special someone should know that the biggest shipping companies are dealing with both weather and record demand. americans spent 32 billion bucks shopping online this holiday. that's up 15% from last year. and they're not done. because it wouldn't be christmas without a little old fashioned procrastina

in new york city, this is "nightline," december 20th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm cynthia mcfadden. we begin tonight with the case of a missing toddler. if you feel you've heard a lot of these stories, you'd be right. nearly 800,000 children go missing every year in the united states. the vast majority come home safely, within 24 hours. but tonight, in waterville, maine, hope is wearing thin for a child now missing four days. here's abc's linsey davis. >> reporter: tens of thousands of american parents will go into this holiday season missing a child. that pain is heartfelt by trista reynolds, the mother of a sweet-faced 20 month old toddler named ayla, believed to be missing since last friday. >> i want to know where she is. i want her home. i am praying to god that the next person who goes knocking at my door is going to tell me that my daughter is safe and she is fine. >> reporter: ayla's father justin dipietro, told police in maine that he put the baby to bed in green polka dot pajamas emblazoned with the words "daddy's princess." but the next morning, there was no sign of his l

>> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 13th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm bill weir. as the only rock we eat, salt has been a treasured commodity going back to the earliest civilizations and while we don't trade it anymore, most of us have enough affection for it to be dangerous. and now the fda has signaled that it is looking for new ways to bring salt consumption in line. a shift that could change eating as we know it. here's abc's linsey davis. >> crispy and cooks the inside afterwards. >> reporter: taste is what makes chef andrew's roasted chicken the hottest selling item on the menu. >> flip it over. >> reporter: like this? to get that taste that has people flocking to his trendy downtown manhattan restaurant, he uses olive oil, a bit of lemon and a very generous helping of salt. >> if you don't have salt on there, it's going to be bland. and i don't want to go through life with bland food. >> reporter: he brians the chicken in salt and water for 45 minutes before roasting

. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," november 30th, 2011. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. we're going to begin tonight in the heartland, where cops are working around the clock to keep an every day cold medicine out of the hands of drug dealers. the key ingredient to making meth can be found in any drugstore and dealers are paying big bucks to get their hands on what has now become a closely regulated supply of it. chris bury catches up with the cops trying to catch those dealers for our series "nightline investigates." >> reporter: if you're a fan of amc's hit series "breaking bad," then you know the mantra of walter white. making methamphetamine is just basic chemistry. turns out, fiction foul lopes fact. meth abuse is exploding across rural america. in kentucky, where labs have nearly tripled since 2008, it's become an all-consuming battle for dan smoot. >> there's six undercoverers. >> reporter: he leads operation unite. >> nobody run to the car and we'll meet you at walgreens