for "nightline," i'm jim avila in washington. >> and our thanks to jim for that.lso have a final weather note for you tonight. florida is bracing for the wrath of hurricane sandy. it slammed areas of the caribbean with two feet of rain and 110-mile-per-hour ones, with a reported death toll of at least 21. this category 2 hurricane threatens to grow even more powerful, as it hits land and ming ms with a cold weather system and could wreak havoc, major havoc, across the area as far north as new england. >>> and tomorrow night, a special edition of "nightline." >> i love the ku klux klan. >> cynthia mcfadden takes us inside the secret cross burnings and what they day is their new message. inside today's kkk. don't miss it. and thank you for watching abc news. make sure to check in for "good morning america." they are working while we're all sleeping. jimmy kimmel is next. we'll see you here tomorrow. have a good night. >>> up next on an all-new "jimmy kimmel live" -- first lady michelle obama. >> up and at 'em! >> hallie berry. >> they said, don't look her in the fac

it's an incredible story of lapse security and only abc's jim avila has it. >> reporter: daniel casillorize jet ski exposed a multimillion dollar system at new york's jfk and he wasn't even trying. >> the whole intention was to be seen because you're in the airport. there's not to be some type of security. they have motion detectors. >> reporter: afc an unintended test of all those things, even the airport barbed wire, chain link eight-foot perimeter fence that he easily climbed in his shorts and life vest. that was easy? >> there was no challenge at all. >> reporter: how did this young man become both a trespassing pain in the new york authority's neck and unofficial security consultant for one of america's largest airports? it started on an august night in jamaica bay off the shoreline runways of jfk. >> the jet ski just shut off. i looked around. no lights. no boats, nothing. no noise, just pitch black. >> he's miles away from the shore in choppy water but heads toward faint lights in the distance swimming behind the dead water craft pushing it towards land. it takes hours. >> the ac

jim avila, abc news, new york. >>> coming up here -- a scientist creating a stir tonight. who says he has real proof that he's been to heaven. next. before copd... i took my son fishing every year. we had a great spot, not easy to find, but worth it. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function starting within five minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. and that means...fish on! symbicort is for copd including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. with copd, i thought i'd miss our family tradition. now symbicort significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. and that makes a difference in my breathing. today, we're ready for whatever swims our way

and as jim avila reports, federal officials are already investigating two other flights, both boeing 757s, with the very same issue. >> during climbout, rows passenger seats, row 12 d, e, and f, came loose on the floor. >> reporter: american airlines flight 685, from boston to miami, diverted in mid-flight, declaring an emergency and landing at jfk in new york, because a row of seats had disengaged from its rail on nearly a nearly full flight. one of the displaced passengers is moved to the flight attendants' jump seat. but fearing turbulence en route, the captain decides to land before the loose row becomes an in-flight missile. >> we don't want that thing flying around and hurting the passengers behind it. the seat is loose and can rotate pretty quickly. >> reporter: a second american flight, from jfk, this time, to miami, turned back after takeoff because of loose seats. elevating american's struggles from inconvenience, to safety concerns. >> i think it could be sabotage. or it could just be sloppiness. but either way, it's kind of a disaster for the airline. >> reporter: america

>> all right, jim avila.onight. >>> and, coming up, a milestone also worth noting today, for the sistine chapel. why did michelangelo tell his friends he didn't want to paint it in the first place? i had enough of feeling embarrassed about my skin. [ designer ] enough of just covering up my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer up to 9 months. [ male announcer ] because enbrel®, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal in

abc's senior national correspondent jim avila has more. >> hug and kiss. >> reporter: parents trust them with precious lives. >> our bus driver is really good. i never seen speed. >> reporter: so, when moms and dads see pictures like this, school buses barrelling through red lights and caught hitting speeds 20 miles or more over the speed limit, it's shocking. >> on our lives, 50 lives that you just put in danger. >> reporter: this is baltimore, are our affiliate wmar-abc 2 investigates hundreds of speeding and red light camera violations, caught on tape. some of them had kids in the bus as it zoomed by the camera. >> we were absolutely stunned by the number of tickets that we found. >> reporter: it's not just baltimore. our cincinnati affiliate bought a radar gun. >> no way. >> reporter: they, too, were surprised at the number of speeding bus drivers all over town. >> scares me for the sake of 0 our children. >> reporter: no wonder it's scary. kids aren't required to use seat belts. this ohio bus with an interior camera captured what can happen in an accident. but the pictures may hide

jim avila, abc news, washington. >>> and now, the peanut butter recall.many families still asking us, if your family has eaten peanut butter, how do you know when you're out of the woods, when can you stop worrying? and what exactly are the symptoms? how do they progress? tonight, for the first time, a parent whose child was sickened by tainted peanut butter speaks to abc's steve osunsami. >> reporter: 8-year-old nate says it felt like he was going to die, all because he ate out of a jar of peanut butter his father bought from a trader joe's grocery store. >> it felt very painful. the stomach cramps, i was screaming loud and i was saying, why does this happen to me? >> reporter: he's one of 30 confirmed salmonella victims so far. families should know that symptoms show up usuallyithin three days. i was a terrible scare and started saturday. first, painful stomach cramps. then, a severe headache. a 103 degree fever. by monday morning, he was vomiting. he but now bleeding. doctors couldn't figure it out. on wednesday, he had to be hospitalized. his fever di

jim avila, abc news, new york. >>> and coming up, our instant index.us talking today starting with this. by getting a scowl from your boss might not be a bad thing. ♪ [ male announcer ] how do you make 70,000 trades a second... ♪ reach one customer at a time? ♪ or help doctors turn billions of bytes of shared information... ♪ into a fifth anniversary of remission? ♪ whatever your business challenge, dell has the technology and services to help you solve it. but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! hi, i just switched jobs, and i want to roll over my old 401(k) into a fidelity ira. man: okay, no problem. it's easy to get started; i can help you with the paperwork. um...this green line just appeared on my floor. yeah, that's fidelity helping you reach your financial goals. could you hold on a second? it's your money. roll over your old

a b bc news senior corresponden jim avila explains. >> reporter: fireproof leggings, knee pads a chinese knockout bulletproof style vest, all covered by the stair owe tip came long black trench coat. >> this guy is involved in some sort of delusion or fantasy that's totally didn't appropriate, obviously. >> reporter: in fact, sources tell abc news, harris, car rig only a laptop, wore that vest through security in china. but was taken aside and questioned during his route through south korea and japan, then allowed to proceed to the united states. when he landed in los angeles, a customs agent noticed the unusual gash, checked his back and police arrested him. >> he had a myriad of items in his checked in luggage that raised a lof of suspicion. he had a gas mask, knives, handcuffs. >> reporter: still, it may surprise the average passenger, none of that frightening gear, not even the body bags in his luggage, is banned from planes. only a smoke grenade, also found in his checked luggage, is illegal, and the tsa is investigating how korean authorities let it get aboard. and while it could h

abc's senior national correspondent jim avila gets answers. >> reporter: everyone knows caffeine canreate a body buzz, make the hands shake, hearts palpitate but in high doses like those found in the energy drink monster, can it kill? the fda says it's received reports of five deaths and one heart attack possibly linked to the energy drink and it is investigating diligently, but is not confirmed they were caused by monster. >> she had no pulse but her heart was still beating. >> reporter: wendy's daughter anais died six days later and is one of those five deaths the fda is looking into. >> she had a 24-ounce monster. that was it. >> reporter: this picture of a too young to die teen has been the rallying call for a crackdown of energy drinks accused of marketing their hyper caffeinated drinks to young people. senator dick durbin held it up in the senate. >> she drank two 4-ounce drinks and it took her life. >> reporter: is it true for caffeine to be the true killer. the death certificate says caffeine toxicity. monster is way up near the top of the list. more than a starbucks latte. m

abc's senior national correspondent jim avila was there. >> reporter: this is what three months in the slammer can do to a man. jerry sandusky has lost weight, his skin turned gray and his gregarious, everyone's pal persona, shrunken inward. the arrogance, gone. >> he did not have that annoying grin. he is a defeated man today. >> reporter: and that was before the judge lowered the boom -- not a day less than 30 years, as many as 60. >> he will not get out until he is 97 or 98 years old. so he's going to die in prison. >> reporter: his wife, dottie, in court for support. sandusky complained about the verdict, and in a defiant but trembling voice, proclaimed innocence. "i feel a need to talk. i didn't do these alleged disgusting acts." a more emotional echo of what we heard him say in a public statement release to the penn state radio station. >> they can treat me as a monster, but they can't take away my heart. >> reporter: but in court sandusky would not have the last word. three of his ten victims confronted him face to face. victim five, "i'm haunted by his naked body." victim six,

abc's jim avila gets on the line. >> -- expires. >> this is the last time we'll contact you. >> on youre. >> reporter: they pretend to be concerned about your car. >> we have critical information about your automobile warranty. >> reporter: to know your credit card balance. >> this is rachel at card holder services. >> reporter: and desperately want you to respond. >> please press 1 now on your phone to speak with a live operator. >> reporter: but don't do it. >> out advice is straightforward, hang up. there are virtually no legitimate marketers trying to reach you to sell you something using a prerecorded call. >> reporter: it could be the number one nuisance in the american home, robo-calls, those prerecorded sales pitches, they're all illegal whether you're on the do not call list or not. 15 robo-call rings busted last year, but according to a federal trade commission report issued today, it's a violation that keeps on growing. nearly 4 million people filed official federal complaints about telemarketing last year. that's up by a million. why the jump? easy access technology. >> a fe

jim avila, abc news, lake petenwell, wisconsin. >> our thanks to jim tonight. >>> and in los angeles, a bridge demolition that forced officials to shut one of america's busiest highways, the 405 freeway went according to plan. fears of a massive traffic nightmare, the so-called carmageddon, were not realized. drivers steered clear of the area, and the lanes are expected to re-open as planned for the morning commute. >>> there is still much more ahead on "world news" this sunday night. for the first time one of those replacement refs on the field speaking out about that controversial call that captured the attention of the entire country. what that ref is saying about that call tonight. [ feedback ] attention, well, everyone. you can now try snapshot from progressive free for 30 days. just plug this into your car, and your good driving can save you up to 30%. you could even try it without switching your insurance. why not give it a shot? carry on. now you can test-drive snapshot before you switch. visit progressive.com today. throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete mu

here's jim avila. the the. >> they pretend to be concerned about your car. >> we have critical information about your automobile warranty. >>reporter: to know your credit card balance. >> this is rachel at card holder services. >>reporter: and desperately want you to respond. is. >> speak with a live operator. >>reporter: but don't do it. >> our advice very straight fore. hangup haung hangup. there are no legitimate marke marketer trying to reach to you sell you something. using a pre-recorded call. >>reporter: it could be the no. 1 nuisance in the american home. robo calls. those pre-recorded sales pitches. they are all illegal. whether you are on the do in the call list or not. 15 robo call ring busted last year. but according to the a federal trade commission report issued today it's a violation that keeps on growing. nearly 4 million people filed official federal complaints about telemarketing last year. that is up by 1 million. why the jump? easy access technology entire web site designed to set u

jim avila, abc news, new york. >>> with hours to go until the presidential debate, the obama campaignsed of being racially divisive. at issue now are previously unreported remarks made by then candidate obama to largely african-american audience back in 2007. obama suggested the federal government overlooked new orleans' residents suffering in the wake of hurricane katrina. >> what's happening down in new orleans? where's your dollar? where's your money? makes no sense! tells me the bullet hasn't been taken out. tells me that somehow the people down in new orleans, they don't care about as much. >> the founder of the conservative website that released the tape says those comments are evidence obama was quote, whipping up hatred and fear. meanwhile the obama campaign released this statement. it says, quote, in a transparent attempt to change the sumg from his comments attacking half of the american people, mitt romney's allies recirculated video of the 2007 event that was open to and extennively covered by the press at the time. >> and romney's camp responded to this saying they had ab

jim avila, abc news, new york. >> right, i buy monster drinks in bulk. are not recommended for children or anybody who has an issue or sensitive to caffeine. so the disclaimer is right there as well. but sometimes you don't know you might have an aversion to caffeine until it's too late. >> does that story freak you out at all, or are you okay? >> i am okay. you have to take 5,000 to 10,000 milligrams of caffeine is the lethal dose. >> i was wondering, why something like monsters, as opposed to diet coke, coffee, tea. >> did you see how much caffeine is in monster than diet coke? it's exponentially more. >> it's more. >> yes. i need caffeine because abc doesn't allow me to sleep ever. >> that's true. when we come back, we will see what is shaking in "the skinny." high speed internet at home on our newly expanded advanced digital network, a connection you can count on. introducing at&t u-verse high speed internet with more speed options, reliability and wi-fi hot spots than ever. go to our website below to get u-verse high speed internet for just 14.95 a

jim avila, abc news, washington. >> all right.ke to think that, you know, you're putting your kids in good hands when you put them on the bus. that's crazy. >> i remember in chicago i saw an erratic bus driver. i nearly called the authorities because speeding, cutting people off. >> should have. >> it was incomprehensible. he didn't have any children on board at the time. still you can't abuse those privileges especially. need to have some sort of law mandating that children wear seatbelts. you always wear seatbelts. >> i never wore a seatbelt on the school bus, all those years, through high school. >> when you get in a car, my kids put seatbelts on. well, they're in car seats still. >> i don't get that. take it to capitol hill, paula faris. fight the fight. >> i'm going to fight the fight and keep fighting in "the skinny." some good, juicy hollywood news. >> that's right. stay tuned. we'll be right back with -- ♪ the skinny >> the what? >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations. ♪ ♪ ♪ skinny so ski

now he is talking to abc's jim avila. >> reporter: america's airports are not as secure as the publicclimbing the fence at st. george, utah. driving a jet into the terminal or this 2010 wild ride at dallas' love field. >> tower what's the protocol for something like this? he is coming at us, can we move? >> reporter: perhaps the jaw dropper of all perimeter security breakdowns came on an august night at water-logged hands of a marooned jet skier off jfk's shoreline runways in new york. >> i walked right across without any type of problem. i didn't get seen. >> reporter: danny casillo wasn't out to expose anything, but when his jet ski broke down forcing him to swim to shore, only to land up on an eight-foot airport security fence, he thought surely he would be spotnd and saved. >> the whole intention the whole time was to make myself seen. >> reporter: his next move, jumping the fence showed everyone, even the best airports with tens of millions of dollars spent on cameras, motion detectors and a security plan can fail in dramatic fashion. >> i thought again, well, now, i'm over the f

abc's jim avila went to wisconsin, put on some waders, and got into the story literally. >> reporter:s an assault on nearly all the senses. a living, breathing, growing, toxic organism known as blue/green algae, and it is worse this month. >> that is very much alive. >> reporter: gosh, the smell is bad. caking america's lakes so thick, the swirling slime can be seen in photos from space. >> people that used to be here, after a couple of years said we can't handle it anymore and left. >> reporter: tom runs the marina in lake petenwell, wisconsin, or tries to. >> nobody will swim or boat in it. >> reporter: it not only looks bad and smells bad it is toxic. and those who are unlucky enough to fall in without a suit like this get sick pretty fast. dan jenkins didn't go in the lake next to his house. but his dog casey did. >> and he's covered in this carpet of green slime. >> reporter: it made breathing difficult. and within weeks -- >> -- casey had started walking sideways. >> reporter: 72 hours later he died. and his owner dan was partially paralyzed. >> it hit me hard. wobbling around l

jim avila, abc news, new york. >> right, i buy monster drinks in bulk.nded for children or anybody who has an issue or sensitive to caffeine. so the disclaimer is right there as well. some times you don't know you may have an aversion to caffeine until it is too late. >> that story, freak you out at all, you are okay? >> i am okay. you have to take 5,000 to 10,000 milligrams of caffeine is the lethal dose. >> i was wondering, why something like monsters, as opposed to diet coke, coffee, tea. >> did you see how much caffeine is in monster, than diet coke. exponentially more. >> it's more. >> yes, i need caffeine. because abc doesn't allow me to sleep ever. >> that's true. when we come back, we will see what is shaking in "the skinny." >> yep. ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations. ♪ skinny so skinny >>> welcome back, everybody. if there is one thing folks tend to love it is videos of celebrities falling at concerts. you have seen gaga do it. j-lo do it, beyonce do it. the latest individually to come out from the one a

here's abc's jim avila. >> reporter: american has grounded half its fleet of 757s, its domestic long-range workhorse, taking out for a second round of faa monitored fixes to prevent passenger seats from becoming dislodged in the air. the airline engineering team decided the locking mechanism that secures the seats to the floor, must be enhanced. >> we have a unique situation of a track that had become somewhat worn. and it was where some soda spilled down over time and allowed the seats to become dislodged. >> reporter: another setback for american airlines which suffered record delays in september, for what it claims were labor troubles. claiming its pilots intentionally caused delays twice as often as competitors. the seat issue ratcheted up the airline's troubles. the seats on three flights had come unhinged. earlier this week, american said it finished its inspections. but it's ordering mechanics to fix the seats again, wherever the 48 planes involved land next. a move that will cause cancellations and more delays until saturday. >>> sources tell abc news that federal investigators are

abc's jim avila has been covering this story from the start. he's outside the pennsylvania courtroom, where sandusky will appear later today. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning, george. we think we know what jerry sandusky will say from his attorneys and also his public statement. now, abc news obtained a portion of what one of his victims is expected to tell the judge. just this morning, victim number five told abc news, quote, i hope and pray when your honor sentences mr. sandusky that you sfwiek account the harm and fear and pain and anguish i and others have not suffered. certainly, this will not be your ordinary sentencing. we expect it coming down very, very soon. >> i'm responding to the worst loss of my life. >> reporter: jerry sandusky, firing back for the first time since he was found guilty of 45 counts of sexual abuse against children. the former penn state coach, now says he didn't get a fair trial. says he has been unjustly treated like a monster. in a statement released to the university radio station late monday, calls

abc's senior national correspondent jim avila tells us. >> reporter: boston's logan field -- one of american's boeing 757s, 47 of which, nearly half the fleet taken out of service today. as the troubled airline tries to make sure no more of its coach seats come loose in flight -- as they have three separate times. >> the seats are loose. >> we're not sure if it is a mechanical failure or a human failure. >> reporter: american saying today it has identified the problem -- because seats came loose in one case, flipping passengers on their backs. the seats came in rows of three. the row is held to the floor with a cadle clamp. that was improperly installed. >> on the safety side of the situation, american's doing haul that it can do right now to ensure that the seats are being looked at and installed as correctly as possible. >> reporter: american says the investigation is still underway, but so far the airline cannot give a solid answer as to why now. these seats have been in use for up to 20 years, and never come loose before. aviation sources say the last eyes and hands on the saddle clamps in

well, he talked exclusively to abc's jim avila. jim? >> reporter: good morning, amy.is a jaw-dropper. the port authority which runs the airport says it has stepped up patrols since the embarrassing incident. and is working with a security firm to fix the problem. in fact, tries -- twice this summer, the intruder, danny, has taken authorities back to show them his route. danny beat a security system at jfk, one of america's largest airports, without even trying. >> the whole intention the whole time was to make myself seen. >> reporter: it was an august night, aboard danny's just-repaired bright yellow jet ski, when it broke down in jamaica bay just off the airport approach. >> i looked around, nothing. just pitch black. >> reporter: through the darkness, all he could see was the control tower. after a three-mile swim and hike through a muddy marsh, cold and disoriented, danny reached a chain-link, barbed wire airport fence. and the moment of truth. climb it and violate the law? or hit the there and risk death? >> i made a decision. i'm going to have to get found. >> r

abc's senior national correspondent jim avila now telling us the latest. jim? >> reporter: diane, american tonight grounded half its fleet of 757s, its domestic long-range workhorse, taken out of service for a second round of faa monitored fixes to prevent passenger seats from becoming dislodged in the air. at one point, one of them even turned over backwards into the row behind it. the airline's engineering team has decided the locking mechanism that secures the seat to the floor must be enhanced. it's another setback for american, which suffered record delays in september, for what it blamed on labor troubles, claiming its pilots intentionally caused delays twice as often as its competitors, something the pilots' union has denied. the seat trouble has racheted things up to now a safety issue. the seats on three flights came unhinged. just yesterday, american said it finished its inspections but now is ordering mechanics to fix the seats again, wherever the 48 planes involved land next, anywhere in the country. a move that will cause cancellations and more del

abc's jim avila explains what is next for the disgraced excoach. >> reporter: life in prison echoingn his ears, heading back to isolation in county jail for another ten days, as state prison prepares for him. nothing special. no separate quarters, even for famous pedophiles in pennsylvania. after 30 days of assessment, he'll be assigned to the general population, in one of the state's 25 men's prisons. >> sandusky's lawyers are planning to appeal. >>> new this morning, a boston man is facing a slew of federal charges can after he tried boarding a plane wearing body armor and carrying an arsenal of weapons in his luggage. take a look at what agents at l.a.x. recovered. grenades, billy clubs, knives, a hatchet, virtually every kind of weapon but guns. they found things like body bags, duct tape and leg irons. investigators say he is not cooperating. but for now, they do not believe he is linked to any terrorist groups. >>> also in los angeles, crews battle a dangerous fire overnight in the echo park area. the building's roof partially collapsed, which forced firefighters to retreat and

jerry sandusky on the eve of his sentencing for sexual abuse, and abc senior national correspondent jim avila right here to tell us what he's saying. jim? >> good evening, diane. tomorrow is judgment day and a judge is expected to sentence jerry sandusky to life and live out the rest of his days in prison. tonight in a highly unorthodox move he put out a daring statement to the penn state college radio station. on the tape he defiantly accuses his victims of lying and insists that he is an innocent man. >> i'm responding to the worst loss of my life. first i looked at myself. over and over i asked why? why didn't we have a fair opportunity to prepare for trial? why have so many people suffered as a result of false allegations? what's the purpose? maybe it will help others. some vulnerable children who could be abused might not be as a result of all the publicity. that would be nice, but i'm not sure about it. i would cherish the opportunity to become a candle for others as they have been a light for me. they can take away my life. they can make me out as a monster, they can treat me as a mons