abc's karen travers is joining us live from washington this morning with the stunning revelations. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, yunji. good morning, rob. bernie madoff's arrest tore his family apart. and now, we're learning that it drove him and his wife to the brink. on christmas eve 2008, burnive in and ruth madoff decided they had had enough. two weeks earlier, been been arrested and charged with running a multibillion-dollar ponzi scheme that bilked investors. according to a new interview ruth madoff did with cbs news' "60 minutes," she and her husband tried to kill themselves the night before christmas in their new york city penthouse apartment. >> we decided to kill ourselves because it was so horrendous what was happening. we had terrible phone calls. hate mail. just beyond anything. and i said i can't, i just can't go on anymore. >> reporter: ruth told cbs that she and her husband of 50 years decided together to swallow pills, including ambien and klonopin. but it wasn't enough. we took pills and woke up the next day. it was very impulsive. i'm glad we wok

abc's karen travers live in washington. thanks, karen. >>> republicans are calling on congressional investigators to expand their probe of the administration's green energy loan program. they want to know more about the $500 million in federal money that was given to a start-up electric car company called fisker. >> its cars are being assembled in finland. but the head of the company insists none of uncle sam's money is going to those overseas workers. >> a lot of questions there. >>> we have word from turkey of another miracle rescue after sunday's devastating earthquake. crews pulled a university student from the rubble of an apartment building this morning. he was injured. but he is alive. >> earlier, rescue workers managed to save a 2-week-old baby girl, along with her mother and grandmother. three generations. all three were trapped in the wreckage of what used to be their home. >> wow. >>> just in time for the flu season, there is a major, new study out that says flu vaccines might not be as e fktive as we thought. >>

karen travers has more from washington. >> reporter: president obama hit the road campaigning for his jobs bill. >> the president: too many people are looking for work. too many families are looking for that sense of security that has been slipping away for the past decade now. >> reporter: the president is on a three-day bus tour through north carolina and virginia. he won both states in 2008 winning them again next year will be a challenge. the economy is the most important issue. mr. obama's approval rate something 35% on that issue in a poll. when it comes to who voters trust more to create jobs mr. obama has a 15 point lead over congressional republicans. last week his jobs bill hit a roadblock. senate republicans opposed the bill as a whole. the white house says it is fine with an incremental approach. >> the president: we are going to break it up maybe they couldn't understand the whole thing at once. we are going to break it up into by the-sized pieces. >> reporter: the kickoff of the tour sounded like a campaign rally. the white house says this is official business. >> the pr

abc's karen travers joining us live this morning. thanks, karen. >>> anti-wall street protesters gathered again in oakland, california, last night, to honor a man who has been a hallmark for their cause. they gathered to honor scott olsen. his skull was fractured in a violent clash with police earlier this week. >> the good news is that olsen has regained consciousness. and doctors say he is getting better every day. an investigation, meanwhile, is under way, to determine if police used excessive force during that clash. >>> the exotic animals that survived the big game hunt after being freed by their suicidal owner are now at the center of a custody dispute. the owner's widow wants them back at home. >> but for now, ohio's department of agriculture has ordered that the three leopards, two primates and even the young grizzly bear, stay in quarantine at the columbus zoo. >> we never wanted to take those animals from mrs. thompson. however, in talking to jack hanna, it was his advice that the animals needed to be at the columbus zoo. an

karen travers, abc news. >>> testimony will resume in dr. conrad murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in los angeles. he is charged in the death of michael jackson. today the defense is expected to call the final two wednesday witnesses medical -- witnesses, both medical experts. yesterday dr. murray cried in court what patient told jurors dr. murray opened a clinic in houston honoring his father. >>> well, a one of a kind police chase in the auburn town hip of ohio a -- township of ohio a woman under the influence and over the speed limit and practically naked. police tried to pull her over after her vehicle reached 110 miles per hour. authorities used stop sticks to slow her down. it was beginning when the woman got out and she was topless and wearing tennis shoes and a g- string. >> you know in 26 years of working as a police officer, i don't recall having a subject in such a state of undress on any of -- and driving. >> now the woman faces many charges including operating a vehicle while under the influence and failing to comply and d

karen travers abc news, washington. >>> searching for survivors. three big updates unfolding that is happening while you slept in the earthquake in turkey. one of the biggest changes, is a building collapse with dozens of apartments. the search ongoing for survivors. >>> and worst flooding the country has seen in 50 years. how people in thailand are navigating around the water dee. tales when "good morning maryland" continues. a live look at the nation's capital at the capitol building. >>> reports say the bodies of qaddafi his son and former aid have been buried in seek rid according to military council. they were buried in a secret location to avoid the possibility of vandalism. >>> and new developments regarding the earthquake. at least 20 minutes two week old baby has been rescued two days after the massive earthquake in eastern turkey. this comes after a 7 story apartment building collapsed about 90 minutes ago following sunday's quake. dozens of apartments unit are in the building. the death toll shot up to 366 killed by the quake. turkish of

with more of the feisty back and forth, here's karen travers in washington. >> reporter: the republican debate got personal. >> mitt, you lose all of your standing from my perspective because you hired illegals. >> reporter: and even physical. >> i don't think that i've ever hired an illegal in my life. and so, i'm afraid -- i'm looking forward to finding your facts on that. >> i'll tell you what the facts are -- >> rick, again -- >> the new speaker -- >> i'm speaking. >> reporter: it was the most feisty, most exclusive showdown yet. and it was clear who the field considers the candidates to be. there was mitt romney and rick perry sparring on illegal immigration. >> you sit here in front of the american people and did not tell the truth, that you had illegals working on your property. >> you have a problem with allowing someone to finish speaking. and i suggest that if you want to become president of the united states, you have to let both people speak. >> reporter: and romney and rick santorum squaring off over health care. >> your plan was the basis for obama-care. >> excuse me. >> y

karen travers is joining us from washington with details. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, yunji. good morning, rob. the president unveiled his plan yesterday in las vegas, the nation's unofficial foreclosure capital. the goal is to help struggling americans. but it may also help the president. for the millions of americans who are drowning under the weight of their mortgages, president obama says help is on the way. >> this is going to help a lot more homeowners refinance at lower rates. >> reporter: the president unveiled a new plan that will make it easier to qualify for refinancing, even if the home is more than 125% of the current value of their home. >> if this initiative could keep 2%, 3% of the foreclosures from even happening, that has a profound effect. >> reporter: the plan is aimed at people like jan, whose florida home is worth $250,000, and has a mortgage of almost $300,000. she can't even get her bank to talk to her about refinancing without putting an additional $40,000 on the table. >> we did try a couple of ti

karen travers, abc news, washington. >> things getting heated. >>> in more political news this morning, president obama wraps up his southern bus tour today with some stops in virginia. the president and first lady will speak at a military facility in hampton, on the importance of hiring veterans. mr. obama's been trying to drum up support for his jobs bill. in an interview with abc news, the president also addressed the anti-wall street protesters, saying he does understand their frustration. >>> overseas, now. secretary of state hillary clinton has delivered a personal and blunt message to libya's leaders. she urged the libyans to keep working towards democracy. in an unusually strong statement, clinton said she hoped former libyan leader moammar gadhafi would be captured or killed soon. >>> it now appears that police may have dropped the ball in looking for one of the victims of that philadelphia captivity case. herbert knowles was reported missing in 2008 in norfolk, virginia. his social worker told authorities that his benefits check was going to an address in philadelphia. when p

reporting live from northwest karen travers, abc 7 news. back to you. >> thank you. >>> students, alumni, and faculty from our university preparing to march this evening to support the occupy wall street protests and similar demonstrations in the district. it is intended in part to bring more racial diversity to protest. african-americans enduring poverty. the demonstration begins at 5:00 p.m. with a rally on howard university campus and then marching to the u.s. chamber of commerce. protesters planned to join them -- plan to. >>> and the massive outage from blackberry. >> the fallout continues from the blackberry black out earlier this month. lawsuits have been filed in california and other places seeking refunds for the outages that affected more than half of blackberry's 7 million users worldwide. basmany of those customers are now looking at getting the iphone 4s. there is a tracking applications for children's self phones. -- cell phone. >> there's one for the iphone and there's one for the android phones. >> she says parents should te

karen travers, abc 7 news. back to you. >> thank you. >>> tensions are rising between anti-wall street protesters and police in oakland, california. take a look. last night protesters threw bottles and police fired teargas. there were several scuffles throughout the day and dozens of arrests were made. in atlanta, georgia, this morning police surrounded a camp. protest organizers have instructed demonstrators to remain peaceful. >>> first it was programmable thermostats. now pa thermostat can program itself. >> here's rob nelson. >> google says it is getting more and more demands from federal and state agencies to turn over integration about its users, up 29% in the first act of this year. intuitive thermostat now automatically lowers and raises the temperature is according to your preferences. nest also connects to your wi- fi. >> you can remotely control the thermostat using an iphone application or using the web. i was at work and about to leave the office and i adjusted the heat so it would be worn by the t

reporting live from northwest karen travers, abc 7 news. back to you. >> thank you. >>> howard university students and faculty are joining the wall street occupation in washington. today they will march from the chamber of commerce in support of the economic protests that have taken place all across the country. organizers say it is intended to bring racial diversity and to the movement. >>> 41 degrees on this friday. >> still ahead the capitals make it a great 8? >> and quite a finished in game 6 in st. louis. highlights from a heart stopping world series. >> parts of new england already digging out. >> and [ male announcer ] want to achieve more with your money? pnc virtual wallet gathers your spending and saving in one place credit and debit purchases, checks, bills, and other financial information. it lets you see the details as well as the big financial picture. so you can do more with your money. see what a complete view of your money can do for you at pncvirtualwallet.com. ♪ ♪ pnc bank. for the achiever in you. >>> this is haunted fo

karen travers is live in northwest with a preview. and some highlights of the president's somewhat serious sit-down all late-night comedy show. good morning. >> good morning. somewhat serious. earlier this week the president was focused on struggling homeowners. today he turns his attention to a struggling college graduates. he will unveil a new initiatives that would give faster relief to young americans drowning under the weight of their college loans. this will help students consolidate their loans lower their interest payments, and lower their monthly payments into something that would come as a big relief to millions of college graduates facing record levels of debt. the president is wrapping up a west coast swing that had a little fun on the side. he stopped by the tonight show with jay leno. >> have you been watching the gop debates? >> i am going to wait until everybody voted off the island. [laughter] >> in the race for the republican nomination, herman cain is still surging. a new poll has demanded of mitt romney in the lead

reporting live from northwest karen travers for abc 7 news.. >> thank you. >>> gop presidential candidate rick perry plans to propose a 20% flat tax as part of his economic plan. the texas governor will unveil the plan today in south carolina. it preserves some part of the current tax structure including mortgage interest deductions and eliminates taxes on long-term capital gains and taxes on social security. >>> apple has quietly and updated its laptop online. >> here's rob nelson. >> without its usual fanfare apple has updated its mac book pro line. the new model features faster processors, improved graphics, new operating system, and a larger hard drive and a screen size that ranges from 15 inches up till 17 inches. one of the most popular gaming franchises of all times has a new installment that will stop many people's lists this holiday season and for good reason. >> it's a fun game that has a lot of fans. fast-paced action games that require a little strategy and it has an otherworldly feel to it. >> the game is exclusive to the xbox 360

karen travers, abc news. forrepublicans rival obama's job, and the is taking the south korean president to michigan to visit a general motors plant. chevrolet is building its first compact car in 40 years. we're learning more about his itinerary. stops in asheville on monday. he will also visit of charlottesville, newport news, and fredericksburg in virginia. >>> 7 on your side. the new apple iphone 4s has its stores. the district, folks lined up chinatown at the apple stores. all of them hoping to get their hands on the new phone. if similar scene in new york city this morning. the new iphone looks similar to previous iphone, but this as an upgraded camera, faster processor, and improved voice activated software. >>> huge crowds are expected in washington for the dedication of king jr.n luther memorial. scheduled forlly the weekend hurricane irene hit. now it begins on sunday at 11:00 a.m. president obama, desi? and, and aretha franklin are among those expected. the arrests, king leadership academy are arriv

karen travers has more. to go within the next 48 hours the new jersey governor is expected to announce his final decision on the presidential run. he spent much of the weekend huddled in private with family and close advisers. in public he gave no hint of what he was thinking. for months he has been singing the same tune about a presidential run. >> the answer is no, i am not doing it. over the past few weeks that has changed. >> i think you for what you're saying, and i take it in and i am listening to every word of it in feeling it, too. >> there are significant challenges that his team is considering, raising the required millions of dollars. and nailing down the winning message. over the weekend rick perry had to and it to reports that his family owned of hunting ground that contained a rush -- racial slur. herman cain slammed the texas governor. >> i think it shows a lack of sensitivity for not taking the word of the rock and renaming the place. >> he claims he had the rock painted over years ago. >> vo

karen first -- karen travers has more. >> reporter: the president hits the road today. in washington the bill faces a critical test in the senate, a test it is likely to fail. the white house has demanded quick action on the half a trillion dollar plan. >> the president: tell congress to pass this bill. pass this bill. >> reporter: senate republicans and even some democrats say it is too expensive. republicans are adamantly posed to more stimulus spending. they don't like the tax increase on the wealthiest americans that democrats added. >> if this vote doesn't succeed tonight we are going to get right at it. >> reporter: the president's record will be under fire in new hampshire tonight. the republican presidential hopefuls meet for a debate that focuses on the economy. herman cain is in the spotlight. right next to romney. national polls determine the sitting arrangement, cain is in a solid second place. his rise has been swift somewhat surprising. he's never been in politics before. barely campaigning in the key early states and focusing most of his attention on prom

here is karen travers. >> reporter: these are the final minutes of gadhafi's life. the rebel government said he was cornered by insurgents and shot and killed. word of his death triggered celebrations in the streets. streets and caution at white house. >> we are under no illusion, they will travel a long and winding road,. >> reporter: gadhafi took power in 1969 and soon became one of the most fervant anti americans. he funneled oil revenues to terrorist. president regan ordered an air strike, two years late gadhafi blew up flight 103, 190 americans were among those killed. after the invasion of iraq an about face. he condemned bin laden, he started to give up his chemical and nuclear weapons program and in 2003 he accepted responsibility for the locker bie bombing. . >> do think there about's an aliance? your lifetime? >> russia and america were enemies. now they are friends. we hope one day we will be friends. >> reporter: he never lived to see that day. the president said the people have a responsibility to build a tolerant and democratic society. he said the uni

karen first -- karen travers has more. >> reporter: the president hits the road today. in washington the bill faces a critical test in the senate, a test it is likely to fail. the white house has demanded quick action on the half a trillion dollar plan. >> the president: tell congress to pass this bill. pass this bill. >> reporter: senate republicans and even some democrats say it is too expensive. republicans are adamantly posed to more stimulus spending. they don't like the tax increase on the wealthiest americans that democrats added. >> if this vote doesn't succeed tonight we are going to get right at it. >> reporter: the president's record will be under fire in new hampshire tonight. the republican presidential hopefuls meet for a debate that focuses on the economy. herman cain is in the spotlight. right next to romney. national polls determine the sitting arrangement, cain is in a solid second place. his rise has been swift somewhat surprising. he's never been in politics before. barely campaigning in the key early states and focusing most of his attention on prom

karen travers, abc news, washington. >>> two americans won this year's nobel prize in economic sciences. one has bay area ties. sar and sims were cited for their work in macro economics. sargent on the left earned his bachelor's from c berkeley in 1964. he held teaching positions at stanford and hoover institute fellow. sims is a professor at princeton. >>> treasure hunters have struck it richover the coast of island. a florida-based crew found the wreckage of a british ship sunk by a german torpedo in 1917 in the north atlantic with 20 tons of silver onboard now worth 18 million dollars marine exploration plans to recover that silver next spring. the british government gets 20%. last month odyssey discoveredder in ship with an estimated 200 million dollars of silver onboard. -- >> 80/20? 100% when it comes to chance of light rain today? >> absolutely, at least drizzle. up to possibly half an inch in the north bay. good morning, 11:20 south from south beach you can see how limited visibility is due to drizzle and lou clouds, moisture and warm airstreams -- streams in. clouds are thicker

karen travers, abc news, washington. >>> two americans won this year's nobel prize in economic sciences. one has bay area ties. sar and sims were cited for their work in macro economics. sargent on the left earned his bachelor's from c berkeley in 1964. he held teaching positions at stanford and hoover institute fellow. sims is a professor at princeton. >>> treasure hunters have struck it richover the coast of island. a florida-based crew found the wreckage of a british ship sunk by a german torpedo in 1917 in the north atlantic with 20 tons of silver onboard now worth 18 million dollars marine exploration plans to recover that silver next spring. the british government gets 20%. last month odyssey discoveredder in ship with an estimated 200 million dollars of silver onboard. -- >> 80/20? 100% when it comes to chance of light rain today? >> absolutely, at least drizzle. up to possibly half an inch in the north bay. good morning, 11:20 south from south beach you can see how limited visibility is due to drizzle and lou clouds, moisture and warm airstreams -- streams in. clouds are thicker

abc's karen travers has details on this. good morning to you, karen. >> good morning, rob, tanya.till a struggle to get some parents to use a booster seat. the study found there is a clear distinction between the good ones and bad ones. most parents know, don't do this. but not enough do this. put their 4 to 8-year-olds in a booster seat. studies have shown these child seats cut the risk of injury in a crash by 45%. >> the main job of a booster is to elevate a child to help position the lap and shoulder belt so they're providing the best protection in a crash. >> reporter: but not all seats are created equal. some offer a better boost than others. according to a new study, more than half still aren't good enough. the lap belt should go across the child's upper thigh. not the abdomen. the shoulder strap should fit snugly across the middle of the shoulder not arm or neck. so how can parents know which ones are best? the insurance institute looked at more than 80 booster seats and rated 31 models as best bets meaning they'll work well until any kind of vehicle, an suv, minivan, or ca

abc's karen travers has the details. >> reporter: good morning.ny times did you use your cell phone today? the study says we may not be fully aware of the readiation risks from these tiny little devices. there's a new report from the environmental health trust, a group of doctors and researchers that promotes awareness of environmental health risks. the study shows radiation exposure from cell phones may be underestimated. the tests are done on mannequin heads that equate to a 6'2" man weighing 220 pounds. for the rest of us, 97% of the population, the tests are inadequate. >> the standards for cell phones have been develop based on old science and assumptions on cell phones. that's what we need to change. >> reporter: here are images provided by the health trust. this shows how deep the radiation penetrates an adult male. a 10-year-old, 150% deeper, a 5-year-old even deeper. independent scientists told abc news there are no conclusive studies that cell phone radiation causes cancer. >> there are different types of radiation. the radiation from x-

this story from karen travers. >> the cnn debate got personal. >> you lose all of your standing becauseired illegals. >> and even physical. >> i don't think i have ever hired an illegal in my life. i am looking forward to your facts on that. >> i am speaking. i am speaking. i am speaking. >> it was the most fiesty and explosive showdown yet. and it is clear who they consider the one to beat. they were sparing over illegal immigration. >> you can sit here in front of the american people and did not tell the truth that you had illegals working on your property. you have a problem with allowing someone to finish speaking. and i suggest if you want to be president of the united states you need to let both people speak. >> they were squaring off over healthcare. >> your consultants have squashed obamacare. >> you are allowed to change -- >> rick, you had your chance, let me speak. >> the new front-runner came under attack right out of the gate with his signature 9-9-9 economic plan. >> it is a tax plan, not a be jos plan. >> i don't think so herman will not fly. >> most of these are knee jer

this story from karen travers. >> the cnn debate got personal. >> you lose all of your standing because you hired illegals. >> and even physical. >> i don't think i have ever hired an illegal in my life. i am looking forward to your facts on that. >> i am speaking. i am speaking. i am speaking. >> it was the most fiesty and explosive showdown yet. and it is clear who they consider the one to they were sparing over illegal immigration. >> you can sit here in front of the american people and did not tell the truth that you had illegals working on your property. you have a problem with allowing someone to finish speaking. and i suggest if you want to be president of the united states you need to let both people speak. >> they were squaring off over healthcare. >> your consultants have squashed obamacare. >> you are allowed to change -- >> rick, you had your chance, let me speak. >> the new front-runner came under attack right out of the gate with his signature 9-9-9 economic plan. >> it is a tax plan, not a be jos plan. >> i don't think so herman will not fly. >> most of these are knee jer

karen travers are joining us from washington with more. >> reporter: good morning, rob. good morning, yunji. it felt like the economy was on a rollercoaster ride all summer. but there's modest growth. and that's spurring growth in the markets. the struggling u.s. economy is showing signs of life. yesterday, the dow jones closed up 340 points, putting october to be on track for the single-best growth month for the market in 25 years. the wall street news was spurned by good news at home and overseas. from july to september, the american economy grew at a rate of 2.5%, driven mostly by consumer spending. >> i've been saving. and today, the price is right. the deal was good. >> reporter: people like allen goldberg are buying cars again. in fact, ford motor company posted its ninth-straight profitable quarter. and stores are starting to stock up for the holiday sales rush. >> you can only patch up the old pair of shoes or scratch the rust off the bumper of your car for so long. >> reporter: yesterday, european leaders announced a critical deal to stabilize the region's debt

. >> karen travers, live in éa gq!gton.ck perry's tax cut plan, which he's expected to unveil fully÷ later today. >> cut, balance and grow aims to revamp the tax code, balance the budget, and create jobs. that's according to an op-ed piece that perry has written for "the wall street journal." the plan also proposes an optional 20% flat tax rate, and lowing taxpayers to submit their taxes on a postcard. >>> we're following new developments this morning from libya, where moammar gadhafi has been buried in a secret location in the desert. gadhafi's body, along with those of his son and a top aide, had been moved from a freezer in mi misrata, where corpses were on display for a few days. daylight has renewed the search for survivors after sunday's earthquake. more than 2,500 people, along upon the region to help. >> that death toll had risen to 366. overnight, two men were alive under the rubble. one official said search and rescue efforts could end today and simply turn to recovery. >>> in north carolina, two teenagers are in

abc's karen travers has more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it seemed like the republican candidates were going to keep their eye on president obama last night. but as the the debate went on it became clear that the candidates polling in the single digits were going to take their shots at the front-runner. mitt romney's key selling point is simple. >> you want some one who is smart, has experience, understand how financial services sector works and know house to protect american jobs. i do. i have didn't. >> reporter: he made it through the debate on the economy relatively unscathed. but herman cain probably can't say the same. the former pizza ceo catapulted into second place in the race for republican nomination. with that comes the inevitable attacks. last night cain's, 999 economic plan came under fire the his proposal calls for a 9% business flat tax. a 9% personal tax. and. >> when you take the 999 plan and turn it upside down. i think the devil is in the details. >> i don't need 999. >> i thought it was the price of a pizza. >> they wan

reporting live from northwest karen travers, abc 7 news. back to you. >> thank you. >>> former mayoral candidate sulaiman brown is due in court to be arraigned on traffic charges. police arrested brown in september for driving with a suspended maryland license. he also has accused d.c. mayor vincent gray of corruption and those allegations are the center of an ongoing probe at the u.s. attorney's office. >>> reports the nba will cancel two more weeks of regular season. the new york daily news says the league will make the announcement today and that would suspend the start of the season until at least november 28. players and owners still cannot reach a deal over revenue. >>> sad news. the pentagon has confirmed the death of and airmen from the district in afghanistan. 23-year-old jerome miller jr. died october 13 in helmand province in a non-combat sinc incident. >>> 7 is on your side with a potential change in vaccination requirements. the centers for disease control expected to recommend that girls and boys are vaccinated against the hum

karen travers, abc news, washington and coming up, if competing in a marathon wasn't hard enough. >> had run in a marathon pregnant but not 38 weeks. >> a word from the woman who ran 26.2 miles then had to run to the hospital. >> and why this actress has been ordered to endure 90 lashes for her work. stay with us. the news at 4:00 continues. >> outside again, gray skies and you're looking at the bay bridge, it's murky out there on this monday. >> spencer christian joins us with an accuweather update. >> yes. this extends around the bay area, and there is not much showing up in the way of rainfall. we have skadz from san francisco down on to the peninsula now. spotted showers across the bay and near san ramone and farther south and there is widely scattered areas of light activity. there is some better organized areas of rainfall well north. and there is more showers in the evening hours and overnight. tomorrow, sunny afternoon and temperatures back up towards seasonal level and south bay, sunny skies, highs into low to mid-70s, 73, cupertino. peninsula, sunny skies into afternoon the

karen travers has debate highlights. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning. seemed like republican candidates were going to keep their eye on president obama last night. but as the debate went on, it became clear the candidates polling in the single digits were going to take their shots at the front-runner. >> reporter: mitt romney's key selling point is simple -- >> you want someone smart, who has experience, who knows how the financial services sector works, who knows how to protect american jobs. and i do, i've done it. >> reporter: the current front-runner made it through "the washington post" debate on the economy relatively unscathed. but herman cain probably can't say the same. the former pizza ceo was catapulted into second place in the race for the republican nomination. with that comes the inevitable attacks. cain's 999 economic plan came under fire. his proposal calls for a 9% business flat tax, 9% personal income flat tax and 9% sales tax. >> when you take the 999 plan and you turn it upside down, i think the devil's in the details. >> i don't nee

abc's karen travers joins us with the details. ter: good morning, some democrats are saying demonstrators are the left's version of the tea party. the protests have spread across the country even to the white house. president obama said the occupy wall street demonstrations reflect americans' frustrations. >> folks who are working hard every single day, getting up. going to the job. loyal to their companies. that used to be the essence of the american dream. >> reporter: now the president said that's changed. >> these days a lot of folks who are doing the right thing aren't rewarded, and a lot of folks when are doing the wrong thing are rewarded. a lot of folks. >> the demonstrations spread across the country and began three weeks ago near wall street with a cup dozen people who said they were speaking out against corporate greed. thousands gathered in lower manhattan as union members join the ranks. >> when you look at, getting rid of pensions, union, union workers who make a decent wage, that's wrong. that's un-american. >> repor

more tonight from karen travers.>reporter: mit romney key selling point is simple. >> you want to have someone who is smart, who has experience, who knows how the financial services sector works who knows how to protect american jobs and i do. i have done it. >>reporter: current front runner talked about the competent relatively unscathed but cane probably can't say the same. former petitions a ceo catapulted into second place in a race for the republican nomination w.that comes the inevitable attacks. cane economic plan came under fire. about proposal calls for 9 percent business flat tax. 9 percent personal income flat tax and 9 percent sales tax. >> when you take the 9 9 9 plan and turn it upside down i think the devil is in the details. >> i don't need 9 9 9. >> i thought it was the prison of a pizza when i first heard it. >> they want to pass what they think they can get passed rather than what we need which is a bold solution. >>reporter: at one point rick perry was the front runner but he has fallen sharply in

confronted mitt romney and herman cain with some of the contentious back and forth we are joined by karen traverskaren. >> reporter: good morning. the sparks were flying in las vegas last night, as the republican candidates got down and dirty. this is by far the most lively debate of the season. it's clear we have turned a corner and the campaign is heating up. the cnn republican debate got personal. >> mitt, you lose all of your standing from my perspective because you hired illegals. >> reporter: and even physical. >> i don't think i've ever hired an illegal in my life. and i am looking forward to finding your facts on that. >> i will tell you what the facts are. >> rick, again, i am speaking. i am speaking. i am speaking. i'm speaking. >> reporter: the most feisty, most explosive showdown yet. and it was clear who the field considers the candidates to be. there was mitt romney and rick perry sparring over illegal immigration. >> you stood here in front of the american people and did not tell the truth that you had illegals working on your property. >> you have a problem with allowing someone t

karen travers joins us with more from washington. karen? morning rob, good morning, tanya. debate night in new hampshire. mitt romney at the top of the polls. and herman cain surging. rick perry is looking to rebound from the criticized debate performance last month. add it all up, and you could have a feisty night in new hampshire. once again, mitt romney the republican front-runner. polls show him with a substantial lead in new hampshire and ahead in the national race for the nomination. texas governor rick perry is sinking. tonight, the debate in new hampshire focuses on the economy. with his record of job creation, perry tried to position himself as the leading candidate on that issue. the polls show him trailing romney and cain on who would improve the economy. perry is taking aim at the front-runner. >> there are a lot of reasons not to elect me. you're going to find in a campaign like that their that -- like this that people running against me are going to take what i have said and try to turn it. to say something else. >> perry may

abc's karen travers has details on this. good morning to you, karen. >> good morning, rob, tanya. safety experts say it is still a struggle to get some parents to use a booster seat. the study found there is a clear distinction between the good ones and bad ones. most parents know, don't do this. but not enough do this. put their 4 to #-year-olds in a booster seat. studies have shown these child seats cut the risk of injury in a crash by 45%. >> the main job of a booster is to elevate a child to help position the lap and shoulder belt so they're providing the best protection in a crash. >> reporter: but not all seats are created equal. some offer a better boost than others. according to a new stud gee more than half still aren't good enough. the lap belt should go across the child's upper thigh. not the abdomen. the shoulder strap should fit snugly across the middle of the shoulder not arm or neck. so how can parents know which ones are best? the insurance institute looked at more than 80 booster seats and rated 31 models as best bets and will work well in any vehicle, suv, miniva