rob, paula. back to you. >>> new abc news poll out overnight showing how tight this race is. apparently, romney among registered voters. romney up 47% to 46% against the president here. the big job of this convention is going to be to kind of upping governor romney's personal appeal to voters. an area where he falls behind heavily among, among, against president obama here. tried to seal the gap among latinos and women as well. the president has big edges with the two demographics. >> you can read what you want into the numbers. what will matter as we said on multiple occasions the swing states. ohio, you have. >> florida. wisconsin. >> wisconsin. iowa. >> nevada. those are, really the polls to watch. people say the national polls don't really have the same effect. watch, key, six, seven states. that's where the election will be decided. convention time, getting to the nitty-gritty. two months. going to get hot for sure. from tampa now to the florida panhandle all the way west to louisiana. milli

rob, paula. back to you. >> thank you, jim. the difficult part. wednesday, the seven year anniversary since katrina hit, louisiana. of course, we know the horrific scene the storm left behind. psychologically, a hit to city. here we go this awful week in new orleans' history. here the storm comes again. important to note that billions of dollars have been spent upgrading city's storm protection system in the seven years since katrina hit. really, a different city storm protectionwise than it was seven years ago. they're hoping this could be a really good test run for the system. and see really how well new orleans holds up. >> you made a good point. it wasn't necessarily katrina that wreaked havoc on the city it was the levees as you mention they have poured in a lot of money. >> billions. >> billions to refortify the system. >> people say katrina was the worst natural disaster in the history of the country. no, the storm blew by, new orleans was okay. power out, normal. the greatest civil engine

rob, paula. isaac continues to show signs of strengthening, moving into the warm waters of gulf of mexico. you see the brighter colors, cooler, taller cloud tops. strong thunderstorms. those are over the center circulation. what you look for with strengthening system here. as it continues to drift its way away from the coast of florida going to keep heavy, soaking, potentially flooding rainfall in place. tampa, southward through the miami area. wind gusts in many cases up to tropical storm force. florida necessarily done with impacts from isaac. warm waters. likely to strengthen to category 2. new orleans eastward through mobile, alabama, potential for landfall, late tuesday, early wednesday. rob, paula. back to you. >> thank you for that report. >>> tropical storm isaac is having an impact on oil production in the gulf and perhaps an impact on your wallet as well. oil production in the gulf was down 24% as the storm approached. big oil companies are already evacuating and shutting down the platf

rob and paula?nditions could exist throughout the state and new orleans for another 24 hours potentially. this storm was not as originally strong or organized as katrina, why is there so much worry about its speed? >> reporter: that's right. it's moving eight miles per hour. the concern is this will continue to dump this torrential rainfall here in new orleans and here in the area. there is enormous concern about flooding in the low-lying areas of louisiana. florida, even when isaac was over the gulf of mexico and moving in, florida, some parts experienced heavy flooding. there is worry here that this will be a very big test for the levees here. it is supposed to continue, rob, to rain all night. we could see 24 hours of nonstop rain. >> wow. and i was reading this it touched land in plaquemines parish 90, 95 miles east of new orleans. the president of the parish said it had blown the roof off of his house and water was just pouring in. what is the damage like where isaac has made landfall? >> repor

i might add that paula herself is no athletic slacker. she is ranked number one in overall fitness and her class at west point. i would also like to note that paula is donating 20% of the proceeds of the book to team red white and blue, an organization that works with wounded veterans using physical fitness to help them find their new normal. paula was helping the writing of her book by a talented former colleague of mine of the "washington post," vernon loeb. vernon who has lots of experience himself covering the military intelligence world is now the coast metropolitan editor. paula plans to speak for about 20, 30 minutes and then she will take questions. if you have a question, please remember to step up and use the microphone right here in the center of the room. afterwards, paula will be happy to stay in selling books. please come silence your cell phone and join me in welcoming paula broadwell. [applause] >> before we get started i would like to see how many veterans we have in the room. okay. agreed. first of all, thank you for you

rob, paula, not exactly shy. was not going to be a demure speech from chris christie. >> not the teddy bear like. karen travers. ann saying her speech was about love. christie saying his speech was choosing respect over juxtaposition of themes there last night. we'll be back with more from >>> where there are politicians there is money. behind that money there are people hoping to influence policy decisions. >> abc's chief reporter, n briaross trying to get some questions answered. >> reporter: for republicans and democrats it will be the most expensive, extravagant set of political conventions ever. in a setting here of lavish parties, flamboyant strippers, and insider access for the highest bidders. >> this is a system where there is no shame, there is pride. >> reporter: mostly paid for by big corporations, lobbyists and super rich who arrived in tampa in their private jets. these are the real vips. according to someone who was once one of them, convicted lobbyist. >> there are people who want something back.

john, paula. brandi, thank you. >> not everyone that, that applies for this is going to be accepted. but she -- brandi laid out the, the parameters there. you had to come to america before you were 16. you can't be any older than 31. reportedly, my, one of my favorite cities in the country where i worked, chicago, 13,000 people leaned up to file their applications. >> gives you an idea of how many people. just the people who potentially qualify. that is astounding. the idea, i guess there is obviously if a kid comes over at 8 years old, with their parents, the child is not guilty of maybe the sins of the parents. that rationale being that should we punish the child? >> those that don't agree with this policy will say that we are trying to help out the illegal immigrant and aren't doing enough to help the people in america, that are here legally, that don't have work right now. so, you know there is two side to the story. >> always is, right. >> all right latest list of most livable citiesen the wo

good morning, paula.top republicans, 12 senators and mitt romney, that didn't seem to matter to todd akin. last night the deadline passed to remove his name from the ballot, and he is still in the race. under immense pressure from republicans in washington and missouri. the senate candidate is not budging. >> i want to make things absolutely clear. that is we are going to continue with this race for the u.s. senate. >> reporter: the deadline for akin to withdraw his name from the ballot has passed. if republicans want to try to push him out of the race it would have to be through a potentially messy legal process. for more than 24 hours, a growing list of top republicans has urged akin to drop out. mitt romney joined that chorus. party leaders don't think they stand a chance of beating the very vulnerable democratic senator claire mccaskill with akin in the race. the missouri senate seat is a critical piece of the strategy to win back control of the senate. mccaskill said while she disagrees, he did apolo

i'm paula faris.changed a little bit. >> a little bit. >> changed into john muller. >> i am john muller. rob is on assignment. we'll take you live to new orleans in the top story. our beg headline, republicans, begin their national convention and immediately recess. we can expect a lot this week. we'll tell you what mi romney is up to coming to tampa. >> they don't want to seem like they're tone deaf when the rest of the country is bracing for isaac. they have to be sensitive. >>> this morning our friend and colleague at "good morning america," and robin roberts and her journey to recovery and the challenges she faces and her next step to good health. she is going to have the bone marrow transplant some time next week. we send her all of our thoughts and prayers. she is definitely the captain here at abc. >> bless her heart. later this half-hour, going to great heights without a care in the word. daredevils, proving a point by climbing the world's tallest buildings. would you do that, paula? >> never.

i'm paula faris.ll get the latest on isaac's track live from accu-weather. >>> also this half-hour, republicans are riding out the storm in tampa. we learn the star of the show, mitt romney, heading to the convention a little earlier than planned. they're condensing four days into three. speaker of the house john boehner telling diane sawyer last night, maybe we should just condense it from three from here on out. four days a lot. >> there you go. might set a precedent. >>> one city has a whole new set of rules to rein in rowdy sports fans. what you won't be able to do in the stands anymore. >> disappointing. >>> and later, snooki and the stork. the reality star has tweeted up a storm, sharing her reality of motherhood, whether or not you want to hear it. we'll tell you what she has to say coming of in "the skinny." i can't wait until she launches a show about motherhood and tries to give us advice. >> mtv says they can't wait to have lorenzo down on the jersey shore for a visit. >> enzo as they call

rob, paula.ld he discuss his mormon faith, he did not on the campaign trail. how did that play out last night? >> rob, he talked about his faithen ein a different way. he used the m word, mormon, the few times he talked about it all year heft talked about faith. growing in michigan it wasn't unusual or out of place. his friends back then cared more about what sports teams you rooted for than where you want to church. it wasn't just mitt romney, the whole lineup of speakers before him. several mormons came out and talked of stories of compassion, their experiences with mitt romney, a bishop and church elder. it wasn't just mitt romney talking faith, the whole package of people talking about it. this is how the campaign wanted to talk about mormonism, compassion, service to community, and friendships and relationships he built. rob, paula. >> got big cheers when he addressed social issues, protect s sanctity of life, and freedom of religion. and got a good response from the crowd. thank you all wee

rob and paula? >> abc's t.j. winick reporting from tampa, in the early morning hours on this friday. thanks, t.j., for that report. >>> of course, this was clearly the biggest speech of romney's political life. and also, the chance to sell the personal side of himself. >> but abc's senior washington editor, rick klein, did it wasn't a brand-new romney. >> people talked about his failure to connect. failure to get a softer side. we didn't get any of that. we may never get that. i can guarantee we're not going to see a mitt romney that the nation will fall in love with. laying it out there, doing it in an interesting way. this country is angry. and it's also disappointed. he played up the disappointment. he knows that the voters are disappointed with president obama. >>> as t.j. said, clint eastwood ad-libbed a long conversation with an empty chair on stage, meant to be president obama. the criticism has been pretty harsh, especially from roger ebert, who called it sad and pathetic. people in the arena loved it. mr

and paula faris. >> i'm john muller in for rob nelson. we begin with isaac, within striking distance of the gulf coast. >> isaac, to get more strength before blowing ashore this evening. brandi hitt is there as the levees are put to the test. good morning, brandi. >> reporter: good morning, paula. that's the big concern. but officials say they do believe the levees will hold up in the storm. right now, there isn't a lot happening as you can see. the winds are slowly picking up. but that's about to change as isaac comes ashore. the gulf coast is bracing for isaac. >> it brings great danger with it from floodwaters. >> reporter: the storm is gaining strength as it moves across the gulf and is heading straight for louisiana. >> everybody leaves. nobody is staying. >> reporter: families in the lower ninth ward are boarding up their homes and moving out with the potential for flooding. >> the rain, potentially 18 inches of rain. >> reporter: a state of emergency has been declared in four states, with 5,000 national guard troops on standby. >>

rob, paula.scenes in the gulf. a weakened isaac is marching north after leaving behind so much destruction. isaac left behind an ocean of misery. >> can we get some help? >> reporter: help removing residents from waters waist deep. harrowing rescues by the coast guard helicopter. narrow escapes. >> a tree fell on top of the rv. fell on top of the garage. >> we grabbed all our animals. put them upstairs. trying to grab things. and the water just came in so fast. >> reporter: north of new orleans, 60,000 were told to evacuate when a dam threatened to burst. workers began a controlled rehe's of -- release of water to make it to shelter. many who made it to safety call a shelter home. they're left with blessings to count and little else. there are fears that some may still be trapped. >> they have no means of communication, phone lines are down. electricity. phone lines are inoperable. cellular service down here is nonexistent. >> reporter: power lines among the casualties of the driving winds and ra

paula and john?it will be attached to them. i own one. i used it -- with my daughter and my son, very briefly. wasn't necessarily a huge fan of it. and they are -- they maneuvered out of it quite easily. i was like, eh, not too comfortable with it. you can't, you shouldn't put it on an elevated surface to begin with. keep it on the ground if you want to use it. >>> coming up, if you think paula looks great this morning, there's a reason. >> lot of hair and makeup today. >> is that the reason? >> i actually did spend a little time with the stylist to the stars. he has an eye for beauty. see a whole lot more of jessica alba when we return. >> announcer: abc's "world news now" will continue after this ñs >>> can't be easy, being perfect, famous, well dressed. well it turns out hollywood stars have a lot of help. >> their secret weapon is a stylist behind the scenes. it is the night of fashion's super bowl, the met ball, and jessica alba is putting the finishing touches on her red carpet outfit. >> yeah,

john and paula? >> paul beban, we thank you for that report. >> and they say 60% of the people who contract the virus can carry neurologic symptoms for five years. >> 80% of people can get it, no symptoms. >> that is good. >>> moving to politics. president obama is back at the white house after a three-day bus tour in iowa. the first lady made a rare appearance with her husband in dubuque. the president won in iowa in 2008. but polls show the race with mitt romney is very close in the state. mr. obama continued to hammer away at the republican plan to overhaul medicare. >>> mitt romney, meantime, is charging that the obama campaign is fueled by, quote, division and attack and hatred, unquote. romney and his running mate, paul ryan, are going on the offensive about medicare. invited public scrutiny of their ideas. ryan proposed a plan that would replace medicare with a voucher-like program. >>> investigators will be looking for clues this morning into the shooting at a conservative group's washington

i'm paula faris. >> i'm john muller in for rob nelson.a public matter to a personal one. in our top story. it happens like that. captured on camera, a driver in utah stopped not once but twice in a police pursuit. speeds over 100 miles an hour. guess what his wife and kids were in the car. not good. >> it's within thing to do that solo. you are risking your wife and little children? wait till you hear what the guy had to say about it why he was running from the law. >>> this morning, a texas teacher on trial, prosecutors say she was giving high school students up close and very personal lessons in sex. but the law shows this was not a case of molestation. i guess sex education class? >> literally, i guess. >>> we visit paula's home state of michigan where a small town is all abuzz about a powerball jackpot winner sitting on a prize of a third of a billion dollars. >> sitting on the ticket right now? >> i would be so worried. i would lose it. go straight to a safe deposit box. >> good call. you don't have it. >> i don't know. >> the back a

. >> paula fredriksen, what did jeffrey shela say that you find needs further elaboration or different elaboration from your perspective? >> well, i was thinking of there's also a second century tradition that jesus was born in a cave. i mean, there are all sorts of traditions that grow about jesus' birth the more christianity develops and when i consider that matthew and luke were probably each written by anonymous christians somewhere, i don't know, between 90-100 and that jesus himself would have been born sometime around 0, that's a lot of room to begin looking to the bible for ideas to express what you think is religioussy important about jesus and that's why i would look at these -- but i think mary was home in nazareth when she had jesus, i don't think she was in bethlehem. >> well, let's go to the basics, first of all, the year. was it notour years before a.d. started? >> well, a.d. starts as a medieval convention. jesus, if he's born -- this is one of the chronological differences between the gospels. if harrod is alive as he has to be from matthew's birth narrative to work we

we're delighted to have paula deen, the author and star of "paula's best dishes."tes. >> yes. >> you look great. >> thank you. >> how are you doing? how are you feeling and everything? >> i'm really doing well, robin. and back at you for everything that you're going through. >> thank you. >> you know, i'm feeling very, very good. i lost about 32 pounds. >> you can see it. >> i have -- i finally said, you know? i really am type 2 diabetic. and i really do have to do something about it. >> and how have you changed your routine? how has life changed? >> i have reconstructed my plate, robin. the architecture of my plate has much more green on it now. like, i've doubled or tripled the size of my salad or my green beans or asparagus. and of course, the carbs have gone down to this. you can hardly see it on the plate anything. but i give myself one day a week to cook and eat anything i want. it's really not bad. but it's moderation, moderation, moderation. go to your doctor because you never know. this really doesn't have a lot of symptoms to it. >> well, you have been a

. >> reporter: paula of illinois is the mother of seven children.e of your youngest daughter? >> cassie castill. >> reporter: how old is cassie? >> she just turned 16. >> reporter: she said her daughter was raped by a relative. and that cassie had tried to kill herself. >> she took a bottle full of pills. and she was placed into harsha. >> harsha is? >> a behavioral center in illinois. >> reporter: she said one day a truant officer from her town made a trip to that behavioral center to visits cassie and recommended she transfer to a very different place. >> cassie called me, she was crying, she said, mommy, i just made a mistake. >> what's her mistake? >> i asked her what happened, and she says, i just signed the papers to go to pinehaven. >> reporter: paula bowen said without her permission, her daughter was then whisked away. more than 1,800 miles to rural montana, to the pinehaven children's christian ranch, and that's where we met her. what's your name? >> cassie. >> reporter: bob larsson is a preacher and founder of pinehaven. >> the two bigges

i'm paula faris on this friday.et the latest forecast on tropical storm isaac, and our top story this friday morning. >>> as isaac poses a potential threat to tampa, the extra police officers being sent to the republican national convention may have to move from crowd control to storm patrol. ramifications of isaac far spread, far reaching. >> logistical nightmare. maybe the moral of the story is this, folks, don't schedule a convention at the heart of hurricane season anywhere along the gulf coast. 2016, topeka sounds good, you know what i mean? >> going to run into tornados. >> always something. lessens the chance a little bit. good luck to the folks. >>> the big story developing since late last night. pro cyclist, lance armstrong stripped of his seven tour titles. after he gave up his fight in a major doping scandal. the crackdown does not end there. don't think anyone saw that move coming. throwing in the towel saying this is nonsense. i am not going to fight it. it could cost him everything. >> everything, and

i'm paula faris. >> i'm john muller in for rob nelson.s about a lot of things, medicare, not all he said. talk about blackhawk down, latest on a u.s. chopper on a special ops mission in afghanistan that crashed into flames. it took a heavy toll. >> the taliban reportedly claiming responsibility for that. and then, as those devastating wildfires race across the west, how are some homes still standing when everything, we are talking everything around them is gone. >> wow. >>> and later, to catch a thief. how angry bike riders are fighting back as clever thieves find new ways to steal their wheels. >> i'm interested in that. my bike was stolen not long ago in new york. >> we were talking about that in the meeting. terrible. >>> first, democrats and even some high-ranking republicans have called on romney to release all his returns. >> now he is revealing more on what he paid but won't provide paperwork to back up the figures any time soon. here is abc's david muir. >> reporter: there is no change in medicare for seniors, none. >> reporter: r

. >> and i'm paula faris. we begin with heat this morning, both from the western wildfires and on the presidential campaign trail. >> candidates spreading out today with events in the midwest and the south. and if yesterday sparring is anything to go by, testy verbal exchanges are becoming the norm. >> for details, we're joined from washington by abc's tahman bradley. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, paula and john. remember how the paul ryan v.p. pick was supposed to elevate the level of discussion in this campaign? well, that lasted less than a week. the presidential race has taken a nasty turn. republican mitt romney lashed out against president obama. >> this is what an angry and desperate presidency looks like. >> reporter: telling voters in ohio, that mr. obama's campaign tactics have taken the presidency to a new low. >> mr. president, take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to chicago. and let us get about rebuilding and reuniting america. >> reporter: the obama campaign

john, paula. >> a great story. my goodness.ry. >> have you taken a sleeping pill to survive on the shift? >> no, i try to stay away. the over-the-counter ones, tylenol p.m. they put you out. ambien is another level. >> i haven't, taken the four-hour. >> we are so tired. >> i can drink a red bull. >> still sleep. >> before i go to bed. my husband will be like what are you doing, cranking open a monster. i will pass out. >> the fda says people have left their bed, driven cars, eaten food, prepared the food, had sex or made phone calls under influence of ambien and not been awake. isn't that amazing? >> take it. go to sleep. lock your door. still ahead a young man's inspiring quest to get in shape. >> we told you about nathan's public journey and asked you what inspires you to workout. we'll have your answers coming ♪ let's get physical physical ♪ i want to get physical ♪ >> my mom doesn't like the song by olivia newton john. >> too racy. >> in junior high. last week we told you about a young man making a public commitment to lose

rob and paula? >> thank you very much, t.j., for us in tampa. >> paul ryan speaking tonight. >>> and president obama is making an appeal to young voters. later today he travels to charlottesville, virginia. yesterday, he was on iowa state and colorado state campuses. >>> time, now, for a quick look at weather from across the country. aside from all that rain that isaac is bringing to the gulf coast, look for showers and thunderstorms across texas, from dallas to midland. also, some record highs with afternoon storms in the rockies. heating up across the midwest. and a gorgeous day in the northeast. >> triple-digits in billings, colorado springs, as well as phoenix. >>> coming up next, some new computer problems for united airlines. >>> and what could be the new double-life of the next iphone. we're going to explain it all, straight ahead in your business news. >>> and on top of that, one irritated employee's revenge against her employer. it is a texas-sized mess. >>> welcome back, everybody. automak

i'm paula faris. on this tuesday, new jersey governor chris christie, considered running for president himself. and then, decided to endorse mitt romney. >> now, the rising gop star is being given a prominent role at the republican convention. he will be the keynote speaker. with more about the intensifying race for president, we're joined from washington, by abc's tahman bradley. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, john and paula. the paul ryan pick has brought new energy into the campaign. huge crowds on both sides, with lots of talk about ryan's plan for medicare. >> hi, how are you? >> can i shake your hand? >> of course. >> reporter: the democratic and republican tickets will be out in full force once again today, hunting for votes in crucial battleground states. >> we'll get -- >> reporter: yesterday in iowa, a showdown between mitt romney's running mate, congressman paul ryan, and president obama. the president telling drought-stricken farmers, that ryan stalled a plan in congress