. >> i'm rob nelson. we start with breaking news out of ohio. dozens of wild animals on the loose and being described as very big and very aggressive. authorities are not taking chances with this. everyone's been ordered to stay indoors. >> police are conducting searches. not on foot, but from the safety of patrol cars. abc's john hendren is live with the latest. >> reporter: it's a scene out of a far-fetched horror film. 48 exotic animals, many of them man-eaters, are roaming the country side of rural, ohio. >> there were grizzly bears and black bears there. there were cheetahs. there were lions and there were tigers. >> reporter: animal farm owner, terry thompson, was found dead. his fences opened. a figure of curiosity in the community, he had just been released on federal weapons charges. >> we hear noises every once in a while. we tried to figure out what it was. it's not a domestic animal or anything like that. >> reporter: the staff from the columbus zoo were on the scene, hoping to tranquilize the animals. but sheriff's deputies have org

. >>> rob nelson has those stories and more. >> good morning. topping america's money signs it could be a down day on wall street now that the solution to the euro debt crisis as looking shakier and disappointing earnings from alcoa. the made in the usa foundation says it is not selling. the chrysler 300 is assembled in canada and has an engine made in mexico. for the second day blackberry users outside north america are having trouble accessing email and messages. research in motion for said the problem was fixed but now admits it does not. japan's agency is offering 3000 free flights. visitors will be asked to write about their trips of line. look for details of the spring. that is america's money, i am rob nelson. >>> the tree about the start in this series in game 3. -- detroit took the lead in the game 3 of the american league series. >> cabreerara hit a homerun in bill winninthird game. >>> i am routing for detroit. >> looking at a little wet weather. ." >>>> we had our sunshine and deserved it, but now it is back to the reality. not a tot

hint, it is not rob nelson. >>> plus, the west wing mystery. what is going on in the front yard over at the white house? have rheumatoid arthritis, can you start the day the way you want? can orencia help? [ woman ] i wanted to get up when i was ready, not my joints. [ man ] i wanted to button my shirt, myself. [ female announcer ] could your "i want" become "i can"? talk to your doctor. orencia reduces many ra symptoms, like pain, morning stiffness and progression of joint damage. it's helped new ra patients and those not helped enough by other treatments. do not take orencia with another biologic medicine for ra due to an increased risk of serious infection. serious side effects can occur including rare but fatal infections. cases of lymphoma and lung cancer have been reported. tell your doctor if you are prone to or have any infection like an open sore or the flu or a history of copd, a chronic lung disease. orencia may worsen your copd. doctors have prescribed orencia for thousands of patients. talk to your doctor. see if you can change "i

i am rob nelson. time for traffic and weather >>> every 10 minutes. >> we are off to a cold start today. >> yes. on the weekend, at or below freezing in spots. >> that does not help your goal, buddy -- your cold. >> i have kids in preschool. 37 degrees in the district. much colder in outlying areas. 30 in leesburg and martinsburg. . to in winchester, 28 in gaithersburg, 27 in frederick. -- 32 in winchester. here's a look at the satellite and radar. we will have an increase in clouds throughout the day giving us filtered sunshine, later on this afternoon. cloudy but bright outside. a thin layer of overcast in the upper levels of the atmosphere. becoming mostly cloudy. here is a wider view. i want to talk about the dip in the jet stream that is moving overhead. along with an area of low pressure and moving up the coastline will help strengthen the low pressure system off the carolina coast line later this evening and night. that could be just enough to grow a few light showers are way later this evening

happy friday. >> indeed. >> i'm rob nelson. >> i'm tanya rivero.ed from her bedroom. investigators started looking for an intruder. we'll get latest on the investigation and see why police may be frustrated. some very interesting twists and turns developing here. >> hard to follow this one. really is. middle of the night. baby missing from the crib. parents police at each other. it's strange. >>> also this morning, insomnia and sleep issues, a hot topic here on "world news now." ain't that the truth. one sleep disorder linked to obesity can actually be fatal. now doctors are concerned. >> sleep one of our favorite topics on the show. >> and activities. >>> and later this half-hour, next year's season of "the simpsons" could be the last. we will update the pay dispute and go back into the abc vault to look at the cartoon craze. i can't believe they would pull it off the air. makes too much money. >> it's been on the air 23 years, a ridiculous cash cow. hard to believe this is really the end of it after so many years and what an institution. >> could

i am rob nelson. >>> traffic and weather every ten minutes. the weather is critically important this evening. trick-or-treaters. >> the forecast is very important for kids. it will be pretty agreeable. the upper 40's and cloudy for the most part. there's one caveat i will explain in a second. here are the coldest temperatures i could find this morning. 26 in woodbine and leesburg, 27 in berkeley springs and laurel. outlying areas are below freezing for the most part unless you are located immediately along the waterways. that does influence the thermometer. 36 at reagan national, 34 at quantico, 37 in annapolis, 36 at lexington park. 29 in martinsburg, at the freezing mark in cumberland nyan win tester. 27 in frederick. unseasonably cold again today and for the next couple days. back to 60 by wednesday or thursday. we will start the day with sunshine. clouds are increasing. these are mid-level and high level pin clouds that will be moving overhead. filtered sunshine throughout the day today or slightly overcast skies developing. we could get a

rob nelson has more. >> research in motion apologizes following last week's major outage. blackberry will be offering its customers $100 worth of free applications for free. the downloads will be available starting tomorrow, but it may not be enough to prevent customers from defecting to other devices. a portion of gotham city transformed into a giant p rison. the range of activities makes this one of the best games of the year. >> you can be fighting for a while, and navigating the environment for a while by jumping from rooftop to rooftop solving a puzzle to figure out how to open a door or hacked into a computer. >> batman game goes on sale today for the x box and playstation. i am rob nelson. >>> time for traffic and weather every ten minutes. >> it is cooling off this week. it is pleasant. >> it is not too abrupt. >> it is fall, so this is what we get this time of year. it will not get to a frigid levels or anything. temperatures will been running a little below average this week and into the weekend. -- will be. no rain showers this morning dust clouds moving overhea

rob nelson has more. >> the mobile phone is making a comeback. it was once the best-selling telephone in the world, the new android telephone will be improved now. if you have a chronic medical condition or just want to be ready for an emergency, there's a new round the clock service that connects subscribers to agents who can help with treatment, medication, or other problems, either using a cell phone or other device. >> the real key is that these agents, the service that you paid $15 monthly for, has information about you. they know your medications your health history your preferred hospitals, and they keep all that information private. >> that goes on sale today. those are your "tech bytes" and i am rob nelson. >>> traffic and weather every ten minutes. adam caskey joining us. you have been asking for pictures and you got a lot of feedbox -- feedback on facebook and twitter. >> this is from a d.c. resident named mary. she said you don't have to travel far to look at beautiful colors. that's true. that is roosevelt. the building on the upper

rob nelson has those stories. >> good morning. more foreclosures. the number of homes receiving a first time default notice in the third quarter was up 14%. that is the first increase in more than a year. last night congress easily approved three new trade agreements with south korea colombia, and panama. the agreement could boost exports and add thousands of jobs especially in the automobile and agriculture industry. it will cost a little more this winter to heat your house. 8% more for oil this year. propane will be up 7%. electricity should be 1% cheaper. billionaire warren buffett is revealing his income. he says he made almost $63 million last year. $40 million was taxable pandy pay just under $7 million in taxes or about 17%. i am rob nelson. -- and he payexd does under $7 million in taxes. >>> the weather is unsettled. >> it will be for another day. big improvement for the upcoming weekend. that is what we are looking forward to, saturday and sunday, sunshine. there is rain to talk about this morning and more showers and and the storm's expec

rob nelson has those stories and more. >> good morning. coming back to america. in the report today says 3 million jobs are now on the way back to the u.s. from countries like china. manufacturers are finding american workers are more productive and shipping costs are lower. mortgage rates are at all-time lows. the average rate for a 30 year fixed is under 4%. 15-year mortgage about 3.25. the rates have not enough to boost the housing industry this year. business as usual inside apple stores. sales will remain strong, possibly with an upsurge as people buy apple products to honor steve jobs' memory. it will cost more to travel this thanksgiving. the average there will be $400 which is 4% more than last year. one way to save this holiday season is to fly on thanksgiving itself. i am rob nelson. >>> time for traffic and weather every ten minutes. 6:18. >> off to a tilly start. >> its that time of year with longboard nights. we are quickly losing daylight. we get these cool mornings, but a warm afternoon. it's hard to address. >> layers. >> you need a light coat thi

rob nelson has those stories. >> changes at the gap. the retailer plans to close one- fifth of its u.s. stores. 189 locations by 2013. americans are not buying as much as they did. the gap is planning to add stores in asia, especially china. google's earnings soared 26% last quarter, the second straight quarter to beat analysts' estimates. the company hired 26 workers -- 2600 workers last quarter. auto makers are using a trip to cut prices. they are eliminating standard features and making them extra- cost options. nissan just gutted thousand dollars from its convertible. the navigation system is now an option and not included. waiting on nights outside 1 california apple store was apple co-founder steve wozniak as iphone 4s comes out today. i am rob nelson. >>>>> time for traffic and weather every 10 minutes. >> a wild night. >> active weather yesterday's through the afternoon and evening. in fairfax and my house it was coming down. water everywhere. if this morning we have showers and they will come through with the rumble of thunder

i'm rob nelson.old partner in crime from our new orleans days. >> so happy to be here. i'm yunji de nies. on to a very disturbing story. investigators say the suspected captors were chaining up their victims in a philadelphia apartment building's basement so they could collect social security money. agents want to know if one of the suspects met a victim on an internet dating site. >> what a bizarre, bizarre story. >>> also this morning, another bizarre story. an investigation in ohio involving four amish men accused of cutting the hair and beards off other amish people. find out why police and the justice system are getting involved in this when the amish so rarely ask for help. >>> later this half hour, the widespread protests against wall street and businesses. why they're getting so much more support and money from rich and famous celebrities. >> interesting story. a lot of dynamics playing out in those wall street protests around the globe. >>> the desperate search for more possible victims of t

rob nelson has that story and more. >> good morning. apple after steve jobs. co-founder of the tech juggernaut died yesterday of the age of 56. under its leadership apple stock price goes increase more than 100 fold. analysts don't think shares will take much of a bit from his desk. it was not much effect when he stepped down as ceo this summer. microsoft may be thinking about purchasing yachts who again. the takeover years ago failed. analysts reportedly is getting ready to shop itself around. microsoft is one of several potential suitors. bank of america will get a petition against its new $5 per month fee on debit card produces. if 130,000 people have signed a petition on line. silver is losing its value when it comes to automobiles. it's no longer the popular color for cars. white is. one out of five vehicles sold this year was white. i am rob nelson. >> silver is so 2008. >> i cannot be seen in my car anymore. >>> what is happening in the weather? >> nothing, and we like it. >> we need a little boring in our lives in terms of the weather. that is what we

here is rob nelson. >> looks like google is getting musical. today there is a report to google is building a music downloading store that would work locally -- and work closely with the global plus network where you could hear the music for free and then download for price. h-p shares could rise 20% in the next year as well as apple shares. the statue of liberty is celebrating her 128th birthday. webb cameras are being added to let viewers see new york harbor as well as visitors on the ground in real time. the cameras will be switched on this friday, commemorating the dedication. i am rob nelson. >> that will be a cool way to look at the weather in new york from the webcam and the statue of liberty. >> always a good idea. i love the way they operate. and we have the caller is going on right now -- have peak colors right now. let's look at more beautiful photographs. i have been asking for your fall foliage pictures. this one is from mike and barbara in the blue ridge. overlooking the shenandoah valley with the mountains in the distance. on the

i am rob nelson. and weather. >> adam caskey, we should enjoy this even though it's a little chilly outside. >> everything we have had so far has been an appetizer for fall. we will have the real deal, and by friday into the upcoming weekend. that's when the real cold front will hit. this great photograph was sent to me yesterday. we had gorgeous rainbows especially around tysons corner in. we're dixie johnsson works. it's a double rainbow. you can see that faintly near the trees. a beautiful picture with rain showers yesterday and the sun setting, giving us a gorgeous rainbow. and lindsay knew at visited cunningham state park on the weekend near frederick county. -- lindsawy hewitt. temperatures in the 40's with thick fog this morning. a lot of moisture was put in the ground last evening and that translates fog when the temperature drops. there's very thick fog east of the blue ridge in northern virginia loudoun prince william, rappahannock, stafford king george, spotsylvania, all dealing with a dens

rob nelson has those stories and more. >> good morning. stocks soared. industrials was up 330 points yesterday. that's 1000 points in less than five days. encouraged by the promise of a solution to the european debt crisis. less than a month after spinning off its mail order rental service into a new company netflix has decided to reunite all of its services under the netflix brand. the controversial new pricing plan will remain. customers will not need two separate accounts. the dodge caravan is coming to the end of the road. chrysler wants to go with just one minivan, the town and country. which pro football jersey and the most popular. the philadelphia eagles michael vick, tom brady in second place and aaron rodgers is number one for the green bay packers. i am rob nelson. >>> time for traffic and weather every ten minutes. >> what can we look forward super? >> leave your sunglasses and home today. grab the umbrella not so much for today, but for tonight and tomorrow. you will need your raincoat. here's the satellite and radar composite. the white on

here is rob nelson. >> spies are helping the american banks. the national security agency reportedly provides wall street banks with information about foreign packers. that is a sign of growing fears of financial sabotage. it is the electronic espionage arm of the defense department. apple has a u.s. for the unlocked feature on its devices ./ that means no other devices can use that without facing legal action. apple has been battling other smartphone makers over patents including this one. a third of british e-book readers are too embarrassed to let anyone know if they are reading. there's no cover on it, like normal books. i am rob nelson. >> some people are dtried to escape by reading. >>> it looks like january in colorado. a snowstorm dump several inches of snow in the denver area. it snapped tree limbs, which fell on houses and our lines. several homes were damaged and thousands of homes and businesses were left in the dark. >> iic adam caskey salivating. that is your kind of weather. >> i can taste it. a problem with early season snow is

i'm rob nelson. [ beep ] [ man ] you have one new message. [ mom ] hi scooter. this is mommy.rogresso chicken noodle you made is so good. the vegetables are cut nice and thick... you were always good at cutting your vegetables. and it's got tender white-meat chicken... the way i always made it for you. oh, one more thing honey... those pj's you like, the ones with the feet, i bought you five new pairs. love you. did you see the hockey game last night? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. >>> a jacksonville, florida man is facing 121 in federal prison for hacking celebrities's website. federal officials say christopher cheney used a program that sent a duplicate of any messages the stars received to his own account even if they changed their passwords he would know about it. >> using these methods cheney stole not only private and personal photographs of the victims, he took financial information, movie scripts and conversations that the victims believed to be private. >> he with was arrested after a year long investigation called operation -- he was charged

. >> i'm rob nelson. among the republican hopefuls, atlanta baseman, cain, won two more straw polls this weekend among those demanding answers after texas governor rick perry's political embarrassment. at the same time new hints about new jersey governor chris christie, whether he does after all plan to jump in the fray. >> a lot going on with the gop these days. >> yes, the field taking shape. >> also this morning, judgment day for amanda knox, the american student who spent the last four years in an italian prison convicted of murder. today after a colossal fight for her freedom, judges finally deliver a verdict on her appeal. >> later this half-hour, a job for people who have absolutely no fear of heights whatsoever. going to hear from inspector whose climbed the washington monument to look for earthquake damage and see why this is no easy job. >> my goodness. definitely not the job for me. tell you that. >> i'll be right here on the ground. >> planted firmly. all right. the latest controversy involvin

. >> i'm rob nelson. detectives in dallas, texas have been on the case now close to a year with the latest attack coming on friday. at least four victims demanding justice and an arrest. now some surveillance video that may show the suspect could provide much-needed clues in this very bizarre case. >> disturbing there. our big headline this half-hour, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit turkey. the powerful jolt destroyed village after village. the number of dead is climbing into the hundreds. >> later this halfour, as well, the extremely risky surgery and how it paid off for a baby girl and her parents. she was born blind, and thanks to doctors that little girl can now see. amazing. >> stick around for that one. a wonderful moment. we see it on tape. first, the hunt for the serial rapist is terrorizing women near dallas, texas. >> police released video of a man believed to be the suspect. they say the attacks are not at all random. as our affiliate reports, they all take place in three dallas suburbs.

i'm dan kloeffler in for rob nelson. >> i'm yunji de nies. douceur boarded a rescue plane at her south pole out post, and the mission will have two steps. she is at a research station now, five hours from the south pole. her next stop will be in new zealand where a team of doctors are ready to examine her. >> long trip ahead. still our other top story of the day. terrifying indy car crash in las vegas, killed the champion of the indianapolis 500. dan wheldon died in a chain reaction pileup. it is a huge shock to fans and fellow drivers. >> heartbreaking video there. later this half-hour, the struggles for shrimpers in the gulf of mexico. i'll take you to new orleans and show you why the catch is far from normal not only heartbreaking, the shrimpers are going broke. first, that scientist from the united states may soon get the medical care she desperately needs. a rescue plane picked up renee nicole douceur at the south pole. >> her journey will eventually take her to new zealand. as abc's david muir reports. >> reporter: the cargo plane has f

. >> i'm rob nelson. lisa irwin any mother told kansas city police her baby must have been taken from her bedroom. now investigators want to see if that was really possible. lisa's parents said they need aid break from last week's questioning as the investigation goes into another week. >> a tough story. this morning a developing story from egypt where christians angry about a church fire are accused of starting a riot. two dozen people are dead after the military and police crackdown. >> staying overseas this morning, taking a much different turn though, sir paul mccartney takes an american bride. the wedding was quite the star-studded event of the season in london yesterday. there is rung ringo star. wife three for paul. >> the really tough story, frantic search for little lisa irwin. the kansas city baby who vanished from her home. a week now. a reward fund is now being set up after a number of frustrating searches uncovered no clues and the parents of the baby girl affectionately nicknamed pumpkin pie

. >> i'm rob nelson. italy's justice system is much different than the legal process here in america. amanda knox, her lawyers, and her family have been through so much these last few years. her parents said just imagine sitting in court every day as your daughter is tried for murder and not being able to understand a word that anyone is actually saying. >> huge toll on the family not just emotionally but financially as well. >> so many differences pointed out between their system and ours. complicated matters. today is the day. >>> also this morning, you heard of road rage, but police in suburban denver are investigating a case of parking lot rage. the suspect is a cia contractor who has been to war and police say he has quite a temper. >> would imagine. >> yes. >>> also this morning, happy birthday to a spicy treat, buffalo wings, served for the first time 47 years ago today. this tasty anniversary is our favorite story of the day. any time. >> do we get to eat? >> when we get to eat, our favorite story

i'm rob nelson. >> i'm cecilia vega. good morning to everyone. happy halloween. >> welcome on board here. >> thank you. >> good to have you here. you know, dull, regular, run of the mill show. >> done up and ready to go. >> candy and everything. >>> it is actually not a very happy halloween for many kids here in the northeast. just listen to the numbers. two feet of snow in massachusetts. millions of people without power. schools and businesses closed from new jersey to maine. some towns are so worried about the downed power lines they're rescheduling trick-or-treating for friday. unbelievable. >> unbelievable. >>> also this morning, the book about the madoffs that has everyone talking is finally out today. ruth and andrew madoff are promoting it. they're, they were asked how is it possible that you could not have known about this colossal ponzi scheme. hear the answers ahead. >> fascinating look into their life we are getting through the book. >>> also, the world today hits a major milestone today. the seven billionth person will be born this ha

. >> and i'm rob nelson. that earthquake jolted villages and shook buildings until they literally fell apart. tens of thousands of people had no place to stay overnight. and now the turkish people and their leaders are begging for help. some unbelievable scenes. >> absolutely. >>> another big international another big international headline, moammar gadhafi's son is now threatening to retaliate after the dictator was killed. across libya there are huge celebrations at this liberation, unbelievably historic moment. >> really is. and later this half-hour, a science lesson in person. students from the city go to the farm to understand why some goats have a very peculiar condition. they actually faint. we'll tell you why. >> just love that video. a lot of mystery there. >>> of course, we begin with this very serious story, the desperate search for survivors after the devastating earthquake in turkey. the 7.2 shaker struck in the eastern part of the country. an earthquake-prone area near the border with iran. >> m

. >>> good morning, everybody, i'm rob nelson. welcome back. >> thank you, i'm stephanie sy in for tanya rivero. always love starting a monday morning this early in the morning. >> you are a good liar. >> yeah, talking about the protests, occupy wall street protests against big banks and business have spanned the country, now spanning the world. you will see how one political party may be embracing all this anger just before next year's presidential election. >> not hard to believe at all in politics. entering into the fray. politicians having to take sides in all of this. and getting political, as everything does so close to an election. >>> another political hot button story this morning involving religion. the debate involves mitt romney's mormon faith. republicans look for support among conservative christians. >>> and later, politics at the movies. george clooney and ryan gosling's film "ides of march" did well at the box office. get our take on it in "insomniac theater." >> good review so far. >> ryan gossling on a roll this

i'm rob nelson. that have earned the keurig brewed seal of approval. the keurig brewed seal is our commitment that the coffee inside will deliver a delicious cup of coffee every time. keurig brewed. look for the only mark of genuine keurig quality. >>> well, you notice a warning, it is on a drink called blackout in a can. the company is changing the label to show that one can has as much alcohol as four or five beers. this is after the food and drug administration accused of fusion of being dissemativism and last year, they took caffeine out to the mix. >>> well, certain foods are lowering the risk of certain cancers. diets include fatty fish. so, left eventitables and tea. now, medicine such as aspirin may help to reduce the risk of colon and breast cancer. >>> october is breast cancer awareness month. all kinds of events are planned to mark that equation. the light house is beaming in pink. it was built in 1827. it overlooks the bay. >>> news time is 6:12. on the website, we have a special section dedicated to breast cancer support and research. >>>

i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm yunji de nies. rescue crews are digging through pancaked buildings this morning in eastern turkey after a 7.2 quake. it hit an area on the border with iran that is very prone to earthquakes. >> abc's alex marquardt is traveling to the area. >> reporter: that's right. we're on our way to earn turkey, near the border with iran, which was the epicenter of yesterday's quake. rescue teams have been work seriously digging around the clock trying to rescue people. we're hearing horrible stories about shouts being heard below the surface while people dug with their hands to try to rescue them. two main towns were hit. vonn and erjit, where 100 buildings or more were completely flattened. around 40 buildings still have people trapped this them. the death toll now is more. this time, a lot higher. little villages along the border with iran have yet to report in. turkey is historically seismic. this is the part of the country where most of the earthquakes are experienced. turkey sits on top of a number of faul

i am rob nelson. >>> now "good morning maryland." >>> repu can presidential candidate -- republican presidential candidate herman cain faces allegation of inappropriate behavior. that story ahead. >>> and many you got a early glimpse of old man winter but nothing compared to this. how much the cleanup will be after that rare october snowstorm. and the occupy movement continues its strong resistance in comoonts across the country but in -- in communities across the country but in one community things got out of control. we will look at that on this monday october 31st. i am charley crowson. let's look at the forecast and say hello, to meteorologist justin berk. >> 5:31. temperatures is 27 december dee greece at bel air. you might have missed out on the snow, but you are not missing out on the shiny stuff. widespread frost and most of the snow was really about 5 to 10 miles north and west of the beltway and 95, still snow left over northern harford be a baltimore and carroll county. they had -- and baltimore and carroll county. they had snow that froze. a lot of the stuff is refrozen and there's i

. >> and i'm rob nelson. happy halloween. >> happy halloween. >>> millions in the northeast are waking up with no power. school is canceled in many cities. >> and trick or treating is now in jeopardy as parents and officials worry about safety. tahman bradley joins us this morning. >> reporter: good morning, the snow did not stick in washington but parts of maryland got half a foot of snow. the worst of it was farther north in new england. the monster nor'easter has passed. the damage remains. almost 3 million people without power. in southern new hampshire, some of the towns are still in the dark. nobody expected snow in october. >> i am so shocked. everybody is shock fpd trees are shocked. >> reporter: countless trees fell, tearing down power lines. in connecticut, utility crews are racing to restore power for nearly 1 million residents. >> no heat, no food no power. and it's october. >> reporter: downed power lines and blocked streets across the state could mag it too dangerous for trick or treating. >> we

. >> and i'm rob nelson. in kaunt built on the basis of religious freedom, is it okay to attack candidates for their religious beliefs? >> that's the question after a preacher tied to rick perry accused rivals of being part of a cult. john hendren joins us from washington. >> reporter: it's come to this. one prominent pastor who supports rick perry says rival mitt romney, a mormon, is not a christian. that brings up a topic usually only whispered in the campaigns. the "m" word is now out. >> in my estimation, mormonism is a cult. >> reporter: megachurch pastor robert jeffreys endorses rick perry. he describes mitt romney and john huntsman as being members of a cult. >> i want to thank you for a rousing introduction. he knocked it out of the park as we like to say. >> reporter: romney sought to rise, kennedy-like, above religi religion. >> let no agenda narrow our vision or drive us apart. >> reporter: a problem that some have among the faithful. >> the next president of the united states needs to be a man, i'

. >> and i'm rob nelson. it is the first time that we've heard from ruth madoff since her husband's arrest. she is speaking out now as part of a publicity campaign for her son's new book. >> she claims desperation led the couple to a suicide pact. but others are casting doubt. abc's karen travers is joining us 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 it drove him and his wife to the drink. on christmas eve 2008, burnive in and ruth madoff decided they had had enough. bernie had been accused of running a ponzi scheme. 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

i'm rob nelson. >>> a jury finds a convicted killer in a murder for hire case eligible for the deathn people dead, four injured. this morning police try to figure out what happened along an interstate in indiana. studies show we know it is wrong in many states but we do it anyway. a new campaign getting underway to get you to stop texting while drivingch good morning maryland, i'm charlie crowson. let's get to the cold weekend forecast. >> reporter: good morning, charlie. good morning, everyone. it is going to be a freaky friday on tap for us. check on you what we have on the headlines. a winter storm watch, a frost advisory.

that's america's money, i'm rob nelson. [ female announcer ] having grands! biscuits in the morning is easy. just pop 'em in... then go about your business... and in just 15 minutes, your family can enjoy warm fresh from the oven biscuits. grands! warm ideas made easy. ♪ start your morning a whole new way! ♪ ♪ pillsbury grands! biscuits ♪ filled with breakfast ingredients ♪ ♪ ready in minutes! ♪ you gotta taste...mmmm a brand new morning ♪ [ female announcer ] new pillsbury grands! biscuit sandwiches. >>> health insurers will be required to provide coverage for autism. >> one of the happiest moments in my public life. to know that thousands of kids are going to get the help that they need to lead better lives. that's why we do the work. >> it was cheered by demonstrate is rallying for for change. >>> when it comes to your babies breast-feeding is the way to go. the message needs to be reinforced. researchers looked on the impact of breast-feeding. breast-feeding can boost a child's iq and reduce the chance of be behavioral or hem problems. >>> pregnant women

i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm tanya rivero. a crucial day for amanda knox and her family. >> an italian jury expected to decide if she can go free or remain in prison for the rest of her life. lama hasan joins us with more. >> reporter: the day of justice reads one of the local papers. amanda knox has arrived in court. she's been doing so in the last ten months during this appeal. she's described as looking tense and serious today. her defense team has begun their final rebuttal. followed by a statement from her then boyfriend raffaele sollecito. he's also convicted of murdering amanda's roommate in 2009. following that, amanda knox is expected to stand up in court, make a statement. statement in italian. she's been working on the the statement for several months. she'll express deep sorrow to the kercher family for losing their daughter. but she'll say she's not guilty. the jury will go and deliberate. it's two judges and six jurors. five women and won man. that's why, we think, the verdict will come within hours. they've been

those are your tech bites, i'm rob nelson.

. >> i'm rob nelson.cans zeroed in on former pizza executive herman cain's tax overhaul plan and at one point poked a little fun at it. if you were expecting political fireworks between front-runner mitt romney and texas governor rick perry, you were in for a little disappointment last night. early announcements suggest that really perry did not do much to help himself. romney just starting to see everything fall in line behind him, acting like he is the man to beat. >> exactly. he is starting to extend some olive branches to republican candidates, in a sense, making his peace saying, look, i will be number one, we should all join forces behind me. >> threw a question to michele bachmann last night. we'll get to that. >>> another big headline this morning -- >> an assassination plot against the saudi ambassador to the u.s., who may behind it and why new terrorism warnings are going out worldwide. pretty scary stuff. >> a link to the mexican cartel, who sought to carry out the possible assassination would