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i'm ryan owens for "nightline" in alabama. >> i don't know if that's supposed to make us feel better. >>> just ahead, it's one of the most nerve-racking moments in most men's lives. we'll introduce you to a woman who helps them. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ introducing purina one beyond introducing purina one beyond a new food for your cat or dog. took some wild risks when i was young. but i was still taking a risk with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me. i stopped kidding myself. i've been eating healthier, exercising more, and now i'm also taking lipitor. if you've been kidding yourself about high cholesterol, stop. along with diet, lipitor has been shown to lower bad cholesterol 39 to 60 percent. lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to che

i'm ryan owens in scottsborough, alabama. >> that's where my digital camera went. >> somehow not very

ryan owens has the very latest, now, froro los alamos. >> reporter: behind me in the distance, you see nothing but smoke. this is the main road in and out of town. and right now, it is largely deserted. this town of roughly 12,000 people, for the most part, has been evacuated. it is all under a mandatory evacuation order. and its best-known landmark, the country's largest nuclear weapons lab is closed. firefighters are scrambling to keep this huge fire, which overnight scorched 44,000 acres, away from nuclear material, radioactive material, that is stored on-site. this afternoon, there was a spot fire on the property. and the main fire, part of that got within about 50 feet of the perimeter of the lab. now, lab officials, a well as new mexico's governor, they assure us that this material is secure and the public is not at risk. however, they have made the decision, as we said, to evacuate this town. and the lab will be closed again today. ryan owens, abc news, los alamos, new mexico. >>> 900 miles away, nuclear facilities in eastern nebraska are also under scrutiny. as rising floodwate

abc's ryan owens reports from the front lines. >> reporter: some are worried not just about the barrels of nuclear waste stored at the lab but what's in the canyons that surround the sprawling complex. so-called legacy contamination from nuclear tests dating back to the 1940s. >> the trees have grown up during that time frame, and the soils could also be contaminated, and if they get heated and that goes airborne then we are concerned about that. >> reporter: the canyons were dumping grounds for radioactive material decades ago but are now open to the public and considered safe. still, a nuclear scientist armed with a geiger counter made this youtube video in one of those canyons. >> there is no shortage of metal. no shortage of radioactivity. >> reporter: much of this area burned back in 2000 and no higher levels of radiation were detected then. everyone is hoping the same holds true this time. that nuclear lab is directlyly behind me. behind that, a wall of smoke. firefighters tell us much of that is from the fires they intentionally started, but with the wind howling like it is now,

ryan owens, abc news, houston. >> and that's a team. thank you for watching. at abcnews.com. don't forget, "nightline" will be here later tonight. and we will see you right back here tomorrow. until then, good night. >> the state's first on time budget in years. but it may not be the final word. >> a south bay teacher facing charges of lewdd conduct with a opportunity and leaves it to her lawyer to explain the embarrassment. >> and a coast cutting plane to leave san jose short handed with officers. >> anditate wide sweep to get guns out of the hands of people with no business ownering them. >> this is abc 7 news at 6:00. >> good evening, with all of the incomes on the line california democrats pushed a budget through with deep cuts. >> this is the first time in many years that they met the passage of the budget dead line. >> nannette has the story tonight. by meeting the deadline they saved their paychecks. that is all possible under proposition 25 given to sacramento by california voters just a few months ago. >> i would rather have them still stay and

more now from ryan owens. >> reporter: as the 737 cruised from austin to san diego, its pilot had a lotore on his mind than his passengers' safety. >> 11 [ bleep ] over the top [ bleep ] homosexuals and a granny. >> reporter: with his cockpit mike stuck open, he complained to his co-pilot about the flight attendants. >> after that, it was just a continuous stream of gays and grannies and grandes -- >> reporter: he goes on to detail how it's increasingly difficult to find co-workers he wants to sleep with. >> now i'm back in houston, which is easily ononof the ugliest bases. i mean it's all ththe [ bleep ] old dudes and grannies and maybe a handful of cute chicks. >> reporter: the passengers couldn't hear, but air traffic controllers and other pilots certainly could. >> okay, whoever is transmitting better watch what you're saying. okay, someone's got a stuck mike and telling us all about their endeavors. we don't need to hear that. >> 360, skywest 6285, and they wonder why airline pilots have a bad reputation. >> reporter: southwest has not identified the pilot. he was suspended but not

to tell us about it, ryan owens. >> reporter: as the 737 cruised from austin to san diego, its pilot more on his mind than his passengers safety. >> 11 [ bleep ] over the top [ bleep ] homosexuals and a granny. >> reporter: with his cockpit mike stuck open, he complained to his co-pilot about the flight attendants. >> after that, it was just a continuous stream of gays and grannies and grandes. >> reporter: he goes on to detail how it's increasingly difficult to find coworkers he wants to sleep with. >> now i'm back in houston, which is easily one of the ugliest bases. i mean, it's all these [ bleep ] old dudes and grannies and there's like maybe a handful of cute chicks. >> reporter: the passengers couldn't hear. but air traffic controllers and other pilots certainly could. >> okay, whoever is transmitting better watch what you're saying. >> someone's got a stuck mike and telling us all about their endeavors. we don't need to hear about that. >> 360, sky west 6285. and they wonder why airline pilots have a bad reputation. >> reporter: southwest had not identified the pilot. he was s

. >>> but let's start now with abc's ryan owens covering that fire in los alamos tonight. and, ryan, good evening to you. i think i can see the fire in the haze behind you. >> reporter: good evening to you, diane. that is correct. and that is all you can see. this is the main road in and out of town. as you can see, it is largely deserted. the evacuation of 12,000 people, the entire community of los alamos, is for the most part complete tonight. people were streaming out of here all afternoon. this community's best-known landmark, as you mentioned, the country's main nuclear weapons lab, is closed. firefighters are scrambling to keep the huge fire away from radioactive material that is stored on site. this afternoon, there was actually a spot fire on the lab's property, a small one. the main fire, which as you said, has scorched 44,000 acres, the main part of the fire was actually at one point just 50 feet from the perimeter. so lab officials, new mexico's governor, everyone assuring us the public is safe. those materials are secure. but they have evacuated this entire town

ryan owens, abc news. >>> the legal dispeut between facebook founder and two of his harvard classmatesas come to an end. today the two dropped the lawsuit that sought to undo the $65 million settlement they originally agreed to in 2008. they claimd that they were deceived and should have received much more facebook stock but the appellate court in san francisco recently ruled against them so now it is over. there was a movie made about that entire affair as you recall. >>> santa cruz county officials say a decision not to provide assistance for storm cleanup is going to devastate their budget. the federal emergency management agency fee may has denied a request to pay for the damage caused by the march weather. fema concluded it was caused by three separate storms that didn't rise to the level of a federal disaster. cities were counting on federal money to pay 75% of the recovery costs. the governor could now appeal fema's ruling. we shall see. >>> from storm damage to messy roads. they are a mess in the bay area. potholes that we see every day when we hit them. the roads are in bad sh

abc's ryan owens is on the scene tonight. >> reporter: on the front lines tonight, firefighters are setting their own blazes. they hope to deprive the wildfire of the fuel it would need to jump the perimeter into america's preeminent nuclear weapons facility. so far, their strategy is working. today, the governor herself inspected air samples, lots of smoke, no signs of elevated diation. >> those results show that what we see in this fire is exactly what we see in any fire across new mexico. >> reporter: environmental officials are taking no chances. they are deploying dozens of air monitors all over thisistate, and the feds have flown in a plane that takes instant radiation samples. some are worried not just about the barrels of nuclear waste stored at the lab -- >> two, one. >> reporter: but what's in the canyons that surround the sprawling complex. so-called legacy contamination, from nuclear tests dating back to the 1940s. >> the trees have grown up during that time frame, and the soil could also be contaminated. and if they get heated and that stuff goes airborne, then we are concerned

ryan owens, abc news, los alamos, new mexico. >>> violent protests lasted long into the night in the capital of greece after the government approved a new round of budget cuts and tax hikes. the deal will free up enough international money to keep the government going until september. public sector salaries and pensions have been cut in the past year and unemployment is above 16%. >>> a new study out this morning finds a chemical that was withdrawn from the u.s. market seven years ago is still very much present in the workplace. researchers tested 31 offices in boston for the presence of pbde and found it in every single one of those offices. now, the chemical was used in computers, furniture, also carp carpeting. it has since been linked to thyroid and hormone changes. >>> brace yourselves. >> this is our breaking news story. >> fasten your seat belt. there are new clues this morning about what's causing the growing epidemicof obesity in this country. >> turns out it all has to do with how much you eat. if i'd only known. here's john berman. >> reporter: you ever wonder why disco di

ryan owens has the story. >> reporter: she was armed only with her cell phone. >> he's getting in nowknow this person? >> no. hurry. hurry. he's getting in. >> reporter: a mother, cowering in her bedroom closet with her teenage son. as police say, a burglar kicked in the door of their denver area home. >> he's in my house. he's coming in. he's coming in. into my room. >> ma'am? theresa, just stay on the phone. don't talk. >> reporter: but she keeps talking. this time, to the burglar. >> do you want jewelry? >> yeah. >> okay. and do you want tvs? i'll give it all to you. >> okay. >> i couldn't even believe my ears. i could tell he was right there. i mean, right there on the other side of the door. i could hear him answering the questions. and i'm thinking, this woman is a genius. >> reporter: she was apparently stalling him. it worked. a few minutes into the call, police showed up and caught this 23-year-old red-handed. and found a mother and her son safe in that closet. for "good morning america," ryan owens, abc news. >> quick thinking and a happy ending. >>> now, let's check in with

i see them. >> reporter: for "good morning america," ryan owens, abc news, broomfield, colorado. >> quite thanks so much. >>> why are we here? oh, to see jennifer hudson. that's right. the oscar winner, who also has a brand-new cd that is out. "i remember me." already gold. all right. if you want to see j. hud, show her some love. jennifer hudson. [ cheers and applause ] have a seat. have a seat. i had to back up to let you -- doesn't she look fantastic? >> how are you doing? thank you. >> oh. don't worry. she's going to be singing. you heard her in the sound check. she's ready to go. she's ready to blow. you're going to have such a busy summer. you have two movies. you have your memoir you're working on. what are you going to share with us in the book? >> basically, i want to help inspire others in their weight loss journey. it's the way of putting in a bottle of things that inspired me and helped me get through. in some ways, music helps me. i hear that kind of music. that's my inspiration. i want to put my story in word form and pass it on to others who are trying to meet that challeng

ryan owens, abc news, houston. >> now we ask you at home what you thought about this.nnfans.com and let us know what you thought. really, this is a bad person to have representing that particular company, would not want somebody like this representing them. >> yes, a lot of folks talking about this. i'm sure this happens a lot more than we know, he just happened to get caught. and i think it's royce here says -- no, sorry, todd says this probably happens all the time, as long as we get to our destination safe and sound, it doesn't matter what they say. >> you and i were talking about that. i said it's terrible and you don't want to hear profanity. then again we have these stories about pilots that aren't sober. people are saying, safety first, forget about this chitchat later. >> the comments that offend a lot of people. >> let us know what you think, wnnfans.com. >>> mobster crime boss whitey bulger has been arrested after 16 years on the run. he was the inspiration for the 2006 movie departed. he's wanted in connection with 19 murders. the fbi apprehended bulger in t

abc's ryan owens is there. >> reporter: starting fires to stop them.s a gamble the fire chief hopes will pay off. >> and there's a risk to it. there's a risk any time you put the fire on the ground. in this case, it worked out. >> reporter: firefighters set part of the perimeter of the that produced dramatic images like this and apparently results. a blackened ring now circles the lab. crews are confident if the wildfire heads backed this way, it will not have enough fuel to make it to the stash of radioactive material inside. >> we don't know what it is. it's just what is in the air. >> reporter: new mexico's governor examined some of the first air quality tests. they show a lot of smoke, but no radiation release. just to be sure, the environmental protection agency brought in this flying laboratory to check for toxins in the air. state officials warned the danger is not over. along with what's on lab property, they worry what's around it. for decades, this land was used to test atomic weapons. and then, to dump the radioactive material left behind. >

for "good morning america," ryan owens, abc news, houston. >> sensitivity training. >> i want to know -- i want to know what's going to happen the next time a flight attendant brings him his lunch in the cockpit. >> yeah. >> there is an essential bit of trust between flight attendants and pilots, especially now. you wonder, with it so fractured, everybody there is going to know who the pilot is. and if southwest wants to throw itself in the way, it's still a pretty surprising way to handle it. >> you really do have to tell people -- you have to send a clear signal it's not okay with a company. you at least have to suspend him, so people know it's not okay. >> so, you know how we feel about this. what do you have to say? you can go. should the southwest pilot be fired for his open-mic rant? yes or no vote using the "gma" app on your android or iphone or head to our website. see what people say by the end of the program. >>> and coming up, the amazing drama at the casey anthony murder trial, as her daughter's most prized possession is revealed on the stand as a key piece of evidence. yo

ryan owens, abc news, houston. >>> just extraordinary. what a story. >>> rick kwan is here.nley cup finals tonight. >> stanley cup. also baseball to talk about coming up in sports. how the giants and a's did tonight. and highlights of game seven between boston and vancouver. the bruins trying to capture their our planes start flying when it's dark. and they don't stop flying until it's dark again. flying all day, every day. you deserve our best. that's why there's so many flight options. [ webber ] southwest airlines has seven daily nonstop flights from the bay area to chicago midway to fit your schedule. ♪ hey, we're on your schedule, not ours. there will be another one back here in a second, just watch. what did i tell you -- there's another one. [ ding ] >>> coming up tonight on abc 7 news at 11:00, 11:00 arrestedn airplane. how a man ended up in jail today after refusing to pull u up his pants. and a former bart police officer out of jail. how johannes mehserle is spending his time as a free man. hope you can join us for that. now, mr. kwan is here with all of the sports

but our ryan owens has been tracking all and he has the latest from east texas. good morning, ryan. >> reporter: we're just a little bit north of huntszville. be behind me, you have seen the fir battling firefighters. it high winds and even higher temperatures, a helloish scenarios for firefighters in east texas. smoke filled the skies. the thermometer well above 100 degrees. 200 families here have been evacuated. plenty of others refuse to go. the choking smoke forced the closure of interstate hooking up dallas and houston. this morning, wildfires are raging across seven states, more than a million acres have been wiped out in just the last few days. on top of what has already been a record wildfire season. >> what we're seeing is prolonged droughts. we're seeing more weather extremes. >> reporter: in arizona z50 mile-per-hour winds pushed a wall of flame near sierra visit ya. >> i feared for my husband and my animals, for the air quality. >> reporter: more than 700 firefighters have come from all over the country to battle what's known as the monument fire. so f

. >> but let's begin with ryan owens. >> reporter: this was a pretty good night for the firefighters.he winds have died down. certainly, the concern is not over. behind me, you see all of that thick smoke, that's where some of that fire is burning this morning and that is right above that nuclear lab. this is what happens when 12,000 people try to flee a city at once. >> all right. let's go. >> reporter: los alamos is empty this morning, after a mandatory evacuation. >> i got pretty much everything packed up. just filling up the car. >> reporter: but there is one thing no one here could take with them. this town is home to america's nuclear weapons lab. los alamos is where the first atomic bomb was built. and where today's most dangerous weapons are made. the lab is massive. 36 square miles. the wildfire has come within 50 feet of its perimeter. and on monday, one small fire was sparked on the lab's property. >> potential is high for a major calamity. if the fire would reach these areas. >> reporter: officials insist the nuclear material here is secure. and there's no danger to the pu

. >> reporter: abc's ryan owens is there. >> texas is in the middle of its worst drought in more than 50 years and right now at least 20 fires are burning in this state alone. >> reporter: in arizona good news as calmer winds have helped crews trying to contain the monument fire near sierra vista. at least some of the 10,000 evacuees allowed to go home. >> you wake up and you think everything is good and then there's another calamity. >> reporter: now a political calamity has flared after senator john mccain blamed at least some of the fires on illegal immigrants. >> there is substantial evidence that some of these fires are caused by people who have crossed our border illegally. they have set fires because they want to signal others. they have set fires to keep warm. >> reporter: immigrant rights activists pounced. >> the sad thing is that the intention was pretty clear and it was to demonize immigrants and to demonize latinos. >> reporter: the u.s. forest service says they have no evidence illegal immigrants are to blame for the fires burning in arizona. but at least one local sheri

abc's ryan owens is in los alamos with the latest on that. good morning, ryan. >> reporter: good morning, robin. that nuclear lab will be closed for a third-straight day. that, as firefighters are finally making some progress. the blaze is 3% contained. not a lot. but it's something. the fire that surrounds the los alamos lab is so big, you can see the smoke from space. concern over what's in that smoke has prompted the environmental protection agency to bring in air monitors. even a special airplane that checks for radiation. so far, they found nothing. >> our facilities and nuclear mamarials are protected and safe. >> reporter: los alamos, birthplace of the atomic bomb, was shrouded in secrecy long before it was surrounded in smoke. with the fire now just two miles from those barrels that contain radioactive waste, like old chemical suits, gloves and tools, lab officials aren't the only ones trying to reassure the public. based on what you've seen, do you feel comfortable saying to the public, we are safe right now? >> yes. i am confident in