our thanks to sharyn alfonsi.delled general motors, but will the new automaker cruise to success? it's tonight's "closing argument." ( soft blues music playing ) ( people chatting ) ( laughing )

no shortage of advice for job seekers, but tonight, sharyn alfonsi probes a radical remedy. >> i work out. really big on the fitness and nutrition aspect of it. i don't see myself in the mirror, i feel like i'm 20 years old. >> most people could kill to have this body, but he sees problems. >> yes, that drives me crazy. >> lately, smith has started to think that the little bit of fat and the deepening wrinkles might be holding him back. >> i have been out of work since last august, quite frankly. >> smith works in executive protection. acting as a bodyguard to executives and celebrities. >> i put in for a few jobs. quite frankly, a lot of jobs. they're not coming through. i'm competing with guys 15, 20 years younger than i am and i thought if i'm going to compete with these guys i better get up to par. >> are you ready to do this? >> i'm so ready, i can't stand it. >> so ed is getting a face-lift. >> i can see the aging process here and it's giving you tiredness. >> he plans to laser off the love handles. >> you're in tremendous shape, but i can see this area here. we're going to trea

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sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >>> and now, the bottom line for this morning's weather from around the nation. stormy today in parts of the midwest and central plains, with hail, gusty winds and heavy rain, from michigan to colorado. heavy downpours from east texas, into the southeast. scattered thunderstorms over the rockies and florida. and very hot in parts of the west. >> that's right. a blistering 115 in phoenix. 102 in portland. and 95 in seattle. mid-80s in st. louis, detroit and indianapolis. 77 in the twin cities. seasonable along the east coast, with temperatures near 90 from boston to miami. it's 89 in new orleans. and 92 in dallas. >>> and still to come this morning, market momentum. housing sales pick up with the biggest gain in nearly a decade. >>> and perilous plunge. a kayaker drops off a giant waterfall and lives to tell the tale. i never thought it could happen to me... a heart attack at 53. i had felt fine. but turns out... my cholesterol and other risk factors... increased my chance of a heart attack. i should've done something. now, i trust my heart to lipitor.

for "nightline," sharyn alfonsi in new york. >> i'm trying not to blush. our thanks to sharyn. we come back, tonight's "closing argument."

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >>> to see if your car might be eligible for a trade-in under the cash for clank r clunkers program, go to theorld newer blog at abcnews.com. >>> and a sport report today, two of the biggest names in baseball tested possible for performance enhancing drugs. "new york times" named sluggers manny ram mez and david ortiz who helped power the boston red sox to two world series wins. the report said their name appeared on a list of more than 100 players that tested positive. the list that was supposed to remain anonymous. the year after the test, ramirez and ortiz led the red sox to the world series title that broke the team's 86-year curse. >>> still ahead. at dwheally happens toea many computers and televisions thrown out by americans? and why it's putting kids at risk. 100 potato chips... or 100 pringles. both cost the same, but only the new pringles super stack can makes everything pop. the choice is yours. 100 of these... or 100 pringles. same cost, but a lot more fun. everything pops with the new pringles supertack can. the moisturizer in other bod

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >>> and coming up. one woman, two churches. the priest whose interfaith crisis cost her dearly. so she can watch me cook. you just love the aromas of beef tenderloin... and, ooh, rotisserie chicken. yes, you do. [ barks ] yeah. you're so special, you deserve a very special dog food. [ woman ] introducing chef michael's canine creations. the deliciously different way to serve up your love at mealtime. chef-inspired. dog-desired. chef michael's canine creations. when morning comes in the middle of the night, [ rooster crow ] it affects your entire day. to get a good night's sleep, try 2-layer ambien cr. the first layer dissolves quickly... to help you fall asleep. and unlike other sleep aids, a second dissolves slowly to help you stay asleep. when taking ambien cr, don't drive or operate machinery. sleepwalking, and eating or driving... while not fully awake with memory loss for the event... as well as abnormal behaviors... such as being more outgoing or aggressive than normal, confusion, agitation and hallucinations may occur. d

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >>> and here in our news room today, we gathered around computersto watch a few minute or of sheer delight. it a recent wedding in st. paul, minnesota where they didn't want for the reception to start dancing. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> now that is a marriage starting out on the right foot. >>> and when we come back, a familiar song, as you've never heard it before, performs by our "persons of the week." my doctor told me something i never knew. as we get older, our bodies become... less able to absorb calcium. he recommended citracal. it's a different kind of calcium. calcium citrate. with vitamin d... for unsurpassed absorption, to nouish your bones. activia light!ht yogurt like no other./ delicious, fat free, and above all... the only one that ha bifidus regularis and is clinically roven to help regulate, your digestive system. ha bifidus regularis activia light. ♪ activiaaa! i see you're flatulent in three languages... graduated top of your gas... (announcer) got gas on your mind? your son rip is on line toot. excuse me (announcer) try gas-x. powerful relief from

sharyn alfonsi has the report. >> reporter: it was amazing. beaderman, handing a stunned michael phelps his first loss in the 200 meter freestyle in three years. >> phelps, in a rare silver medal performance. >> reporter: a day earlier, beaderman broke the 400 freestyle record. but he admits it is all fueled by the high tech swim suit he was wearing. the suit is called the arena x-glide. it's made of poly urethane and said to help a swimmer float. because it traps more air, it's considered faster than the swedeo suit phelps wears. after his 400 win, beaderman estimated the x-glide shaved two seconds off his race time and hopes one day he can beat phelps without the suit. phelps passed on a chance to wear the x-glide. but after the race, he appeared miffed. the swimming's governing body announced the suit will be banned in 2010. still, for many, it's not soon enough. typically, about six world records are shattered at world games. going into today's race, 18 have already fallen. the suits affect on swimming, being compared to steroids in baseba

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> on capitol hi lawmakers met late into the night trying to bridgerences on health care reform. the so-called blue dog democrats in the house are worried about the cost of the bill. but they weren't able to reach an agreement. in the senate weeks of secretive talks have produced a compromise that omits two key items but includes provisions to reduce the cost. >> there are new details about the criminal investigation into michael jackson's death. abc news has learned that the powerful drug propofol is connected to his death. investigators believe their final report will list the drug as a contributing factor to the singer's passin sources tell us that in addition to propofol, an autopsy found several prescription drugs in jackson's system. according to the associated press, jackson's doctor, conrad murray, gave jackson propofol through an iv sometime after midnight on the day he died murray's attorney said murray did not administer any drug that should have killed jackson. >> an alleged home grown terror plot has resulted in the arrest of seven north

here's sharyn alfonsi. >> i got this body eating pizza, burgers and chocolate. >> reporter: forget vanityide the health risk. obesity is expensive and weighing more heavily on the country than ever before. a normal weight person spends about $3,400 on medical expenses every year. an obese person, first government conference of its kind addressing the so-called weight of the nation. >> if you go with the flow in america, you will end up a normal weight person spends about $3,400 on medical expenses every year. an obese person, nearly $4,900. driving those costs, prescription drugs. a person of normal weight spends about $700 a year. an obese person almost $1,300. those figure changed is our environment. >> reporter: after years of trying and failing to get individuals to make healthy choices, the cdc is now lobbying lawmakers to take the lead, encouraging them to slim their cities by doing everything from creating parks to moving schools within walking distance of residential areas. but who will pay for all that? well, health officials seem to like the idea of a federal soda tax. they say

sharyn alfonsi tells us. >> reporter: in operating rooms around the country, propofol is a common toolanesthetic, that doctors use to put patients to sleep before surgery. >> it's a little bit of a high. a little like being drugged before they go to sleep. >> reporter: watch as cnn's dr. sanjay gupta demonstrates the procedure in his operating room. >> is this it here? >> it looks like milk of amsia, they call it. so, the propofol. >> you're going to get sleepy. give me some good, deep breaths. >> take a look at his eyes. how quickly -- >> may feel a little burning. okay? >> ten. nine. eight. seven. six. five. four. three. two. one. >> there's a reason for his heart race increasing. >> uh-huh. >> his eyes are closed. >> his eyes closed. what else? >> up here, he stopped breathing. so, this is watching his co2. he's not breathing yim. and we're going to help him breathe. >> all of the breathing is taking place with this bag and this mask. on that medication, you wouldn't be able to do those things. >> reporter: because the drug constantly changes blood pressure, it requires constant mon

for "good morning america," sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> wow. you see them respond.ou know that they may kind of sense that. but the memories. >>> we're joined by rahil briggs. where she focuses on early childhood development. this is going to be so shocking to so many people. during pregnancy, we know avoid the alcohol. eat right. no smoking. but you're saying there's other things to be aware of because oaf what may be getting picked up inside. >> absolutely. >> we're increasingly aware of the importance of the environment, for the developing fetus, and for the very young infant. we know, for example, about stress. if mom is under serious amounts of stress, we really worry about that, for that developing fetus and for that infant. we know a lot about general well-being and families. it isn't all object micromanaging. i shouldn't have watched that movie. there was screaming in it. we are talking about being conscious about the environment for the developing fetus and young child. >> how do you know that this fetus is making a memory, and not reflexively reacting to s

here's abc's sharyn alfonsi. ♪ ain't been here 15 minutes >> reporter: of all his performances, thisst discussed. >> i felt it was time you heard directly from me that i am sorry. >> reporter: chris brown, apologizing on camera, for the february incident, that sent his then-girlfriend, rihanna, to the hospital. >> i'm very ashamed of what i've done. >> reporter: brown pled guilty to assault, after a fight with rihanna after the grammy awards. but in the two-minute video, he doesn't go into specifics about that night. >> i've told you countless times and i'm telling you today, that i'm truly, truly sorry. >> reporter: it's not the first time brown said he was sorry. he issued a written apology. and later, posted a comment on youtube. but insiders say, brown has not been able to repair his image. he's not the first celebrity to hope a public apologies might help. some say brown now faces similar challenges as michael jackson, who reached out to fans after his legal troubles. >> i'm not guilty of these allegations. >> what chris did is almost the ultimate sin. it's up there with the mos

abc's sharyn alfonsi joins us now with more. >> all about the orange this morning. i got the memo.ey the president set aside is supposed to approve and use the vaccines. but many experts say there may not be enough of the vaccine. and an ugly global grab could be brewing. the swine flu's reach is widening. moving through the southern hemisphere. countries like argentina, chile, and uruguay, seeing an increase in death tolls. with 10,000 confirmed cases in australia. health officials there now warning they could face up to 3,000 deaths this year. in europe, britain estimated 55,000 new cases just last week. among them, sherri blair, the former prime minister's wife. more than two dozen people have died from the virus in the u.k., including a 6-year-old little girl. and now, some fear a global pandemic could set off a fight for the swine flu vaccine here in the u.s. >> there's always a concern that when we have these international vaccine manufacturers, that some of that vaccine might be embargoed or held back. >> reporter: experts warn governments will be under tremendous pressure t

sharyn alfonsi spoke to some of her close friends.nds of jenny says she has all the grace of a southern belle but also that steely gut of a wall street banker. two qualities that have served her well over the past few weeks. for the first time close friends of jenny sanford are speaking out about her strength. >> her strength and her faith, she has shared it with me and romans, rejoice and hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. >> reporter: as the scandal unraveled she turned to some of her and mark's dearest friends. lala lee and chip. first when he went missing. >> she was not concerned about his well-being from the standpoint they had agreed to spate for a period of time and so she knew or she felt that he was okay wherever he was. she did not know his whereabouts. >> reporter: she didn't think he was in argentina at that point. >> they had had a discussion about that trip and she had told him she did not want him to go there. >> reporter: when she found out he was there, did she find out like everybody else. >> sh