cost, the president has a tough call this week when he decides how many troops will be coming home. the dilemma? follow the military's advice, or a war-weary public. are you surprised by these poll numbers? >> no, i'm not too surprised. i think when you look at the situation on the ground in afghanistan, it's bleak. >> reporter: and if a majority of americans don't want to be there, it seems the afghans don't want us there. with the afghan president charging this week that our 100,000 american forces are on the verge of becoming occupiers. outgoing american ambassador, blasted president karzai, speaking for many americans. >> i hear some of your leaders call us occupiers. and likened to the brutal enemies of the afghan people, my people, in turn, are filled with confusion. and they grow weary of our effort here. >> reporter: but the generals say they are finally making progress. and a rapid pullout could undo those gains. diane sawyer was in afghanistan, with the defense secretary recently. >> you said, mr. secretary,

modest drawdowns. the president has said substantial drawdowns. modest? significant? >> the question depends on what time frame you're using. in july, it will seem like a modest number. >> reporter: modest in the military's mind would be a few thousands troops, no more than 5,000. with americans souring on the war and bin laden now dead, some are calling for a larger number. there are suggests the president could settle on something as high as 15,000 troops. >> if we accelerate withdrawal right now because we're war-weary, we're going to lose this war. >> reporter: the u.s. admitted it is in talks with the taliban but secretary gates says he doesn't believe the enemy will get serious about talks until the winter, which is why he wants to keep the pressure on and troop levels high. david kerley, abc news, the white house. and the troops themselves, which side do they favor in the decision to bring them home? for that, we go to mike boettcher, in kabul, who has covered the war since the beginning. >> reporter: the bottom line for

american troops here is they want this mission to mean something. their multiple tours of duty here to be for something. and that is their concern. if there's a precipitous withdrawal of troops from here, that all of that blood, all of that treasure that has been spent here over the last ten years will have been for nothing. now, it doesn't mean they do not want to go home. but they want to get their job done. the job that they started ten years ago. >> that was mike boettcher in kabul. secretary gates says the president's decision on how many troops to withdraw won't take as long as his call for a surge and we could hear from the president as soon as this week. how about this story coming out of southern california. steven mcdowell could face theft charges, also four years in prison, after the irs mistakenly deposited $110,000 in his bank account. >> he thought he got lucky. now, he's accused of grand theft because he didn't report the

deposit. the mixup is with a bank account mcdowell had with another woman. she didn't report it to the irs when she closed it. for some reason, the irs deposited $110,000 in the account. >> he immediately spent half of that money to pay off debt. also, he went out and bought a car. the question is, would you say something if you found yourself $110,000 richer? we want to know what you think about that. that's our facebook question. >> there have been a lot of responses there. some saying they would have turned it in. others saying they would use it. >> you get your pay stub and think, who is this irs fella? they're taking a lot of my money. >> you feel like you're owed something from the irs. i've given them all this money over the years. >> maybe i'll see what happens. or you lay low and see what happens. interesting responses there. we'll continue to hear from you on our fan page, wnnfans.com. right now, shifting gears a lilt bit and taking a look at your weather. there's a threat of severe storms from the plains to the carolinas, with the possibility of tornadoes even and baseball-sized hail. it's dry and warming up from

seattle to los angeles. >> there could be record-breaking heat in the south, with temperatures near 100 in some cities. atlanta, 96. new orleans and miami, 91. new york and boston are pleasant at 80 degrees. sacramento is warmer than usual, at 97. someone is glad tiger woods wasn't at the u.s. open. it was rory mcilroy, running away with the u.s. open. the 22-year-old from northern ireland won by eight shots, finishing the course at 16 under par. maybe if woods was there he wouldn't have done that well anyway. but that smashes the 12-under record set by tiger 11 years ago. really cool to see him there. 22 and doing so well. >> the youngest u.s. open champion since bobby jones in 1923. he ran away with it on the last day. he came in with an eight-shot lead. his father was there to watch, as mcilroy wrapped up his first major championship on father's day. as soon as he walked off the 18th hole, you could see him, he said happy father's day, dad. >> that was a great moment.

a really nice hug there. that was cool to watch. i always want to play golf after i watch golf. you give it a go. >> it ends up being a wasted -- a nice walk wasted. >> exactly. you take your clubs. all right. we'll be right back, everyone, with more "world news now." ♪ waiting to sing the song along ♪

ahh. my breath feels so fresh, i bet it could last through some artsy foreign film. good idea. let's go. did i just say that out loud? [ female announcer ] feel fresh up to 5 times longer with scope outlast. still feeling fresh? oh, yeah. [ female announcer ] what will you outlast?

♪ got chills there for a second. >> makes you sad to hear that. >> the music industry lost a true giant over the weekend. passed away after a stroke last week. >> this is what we're listening to, music from his solo album, this song is called "serenity." he was nicknamed "the big man." he was a long time friend and sidekick to bruce springsteen. rob nelson has more from asbury park in new jersey. >> reporter: at every concert, fans relished the moment when the boss would make his final introduction.

>> last but not least -- >> clarence clemons on the saxophone. >> reporter: at 6'5", 270 pounds, clarence clemons was a giant on stage. and perhaps the only thing that outshined these booming sax solos was the uncommon brotherhood he shared with the e street band's bruce springsteen. after almost 40 years together, bruce and the big man, were like an old married couple. >> love, respect and trust. three qualities that every marriage should have, you know? and it's based on that. >> reporter: back in the '70s, a racially integrated rock band was groundbreaking but going on to become a star in his own right, jamming with presidents and pop stars. in a statement, springsteen called the loss immeasurable. with clarence at my side, my band and i were able to tell a story far deeper than those

simply contained in our music. >> clarence clemons, may be the greatest saxophone player of all-time. >> reporter: fans gathered outside the legendary new jersey bar where clemons and the boss formed their bond, and still treated locals to surprise concerts. fans say a springsteen concert will never be the same. but they're thankful for the memories. of a man who once said he was simply born a rock 'n' roll sax player. rob nelson, abc news, asbury park, new jersey. >> big loss there. 69 years old. fourth to four. of course, very important to bruce springsteen. he was so pivotal to the band. >> amazing bond between those two. made saxophone music cool in rock 'n' roll music. ♪ ñ ñ ñ

with summer officially arriving tomorrow, it's time to start doing what you can to make sure your neighbors are jealous of your lawn. let the lawn games begin. >> it does happen. you don't have to be johnny green thumb to have a beautiful yard. i know because i don't have green thumbs. but there's tech gadgets to help you out. it's the time of year to start thinking about your lawn. maybe it involves watering and some entertaining. on this end of the table we have those polk satellite speakers down here and this subwoofer that goes with them. to be honest, we had a little bit of difficulty figuring out how this stuff all comes together. you have to wire an amplifier from inside your house, coming

into the subwoofer and the speakers. and you have to have your audio source in there, as well. these are designed to be fairly weather-resistant. you can put these two satellite speakers into the ground. and get a wide distribution where you're outside. this can be handy for entertaining outdoors. speaking of entertaining, and this is a practical item as well. this is a sprinkler that produces a light show. you can water your lawn at night, impress the neighbors. and actually do it with a little bit of style and pizazz. this is available through hammacher schlemmer. and another product that falls into the practical category is this core mosquito mister. you put this solution inside, which is sold separately. in this case, we're using water to demonstrate it. but the idea is you run it for a few minutes. it gives you a warning signal that it's about to start up so all the kids can get out of the way. it runs for a couple of minutes. it will protect an area of 2,000 square feet for a period of a few hours or so. the idea is to keep the mosquitos away. you would place this somewhere to keep it away from all the

people, but the idea is this mosquito repellent goes up in the air and makes people feel a little more comfortable when they're outside. this is for people who don't want unwanted pests in the yard. this is the yard sentinel. this model can be used with a yacht or rv as well. the idea is, it sends out a high-pitched frequency to keep away different pests. what's interesting is there's a dial you can set based on which pest may be giving you a hard time. so if it's a skunk, an armadillo, birds, cats and dogs, all kinds of rodents. you keep it going for as long as they might be bothering you. it's not going to bother humans so much. you can adjust that manually, in case it's a bit uncomfortable. and there's an alarm system built into it that is triggered by anybody approaching you. it can keep everything from unwanted pests to people who are encroaching on your campsite

space or something like that. that's the yard sentinel right there. we end with this bad boy. this is the husquavarna mower. we think of it as a lawn mowing robot. it's meant to take care of your lawn for you. there's some work involved here. this is one case where i would advise not throwing away the manual because it's going to take a little bit of setup time. you have to think where it's going to go in your yard. there's a wire that runs around it as a perimeter. you have to place that around trees or a path or something like that. and you have to think about how far away the wire is from, let's say, a building or a pathway. they've included a handy ruler. you want to be 14 inches away from a building so it doesn't damage the mower itself as it keeps moving around. it will keep looking for its charger if it needs to be recharged at some point. and it becomes pretty self-sufficient. you can entertain and enjoy the weather. have you ever mowed the line yourself.

are you a lawn mower? look at that. >> yeah, in shorts and an up-do. hello.

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♪ as you can tell by the music and this graphic, we're bringing back insomniac theater. except with a twist here. instead of us doing the movies, because we have little children that don't allow us to go to movies. on friday, we preview them. on monday, we'll have one of our news associates review the film. >> this morning, we're excited to start with a film at the top of the weekend box office, we're talking about "green lantern" starring ryan reynolds. joining us now with her review is claudia morales. you saw ryan reynolds in his greenness.

what did you think? >> i have to go against the critics on this one. i thought it was excellent. great effects. very entertaining. action-packed. ryan reynolds plays the role of a superhero really well. he plays a character, hal jordan. which basically he's like cocky, young pilot, he's irresponsible and he gets the role of the green lantern. he joins an elite group of superheros across the universe. throughout the movie, he fights inner demons. he has to overcome a lot of fears. and he's battling pretty big villains, as you can see here. i interviewed moviegoers and here's what they thought. >> the action, the action was really good. >> the graphics were amazing. >> overall, the animation really made the movie. >> it was enjoyable. kept my attention through the whole movie. >> i was a little disappointed. i was expecting more. >> i think there are certain parts that could have been better. other than that, it was awesome. >> ryan reynolds, he's a very good actor. >> i always like ryan reynolds. good to see him in a superhero outfit. >> i think he's hot.

>> really excellent. i'm waiting for the next one. >> stay after the credits and see what happens. >> stay after the credits and see what happens? what does that mean? >> i'm not going to give it away. but looks like there might be a sequel. >> oh. very interesting. i like this. >> and you liked ryan reynolds, too. >> oh, ryan reynolds. ryan reynolds. ryan reynolds. >> he was charming. he was funny. his abs are great. i thought he was fantastic. he definitely plays the role well. >> in a nutshell, how many stars are you going to give this? >> i'm probably going to get yelled at. but i would say four out of five. i'm not going to lie. ryan -- >> enjoyable summer flick. >> yeah. it is great for family audiences. the kids in the theater were laughing up a storm. it was great. >> or people who want to see ryan reynolds' abs. claudia, awesome job. >> thank you. >> claudia, thank you so much >> thank you, guys.

this morning on "world news now" -- defending casey anthony. the young, orlando woman accused of killing her daughter faces a huge decision. >> will she take the stand and testify in her own defense this week? if she does, you'll see why this could set a precedent. it's monday, june 20th. good morning. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm daniel siebert in for rob nelson. we could find out as early as today if casey anthony will testify in her murder trial. in previous high-profile cases, defendants rarely take the stand in their own defense. see what legal analysts are predicting in this case. in at least one high-profile case, the defendant took the stand. it didn't turn out so well. a lot of times, defense attorneys are cautious putting their client on the stand. >> usually, that tends to be the case, where they tend to not testify. if there's any sort of question.

that will be very telling in some ways and very interesting to see what they decide to do. >> yeah. absolutely. also coming up this morning, as the mother of twins, this story definitely hit home. you'll see how one mom's medical detective work, led her kids to a health care that they so desperately needed. she refused to give up until she found solutions for her kids. she said she visited doctor after doctor that couldn't help her until she stepped in and did the research herself. >> as you would do for your twins, any mother would do. >> yes. anything. later, in "the skinny," the winner of the miss usa pageant. meet the auburn-haired california and the talents that won her the crown. >> she's a babe. >> she really is. it seems like pageants are so old-fashioned these days. another lovely spectacle and so on. it seems like a holdover from a bygone era. >> these things are getting less and less popular. the trumpster kind of brought them back. expanded the bikini competition. >> she has better hair than donald trump. >> she has good hair.

that's a big crown, too. this could prove to be a pivotal week in the murder trial of casey anthony. >> as the defense works through its list of witnesses, a key question remains. will the defendant take the stand? yunji de nies is following the trial in orlando. >> reporter: she's a woman of many faces, the doting mother, the stone-faced descendant. the party girl on the town. the frustrated prisoner. the accused murderer crying in court. but will jurors hear from her directly? and will it help her case? >> we know from testimony that casey told her girlfriend in the car one day, i am such a good liar. so, it's a very big risk putting her on the stand, if the jury says, we're just hearing another lie. >> reporter: but if she doesn't take the stand, the defense will be hard-pressed to prove their claim, that little caylee drowned. >> this is a tragedy. >> reporter: and that casey didn't tell anyone because after years of sexual abuse, lying was second nature.

>> casey was raised to lie. when casey was 8 years old and her father came into her room and began to touch her inappropriately. >> reporter: in high-profile murder cases, the defendant almost never testifies. experts say it's just too risky. the mendez brothers did speak out, blaming killing their parents on years of abuse. >> my dad had been molesting me. >> reporter: but in the end, they were sentenced to life in prison. what do you think the odds are that she will actually testify? >> i don't think she will testify. when it comes down to it, attorneys want to save her life. >> reporter: ultimately the decision is casey's and hers alone. at this point none of us know what she's thinking. yunji de nies, abc news, orlando. a woman with a history of mental illness is being held overnight after police say she claimed a bomb was onboard a u.s. airways flight. the plane which had taken off from dayton, ohio, landed safely

at reagan national airport. no explosives for were found. but the airport did shut down for about 20 minutes. nato admits one of its air strikes may have killed civilians in the capital of libya. officials in tripoli say nine people died, including two children. pictures show where a building was hit, where toys, teacups and mattresses can be seen in the rubble. nato blames the error on a, quote, weapons system failure. now to the war in afghanistan and president obama's promise that the troop withdrawal will begin next month. but deciding how many troops can come home, he's navigating between some fierce military and political pressures. david kerley explains. >> reporter: the president has a tough call to make this week. how many troops to bring home, starting next month, from afghanistan. with more than half of americans now saying the afghanistan war is not worth the cost, the president has a dilemma. does he listen to the military's advice? or war-weary public? are you surprised at the poll numbers? >> i'm not too surprised. i mean, i think that when you look at the situation on the ground in afghanistan, it's bleak.

>> reporter: and if the majority of americans don't want to be there, it seems the afghans may not want us there as well. with the president of afghanistan charging that the american forces are on the verge of becoming occupiers. the outgoing american ambassador blasted president karzai on sunday, speaking for many americans. >> i hear some of your leaders call us occupiers and likened to the brutal enemies of the afghan people, my people, in turn, are filled with confusion and grow weary of our effort here. >> reporter: but the general says they're finally making progress. and a rapid pullout would jeopardize what they've done so far. so, a modest pullout in the military's mind would be a few thousand troops, no more than 5,000. but with americans souring on the war and bin laden now dead, some are calling for a much larger number. the president could consider something as high as 15,000 troops being pulled out of afghanistan. the u.s. admitted it is in talks with the taliban. but secretary gates says he doesn't believe the enemy will get serious about talks until

the winter, which is why he wants to keep the pressure on and troop levels high. david kerley, abc news, the white house. there's been another video game attack. and this time, the hackers went for sega and stole private information about its customers. >> sega executives apologized sunday after last week's security breach. the names, birth dates, e-mail addresses and passwords of nearly 1.5 million customers were stolen from databases. customers were notified and the online gaming sites hit by the hackers were shut down. it is not the same group we've about hearing about, this lolz sect group. this lolz sect group has promised to go after these guys now. an odd dynamic going on. >> it's not so much that they're going after the information. it's more just proving what they can do it. >> the notoriety. >> yeah. well, if you're claustrophobic, this next story could give you the willies. in china, a 5-year-old boy got trapped between the walls of two buildings that narrowed to just eight inches apart.

his frantic parents called the fire department. they inflated a heavy duty air mattress to widen the space just a bit and doused him with oil. and he finally slipped his way out backwards. i guess he's all right. >> thank goodness. good news there. back here at home, high winds and scorching temperatures are now fueling all of the wildfires along the south. new evacuations were ordered over the weekend. and it looks like thousands of people who have been forced out, will not be going home anytime soon. david muir has the story. >> reporter: the fires have burned more than 1 million acres in what was already a record wildfire season with more than 4.3 million acres burned this year. authorities called this a perfect storm for fires. >> what we're seeing is prolonged drought. we're seeing more weather >> reporter: in arizona, a thousand firefighters are now on the front lines, battling two major fires, that have forced thousands out of their homes. >> it looks like a war zone. it really does. >> reporter: the gusting 50 mile per hour winds sent the flames from arizona's wallow

fire into new mexico again. spreading smoke across several states. in texas, dry conditions have allowed simple sparks to turn into flames. north of houston, a 14,000-acre blaze is now among the largest east texas has ever seen. across seven states, the wish is the same. >> we need rain. we really need rain. >> reporter: david muir, abc news, new york. forecasters are keeping an eye on tropical storm beatriz, which could strengthen into a hurricane by day's end. the storm is 195 miles south of zihoatanejo. it is on mexico's pacific coast, with winds about 45 miles per hour. bands of rain have already started hitting coastal areas. and taking a look at the weather that's a bit closer to home. omaha, des moines, sioux falls could see severe storms today. with 80 mile-an-hour winds and also flash flooding. it is hot and dry in the desert southwest. there also could be a few showers across northern new england. >> mostly 70s in the northwest. temperature records could be broken in parts of the south, with some readings ten degrees hotter than usual.

and chicago is a pleasant 82. well, the u.s. has reclaimed a world record. it's an important one, as well. the world's longest picnic table was built this weekend in san francisco. it measured more than 300 feet. that's a lot of potato salad. it weighed more than 11,000 pounds. >> you know who is very happy about this picnic table? >> who? >> yogi bear. it took four people ten days to build it. safeway supermarket sponsored the stunt to promote all-natural foods. which were served to the 405 people seated at the table. the previous record-holder was built last month in london. you don't want to tip that over. >> if there is something at the end of the table, and you say could you pass that down my way, that will take a long time. a lot of hands. all right, everyone, have some potato salad. >> i'm hungry now. we'll be right back with some more "world news now." ♪ nothing's going to ever keep you down ♪ ♪ you're the best around nothing's going to ever ♪ ♪ keep you down keep you down ♪

♪

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well, we're both new parents. as a mother of twins myself, i can tell you, there's nothing i wouldn't do to help my babies. that's exactly how one california mom felt, too. >> a lot of moms can relate. and when one mother's twins developed medical problems, doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong, so she took matters into her own hands. here's sharyn alfonsi. >> reporter: the berry family today. beautiful. athletic. full of life. but these were the berry twins when they were little. >> are you having a seizure? >> reporter: sick. debilitated. both plagued with mysterious illness after illness, from birth. >> one of the two of us was awake every moment of the day and night. rocking the kids to sleep or dealing with them throwing up or something. so, it was a household under chaos.

>> reporter: at age 2, noah and alexis were finally diagnosed with cerebral palsy. the family learned everything they could about it, trying therapies and medications. but they noticed something strange with alexis. >> alexis would wake up in the morning and she was able to function. but by 10:30, 11:00 in the morning, she could literally no longer sit up, she couldn't swallow, she couldn't walk. >> reporter: loretta started digging. >> and i came across an article that was titled "deft diagnosis." it mimics cerebral palsy. >> reporter: the symptoms matched the twins. they were diagnosed with the disorder. treated with medication. and soon -- ♪ then about 16 months ago, a setback. alexis began to have breathing problems. >> we ended up almost losing her a couple times. we had the paramedics in the house. >> reporter: loretta became a medical detective again, taking the twins to baylor college of medicine, where a team of doctors started to search for

and found the exact gene mutation that made the twins sick. by identifying them, they could give the twins the exact medicine and supplements they needed. >> there was a point in time when i wasn't sure who was going to take care of my kids when i was gone. so, to see them now is the most satisfying thing i could experience in life today. >> reporter: an illustration of the power of cutting-edge medicine. sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> parents will stop at nothing to determine what's wrong with their kids, really. >> that's very true. and that's a modern day lorenzo's oil story. it's so frustrating for parents when something's wrong with their child. they go to doctor to doctor and can't get help. very interesting, they think this could be a gene mutation that these twins were suffering from. >> it was inherited. >> right, it was inherited. when you see how they're doing today, it's amazing. >> absolutely. >> hats off to that mom.

when we return, a less than warm welcome for amy winehouse on stage. >> you won't believe that. that's right. first, the contestant that earned the miss usa crown. stay tuned for "the skinny." that's coming up. there she is.

♪ skinny so skinny it's monday, "the skinny's" here. >> "the skinny's" here. and we start with miss usa. >> oh, yes. >> she was crowned out in las vegas. >> practice the wave. >> i shouldn't be practicing that. >> that's awkward. >> a little weird. it came down to best friends. was it miss tennessee? was it miss california? >> blonde versus brunette. >> they're best friends, apparently. and it's miss california! i needed kleenex. i was so excited at this moment. >> you were screaming at home. jumping up and down on your sofa. >> i was. >> it was a tom cruise moment. >> it was just unbelievable. you can see her there. ashley durham. i'm sorry. miss tennessee was ashley durham. she was the runner-up. alyssa campanella. she is the new miss usa. >> congratulations for her.

>> we're thrilled for her. >> excited for her. >> i'm excited for her. it must be hard to cry on cue. they all have to cry. >> the makeup or mascara, does it run? >> you can't get the crown unless you're crying. so, the second they say your name, you have to cue the tears. or you're in trouble. they are sort of dated, those pageants. also, speaking about people taking on a big role, who is going to fill regis philbin's chair when he finally leaves "live"? he's been on tv more than anybody else, more hours on television. >> he's 140 years old. >> he's busy with the jim show. regis is 79 years old. here are people vying were that seat. here, you see ryan seacrest. you see bravo executive and host of "the real housewives." >> he was just in the miss usa pageant, as well. >> he's everywhere. if you can handle the housewives, how they smack each other down, that's some chop right there. >> also, mark consuelos, who is also known as mr. kelly ripa. >> right.

>> that has to be annoying. they are all vying for the gig. i can't imagine he would sit next to kelly. she can kind of pull that spot on her own. >> she can. it would be hard to arrange child care between the two of them, if they're both on the show. >> yeah. i bet they can afford it. >> that's true. >> i enjoy that. they're not saying -- no one is talking about who it is going to be. >> my money's not on ryan seacrest. i don't think he'll do it. >> he has too many things going on. he has the kardashians to handle. >> exactly. amy winehouse, now. this is less than wonderful. this was in belgrade, in serbia. let's listen for a few seconds here. you get a sense of what's going on. ♪ >> yeah, so, needless to say, this was not her shining moment. >> no. >> and the people in belgrade were very upset. you have to understand, this is a place where money is -- people are very poor. they spent about $45 or $50. they make on average about $500 a month.

that's a considerable amount to go to a concert like this. very upset by her performance. she doesn't seem to care at all. obviously, she's on some sort of drugs or drunk or whatever it is. just not cool that that was her performance. >> some of the lowest wages in europe are earned in belgrade right there. and some people forked over their hard-earned cash for that concert. lady gaga is really pushing for gay marriage vote. here in new york state and new york city, she is asking her little monsters to really get in touch with the senators that are undecided on this vote and make sure they -- >> she tweeted about it. >> -- go ahead and push this. this is her tweet, where she's asking for marriage equality, passing gay right marriages in new york state. also, in her video, "on the edge," she will be sharing this with everybody. clarence clemons is in this. we're talking about today because he passed away. >> right. he sadly passed away. and this is the last performance we'll see of him. he's in the video right here. >> very sad. 69 years old. father of four. and one of the original members of the e street band. he will be missed.

>> yeah. we'll be right back. e street band. he will be missed. >> yeah. we'll be right back.

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here are some stories to watch today on abc news. several levees along the missouri river are failing to hold back floodwaters. and this morning, rural missouri communities are at risk for a flood disaster. a new study on japan's fukushima nuclear disaster is released today, just before an international safety debate begins. and a report just published shows that one child dies every five days in a portable backyard pool. the journal "pediatrics" calls for better safety precautions. and finally, this morning, it is our favorite bleeping story of the day. bleeping kid needs to go to bed. samuel l. jackson yelling at them. you know the whole thing. >> the book, got bleep to sleep, you've probably heard about it by now. it's for parents.

it's narrated by samuel l. jackson. it's atop "the new york times" best-seller list. david wright has more on our favorite bleeping story of the day. >> reporter: bleep. when your kids refuse to count sheep and at bedtime decide not to sleep, try as you might to turn out the light, it's enough to make any mom bleep. >> the story starts with a lot of sleepless nights. and one day after putting my daughter, vivian, to bed, i sat down and actually wrote the book in probably two sittings. >> reporter: hence this lullaby meant to shock by author named adam mansbach. >> i posted it on facebook as a joke. look out for my forthcoming children's book. the cats nestle close to their kittens. >> reporter: little wonder his book has gained traction, even though we can play just a fraction. >> all the kids from day care -- >> reporter: the cadence and drawing, so sweet and so cloying. and that voice, yes, it's samuel l. jackson. >> hell, no, you can't go to the bathroom. you know where you can go? to sleep. >> reporter: mansbach says this

book is not meant for kids. but for parents, suppressing their ids. >> everybody who picks up the book knows exactly where it's coming from. i'm getting a lot of e-mails from parents saying they're feeling much less alone. even now, when they go in and it takes them two hours to put their kid to bed, they know that across the globe there are millions of other parents stuck in dark rooms with toddlers who they can't get to go to sleep. >> reporter: who, with every cute, little verse, quietly mutter a forgivable curse. david wright, abc news, los angeles. >> just saying how familiar that looks. >> looks familiar, doesn't it? my little daughter was hard to get down tonight. so, i didn't say that. but i have gotten to that point of extreme frustration. >> incidentally, we don't recommend that you read that book to your children to get them to go to sleep. in fact, it says that on the book. >> right. but as an adult, you're allowed to say that in your head. >> yes. >> maybe if you just don't articulate it. >> just to vent. just to vent. >> or after you shut the door. then you say it out loud. that's the news for this half hour. don't miss our updates on