>> i'm dan ashley. thanks for watching. we'll see you again at 6:00. tonight on "world news," on the run. thousands racing to evacuate as water surges over the levees. and we ask about the two nuclear plants in the path of the rising waters. coming home. the president speaks. we know how many troops are pulling out of afghanistan. does this mean the u.s. cannot win? and does it make us less safe at home? caught on tape. an airline pilot in a rant about flight attendants, their age, their weight, their sexual orientation. and it's accidentally broadcast from the cockpit. and, the penguin who wandered 2,000 miles from home. the latest on the lost traveler tonight.

good evening. as we come on the air tonight, a river is running toward thousands of people up north, surging over the levees. on target to shatter a flood record that's stood for 130 years. at least 11,000 people in the city of minot, north dakota, have to flee their homes and businesses in record time, and they say they have never faced anything like this. neal karlinsky is at the foot of one of those levees. what is happening in the next 24 hours, neal? >> reporter: diane, we can't stay here very long. this is exactly why those alert sirens went off earlier today. this is one of the first breaches of the levee here. take a look, you can see the level of the water there just right at the tippy top. it is getting higher all the time, rushing over, straight into neighborhoods like this one, which have now been totally evacuated. [ sirens ] in minot today, the warning sirens came sooner than anyone expected, and with an unmistakable message.

time is up, pack your things and get out now. >> i think we pushed our limit. i think we need to be out. >> reporter: right now? >> yeah. pretty much. we're packed up. >> reporter: the urgency bordered on panic for some. desperate to save whatever they could from homes they were told would never flood. >> really big hurry. trying to save what's left of the home. >> reporter: much of minot rests in low ground, the bottom of what is essentially a bowl. the water topping the river banks is gushing down from canada, as the result of heavy rains and a massive late-season snow melt. the result? the flood record of 1969 has already been smashed. and up to nine feet more is on the way. >> this has been a highly unusual weather event. we don't know exactly what kind of devastation this can have. we've never seen anything like what we're expecting here. >> reporter: it's driven some to extreme measures. tonnie and brenda have spent an

urgent 24 hours trying to wall themselves off from the river, by building an eight-foot berm around their newly remodeled home. so -- do you think you're going to make it? >> i don't know. >> reporter: emergency crews are doing the same thing for a nearby school, piling on a six-foot dirt barrier. just one more wall in what's turning into a city of mazes, divided by freshly built berms and bracing for the worst. >> what do you do? you do what you can, you go. >> racing against all that water. so, neal, give me a sense of what it's going to be like in the next hours. how fast is that water going to come surging across? >> reporter: it's coming quick, diane. take a look at this. just about an hour and a half ago, there was not much here. you can see how much there is now. and a lot of the mud from this levee is coming with it. in fact, i cannot really walk here, because my boots stick to the bottom, with all this mud, it's like glue. >> well, i want you to stand by, if you can, and you're stuck there, so, i think i can count

on it for another minute, because i want to tell everyone at home about another flood under way in nebraska, where officials are closely watching two nuclear plants along the rising missouri river. parts of the ft. calhoun station outside omaha are now under water. officials say it is a controlled situation, because the plant has been shut since april for refueling. but there's a second issue, as flood waters have come within inches of the cooper nuclear station down river, and it is still operational, under observation tonight. so, back to you, again, neal. tell me what will happen if water begins to rise over an operational nuclear plant. >> reporter: well, the concern, of course, here, is knocking out the power, which could knock out the cooling systems of these nuclear plants. now, right now, along the levels of concern they can have in a nuclear power plant in a situation like this, it is important to note these are at the lowest. however, they have put up an

eight-foot berm to block off the water at the plant just outside of omaha. they've also put extra people on site, given them sat phones and backup generators. in the wake of the fukushima crisis, they are not taking chances, diane. >> though, at this moment, their concern, they say, is low. thank you, neal. and i know you have to clear out of there. and, now, we turn to the most powerful financial official in the country. he is a quiet man, but he rocked the markets today. warning basically there will be a daunting six months ahead for the u.s. economy worse than he thought. sharyn alfonsi now with what this means, and the dollars and cents of what americans should do in their lives. >> reporter: he's still optimistic the economy will recover, just not as quickly as he thought a few months ago. federal reserve chairman ben bernanke today, saying the problems that are slowing the economy could persist well into next year. >> some of the head winds that have been concerning us, like problems in the housing sector, some of these head winds may be stronger or more persistent than we thought.

>> reporter: and it's not just housing stalling the economy. bernanke blamed high gas prices and temporary factors, like high food prices and supply chain disruptions associated with the earthquake that slammed japan. is there some silver lining in there? >> yeah, there is. those are temporary factors. oil prices are back down. we were paying $4 for a gallon of gasoline just a few weeks ago, now we're down to $3.50. that's pretty good. and the japanese quake effects of course are temporary and japan is coming back fast. >> reporter: so, in the meantime, we wondered, what does this new forecast mean to all of us? if you're one of the millions of people looking for a job, what does this mean? >> well, it means that the job market will continue to improve. the fed is expecting further job growth, but it's going to be tough going. >> reporter: and if you are one of the people who thought maybe i'm going to buy a house this year, should you? >> well, it's a pretty good time to buy a house. prices are down. and interest rates are very low. about as low as they've ever been. so in terms of affordability, good time to buy. >> reporter: but there may be no rush to buy. bernanke repeated a pledge to keep interest rates low today,

and most private economists don't think the fed will raise rates for at least a year. what if you are one of the people who were planning on retiring this year, and then you hear this news? >> well, it depends on your circumstance. but, you know, i think you should not expect a lot of return on what you've been saving, at least for a number of years. if you are planning for retirement, you have to take that into account. >> reporter: so many retirees rely on cds and savings and those low interest rates aren't doing them any favors right now. so when does bernanke think things will get better? well, he said today he thinks the pace of growth will pick up, but not until well into 2012. >> sobering reality check. from ben bernanke tonight. thank you, sharyn. just a short time ago, president obama spoke to the nation concerning the withdrawal from afghanistan has begun. however small the numbers at first, however long it takes. starting with 10,000 american troops coming home by the end of this year. and another 23,000 by september 2012.

and he affirmed combat withdrawal by 2014. martha raddatz is in washington with more. >> reporter: the pentagon's top general wanted a slower withdrawal but president obama said a faster pace is warranted. the president tonight said u.s. troops have made progress in the fight against al qaeda. >> al qaeda remains dangerous and we must be vigilant in the task. when we have put al qaeda on a path to defeat, we will not relent until the job is doneward ways clear from his comments is the focus in the future will be on counterterrorism, not a broader approach. >> of course, huge challenges remain. this is the beginning, not the end, of our effort to wind down this war. >> reporter: once the initial draw-down is over, it will continue. >> after this initial reduction, our troops will continue coming

home at a steady pace. >> reporter: success on the battlefield. but what has been the cost? in just 2011, the u.s. will spend more than $118 billion and just since the surge began more than 670 americans have been killed. this 20-year-old, 11 years old when the war began, was one of them. i want to know what you said to the picture when you went up there. >> that we'll miss him. it will never be the same. >> reporter: this is the first person you've lost? >> yes. >> it's really rough to get through. he had a big heart and we miss him. >> reporter: what is the price paid on the home front? this is alex in 2005. he was 6 years old when his father gary first went off to iraq as a young lieutenant colonel. >> you need to come back with us and get in the car. >> reporter: he deployed to iraq three times. he is now in afghanistan. a brigadier general. and this is alex, now 13.

who will have spent 4 1/2 years without his father. how does that affect him? >> he doesn't like it. when i told him why i was coming here and why it was so important, that little man said, well, you go help those people over there, get rid of those bad guys, then you come home. >> reporter: despite the draw-down, gary will not be home for a year, diane. >> martha, what about those generals, do they think this withdrawal number increases the risk to the united states? >> reporter: well, general petraeus wanted fewer troops home this year, considering the high risk for the overall strategy. the white house wants to focus more on counterterrorism. there's no one in the military, i don't think you'll hear publicly say they're worried about it, but believe me, diane, there will be a few commanders who have concerned on the ground. >> all right, martha, thanks to you. it has been another moving day for first lady michelle obama in south africa. she told young women there, they

have the power to help conquer the scourges of poverty and aids that plagues the continent. >> if anyone ever tells you that you shouldn't or you can't, and i want you to say, with one voice, the voice of a generation, you tell them, yes we can. what do you say? yes, we can. what do you say? yes, we can. what do you say? >> of course, a familiar rallying cry from her husband's presidential campaign. and our david muir will have an interview with mrs. obama in south africa tomorrow. be sure to watch it here tomorrow night. and, an announcement today about a country music legend, glen campbell. he has said that he has early stage alzheimer's disease. he is putting out his final album this summer, and embarking on what is being called the glen campbell good-bye tour.

his wife said they're going public with his illness because they want fans to know if he has trouble on stage. and, still ahead on "world news," that stunning rant by the airline pilot. whether didn't know it was being broadcast. the biggest threat to keeping pounds off. what is your personality in the kitchen? and that penguin, lost, and thousands of miles from home. purina cat chow helps you well-being. we're all striving for it. nurture it in your cat with a full family

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[ female announcer ] off! deep woods dry repellent. the protection of off! deep woods with a formula that feels dry, not greasy. off! deep woods dry. keeps bugs off! sc johnson. up next, he did not know the cockpit microphone was open, and it was a truly startling tirade by a southwest airlines pilot, mainly about flight attendants. to tell us about it, ryan owens. >> reporter: as the 737 cruised from austin to san diego, its pilot had a lot 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 suspended, but not fired. why not? the airline refused to grant us an interview. instead, they released this video statement. >> on behalf of the pilot, i want to apologize to our employees, to our customers and to fellow pilots in the industry. >> reporter: southwest sent him to sensitivity training. but that's not good enough for flight attendants. >> it's just upsetting that

there's still people that we work with every day that have these views of flight attendants. i feel it's very disrespectful to us as a work group. >> reporter: tonight, that pilot is back in the air, though it's not clear how smooth his flights will be, now that his coworkers know what he really thinks. ryan owens, abc news, houston. and, when we come back, do you have to put on those pounds, as we all age? we'll tell you which foods turn out to be, in effect, public enemies number one, two and three. [ male announcer ] if you've been to the hospital with heart-related chest pain or a heart attack known as acs, you may not want to face the fact that you're at greater risk of a heart attack or stroke. plavix helps protect people with acs against heart attack or stroke: people like you. it's one of the most researched prescription medicines. goes beyond what they do alone by helping to keep blood platelets from sticking and forming dangerous clots. plavix. protection against heart attack or stroke

in people with acs. [ female announcer ] plavix is not for everyone. certain genetic factors and some medicines such as prilosec reduce the effect of plavix leaving you at greater risk for heart attack and stroke. your doctor may use genetic tests to determine treatment. don't stop taking plavix without talking to your doctor as your risk of heart attack or stroke may increase. people with stomach ulcers or conditions that cause bleeding should not use plavix. taking plavix alone or with some other medicines, including aspirin, may increase bleeding risk, which can potentially be life threatening, so tell your doctor when planning surgery. tell your doctor all medicines you take, including aspirin, especially if you've had a stroke. if fever, unexplained weakness or confusion develops, tell your doctor promptly. these may be signs of ttp, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, reported sometimes less than two weeks after starting plavix. reported sometimes less than two weeks and my dog bailey and i love to hang out in the kitchen. you love the aroma of beef tenderloin, don't you? you inspired a very special dog food. [ female announcer ] chef michael's canine creations.

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find more ways to get to the table at letsfixdinner.com. and tonight, we have the results of a giant new survey about those nine pounds we all gain, traditionally, every ten years. nine pounds every ten years. researchers followed 120,000 people for two decades. and it turns out, there's some specific food targets that may be the biggest culprits in town. tonight, dr. richard besser makes a house call in our "healthy living" report. >> reporter: it's the showdown at the ok weight corral. and ten pounds are coming for you. whether they've got a chance at landing on your hips, your gut, depends on what you've got in your kitchen. hi, dr. rich besser, abc news. >> hi. >> reporter: what edie wants to know, are the foods on the most-wanted list already hiding in her cabinets? all right, let's see what we got. chips. public enemy number one.

chips. add a serving a day, and pack on four pounds in ten years. and in the fridge, public enemy number two. you like potatoes? >> yes. once, twice a week. >> reporter: carbohydrates. potatoes in particular. they turn quickly to sugar in your blood, which could make you hungry sooner. more potatoes, gain more than three pounds in a decade. more fries, gain more than eight pounds. the other diet outlaws -- piling on processed meats, sugary drinks and red meat. with all its fat, can each add about two and a half pounds. tackle these, and your belt will fit better. the good news, the calvary is nearby. fruit. cherries? adding some foods can actually make you lose weight. yogurt, nuts and whole grains have the mysterious effect of running the, straw pounds out of town. but why are the carbohydrates in these items different than the carbs in a potato? fiber.

it makes the sugar from the apple hit your blood stream slowly and keeps you filling full longer. and you'll need the help. when you add the bad stuff up -- over the next four years, that's seven and a half pounds. if you increase by that one serving over ten years, 18 1/2 pounds. >> wow. >> reporter: doesn't take much to gain weight. the study also measured sleep. too much or too little puts weight on. but the biggest help over that ten-year period, exercise. add one hour of exercise a week and you're going to lose an incredible four and a half pounds. we have a list of the foods on abcnews.com. >> wait a minute. one hour a week? >> reporter: just a week. it's incredible. >> and how much sleep? too little, too much? >> reporter: well, less than six, more than eight. >> so stay between six and eight. >> reporter: that's right. >> okay, thank you, rich. and, still ahead, you wrote us about the little penguin lost thousands of miles from home. what happened today? hi, pleasure to meet you. we're going to head on into the interview. mark . . . mark . . .

mark, how are you feeling sitting up there right now? a little bit shocked. mark, what do you think ford is doing right? well the technology of the ecoboost is what they've done absolutely right. did you have to trade in power for fuel economy? absolutely not, for the fuel economy and the power ... it's an amazing amount of power finally, there's a choice for my patients with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, or afib, that's not caused by a heart valve problem. today we have pradaxa to reduce the risk of a stroke caused by a clot. in a clinical trial, pradaxa 150 mg reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin. and with pradaxa, there's no need for those regular blood tests. pradaxa is progress. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk

if you're 75 or older, have kidney problems or a bleeding condition, like stomach ulcers. or if you take aspirin products, nsaids, or blood thinners. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem, ask your doctor if pradaxa can reduce your risk of a stroke. purina cat chow helps you well-being. we're all striving for it. nurture it in your cat with a full family of excellent nutrition and helpful resources.

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finally, we told you last night about that baby penguin who washed up on the shores of new zealand, thousands of miles from his family and home. in art art ka. antarctica. david wright now on the latest. >> reporter: a tired little penguin, 4,000 miles from home. the locals have nicknamed it happy feet. >> i just want to rescue it. poor little thing. >> reporter: emperor penguins are the ones featured in that academy-award winning documentary, the only species able to reproduce during the brutal antarctic winter. >> in the harshest place on earth, love finds a way. >> reporter: ritual as poignant as any of nature's wonders. happy feet was probably one of the chicks that hatched during the last penguin march, ten

months ago. only once before has one of these snow birds popped up all the way in balmy new zealand. >> to have one this far north is very, very exceptional. >> reporter: scientists say it probably got lost looking for food. >> this bird may have gotten caught in the jet stream, it could have gotten caught in some currents. he could have made a left turn at an iceberg, not a right turn at an iceberg and just lost his way. >> reporter: which is understandable. it's dark 24 hours a day right now in antarctica. conditions that they've reproduced here at sea world. one of only three places in the world that has emperor penguins in captivity. penguins are resourceful. >> what are you guys doing? >> we're digging to antarctica. >> reporter: maybe not as resourceful as "madagascar" would have it -- >> we don't belong here. >> reporter: new zealand officials say it's too expensive and too dangerous to transport this penguin home. >> he really does need to get back into the ocean and head south and get back to being with all his other friends. >> reporter: happy feet will need all the resourcefulness a

penguin can muster. david wright, abc news, san diego. >> but stay tuned. and we want to tell you now about something new, a special edition coming up tonight of "nightline" in primetime. dramatic new insights into the case drawing so much attention, casey anthony on trial. and that's at 10:00/9:00 central. we're always on at abcnews.com, and hope you have a wonderful evening. encouraging news tonight on brian stow, the fan attacked at dodger stadium. why the condition has been upgraded. >> why is this man allowed on the same airline that booted another passenger for wearing pants too low? is there a double standard at the airport? >> and live tonight a report

reveals who has the bay area's biggest problem. >> and the fire destroyed a long-forgoten sutro baths. a look at one of the landmarks. thousands of american troops will be coming home from afghanistan soon. the president just an hour ago announcing a new exit strategy and a major troop reduction. a total of 33,000 men and women returning home over 15 months. >> and many will be coming home, suffering from a disorder now being described as an epidemic. wounds of war worse than anyone imagined. latest research on post traumatic stress disorder. >> doctors now say it's not just mental but affects the body. that is vets more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, heart disease and other