>> reporter: at first, the abandoned homes will go. eventually, long-time residents may be forced out. bertha shares her block only with a vacant school. would you leave? >> no! i'll die here! >> i have green beans -- >> reporter: hobson gardens in the vacant lot next to her home. >> this is like the country in the city. and i love it. >> reporter: but she's open to a move. if the city makes you an offer you can't refuse? >> gone in a minute. >> reporter: the most desolate areas are those close toss downtown. the question is what to do with all this open space. detroit businessman john hans sees vast orchards and farms. he's pledged $30 million to get started. massive farms? >> up to 1,000 acres. >> quite large. >> iowa right here in the middle of detroit. >> reporter: dem grapher kurt metzger envisions small urban villages ekt didded by parks and

bike paths. >> we could become the greenest city in the country because of the land we have if we manage it correctly. >> reporter: the details are a work in progress. success could revitalize this once great city, the consequences of failure are bleak. chris bury, abc news, detroit. president obama's asking congress for nearly $3 billion to help haiti's earthquake zone rebuild. the powerful quake jolted haiti two months ago. the president's request comes one week before a united nations donors conference. haitian leaders plan to ask the u.n. for more than $11 billion to reconstruct port-au-prince. the rivers may have crested in the dakotas but many people are still fighting to save their homes. prison inmates in south dakota have been filling sandbags to keep flood waters at bay. some of the homes in the northeastern part of the state are surrounded by so much water the national guard will have to use rafts to help out. and the snow is already melting across colorado a day after a spring storm buried much of the state.

9 inches of heavy, welt snow fell in denver. up to 2 feet on the suburbs. the storm knocked out power to thousands and forced the number of schools to close. airline 38s and cancelations frustrated thousands of passengers. and now here is a look at your weather. it is wet across the east. rain and thunderstorms from chicago to nashville and new orleans, moving later into atlanta and buffalo. snow in oklahoma and north texas. rain from northern california to seattle. and sn in the cascades. it's also windy from las vegas to salt lake city. >> 50s in the pacific northwest today. 60 in albuquerque. 81 in phoenix. indianapolis climbs to 54. kansas city 56. dallas 62. and mostly 60s from new england all the way down to atlanta. in case you couldn't tell by my shirt, spring has sprung. >> yeah, it's a real picnic. >> it is, flowers aren't the only things popping up. >> the new season bringing new babies to the los angeles zoo. have you ever seen these things? i don't know that i have.

these are twin pronghorns. they're born a few weeks ago. if you didn't know, here's trivia for you. they can really book it. they're among the fastest animals on the planet, easily topping 50 miles an hour. they are highly endangered. and they're native to baja, california. >> they look like a cross between a reindeer and just a deer. all the pronghorns upon in recent years have been male so zookeepers were pleased to find out one of these twins is a girl. >> all right, we'll be right back with more "world news now." when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is e of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to " 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp...

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i want to take a moment to remind you about the new additions to the abc schedule. the program is called "nightline." the decision to add a late-night news broadcast to this network's schedule was made, really made, not by the people who run this place but by you. in the first week of november when the hostage crisis in iran was just beginning, abc news made the commitment to a nightly update on the crisis. and then came another powerful and welcome reminder that the

people of this country are willing, even eager, to accept reality coming out of this box at an hour usually reserved for comedy and fiction. >> that is frank reynolds on "world news tonight" promoting the first episode of "nightline." that was 30 years ago last night. >> now three decades later, "nightline" has gone through some changes and it is as strong as ever. john berman takes us through 30 years 3 minutes and 33 seconds. >> reporter: it starts here. >> this is abc news "nightline." >> reporter: after months of america held hostage covering the iranian hostage crisis, a new show, a new name, a new late-night game. would it work? >> again, today iran is the major story. >> reporter: one critic said, to judge from its preere it's not likely to see america held spellbound. oh, yeah? really?

well, here's 30 years for you, mr. critic. >> good evening. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. >> good evening. >> i'm cynthia mcfadden. >> reporter: first ten years, crisis. >> the state department today reviced its figure on the number of hostages held in tehran from 49 to 50. >> reporter: gadhafi. kermit. >> you're looking very wall street indeed if iay say so. >> i tried to wear my more dapper stuff to look as good as you. >> stand by, check. >> reporter: an epic anchor. epic questions. >> did you have anything to say? >> reporter: epic hair. >> that is, i'm not bald, and yes, for what it's worth, that is my own hair up there. >> reporter: live from everest. >> for the first time, a live television picture of mt. everest. >> reporter: live with jim and tammy faye. >> i do like to shop but i am a bargain hunter. >> reporter: living oof of middle east tensions. >> we need a symbolic divider between our israeli guests on the one hand and our palestinian guests on the other.

>> reporter: next ten years. the three ms. mandela. >> i should know better than you. >> reporter: madonna. >> i thought that once again i was going to be able to bend the rules a little bit. >> reporter: and morrie before he made tuesdays famous. >> be kind to yourself. you didn't create your illness. so you shouldn't be punishing yourself for having that illness. >> reporter: a race for the ages. >> it's over. >> it's hard to believe. >> reporter: and the ageless complexities of race. >> i heard him refer to all of the giants in our community as, you people. >> if we're ever going to reach our hands out to one another you can't lump us all together any more than we can lump you all together. >> reporter: the last ten years. a time of tragedy. >> this is no movie. >> reporter: a time of war.

>> brian kennedy. >> reporter: a time to remember. >> the names and faces of the fallen tell their own story. >> reporter: "nightline" and america. >> all of us here at abc news, live from new york, it's saturday night. >> i'm from "nightline." give it up for "nightline." >> i'm on "nightline." >> reporter: a legend says good-bye. >> trust me, t transition from one anchor to another is not that big a deal. >> reporter: a new chief. new politics. new questions. >> are you writing this book simply because you need some money? >> no. >> reporter: now lies. >> i know that it's not possible that this child could be mine. because of the timing of events. so i know that's not possible. >> reporter: the investigations. the interviews. the insanity. so, mr. critic, 30 years later, we're still here. so, happy birthday to us. happy birthday to "nightline."

>> she doesn't look a day over 29. impressive show. you saw a little clip from ted koppel on his last show. he also had an admonition for the audience, the viewers. he said, you'valways been so nice to me so give this new team for "nightline" a fair break. if you don't i promise the network will just put another comedy show in this time slot and then you'll are sorry. >> what is it now, 10,000 stories is sort of the estimate in 30 years, something like that 10,000 stories covered. the baker who found the niche market in the cupcake craze. >> discovered a real sweet deal for men looking for something more masculine at the bake shop.

this isn't going to be just any flu season. and expectant mothers, children, and young adults are especially at risk for the h1n1 flu virus. so let's join together and fight the flu. by getting your flu vaccine, you'll protect yourself and help prevent the spread of the flu. flu vaccines are safe and are the most effective way to prevent the flu. get the facts at flu.gov. together, we ca all fight the flu. if you watch you know we talk about food all thtime up here at the anchor desk. we know it's been awhile since we presented a report about

cupcakes. >> we're happy to give you another one right now. these cupcakes are not like any others. there is nothing feminine about this frosting. >> there's no pink here. there's no frou frou, frilly stuff like that. no unicorns, no pink sprinkles, no purple sprinkles, no easter eggs on the cupcakes. all that stuff we want to stay away from. >> reporter: these desserts are for dudes. cupcakes covered in camo and wood grains and plaid. >> it's very good. >> reporter: made by david eric's macho company called the butch bakery. the manly treats are something new in a city that has become obsessed with cupcakes in recent years. long lines form at new york bakeries like magnolia, whose cupces are so famous they've appeared in "saturday night live" skits. ♪ i told you that i'm crazy for the cupcakes ♪ >> reporter: carrie sank her teeth into one on "sex in the city." one day while walking by eric,

an out of work attorney, had an idea. >> the line was very long and i method, they're doing something right and i think i want to get on that train. >> reporter: but his come with a masculine twist. ingredients like beer and bacon. and with masculine nes too. >> i like the driller which is this one right here. which is maple cake with milk chocolate, crumbled bacon and chocolate ga nosh. >> we'll put them to the test. first we have to find some real men. our first testosterone-filled testers, these road workers. which would you rather have? a girlie cupcake? or a manly cupcake? >> that's a good queion. no, i'd definitely go with the manly cupcake. >> you can't be seen eating pink flowers. >> no, not right now, no. if i ever were to attempt it i would have attempted it. >> reporter: another mecca for manliness, a construction site. >> i do not want the flowers. >> why not? >> those are better. >> they're more manly.

>> those are for my daughter, these are for me. >> which looks better to you? >> this one with the pink flowers. >> you like the girlie ccakes? >> that's what i'm into, you know? >> reporter: nearly everyone, yearly young and old, let gender be their guide. >> she likes the flowers. >> you like the boy cupcakes. >> those are girlie. >> i like those ones because they don't have flowers on them. >> reporter: goodies for guys. maybe it is an idea whose time has come. just a few weaks ago the butch bakery's website crashed from too many hits. hundreds of orders are pouring in. >> it's very interesting to be on the other side of, why didn't i think of that? and now i thought, i did. >> reporter: all of it thanks to some alpha males. >> very good. excellent. i recommend it. >> reporter: with an appetite. why didn't i think of that? >> he took the words out of earn's mouth. >> it's funny, there's been some backlash.

we got e-mail from feminists who said, you're setting back the women's movement by making these manly cupcakes. >> we have to ask the question, was the bacon one -- were the weird tlafrs -- >> i don't eat meat so i didn't try the bacon one. the others were terrific. i heard willis bellowing for one. i'll try to get you one. >> they are pretty, though. sorry, not pretty, they're hot. o cost to you. stay tuned for this important medicare benefit informatn and free scooter guarantee. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen ... your power chair will be paid in full. the scooter store. why should you call the scooter store today? because their mobility experts are also medicare experts. and that means the scooter store is your best shot at qualifying for a scooter that costs you little to nothing.

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liberty medical. liberty, we deliver better health. call now. call liberty medical at the number on your screen. "world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> it's time for your "morning papers." this is actually a pretty novel idea in terms of how to rob a bank. if you're in a hurry why not call ahead and say, put the money in bag, i'll be there in ten minutes. that's what two guys actually did. one you can forgive, he's 16 years old. the other is 27 years old. and like i said, the way they went about this, they called the people's bank on stratfield road in fairfield, connecticut. they basically had told police ahead of time, we're going to

come by, we're going to rob the bank. of course the bank people called police. >> they're busy, they've got stuff to do. >> they wanted a drive-through robbery. >> can't be wasting time with these bank robberies. >> one of the guys had robbed another bank in 2003. so maybe this ploy had worked before. >> called ahead once before and it worked. have you ever wondered how teachers deal with these awful, annoying teenagers, all day long at school? we know the answer. liquor and drugs. apparently. at least that's what one teacher in southern california is accused of. they say that tanya neff, this 47-year-old teacher washes is showing signs of intoxication at school and now she's been arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of prescription drugs and alcohol during the day. she was taken and treated by the school nurse and apparently they found a container with an alcoholic beverage inside. it's tough to cope thith are

with these kids, you have of to be able to have some vice, don't you? >> i guess yelling at them isn't enough. >> just medicate yourself. the 3:00 bell will ring soon. >> so does everyone here pretty much have someone or know someone who has lawn art, something in the lawn? i think that in terms of lawn art, a swan probably isn't the craziest thing you could think of to put in your lawn. for this poor woman it ended up being because it's mating season. so the story goes that this woman is walking -- had gone out to run errands, coming back home, she steps inside. she sees that a goose is with the yard animal and in a very affectionate way trying to sort of go after it. she tries to shoo the thing away, it goes nuts. she goes inside, she calls animal control. six guys come, try to get the goose away with sticks. the goose goes nuts on them. so all seven of these people end up sitting in this poor woman's kitchen. they tried fire crackers,

sticks, beating the thing. i guess during mating season they're really, really violent. >> that goose is getting goosed. >> she said when she called they said -- >> wow

woman: yes! did you guys draw a picture for mommy and daddy? woman: if only our paychecks were growing asast as our kids. good thing we goextra money back from the irs on our taxes. brownies! man: we can afford all this? yeah. it's something called the earned income tax credit. girl: can we help set the table? when you make less than $48,000 a year... thank you, honey pie. it makes all the difference. see if you qualify at...

safety threats. new fears for democrats who voted for health care reform. how did the debate become violent? then, medicated litary. battling combat fatigue and anxiety with medicine. who's concerned about this trend? and, faith fight. extreme boxers call this a real religious experience. it's thursday, march 25th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> looks like those are some

real bible beaters. >> i can sort of see how getting your rear end kicked like that would bring you a bit closer to god. >> religious experience indeed. we'll talk about that this half hour. good morning, i'm jeremy hubbard. >> i'm vinita nair. the so-called fix in health care building back to the house for another vote. >> a big development after challenges by republicans were upheld on technical issues as the senate worked late into the night on the new amendment. again, some big changes. it's headed back to the house. john hendren has more on these new developments from washington. good morning to you, john. >> reporter: good morning, jeremy and vinita. today, president obama heads to iowa city did where he first unveiled his health care reform plan in 2007. he hopes to build support for that plan now that key parts of it have become law. but there is growing evidence that among certain parts of the american public, opposition has only bun to heat up. after a weekend that saw democratic lawmakers verbally

abused and spat upon there have been a string of new incidents. shattered glass at the offices of arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords. death threats directed at congressman bart stupak. >> you turn coat son of a [ bleep ]. i hope you die. >> reporter: attacks on local democratic party offices in wichita kansas and monroe county, new york. more than ten house democrats have reported threats or attacks. compelling capitol police and the fbi to beef up security in the halls of congress and beyond. democrats suggest overheated republican rhetoric may be to blame. >> when people start talking in the rhetoric of putting people on firing lines or put a target on their faces with crosshairs. >> reporter: house republican leader john boehner urged opponents of the bill to obey the law. >> violence and threats are unacceptable. it is not the american way. >> reporter: meanwhile, back on capitol hill -- >> your government is overcharging you. >> reporter: senators, most of

them republicans, took to the senate floor wednesday, hurling a series of roadblocks in the form of amendments at the health care reform bill. >> this amendment will prohibit prescriptions for recreational drugs for rapists and child molesters. nobody can disagree with that. >> reporter: none has much of a chance, including one that would deny viagra and similar drugs to sex offenders. >> how serious could they be, offering an amendment dealing with viagra for rapists? i mean, this is -- this isn't serious. >> reporter: a new "usa today"/gallup poll finds more americans now favor the health care overhaul. by a 49-40 gap, those polls say the new law is a good thing. jeremy and vinita? >> thanks to john hendren. the president has quietly signed an executive order he had promised at part of the push to get health care reform passed. the order reinforces existing policy that no federal funds can be used for elective abortions covered by private insurance. the white house refused to permit coverage of the event and released a photo of the signing. education secretary arne

duncan says that reading skills among american students are not up to par. according to test scores. the latest figures for fourt and eighth graders shows students had little to no improvement. it's a similar situation for math skills. fourth graders are showing no improvement but among eighth graders there was a slight improvement in math scores. the u.s. and israel have apparently failed to heal their deepest dispute in decades. a meeting last night between israeli prime minister netanyahu and top diplomat george mitchell failed to produce any resolution. netanyahu had postponed leaving washington twice because he wanted peace talks to move forward. the obama administration is unhappy with israel's development in areas claimed by palestinians. the obama administration will announce plans later today making it harder to throw someone out of the military fo being gay or lesbian. it comes as the defense department tries to figure out how it will revise its don't ask, don't tell policy. under the new guidelines to be

announced by defense secretary robert gates today, any military dismissals due to sexuality would have to come from high-ranking officers. former new york mets and yankees star dwight gooden was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs. new jersey police say gooden was busted tuesday morning after walking away from a two-car accident in franklin lakes, new jersey. police say gooden's 5-year-old son was in the car at the time of the accident. also in new jersey, a cold case dating back 30 years has been solved and it involves the disappearance of five teenagers. but as linsey davis reports, for some of the victims' relatives the conviction of two men brings little comfort. >> reporter: 32 years after her brother michael went missing, terry mcdowell sat in a new jersey courtroom and faced the two men who prosecutors say burned her brother and four others to death. >> august 20th, 1978, the five teenage boys played a game of pickup basketball. the boys were corralled at gunpoint and restrained. it is further alleged that the

home was then set on fire and the boys perished in the blaze. >> reporter: late monday, police arrested 56-year-old lee evans and 53-year-old phil lander hampton after one of the longest missing persons cases ever in new jersey. at the time of the crime evans told police he dropped the boys off at a street corner near an ice cream parlor. >> he was the last one to see the kids and i've always felt that he was responsible. >> reporter: helen simmons has collected virtually every newspaper article since her nephew michael and his teenage friends disappeared. >> doesn't change anything. that's the sadness of it. you know? if this is justice, justice is always empty. >> reporter: the abandoned house was destroyed in the blaze. the five bodies were never found. >> the motive we believe was a result of apparently some marijuana that was stolen from the boys, from these individuals, apparently a few days earlier and this was a killing in retaliation for that. >> reporter: the break in the case came when a witness with direct knowledge of the murders

came forward 18 months ago. newark police say they never looked at the matter as a homicide but alwaysreated it as a missing persons case. linsey davis, abc news, new york. the father in the so-called balloon boy hoax is back in his colorado home after being released from jail. richard heene started his 90-day sentence back in january. he will serve the rest of the sentence under home detention. heene caused a widespread statewide search after claiming his 6-year-old boy was drifting across the denver area in a balloon. after warnings about baby slings the government is ordering a huge recall of a specific brand and product. federal safety officials say more than 1 million baby slings made by infantino are being recalled after three deaths. the government is warning parents about the risk of suffocation and they should not be used for babies under 4 months of age, the government says. now here is a look at your thursday forecast. it will be wet across the east. rain and thunderstorms from chicago to nashville and new

orleans. moving into atlanta and buffalo later on. snow in oklahoma and north texas. rain and mountain snow from northern california to seattle. windy from las vegas to salt lake city. >> 63 in sacramento. 50s in boise and portland. 40s from the twin cities to detroit. 61 in new york. 66 in baltimore. and a balmy 81 for miami. well, zookeepers in poland are proudly showing off their newest resident. >> yeah, look at this. it's an endangered species of monkey, born just two weeks ago. the healthy crested black macaque is one of just 15 worldwide born in captivity. and the first in poland. the other monkeys don't seem too impressed. mom is not letting the newborn out of her sight. >> zookeepers say they can't even tell for sure if it's a boy or a girl but they think it is a girl. they're going to have to buy lots of pink stuff now. >> how can they not tell for sure? >> i think it probably is they can't get close enough right now. >> mom will go crazy on them. they're protective like that.

>> we'll be right back with more "world news now." if you've taken your sleep aid

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get a free 7-night trial on-line and ask your doctor about switching to lunesta. discover a restful lunesta night. welcome back to "world news now." there's new evidence that the wounds of war are not caused only by bullets and bombs. >> according to new military figures there is a 15% increase in suicides among army troops last year, a sign of combat stress. >> and as martha raddatz reports, plenty more soldiers are medicating themselves to deal with reality. >> reporter: eight years of brutal combat. from isolated outposts in afghanistan to the streets of fallujah in iraq. u.s. troops have been fighting, dying, and suffering unbearable emotional scars. some have turned to suicide.

but an increasing number, at least 8% of the force, are now using pills. including antidepressants, prozac, zoloft, and paxil. prescribed right on the front lines. psychologist jason princeter served in afghanistan. >> we're sending soldiers on combat missions who are depressed, who are suicidal, and we are prescribing medication that has significant side effects. >> reporter: side effects, say soldiers, like sluggishness and disorientation. >> some of it will make me more depressed, some of it would make me jittery. >> reporter: chuck luther was an army sergeant in iraq. he told us he got no therapy, just drugs to help him through his deployment. >> the mortars would come in, suicide car bombers would try to run through the gates. psychologically it would take a toll on you. seeing your fellow soldiers being killed in front of you. >> reporter: they would give you

drugs, antidepressants, and send you right back out again? >> right, exactly. >> reporter: on our most recent trip to iraq we asked an army psychiatrist about medicating warriors. >> if the treating clinician feels that a given service member might be able to be restored to full functioning with a course of an antidepressant medication or anti-anxiety medication or sleeping medication, we have the wherewithal to do that. >> reporter: but the troops don't always have the psychological help to go along with the medication. the military is making an effort to provide therapy to service members having mental health issues. given the remoteness of some of those bases it is not always possible and remains a real concern. martha raddatz, abc news, washington. >> initially the preliminary reports of that number of deaths was even supposed to be higher. then the military was able to come back in and say, we investigated a lot of these and it was a different cause of

death. in a lot of ways this is a lower number than they anticipated even though it's higher. >> martha makes a great point. logistically you can't have a therapist in every outpost in every place in afghanistan or iraq. it's just not practical. but yet these drugs are not enough if you have ptsd and you need somebody to talk to. clearly there needs to be that alternative. when we return, preaching evangelical christianity with a punch. >> who's getting a kick out of this form of rel

let's talk about some opposites. thin and fat, black and white, those are some of the basic ones. >> it's a little more complicated when you're talking about people. particularly those of faith who also happen to love a good fight. >> ryan owens went to kentucky where some believers are comfortable with both. >> reporter: late friday night at the pure country bar in paducah, kentucky -- a fight breaks out.

but this isn't your grandfather's bar fight. >> hurt like hell. >> reporter: some of these fighters give bible beaters -- >> father, we thank you for the opportunity to go out tonight and to train and compete. >> reporter: -- a whole new meaning. >> lord, we pray you protect our fighters as well as the other guys, we pray that we be a representation of you. >> i was fighting as a brand new christian, fighting all the way through bible college, i trained the army how to fight. this is part of who i am, this is my dna. jab. one, two. >> reporter: the leader of this unorthodox group of warriors is john rankin, evangelical pastor and founder of extreme ministries. his church/gym is squeezed between the good will store and the beauty school in a clarksville, tennessee, strip mall. at this church, let's just say they don't quite believe in turning the other cheek.

if jesus christ walked into a bar and saw you in a cage, bloody, with another guy also bloody, what in the world do you think jesus christ wld think? >> he'd probably think, you know, wow, that's cool. >> reporter: you think jesus christ would think this was cool? >> you know, you think about it. look at what jesus endured for our sake. he faced his own cage in life. and when he came out, he was a much bigger, bloodier mess than i have ever been. >> reporter: but make no mistake, this sport known as mixed martial arts can leave you a bloody mess. it's a combination of wrestling, kickboxing, and other martial arts that made the ultimate fighting championship a hit. the action is so brutal -- it's banned in seven states. >> when i go into the ring, i'm going in there to fight. i'm also going in there for the reasons we've been talking about, which is that i want to reach people with the gospel.

>> reporter: at 37, john no longer competes. he now preaches and teaches. >> in jesus' name we pray, amen. >> reporter: and tonight, he prays for his students. including mike thompson. >> my biggest fear going into this fight is to not let my teammates down, not to let john down. >> please welcome mike thompson! >> reporter: mike is hoping to give the crowd their money's worth. he starts out on the attack, hoping for his trademark knockout. >> send him off e cage. >> reporter: but he's quickly slammed to the ground. by the second round -- his opponent brings him to his knees. mike loses. >> it els like my heart's ripped out. i feel that -- that i failed my family. i failed god. i failed everybody.

>> reporter: how do you think you failed god? >> he's given me gifts, he's given me tools, and i didn't use them to my ability. i'm very upset with myself right now. ♪ >> reporter: but mike's faith is not toppled. by sunday morning, he's back in church, battle wounds and all, and still reliving the fight. >> when i hit him i saw his eyes flutter and i was just too excited. i wanted to end it quick. >> reporter: a warrior for christ who believes you can both love thy neighbor and put them in a head lock. >> yeah, yeah, yeah, come on! >> reporter: i'm ryan owens in paducah, kentucky. >> well, where to begin? you know, one of the tenets of christianity is, what would jesus do? >> right. >> i have a good feeling jesus wouldn't be in the octagon. >> yeah. >> and also this notion that that guy failed god and failed his family? i don't get it. >> right. it seems as though they have mastered the whole art of turn

the other cheek. once they get hit in the one, they sort of get hit in the other. >> that's true i guess. when we return, plans to restrict smoking more than ever. assistance getting around their homes. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. stay tuned for this important medicare benefit information and free scooter guarantee. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your may entitle you to pay little to nothing to ownt. one company that can make it all happen ... your power chair will be paid in full. the scooter store. why should you call the scooter store today? because their mobility experts are also medicare experts. and that means the scooter store is your best shot at qualifying for a scooter that costs you little to nothing.

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finally this half hour, smoking. it's just about as much a part of british culture as a good pint of beer. but it's been banned in britain's pubs for a couple of years now. >> now there's an effort to expand the ban for the good of british children. jane hughes and the bbc reports. >> reporter: tracy irving and matt henderson used to be heavy smokers and had no idea thatay be affecting their children's health. then their gp told them it could

be responsible for 4-year-old ellie's chronic asthma. there's no way to prove it but since they gave up, her health's been much better. >> now she barely gets colds. if she does the doctor care doesn't cost as much. she doesn't need an inhaler. her life's changed hugely. >> reporter: secondhand smoke is blamed for causing children's breathing problems, meningitis, even cot deaths. it's estimated that every year because of passive smoking, gps have to see an extra 300,000 children. 9,500 have spent time in hospital and it's costing nhs 23.3 million pounds a year. the ban on cigarettes in public places like pubs has made a big difference to rates of smoking and reted disease. now campaigners work to shift the battleground into the home where passive smoking is causing huge damage to children's health. >> we're looking for a change

of public attitudes, of what's acceptable in tes of smoking. asking all adults not to smoke where children are likely to see them. essentially what we're after is lis completely. ut of children's >> reporter: but he's going further than that in calling for a total ban on smoking in cars. a proposal rejected by some as unworkable and unacceptable. >> the car is your own private space. it should not be subject to laws banning you from simple things like smoking or eating. >> reporter: there's no prospect of a ban in cars just yet. but attitudes to smoking are already shifting and it's not so many years since a ban in pubs seemed just as unlikely. jane hughes, bbc news. >> kind of easy to see why some people would say that's an invasion of privacy when it's your own car. there was one figure there you might have been wondering about, 23.3 million pounds. they quoted that as the cost per year to britain's national health service. it's roughly about $35 million. >> there's no disputing the

medical cost here and the cost on human life or whatever. but i still sort of think if there are certain bars, even, where people want to smoke, why not let smokers go there and where people want to smoke, why not let smokers go there and just not go if you don't l chubby checker: hi, i'm chubby checker. a new twist in the law makes it easier than ever to save on your medicare prescription drug plan costs. so what are you waiting for? go to www.socialsecurity.gov and apply for extra help. it's easier than learning the twist.

democratic fears. the violence aimed at lawmakers who pushed for health care reform. who's calling for calm? then, financial frustration. homeowners struggling with mortgages demand help and don't get it. one banker's response. and, food fight. >> it's not only pizza, it's also the mac and cheese, mystery meats they give us. >> students demand healthier meals in the cafeteria. it's thursday, march 25th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> i demanded pizza every day. >> it was a curious thing.

you hear young people saying, enough with the pizza and ice cream. >> wow, what kind of weirdo kids? >> i have no idea. >> i didn't go to school with anybody like that. >> no, i was like, more nutter bars. good morning and thanks for being with us. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. the fbi is looking into a series of attacks and threats against democratic lawmakers who voted for health care reform. >> there have been at least ten incidents since the bill was passed. here's congressional correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: shattered glass in the offices of arizona's gabrielle giffords. death threats directed at congressman bart stupak. in the mail and over the phone. >> you turncoat son of a [ bleep ]. i hope you die. >> reporter: attacks on local democratic party offices in wichita, kansas, and monroe county, new york. that one included a quote from former republican presidential candidate barry goldwater. "extremism in defense of liberty is no vice." house democratic leaders are

suggested some of the blame for all of this may lie in overheated republican rhetoric. >> when people start talking in the rhetoric of putting people on firing lines, or they put a target on their faces with crosshairs, that activity ought to be unacceptable in our democracy. >> reporter: he's referring to this from republican party chairman michael steele. >> this november, they're going to pay. so let's start getting ready for the firing line this november. >> reporter: and this from sarah palin. a message via twitter. commonsense conservatives and lovers of america, don't retreat, instead reload. on her facebook page, crosshairs mark the districts of 17 democratic lawmakers she wants to see defeated in november. so republican leaders condemned the violence. >> violence and threats are unacceptable. it is not the american way. yes, i know there's anger but let's take that anger and go out and register people to vote, go volunteer on a political campaign, and let's do it the right way. >> reporter: the democratic national committee is

publicizing the incidents and even using them to raise money. this fund-raising pitch from democratic chairman tim kaine, "we're ready to do what it takes to defend the heroes who made health reform possible. just send your checks to the dnc." democrats are looking to build some momentum out of this and if they can demonize the other side i think it is only to their political benefit. >> reporter: the republican national committee put out a defiant statement wednesday defending chairman steele's statement and accusing democrats of "trying to stifle debate under the false guise of civility." jonathan karl, abc news, capitol hill. final changes to health care reform must be sent back to the house after changes by the senate. that is according to a spokesman for the senate leader. the senate worked late into the night by amendments being proposed by republicans

returning to the house. the defense department announces plans making it more difficult to dismiss gays and lesbians from the military. it comes as the defense department tries to figure out how it will revise its don't ask, don't tell policy. under the new guidelines to be announced by defense secretary robert gates, any military dismissals due to sexuality would have to come from high-ranking officers. bank of america has unveiled a new plan to help troubled homeowners. the bank will forgive up to 30% of their total mortgage balance. millions more homeowners have failed to get that kind of help from their banks. here's david muir. >> reporter: across this country, more than 6 million americans are now late on their mortgage. a new record. the obama administration said just a year ago, its program would help 3 million to 4 million of them. yet to date just 168,000 have had their mortgages permanently modified. the special inspector general watching over the program called the administration's definition of success on this essentially

meaningless. >> i don't think this program can be viewed as success unless it helps a meaningful number of people permanently modify their mortgages so they can stay in their hoe. >> reporter: the treasury department responded it doesn't measure success by the numbe mortgages permanently modified. thousands of you have reached out to us, boiling over with frustration after calling your banks and getting no answers. couples like leann and jay gibbon of georgia, both lost their jobs in this recion. they say they spent six months callingf amking to modify their mortgage. when bank of america announced a new trial program to modify mortgages for custors underwater, the bank told us 1 million customers more than 60 days late. so we asked why does this new program only aim to help 45,000? this plan to help 45,000 is about 4% of that total figure. >> yes, that 45,000 would be 4% of the 1 million customers. >> why has it taken more than six months to try to help us, now that we are on the brink of foreclosure? we still haven't heard from

anyone. >> leann, if you give me your phone number i can understand exactly what happened to your account. >> reporter: we watched as so many of you got back on the phone after learning of bank of america's new program. >> i had heard there may be a new program. >> you'll call me back you think today? >> i apologize to those customers we haven't provided the level of service our customers demand and we expect. >> reporter: as for the gibbons, that couple from georgia, they've been waiting so long to modify their mortgage they're now moving out of state. one of them has been able to find new work. and late yester bank of america wi n dav mr,ws, k. there's new evidence of how wide the racial gap has become the national urban league's state of black america shows the median income in black homes last year was about $34,000, compared to $55,000 for whites. the report shows the unemployment rate for black people is nearly 15% and more than 19% are uninsured. both almost twice the rate for

white people. for some african-americans the election of the country's first black president was not something they could have ever imagined. ella mae johnson, who has just died, was one of those people. johnson, a former social worker, was fortunate enough to attend president obama's inauguration last january. johnson died monday in cleveland at the age of 106. and emmy-nominated actor robert culp has died. he was best known for his role on the '60s tv series "i spy." costar bill cosby said culp was the big brother everyone wanted. culp also starred as the character bob in the movie "bob and carol and ted and alice." he died yesterday after a fall near his los angeles home at age 79. >> very well known face there. more than 250,000 chickens had to be destroyed after a huge fire at an egg farm near columbus, ohio. nearly 500,000 eggs were lost after the fire broke out in a warehouse. the cardboard egg cartons and wooden pallets inside the buildings went up in flames. the fire was so intense, 26 departments were called to

the scene to fight the flames. much of colorado is in for a melt-down a day after a major springtime snow storm there. denver was buried under about 9 inches of heavy, wet snow. and some suburbs saw nearly 2 feet. the storm knocked out power to thousands and forced a number of school closures, airline delays and cancelations left thousands of passengers scrambling out at dia. one of those spring storms they're all too familiar with there, and they're making the best of it, those girls are. >> at least dia has a panda express in it. >> they have some good restaurants, good places to go. now your thursday forecast. rain from the gulf coast all the way to the northeast. thunderstorms into tennessee and mississippi valleys. a few inches of snow in oklahoma and north texas. coastal rain in northern california, oregon, and washington. and snow in the cascades. >> 54 in seattle. a windy 57 in salt lake city. 81 in phoenix. 34 in fargo. 44 in chicago. 56 in kansas city. 60s from new york down to atlanta.

a rainy 75 in new orleans. and 62 in dallas. >> they have a tcby too, very good. here's more evidence of michael jackson's golden touch nine months after his death. >> the lavish furniture he ordered for his stay in britain during his planned comeback tour is now on display in ireland before going up for bid. there are 22 items and they are worth $700,000. jackson died before he paifor the furniture but each piece bears a nameplate marked "made exclusively for michael jackson." >> one of the priciest is a red velvet nine-seat sofa expected to fetch at least $200,000 at auction. again, he never even sat in these things. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now."

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the threats and acts of violence against some congressional democrats who voted for the new health care law. for analysis this morning we are joined from washington by white house reporter karen travers. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, vinita. >> let's first revisit the vandalism. we're hearing things like threats, death threats, gas lines to homes being cut. what exactly is going on and what are the republicans saying about all of this? >> reporter: the republicans are trying to distance themselves from these acts of vandalism, saying that this is not directed by them, these are fringe people out there around the country who are angry about the health care law and they're trying to fight back. now, if you look at the genesis of some of this, these are that tea party movement who have been very upset over the last several months at the government in washington. you have house minority leader john boehner today saying, everybody needs to calm down, let's chill out, let tempers calm down.

i don't think people are going to be taking their cues from the party leadership in washington. they're anti-government. they don't care wh washington has to think. one interesting point, the democrats are trying to score political points off of this. minutes ago i got an e-mail from dnc chairman tim kaine. not a personal e-mail, of course. he's saying that heroes are under attack. he's asking people to give $5, $10, a little bit of money to help defend these democrats who voted f alt bil and are now under fire. >> that is an interesting turn of developments. let's talk about the president right now. what's he doing in terms of trying the benefi ofmare? >> repor: trsids today and thay 1o ago in may 2007. president obama gave what was his first health care speech as a candidate for the presidency. he's kind of closing the book by going back there and big speech in front of a lo boister odaiowa while this may look like a victory lap this is really about the president as the salesman in

chief. he is going out there to direct this message to the american people as to what this health care law can do for them, how it can help them immediately, they're really trying to capitalize on the sensgood will that this l h they tnk the president could possibly get some approval ratings bump o that reins e ratings bump o that reins e >> let's talk about joe biden and sort of the f-bomb heard the white house is sort of responding to this, and in a way i would say it's a positive respons p>>portu owi ki unnportu owi ki yes it ke t was get and everybody thought that maybe the white house wasn't so happy about the fact that joe biden stole the show with that si but just last night vice president biden was at a fund-raiser in baltimore ande said that in the morning meeting on wednesd said that t tuesday, the besthat historic day, was joe's comment so of course the vice president's probably going to try and spin this a lit he did a

and he said as soon as he ckey thhne, as soon as he he could god my mom is not in the audience. laughing so hard they couldn't hear what he was about to say. you can presume he was going to say that his mom had passed away in january, eugenia finnegan biden was a feisty woman. she waapparently quite strict with the biden boys growing up. he probably was a little afraid of getting into some trouble with her. >> i have a feeling that rumbling we heard with t-shirts to en adsoo c let's talk about what states are doing. we've hlittome though this is federal law, we though th crermfederal law, we right. are tes' attorneys' general who are saying hey' o b suit on the grounds this health care law is unconstitutional. essentially that stems from the fact that there is this mandate yu forc mers tolth insurance. the white house said toda th is just completely without merit, it is nothing new, and in they're pointing out many of

theseorneener they're pointing out many of scareorneener scareorneener so what better way to get o to run for higher office r thealt, the white house, g

if you are an artist performing, you pass out one time, people are going to notice. you pass out three times, you've got to put out a statement. that's exactly what lady gaga is doing. she was performing in new zealand, in the middle of her concert, she crumples to the ground. she is saying she was jet lagged. she says -- which is true. she's a consummate performer, i think everyonenows. this is a quote from her, i'd rather die onstage than walk off because i was going to pass out.

she says she was just tired. on a radio interview she said she's feeling completely rejuvenated and excited. a source close to her is basically saying she's on the verge of tipping. she's only human. that source feels like she really has to be exhausted, because if you think about it, she really is everywhere right now. >> how would you know if she passed out? she spends her whole time on the ground writhing around anyway. you'd have to take the pulse. >> touche. i think these particular episodes, it was pretty obvious exactly what was going on. she's also so thin. she's got those heavy costumes on. >> we expect this from amy winehouse, lady gaga, not from you. although from amy winehouse it's for far different reasons. did you hear about the big match, yelling match, peeing match between james cameron and glenn beck? >> yeah. >> yeah. very salty language. we're getting used to this salty language in recent days. >> especially from james cameron. >> he went off on glenn beck called him an f-ing bleep-bleep,

i've met him, he called me the anti-christ and not about "avatar," he hasn't seen it, i don't know if he's seen it. basically he was responding to -- a few years back james cameron made this documentary called "the lost tomb of jesus" and it cast doubt on the resurrection of christ and all this other stuff. back when beck was on cnn he talked about that documentary and basically said, i think james cameron has officially tossed his hat into the ring and is officially in the running for anti-christ. this was three years ago, james cameron is still mad about it, so he made these comments basically calling beck dangerous. i'd love to square off with him about some of these issues that we have with each other. glenn beck took the opportunity to talk about it on his show and said, this guy's been carrying around a joke for three years that was said on a network that nobody watched anyway, get over it. >> the second bleep, you could have said hole. >> bleeping bleep hole. >> right, there you go. that gives you more of an idea of what was said.

i had to look it up also. okay, so sad news for "scrubs" fans. >> i am one of these fans, it is sad. >> the way they are sort of -- the news has gotten out, zach braff has a facebook page and he said, many of you have asked, so here it is, it appears that new "scrubs," scrubs 2.0, scrubbier scrubs is no more. it was worth a try but it didn't work. after nine seasons and two networks, braff is saying abc won't return with the series next year. abc reps are making an official decision but a lot of people are saying with shows like "modern family" that are doing so well, they don't necessarily need a show like "scrubs" to be part of the lineup. >> they changed the show a little bit this year. it wasn't as funny to be candid but that show has been one of the most clever and creative shows on tv. i'll be sad to see it go. >> he's going to go on to probably write movies and things like that. >> more of them. >> yeah, more of them. >> another show, another staple of television getting canceled too, "at the movies."

it's been on the air for 24 seasons. and now they're pulling the plug. this is a disney show. it started back in 1986 as "sister us ankle and ebert at the movies." siskel died in '99, ebert hosted alone, richard roeper came on. in recent years it had trouble gaining any traction and now it's going away. they're pulling the plug on "at the movies." [ bottle one ] oh, great. mr. clean magic eraser extra power.

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at participating stores here's some stories to watch today on abc news. attorney general eric holder leads a forum on mortgage fraud today in phoenix. holder's been visiting cities most hard-hit by risky mortgages and foreclosures. wall street investors will have an eye on the latest weekly unemployment claims to be released today. some analysts predict the number of claims could drop slightly and that could be a small sign of economic turnaround. the fda continues its discussions about tanning bed safety today. regulators and lawmakers want stronger warnings about skin cancer because studies show even occasional use can boost the risk of melanoma. finally this half hour, power to the people.

in this case, students in chicago. >> they've had enough of the junk food served in public school cafeterias. yesterday they let administrators know about it. >> as barbara pinto reports, they got their way. >> reporter: for all the rebels and their causes, we've never seen this. >> i want them to like remove fast food. like pizza, burgers, nachos. >> it's unusual to hear a teenager complain about pizza. >> well, it's not only pizza, it's also the nachos and cheese, the mystery meats they give us. >> reporter: this food fight started in class after teachers revealed the recipe for the average school lunch. most frozen, processed, and packed with 800 calories. do you get any vegetables? >> if we do, i probably haven't seen them, i'm sorry to say. >> reporter: so before lunch, students took their battle to the school board. >> parents rely on schools to give their children nutritious meals, not tan-colored slop. >> stop complaining about all

the kids are getting fat, change something. >> if we could get used to nasty food, why couldn't we get used to healthy food too? >> reporter: it's usually adults leading the charge. >> this is one of the president's favorite meals. >> reporter: from first lady michelle obama, who grew up on chicago publ school food, to celebrity chefs like jamie oliver shining a spotlight on what the lunch ladies are serving. >> that's really disgusting. >> reporter: these young protesters got a taste of victory. >> we got the message and we are as a system changing how food service will operate in this district. >> reporter: on next year's menu, fewer corn chips, more corn and vegetables. >> if you're learning to become like the next president, why can't you be given even more of an edge with like healthy food for a healthy mind? >> reporter: in this food fight, chalk one up for the kids. barbara pinto, abc news, chicago. >> it certainly is -- it shouldn't be such a novel idea to hear kids saying, i want to eat something healthy. but for some reason, we're so used to kids wanting the chicken fingers and burgers you think, why don't they want

that? it's great. >> it's encouraging. remember, a couple of days ago we saw the story with jamie oliver where the kids couldn't even recognize what a tomato was.