were reported in 1981, 30 million people have died and millions more are still affected to day. to mark world aids day, president obama announced he will redirect $50 million toward hiv treatments here and worldwide. former president george w. bush was in tanzania to see the result of the anti-aids program he launched in 2003. >> there is nothing more joyful than to hold in your arms a 2-year-old child who has benefited from the grassroots efforts here in tanzania and the enormous generosity of the american people. >> as we go forward -- we have got to keep refining our strategy so that we're saving as many lives as possible. >> part of that strategy involves getting aids fighting drugs to 6 million people in countries hardest hit by the virus within two years. a 13-year-old boy denied add mission to a private pennsylvania boarding school because he is hiv positive. and now his family is suing. the milton hershey school says

it was a tough decision, administrators were concerned about safety and could not handle a student with a chronic disease. thele school is cost free and caters to underprivileged kids. >> well foster children headed to capitol hill yesterday to testify about powerful drugs being prescribed to them in alarming numbers. this is shocking to me. >> really is the numbers, a new report confirlz those kids unable to fend for themselves are simply being overmedicated. abc's t.j. winick has the investigation. good morning to you, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, rob, sunny. an unbelievable set of circumstances. foster children in state care being given powerful psychiatric drugs with little understanding of the consequences. >> one, two. >> reporter: abc news led the way uncovering a disturbing and horrible secret. tens of thousand of foster care children given anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs. >> i was a zombie. >> i felt sad, no one would keep me or love me. >> reporter: children like this

11-year-old, prescribed 12 medications over the course of four years for conditions doctors now say he didn't have. >> i am not ad hcht dchhd. i'm not bipolar. this is footage of him trying to come off medications. and this is now. he is in honor classes at school and has been adopted. >> the uh was luit was like he how to be a real kid. he testified before congress. >> all i knew if i didn't take them like i was told, i couldn't watch tv, play video or play with my toys. >> reporter: the government accountability office conducted their own research. they found in five states alone out of 100,000 foster kids 26,000 were on some form of drugs. >> when we read that foster kids are medicated up to 13 times more than other kids is it because they're, they are more troubled population? >> they are troubled, yeah.

there is no question that foster kids can be troubled, very troubled given what they have gone through. the answer isn't to always try to change their brain chemistry. >> reporter: especially alarming the government report found that foster children less than 1-year-old were nearly twice as likely to be prescribed psychiatric drugs as nonfoster children. rob, sunny? >> all right, thank you, t. j as if the kids didn't have enough to deal with. on top of that the meds. unbelievable. tonight be sure to watch a special edition of 20/20 to see the unconventional ways that some foster care kids are healing without all the drugs. thousands lost power after the worst santa ana winds in more than a decade slammed california. power may not be restored in some areas until sunday. after hurricane force gusts swept into california from california to colorado. treats were knocked down, roofs were ripped off. and semitrucks flipped over. 300,000 homes and businesses lost power yesterday. >> unbelievable video.

>> a truck flipped over. >> unbelievable. a look now at the rest of your weather from around the country. the western winds subside, thankfully, by mid afternoon. also snow showers in the southern california mountains. 6 to 10 inches of snow from new mexico and idaho. flurries, freezing rain in the texas panhandle. rainy around dallas. >> warm 77 in miami. 66 in atlanta. 54 in new york. upper 30s, detroit. omaha, 30 in minneapolis. cool 59 in phoenix. 41 in colorado springs. well they did the honors earlier this week here in new york lighting a christmas tree in rockefeller center. >> last night in washington it was president obama's turn. >> three, two, one! >> just like that, the national christmas tree was all aglow behind the white house. >> 89th year for lighting a tradition that began in 1923 with president calvin coolidge. this is a new tree this year. planted back in march, the

previous one was actually blown over by strong winds last winter. >> nice it is planted there. right. >> it is there. >> all right, we'll be back with more "world news now" right after this. ♪ the christmas tree at the christmas party hop ♪ ♪ mistletoe hung where you can see every couple tries to stop ♪

scratching would just turn him off. maybe i'll...oops. [ scratching, sighs ] [ female announcer ] try a better way, new head & shoulders itchy scalp care with eucalyptus. immediately soothes and delivers long-lasting protection. have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake.

walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then get lunesta for $0 at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta.

♪ you're beautiful you're beautiful ♪ ♪ you're abobeautiful it's true♪ >> for a woman. for a woman looking beautiful isn't easy. so every lit bit helps when it comes to keeping things where they belong. >> this story trips me out.

if you felt your knees were an area of concern, we have good news for you, wabc's kimberly richardson has more. >> this is one party of my body i have no control over. >> reporter: like millions of women wendy has a hate-hate relationship with her knees. >> the minute i put clothing on, anything above my knee i right away see my knees and i hate them. >> reporter: but she is getting ready to do something about it. the doctor is carrying out a procedure, knee contouring. she tells me many women are self-conscious of their knees but don't realize they can tucks this problem area. not a believer. look at this patient. patient on top before the procedure. after the area is noticeably smooert. >> i always had knobby knees as a kid. getting older your knees change a little bit. kathleen klein was skeptical. the photo on the left shows her knees before they were contoured. the other one was taken right after. >> the actual shape of my knee is thinner. i don't have any of the bulges

on the side. it is amazing. so when i wear a skirt with boots. watch out. ha-ha. >> reporter: the fascinating thing about this procedure is there is no actual skin removal. combination of liposuction, laser work under the skin and resurfacing on top results in a tighter, younger looking knee. >> when patients leave us they see immediate results. there is some level of skin tightening that continues to happen over the next few weeks and brings the patient more confident it is improving every day. >> reporter: the procedure takes four hours. dr. kahn says it shouldn't be done on any one with osteoarthritis or knee replacement surgery. the proof is in the picture. >> i have had a lot of that already. why are you doing this? are you out of your mind? and my answer is -- you know this is going to make me feel better. why not? >> you know what, the knees look better. i don't have a problem with it. i know everyone is freaked out by it.

if it makes you feel better. i think you should do it. >> look at you. look. look. look. look at you, beyonce. look at you, beyonce. >> many things on a woman's bed -- body i appreciate. never complimented a woman's knees. >> makes you feel good. women. >> i don't get it. got to stop some where. the knees. coming up next, our weekly on air, pigskin party. >> nfl highlights, lowlights, and another round in the "world news now" picks competition. >> a controversy tonight. i have a score to settle. >> there is no controversy. we're coming right back. >> yes there is.

seahawks hosting the eagles last night in a thursday night special. lynch getting the job done. two first half tds.

with the eagles driving, qb vince throws, fourth interception of the game. seahawks taking that one all the back. don't worry philly's spring training around the corner the seattle wins, 31-14. eagles, dream team in september, in last place in the nfc east now. my second favorite team not doing too well. moving on. >> a rousing start to week 13 of the nfl season. of course what does that mean? another chapter of the "world news now" nfl picks competition. >> before we go forward let's reset the table. tell you what is going on. our old day side friend, tanya rivero remains in the lead by one game over yours truly. >> fireman bob is one game further back. and jack is one game behind him. look at david myers. remains in last place. >> he looks so lonely. the season and our competition are coming done to crunch time here, except for the eagles, their season is over. for lots of other teams as the the saying goes, now every game counts. sunny, let's go to it. >> first up, falcons travel to

houston to take on the texans and battle in the afc north, cincinnati faces the steelers. >> undefeated packers are here in the new york area to face the reeling giants. detroit goes down to my favorite city, the big easy for a battle with my surging new orleans saints. >> as for the picks, leader tanya rivero is taking houston, steelers, green bay and new orleans. >> get used to hearing some names -- a lot of unanimous picks this week. i have the same teams as tanya does, i wasn't cheating off her paper. >> fireman bob bucks the trend. atlanta with pittsburgh, green bay, new orleans. >> commissioner jack, could move into a tie with fireman bob. he has houston, steelers, packers, saints. >> broadcast producer, david myers, falcons, pittsburgh. green bay, saints. >> eagles got beat. fireman bob, die hard eagles fan, okay to join us at the desk. a patriot fan. >> eagles are playing for nothing but a paycheck. >> what's up with the picture? a controversy emerging, tanya

rivero picked green bay packers to win. her philosophy start of the season was to pick the city sunny would rather visit. tanya lives in new york. thought she would go with the giants. she was to puck accoick accordie city. she is not doing that. picking green bay. the smart win. she is now reneging on her promise and going for the win. >> rob, i am sensing some hatoration. >> i think she is getting outside help. outside help. outside help. >> so much hatoration and resentment from the boys. >> our commissioner picked up on this. >> she thinks the competition is rigged by commissioner jack to make her not end up first place. >> tan yeai have your back. i have your back. a lot of hateration. >> put the bag on her head. the shame. let me see tanya. tanya, you have been dishonest

and no longer worthy of being in the competition. >> tanya, i can't help you anymore. you are going to have to show up. >> got to make an appearance. >> we'll cut you this tape and let her see it. you have an important thing. >> remind people with the holiday season coming up we don't need any tragedies don't want people passing away because of carbon monoxide, change the batteries, get carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your house. >> bob is the expert. we'll be back. ance card, too. medicare is one 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... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying .up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans...

exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp p medicare supplement insuranc. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral o see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare r supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits r your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually p no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep that accepts medicare. p your own doctor and hospital and best of all, these plans are... when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up.

and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts # medicare, call this toll-free number now.

that's right we have your morning papers this friday morning. this comes out of at week, people are shoplifting now. black friday success. stores reported huge sales for the four days following christmas and could face this huge loss. shoplifting is up 6% in 2011. check out the things that are shoplifted amazing to me. number one, filet mignon. people are stealing food.

>> classy food. classy food. filet mignon. jameson whiskey. >> that is good. >> look trick tools. number four, iphone 4. surprised at. only it's difficult to use after you steal it. number five, g if llette mach 4 razor. they're expensive. >> i didn't know they were that kind of crazy. we hear the talk 2012 supposed to beat end of the world according to the mayan predictions, an expert decoded the mayan tablet. we are transition into a new era not end of the world. >> hopefully new era of prosperity. >> we'll still be here and so will the polka. >> ha-ha. ♪ ♪ ♪ politics and foreign wars all the weather all the scores ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka

♪ tapes that roll in way too slow stuff you saw on koppel's show ♪ ♪ that's the word news polka ♪ it's late at night you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ grab your world news now mug and everybody dance ♪ ♪ have some fun be a pal every anchor every gal ♪ ♪ do the world news polka ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ they make us work the graveyard shift that's why we go for broke ♪ ♪ so why don't you tune into abc and play our little joke ♪ ♪ five days every week

tongue in cheek and the world news polka ♪ ♪ do the world news polka ♪ i said now do the world news polka ♪ band.

in 1999, i was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis c. ultimately, i decided to take the next step and talk to my doctor about my options. that step was a big one. but i'm glad i made it. instead of looking back on memories. i was determined to keep on making 'em. don'wait to tunune in to your hep c. talk to your doctor now about your options. and find out more attune in t.

this morning on "world news now" -- hurricane force, the destructive wind storm that blew across california and other parts of the west. >> fierce conditions tipped over trees, blew down buildings and looked like a hollywood movie special effects disaster scene -- but that was real. it's friday, december 2nd. good morning, everybody. happy friday. >> oh, yes. yes. >> yes indeed i'm rob nelson.

>> i'm sunny hostin. gusty wonder are still blowing in parts of california this morning making it very difficult to restore power. hundreds of thousand of homes and businesses lost service during the height of the storm and uncertain conditions have led to an extreme fire hazard. >> tough time for the folks out west right now. be careful for all the viewers in that area. also a big headline on this friday morning. how herman cain's wife is reacting to allegations the candidate had an affair that lasted for 13 years. we'll hear from cain and see how gop front-runner now newt gingrich is reacting to his big surge in the polls. what a weekend it will be in the cain household. >> i just wish i could be a fly on the wall. >> want you love to hear what the woman has to say. >> i can't wait. i know what she has to say. >> he admitted the wife did not know he was financially supporting ginger and did not even know of her did not know they were friends. so this is going to be an ugly weekend yes. >> you hate to laugh about it.

it is laughable. >> he made his own bed. hey, hey. >> later this half-hour we found a good excuse to do a story on fast food french fries. there could be a battle in the works as one big chain announces a huge change in the recipe. pass over the ketchup, rob. >> you know what? all for naught, the indisputable fact of life, mcdonald's has the best fries on the planet. inarguable. >> you can never beat mickey ds fries. >> we begin with the santa ana winds leaving parts of california in shambles and it's not over yet this morning. >> winds are expected to top 65 miles an hour today with warnings post add but fire hazards. yesterday, 300,000 people lost power. as diana alvear reports the nasty winds flipped big trucks as far away as colorado. >> reporter: this was los angeles, flames whipped into a frenzy. wind gusts topping 100 miles per

hour. it was a scene witnessed all over southern california. thanks to the most powerful santa ana winds in a decade. so strong, the lights at l.a.x. went out. >> it seems like everything stopped. you were just forced to a sudden halt. >> reporter: debris closed two run ways and caused massive delays, though it was hard to tell considering the information boards were dark. blue sparks flashed as transformers lost power. leaving customers in the dark. >> i thought it was an earthquake at first. and then all of a sudden i heard this huge, huge rumbling sound and then the ground actually shook, shook bad. >> reporter: by far the biggest casualties of the wind were trees. just take a look at what one of them did to this shell station behind me. just one example of the kind of widespread damage these trees can cause. high winds hammered many western states. students on this utah campus struggled to got to class. new mexico is bracing for the

same. and california's not in the clear. gale-force winds are expected to last through friday. diana alvear, abc news, los angeles. >> rough days out there. all right. let's talk day look at the rest of the friday forecast now. some snow showers in the san bernardino mountains near los angeles. up to 10 inches of snow in the rockies from albuquerque and flagstaff up through the colorado, utah, idaho mountains. wintry mix in the texas panhandle. some rain spreading to east texas. >> wet 58 in dallas. 56, atlanta. 53, new york. 30 in the twin cities. 41, chicago. phoenix, 59, salt lake city, 37, seattle 42. we now turn to the american aid worker kidnapped in pakistan. al qaeda is now claiming responsibility. warren weinstein was abducted by unknown armed men from his home last august. newly released message, the al qaeda leader, al zawahiri wants the u.s. to stop air strikes on

afghanistan, pakistan, yemen, somalia before weinstein will be released. herman cain says he will decide by monday whether to continue his bid for the white house. his campaign is dealing with accusations he carried on a 13-year affair with ginger white. cain admits he provided white with financial support but suggests there was no sexual affair. cain says his financial support of white is news to his wife of 43 years. >> no, my wife did not know about it. that was the revelation and surprise that my wife found out about it when she went public with it. my wife now knows. my wife and i have talked about it. i have explained it to her. and you know, my wife understands that i'm a soft-hearted, giving person. >> cain will decide to whether to stay in the race after he sits down for a face to face talk with his wife this weekend. >> the news conference will be held from his hospital bed. one of the benefiting most by the cain campaign implosion is newt gingrich.

a few month as go, the house speaker's campaign was basically on life support now after a huge surge the polls he is making bold predictions. jack tapper sat down with the new front-runner. >> reporter: in iowa, former house speaker newt gingrich told us his rise from afterthought to front-runner is different from that of other former republican flavors of the week, michele bachmann, rick perry, herman cain. >> they were the new kid on the block. isn't this wonderful. great if it worked out. and we don't know anything about them. i am the guy that has been around forever. >> reporter: with the status come vicious attacks from his opponents. but gingrich never known for a small ego is undeterred. >> i am going to be the nominee. it's very hard not to look at the recent polls and think that the odds are very high i am going to be the nominee. >> reporter: some republicans have reservations. two specifically that i keep hearing. >> they are worrying that even though you are a familiar figure, that maybe there still are skeletons in your closet

that we don't know about. are there any skeletons that we don't know about. >> not that i know of. again, given the nature of the modern world, whatever is there will come out in the end. >> other concern has to do with your pro pens team to make outrageous, interesting, whatever adjective you would look to assign remarks, most recent one about child labor laws for example. being stupid. >> it would be great if inner-city school and poor neighborhood schools hired the children to do things. some of the things they could do, work in light braer, wothe office, some could be janitorial. >> the correct answer is that is a lie. >> gung rich has been through his share of personal controversy, so i also asked him, if he had any advice for his fellow republican candidate, herman cain. gingrich said that cain needs to stop, open up his heart, and think very prayerfully of what

he owes his family. jake tapper, abc news, in des moines, iowa. >> there is plenty of finger pointing going on again on capitol hill now that the senate has killed rival plans to extend a payroll tax cut. first, republicans defeated a white house-backed plan that would have paid for cut by taxing the rich. then democrats with republican votes killed a gop proposal to renew an existing payroll tax cut. >> pay checks 160 million americans in the balance with the vote. today's unemployment report on the minds of wall street investors after a big market boost this week. latest prediction from the labor department, estimates 100,000 new jobs reported in know. but of the number of people filing for unemployment will go up. analysts predikt t predict the will go up. awa nother bright spot.

a new report showing a boost in car sales. several automakers including chrysler, ford, nissan, hyundai, reported double digit gains in november sales over a year ago. it came as something of a surprise because november is usually a slow month at car dealers. analysts said good deals and consumer confidence drove the sales trend. the made in america campaign has been catching on quickly as consumers try to do their part to help the u.s. job force. advertising to spread the word on buses in seattle actually hit a major road block. abc's abbie boudreau reports now on all right public outcry. >> reporter: mark bloom thought he had a noble idea. inspired by the three simple words we have been reporting on for a year now. made in america. his nonprofit group want feud run ads on dozens of seattle buses. a simple reminder for holiday shoppers. >> buy american. save american jobs. >> reporter: he didn't think it was a controversial message, but seattle's transit system d

disagreed. rejecting the ads, saying the concept of buy american is an issue of political and economic debate. >> i'm flabbergasted, overwhelm by a decision like that. it's incomprehensible. >> community members expressed outrage, calling the decision ridiculous and unamerican. even suggesting people get fired over it. a community standing up for the made in america message, forced king county metro to relent. upon further evaluation, the ad does not express an opinion about a public issue but rather is a promotion of the sale of goods. therefore, we will allow it to run. a made in america victory in mark bloom's fight to help create american jobs. abbie boudreau, abc news. >> the policy did say not any political ads on the buses. arguably that is not a political message they finally conceded. >> i'm surprised it went that far, huh. >> it's strange, huh. if you have a holiday sweet

tooth. a story for you now. check out what they were cooking up at a ritzy hotel in shanghai, china of all places. >> a new world record for the longest ever christmas cake. who knew there was such a record. i didn't. >> so many records i have no idea about. the numbers are truly astounding though. we guess if they stretch that thing out it would be over 3,500 feet long. it took 80 cooks several days to whip up. used more than 150 tables to lay it out. that, my folks, my friends, is a holiday treat indeed. >> does it taste od? something that big taste good? >> don't think it can be consistently tasty. too many hands in the kitchen. too many cooks in the kitchen. >> fly there and first person report. >> i'll do that, a taste test. >> we'll be back with more "world news now" right after this. ♪ ♪

well, as the week comes to an end, it is time to look back at the sights and sound that dominated all the headlines the past seven days. >> from wall street's big rally to a rough week for herman cain and ape white house christmas that has gone to the dogs they're all part of the friday rewind. >> liked a little more room to buy more gifts this season. >> the consumer is basically saying we have frugal fatigue the we are tired of not spending. >> is this the santa claus rally everyone is wondering about. it's a little early for that but could be. >> we were sitting on the bed the he was looking to me, get out of the shower through the mirror that reflected into the bathroom. >> he doesn't think he can be touched. >> no, i think he thinks he is above the law. >> he has absolutely no sense of remorse. absolutely no sense of fault.

and is and remains dangerous. >> the information i had from the fda was incorrect. >> you were right. >> thank you very much. i appreciate it. >> from the creator of i'm running for office for pete's sake. comes the story of two men trapped in one body. mitt versus mitt. >> the accusation i had a 13-year affair with her, no. >> there was no sex? >> no. >> none? >> no. >> i couldn't imagine anyone coming out and lying about this. who would want this? >> i don't care about what the polls are when i'm down. >> i think he doing well just because he's thinking that people are hungry for ideas that make some sense. >> one ofvantages not running for office i don't have to pretend to be nice to people that i don't like. >> it is amazing all that goes down in the course of a week.

>> it was, conrad murray sentenced, arsenic in the apple juice. >> and monday. herman cain. speaking of something next week. we should hear from him next week whether he will go on or not after an interesting weekend with the wife. we have kennedy center honors, meryl streep, neil diamond. >> can't forget bo the dog. >> cannot forget bo. we saw bo. there we go. see, i told you. >> you know you look that dog, rob. >> bo is cute. just, i'm not, i'm not the animal person. i know you have 14 dogs at your house. >> just three. >> too many. >> coming up -- you want fries with that? >> always. and a little shack. you will see who is hooking up the fast food battle, get your salt shaker and ketchup ready. we'll be back with the fries story when we come back. stay with us. >> yummy.

♪ because tonight belongs to lovers because tonight belongs to love ♪ >> i love this story. because i love french fries. for many fast food lovers the burger is king. for others like me it's the fries that make all the difference. it's all about the fries. >> always about the fries. fries are so important to fast food companies that a race has started to perfect their deep fried goodness. here is dana turtle of columbus, ohio. >> reporter: at this burger king in west columbus, the french fries are already different. >> yeah, you got to keep it fresh, you know the heat is on. gototo be able to keep up with the competition. it's good for them. good for the consumer. >> reporter: executives at burger king are now making their fries thicker claiming they will stay hotter longer, use less salt, and add to the crispiness.

>> competition is a good thing. i don't know. if they want to change the fries it's good. >> reporter: florida based burger king is concerned about using its second place market share in the u.s. ahead of dublin based wendy's. a year ago wendy's changed their fries using sea salt and its trendy new look in many stores. still mcdonald's remains the dominant fast food leader with 50% of the market share. five guys and smaller franchises are increasing the pressure. >> they're raising their game, the local chain restaurants are going to be hurting people will want good, better food. >> reporter: ultimately it will be to you to decide which chain you look better. as burger king tries to hold off an ever-growing wendy's. i'm dana turtle, abc news. >> rob has already tasted everything. >> can't beat it. even cold. these bad boys are good. >> these are the wendy's.

these are burger cunning. y these are the burger king. >> i feel like the burger king looks fatter. >> natural look. fresh cut potatoes and all that you say you think these are better. burger king better than wendies. these are more mcdonaldesque. they taste better. >> i don't know. >> you know what, facebook question of the day. chime in tell us which fries you like. we'll be back. we know a place where tossing and turning

have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks.

allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then get lunesta for $0 at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. ♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ ♪ ticktock ♪ with the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you be of good cheer ♪ >> still eating those. >> these fries are wonderful. >> you like wendy's. i'm leaning towards burger king. >> it's time for what? >> our favorite story of the day. >> one hand. >> fries in the other one.

>> finally. >> maybe the best thing up this holiday season is getting gifts. who doesn't love a perez snent a -- present. >> now it comes with a gift of rage, pulling and tugging to open the darn thing. here is abc's david wright. >> reporter: 'tis the season of new stuff. but as larry david could tell you -- awe alfothe challenge of gettin it out of the package is enough to curb any one's enthusiasm. >> reporter: a common christmas complaint the struggle to unwrap a simple toy. 57 minutes. really? these days it seems things aren't just packaged they're child proofed. you need a set of ginsu knives to open any of these packages. forget about scissors you need to have scissors to get them open. >> we received 3.8 million customer contacts telling us that they experienced an issue

with the packaging. >> reporter: the world's largest online retailer its putting pressure on manufacturers and, fisher price, matel and proctor and gamble in a program, frustration free packaging. the program includes 80,000 different products. 12 million of the items amazon hopes to ship this year. the world's largest brick and mortar retailer, wal-mart launched a similar pro gram of its own. with luck these programs won't just reduce the load on santa's sleigh but also the amount that ends up in the land fills. 800 pounds of packaging waste per u.s. consumer each year according to the epa. 1/4 of it between thanksgiving and new year's. besides, the holidays are stressful enough without scenes like this. david wright, abc news, los angeles. >> thank you, amazon. you have kids. i know you know that.

>> with the toys, the twilsy things on the back, your kid is looking at you you look inept, you can't open it. thank you, amazon for finally addressing that. >> see, we look, call the you in the act. trying to open. what its that? probably some fries. >> ha-ha. frustrated. [ thunder rumbling ] [ birds chirping ] [ gunfire ] [ licopter blades whirring ] [ gunfire ] [ explosion ] [ gunfire, whirr wing fades ] [ veteran ] i've never been the type to ask for help, but i had enough. [ operator ] thank yoyou for calling the veterans crisis line, how can i help you? [ veteran ] life still has its challenges, but my family and i can deal with them better now. [ male announcer] veterans crisis line. it's your call.

this morning on this morning on "world news now" -- held hostage. a 70-year-old american aid worker was kidnapped by terrorists in pakistan. >> in an online message, al qaeda claimed responsibility for the abduction and is making new demands on the u.s. it's friday, december 2nd. good morning, i'm sunny hostin. >> i'm rob nelson. that kidnapping victim, warren

weinstein, of suburban washington, d.c. had been working in pakistan when abducted in august. the threatening message just posted on line confirms that this was the work of al qaeda. holiday outrage. surveillance cameras were rolling in suburban st. louis, when a thief drives into a christmas tree lot at a church and steals a tree. witnesses say this particular thief has done this before. >> the lot benefits the boy scouts. i believe this is the third time this place has been robbed by the same person. so for whatever reason they cannot catch this thief. a weird disturbing, sad little holiday story. and later this half-hour, when coca-cola changes its best name product, die hard customers express some anger. coke changed the color of the cans from red to white. some say the soda doesn't taste the same in the new white cans. the issue looks so much like the diet coke cans, it confused customers. there is coca-cola outrage across the nation this morning and the company promising some

changes. first the new warning from al qaeda, the terror group's leader claims the kidnapped american warren weinstein is al qaeda's hostage. >> saying weinstein will not be released until their demands are met. abc's nick schifrin joins us from islamabad. good morning, nick. >> reporter: good morning, rob, sunny. warren weinstein is the first private american u.s. citizen to be living in pakistan to be kidnapped since daniel pearl was executed in 2002, a real shock to people here. weinstein is a respect ed development expert and 70 years old. his work was uncontroversial. he is focused on economic development working with people like furniture makers and stone cutters which makes al qaeda's demands all the more amazing. al-zawahiri has released this video with nine demands, israel leaving gaza, the end of drone strikes from pakistan and other countries and release of taliban and al qaeda prisoners from all over the world including

guantanamo bay. and u.s. officials find the demands outlandish. >> nick, what does this say about the power of al qaeda in pakistan, they have had a lot off takes and they're pretty prevalent and powerful? >> absolutely this has been by far, al qaeda's worst year in pakistan. osama bin laden is dead, and drones have killed at least three senior commanders here. what this shows the, al qaeda's reach extends from the afghan border to the indian border where weinstein was picked up, and the reach of local militant groups. the local militant groups, u.s. officials say are the same groups pakistan military helps keep safe havens in pakistan to attack u.s. troops in afghanistan. >> nick, how unprecedented is it for al qaeda to kidnap in pakistan? >> very unprecedented. it hasn't happened since daniel pearl in 2002. u.s. officials say they're not that surprised. when navy seals came into pakistan, into osama bin laden's

house in may they found evidence that al qaeda was interested in kidnapping, getting back into the kidnapping business, in order to make money. u.s. officials say al qaeda has lost a lot of revenue in the last couple years, kidnapping was a way to supplement their income. it seems -- this list of demands. al qaeda is more interested in making a political statement than making money off weinstein. thanks, nick. thanks to abc's nick schifrin reporting live from islamabad. >> prayers to him and his family. one more headline from overseas, a top u.n. official is calling the ongoing violence in syria a civil war. the stark assessment came as amateur video showing the violence in the country surfaced. now the u.n. puts the death toll from eight months of revolt against the government at 4,000. it says the number is simply a conservative estimate. now to politics and gop presidential hopeful

herman cain. he says his wife knew nothing abut his friendship with ginger white or that he provided her with financial support until just this week. cain denies white's allegations the two carried on a 13-year affair but does admit helping with white's bills saying he is just soft hearted. cain says he will decide whether to stay in the race by monday after a face to face with his wife. >> a fly on the wall during that, huh? country singer, mindy mccready has violate aid judge's custody order and missed a deadline to bring her 5-year-old son back to florida. mccready says she is tennessee and insists she is trying to protect her son and can't travel because she is 7 months pregnant with twins. her mother was awarded custody of her son in 2007. but mccready took him during a recent visit. the judge's order allows police anywhere to pick up her son. oakland raiders linebacker, rolando mclane in trouble. after his arrest in his alabama hometown, police say mclane fired a gun next to a man's head during a fight. he was a arrested charged with several

counts, misdemeanor assault and released on bond. mclane was in alabama to attend his grandfather's funeral. he claims he is innocent. the raiders say he is expected to play against the dolphins sunday. now something of a mystery from the saint louis area where the hunt is on for a christmas tree thief. surveillance video shows the woman stealing the tree from a buy scout tree lot. the same woman stealing trees for the last two years from this very same lot. she has apparently driven the same suv during all of the robbery attempts. >> we're like it looks like the same lady. looks like the same vehicle. and this year there was no doubt. just like, holy cow. how can that be? >> she is back again. >> she is back again. >> they say she can't live too far away because her two most recent robberies were 13 minutes apart. the lot is out $100 after she took off with two trees. may be time to step up security at this lot a little bit. third time. same woman.

same car. same time of year. >> really, really? stealing a christmas tree from the boy scout lot? really? >> it's sad. stealing the trees from a church. awe moving quickly. that's a big trel. two of them. come on. >> holidays bring out the best and worst in people every year. we see it. it's sad. >> come on. californians have a big clean-up job after getting slammed by the worst santa ana winds in more than a decade. hurricane force gusts menaced six states. this morning still advisories and warnings about powerful winds and a fire threat. here is abc's david wright. >> reporter: winds so fierce local reporters -- >> the wind are really bad right now. excuse me. >> reporter: and residents struggled to stand their ground. at l.a.x., cameras were rolling when the lights went out in all nine terminals. high winds blew out transformers, sending sparks in the dry winter brush. and when the sun came up, traffic lights and trees toppled like tooth picks. littering the roads.

>> just amazing. i mean just, a disaster. what force of wind could possibly take down all these trees? >> reporter: on sunset boulevard in hollywood two of the iconic southern california palm trees blocked the morning commute. in pasadena, a lot of commuters didn't make it much past the front door. >> came down at 6:00 in the morning. to go to work. and i was the lucky one with treat on top of my car. >> reporter: for kids who have never had a snow day, a wind day. >> i'm king of the world! >> reporter: it was fun to climb on the big tree that landed on mommy's car. but mommy, not so much. >> both cars were totaled. and, yeah, so here we are. >> reporter: high winds swept all across the southwest, in utah hitting speeds faster than 100 miles an hour. >> the wind are squeezed through the canyons of southern california almost like in a river where you have a river and then you have rapids. >> reporter: some saw this

ferocious wind as an opportunity for fun. one man rigged up his kite to a go-kart and enjoyed the ride of his life across an empty football field. these santa ana winds are seasonal, but it has been more than a decade since have seen anything this bad. more than 300,000 people still without power. and the forecasters are saying, brace for more. david wright, abc news, pasadena. >> not over just yet. here is your friday forecast, everybody. heavy snow in the rockies from utah, idaho, down to colorado, arizona, new mexico. a mix of rain and snow in the texas panhandle. some rain around laredo, and dallas. showers from upstate new york into northern new england. >> 46 in boston. >> 56, baltimore. 66, new orleans. 40s from kansas city to under indianapolis. just 35 in billings. 41 in boise. sacramento, mild, 64. portland, 45. it's not often when the little guy goes up against city

hall, the little guy actually wins. that's exactly what happened just outside of jackson, mississippi. >> after neighbors complained to the city about the bright blue peacocks on the rooftop christmas display owners were order to take them down. the neighbors had no problem with the rest of the decorations they just didn't like the peacocks. >> then the mayor's office was flooded with phone calls supporting the peacock display. good news, last night a reversal from the mayor. yes the blue birds can stay for the holidays. >> i don't know why the peacocks are offensive. >> you know, loud, crazy stuff you see. >> i find the mailbox opening up. a little more offensive. >> it's that time of year. just a few weeks. neighbors relax. >> exactly. stop being grinches. >> we'll be back with more "world news now" after this. ♪ i'm just a piece of dirt stuck here in a rut.

ever since that ol' broom dumped me here... oh, oh. oooh! will love ever come my way? oh my! ♪ i believe in miracles [ male announcer ] swiffer attracts dirt. swiffer sweeper's new, thicker cloths get deep into ridges picking up more dirt, dust and hair than a broom to help leave your floor up to three times cleaner. you sure are a pick-me-up! [ male announcer ] swiffer cleans better or your money back. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is one 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... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying .up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp p medicare supplement insuranc. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral o see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare r supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits r your needs and budget.

with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually p no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep that accepts medicare. p your own doctor and hospital and best of all, these plans are... when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts # medicare, call this toll-free number now.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> oh. hip-hop christmas. look at that. >> with 2012 around the corner the folks at yahoo! have crunched the numbers and come up with the top ten web searches of 2011. >> i love the year look back things. i love it. did a celebrity top the list or one of the year's big news stories, in fact, yahoo! web life editor, stories. heather cabot has the details. good morning to you, heather. >> good morning, guys. from the royal wedding, massive earthquake, tsunami to sex scandals and sensational murder trials, 2011 was a memorable year. here they are the top ten most popular searches of the year on yahoo!. osama bin laden ranks ten on our list. the news that the master mind of 9/11 had been caught and killed

broke late at night and people scrambled to get the full story the next morning. next coming in at number nine, the massive earthquake in japan last march. internet users sought out photos and videos of the aftermath and news about radiation risks the now to celebrities, two jennifers, aniston and lopez. made our list. jennifer aniston, ranks number eight, fueled unpart by two big movies, a new perfume and a new boyfriend. j-lo can credit american idol. once again for the 11th straight year, idol makes our list. comes in at number seven. interest in the show continues to soar even with the loss of simon cowell. at six, lindsay lohan's troubles with the law made headlines and waves online as people closely tracked her court appearances. pop star katie perry had a great year and ranks number four. her album teenage dream sent six hits to the number one on billboard chart. if one more shoots to the top she will beat michael jackson

for the most number one song s from a single album. goes without saying, kim kardashian would rank high. this year kim-k is number three thanks to her wedding extravaganza and breakup. the sensational trial of casey anthony, the mom accused of murdering her daughter, attracted huge numbers online. people watched the trial in realtime on computers and reacted with outrage when acquitted. case eye y can thon anthony co two. finally the iphone was the most sought after search topic in 2011. speculation over iphone 5, wireless carriers for the device and death of apple founder steve jobs all contributed to the device rising to the top of search queries this year. back to you guys. >> what a year it has been. >> what a year. >> iphone over casey anthony. surprised by that. >> interesting. >> what that shows you how addicted we are. all right, coming up next -- who is making the list of barbara walter's most fascinating people of the year. >> brad pitt's serious role, and this was no movie, next in "the

skinny."

♪ skinny so skinny ♪ >> welcome back, everybody. it is that time of year, list of this and that, 2011, all coming out. add into the mix barbara walters. her big special. the ten most fascinating people of the year. so abc is talking about releasing a few of the names out there. we don't know who is number one yet. a few names to toss out there this morning on the list, simon cowell on the list, katie perry, pippa middleton, kardashian family. >> can't believe that -- they are fascinating. you want to watch them. >> wedding debacle. rob did well on "dancing with the stars" and barbara is putting them on the list. can't argue with the queen. derek jeter. >> pippa middleton. awe because of her rear end. >> i don't get. the pancake. >> donald trump on the list. jesse tyler ferguson, eric fernstreet.

catch the full show, december 14th, 9. 30. here on abc. and picked as number one. that's right. >> next brad pitt apparently helps console a suicidal man at a money ball screening. he spoke to the man, really talked him off the ledge. was giving him advice and saying to him every failure can lead to success. everyone is talking about this, a wonderful thing. i'm not a brad pitt fan. >> you don't care about the suicidal man. you want to talk trash but brad. go ahead. >> jennifer aniston, you leave her for angelina jolie. she's beautiful but nice. why do you leave the nice girl for the not nice girl. >> maybe he followed his heart. >> he didn't follow his heart. he didn't follow his heart. i don't like him. since then, i just -- i haven't liked brad pitt since then. >> he helped a suicidal man, gave good advice. >> i don't care. i don't care. i don't care. >> i love jennifer aniston as well. i'm saying -- >> i don't care. >> very upset.

you are more bitter than jennifer. news from sarah jessica parker, fellow new yorker like us, 46 years old now. apparently borrowing a page out of carrie bradshaw's book, she moved a few blocks away, into a townhouse -- an apartment, a few blocks from the townhouse she shares with matthew and her three children. this is leading some to wonder why is she doing this? is this a work space? or this suggest something. >> she has three kids. twins, toddlers. it's got to be she is a -- workaholic. but she loves her family as well. she may just need the space to think and work. rather than working where, starbuck's. you can't do that when you are sarah jessica parker. she said she needed a place to work. they're not poor. they can afford a big spot. mommy can have her office. why do you move a few blocks away? >> that's suspicious. next we have hansen. remember that group, hansen. >> mm-bop.

that annoying song. i remember. >> they're uncapping the mm-bop beer. the former teen boy band members they're launching their own ipa. i think that's really interesting. beer called mmmhop. >> in case you are thirsty. they say they will never make dolls, lunch boxes or toothbrushes. just beer. >> good that wouldn't sell either. toothbrushes. just beer. >> good that wouldn't sell either. [ elevator bell dings ]

ugh, great. you may be going up, but those roots are bringing you down! try root touch-up by nice 'n easy. to extend the life of your color.

nice 'n easy has 50% more shades, so you can find your seamless match. with root touch-up by nice 'n easy.

♪ i'd like to buy the world a coke and keep it company ♪ >> i know how sentimental you are the don't tear up. >> remember the song. coke has the best commercials. >> they're good. some controversy. >> the new coke controversy. the soft drink company hasn't seen since, well, the new coke. >> that was a disaster.

in one hand i have a diet coke. boom. right here. and of course this is the now, this is the classic, holiday looking coke this year. problem is a lot of folks can't tell the difference. >> i can tell. >> with more here is abc's jim avila. >> reporter: do not adjust your monitor, coca-cola is changing the iconic red can to white. >> reporter: a holiday promotion designed to raise money for polar bears now cut short because of consumer backlash. for some coke drinkers the white can is anything but the real thing. >> this can should be red. >> i bought it because it looks like diet coke. >> reporter: on face book, a viewer told us i work at a convenience store and customers are getting angry thinking we don't have regular coke. the white can was to last until february. consumers have complained it looks too much like the silver diet coke can, leading to confusion and returns. changing from red to white really make that big of a difference? think of it this way would the golden arches sell as many burgers if they were blue?

what if sudden leap the big brown was the big pink? some coke drinkers complained the soda in the white can tastes different. >> this is the -- >> reporter: coke says that is absurd when we change our packaging we hear from a handful of people that believe the taste is different. of course it isn't. still consumers are trained to be influenced by color the so perhaps coke shouldn't be surprised by the complaints. >> consumers are sort of conditioned to believe if packaging changes there must be something else going on here. >> reporter: coca-cola says this was no blunder just part of the plan. distributors were informed to expect a return to the iconic red by next week. jim avila, abc news, new york. >> i'm no expert, but just saying that, you know what if you are looking for a diet coke you may want to find a coke that says diet on it. >> this doesn't say diet on it, people. this says diet. this doesn't say diet. >> we're a pretty fat country. some of y'all probably need a diet coke. >> this says diet. no. >> diet.

>> diet. >> right. but this doesn't. >> again, human beings we are nothing if not creatures of habit. that's the bottom line how we are. >> also people moving quickly. >> more abc next. i'm drinking both. quickly. >> more abc next. i'm drinking both. ♪ [ woman on p.a. ] now boarding track 6. ♪ do not leaveags unatteed. [ male announcer ] maybe you see something suspicious. but you don't want to get involved. it's nothing, you think. can you be sure? ♪ if you see something, say something. report suspicious activity to local authorities.

making news this morning, kidnapped. >> a 70-year-old american aide worker with health problems taken by terrorists. al qaeda's leader listing a lengthy list of demands. we're live in pakistan. mr. confidence. newt gingrich tells abc news he's going to be the gop nominee. and defying death. 3,000 feet up, an inch-wide rope and no safety net.