this morning on "world news this morning on "world news now" -- new clues in one of the worst cases of serial arson ever in the state of california. >> investigators hope a surveillance video could show a person of interest leaving the scene of one of the fires. it's monday, january 2nd. good morning, everybody. on the first monday of this new year, i'm rob nelson. and those of you who have been long-time viewers of the show know i have had the pleasure over the last 18 months to sit next to beautiful, smart, charming, charismatic women. the list gets longer by one today. joining us our permanent, permanent, permanent, permanent anchor of "world news now."

>> settle down. >> so excited. going to say it because you're from the great city of chicago -- say it like oprah -- everybody welcome paula faris to "world news now"! >> wow, thank you. welcome aboard. >> so welcoming. everyone has been welcoming. want to thank everybody at abc news. want to give a shout out to all my family and friends in the midwest. midwest, born and bred. headed to the big apple. i know my mom and dad, back in jackson, michigan, got tivo and dvr so they could watch. >> good mom and dad. >> they're great. >> right now looking at their baby girl doing her thing. let me give you the official welcome gifts here. you are our new permanent anchor. >> mugs. this is the best porcelain here. >> little monster.

i an trying to get acclimated to the third shift. this is going to go over. >> boom. don't call that caffeine. vitamin water. >> vitamin water. >> mug. >> put this on now? >> do it later. a bad look. >> don't want you to mess up your hair. all the good work. welcome. so god to have you. we'll have fun. >> what it's all about, right? >> you ready to rock. >> cheers. >> let's do the news. welcome to 2012, our top story on monday morning -- that intense search for a serial ao hach m00 investigators are cas trying to stophim the soldier accusedryino some powerful explosivs was this annt m havewas fo on, to get on the plane with that mater little strange to say the 3 cnhore rcave and the long wait we had for this d of course, paula faris's big debut this morning. believe it or not. vinita left the show last

february. thing -- >> little r >> speed dating for 11 months. got one bring home to ma. >> we're going steady for a while. >> long haul. >> you can pin me. >> give you my varsity letter. indeed, captain of the chess team. first, before all that, a possible break in the s of arsons that hit l.a. in theast week. >> investigators are releasing video of ae su the case. a man seen leaving the scene of abc's abbie boudreau has the latest from los angeles. >> reporter: police announcing a possible break in the case. surveillance video of a person of interest. as the investigators search for the serial arsonist responsible for a string of fires set throughout hollywood. >> over the last 72 hours in the communities have kept the public safety professionals up at night. >> reporter: being called the worst wave of arson in 20 years in l.a. fortunately, no one has been injured.

>> i could have died with my children. >> reporter: even as firefighters and police officers doubled and tripled their manpower throughout the city, the increased surveillance was not enough to stop a serial arsonist from striking again. seven more fires. investigators say most of the fires began as car fires. but the flames quickly spread to nearby structures and apartment buildings. >> by the time i got out there the whole car port was engulfed. >> reporter: arson investigators are searching for clues and building a psychological profile of the arsonist. >> they do it for recognition or fame. oftentimes we see that they do it out of spite out of anger. >> reporter: experts say many serial arsonists act alone. typically white males with below average i.q.s. >> it would appear the primary motive may not be killing people. the primary motive may be attention. >> reporter: until investigators solve this case it looks like another restless night for firefighters.

experts say that many serial arsonists find pleasure in coming back to the scene of the fire so they can watch as fire fighters try to battle the blaze. investigators say anyone who sees anything suspicious should contact them right away. abbie boudreau, abc news, los angeles. >> what a bizarre scene playing out west there. >> frightening. >> really is weird. they say really they're not sure it is a direct link. a lot of the cars targeted have been foreign-made cars -- mainly, or almost entirely foreign cars. a spree out there in los angeles. >> there are police choppers hovering 24/7 trying to figure out who the perpetrator. -- who the perpetrator was. hopefully get it rectified. this is touching close to homes. and you thing, could have potential deaths, kids in the home. let's get it taken care of. >> hopefully they'll find the guy very soon. switching gears, in washington state, an ongoing manhunt there for an armed gunman wanted in the shooting death of a park ranger. police looking for this guy, benjamin colton barnes, 24-year-old, iraqi war vet. they say he killed mt. rainier ranger margaret anderson during

what was just a routine stop yesterday morning. anderson's law enforcement colleagues are mourning her loss. >> just a very nice person. very, very nice person. just a -- a very friendly, amenable. i mean, great with co-workers. great person, great co-worker. margaret's been here, outstanding employee. outstanding ranger. >> the park has been closed as 150 law officers search for the gunman. because of the danger, visitors inside the park are ordered to hunker down until day break at the visitors' center. federal authorities are trying to figure out why an active duty special forces soldier would fry to go through an airport security checkpoint with explosives in his carry-on bag. abc's cecelia vega has details. >> reporter: the man accused of trying to board a new year's eve flight with explosives in his carry-on hardly fits the profile of a terrorist. the suspect, trey scott atwater, a 30-year-old soldier traveling with his family headed back to his north carolina military base after visiting relatives in texas.

during an x-ray screening at the midland airport that the tsa agent spotted the bag and suspicious item, the kind of explosives used for the military for demolitions like this. this was atwater's return flight, raising questions if he managed to fly with the c-4 explosives during the first leg of his trip and what he planned to do with them. >> there is no indication at this point he wanted to do anything malicious. it is in his carry-on bag. unless he had some sort of detonator -- >> reporter: authorities say there was no detonator and, therefore, no threat to passengers. law enforcement forces tell us this looks more like a dumb move rather than an act of terror. atwater is now facing federal charges for trying to bring explosives on an airplane. cecilia vega, abc news, washington. >> imagine the inconvenience. the entire terminal shut down. >> you'd think a military guy would know better to violate blatantly.

in court tomorrow. formally be arraigned then. see how it turns out. interesting to hear how he defends himself. >> maybe he was sleep deprived. we don't know anything about that, do we? we never do anything stupid or idiotic when you are sleep deprived. >> what would we know? give me monster drink. >> never. well, as many as ten good samaritans jumped into an icy utah river to save three children in inside a sinking car. the driver lost control on a slick road in salt lake city, and the car plunged into the river. he did escape. the children were stuck inside. one of the rescuers used his handgun to shoot out a car window. two of the children had passed out but were revived after emergency cpr. this morning they're recovering from hypothermia. >> love those good samaritans. >> yeah. well as 2012 approached, blackbirds started falling from the sky in arkansas for the second year in a row. this time they were about 100 dead birds, far fewer than the 5,000 that fell to the ground last new year's eve. authorities believe the bird

were spooked by fireworks and then they became disoriented. they also believe that this time, someone set off fireworks near the roost. not nice. >> weird hitchcock movie. so strange. turning now to politics. it is a big, big week. republican presidential candidates making one last pitch in iowa today ahead of tomorr'scal caucuses. mitt romney four stops planned. ron paul has five. then there is the candidate who is catching up pretty fast. abc's john carl has the more now from des moines. >> reporter: the candidate iowa is putting on the map -- former senator rick santorum. campaigning in iowa city. >> this is your chance, heartland. this is your chance, heartland of america, to speak out. >> reporter: until recently santorum was ignored by opponents and virtually invisible in the polls. now nobody is rising faster. within striking distance of winning the iowa caucuses. he has done it the old-fashioned way. spending more time traveling around the state and talking to voters than anybody else. we met up with him in

marshalltown, iowa. >> i am very confident we are going to do well and surprise a lot of people. >> reporter: santorum has been helped by the collapse of newt gingrich who spent the past week complaining about negative ads. he has been hit hard here -- >> more baggage than the airlines -- >> reporter: gingrich lashed out at mitt romney, accusing him of trying to buy the election. >> he would buy an election if he could. >> is he trying to buy this one? >> $3.5 million in negative ads. you tell me. >> reporter: later, accusing him of lying in his negative ads. >> someone that will lie to you to get to be president. >> reporter: romney stayed above the fray as he campaigned in atlantic, iowa. >> i want to restore the principles. >> reporter: michele bachmann who was born in iowa and won the big straw poll here in august -- >> i want the white house! >> reporter: is languishing at the back of the pack. she told us she expects divine help on tuesday.

>> i'm believing in a miracle. we know, i know the one who gives miracles. >> if you don't come in first, second or third, can you continue? >> i am going to be the next president of the united states of america. [ cheers] >> reporter: newt gingrich tried to make a virtue of the fact that he didn't run any negative ads here in iowa. but made it clear after the iowa caucuses all bets are off. you can expect to see a feistier gingrich not afraid to use his television advertisements to savage his opponents especially mitt romney. jonathan carl, abc news, des moines. >> thank you, john for that report. the political year is heating up big time after tomorrow's iowa caucuses, it's time to get ready for the next one in new hampshire. abc news is hosting a republican candidates debate in five days with diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos. moderating once again. tune in saturday night, 9:00 p.m. eastern, 6:00 pacific. twist and turns of the gop hot debate in new hampshire. i love to see all the mudslinging -- >> dirty, not good, but it's

fun. >> fun to watch. >> exactly. here's your monday forecast now, everybody. some of the coldest air of the season for the eastern half of the country. up to a foot and a half of lake effect know from grand rapids. cleveland, buffalo. don't want to hear that. snow in the appalachians. rain from seattle to portland. snow in the cascades. >> 42, salt lake city. 62, sacramento. it's warm somewhere. 80 in phoenix. 10 in fargo. 16 in minneapolis. 22 in my old stomping ground, chicago. all my peeps back there. 40s boston to atlanta. >> new york may not seem all that bad for you coming from the windy city. chicago knows cold like nobody else knows cold. >> you have rivers here. we have this huge body of water called lake michigan. so cold. literally, you have to lean into the wind sometimes. a great city. one of the greatest cities in all of the world. >> chicago is proud of you. taking a dip new year's eve in the chilly north sea, a

long-standing tradition for some hardy dutch folks. >> this year the event drew a record turnout. 10,000, thanks to slightly less than frigid temperatures in the high 40s. the crowd danced in the new year at a beach side party before making a mad dash to the water. most of those who took the plunge say they wouldn't start the new year any other way. i can only imagine how cold that walter was. >> nothing like a little shrinkage in 2012. you go, guys. >> had to go there, didn't you? >> welcome, sweetheart. welcome. we'll be back with more "world news now" after this. we'll be back with more "world news now" after this. back with more "world news now" after this. ♪ baby you know [ male announcer ] little owen wanted to play, but his nose was raw and sore. achoo! [ male announcer ] and common tissue made it burn even more. ♪ puffs plus lotion is more soothing than common tissue, and it delivers our most soothing lotion

for every nose issue. a nose in need deserves puffs plus lotion indeed. to give your cold a comforting scent, try puffs plus lotion with the scent of vicks. kids make stains i use tide boost to super charge our detergent. boom. clothes look amazing, and daddy's a hero. daddy, can we play ponies? right after we do foldies. tide boost is my tide. what's yours?

♪ should old acquaintance be forgot auld lang syne ♪ >> dance a little bit. >> i didn't know we were on. hey, happy new year. just three words, but it means different things to different people. >> we asked you to tell us which three words describe a happy new year for you, and

we heard high hopes and expectations for this new year ahead. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ got all the thoughts in my head ♪ >> happy new year! ♪ there's no time for bitterness ♪ ♪ we'll make time for forgiveness ♪ the best. ♪ the best is yet to be done ♪ because the best is yet to come ♪ ♪ yeah >> oh, very cool to see all the high hopes for 2012. our three-word campaign. that's very kind of cool to see all that. we have to do our three word. >> what are yours? >> welcome paula faris. look at that. >> here is my three words. >> who am i? >> you'd probably like to work with ron burgundy. why not? you worked with everybody else, right? >> feels like it. a new year at "world news now," with a new co-anchor.

this day as you long time viewers know. a long time coming. we talk a look back at all my co-anchors who kept this seat warm for ms. paula. coming up. stay with us. ♪ hey hey paula ♪ oh no one else could do co-anchors who kept this seat warm for ms. paula. coming up. stay with us.

♪ hey hey paula ♪ hey hey paula ♪ oh no one else could do >> we have the best music department in all of television. well done. >> if you want to marry me i am off the market. somebody else put a ring on it. >> i'm out of here. >> my first day here at "world news now." the first time that rob -- this guy -- has had a permanent co-anchor in 300 years. 11 months.

>> 11 months. a lot of lovely ladies. talented news. take a look back. >> thank you so much for making this good-bye so unbelievable. i am speechless and honored and so thankful i have gotten to be a part of this legacy that is "world news now." >> absolutely. >> i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm rob nelson. let me extend a warm welcome to a new face on "world news now," joining our crazy overnight family, peggy. >> appreciate it. thank you. >> been here a short type. everybody has been so fantastic. can't imagine working with nicer people. thank you so much for being so great to work with. >> absolutely. going to miss you. thank you so much. >> i am going to miss you too, mr. nelson. >> and having so much fun. makes such a huge difference on the show. >> ready. >> ah! >> ha-ha-ha! >> good morning, everyone, i'm tanya rivero. >> i'm rob nelson. welcome back to the -- the fun times here at "world news now."

>> great to be back. >> i just want to say this has been so awesome hanging out on the overnight shift. rob, you have been so much fun. i want to say, people write in, they sometimes say what's with the rotating anchors. and you know -- >> nature of the biz. >> nature of the biz. not that we don't love each other. we do, it's just that other things happen. >> good monday morning. i'm rob nelson. a new partner in crime for the week. ms. diana alvear, all the way from l.a. now here in new york for the week. >> good to be here. >> caffeinated. still awake. a good sign. >> i'm awake. yes, i am. >> half the battle. >> good morning, i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm yunji de nies. >> good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm cecelia vega. happy halloween. >> welcome on board. >> good to have you here. >> good morning, i'm -- >> smiling. her final day on "world news now." before he goes to l.a. good

friday. >> good morning, i'm rob nelson. a new partner in crime. sitting in for a few weeks. welcome, sunny. >> thank you, thank you, so happy to be here. >> it is your last day. everyone. >> oh! my goodness! you guys are going to make me cry. >> there you go. >> sunny's last day. >> oh. thank you. i have had so much fun on this show. the crew is just amazing. dan, you are amazing. rob has been a pleasure to work with. you guys are going to make me cry. >> we put -- >> did you scare the lovely ladies away? >> scared them all off. >> i'm beginning to think it's you. >> hopefully you stick. take a stroll down memory lane out in the field doing your thing. >> here in new york city. couple years ago. for the all-star game. >> you came to us from chicago. another cool town. >> that's me had to put spanx on to get into that dress. >> glam shot. >> air brushed. not air brushed. >> ha-ha. >> i was 9 weeks pregnant with my first child in that photo.

>> proud mama. welcome aboard again. more from abc next. in. more from abc next. pregnant with my first child in that photo. >> proud mama. welcome aboard again. more from abc next. .

♪ ♪ ♪ well, now that we're done with the "all the girls i loved before" segment, we move on to insomniac theater. as you just saw, nothing is impossible for "mission impossible." back in the top spot at the box office. >> meryl streep's latest film "iron lady" had an impressive opening this weekend. at four theaters in new york and los angeles. our digital news associate, jace henderson, known as our dna. >> rest assured this movie will be open everywhere this coming weekend. everyone will get a chance to see it. then after that everyone can start making their bets about who they think are going to be the top winners for the academy

awards. i personally think that meryl streep will win best actress for this film. absolutely awesome, her acting was superb. >> she was that good? >> i really think that she treated this role very personally as she portrayed the first and only woman to become prime minister of the united kingdom. and during a time in england was starving for a new voice to lead them, she reclaimed britain's name in the world and entitled herself as one of the century's most influential women. known for her conservative views in parliament, given the name "the iron lady." though some critics believed that meryl streep didn't convey enough of that tone. let's see if movie-goers agree or disagreed. >> i think they did a wonderful job of portraying how everything happened. and tied it in so personally with her life. i loved the part where she was so broken hearted over the young men lost at war and felt so obligated, so driven to contact the families and write letters to the moms.

>> every single aspect of the performance was very believable. >> the first 10, 15 minutes. unnecessarily spent time on her old age. >> and so stemming off of what he was just saying, the one thing about this film i didn't really like it actually tells the story from thatcher's life later on when she is something of from dementia. it's sort of disheartening. such an influential woman, you were empowered by the movie and what was going on, but then there are flashbacks to her in, you know, today's world, where she is suffering from this illness. >> hate to see her as a powerful woman. >> besides that, i still gave this film four out of five stars. >> ooh. >> i really think it's a great film for everyone to see. excellent depiction of history at that time. >> oscar gold prediction? >> yes, i am. >> i want to see it and get a large buttered popcorn, what it is all about. >> just for the popcorn. >> i like you already. news for this half-h-h-h-h-h-h-a

this morning on "world news now" -- intense manhunt. a suspected gunman wanted for shooting and killing a park ranger is still on the loose. >> while police try to capture him, everyone staying at mt. rainier national park has been ordered into a shelter because of the danger. it's monday, january 2nd. good morning, everybody. happy monday. happy new year. it is certainly a happy new year on our show. this is the start of a new chapter here at "world news now." our new permanent, permanent, co-anchor, paula faris in the house today. >> promise it will be a long chapter. i know you are not used to those. >> so many women in and out of my life.

finally i'm going steady. my mom would be so proud. >> would she. you going to bring me home to your mom. >> if your husband doesn't mind. >> yeah, we're co-workers. won't cross that line. >> rob is trying to get me acclimated. if you have any tips for me, send them to facebook. i don't know how to sleep during the day. i got this. >> can i put this on you, later. >> there you go. >> does it work? does it block out the light? >> you have to do the whole half-hour. >> you will have to read through it right now. >> we've done stranger things on this show. welcome aboard. from the great city of chicago. are you excited. >> i'm caffeinated. got my monster drink poured into my welcoming, welcome gift. >> brand new. >> just got them. >> i got a hat, too. >> you are ready. sporting it out. >> feeling good. middle of the night. >> it's the middle of the night really? the wonder of caffeine. i had no idea what time it is. >> it will catch up to you. welcome aboard. great to have you here. new blood, injection of life for

the show. >> what i am here for. >> let's do the news. shall we? >> let's blow it up. >> boom, there we go. >> okay. our top story this half-hour, the search for a suspect wanted for two shootings in washington state including a park ranger at mt. rainier. especially scary situation for overnight visitors in the park. also this morning, the mystery in a small toun outside little rock, arkansas. blackbirds dropping dead on new year's. were they spooked by fireworks or is something else driving them to their deaths? >> we have seen this two years in a row. a weird scene with the birds. and later, the rules for drivers with children. a mother of two. listen to this. rules changed in california. why children as old as 8 years old must ride in booster seats and who is pushing for a national guideline for kids in cars. 8 years old in california in the booster seat. >> do they remain in the booster seats at all times? kidding. babysitting.

>> they go to college, they get out. crazy. we begin with the manhunt for a murder suspect in the rugged terrain of mount rainier national park. >> they believe benjamin colton barns was involved in another shooting sunday in a seattle neighborhood. >> reporter: park rangers tell us that barnes is a military veteran, and pierce county said he has had issues with law enforcement in the past. rangers say his vehicle was recovered with survival gear, weapons, body armor but will not say he is a suspect yet for this shooting. we are told by the sources again, barnes is a suspect for the shootings in skyway. a ranger tried stopping a driver. that man sped away to be stopped by a park ranger. the shooter opened fire and hit her. she later died. >> margaret has been here, been an outstanding employee, ranger. >> reporter: the man escaped on foot but took shots at the officers as they tried to recover anderson. because of the danger, rangers are backing off their plans to bring stranded visitors off the

mountain. >> what his condition is, we are erring on the side of safety and just keeping people there at the jackson visitors center at the moment. >> reporter: there has been a steady stream of officers, tactical, material, and other issues going back and forth out of the mountain ranges. the key is this gate. we're told by park rangers that right now there are 70 inches of snow in parts of the back country. essentially from their perspective because of lack of survival gear when it comes to being on foot in the snow, there is really only one way out of the mountain pass for this man, whoever this suspect may be. it may be barnes or another individual. whoever that person is, the only way out is through this area. and entire legion of officers waiting at the base. john humbert, abc news. >> this guy has survival skills and could make it out there quite some time in rugged terrain. police are doing all they can. using special dogs, radars. really are conducting an intense manhunt for this gift. -- for this guy. >> hopefully it snows. that could really, hopefully it doesn't snow that could slow down the search.

condolences go out to her family. mother of two. two young daughters. she had been a ranger for four years. sad. >> the victims in the earlier shooting. seven hours before, in the other thing. four people were injured. scary guy. hope again they get him. >> absolutely. yep. well, in los angeles, police are releasing surveillance video of a man they believe may be behind as many as 40 arson attacks. the man seen saturday emerging on foot from an underground parking structure on hollywood boulevard the scene of a car fire. meanwhile experts are putting together a profile of the likely arsonist. >> they do it for recognition or fame. and oftentimes, we see that they do it out of spite, out of anger. >> it would appear that the primary motive may not be killing people, the primary motive may be attention. because he is -- he/she, are setting fires to vehicles that are not apparently occupied. >> authorities said they were investigating dozens of suspicious fires centered mostly in the hollywood area.

in other news this morning, an active duty soldier in federal custody this morning accused of trying to board a commercial plane while carrying explosives. sergeant first-class trey atwater going through a checkpoint in midland international airport in texas when a screener spotted suspicious material in military grade wrapping. atwater is now set for arraignment tomorrow. to new security concerns in the middle east. iran said it has test-fired a medium-range surface-to-air missile during a drill in international waters near the strait of hormuz. 20% of the world's oil exports travel through that waterway. iran has threatened to block passage if it is hit with more sanctions. >> another source of tension between our country and theirs, yet again. turning now politics. a big week ahead of us. one day ahead of the critical republican vote in iowa. mitt romney looks like the man to beat. >> yes, he does.

at least two candidates are making a strong showing. abc's karen travers is joining us this morning from des moines with more. karen? >> reporter: good morning, rob. good morning, paula. the republican candidates are sprinting to the finish line trying to reach as many voters as they can. and the clock is ticking. it's been a roller coaster race for the republican nomination, and it is going down to the wire. a new poll from "the des moines register" has mitt romney clinging to a slight lead. ron paul is right on his heels. in third place, a soaring rick santorum. santorum's 11th hour surge is legitimate and may be growing stronger. the "register" poll was conduct ed over three days. but take a look at the data from just the last two days. santorum actually in second place. >> still got a ways to go. we are the one on the move. nobody else its. that's pretty exciting. >> reporter: there may be hope for the candidates who have seen their stock and poll numbers plummet. the "register" poll found that

41% of likely caucus-goers say they could change their mind before tuesday. michele bachmann said her recent 99 county barn storming trip across iowa gives her reason to be confident. >> this isn't about polling. this is what we are seeing in reality. i think tuesday night people are going to see a miracle. >> reporter: newt gingrich pummeled on television in iowa. millions of dollars of negative ads have been run against him from supporters of mitt romney. yesterday he lashed out at romney for the assault. mitt romney made a quick getaway for new hampshire but was back in iowa for sunday playing for the win. rick santorum spent more time and effort than any other republican candidate to win over iowa voters. and with just two days to go before the caucuses, he may be peaking at exactly the right time. rob and paula? >> thanks a lot, karen. amazing the twists and turns the gop race is taking. at one point or another, each candidate has been the belle of the ball. now rick santorum could be making a threat. >> interesting to see the nose-dive of newt gingrich. 45% of all advertising was mudslinging and negative ads against gingrich.

>> the poor folks in iowa. they hold a lot of sway has got to be cool. they get inundated with the visits and the media and the tv ads. kind of amazing. countdown is on. we'll know tuesday night what's up. after the iowa caucuses, the focus will shift to new hampshire. be sure to watch the abc news debate in new hampshire moderated again by diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos. tune in saturday, 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific. prince phillip stepped out with the royal family for their traditional new year's day church services. it was his first public appearance since undergoing a heart stent procedure since before christmas. appeared to be in pretty good form. nasa has kicked off the new year with one of the most important moon missions since the apollo days. twin probes the size of washing machines are orbiting the moon. one arriving saturday. the other just yesterday. they will spiral to the surface over the next two months and

study the inside of the moon from crust to core. for the second year in a row, a small arkansas town has ushered in the new year in eerie fashion. before the stroke of midnight, the streets were littered with dead blackbirds that mysteriously rained down from above. matt johnson reports from beebe, arkansas. >> birds were brought down, you know, by fireworks this year. i didn't believe it, but now i do. >> reporter: charles moore never thought he would see the sequel to what he considered the greatest unsolved mystery of 2011. >> this morning when i came out, i had dead birds. mostly red-winged blackbirds. what a surprise. >> reporter: for the birds that plummeted to their deaths a year ago, happening again in 2012. >> we had this thing, the birds leaving their roost and falling out of the air.

>> there were some fireworks that shot off early. we did see the birds leaving their roost and falling out of their air. >> reporter: this time they were targeted. arkansas game and fish said fireworks were set off right next to the roost saturday night, even with the fireworks ban in place. soon the bird will be under the city's cross hairs. >> there's construction we hope that is going to take place during the year to eliminate the roosting areas. >> reporter: the small town likely has more bird living there than people. and when they're not falling out of the sky, they're falling out of favor with some of the locals. >> many people have not liked them. the mess, and actually the smell. >> reporter: for now he is taking in the spectacle before all the birds are taken away for good. >> the time is growing near that the birds will be leaving, so i am going to be a little sad about that. >> reporter: matt johnson, abc news. temperatures plummeting from

the northern plains to the west coast. blizzard warnings in morning michigan. lake-effect snow from grand rapids to buffalo. rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest. >> 47 in seattle. 48 in boise. fargo just 10 degrees. 20s from omaha to indianapolis. >> chicago girl. you're used to the frigid weather. >> i love it. >> you like the cold? >> no. >> i was about to say. i was going to say, everybody knows about the ball drop in new york's times square. >> maybe the folks in folly beach, south carolina, have a better idea. they counted down to 2012 by dropping giant flip-flops. they were made from two pieces of plywood about eight feet tall decorated with garland and lights. organizers hope to make the flip-flop drop an annual new year's eve tradition. flip-flop drop. >> i like it. parents, listen up. every new year brings new laws and this year is no different. california is keeping children in car booster seats for an additional two years. >> crazy here.

>> well parents, listen up. every near bri parents, listen up. every new year brings new laws and this year is no different. california is keeping children in car booster seats for an additional two years. >> crazy here. kids must stay in those safety seats until they're 8 years old or as clayton sandel tells us, their parents will face pretty stiff fines >> reporter: at l.a.'s griffith

park you can ride the big ponies if you are 7 years old. but in a car you will be back in a booster seat. >> i can't believe it. >> reporter: california which has more drivers than any other state is raising the car seat cutoff age from 6 to 8. >> i'm not happy about it. >> reporter: creating crisis in millions of families with 6 and 7-year-olds who thought they left car seat days behind. brenda got rid of her twins' car seats when they turned 6. >> sold them at a yard sale. now time to go buy some. >> reporter: most parents understand it is all about safety. ben here is helping us demonstrate that though he is 6 this seatbelt is the wrong fit, across the neck and soft parts of the belly. the booster lifts him up. putting the belt where it should be, across the boney parts of his chest and hips. the golden state helps drive trends in auto safety. and this new law might help ramp up pressure for a nationwide car seat standard. >> we need to have a federal standard. when parents go to buy a booster seat, there is no guarantee that that booster seat is going to provide good belt fit in all kind of different vehicles.

>> reporter: in our completely unscientific kid poll, we found 2/3 again the new law, but there is an incentive to enforce it. break the law and mom or dad get a $475 ticket. clayton sandell, abc news, los angeles. >> get this -- besides that $475 fine, parents can also get negative points on their driving records for each child, that's in violation. so crazy. be careful out there. gets tough. you're a mother of two young kids, oouf a problem with it. >> if it keeps kids safer -- i understand a lot of parents are inconvenienced given up their car seats. car seats aren't cheap. $475 might buy two car seats. i understand that it inconveniences a lot of parents. probably a lot of research. don't have a big problem with it. rents. probably a lot of research. don't have a big problem with it. us "the skinny" the

next. mewo is steve. my family's lived in this neighbrhood for ears.

♪ skinny ♪ skinny ♪ so skinny >> you will soon hear that song

in your sleep. but this is a big moment for you. your first "the skinny." >> my virgin "the skinny." >> the first time is always the most special. >> it is. >> as you found this first story. very wild story. >> if you were a woman and luck to go topless and were 5'10", this would be for you. dennis rodman, get this, the worm, making his way back into basketball. he is going to be coaching a women's topless basketball team. >> amen! >> seriously. what, what woman really wants to run up and down the court without a sports bra on? >> i am not surprised that rodman is linked to something kind of crazy and, you know, off the mark a little bit. i didn't know there are topless basketball teams here in new york. >> first of all he is going to be challenging, the topless team to a charity game. right. rodman says i don't know too many men that don't like a good

looking woman running up and down the court. here's the parameters. auditions at the jiggle joint. you don't have to have too much experience. you just have to know how to throw the ball into the hole. >> words he has lived by. hello, dennis. dennis is crazy. makes sense he'll be the coach of a topless women's team. >> are you going to the tryouts? >> staying on the air. going to go cover it thoroughly. >> sacrificing for "world news now." >> i'm a journalist. what i am talking about. naked basketball, a lot of double dribbles. >> what? >> don't worry about it. >> hello. >> welcome to the overnights. more basketball, more basketball news here. there we go in english. >> proud of you. >> lebron james, is engaged finally. got a ring. >> yes, he did. >> he and his girlfriend, the mother of his two children, they got engaged at a new year's eve party. one of the owners tweeted that. congratulations to you both. this follows, michael jordan getting engaged to his girlfriend, who is 16 years younger, a cuban model. >> she is. >> had that on the show.

all the ballers deciding to put a ring on it. >> lebron, his high school sweetheart from akron st. vincent st. mary. how about that -- dropping a little ohio knowledge. >> a midwester on the show. >> lebron, see what is going on with kobe. two words for you, prenup. all i'm saying. >> that's one word hyphenated. two syllables. >> sorry, paula. if you are wondering why katie perry and russell brand got divorced and wondering why he filed the papers. >> stunning. >> you know she comes from a evangelical christian family. >> you can tell by her outfits. >> no. she wanted him to file the papers because, she didn't want her parents to be disappointed. but get this, he is, a recovering sex addict and heroin addict and had apparently changed his ways. >> sure the parents love that. >> a lot of their arguments

according to tmz, brand didn't enjoy the scene. she was going out and drinking. going to bars, and boozing. you know what if you are a spouse and you know your husband has struggles in this area. come on. you can't do that. >> seems like a weird call on her part. she was the one going out, in the scene doing the party thing. he is the former sex/drug addict. i want to chill at home. she was going out. couldn't make it work. >> if you know one thing tempts you. >> come on, katie, girl. >> katie. i don't get that. that's sad. i really thought that they were going to make it last longer. >> 14 months. >> that's it. >> longer than 72 days. longer than any of your co-anchors. >> for darn sure. last note here. kelly clarkson, caused a controversy when she endorsed ron paul for president. endorsements are good for business. get this, her album stronger climbed from 38 to 7.

on amazon sales list between thursday, when she threw her support behind paul and friday afternoon. the album inched up further saturday to 2 on amazon and 10 on apple itune charts. people that love ron paul. bought the album in droves. >> ron paul supporters well educated inform and support the heck out of ron paul. wouldn't be surprised if this was -- the album to spike. >> if ron paul fans had taste in music. they'd be good. >> did you buy her album? >> no. we'll be back. we'll be back. frequent heartbun by blocking the acid with prilosec otc. and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn.

we've done a good job caring for our mouths. that's why there's a rinse like crest pro-health multi-protection. it helps you get a better dental check-up. so be ready for your next dental check-up. try any crest pro-health rinse. covergirl trublend has skin twin technology. other makeup can sit on your skin, so it looks like...makeup. but trublend has skin twin technology to actually merge with yur skin. how easy breezy beautiful is tha? trublend...from covergirl.

♪ hey hey paula no no one else could ever do ♪ >> showing you love, paula. found a song with your name in it. so good. >> i never heard that before. >> really? you're going to learn all kinds of wonderful things. including this trick. it's time for our -- boom -- there it is -- favorite story of the day. paula's arrival here on "world news now" is our favorite story of the day. tell us about this, odyssey to new york that you got done with. >> i drive a honda odyssey. i am a minivanner. i'm not cool. 1,400 miles. left three weeks ago. >> from chicago. >> moved, stayed with a couple friends in chicago. look at our van. >> packed up. >> there is the family. >> my mom, dad. my dad, little marines hat on, michigan jacket. big michigan fan. jackson, michigan.

>> you are from michigan. >> from michigan. went to school in ohio. worked in ohio. went to illinois. this is where we were deliberating go to new york, do we go to youngstown? >> very similar cities. >> on the road. >> fork in the road. >> arrived in new york last tuesday. >> a few days. >> and the view from the 34th floor of our building. >> it is an awesome city. >> trying to keep my daughter off the pole. i realized that that's not possible if you are in new york on the subway. >> she's on the pole. maybe play for dennis rodman one day. >> there's the kids. future golfer, jj. in indiana. i think this was the day after i got pulled over twice within three hours. >> twice by the cops. >> neither of the offenses were for speeding. >> sitting next to a felon uh-oh. >> insanity. toys "r" us times square. >> epicenter of insanity. >> i will never do that again to myself. or my children. >> order it on line. it was over-stim. i started shaking. my kids were shaking. >> did they get good gifts?

>> barbies that are already destroyed. >> they're 2 and 4. >> 2 and 4. >> you'll be babysitting soon. you'll figure it out. we'll have my son potty trained -- >> had an experience with peggy's kids. >> i'm a good babysitter. i can diet. >> you think? >> you were a big time sports anchor. you are a sports nut, junkie. >> i love, love, love sports. one of my big passions. i grew up, jackson, michigan. just down the road from michigan stadium. jim harbaugh my first imaginary boyfriend. >> very nice. >> i have always loved sports. >> i played in high school. softball. ran track and field before that. i wasn't going to set the sports world on fire. >> decided to cover it. >> i love the action. and the frenetic pace. >> we do a lot of sports on the show. you and i will be going back and forth. >> better watch out. you're going down. >> bring it. more from abc next. >> you're going down. this morning on "world news now" -- close race. . >> you're going down. own.