colleagues on the other side of the aisle are making up their own facts. >> job-killing, status quo. >> what in the world are our colleagues talking about here? i don't get it. >> reporter: after pausing for a week following the tucson returned to capitol hill and their top priority, repealing the new health care law. >> we can't afford it. they all know we can't afford it. >> reporter: a new abc news/washington post poll finds most americans, 50%, oppose the new law while 45% support it. repealing it is another matter. just 58 18% favor that. the repeal measure is certain never to make it past the house. >> we don't think it makes a whole lot of sense to debate a bill that thankfully will go nowhere in the senate and would certainly be vetoed by the president. >> reporter: republicans say they don't have to succeed in their repeal efforts. >> we could bring about in effect a full repeal by stopping funding. >> reporter: democrats see it as a chance to reargue benefits of health care reform. >> that bill might have no chance but republicans are fulfilling a campaign pledge to

try to repeal a law that is especially disliked by the party's growing tea party faction, who have an eye toward the next elections in 2012. there is some new questions this morning about prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs to people who do not have cardiovascular disease. a review of previous research shows these drugs called statin reduce the risk of death slightly. researchers say there's little evidence to prove it improves quality the life. pakistan, a powerful earthquake struck in the middle of the night. it rattled nerves in the city of karachi and aas far away as new delhi and dubai. there were numerous aftershocks. in northwestern part of pakistan, a bombing near a school killed at least one person. it's just the latest attack in what is an apparent radical trend sweeping that country. we report now from islamabad. >> reporter: today in pakistan,

extremism has become mainstream. when this police officer killed liberal politician he was supposed to guard, crowds called him a hero and chanted, you did the right thing. this is where he grew up. i met his brother who argued the politician deserved to die. just because he wanted to change laws, used to persecute mir minorities. he wouldn't listen when i said not everyone agrees. there are a lot of pakistanis, a lot of muslims who say it's not okay. >> no, you're wrong. all over muslim, all over muslim, all over the -- all over the world, say -- >> reporter: we're only about ten miles from islamabad. this is not a particularly radical part of pakistan but throughout this neighborhood there are signs that say we

salute your courage. the signs were put up by the student ring of a religious party. the people who supported him are not all religious. 20,000 joined facebook panls praising him. these also follow english soccer, pirates of the caribbean, justin bieber. these people are middle class. which means moderates are outnumbered. this is a vigil against kadry and a valley praising him. many of theme people warn the next target is this woman, who also wants to change laws used to persecute minorities. you have friends and people in the government telling you you should leave the country. what kind of threats have you received? >> no matter how long it takes, we have bullet with your name on it and things like that, you know. >> reporter: is there an inability right now in this climate for liberals, for

moderates, for secular people to come out and make their arguments publicly? >> you have to take reform initiatives. and it's not impossible. inaction is the worst thing you can do right now. >> reporter: because what happens if you don't acted? >> you get people being gunned down, people like myself next in line. and then others will obviously hesitate to stand up. >> reporter: disturbing for pakistan and disturbing for the world. abc news, islamabad. here's a look at your weather. nearly a foot of snow in the northern rockies. a wintry mix changing to all snow in denver, kansas city, and st. louis. morning rain and snow in the northeast. snow also from cleveland to charleston, west virginia. >> 52 in atlanta. 44 in baltimore. 42 in new york. 20s from detroit to chicago. just 3 degrees in fargo. 43 in seattle. 57 in albuquerque. well, this one will have plenty of people talking this

morning. >> it's video we believe to be from 1956, showing a researcher and his subject -- now, you can see the woman there, she voluntarily takes an lsd trip. off she goes. >> it's like a -- a curtain or spider web. can you see it? it's right here in front of me. right now. watch. no. oh, good heavens. you know, it went through me. it passed right through me. >> is that what it's like, jim? >> no. >> okay. >> it's important to remember, of course, lsd was a legal drug up until 1966. >> in fact, the military and cia secretly funded research to see if it could be used as a chemical weapon or even a truth

serum. there's some questions as to who this woman is. they're not even sure it's from 1956. >> incredible video there. i didn't know it was legal until so late. just recently in terms of history that it was legal. >> she probably had no idea what was going on eithe we'll be back with more "world news now."

while some fiber ads use super models, metamucil uses super hard working psyllium fiber, which gels to remove unsexy waste and reduce cholesterol. taking psyllium fiber won't make you a model but you should feel a little more super. metamucil. down with cholesterol. welcome back, everybody. as we told you yesterday, airline prices are once again going up. delta and united have already announced the fare hikes, but that's not all. >> the source of the latest mile high headache is hidden fees. imagine being charged for carry-on bags or to talk to an agent at the airport, maybe

bringing an infant. brian owens has more. >> reporter: avery is 4 months old and pretty soon this little cutie may have to pay to fly. >> that's ridiculous. we have a hard enough time just making it through a flight. >> reporter: that's just one of the new fees airline analyst rick sees coming this year. >> i think they are stepping right up to the line and peering over it right now. >> reporter: he says 2011 will likely bring no more free flights for infants, no more free drinks, even diet cokes or orange juice, and no more heavy carry-on bags. if it's over 25 pounds, pull out your wallet. >> people say, i'll drive or won't go. >> reporter: southwest airlines is using fee frustration as the basis of their new ad campaign. >> it's an honest dollar, your honor. >> does he know what he's doing? >> reporter: some predict it's a matter of time before speaking to a human being will cost money.

it will does to talk to an agent on the phone, as i recently found out the hard way when trying to book a flight out of chicago o'hare during the holidays. that call cost me $25. >> they're trying to minimize the number of humans between you and taking your flight. >> reporter: and it's working. this summer alone, airlines made more than half their revenue, $2.1 billion out of $3.8 billion, just on airfare fees. and that number doesn't include nickel and diming us for meals, headphones and blankets. if you're looking for something to blame, experts say it is all about the rising price of oil. jet fuel, obviously, very important to the airlines, very expensive as well. and experts say they will find a way to pass that cost on to passengers. apparently, even the youngest and cutest among us. ryan owens, abc news, dallas-ft. worth international airport. >> as far as the amounts, delta and united reportedly both $20

per ticket, but it's on thousands of routes. it's going to affect you more than likely if you fly those airlines. >> you wonder how much the public will take before they say, the heck with it, i'm jumping into the car. it would be nice to return to the old days of old fashioned service. you know, line the good old days when we -- when we used to fly. i don't know who i am. i'm just trying to get to vegas. >> drinks are free. >> bourbon in the back, real food. so good. scotch, sorry. when we return, what you may not know about regis philbin. >> his talents on talk shows and game shows. wait until you hear what else he's done on tv. >> for information on services for older adults, the eldercare locator can help! >> it's great having a friendly person deliver a healthy meal- and having meals delivered makes it possible for me to stay in my own home. >> the eldercare locator can put you in touch with local resources to help older persons find home and community based services. call 1.800.677.1116 or visit

eldercare.gov today! the eldercare locator is a free public service of the u.s. administration on aging. welcome back. regis philbin, one of tv's most i koing faces is hanging up his microphone. he made the surprise announcement tuesday on his show. >> the man who was never at a loss for words, left all of us

pretty much speechless with his surprise decision. jeremy hubbard has a look at regis by the numbers. >> i've got one of those announcements to make today. >> reporter: for a guy pushing 80, the big news this morning shouldn't really shock. >> this will be my last year on this show. no, i know, it's been a long time. >> reporter: but still, it does. perhaps because when you look at it by the numbers, regis and television are one and the same. 16,343, that's the number of hours he'd clocked on tv as of september 2009. a guinness world record for the most time spent in front of a television camera. that math adds up when you calculate the talk show -- >> here are regis philbin and kelly ripa. >> reporter: game shows -- >> let's play "who wants to be a millionaire?" >> reporter: commercials. >> nocturnal? he's only awake at night. then when does he bank? >> reporter: sitcom guest spots. >> i still have dreams about this burger.

beautiful, haunting dreams. >> reporter: and late night chats. he never seems to turn down a gig. yep, that was him back in 1991 on "wrestle mania." >> i'm talking, of course, about the undertaker. >> reporter: 50 years is how long regis has been coming into our living room. it all started back in the 1960s. he became famous as joey bishop's sidekick. >> that's his thing. >> i'm glad he finally got one. >> reporter: if that jacket didn't exactly suit him, his co-hosts for the last 28 years certainly did. two verbose companions. >> so i took this viagra. >> see? >> put it right here. you know? >> that's not where you're supposed to put it. >> together we make one almost normal person. >> reporter: dissecting the day with a guy as uncool as dad and every bit as endearing. all the while, regis has been moonlighting. who could forget "who wants to be a millionaire?" >> final answer? >> final answer.

>> reporter: which brings us to nine. that's the number of people he made into millionaires while hosting the show. we don't know the number of monochrome ties in his closet at the time. four is the number of albums regis recorded. you're foregwynn if you don't own a copy of "it's time for regis." few do. but he later became quite the crooner. ♪ he would be glad knew nooul just to be sad thinking of you ♪ >> reporter: countless songs, countless guests, countless punch lines. truth is, when you crunch the numbers on regis, much remains incalculable. >> you're a crazy man. >> reporter: like the number of regis philbin impressions out there. >> one, two, three -- >> i'm out of control! >> reporter: and the impression he's left on us. after a half century on tv. i'm jeremy hubbard in new york. >> it really has been a remarkable ride for him. what a career. a kid from the bronx and made it as big as big gets.

>> now the big question is, who could replace him? there's a list of people who have already mentioned. jeff probst from "survivor," mark consuelos, and you can go to our facebook page and tell us who you think could be the next regis.

[ female announcer ] laundry's clean. how about the counter? bring it. in this lab test, one sheet of bounty leaves this surface 3x cleaner than the bargain brand. super absorbent. super durable. super clean. bounty. the clean picker upper.

switch to tide free & gentle. it removes more residue from dirt, food, and stains. so nothing spoils this tights enthusiast's enthusiasm. tide free & gentle. style is an option. clean is not. it will with natural instincts. it's clinically proven. 80% of women agreed that natural instincts made their hair feel softer. want feel good color? get 10 minute natural instincts. it's all good. ♪ ♪ ♪

[ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol® to advil. to learn more and get your special offer, go to takeadvil.com. take action. take advil®. >> announcer: "world news now" delivers your "morning papers." you're not going to believe this first one. if you logged on to amazon, maybe even yesterday, the site is down now -- not the site but this particular product has taken it down. if you went to do it yourself and self-surgery you won't believe what they had as a product you could buy. take a look. a gastric bypass kit you could buy at home. >> are you kidding me? >> according to the company that made it, they're saying this is for clinical use for professionals only. we never intended it for someone to order it off the internet and do it themselves. the big concern is people would see this and think, maybe i could do it myself or perform

this on someone else using the objects found inside that kit. amazon has been in hot water recently because they sold those books offering advice to pedophiles. so this is another thing found on amazon that a lot of people are talking about. like i said, amazon not commenting. the company that made it saying, professional use. it's not for people. but it's shocking to see that. >> that's a very serious invasive -- i mean, that's a big deal kind of surgery. the fact there's a kit online, scary stuff. youcy it's gone -- >> gone. you couldn't find it on amazon if you tried. >> a dog battle brewing in the bronx, in our neck of the woods here. there's this maltese pooch named rocky. there's been this battle since 20 07, but an appeals court has ruled they can go ahead with eviction proceedings against this couple baz this pooch rocky apparently sings when rita sings. take a quick listen. ♪ >> okay. so, you can imagine neighbors are not too happy with that going on.

but the couple says, wait a minute, we're going to fight this. the daughter is also a lawyer, which helps out. the dog, she calls it her therapy dog. she was involved in a pretty bad car wreck in 2003. they also argue rita's father is a holocaust survivor and he lives next door and brings him great comfort. but the neighbors say, the pooch is driving me crazy. a weird pet battle in the bronx. >> given what small quarters we live in, i can imagine a singing dog is not what you want next door. if i sent you out to buy this, chances are you would use this. >> a little cash. >> coming up soon, though, you believe it or not, they're finally doing this. 6,800 stores are saying, here in the future you'll be able to download a free starbucks card app. you hold your phone in front of a rash register. the money is subtracted from a starbucks account and you can load with credit cards or i phones and paypal funds. in the past they never thought

about doing this because they felt it would be too expensive but now the future is here.

state visit. the chinese president arrives in washington. his red carpet welcome and the tough issues under discussion today. remembering sargent shriver, his life's work and his legacy. and class struggle. what are college students really learning. >> nowadays, going to college is a gamble. >> it's wednesday, january 19th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." very interesting issue there. we were talking about this a few minutes ago. what do folks really learn, if

anything, in those four years of college. or is tuition basically just a big cover charge? >> exactly. at $27,000, which is the average now for students, but i do have to question the gauge. it's a debate you'll hear a lot about. good morning, i'm rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair. president obama shifts focus to international relations as he welcomes the president of china. >> they have already met behind closed doors for a private white house dinner last night. we're joined with the latest from karen on this high-stakes dinner. >> reporter: good morning. president obama formally welcomes president hu to the white house today even as administration officials are saying distrust still remains between the two sides. the obama administration rolled out the red carpet for chinese president hu jintao. the arrival was a rare arrival for a foreign leader.

asia experts say one key focus for the two presidents is simply mending fences. >> fundamentally they're -- both presidents are trying to signal to both populations that this is a relationship that's important for both sides. we ought to find ways to move forward. >> reporter: beyond the pomp and circumstance there's, of course, substance. three key items on the agenda. first, national security issues, including north korea's nuclear program and u.s./chinese military relations. second, human rights and political reform in china. president obama is, of course, a noble peace prize winner. the chinese are keeping a noble peace prize winner in prison. >> the longer china represses freedom the longer it will miss out on these opportunities and the longer that noble prize winners, empty chairs in oslo will remain a symbol of a great nation's unrealized potential and unfulfilled promise. >> reporter: and third, trade and economic issues. perhaps the biggest point of contentious. by keeping its currency

artificially low china can then produce cheaper goods to sellover seas. the obama administration says this is unfair to american businesses. >> this is not a tenable policy for china or for the world economy. >> reporter: president obama will host the chinese president at an elaborate state dinner at the white house, a clear sign of the importance this administration places on this relationship. rob and american attitudes are softening toward china. 47% say they think china is a friendly nation, up nearly 10% from 1998. 42% say they have a favorable opinion of the country. that's a big jump from 28% back in 2001, when the chinese had detained the crew of a damaged u.s. spy plane. lawmakers in the house are expected to repeal the president's health care law today. despite strong feelings on the issue, democrats and republicans appear to heed the call for more civility in congress. they are still arguing over the law, just a little more nicely.

>> obamacare is bad for workers, bad for employers, and bad for america. >> i suspect that there are colleagues on the other side of aisle are making up their own facts. >> the white house has said the president will veto the bill if it reaches his desk. harry reid has vowed it will die in the democrat-controlled senate. the fbi is now in possession of surveillance video that we're told shows the shootings in tucson in detail. we can't show it to you just yet because it's still being held for possible use in the murder child of accused gunman jared loughner. the video is said to show loughner clearly firing point-blank at congresswoman gabby giffords and others. gb' husband astronaut mark kelly spoke to diane sawyer exclusively about shooting. >> congress on your corner. my wife giving the people she serves the opportunity to speak to her. >> reporter: had you been worried for her safety? >> absolutely.

yes. and she was. she was really, really concerned. but she -- she thought this was the right thing to do. >> kelly also told diane that he's already told his wife he wants to see her walking in two weeks, and he says he will remain at her side as long as it takes. president obama is among those mourning the death of former peace corps director sargent shriver. mr. obama called him one of the brightest lights of the greatest generation. he died yesterday at age 95. t.j. winick has a look back at his remarkable career of public service. >> reporter: robert sargent shriver was a privileged man who spent his life in public service. the brother-in-law of john f. kennedy, an intimate man of the kennedy clan for 60 years. under kennedy he organized and headed up the peace corps.

lyndon johnson. he ventured into politics in 1972 and the father of maria shriver schwarzenegger. his life's work was poverty and he was associated with many landmark programs, volunteers in service to america, headstart, which do this day aids low-income children and their families, and the job corps. they all benefitted from his leadership. with his wife, eunice kennedy shriver he started the special olympics which became a worldwide movement. in 1994 president clinton presented him with a nation's highest civilian honor, the presidential medal of freedom. in 2003 s a. he was diagnosed with alzheimer's disease, even as he became, according to his daughter, a shell of his former self, he served the nation again as avisible reminder of the disease. >> at age 93 he still goes to mass every day and, believe it or not, he still remembers the

hail mary but he doesn't remember me, maria. >> reporter: his life's work is best captured in his own words. nearly everybody in their life needs someone to help them. i don't care whether you're the greatest self-made man. the fact is, someone has helped you along the way. t.j. winick, abc news. two more senators are now heading for retirement. connecticut independent joe lieberman and north dakota democrat kent conrad. lieberman will make it official today announcing will he not seek a fifth term. he's an independent who usually votes with the democrats. conrad has been in the senate since 1986. he says that instead of campaigning, he wants to focus on reducing the nation's debt. two los angeles students are in the hospital this morning after a bizarre school shooting. police say a tenth grade her a gun in his backpack and it apparently went off by accident or when he bumped or dropped the bag. two 15-year-olds, a girl and boy, were hit by the same bullet. one in the head and one in the

neck. the girl is in critical condition and the teen suspect is under arrest. the fbi is calling it a clear case of domestic terrorism after a backpack bomb was found along a parade route in spokane, washington. the discovery came monday just before the annual mlk jr. parade was set to start. investigators say there was a definite link between the bomb and that parade honoring dr. king. they say the bomb was fully functional and capable of causing many deaths. well, it was a treacherous morning ride for drivers across the northeast. news cameras captured cars slipping and sliding out of control after freezing rain left roads covered with a thick coating of ice. that's what my cab ride home looked like. this hilly street in pittsburgh, unsuspecting drivers slammed into other cars, poles. everything in their path. amazingly with all that ice, no one was hurt. >> very lucky. that's dangerous. bring on spring. it's been a rough winter so far. here's a look at your

wednesday weather. hopefully milder. it is, in fact, in the northeast today with a mix of morning rain and snow here today. several inches of snow from albany to maine. cleveland to pittsburgh, charleston, 3 to 6 inches of snow from denver to st. louis. nearly a foot of snow in the northern rockies. >> 40s from seattle to salt lake city. single digits in fargo and twin cities area. 10 in omaha. 81 degrees in miami. the entertainment news everyone is talking b the end of an era is an overused phrase but fits perfectly for this one. after 50 years on tv, regis philbin is calling it a career. >> sadly he made it official on his morning show yesterday with kelly ripa yesterday. his last show will be some time this summer. >> he started in local tv and was joey bishop's sidekick on a late night show. since then he's logged a record amount of time, 16,000-plus hours in front of the camera. >> 16,343 hours.

that was as of september 2009. rob knows this, but i went to a taping of the show. he's so nice. he came up, said hello, and shook my hand. >> regis is watching the show? >> i don't know if he's watching. he's nice. >> sorry about that. we'll be back with more "world news now." hó

male announcer ] prilosec otc traveled to the front lines of nfl training camp to put our 24-hour frequent heartburn protection to the test for two weeks. [ diehl ] people think we're indestructible, but if you're out there and you're feeling burning it's gonna affect the way that you play. prilosec otc is the one thing i can count on

to block my heartburn. when i take it in the morning i'm ready to go for the rest of the day [ male announcer ] prilosec otc. one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn! buy two 42-count boxes of prilosec otc. get $25 back.

for years we've heard nutritionists eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day if you want to stay in good health. but now there's a new recommendation to eat eight daily portions of fruits and vegetables from a study just released by the european heart journal. doctors found people in greece, italy and spain who eat large quantities of fresh produce quaut cut their risk of fatal heart disease by 22%. >> shouldn't have had that pizza on the way in. food for thought now. when young men and women head off to college they're given the

opportunity to achieve a higher education. but it seems no one really told them that. >> a lot of people are talking about this new study. college students are spending more time socializing than studying. but is it the students' fault? here's andrea canning. >> reporter: on today's college campuses, more and more students appear to be focused on everything but hitting the books. after two years of college, nearly half of all students are showing no significant gains in learning. and after four years, more than a third are showing little change, according to a new study. >> too little is being asked of these students. and they're able to graduate too easily, with little effort applied. >> reporter: experts say colleges aren't making academics a priority. professors are focused more on their own research. students, they're more concerned about making friends than good grades. in fact, in a typical day, the study shows students spenting only four hours on schoolwork,

compared to 14 on socializing or working jobs. >> being socially active has a huge benefit. you learn -- you learn just so much more about yourself, about people and just about interacting in the real world resident not much is being demanded in the students. half hadn't taken a single course requiring 20 pages of writing and a third hadn't taken a class requiring 40 pages of reading a week. >> i feel like i didn't learn as much as i should have. >> reporter: with the average private college tuition now running $27,000 and rising, that sticker shock just got tougher for parents to swallow. >> it used to be student who went to college were pretty much assured that when they got out, there was a good job waiting for them. that's no longer the case. nowadays, going to college is a gamble. >> reporter: studies still show getting a diploma is the best way to get ahead but today's research is asking whether just printing diplomas is the best way for the country to get ahead in this global economy. andrea canning, abc news, new york. >> interesting. when we come back this

morning, the tv phenomenon that is "american idol." >> the ground-breaking show goes into its tenth season tonight. and our media guru has insight on the big changes and what everyone's talking about.

the most popular show on television is back. no, we're not talking about "world news now." shockingly. "american idol" returns tonight for it's tenth season. but with new judges and a whole bunch of question marks about how this season will unfold. >> joining us live from miami with a look at what to expect this season, is our music and media consultant and our friend, bruno. good morning. it's nice to see you. not in a tux, just in casual wear, which is appropriate for these hours. >> good morning. >> go ahead. >> i was going to say, let's get right into it. people, of course, were so upset when simon left.

now we have -- for you we have j. lo and steven tyler. there's so many names to remember here. a lot of people are talking about the two of them and saying they're filling some of the roles that are missing. >> well-bei, the thing is, ever is saying simon cowell is irreplaceable. what better way to go than totally left of center, steven tyler and jennifer lopez, the biggest diva we have in the music scene. those two have big shoes to fill. and it looks like they are going to attempt to do it. >> what about the long-term success here in items of some folks who go in and actually win the competition, has the show got ton a point where people cannot just be a flash in the pan but can get long-term success and stay in the business? >> rob, the last artist who attained a long-term success was actually carrie underwood, selling 7 million copies and won during season four, at the end of season four. we haven't had a winner who's had that kind of success and that kind of longtivety since

then partly because the show drifted away from musical roots to more of a reality show that focused on many of the things apart from the music. that's what they're hoping to do with steven tyler, a musician and with jennifer lopez as well. they're trying to get them both to re-energize the contestants and just bring the music back to "american idol" front and center. >> i think people tend to forget also how huge this show is. this is one of the most watched shows still in its tenth season. >> after the oscar -- excuse me, after the super bowl, this show basically competes with the oscars for ratings and certainly beats the grammys. last season they totalled 24 million viewers. that's a lot of viewers. at the peak four years ago was 35 million. that's humongous. >> what roles do you think the judges will play this year? looking at j. lo and steven tyler, we're hearing steven's becoming the breakout star here a little bit. he's filling simon's shoes in a little bit. >> yeah, because he has a 35-year career in the music

business, so the guy has been a lot of thing. he's been through hell and back, like he says. jennifer lopez is going to give a lot of the very glossy, the pop, i think, suggestions and the advice, where steven tyler will be more, i guess, advising the rock and alternative contestants. but it's certainly a very interesting angle they're going to take because these two come from two different musical genres. and here they are meeting at "american idol." >> what about randy, the man who's survived the big storm? do you see any differences for him? will he step up in any way or will we see the same instructive advice we come to expect from him? >> randy has says he's going to stay doing what he does best, the same with ryan. it's going to be more about steven and jennifer lopez. we actually have two other people who have come in behind the scenes, the producer, nigel lithgow, a very powerful producer and very sharp, he was behind the first five seasons of "american idol" and jimmy ivan,

the most powerful music producer in the united states right now. we have these two behind the scenes guise guys playing an important role. >> we appreciate your insight. should be an interesting kickoff to season ten. important phone call i made. 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. sleep is here, on the wings of lunesta. and if you wake up often in the middle of the night... rest is here, on the wings of lunesta. lunesta helps you fall asleep and stay asleep, so you can wake up feeling rested. 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. get lunesta for a $0 co-pay at lunesta.com. sleep well, on the wings of lunesta. ♪ it's funny how you just break down waiting on some sign ♪ ♪ i pull up to the front of your driveway ♪ ♪ can you read my mind >> finally this half hour, if you're keeping track of the royal wedding, like me, then you know there are exactly 100 days until prince william and kate tie the knot. >> rob is awaiting his invitation. many out there are clamoring to know every detail of the big day. nick watt has another sneak peek. >> reporter: theirs will be the wedding of the century. and behind palace walls plans

are taking shape. once press secretary to the queen -- >> they plan for nothing to go wrong. it's well-oiled machinery. it's almost a military operation. >> reporter: the british do this sort of thing pretty well. they are world for pump and ceremony. >> the result of nerves by the two key players. >> reporter: when diana married charles in front of friends, family, world leaders and a tv audience of 750,000, 000. >> when diana got out of the coach, the dress was so creased. >> reporter: the young diana was so clearly nervous. on the question of names, kate's name changes at the altar. >> when she leaves westminster abb abbey, she'll have the rather long name of her royal heiness principle des of wales. if he's duke, she'll be duchess

of whatever it is. >> reporter: in the meantime we should call her catherine. >> her name is catherine. let's make it regal. kate's a bit rough. >> reporter: we suspect bruce oldfield is designing her dress. >> we won't know what it looks like until she steps out of the cart. >> reporter: kate -- sorry, habit -- arrives last at the abbey, after the queen. >> it's the bride's center stage on the 29 th of april. >> reporter: the bit we won't see, the queen's reception in her impressive palace. >> there is a lot of space. >> reporter: could kate ever have imagined there? >> it will be a dream day for her. it will be the sort of day any princess could wish for, any bride could wish for, but she has been inside before and she has been at receptions before. it just so happens this reception is for her. >> reporter: nick watt, numbeab news, london. >> there are so many details

that have been examined but now >> there are so many details that have been examined but now under debate is (man) more of your favorite tv shows, as always, breaking local news, emergency alerts, in the palm of your hand. high quality hd, 3dtv... more choices than ever. it's... mobile tv. technology, not regulation from washington, d.c. check out what's next. visit...

high stakes. high stakes. the powerful political meeting of the minds today at the white house. the discussions with china's president. critical cuts. cities forced to lay off police officers. >> it's scary and it makes me worry for my kids. and new fears about crime. and regis philbin's retirement. his surprising tv announcement and who is ready to take his place. it's wednesday, january 19th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." another big entertainment question, can anyone really replace regis, you know? >> i think the key is to not try to replace him. >> start a new chapter.

>> that father/daughter relationship they had. i heard someone say it's like oprah. you can't replace oprah. you can't replace regis. >> i think it's cool that after that many years in television, breaking the record for on camera hours, he's going out certainly not starving, looking good and in great health and on his own terms. we should all go out that way. it's cool. good morning and thanks for being with us. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm rob nelson. the president of china has arrived in washington for key talks on security and trade. >> it is a challenging visit for president obama since china is a important competitor and a potential partner. jake tapper has more from the white house. >> reporter: the white house rolled out the red carpet for chinese president hu jintao. the vice president biden for the first time ever personally greeting the chinese president on the tarmac. in times square and on cable, china has launched an ad campaign featuring basketball superstar yao ming. they're trying to boost their image here. white house officials anticipate that president hu will push for

greater access to sell chinese goods in u.s. markets and more opportunities to invest in the u.s. >> chinese investment in the united states, which is one of the things this summit is going to, i think, address, potentially can generate a lot of u.s. jobs. >> reporter: president obama will likely push for china to offer a more level playing field for u.s. products in china. meaning an end to unfair government support for chinese companies. to stop devaluing chinese currency, thus keeping chinese prices low, and to stop the widespread theft of u.s. intellectual property, such as software and entertainment products. also likely to be brought up, national security issues such as north korea and iran, and human rights. the u.s. will argue until progressive reforms are brought to china, investment there will stall. >> the longer china represses freedom, the longer it will miss out on these opportunities and the longer that noble prize winners, empty chairs in oslo

will remain a symbol of a great nation's unrealized potential and unfulfilled promise. >> reporter: chinese media are covering this trip with optimism, hoping for greater cooperation between their economy, the second largest in the world, and the u.s.'s, the largest. as for the intimate white house dinner tuesday night, we believe it is the first time that a noble peace prize winning u.s. president has ever so warmly hosted the leader of a country that has a different noble peace prize winner in jail. jake tapper, abc news, the white house. americans see china, though, as more of a threat than an opportunity according to an abc news poll just out this morning. in general, though, attitudes toward chinese have become more positive. 47% say they think china is a friendly nation, up 10% from '98. 42% say they have a favorable opinion of the country, that's a big jump from 28% back in 2001. president obama says he is willing to improve but not

repeal his new health care law. a repeal vote is expected to pass in the house later today. debate on the issue opened yesterday, largely along party lines. republicans say the law takes away american jobs. democrats say the repeal vote doesn't mean anything. >> we could bring about in effect a full repeal by stopping the funding. >> we don't think it makes sense to debate a bill that will go nowhere in the senate and would certainly bevetoed by the president. >> despite their differences, lawmakers appear to be heeding the call for more civility in congress in the wake of the arizona shootings. a school shooting in los angeles may have been a freak accident. police say a 17-year-old student had a loaded gun in his backpack and it may have discharged when he bumped or dropped that bag. a single bullet hit two students, leaving one of them, a 15-year-old girl, in critical condition. the tenth grader who brought that gun to school has been arrested. he was already on probation for fighting. police union members in

camden, new jersey, vote today on a series of concessions designed to save money for their crime-ridden city. that vote comes a day after camden's budget crisis forced dozens of them, along with firefighters, to be laid off. it's not a problem unique to camden either, as john berman reports. >> reporter: a cold, rainy day in camden filled with dark skies in bleak numbers. some 60 firefighters marched to city hall to turn in their helmets while 163 police officers surrendered their badges. nearly half the force laid off. once a booming center of industry, now the second most dangerous city in the country, with a violent crime rate five times the national average. >> it's scary and it makes me worry for my kids. >> reporter: the city faces a $26 million budget shortfall. >> we have looked every stone and every rock to find revenues, to look for cost-cutting measures. >> reporter: the police chief says they'll have to make tough choices. won't there be some things not

policed, not investigated? >> we will prioritize. we will triage just like an emergency room will. >> reporter: car accidents, broken windows and vandalism won't get the response it used to. these brutal choices, the product of a budget crisis now facing cities and towns around the country. newark, new jersey, laid off 167 cops in november. in december carjackings shot up one-quarter of their year's total. tulsa, oklahoma, cut back 11% of its force. at one point the domestic violence unit had just four officers to handle about 5,000 cases. in oakland, california, they fired 100 police officers. officials say they can no longer respond to vandalism, identity theft and some burglaries. >> we're in a new period in which cutting police hasn't happened in the last ten years. we're about to test the theory of do police matter. >> reporter: the mayor says what she's hoping for is some kind of agreement toward pay concessions or pay cuts with the police union that will help them get 100 officers back on these

streets. that's 100 of the 160 that were laid off. that is a best-case scenario. right now, only a hope. john berman, abc news, camden, new jersey. in oregon, they've had plenty of rain this week but along the coast, it's another problem -- sand. strong winds have been blowing the sand dunes around there. some vacation homes, get this, are now buried up to their rooftops. it could take weeks to shovel them out and get everything cleaned up. >> and also impossible to get rid of sand, if you've ever gotten it in anything. >> anything. it's messy. here's a look at your wednesday weather. a mix of rain and snow changing to snow from denver to st. louis. a half a foot could fall. heavy mountain snow in idaho, wyoming and montana. several inches of snow from cleveland to charleston and in upstate new york and -- yes, i said snow to snow. i apologize. >> 38 in boston. 50s in new orleans, atlanta and dallas. 18 in kansas city. and a bitter 5 degrees in minneapolis.

boise hits 40. sacramento, 60. a florida daredevil rises to the occasion coming a hop, skip and jump away from disaster. >> the star of a sarasota circus successfully balanced himself on a revolving wheel on top of a 19-story condo complex all while jumping rope. that is 250 feet above the sarasota skyline. >> he did it without a net or any safety device. the performance was a publicity stunt to promote the upcoming season of the sarasota circus. glad it ended well. glad it ended well.

one four-star hotel. two identical rooms. so why does this one cost so much less on hotwire.com? when hotels have unsold rooms they use hotwire hot rates to fill them, so you get ridiculously low prices, backed by our low price guarantee. orbitz price $174. hotwire hot rate just $95. the same great room, just less than other travel sites. hotwire.com. four-star hotels. two-star prices. ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com save big on car rentals too. from $13.95 a day. with so many it's hard to see the difference. but this is the way his dentist chooses. fact is, more dentists use an oral-b toothbrush

than any other brush. trust the brush more dentists and hygienists use...oral-b.

well, as soon as mark kelly heard the tragic news about his wife gabrielle giffords he rushed to be by her side. for 11 days now that's exactly where he has stayed. >> the story of how the congresswoman and e astronaut met and fell in love is something right off the big screen. but as diane sawyer reports, even hollywood cannot have come up with this romantic tale. >> reporter: when that astronaut met gabrielle giffords, he was married and she was with somebody else, too. a year later they saw each other again at the second conference and in between he had gotten a divorce. and did she really give you dating advice after your divorce? >> yes, she did. i'd call her on the phone. >> reporter: was there a moment you knew? >> well, she wanted to go and visit the state penitentiary in florence. >> reporter: almost too romantic. >> too romantic, isn't it? you just can't --

>> reporter: cliche of romance. she had a political position and opposition to the death penalty but wanted to test her opinion firsthand. >> that was our first date, visiting death row. >> reporter: was it love at second sight? >> i think at that point it was third. >> reporter: he was 43, she was 38. religion an issue? with the two of you? i mean, i'm thinking -- >> no we've talked about it. >> reporter: irish catholic and a jewish girl from arizona. >> nope, not an issue. not for me. en for her. you know, it's -- you know, we certainly -- we certainly talked about it. you know, like if we would ever have kids, you know, how would we do that? we discussed it. we came up with a plan. >> reporter: to get married, she borrowed a dress from a friend. the wedding itself was a melting pot of customs. >> we had the combination, military -- >> reporter: mariachis -- >> jewish wedding. >> reporter: hoopa. >> it's all lit up.

she's beautiful. i'm looking in her eyes and it just starts to rain. >> reporter: it was a mist that lasted the length of the rouse. >> and then it just stopped. it was just -- it was just incredible. >> reporter: also at the wedding, his two daughters who live as he does in houston near nasa, while the congresswoman lives in d.c. and tucson. and sometimes 200 miles up in space, gave new meaning to long-distance relationship. so, what about this marriage. there you are traveling at, what, 17,000 -- i'll get this one wrong -- >> 17,500 miles an hour. >> reporter: thank you very much. 17,500 miles an hour. she's traveling in her own version of 17,500 miles per hour. >> yes. >> reporter: you see each other, what? how often? >> we make it work. that's all we've ever done. we spend an awful lot of time on the phone. i think we probably talk a lot more than your average married couple. every night we're on the phone probably for an hour, hour and a half.

>> reporter: she has said, when he launched atop 1.6 million pounds of rocket fuel, she always feared it was the last time she might speak to him. still, she celebrated what he loved, sending a wake-up song "beautiful day". >> good morning, "discovery," from your friends and family around the world. ♪ it's a beautiful day >> good morning. i want to say thanks to gabrielle for a great choice of wake-up music. >> the congresswoman has been killed. >> my kids, claudia and claire, starts crying. my mother starts -- you know, i think she almost screamed. and i just, you know, walked into the bathroom and, you know, broke down. >> reporter: in anguish he called his wife's chief of staff, who turned the world around, saying it couldn't be true because gabrielle's mother gloria was there at the hospital. >> and gloria said, no, this is not true.

i mean, if this is -- if this was true, somebody would come out of the operating room and tell us that she had died, so that is not the case. i'm a very optimistic person, and i know that she's really a fighter. you know, she -- she has tombstone, arizona, in her district. what's the saying? the town that's too tough to die. you know, gabrielle giffords is too tough to let this beat her. >> i just imagine the day of the shooting, he told diane, for 20 minutes he really did believe his wife had died because there were false media reports out there that she had passed away. thankfully those reports weren't true. i can just imagine where you see that online or some tv show and then what you think and then she's not. just a roller coaster. >> he also went on to say they had been concerned about her safety in the months leading up to this. like any congress person, she had gotten death threats. scary to think. >> miraculous recovery, that's the good news.

coming up next, regis philbin's retirement and who would like to replace him. and what jennifer aniston hated about her role on "friends."

♪ welcome back, it is the big news in tv. regis philbin is calling it quits after 28 years on his show. he stunned everybody yesterday, including the audience, by letting folks know this summer he's going to step down as co-host of that show after 50 years in tv. take a listen as to how he did it. >> this will be my last year on this show. no, i -- i know. it's been a long time. it's been 28 years. it's time that, you know, everything must come to an end for certain people on camera, especially certain old people. >> regis is actually 79 years old. he'll tirn 8 turn 80 later this year. certainly does not have the energy of a typical 08-year-old man. the big question, who will replace him?

as one chimed in, larry king said, i'm -- his exact quote is, i would sit in for him for a few weeks. i would get a kick out of that. i would do it. nothing is forever. larry tossing in his hat. of course, it would be hard to fill those shoes. a lot of big departures. larry king, oprah, other names being floated in terms of who could replace him. take a listen. this is just speculation. mark consuelos, kelly's husband, maybe wayne braid y maybe ricky gervais, maybe ryan seacrest. other names floated jeff probst of "survivor" fame, neil patrick harris. you can't replace regis but those are the names starting to float. >> after the golden globes you think ricky might have gone a step down. >> probably. "american idol" is premiering tonight. one of the most watched shows out there right now. steven tyler is on letterman and talking about that fall that happened in 2009. you may not have even heard about the fall. take a listen to what he explained happened.

>> snorting that and i fell off the stage -- >> snorting lunesta? >> of course. >> you could go to sleep? you're snorting it? >> yes. that shows you what kind of a drug addict i was. >> he says four months after that fall, he checked himself into rehab for addiction to prescription painkillers. which he's been very vocal about. we wanted to give you a quick update on j. lo. she's releasing a new single. they premiered it on ryan seacrest's show called "on the floor." take a quick listen. ♪ get on the floor if you're a party freak step on the floor ♪ >> as you can tell, it's a dance song and includes pit bull, the miami rapper. there you have it. >> those are your "american idol" judges. kicks off tonight. jennifer aniston, when "friends" came out, everybody loved that hair cut, calling it the rachel. women were flooking to the salons to get that rachel cut. did you -- >> not quite as piecy but, yes. >> she just said, how do i say this? i think it was the ugliest haircut i've ever seen.

but i really want to know is how did that thing have legs? she admits she never liked it but she still has the same hairstylist as she had then. but she never liked that cut. ladies, sorry to dash your dreams with the rachel. >> rachel, so many of us had it. and we liked it. if your racing thoughts keep you awake...

sleep is here, on the wings of lunesta. and if you wake up often in the middle of the night... rest is here, on the wings of lunesta. lunesta helps you fall asleep and stay asleep, so you can wake up feeling rested. 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. get lunesta for a $0 co-pay at lunesta.com. sleep well, on the wings of lunesta. here are some stories to watch today on abc news. a judge should decide a former haitian dictator jean-claude "baby doc" duvalier will be tried on corruption and embezzlement charges. he's accused of stealing money from the government before fleeing haiti back in 1986. senator joe lieberman is expected to announce his retirement today. the connecticut independent will not seek a fifth term on capitol hill. senator kent conrad, a north dakota veteran democrat, also announced his retirement. european researchers today recommend eating eight servings of fruits and vegetables instead of just five to cut the risk of heart disease. speaking of health, most think a nice 15-year-old scotch whisky is pretty good. how about a 100-year-old scotch

whisky? >> it comes from bottles in antarctica left behind. from a famous 1907 expedition. it's now back in scotland where its original distillers are getting ready to uncork it. the bbc's james cook has more. >> reporter: for a long, long winter, the arctic pioneers called this hut home, but when these men left in 1909, having failed to reach the south pole, they left behind a precious cargo -- five crates of whisky, brandy and port. one degree at a time, the liquid gold was brought back to life. now at least the mckinley has made it home to scotland. >> this has been under the ice for over 100 years. the temperature has been kept constant and, therefore, we feel the whisky's been preserved but we won't know that until we access the whisky. it's so delicate. >> reporter: to keep the bottle intact the distillers will use a syringe to get at the whisky.

>> we'll put it on the side. and then we'll extract the whisky that way. >> reporter: they'll then analyze the liquid to see exactly how it was made. eventually, it's to recreate the whisky and serve it in bars like this one. experts are intrigued but some wonder if a 19th century recipe would fit in on these shelves. >> potential recreation of a style of whisky, which has been lost, you know, you go through the history and you can look at recipe books and what -- you know, how these blends are put together and what ingredients were. we have very little record of exactly what these whiskys tasted like. >> reporter: so all that now remains is to taste the scotch, which spent a century on the rocks. james cook, bbc news, glasgow. >> that stuff is going to be put on the private smooshgt we won't know how much a glass could have gone for of that good scotch. >> i wonder what it would have tasted like. you wonder who ended up with the stash. >> oh, look at that.

>> smart, young gentleman was able to find some. it's now french scotch. >> i wondered where he was.