World News Tonight (ABC) - 1999-08-03

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] We'll see you then. Good night.

[0:03] >> On World News Tonight this Tuesday, a

[0:06] chill through the red-hot housing

[0:08] market. Mortgage rates jump up. That new

[0:10] home may now be out of reach. A dramatic

[0:14] increase in autism and questions over

[0:16] whether vaccines are to blame. A closer

[0:19] look at travel trauma, the scams that

[0:22] can destroy vacations, and the delays

[0:24] that can sour them. and sex and seniors.

[0:29] How closely do they go together? We'll

[0:31] test the conventional wisdom.

[0:47] Good evening. We're going to begin

[0:48] tonight with the start of the cost of a

[0:50] dream going up. The long economic boom

[0:53] has helped people in many important

[0:55] ways. Perhaps none more important than

[0:56] helping people purchase a home. Low

[0:59] mortgage rates pushed home ownership to

[1:01] an all-time high this year. But today,

[1:03] the average rate for a 30-year fixed

[1:06] mortgage rose above 8% for the first

[1:08] time in 2 years. As ABC's Bob Jameson

[1:11] reports, that's considered a benchmark.

[1:16] Mortgage rates have been pushed steadily

[1:18] higher in recent weeks because financial

[1:20] markets clearly expect the Federal

[1:21] Reserve to raise interest rates again

[1:23] this year. Barely 3 months ago in late

[1:26] April, interest on a 30-year fixed

[1:28] mortgage was under 7%. With today's rate

[1:31] averaging 8%, the monthly payment on a

[1:33] $150,000 mortgage has now increased by

[1:36] more than $100.

[1:38] >> This would be a model kitchen.

[1:39] >> That means an estimated 400 to 500,000

[1:42] potential buyers now won't be able to

[1:44] afford a home.

[1:45] >> It will obviously cool off the housing

[1:47] market, but it still will be strong.

[1:49] We're going to go from a searing hot

[1:51] housing market to simply a hot housing

[1:54] market.

[1:54] >> In fact, a record 6 million new and

[1:56] existing homes will be sold this year.

[1:59] And home builders trying to keep up with

[2:01] demand who have been plagued by

[2:02] shortages of skilled workers and

[2:04] materials like wallboard may now get a

[2:06] break.

[2:07] >> I don't know if it it's going to relieve

[2:09] too much pressure on it. It's just going

[2:11] to bring supply back uh in in line with

[2:15] what the demand is. Sales might actually

[2:17] increase this month as buyers act before

[2:19] mortgage rates go even higher. Judy

[2:22] Campbell and her children were looking

[2:23] at homes today in a suburb of Denver.

[2:25] >> We really want a new home and I think,

[2:27] you know, we'll just try to keep looking

[2:29] as hard and fast as we can and hoping

[2:31] that something comes available before

[2:32] they get too high.

[2:34] >> The first line is the principal balance.

[2:36] >> For millions of other Americans, the

[2:37] higher rate means no more chance for

[2:39] lower monthly payments through

[2:40] refinancing. And adjustable rate

[2:42] mortgages are already being adjusted

[2:44] upward. And it's not just mortgages.

[2:46] Consumers are also being hit by climbing

[2:48] rates on car loans and credit cards.

[2:51] They are expected to continue upward at

[2:53] least until autumn. Bob Jameson, ABC

[2:55] News, New York. Well, still on the

[2:57] money, one other sign of consumer

[2:58] sensitivity. A new study today finds

[3:00] that for the first time in a decade,

[3:02] fewer people are using ATMs. Analysts

[3:05] say it's a backlash against bank fees.

[3:07] Now, the numbers in the markets on Wall

[3:09] Street. The Dow Jones Industrials gained

[3:11] 31 points today to close at 10,677.

[3:15] On the technologyheavy NASDAQ, stocks

[3:18] were down 35 points. And the declining

[3:20] value of internet stocks appears partly

[3:22] to blame for a sudden drop in people

[3:25] trading online. Today, we learned that

[3:27] the volume is down 54% from its peak in

[3:31] April.

[3:33] In Washington today, an arbitration

[3:34] panel ordered the government to pay $16

[3:37] million to add the only moving image of

[3:40] the assassination of President Kennedy

[3:42] to the National Archives. The family of

[3:44] filmmaker Abraham Zabrder will receive

[3:47] the payment and also retain the

[3:48] copyright, which means that anytime

[3:50] anyone broadcast the moving picture, the

[3:52] family also collects a usage fee.

[3:55] President Clinton released $55 million

[3:58] in federal aid today to help the people

[4:00] of nine states cope with the heat. It'll

[4:03] help them buy fans, air conditioners,

[4:04] and the like. In the Mid-Atlantic

[4:06] states, from Virginia to New England,

[4:08] the worst dry spell in a generation

[4:10] continues. New Jerseys governor asked

[4:13] the federal government to declare a

[4:14] natural disaster in 19 counties because

[4:16] of crop damage. When we return, the

[4:19] president declares he has cut the number

[4:21] of people collecting welfare. But does

[4:23] that necessarily mean fewer people are

[4:25] in need? And taking on the conventional

[4:29] wisdom from sunscreen to sugar to sex

[5:09] Chevy Tahoe like a rock.

[5:39] Ask your doctor about Viagra.

[5:43] Great meal.

[5:45] >> Uh-oh. Gas pressure. What now? What

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[5:52] faster. Hey, want to go for ice cream?

[5:55] >> Gas X, the power to fight gas fast.

[5:59] >> President Clinton flew into Chicago

[6:01] today to give a pep talk about welfare

[6:03] reform. That's three years after he and

[6:06] Congress gave the system a dramatic

[6:07] overhaul. And there was a note of

[6:09] celebration. After all, the welfare

[6:11] roles are the smallest they've been

[6:13] since 1967. And the White House says all

[6:16] 50 states have met targets for putting

[6:18] people to work. But even though welfare

[6:20] as we know it may be gone, it's still

[6:22] not clear what has replaced it. Here's

[6:24] ABC's John Cochran.

[6:27] >> When President Clinton signed welfare

[6:29] reform into law 3 years ago, more than

[6:32] 12 million people received welfare

[6:34] checks. This year, the number is down to

[6:36] 7.3 million and falling. The new law

[6:39] puts time limits which vary from state

[6:41] to state on how long people can be on

[6:44] welfare. But as those deadlines come

[6:46] closer, many of the people about to be

[6:49] forced off the welfare roles are the

[6:51] ones who are least equipped to find

[6:53] jobs.

[6:53] >> In every state, there are still people

[6:56] who could move from welfare to work if

[6:58] they had more training, if they had

[7:00] transportation, if they had child care.

[7:02] And most of the people who have found

[7:04] work find themselves stuck in

[7:06] entry-level jobs, often paying little

[7:08] more than $5 an hour. Arlene Ratiff is a

[7:11] driver for a community group. She says

[7:14] every month it is a struggle to support

[7:16] her three kids, to pay even for the

[7:18] basics, food, rent, and utility bills.

[7:21] >> The welfare reform is not working for

[7:23] me, a lot of people that I know because

[7:26] of the amount of money. Arlene is having

[7:29] a tough time even though she applies for

[7:31] benefits available to the poor such as

[7:33] the earned income tax credit. But many

[7:35] new workers do not realize they are

[7:37] entitled to these benefits. And 41% of

[7:40] former welfare recipients have lost

[7:43] their health care coverage because their

[7:45] new job does not provide it. They no

[7:47] longer qualify for Medicaid coverage

[7:49] because they are no longer on welfare.

[7:52] Washington's politicians are divided

[7:54] over whether to spend more money to help

[7:56] the working poor and those still on

[7:58] welfare. The temptation is to declare

[8:00] welfare reform a great success and say

[8:04] that's that. John Cochran, ABC News, the

[8:07] White House. Well, one of the concerns

[8:09] as people drop off the welfare roles is

[8:11] whether other programs like food stamps

[8:13] are sufficient to cushion the

[8:14] transition. A new government report says

[8:16] that safety net has some big holes.

[8:19] Here's ABC's Rebecca Chase. Wednesday.

[8:22] >> Congratulations.

[8:23] >> These graduates of a job training

[8:25] program will no longer need welfare, but

[8:27] they insist they still need food stamps.

[8:31] >> I need it. I can't feed my children

[8:33] without it.

[8:34] >> According to a new general accounting

[8:35] office report, too many people leaving

[8:38] welfare are unfairly, even illegally

[8:41] being denied food stamps. Hardest hit,

[8:44] children.

[8:45] >> Kids are are going hungry

[8:48] and it's worrisome. We want welfare

[8:51] reform to be productive, not punitive.

[8:56] >> In the last three and a half years, food

[8:58] stamp roles have dropped 27%.

[9:01] At the same time, demand at private food

[9:03] banks increased 14%.

[9:06] >> A lot of people have come to us and

[9:08] said, you know, our food stamps have

[9:10] been as dues now. I don't um qualify for

[9:12] my food stamps and I don't know what I'm

[9:14] going to do. The states say fewer people

[9:17] need food stamps because of the booming

[9:19] economy and eligibility requirements

[9:22] have been tightened. But the GAO report

[9:24] says that some states and their efforts

[9:26] to reduce welfare roles are being overly

[9:30] restrictive. For example, some states

[9:33] are making it extremely difficult to

[9:35] apply for food stamps. Case workers are

[9:38] failing to tell people that they still

[9:40] qualify even though they are working.

[9:42] Some even illegally deny food stamps to

[9:45] entire families even though the children

[9:48] are still eligible. Today, the Secretary

[9:50] of Agriculture agreed there are

[9:52] problems.

[9:53] >> By and large, a lot of the things that

[9:55] GAO reported on are things that are in

[9:57] fact true that we have known and we're

[9:59] trying to correct.

[10:00] >> The federal government also plans a

[10:02] public information campaign to encourage

[10:04] people to apply for food stamps,

[10:07] especially if they have children.

[10:09] Rebecca Chase, ABC News Atlanta.

[10:13] >> There was more proof today that violence

[10:14] carries a cost. A study from Duke

[10:16] University finds that the bill for

[10:18] treating gunshot wounds in the US was

[10:21] $2.3 billion in 1994. And that's an

[10:24] average of $17,000 for each person shot.

[10:28] The government picked up about half the

[10:29] cost. When we come back, we'll look at

[10:32] vaccinations. They help prevent illness

[10:34] in kids. But could some of them also

[10:36] pose a threat?

[10:42] It's time for your heartburn to kick in

[10:45] because your heartburn relief gave out.

[10:48] It happens two or more days a week even

[10:50] though you've treated it and changed

[10:51] your diet. That frequent persistent

[10:53] heartburn may be due to acid reflux

[10:55] disease, potentially serious.

[11:00] It's pryloc time. Time to see your

[11:03] doctor about prescription pryloc. Your

[11:06] results may vary, but for many people,

[11:08] Pryloc provides 24 hours of complete

[11:10] heartburn relief with one daily dose.

[11:13] Ask your doctor for more information

[11:15] about Pryloc and if it's right for you.

[11:17] The most common side effects are

[11:19] headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

[11:21] 24 hours of complete heartburn relief is

[11:24] possible. It's Pryloc time.

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[11:55] Why wait? It's in your laundry aisle

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[12:00] >> When you were a kid, did you carry a

[12:02] lunchbox?

[12:04] Who was on it?

[12:06] Was it Sir Isaac Newton?

[12:09] Was it Abraham Lincoln?

[12:12] Or was it the A team?

[12:17] Introducing the new redesigned 2000

[12:20] Mitsubishi Montero Sport. We pity the

[12:24] fool would drive anything else.

[12:28] >> One word convinced me to take an herbal

[12:30] to help maintain memory. Sentrum.

[12:32] >> Sentumrum. GKO is different. Some brands

[12:35] can lack natural ingredients. Only

[12:37] Centrum uses Farmer Print for a more

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[12:44] >> May surprise you to know that most

[12:46] American children have at least 21

[12:49] vaccinations before they get to first

[12:50] grade. And that's more than twice as

[12:52] many shots as a decade ago. Well, today

[12:55] on Capitol Hill, Surgeon General David

[12:57] Satcher defended the safety of childhood

[12:59] shots. But at a committee hearing,

[13:01] parents expressed the fear that there's

[13:03] a link between some vaccines and

[13:05] illness. ABC's Jane Clayson tonight from

[13:08] one community where the fear is very

[13:10] specific.

[13:13] >> In places like the quiet, affluent

[13:15] Northern California suburb of Granite

[13:17] Bay, parents of autistic children have

[13:19] started noticing the growing number of

[13:21] other autistic children. You only need

[13:23] to talk to educators and people in the

[13:26] medical community and parents and

[13:28] friends to just know how severe this

[13:31] problem has has come.

[13:32] >> You couldn't tell anyone without them

[13:34] saying, "Oh, I have two autistic kids in

[13:36] my class or our next door neighbor has a

[13:37] child with autism."

[13:39] >> It's happening all over the country. In

[13:42] California, a report compiled by the

[13:44] Department of Developmental Services

[13:46] documented a 273%

[13:48] increase in autism cases in the state

[13:50] over the past 11 years. In a community

[13:53] such as Granite Bay, that translates to

[13:56] one in every 130 children. Say bubbles.

[14:00] >> Autism is a severe developmental

[14:02] disorder. Children have trouble

[14:04] communicating and relating to others and

[14:06] often display obsessive repetitive

[14:08] behavior. For years, scientists have

[14:10] been trying to find out why the

[14:12] incidents of autism have been

[14:13] increasing. They've looked at everything

[14:15] from genetics to pollution. But parents

[14:18] in Granite Bay and some researchers are

[14:21] convinced there is something else.

[14:23] >> The huge upsurge in cases in the US has

[14:27] also coincides with the onset of the

[14:31] measles mumps reubella vaccine.

[14:33] >> Dr. Rimland has studied autism for 40

[14:35] years and claims he has documented the

[14:37] autism vaccination connection here and

[14:40] in England. He believes the combination

[14:42] of three vaccines at once may be simply

[14:45] too much for some children's immune

[14:47] systems to handle. But the Centers for

[14:50] Disease Control and the National

[14:51] Institutes of Health insist there is no

[14:53] link between vaccinations and the onset

[14:55] of autism and warn against such sweeping

[14:58] conclusions.

[14:59] >> We are desperately trying to find not

[15:01] the cause but the causes of autism. We

[15:04] believe there are variety of different

[15:05] causes for this behavioral syndrome. Ow.

[15:10] >> While nobody agrees on the cause,

[15:12] everyone agrees that autism cases are

[15:14] increasing dramatically and more

[15:16] research is needed soon. Jane Clayson,

[15:19] ABC News, Granite Bay, California.

[15:22] >> A couple of related points. The Autism

[15:24] Society of America says there are more

[15:25] than half a million people with autism

[15:27] or related disorders in the US. The

[15:29] estimated cost of caring for someone

[15:31] with autism is $2 million over their

[15:34] lifetime. And 75% to 80% of the people

[15:37] with autism are male. In a moment, big

[15:41] delays, small seats, devious agents when

[15:45] travel is no vacation. We'll take a

[15:47] closer look.

[15:54] >> There are certain things your body is

[15:55] going through that the chemo is doing to

[15:58] you.

[16:02] I was tired. Very, very tired.

[16:06] One time my grandchildren were all over

[16:09] and they all went out and got ice cream.

[16:12] And they're all lined up on the porch

[16:14] all with ice cream. They start from the

[16:17] age of three all the way up to 18 years

[16:19] of age. What a photograph that had to

[16:22] be. I did not have the energy to go

[16:26] upstairs to grab the camera. I missed

[16:28] the photograph. to me a once in

[16:31] a-lifetime opportunity.

[16:46] Go out, live your life. That's what I'm

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[17:18] >> You look so natural. No one can tell

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[17:24] >> Now, an important tool in defending

[17:26] yourself against heart disease and some

[17:28] cancers is in your hands because there's

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[17:50] heart disease and cancer.

[17:54] >> If you're one of the 36 million people

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[18:13] We're going to take a closer look

[18:14] tonight at travel trauma. We are smack

[18:17] in the middle of the summer vacation

[18:18] season where if you're lucky, all you

[18:20] need to worry about is having a good

[18:21] time. But the government warned today

[18:23] that you should be on guard against

[18:26] scams which cost vacationers billions of

[18:28] dollars every year. And it moved against

[18:31] 25 companies for promising more than

[18:33] they delivered. ABC's John Martin has

[18:35] details.

[18:37] If you want a vacation in paradise,

[18:39] watch out for this hotel in the Bahamas.

[18:42] mice in the room, water leaking from air

[18:44] conditioners, and barbed wire for

[18:46] fences. The tour operator did not

[18:48] mention this, of course, and the people

[18:50] who paid for Paradise got a dose of

[18:52] disappointment. But the Federal Trade

[18:54] Commission got a copy of this tape and

[18:56] says it put the company out of business.

[18:59] >> The American Society of Travel Agents is

[19:01] not certain how much money is wasted

[19:03] this way. The government puts the losses

[19:05] at 12 billion dollar a year. Today, the

[19:09] FTC announced a renewed effort to stop

[19:11] unscrupulous travel agents.

[19:13] >> In short, they sold dream vacations that

[19:17] turned out to be nightmares.

[19:19] >> Vicky Walker says this Phoenix company

[19:21] sold her daughter $160 in bogus meal

[19:24] coupons, but that's not what bothered

[19:26] her. The Charter Flight Crew staged this

[19:28] wet t-shirt contest. She calls this bait

[19:30] and switch. They showed one video for

[19:33] parents and when the parents left the

[19:35] room, the tour representative would pop

[19:37] in another video and say to the kids,

[19:39] "Now let me show you what really goes on

[19:41] in Masalon."

[19:42] >> The scam operators uh focus on those

[19:45] where where people are looking for

[19:47] deals.

[19:48] >> Some discount cruises turn out to be

[19:50] comeons for extra charges and

[19:52] requirements such as visiting a

[19:54] timeshare condo.

[19:55] >> I was upset. I was stressed out.

[19:59] The lesson, let the buyer beware.

[20:02] Paradise is not always what the tour

[20:03] operator says it is. The FTC says if it

[20:07] finds out, it will sue. John Martin, ABC

[20:10] News, Washington. So add the fear of

[20:13] getting scammed to the fact that it's

[20:15] getting more frustrating to fly lately.

[20:17] Take a look at these numbers collected

[20:19] by the Federal Aviation Administration.

[20:20] In the first 5 months of this year, more

[20:22] than 136,000 flights were delayed at

[20:25] major airports. And that's up more than

[20:27] 10% from just last year. Delay and

[20:31] discomfort, two factors contributing to

[20:33] soaring complaints about flying. Here's

[20:36] ABC's Dean Reynolds.

[20:37] >> Thank you.

[20:38] >> For every soldout plane that gladdens

[20:40] the heart of airline industry executives

[20:42] these days, you often have a fuselage

[20:45] full of dissatisfied customers.

[20:47] >> It's getting smaller, tighter, and more

[20:49] expensive.

[20:50] >> They're making a lot of money, and they

[20:51] don't care. don't care, say the

[20:53] passengers, about the cramped seating

[20:55] that in some newer planes has reduced

[20:57] the space from row to row by as much as

[20:59] 3 in. Then there's the surirly,

[21:02] disinterested airline counter staff, the

[21:04] food, or lack thereof, and the uneasy

[21:07] realization that there are fewer

[21:09] restrooms to use on board.

[21:11] >> If you're on a TransCon flight, I think

[21:13] you need to engage uh in bladder

[21:15] control. But by far the biggest issue

[21:18] passengers now have with the planes can

[21:20] be seen on the monitors at the airport.

[21:22] More and more flights are late or

[21:24] scrubbed altogether. Here at Chicago's

[21:27] O'Hare airport, there were twice as many

[21:29] flight delays during the first half of

[21:31] this year as there were during the first

[21:33] half of last year.

[21:34] >> It's become so bad that delays are now

[21:37] fully expected.

[21:38] >> I'd say 70 to 75% of my flights are

[21:41] delayed at least 30 to 45 minutes. So, I

[21:44] pretty much plan that into my schedule.

[21:46] >> I always leave myself like 2 or 3 hours

[21:49] before my first appointment just in

[21:52] case.

[21:52] >> The airlines know there's a problem.

[21:55] >> Our standing with our flying public is

[21:59] low

[22:01] and it's getting lower.

[22:03] >> United Airlines had to cancel almost

[22:05] 5,000 flights in the first half of this

[22:07] year, but airline officials point their

[22:09] finger at the Federal Aviation

[22:11] Administration. They say the FAA's

[22:13] attempt to update air traffic control

[22:15] systems has been plagued with computer

[22:17] glitches that play havoc with schedules.

[22:20] But the FAA says bad weather is

[22:22] responsible for 75% of the delays. And

[22:25] while it has been a bad year for airline

[22:28] statistics, it apparently has been a

[22:30] very good year for bad weather. How does

[22:33] all the traveling public feel about

[22:34] this? Not very good. dismayed and stuff

[22:40] and escalate from there.

[22:42] >> Dean Reynolds, ABC News, Chicago.

[22:44] >> So, more people are waiting and in some

[22:46] cases maybe feeling a little more

[22:48] cramped while they do. The new Boeing

[22:50] 737800 is one of the hottests selling

[22:52] transcontinental jets right now because

[22:54] it uses less fuel and is cheaper to fly.

[22:56] But the width of the seats is usually

[22:59] about 17 in. And that's an inch narrower

[23:02] than on most planes.

[23:05] When we come back, we'll test the

[23:06] conventional wisdom on the frequency of

[23:09] love making among the aging.

[23:16] Today, while Amanda Scott was with her

[23:18] students, someone else was negotiating

[23:21] with lenders about her mortgage. At

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[23:25] playground instead of meeting with a

[23:27] home inspector. At 3, she met with Annie

[23:30] Chun's parents instead of reviewing

[23:32] closing costs with her attorney. And

[23:34] while Amanda was planning tomorrow's

[23:36] lesson, someone else was tying up loose

[23:39] ends at her new home. You've got a life,

[23:41] we let you live it. We're realtors. Real

[23:44] estate is our life.

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[24:00] get more calcium.

[24:04] >> It has more power than Honda Civic DX,

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[24:15] anti-lock brakes.

[24:16] >> I uh think you missed a spot.

[24:20] >> How's that for stopping power? Chevy

[24:22] Cavalere. The more you know, the better

[24:24] it looks. You can drive away in a new

[24:26] Cavalere with your choice of low APR

[24:28] financing or big cash back. See your

[24:30] Chevrolet dealer today.

[24:32] >> I'm 64. Is there anything I can do to

[24:34] stop bone loss?

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[24:47] >> Step into a brave new world.

[24:49] Intelligent, Inventive, the new series

[24:52] that explores where we're going and why

[24:54] we want to get there. And this week, if

[24:56] you could live twice as long by becoming

[24:58] part machine, would you? Brave New World

[25:01] Thursday.

[25:05] Finally tonight, we noticed a couple of

[25:06] items today that challenged conventional

[25:08] wisdom. Things we take for granted is

[25:10] true that turn out to be otherwise. So,

[25:12] let's check sunscreen first. The

[25:13] conventional wisdom is the stronger the

[25:15] sunscreen, the less likely you are to

[25:17] get skin cancer. Well, maybe not. A

[25:19] study out today finds the stronger the

[25:21] sunscreen, the longer people are staying

[25:23] in the sun, which increases the risk of

[25:25] skin cancer. All right, let's move on.

[25:28] You've probably heard about research

[25:29] claiming that classical music can help a

[25:31] young child's intellectual development.

[25:33] But a book out next month says the

[25:35] studies were on college students, not

[25:37] babies, and involved no brain research

[25:40] at all. How about this? A consumer group

[25:42] points out today that there's more

[25:44] refined sugar in half a cup of

[25:46] applesauce than a chocolate bar. And

[25:49] more sugar in a cup of yogurt with

[25:51] raspberries than in a couple of

[25:52] ringings. And finally, sex. Conventional

[25:56] wisdom suggests that as we get on in the

[25:58] years, we get tired of our partners.

[26:00] Well, a study out today from the

[26:02] American Association of Retired Persons

[26:04] says, "Think again." Here's ABC's

[26:07] Deborah Amos.

[26:09] The baby boom generation is once again

[26:12] changing conventional wisdom. This time

[26:14] about sexuality. You may believe older

[26:17] Americans lose interest in sex.

[26:20] >> It's a myth.

[26:23] It's a myth.

[26:24] >> The new study shows the 45 to 59 age

[26:27] group have sex almost as much as they

[26:29] ever did. About as much as younger

[26:31] people. A majority of those pled say

[26:34] sexual relations are important to their

[26:36] quality of life. People with partners,

[26:38] people who have a long-term relationship

[26:41] tend to have a much higher frequency of

[26:43] sex than we expected.

[26:45] >> People find each other less attractive

[26:47] over time. Right? Despite the media's

[26:50] emphasis on the beauty of youth, old age

[26:52] is beautiful, too. The study showed a

[26:55] majority of people find their partners

[26:57] more physically attractive as they age.

[27:00] Men are sexually assertive. Women want

[27:03] intimacy. Not true. Men after 50 become

[27:08] much more interested in intimacy and

[27:11] emotional factors and the quality of the

[27:13] relationship and me women become much

[27:17] more interested in being assertive about

[27:19] sex after 50.

[27:21] >> When I was younger, I didn't think that

[27:22] people over 50 had sex.

[27:24] >> The study shows the majority of them do.

[27:28] The generation that defined the sexual

[27:30] revolution in the 60s may be having sex

[27:34] through their 90s. Deborah Amos, ABC

[27:36] News, New York.

[27:39] >> There you go. That's our report on World

[27:40] News Tonight. Later on Night Line, when

[27:42] is a tragedy not news? I'm Kevin Newman.

[27:46] For all of us at ABC News, have a good

[27:48] evening and good night.

[28:06] Tomorrow, dietary supplements, a

[28:09] business of healing or deception. What

[28:11] you need to know. Watch ABC's World News

[28:14] Tonight with Peter Jennings. This has

[28:17] been a presentation of ABC News. More

[28:19] Americans get their news from ABC News

[28:21] than from any other source.