World News (ABC) - 2006-11-06 (day before election)

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:02] Welcome to World News on this election

[0:04] eve. Tonight, races are tightening,

[0:07] pulses are quickening, candidates are

[0:09] launching lastminute strategies to get

[0:11] you to the polls. Women's history. How

[0:14] female candidates in both parties will

[0:16] make this an historic election day.

[0:20] Execution fallout. Sodom Hussein's death

[0:22] sentence was supposed to put Iraqis at

[0:25] ease. Instead, it is fueling new fears.

[0:29] and rough rides. New findings on school

[0:31] bus safety that will shock parents. Why

[0:34] are so many children ending up in the

[0:36] hospital

[0:40] >> from ABC News election headquarters,

[0:43] this is World News with Charles Gibson.

[0:47] >> Good evening. As of tomorrow night, the

[0:49] onslaught of ads will be over. The

[0:51] rallies, the speeches, the phone banks

[0:53] will be silenced and the voters will

[0:55] have spoken. Just about 12 hours from

[0:58] now, the polling place is open. As we

[1:00] have said over and over, the numbers to

[1:02] remember, and we will emphasize these

[1:04] numbers again on election night. The

[1:06] numbers to remember in the Senate, if

[1:08] the Democrats can take six Republican

[1:10] seats, they will have control of that

[1:12] body. And in the House, if the Democrats

[1:14] can take 15 seats there, they will have

[1:16] control of the House. So tonight, our

[1:19] reporters look at the latest polls, take

[1:21] the pulse of the road, and find at least

[1:23] one way voters could make history

[1:25] tomorrow. And we begin with our senior

[1:27] political correspondent, Jake Tapper.

[1:29] Jake,

[1:30] >> Charlie, the speeches have been

[1:32] delivered, the billions have been spent,

[1:34] the millions of TV ads have aired, the

[1:35] babies have been kissed. So now it comes

[1:37] down to just one thing, getting out the

[1:40] vote.

[1:44] Political superstars are rallying the

[1:46] troops all over the country to get their

[1:48] voters to the polls in the tightest

[1:50] races. Former President Bill Clinton is

[1:52] in Virginia tonight just missing former

[1:54] mayor Rudolph Giuliani in nearby

[1:56] Maryland.

[1:57] >> Endorsements help a little, hurt a

[1:59] little.

[1:59] >> Crisscrossing Tennessee, Senator John

[2:01] McCain and Senator Barack Obama.

[2:04] >> I had a wonderful time this morning uh

[2:07] with my dear friend Harold

[2:09] >> all imploring the crowds to get to work

[2:12] and get out the vote.

[2:14] In a fiercely fought House race here in

[2:16] Columbus, Ohio, that's the one issue

[2:18] Republican Congresswoman Debbie Price

[2:20] and Democratic challenger Mary Joe

[2:22] Kilroy clearly agree on.

[2:24] >> Get out the vote is all important. We

[2:27] have uh phone banks full of volunteers

[2:29] and we are going to hit the streets

[2:31] hard.

[2:32] >> Experts say more effective than phone

[2:34] banks,

[2:34] >> we're calling to remind folks that

[2:36] tomorrow is election day

[2:37] >> is personal contact with voters.

[2:40] >> Hi.

[2:40] >> Hi.

[2:41] >> Hi. How you doing? Good. but especially

[2:43] at their homes.

[2:44] >> Chris Jordan, county commissioner, just

[2:46] hoping you'll vote for me.

[2:47] >> It seems like Ohio is a is one of the

[2:49] battlegrounds. So, makes it seem

[2:51] important to vote. Got to get out there

[2:53] and vote.

[2:54] >> Republicans say they've spent $30

[2:56] million on getting out the vote. Flyers

[2:58] and phone banks, 3 million voter

[3:01] contacts just on Saturday. Democrats say

[3:03] they've spent 40 million with 3.5

[3:06] million contacts Saturday. Of course,

[3:08] not all the reaching out is to get

[3:10] people to the polls. Some of it seems

[3:12] designed to suppress turnout.

[3:14] >> Hello, I'm calling with information

[3:15] about Chris Murphy.

[3:17] >> Democrats accuse Republicans of placing

[3:19] to voters automated phone calls that may

[3:21] seem to be from Democrats but are not.

[3:24] They say the calls are placed in the

[3:25] middle of the night, annoying voters.

[3:28] Republicans deny the allegation.

[3:31] Turnout in midterm elections is usually

[3:34] pretty low, about 40%. And so if you're

[3:36] in a race and you get 50% of your voters

[3:38] to the polls, you can win. A superior

[3:40] get out the vote operation in just one

[3:42] race in this highly competitive election

[3:44] season. Charlie can make all the

[3:46] difference in the world.

[3:47] >> Jake Tapper reporting tonight from

[3:49] Columbus, Ohio. One note, the president

[3:51] campaigned in Florida today.

[3:54] >> I strongly suggest you vote for Charlie

[3:57] Chris to be governor of the state of

[3:58] Florida.

[4:00] One person missing at the rally,

[4:02] however, was Charlie Christ, the

[4:04] Republican candidate for Florida

[4:05] governor. He was campaigning elsewhere,

[4:07] and it was Chris who invited the

[4:08] president to Florida. Presidential

[4:10] political adviser Carl Ro did not seem

[4:13] amused by that. Chris insisted it was

[4:15] not a slight to the president that two

[4:16] rallies in Florida, one featuring him,

[4:18] the other the president, was better than

[4:20] one. And our chief Washington

[4:22] correspondent, George Stephanopoulos, is

[4:23] here. Well, George, things always

[4:25] tighten at the end.

[4:27] >> And that is the word of the day,

[4:28] Charlie. tightening. Three new polls out

[4:30] over the last couple of days, including

[4:32] our own ABC News poll, which all show

[4:35] the Democrats doubledigit lead over the

[4:37] last couple of weeks, basically being

[4:39] cut in half and more. There's no

[4:41] question the Republican base is getting

[4:42] back in the game, and they're starting

[4:44] to cut into the Democrats lead among

[4:46] independents. Democrats polls confirm

[4:48] this tightening as well, but they also

[4:50] point out that margins like we just saw

[4:53] could translate into a big night for

[4:55] them. Remember 1994 when the Republicans

[4:58] took over? Their margin that night was

[5:00] 5246. They won 52 seats.

[5:03] >> All right, let's talk about the Senate

[5:05] because you were just mentioning the

[5:06] House in 1994. The question is, can the

[5:08] Democrats pick up six seats? How do they

[5:11] feel? How do the Republicans feel?

[5:12] >> Looking very tough. The consensus is

[5:14] both parties that it's an uphill fight

[5:15] right now. Democrats starting to feel a

[5:18] little better about the state of

[5:19] Missouri, but Republicans are feeling

[5:21] better about the states of Michigan,

[5:23] which hadn't been on the map at all up

[5:24] until today, and Maryland, which is a

[5:26] Democratic stronghold. Most interesting,

[5:28] Charlie, today, both Democrats and

[5:31] Republicans agree that Lincoln Chaffy,

[5:33] the Republican in Rhode Island, is

[5:34] coming on very strong, is ahead right

[5:36] now, and Bill Clinton is going to Rhode

[5:38] Island tonight to rally Democrats.

[5:40] >> All right, one other thing. And I know

[5:42] you've been comparing off-year elections

[5:44] for past presidents and what's happened

[5:46] there when they have low approval

[5:48] ratings.

[5:49] >> That is the key. Presidential approval

[5:51] rating is the best predictor of

[5:53] midterms. Look back at these ratings.

[5:54] 1966, Lyndon Johnson, 44% lost 47 seats.

[5:59] Ronald Reagan in 1982, 42% lost 26

[6:03] seats. Bill Clinton in 1994, 46% lost 52

[6:07] seats. George W. Bush is below all of

[6:10] them in approval rating. That is clearly

[6:12] the danger zone.

[6:13] >> We will find out tomorrow night right

[6:15] here as we count the votes. George,

[6:17] thanks. To better understand the mood of

[6:19] the nation and why many Republican

[6:21] officials are so anxious, we decided to

[6:23] visit an area that is normally solid

[6:25] Republican turf, the second

[6:27] congressional district of Kansas. ABC's

[6:29] Dean Reynolds is there tonight. Dean

[6:33] >> Charlie, this district has been red for

[6:35] so long, you have to wonder why the race

[6:37] here is so competitive, and it's almost

[6:39] enough to make a visitor think, gee,

[6:42] we're not in Kansas anymore.

[6:45] There were 7,000 people cheering

[6:47] President Bush and Republican

[6:49] Congressman Jim Ryan last night here in

[6:50] Topeka. The two men standing arm in-armm

[6:54] basking in the political glow.

[6:56] >> I'm proud to be here with Jim Ryan.

[6:59] still that the president came to stump

[7:01] for a veteran GOP congressman in a very

[7:03] red state on the eve of the election

[7:07] >> is a sign of how tough this year may be

[7:10] for Republicans.

[7:11] >> Morning

[7:12] >> Ryan a former Olympic mileer is in the

[7:15] race of his political life.

[7:17] >> But you won by 15 points last

[7:19] >> different atmosphere this time.

[7:20] >> Bob Batty a local university professor

[7:22] thinks he knows why.

[7:24] >> What's changed is more frustration over

[7:26] Iraq. My god, it pulls on your

[7:28] conscience and you say, "Good lord, is

[7:30] this the right thing to do?"

[7:32] >> Harry Craig, a Republican, runs a Topeka

[7:34] tractor business.

[7:35] >> It's causing a great deal of trouble for

[7:37] for local candidates.

[7:40] >> Nancy Voida is Ryan's opponent. A

[7:43] lifelong Republican, Boyd switched

[7:45] parties three years ago.

[7:47] >> I think that the Republican party has

[7:49] lost touch with the American people.

[7:51] They need they don't get it.

[7:52] >> And it's not just about the war.

[7:54] Criticism of Ryan and other Republicans

[7:57] involves what is seen as a too close for

[7:59] comfort relationship with the religious

[8:01] right. But Ryan needs those Christian

[8:04] voters to win. Pastor Jim Congden of the

[8:07] Topeka Bible Church ministers to

[8:09] Christian conservatives who are loyal

[8:11] but increasingly wary Republicans.

[8:13] >> They think that a lot of the Republican

[8:15] candidates, including conservative

[8:16] evangelical ones, uh could be in

[8:19] trouble.

[8:19] >> Is there any difference between two

[8:21] years ago and now? Yeah, the

[8:23] expectations.

[8:25] >> Jim Ryan still expects to win, but no

[8:28] one expected it to be this hard.

[8:31] >> And of course, Republicans may well

[8:33] prevail elsewhere, too, Charlie. But

[8:36] when a candidate like Jim Ryan is

[8:38] running scared, it is not a sign of

[8:40] confidence. Dean Reynolds reporting

[8:42] tonight in Topeka, Kansas. Thanks. And

[8:44] even if Republicans hold the House and

[8:46] Senate, change is coming to Congress.

[8:48] The New York Democrat Bella Absig

[8:50] famously won a congressional seat 36

[8:52] years ago with the slogan, "This woman's

[8:54] place is in the House, the House of

[8:56] Representatives." Well, today there are

[8:58] 67 women in the House and 14 in the

[9:00] Senate. Those numbers are likely to

[9:02] increase tomorrow night. And ABC's Keith

[9:05] ABC's Kate Snow is here with that story.

[9:07] Kate,

[9:08] >> Charlie, remember 1992 was dubbed the

[9:10] year of the woman, but tomorrow night

[9:12] may rival that. The number of women in

[9:14] the Senate could grow. The number in the

[9:16] House could grow by double digits. And

[9:18] by most projections, it will be the

[9:19] biggest incoming class of women ever on

[9:22] Capitol Hill.

[9:23] >> I know who you are.

[9:24] >> Good. How are you today?

[9:25] >> Lois Murphy, a mother of two young

[9:27] girls, ran against Republican

[9:29] Congressman Jim Gerlock two years ago

[9:32] and lost by just 6,400 votes. This, she

[9:36] believes, is her year.

[9:38] >> With your help, we're going to win. This

[9:40] wealthy district in Philadelphia's

[9:41] mainline suburbs could be part of what

[9:43] some analysts are calling a perfect

[9:46] storm for female candidates. There are

[9:49] 139 women running this time around. What

[9:51] does that say to you?

[9:52] >> I think it says that voters are

[9:54] interested in a change of perspective.

[9:56] >> Voters disgusted by the war in Iraq and

[9:59] sick of scandals are looking for new

[10:01] blood for outsiders.

[10:03] >> Thanks so much for coming. And women

[10:05] such as Gabrielle Gfords in Arizona,

[10:07] Christine Jennings in Florida, or

[10:09] Kirstston Gillibrand in New York may fit

[10:13] the bill.

[10:13] >> They don't even have to open their

[10:15] mouths. They are not the standard issue

[10:17] white man in a blue suit with a red tie.

[10:20] >> Women are seen as not part of the

[10:23] Washington Inside Old Boy network. So,

[10:26] they are viewed as more trustworthy when

[10:28] the climate is such as it is this year.

[10:31] Of the 45 women challenging male

[10:33] incumbents, just 11 are Republicans, 34

[10:37] are Democrats. Democrats need to gain 15

[10:40] seats to take back control of the House,

[10:42] and women could be key to that. Of all

[10:44] the most competitive races in the

[10:46] country right now, there are 18 in which

[10:49] a Democratic woman stands a chance to

[10:51] win.

[10:52] >> We've broken all of the political

[10:53] barriers. The last major hurdle was

[10:56] financial, the financial hurdle, and

[10:58] women candidates are now able to raise

[10:59] as much money as their male counterpart.

[11:01] >> Groups like Emily's List have actively

[11:04] recruited women who favor abortion

[11:06] rights to run.

[11:07] >> Seeing women be smart and and tough and

[11:10] effective is going to help all of us and

[11:12] I think really sets the stage uh if we

[11:15] have a woman running for president in

[11:17] the near future.

[11:19] Research indicates women voters prefer

[11:21] women candidates. If those female voters

[11:23] choose a lot of women tomorrow night,

[11:25] Charlie, there will also be another

[11:27] historic first, as you know, the first

[11:29] female speaker of the house.

[11:31] >> She would be the 52nd speaker of the

[11:33] house, but the first woman. All right,

[11:35] Kate Snow. Thanks. Still ahead on this

[11:37] broadcast, questions after Saddam

[11:38] Hussein's death sentence, justice Iraqis

[11:41] thought they would not see, and

[11:42] consequences the US never imagined, and

[11:45] alarming news about school bus

[11:47] accidents. They are more dangerous,

[11:48] those buses, than we thought.

[11:52] >> This is World News with Charles Gibson,

[11:55] brought to you by Nasin X.

[12:06] Nasal allergy symptoms like congestion

[12:08] can occur at any time, and it's hard to

[12:10] avoid the things that cause them.

[12:12] Prescription Nasonex helps relieve

[12:14] congestion and other nasal allergy

[12:16] symptoms. Maybe that's why 4 million

[12:19] nasal allergy sufferers used the Basilx

[12:21] last year. Side effects were generally

[12:23] mild and included headache, viral

[12:25] infection, sore throat, nosebleleeds,

[12:26] and coughing. For more information, talk

[12:28] to your doctor.

[12:29] >> Nasex keeps congestion and other nasal

[12:31] allergy symptoms on the run day and

[12:34] night.

[12:45] This is great. Cheerios.

[12:48] >> Grandma said they need good hearts.

[12:50] >> Come here.

[12:52] >> You can eat it.

[12:53] >> Let's just keep this forever.

[12:56] For every heart. Cheerios.

[13:00] Look for five free celebrated books. One

[13:03] inside specially marked boxes of

[13:05] Cheerios.

[13:08] If there were a store in your town

[13:10] called Peace of Mind, would you pay it a

[13:12] visit? Across America, in towns big and

[13:15] small, there is such a place. New York

[13:18] Life. It starts with our values of

[13:21] financial strength, integrity, and

[13:23] humanity, and continues with our agents.

[13:26] So look for us in your town. You may

[13:29] already know our people, and we are

[13:30] confident that peace of mind is why New

[13:33] York Life is the company you keep.

[13:37] I used to think that Veterans Day was a

[13:40] day to get out of school. Then my uncle

[13:43] went to serve overseas. Even though he

[13:46] was gone forever, he came home safe.

[13:49] When he wears his uniform, people smile

[13:52] or shake his hand. I guess when you're a

[13:55] veteran, you're a hero. I know he's

[13:58] mine.

[13:59] >> We all know someone who has served our

[14:01] country. Today and every day, we say

[14:04] thank you to all our veterans.

[14:08] There are over 14 million headaches

[14:10] happening in this country today. But too

[14:13] many go untreated simply because we're

[14:15] away from home. So we created a fast new

[14:18] way to get the pure pain relief of

[14:20] Tylenol. Introducing Tylenol Go Tabs.

[14:23] They're portable and chewable for fast

[14:26] headache relief even away from home.

[14:29] It's one small step towards a pain-free

[14:31] world. Stop. Think Tylenol. Go tabs.

[14:40] >> In Baghdad today, one day after Saddam

[14:43] Hussein was sentenced to hang for crimes

[14:45] against humanity, Iraq's appeals court

[14:47] suggested it might rule on the former

[14:49] dictator's death sentence as early as

[14:51] January. And if it's upheld, Sodom could

[14:54] be executed in February. ABC's Terry

[14:57] McCarthy in Baghdad reports. Sodom's

[14:59] death sentence is laying bare the deep

[15:01] divisions that are his bloody legacy.

[15:06] They used to call him the lion of

[15:08] Babylon. Even as he was being sentenced

[15:10] to death, Saddam Hussein was still

[15:12] growling.

[15:16] >> Go to hell with you in the court. He

[15:17] said

[15:19] his divisive influence across Iraq was

[15:22] clear from the demonstrations that

[15:23] continued today. South of Baghdad and

[15:26] Mahmudia, Shiite opponents celebrated

[15:28] the verdict by handing out candies.

[15:32] Sunni supporters to the north in Samara

[15:34] chanted, "Long live Saddam," for the man

[15:37] condemned to die. "He will continue to

[15:40] terrify them even from his grave," read

[15:43] this Arabic headline. "The government

[15:45] still fears this influence and today

[15:47] renewed the ban on all traffic in

[15:49] Baghdad to prevent outbreaks of

[15:51] violence. The streets are empty here in

[15:54] the second day of complete curfew. But

[15:56] in a deeper sense, it's Saddam Hussein

[15:58] himself who's left a huge vacuum in this

[16:00] country that nobody knows how to fill.

[16:04] Saddam held power for 35 years,

[16:07] exploiting the sectarian divide by

[16:09] favoring Sunnis over Shiites. He kept

[16:12] the country together by sheer force

[16:15] and deadly purges. The verdict against

[16:18] him split Iraqis, but was also a warning

[16:21] to other strong men in the region. In

[16:23] the Arab world, there haven't been any

[16:27] tradition of putting their leaders to

[16:31] account. The US hoped Saddam's trial

[16:33] would pull the lion's teeth, remove the

[16:36] fear he instilled in his own people, and

[16:38] show the rule of law would now prevail.

[16:41] In fact, it has accentuated the

[16:43] differences between Iraqis and promoted

[16:45] lawlessness and shown how hard it will

[16:47] be to finally banish the ghost of Saddam

[16:51] Hussein. Terry McCarthy, ABC News,

[16:54] Baghdad.

[16:56] >> An item tonight from Central America

[16:58] about a startling comeback. Daniel

[17:00] Ortega was Nicaragua's Marx Marxist

[17:02] president in the 1980s. His Sandinista

[17:04] government fought US backed Contra

[17:06] rebels in a deadly civil war before

[17:08] voters swept him from office. But

[17:10] tonight, it appears he's returning to

[17:12] power. The winner of Nicaragua's

[17:14] presidential election. Ortega claims he

[17:17] is no longer a revolutionary, but his

[17:19] victory, if it stands, would be a defeat

[17:21] for Washington, which opposed him. Up

[17:24] next, a startling report on how many

[17:26] kids are really hurt in school bus

[17:28] accidents. Safety information that

[17:30] parents need.

[17:36] Putting breaking news into the hands of

[17:37] a million readers a day, Carl is a

[17:39] formidable man. But he was no match for

[17:42] something smaller than a drop of ink. It

[17:44] KO'ed Carl so fast he didn't know what

[17:46] hit him. It was a clot. Like Carl, if

[17:49] you've been hospitalized with heart

[17:50] rellated chest pain or a certain type of

[17:52] heart attack, what doctors call ACS,

[17:54] chances are you've had a clot. But now

[17:56] Carl's doctor is helping increase Carl's

[17:58] protection against heart attack or

[18:00] stroke by putting Carl on Plavix. Plavix

[18:02] in combination with aspirin and other

[18:04] heart medicines helps provide greater

[18:06] protection against heart attack or

[18:07] stroke than aspirin and other heart

[18:08] medicines alone by helping keep blood

[18:10] platelets from sticking together and

[18:11] forming clots. If you have a stomach

[18:13] ulcer or other condition that causes

[18:15] bleeding, you shouldn't use Plavix. When

[18:17] taking Plavix alone or with some

[18:18] medicines, including aspirin, the risk

[18:20] of bleeding may increase. To minimize

[18:22] this risk, talk to your doctor before

[18:24] taking aspirin or other medicines with

[18:26] Plavix. Additional rare but serious side

[18:28] effects could occur.

[18:28] >> Ask your doctor about Plavix today.

[18:31] Because no matter how formidable you

[18:32] are, you're no match for a dangerous

[18:34] clot. If you take Plavix with aspirin,

[18:37] continuing to do so will help increase

[18:39] your protection against a future heart

[18:40] attack or stroke. Beyond aspirin and

[18:42] your other heart medicines alone. You

[18:44] may be feeling better, but your risk

[18:46] never goes away. Help stay protected.

[18:48] Stay with Plavix.

[18:52] >> I'm handsome. I'm funny. I tell a good

[18:55] joke. I'll hug you. I'll kiss you. I

[18:58] don't even smoke. My wife is impeccable.

[19:01] My past quite respectable. Vote for me

[19:05] assuredly, but don't ask about social

[19:08] security.

[19:11] Come have some pie with me.

[19:13] >> Don't fall for the song and dance. Vote

[19:15] the issues, not just the personality.

[19:17] See where the candidates stand at

[19:19] don'tvote.com.

[19:21] >> Got too much on your plate to think

[19:23] about what should go on your plate.

[19:26] Try delicious insure. A source of

[19:29] complete balanced nutrition. So when you

[19:31] can't eat right, eat smart insure.

[19:33] Nutrition for a healthier you.

[19:36] >> My baby left for college and I got a

[19:38] pain reliever for my back. Took classes,

[19:40] too. Got something for arthritis pain.

[19:42] Different pains, different pain

[19:44] relievers. But now, Advil is my every

[19:46] pain reliever. Works wherever I hurt.

[19:49] I'm all Advil.

[19:51] >> This is a very uncomfortable situation.

[19:54] Sales of flatulent. I've remained silent

[19:57] but deadly about this problem so far.

[19:59] >> Got gas on your mind? New Gas X thin

[20:01] strips dissolve quickly and relieve gas

[20:03] fast. Gas X. Pressure's off.

[20:07] Tomorrow, America votes. And tomorrow

[20:10] night, Americans turn to ABC's World

[20:12] News with Charles Gibson. For all the

[20:14] breaking inside election day news from

[20:16] the best political team in America, turn

[20:18] to a special edition of World News with

[20:20] Charles Gibson. Vote 2006.

[20:24] A severe rainstorm is pounding much of

[20:25] the Pacific Northwest tonight with flood

[20:27] warnings up in many parts of Washington

[20:29] State and Oregon. Evacuations have been

[20:31] ordered along fast rising rivers and

[20:33] Seattle's flood plan is in effect. Some

[20:35] places could get a foot of rain. And a

[20:38] fast-moving wildfire has done heavy

[20:40] damage today east of Los Angeles. And

[20:42] investigators are searching for the

[20:44] cause. The fire fanned by strong wind

[20:46] burned through 300 acres in Rialto,

[20:48] causing about a million dollars damage

[20:49] to an industrial area and two nearby

[20:52] schools had to be evacuated. With all

[20:54] the focus on safety in schools, a lot of

[20:57] people might be surprised today to learn

[20:59] how many children get hurt on the buses

[21:01] that take them to and from school. 23

[21:03] and a2 million kids in this country ride

[21:05] school buses every year. And a new

[21:07] report finds 17,000 children end up in

[21:10] emergency rooms because of bus

[21:11] accidents. How to make things safer?

[21:14] Here's ABC's Nancy Cortis.

[21:19] School bus related injuries are three

[21:22] times more common than previously

[21:23] thought. According to researchers who

[21:25] sifted through hospital databases from

[21:28] across the nation,

[21:29] >> these are injuries serious enough to

[21:31] require an emergency department visit.

[21:33] >> According to the new study in the

[21:35] journal Pediatrics, nearly half the

[21:37] injuries, 42% are the result of crashes.

[21:41] The numbers are reigniting calls by some

[21:44] safety advocates for seat belts on

[21:46] school buses.

[21:47] >> How much is a child's life? How much is

[21:49] their health and safety worth? I think

[21:52] we can find the money. Despite

[21:53] government tests that show lap shoulder

[21:56] safety belts could prevent injuries in

[21:58] school buses, the transportation

[22:00] industry says they're not critical and

[22:03] too expensive.

[22:04] >> What we would have to do is reconfigure

[22:06] the school bus seat and we would lose a

[22:09] certain amount of capacity in each

[22:10] school bus.

[22:12] >> They claim the best line of defense

[22:13] against injuries is a skilled bus driver

[22:16] and something called

[22:17] compartmentalization.

[22:19] Compartmentalization refers to the way

[22:21] the seats are configured close together

[22:24] with high padded backs to serve as a

[22:26] sort of cocoon if a child is suddenly

[22:28] thrown forward. But if that child is

[22:31] sitting at the end, compartmentalization

[22:34] doesn't work very well, as in this crash

[22:37] we showed you at the top of our story.

[22:41] >> We should go right to show the harnesses

[22:43] and we should give the children the

[22:45] protection they deserve.

[22:47] Still, transportation officials caution

[22:49] parents not to take their children off

[22:51] the bus. Statistics show it's still

[22:53] safer than walking or riding in the

[22:56] family car. Nancy Cordis, ABC News,

[22:59] Winstead, Connecticut.

[23:01] >> And here in New York today, the

[23:03] ambitious plan to move and overhaul a

[23:05] massive piece of military history fell

[23:08] way short. The USS Intrepid, the

[23:11] legendary World War II aircraft carrier

[23:13] turned museum, was supposed to be hauled

[23:15] away from its Manhattan pier by six

[23:17] mighty tugboats. But the deep mud of the

[23:20] Hudson River proved mightier. The

[23:22] Intrepid only moved about 10 ft and then

[23:25] got stuck. When we come back, a final

[23:28] note on tomorrow's fundamental exercise

[23:30] in democracy.

[23:34] Feeling that big cold all over your

[23:37] body?

[23:44] Immerse yourself in total cold relief

[23:48] with new Alka-Seltzer Plus liquid. A new

[23:50] Alka-Seltzer Plus that speeds relief to

[23:53] every inch of you for big relief fast.

[23:56] New Alka-Seltzer Plus liquid liquidates

[23:59] your big cold all over. also available

[24:01] in liquid gel and effervescent.

[24:03] >> A gentleman came into my pharmacy the

[24:05] other day needing guidance on what

[24:07] Medicare prescription plan is right for

[24:09] his grandmother who's out in Florida and

[24:11] she was confused because there was a lot

[24:13] of Medicare plans for her and she didn't

[24:14] know which one to do. So, she asked her

[24:16] grandson for help and I had no problem

[24:18] helping them out and was happy to do it

[24:20] and showed him the three cheapest plans

[24:23] for his grandmother. His grandma goes to

[24:26] CVS all the way out in Florida, but I

[24:28] still took care of her all the way here

[24:29] in Chicago.

[24:30] I'm Renie Kurup and I'm a CVS

[24:32] pharmacist.

[24:54] Wherever good can overcome,

[24:57] that is where your contributions to the

[25:00] Salvation Army go.

[25:04] >> If you love racing, get a scratchoff

[25:05] card at Denny's. We're giving away five

[25:07] VIP race packages, plus a grand prize

[25:10] ride along with a bigname driver.

[25:13] Wow.

[25:13] >> There are millions of Coca-Cola beverage

[25:15] and Denny's food prizes, too. So, race

[25:17] in the win at Denny's.

[25:19] >> Science suggests vitamin D is a key to

[25:21] calcium absorption, which helps keep

[25:24] bones strong. New improved Calrate has

[25:26] more vitamin D. Keep your bones strong

[25:29] to keep your body strong. New Calrate,

[25:31] the key to strong bones. Sharon Blind

[25:34] for Bristol Meyer Squib.

[25:35] >> Friends who sleep in a chair by your

[25:37] hospital bed are beautiful. Doctors who

[25:40] tell jokes in the chemo room are

[25:42] beautiful.

[25:44] Patients who refuse to give up are

[25:47] beautiful. Cancer can be ugly. The

[25:50] people who fight it are anything but. Oh

[25:54] yeah, bald is beautiful.

[25:56] >> Your will, our medicines. Together we

[25:59] can fight the serious diseases. Bristol

[26:01] Meyer Squib. Together we can prevail.

[26:04] >> I'm Steve Dunn. Next, the Northwest only

[26:06] on local newscast. High water. From the

[26:08] coast to the Cascades, the fight to save

[26:10] homes and businesses. And two men are

[26:12] dead, another arrested for a brutal

[26:14] crime. What led police to the suspect?

[26:16] Next.

[26:22] Just a final note before election day.

[26:24] There is something majestic about what

[26:26] is going to happen tomorrow. 80 million

[26:28] Americans or thereabouts will go to

[26:30] their local school or firehouse and

[26:32] express our national collective will. It

[26:35] is the bianual reaffirmation of what

[26:37] Gerald Ford said in his swearing in

[26:39] address. Here the people rule. And there

[26:42] is perhaps an even greater majesty to

[26:44] the day when you keep in mind that

[26:46] 170,000 American kids are in war zones

[26:49] putting their lives on the line. The

[26:51] process feels a bit debased at times,

[26:53] the negative ads. You have to hope our

[26:55] candidates are in their respective races

[26:57] to do something positive for the country

[26:59] or for their state, not just to run down

[27:01] their opponent. And then there's the

[27:03] billions of dollars being spent to win

[27:04] your vote. Contributors aren't going to

[27:06] give all that money without some strings

[27:08] attached. But in the end, once the

[27:10] curtain is drawn, none of that matters.

[27:12] You take the measure of the man or woman

[27:14] who is running in each race, and you

[27:16] choose. I always remember a Hazel

[27:19] cartoon. Years ago, the Saturday Evening

[27:21] Post used to feature Hazel on the last

[27:23] page of the magazine every week. Hazel

[27:25] was a domestic, a maid, who worked

[27:27] full-time for one family. The cartoon

[27:30] showed her leaving one polling booth

[27:32] while her boss left an adjoining booth.

[27:34] And Hazel turned to him and said, "Well,

[27:36] I just canceled out your vote." That's

[27:39] what happens tomorrow. Each person

[27:40] speaks with equal voice. Majestic. And

[27:44] that is world news for this election

[27:46] eve. I'm Charlie Gibson. Later tonight,

[27:47] Night Line joins Senator Barack Obama as

[27:49] he stumps for fellow Democrats. And Good

[27:51] Morning America will have the latest

[27:53] political reporting tomorrow. You can

[27:55] join the debate yourself by submitting

[27:56] questions and comments at abcnews.com.

[27:59] We'll get them tomorrow on our broadband

[28:01] network, ABC News Now. And for all of us

[28:03] at ABC News, we hope you had a good day

[28:05] and have a good night.

[28:17] It all comes down to this. Tuesday, the

[28:19] country votes. And Tuesday night,

[28:21] America turns to Charles Gibson, George

[28:23] Stephanopoulos, and the ABC News Vote

[28:26] 2016. Simply the best in the business,

[28:28] accurate, fair, trusted. ABC News

[28:31] election night.

[28:39] Country music's biggest night, now on

[28:41] America's Network, the CMA Awards, live

[28:44] tonight at 8:7 central, only on ABC.

[28:49] Now on K2 News at 6:30, this is Highway

[28:52] 101 running right through the center of

[28:54] Telmook. The water here is the highest

[28:56] they've seen it in years, and the rain

[28:58] still falling. Plus,

[28:59] >> in the metro area, local rivers are on

[29:01] the rise, too. I'm John Capel. We're

[29:03] watching Johnson Creek and Fano Creek in

[29:06] particular, and we'll tell you where to

[29:07] find sandbags next.

[29:09] >> And crews are scrambling to keep up with

[29:11] the damage from the storm. What you can

[29:13] do to help.

[29:20] Good evening everybody. Welcome to K2

[29:21] News at 6:30. I'm Steve Dunn and

[29:23] >> I'm Deborah Nap. High water, that is the

[29:26] story of the day. The rain continues to

[29:28] hammer the northwest from the coast to

[29:30] the Cascades. We have storm alert team

[29:32] coverage. Meteorologist Rod Hill is in

[29:34] the Storm Alert weather center. John

[29:36] Capel is along Jack Johnson Creek

[29:38] rather. But we begin with K2's Brian

[29:40] Barker in Tok. Brian.

[29:43] Actually, we're gonna start with John

[29:44] Capella instead along