Billionaire Donors Hide Behind Velvet Curtain at GOP Convention

When oil and chemical baron David Koch took his seat among the throngs of Republican grassroots activists on the convention floor in Tampa this week, he was making a rare appearance on behalf of the small group of wealthy donors who are bankrolling a good portion of Mitt Romney's bid for president.

For the past several days in Tampa, Koch has been the exception. Most of the deep-pocketed donors -- the ones fundraising consultants call "the whales" -- have spent the convention largely out of sight.

Unlike Koch, they have watched the parade of speakers at the convention podium from high above, in a vast luxury skybox on the fourth and fifth levels of the Tampa Times Forum. Their box was cordoned off by ropes and blocked from public view by a velvet curtain.

LA Car Crash Rekindles Age Debate

Preston Carter, 100 year old driver, injures 11 in Los Angeles accident.

A driver who will be 101 in September backed out of a parking lot near an elementary school in Los Angeles, plowing into 11 people, including nine children.  Fortunately no one died as a result of the incident on Wednesday, but it highlights the challenge that aging drivers and their families face in deciding when it's time to get off the road.

Although they only account for about 9 percent of the population, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show senior drivers account for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities and 17 percent of all pedestrian fatalities.

A recent report by Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found the rate of deaths involving drivers 75 to 84 is about three per million miles driven ' on par with teen drivers. Once they pass age 85, vehicular fatality rates jump to nearly four times that of teens.

Richard Nix, executive director of Agingcare.com, says many senior drivers don't realize their eyesight, hearing and reflexes aren't as sharp as they used to be. They may be taking medication that impairs judgment, memory or coordination or suffer from arthritis or Alzheimer's. Consequently they may not realize it when they blow past a stop sign, forget to signal a right turn or confuse the gas pedal with the brake.

Even when they admit to themselves that they're driving skills may not be up to par, some older drivers are still reluctant to hand over their keys. According to Nix, loss of driving privileges is a difficult and emotional issue for many.

'People have been driving their whole life and have trouble believing they're incapable of continuing,' he said. 'They feel like their independence has been taken away.'

And Nix points out, it's frequently a difficult subject for loved ones to face as well. They may feel a pang of fear every time their elderly parent gets behind the wheel but are reluctant to confront them for fear of hurting their feelings are starting a battle.

Nix says that if need be enlist the help of other family members, friends or their physician when a loved one presents a danger on the road. In some cases, it may even be appropriate to take legal action, though laws vary from state to state.

Whether an elderly driver comes to the conclusion on their own that it's time to surrender their license or they're forced to do so, it's a big moment and it can be devastating. But the consequences of not doing so may be even more devastating.

Consider the case of George Russell Weller, an 86-year-old Los Angeles driver who suffered from arthritis, nausea as a side-effect of medication, and reduced mobility from a hip replacement. Weller's car struck another car then accelerated around a road closure sign, crashed through wooden sawhorses, and plowed through a busy marketplace crowd, killing 10 people and injuring another 63. Weller told investigators he had accidentally placed his foot on the accelerator pedal instead of the brake.

Agingcare.com offers the following advice for senior drivers to evaluate when it's time to stop driving:

• Conditions like cataracts and glaucoma can diminish sight and hamper driving ability. An eye doctor can help establish whether your sight is good enough to drive safely.
• Many older drivers no longer have the strength or dexterity to handle a car. They may shrink in height so much they can no longer see over the windshield. This is especially true for seniors who do little or no physical activity.
• Alzheimer's can impair memory and judgment. Diabetics risk falling into a coma while driving. Even if you have long periods of time when health issues cause no problems, why risk it?
• Medications, especially multiple medications, can greatly impair driving ability. Your doctor should advise you of the dangers your medications present while driving.
• If the minor fender-benders are adding up or you simply feel less confident about driving, it's OK to admit it to yourself that your driving days are over.

Miss. Dam Failure Feared After Isaac

Heavy rainfall from Isaac is threatening a dam in southern Mississippi, leading local officials to order an evacuation.

But even as the rains continued to pour upon flood-ravaged Gulf Coast states, flagging winds got Isaac downgraded to a tropical depression and caused a tropical storm warning from Morgan City, La., to the Mississippi-Alabama border to be discontinued.

The storm's center was approximately 35 miles west-northwest of Monroe, La., and 40 miles south-southeast of El Dorado, Ark., according to the National Hurricane Center's 4 p.m. CT advisory. It was moving north-northwest at 12 mph and its center was expected to cross into Arkansas Friday.

"Even though Isaac is no longer a tropical storm, life threatening hazards from storm surge, inland flooding and tornadoes are still occurring," the National Hurricane Center said.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal told reporters at a 3 p.m. ET that officials were optimistic their efforts to prevent a breach in a Mississippi dam and additional flooding downstream in Louisiana would work.

"Initial reports are they do believe the integrity is still sound," Jindal said. "But, again, there's as many caveats around that as we can [put]. We don't know that for a fact."

Officials will not be sure of the dam's status until they are able to "get down there" and inspect it closely, Jindal added. He repeatedly urged residents to listen to their local officials and follow their instructions.

"Evacuate out of an abundance of caution. Hopefully, it'll turn out the dam doesn't breach," Jindal said. "If there's a breach several hours from now, we wouldn't want people to be moved in the middle of the night.

Jindal said the evacuation could affect 40,000 to 60,000 people, but called the figures "very rough estimates."

Mississippi emergency management officials earlier notified the Tangipahoa Parish, La., government and Louisiana's Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOSHEP) of an "imminent failure" of the dam at Lake Tangipahoa in Mississippi's Percy Quin State Park. The park and dam are near the Louisiana border.

Such a failure could cause additional flooding along the already swollen Tangipahoa River, though Mississippi officials didn't think the volume of water in the 700-acre lake would add enough flow to the river to cause catastrophic flooding.

The Department of Environmental Quality, looking to relieve the pressure of the dam, was continuing to sandbag the area, pumping water over the dam into the surrounding agricultural areas and attempting a controlled breach of levees to relieve water pressure.

Romney Party Yacht Flies Cayman Islands Flag

Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign toasted its top donors Wednesday aboard a 150-foot yacht flying the flag of the Cayman Islands.

The floating party, hosted by a Florida developer on his yacht "Cracker Bay," was one of a dozen exclusive events meant to nurture those who have raised more than $1 million for Romney's bid.

Isaac Seen as 'Our Own Little Katrina'

Isaac continues to spin slowly through Louisiana, pushing huge amounts of sea water, dumping torrents of rain and leaving locals scrambling up to attics and onto roofs as floodwaters threaten to overtake them.

"It's our own little Katrina," said Tania Trege, wife of St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Trege, describing the situation in Laplace, La.

Officials there already have rescued 200 people from flooded homes and believe hundreds more are stranded. The sheriff's office said rescuers continue to try to reach stranded locals with flat-bottomed boats and other vessels in what was described as the worst flooding in decades -- even worse than that caused locally by Katrina seven years ago.

State officials said there are as many as 3,000 people being evacuated from Laplace, with 40 to 80 buses waiting to take people out.

Overall, more than 700,000 people have been left without power in four states as Isaac, now a tropical storm, continues to pummel the Gulf Coast with rain and maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.

Forecasters at NOAA warned that Isaac could create "life-threatening hazards from storm surge and inland flooding as it moves slowly across southeastern Louisiana."

PHOTOS: Pets Escape Hurricane Isaac's Path

As of 10 p.m. CT, Isaac's center was located about 70 miles west-northwest of New Orleans and 15 miles south of Baton Rouge, La., and it was moving northwest at approximately 6 mph. Its center was expected to remain in Louisiana until early Friday, when it was forecast to cross into Arkansas shortly after gradually weakening into a tropical depression.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu declared a curfew in the city in order to make things easier for utility crews working through the night, The Associated Press reported.

An unofficial rainfall total of 22.5 inches was reported in Arabi, La., near the city's 9th Ward. An official report from Audubon Park in New Orleans listed 17 inches of rainfall.

Three helicopters were in the New Orleans area in case residents needed to be rescued from floodwaters. Each crew was equipped with hoist capability and a rescue swimmer, according to Coast Guard officials.

Hurricane Isaac weakened into a tropical storm this afternoon -- but not before its powerful storm surge overtopped levees, raising water levels as far as 314 miles up the Mississippi River.

As of 10 p.m. CT, a tropical storm warning remained in effect from Cameron, La., to the Mississippi-Alabama border, though the range and magnitude of the warning had slowly decreased.

Despite the downgrade, forecasters said Isaac wasn't running out of steam just yet.

Five to 10-foot storm surges were expected in Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana, with 7 to 14 inches of rainfall.

The Central Gulf Coast region and part of the Lower Mississippi Valley could experience tornados through Thursday.

PHOTOS: Isaac Hits Land With Force

Isaac, which at its peak was a weak Category 1 hurricane, showed storm surge heights more characteristic of a strong Category 2 storm.

The hurricane overtopped levees, knocked down trees and cut power to 716,068 in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi

There were no reports of injuries but dozens of residents of Plaquemines Parish, La., were stranded atop a levee, while there were multiple reports of people trapped in attics by rising waters.

As of mid afternoon, fewer people had been evacuated than during Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans seven years ago today.

Nevertheless, speaking with ABC News affiliate WFAA at the scene of a water rescue conducted by the local fire department in Plaquemines Parish, Cheryl Hicks said that the waves crested above her head.

"It's over 20 feet," she said. "It is horrible. Everybody's home is gone. Nobody has a house in Braithwaite. Nobody.

"This is a g**damn shame," Hicks added. "I've lived in Braithwaite for 53 years and this is my first time seeing something like this. This hasn't ever happened to us. This is a shame."

A total of 56 parishes in Louisiana declared states of emergency, according to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who added that there was a breakaway of a non-federal levee on the East Bank in Plaquemines Parish. The parish had a mandatory evacuation at noon Tuesday.

Officials were considering conducting an intentional breach to release some of the water at that levee.

At 9 a.m., 30 to 40 vehicles were stranded atop the levee in Plaquemines waiting for a ferry, with water all around, according to a contractor who works for the parish. That ferry was the only way off that flooded spit of land. A source told ABC News that nearly the entirety of the area flooded, and winds howled at 35-40 mph, preventing a ferry from approaching.

It was estimated that it would be six to eight hours before it was safe for the ferry to motor out to the stranded people, who were without power but had cell phone service.

Thousands who live in the area were stuck in their homes or attics, and rescuers were out in boats helping those who needed it most.

There were 19 parishes included in the federal disaster declaration, while approximately 8,200 national guardsmen were available to help with search and rescue efforts, according to Gov. Jindal. There were 4,130 people in shelters across the state -- 730 in state-run shelters and 3,237 evacuees in parish run shelters, according to Jindal.

"I've got a four-by-four hole in my roof, several pieces in the front yard, the back wall of my house moved a couple of feet, and with each gust of wind, it's like you're breathing in and out," William Harold "Billy" Nungesser, president of Plaquemines Parish, told "Good Morning America."

Nungesser confirmed that a levee in Plaquemines Parish was overtopped with water, causing flooding. There were no reports that the $14 billion of levees and pumps put up around New Orleans after Katrina have been breached, but officials had not fully assessed the situation.

"The water came up so quickly and overtopped the levees from Breakaway to White Ditch on the east back of the north end of the parish. It's an area that we called for a mandatory evacuation," he said.

At the first crack of daylight today, parish officials were out examining the damage, according to James Madere, a parish geographic information system analyst.

In New Orleans, power lines were down, snaking and sparking across city streets after transformers exploded across the city Tuesday night.

The city saw handfuls of arrests as looters took advantage of the chaos. Police and the National Guard were all out in force.

The hurricane promised to lend even more solemnity to commemoration ceremonies Wednesday for Katrina's 1,800 dead in Louisiana and Mississippi, including the tolling of the bells at St. Louis Cathedral overlooking New Orleans' Jackson Square.

Father, Son Rescue 120 Isaac Victims

Residents of Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana were shocked by Hurricane Isaac Wednesday morning when ocean water burst over the Mississippi River levee, covering their town and leaving thousands trapped in attics and on roofs.

Jesse Shaffer, 25, and his father, also named Jesse Shaffer, 53, both of Braithwaite, La., stayed behind in their town to rescue their friends.

While police and the fire department were unable to reach some stranded people using their vehicles, the Shaffers were able to save lives using boats.

"We rescued a lot of people, saw a lot of things you never thought you'd see," the older Shaffer told ABC News, beginning to cry.

Each Shaffer controlled a boat, in which the pair saved a combined 120 people in 12 hours, as well as animals.

PHOTOS: Pets Escape Hurricane Isaac's Path

Their rescue mission began at five a.m. Wednesday at a local auditorium, where they rescued 10 people including a baby and an elderly man, they said. The Shaffers had to break through the attic ventilation system to reach the victims.

"They'd call me and didn't know the water was coming up until it was late, and they'd call me to come get them," the older Shaffer said. "We had to scramble and try to find a boat 'cause none of the sheriff's department or anybody could come to this end of the parish."

The Shaffers rescued a family of five, including three children under the age of 6, from the roof of their trailer home just minutes before water overtopped it. The rescue was the older Shaffer's most memorable of the day.

"They were all on there, screaming their lungs out," he said.

The rapid rate at which water gushed over the 18-mile levee, into their town was "unexpected," the younger Shaffer said. As of this morning, their home had 12 feet of water in it and they had to stash their belongings in the attic, which was then flooded. Water rose six inches every four minutes, the older Shaffer said.

"There were a lot of houses we saw that were in spots that we know where they're supposed to be and they were maybe a half a mile down the road, floating down the highway," the older Shaffer said.

The Shaffers fought through debris, rough water, wind and downed power lines to save their stranded friends.

The older Shaffer insisted they are not heroes and they were never afraid.

"I guess we were just going on adrenaline," the younger Shaffer said.

But the most emotional part of their day was not the difficulty of their rescue mission, but the thought of knowing their town has to rebuild.

"It's just the people you know that you know that are not going to come back," the older Shaffer said.

Teen Tried for Allegedly Impersonating Physician Assistant

The prosecutor in the trial of a Florida man accused of masquerading as a physician assistant told jurors Tuesday that the defendant played the part so well that he even wore scrubs and a stethoscope.

Depending on whom you believe, Matthew Scheidt, 18, was either an overzealous teen interested in medicine or a skilled con-man playing doctor. Scheidt was arrested Sept. 2, 2011, after, police say, he posed as a physician assistant at Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, Fla.

"[Scheidt] Dressed in scrubs, stethoscope around his neck... he even had the terminology down," prosecutor Sarah Freeman said in court Tuesday.

Scheidt's attorney, Jamie Kane, in asserting Scheidt's innocence, blamed hospital administrators who gave the teen a badge meant for a physician assistant without checking his credentials.

Edith Silva, a hospital human resources employee, testified that she never verified that he was a physician assistant "because the office was very busy."

Scheidt's attorney says he never lied or never intended to deceive anyone, and that he told those who asked that he was a student.

The prosecution lined up a series of witnesses who said the teen intentionally played the part of a professional.

"I walked into the room and observed Mr. Scheidt, stethoscope to a patient's chest, listening to breath sounds," said Devin Mone, an emergency room physician assistant. "And he had an IV catheter in his hand."

It all started last year when Scheidt, then 17, was employed as a clerk at a doctor's office across the street from Osceola Regional Medical Center. He told police that when he went into the medical center to get his identification, he was given incorrect credentials.

Scheidt talked openly to police about what happened after his arrest and blamed the hospital for his alleged actions.

During the interrogation, Scheidt said that at one point after the real doctor left the room, he administered a resuscitation procedure on a patient who had overdosed. He told interrogators that the doctor had asked him to perform the procedure.

"He said, 'Can you take over CPR?'" Scheidt said. "I started doing CPR for a minute, two minutes, while he went to get medications and came back in. That was it.

"I swear to God I did not do nothing. ... I felt so uncomfortable even doing that. And, you know, the only reason why I did do it was because there was nobody else in there. And I'm not going to let her die," he said.

Scheidt faces 25 years in prison for impersonating a physician assistant, practicing medicine without a license and performing CPR on a patient who was overdosing.

The trial continues today.

Assad Says Regime Needs Time to Win

President Bashar Assad said the Syrian regime needs more time to win the civil war in remarks broadcast Wednesday that amounted to an acknowledgement his forces are struggling to contain the rebel challenge.

Over the past few months, the military has increasingly been stretched thin fighting on multiple fronts against rebels seeking to oust Assad's authoritarian regime. His forces have been unable to quell the rebellion as it spread to the capital Damascus with significant clashes that began in July and to Syria's largest city, Aleppo, a few weeks later. At the same time, the military is fighting in a string of other cities and towns around the country.

Assad, speaking in a television interview with a pro-regime private station, blamed his difficulties in defeating the rebels on what he claimed are outside forces fueling the rebellion.

"We are fighting a regional and global war, so time is needed to win it," he told privately owned Dunya television, which is majority owned by Rami Makhlouf, a cousin of Assad and one of Syria's wealthiest men. "I can sum up all this explanation in one sentence: We are moving forward. The situation is practically better but it has not been decided yet. That takes time."

The comments were released in an advance excerpt of the interview to be aired by Dunya in full later in the day.

Syrian girl, Haya Khalil, 8, who fled her home in Homs with her family due to fighting between the Syrian government forces and the rebels, looks up, as she and her family take refuge at the Bab Al-Salameh border crossing, in hopes of entering one of the refugee camps in Turkey, near the Syrian town of Azaz, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen) Close

Taken together with his comments to a visiting Iranian official over the weekend, Assad shows willingness for an even more prolonged conflict, even with more than 20,000 estimated dead in more than 17 months of fighting. He told the Iranian official his regime would continue the fight against the rebels "whatever the price."

Rights groups monitoring the violence now report the deaths of 100 to 250 or more Syrians on daily basis, though the figures are impossible to independently verify. The fighting has been intense enough to force hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, seeking refuge elsewhere in the country or in neighboring nations.

Assad responded with a hearty laugh when told by the interviewer that rumors about his whereabouts often made the rounds among Syrians.

"I am here with you in the studio in Damascus," he said.

Assad has rarely appeared in public since four of his top security officials were assassinated in a July 18 rebel bombing in Damascus.

Appearing confident and relaxed, Assad paid tribute to the Syrian people, saying they stood steadfastly behind him and his armed forces.

But he criticized the leaders of onetime ally Turkey, saying some of them were "ignorant."

Syrian officials routinely cite neighboring Turkey, along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as among the rebels' main supporters, providing them with money and weapons.

"The fate of Syria, I tell the Syrian people, is in your hands," Assad said. "This broad base of the Syrian people protects the country."

He also paid tribute to government forces.

"If we ask ourselves which segment (of Syrian society) did more than all others in enabling this country to stand fast, it is undoubtedly the armed forces."

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he would press the U.N. Security Council to set up a safe haven inside Syria to protect thousands of people fleeing the violence.

Levee Overtopped in Southeast Louisiana

Hurricane Isaac pounded the Gulf Coast Wednesday, overtopping a levee southeast of New Orleans, knocking down trees and cutting power to more than 400,000 homes.

There were no reports of injuries but dozens of residents of Plaquemines Parish, La., were stranded atop a levee, while there were multiple reports of people trapped in attics by rising waters. Thus far, fewer people were evacuated than during Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans seven years ago today.

But the Category 1 slow-moving storm is expected to stay over the region all day with its drenching rains and high winds. As of 9 a.m. the storm's center was about 40 miles southwest of New Orleans, according to the National Hurricane Center.

At 9 a.m., 30 to 40 vehicles were stranded atop the levee in Plaquemines waiting for a ferry, with water all around, according to a contactor who works for the parish. That ferry is the only way off that flooded spit of land. A source told ABC News that nearly the entirety of the area has been flooded, and winds still howling at 35-40 mph, preventing a ferry from approaching.

It is estimated that it will be six to eight hours before it's safe for the ferry to motor out to the stranded people, who were without power but do have cell phone service.

Thousands who live in the area are still stuck in their homes or attics, and rescuers are out in boats helping those who need it most.

"I've got a four-by-four hole in my roof, several pieces in the front yard, the back wall of my house moved a couple of feet, and with each gust of wind, it's like you're breathing in and out," William Harold "Billy" Nungesser, president of Plaquemines Parish, told "Good Morning America."

Nungesser confirmed that a levee in Plaquemines Parish was overtopped with water, causing flooding. So far there were no reports that the $14 billion of levees and pumps put up around New Orleans after Katrina have been breached, but officials have not yet fully assessed the situation.

"The water came up so quickly and overtopped the levees from Breakaway to White Ditch on the east back of the north end of the parish. It's an area that we called for a mandatory evacuation," he said.

At daylight, parish officials were out examining the damage, according to James Madere, a parish geographic information system analyst. The Plaquemines Parish Public Information Office tells ABC News that rescue operations will not start until it is safe, possibly as late as 1 p.m. ET.

In New Orleans, power lines were down, snaking and sparking across city streets after transformers exploded across the city Tuesday night.

The city saw handfuls of arrests early as looters took advantage of the chaos, sheriffs and police and National Guard were all out in force. The hurricane promised to lend even more solemnity to commemoration ceremonies Wednesday for Katrina's 1,800 dead in Louisiana and Mississippi, including the tolling of the bells at St. Louis Cathedral overlooking New Orleans' Jackson Square. This storm is far less powerful at Category 1 than Katrina, which caused at least $81 billion in damage and was rated as the most powerful Category 5 storm.

As of 9 a.m., Isaac was still packing winds of 80 mph. Isaac is moving at near 6 mph and has already dropped more than six inches of rain on New Orleans during the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane force winds extend 60 miles from the center of the storm.

Boehner Backs Romney, Worries for Gulf Coast

Fears that the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla., would be washed out by Tropical Storm Isaac have taken a backseat to concern for neighboring Gulf Coast states and New Orleans, House Speaker John Boehner said today during an exclusive interview with "World News" anchor Diane Sawyer.

"It's going to be a question of how strong does this storm build in this water out in the Gulf of Mexico," Boehner said. "After what they've been through with Katrina, to have another big hurricane come there, it's a cause for concern."

Meteorologists expect Isaac to gain strength and be upgraded to hurricane status in the next 24 hours as it cuts north-northwest on a path that could put it on a collision course with New Orleans and other low-lying areas in the region. The governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have all declared states of emergency in preparation for the storm's arrival on their shores, and they've all canceled plans to attend the convention.

In Tampa, though, Republicans are hoping that Isaac's brooding clouds give way to a sunny new day for the Romney campaign, which has been bogged down in the past week by assorted controversies and intra-party hand-wringing.

Not that there's anything but "love" between Boehner and Romney, who recently made a joke about the speaker's tendency to go red in the face and shed tears in tender moments.

"I am emotional," Romney said. "People don't think I am, but I am emotional," but "I'm not as emotional as John Boehner."

"It's OK," Boehner said. "Listen, you only tease the ones you love. I was at Birdie's for the Brave event this morning, to help raise money for wounded soldiers and their families and, you know, there were some emotional moments."

As comfortable as he is with "emotion," Boehner hopes for relative calm in the convention hall, as delegates who have at times clashed over the party platform join together before a national audience.

"We're always going to have divisions in the party, but our divisions pale in comparison to our friends across the aisle," he told Sawyer. "But we've done a pretty good job of holding our team down."

The Ohioan, 62, also said that Republicans, including a tea party contingent that makes up 28 percent of conventioneers, are ready to line up behind Romney, who goes from "presumptive" to official GOP presidential nominee this week.

"After a brutal, year-long [primary] campaign amongst Republican candidates, 90 percent of the Republicans were already behind him," Boehner said. "And you know why? Because it's all about the economy."

If Romney has, indeed, won over the party, Boehner concedes that he still has work to do with undecided voters.

Twice he stressed the need for Romney to "reintroduce" himself during the public parts of the convention.

"Governor Romney has an opportunity to basically reintroduce himself. Talk about his values and his plan to fix our economy," Boehner said. "Because the American people are still asking the question, 'Where are the jobs?'"

Convention-goers and television viewers are also likely to ask about the clock: the "national debt clock," that is, that the RNC has mounted inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum. There are two tickers actually, one counting the total debt, which now exceeds $15.9 trillion, and another that started running at 2 p.m. today, designed to show how much the figure increases during the Tampa convention.

"This is going to be the burden of our kids and grandkids if we don't deal with it," Boehner told Sawyer. "And instead of getting smaller, it's getting bigger."

School Shooter Assembled Shotgun Before Attack

A 15-year-old student brought a disassembled shotgun to school on the first day of class today, put the weapon together on campus and entered the cafeteria where he shot and critically wounded another student.

A teacher lunged at the student to stop the shooting and before pinning the boy against a wall a second round was discharged, police said.

The school was put on lockdown and then evacuated.

It was a bloody and traumatic start to the school year at Perry Hall High School in the Baltimore suburb of White Marsh, Md.

Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson did not identify the suspect, but said he was 15.

The victim, who also was not identified, was 17. He was medevaced to Baltimore Regional Hospital Shock Trauma where he is listed in critical condition.

The alleged shotgun was disassembled when it was brought to school and assembled on campus, two sources familiar with the investigation confirmed to ABC News. The weapon had been concealed, Johnson said.

The gunman walked into the school cafeteria at 10:45 a.m.

"We believe that the suspect fired one round and just struck this individual. We do not believe at this time that he was targeted," Johnson said during a news conference.

A teacher grabbed the boy with the gun and wrestled him against a wall, holding the gun away from the shooter, but during the struggle a second round was fired, Johnson said.

A second staffer, a school resource officer, was outside the cafeteria and rushed in to help the teacher subdue the suspect until cops arrived, police said.

"There was an individual in particular that really stepped in to make a situation less severe," Superintendent Dallas Dance said during a press conference today. He did not identify the teacher.

A police statement later said the 15-year-old in custody was cooperating with police, who were trying to determine whether to charge him as a juvenile or an adult.

Additional police would be assigned to school Tuesday when classes resume, police said.

Students were held in their classroom for two hours before being evacuated, students told ABC News.

"I was in class in the basement of the school so we didn't hear or see anything," a student, who identified herself as Erisa, told ABC News. "But once the assistant principal, Mr. Arnold, went on the speakers and yelled, 'Lockdown' very loudly I knew it wasn't a joke."

"After we had left the classroom, we saw police and the SWAT team all around the school," student Linzee Hobgood told ABC News. "When we walked outside, there were police cars everywhere. I didn't find out what was going on until my mom called me and told me what had happened. It was shocking that there was a shooting in our school."

Students were evacuated to the Perry Hall Shopping Center where frantic parents went to be reunited with their children there, according to police. Students are also being bused home from the middle school across the street, ABC News affiliate WMAR reported.

Several other students suffered minor, non-shooting injuries during the incident.

Isaac's Slow Pace Makes It Dangerous

Tropical Storm Isaac's plodding pace through the Gulf of Mexico means the slow moving storm could punish coastal areas with up to 36 hours of tropical winds and 10 to 16 inches of rain, Louisiana's Gov. Bobby Jindal warned today.

Isaac, which is packing winds of 65 mph, is expected to strengthen to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of at least 74 mph by the time it reaches land late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Jindal said the threat that New Orleans would be inundated on the seventh anniversary of the devastating Hurricane Katrina was lessening.

FEMA director Craig Fugate and the National Hurricane Center's Dr. Rick Knabb say there has been too much focus on New Orleans bracing for Isaac on the anniversary of Katrina.

"I think people need to understand this is not a New Orleans storm. This is a Gulf Coast storm," Fugate said today.

Fugate and Jindal warned people in low lying areas to get out of Isaac's way.

"Today is the day," Jindal said. "Today is the final day you should be taking any final precautions. If you want to evacuate, today is the day to do that."

Overnight, 50,000 people had already evacuated from southeast Louisiana's St. Charles parish. In addition, 2,000 jail inmates have been moved out of Isaac's expected path.

Jindal said over 4,000 National Guardsmen will be mobilized in case of emergency, but said he does not anticipate having to activate contraflow highway rules for evacuation purposes.

Jindal said that President Obama called him today to say that the governor's request for a pre-landfall federal disaster declaration had been approved. The approval opens up federal funding to potentially help Louisiana cope with any damage.

"We are going to need help after the storm as well," Jindal said. "This is not going to be done just after the storm makes landfall or even just after the storm leaves Louisiana."

While not packing winds of some stronger hurricanes, Isaac's slow pace means it "could actually cause more damage," the governor said.

He said the storm could batter areas with tropical winds for up to 36 hours and could dump more than a foot of rain while lingering over some areas.

Jindal said he is skipping the Republican National Convention in Florida where he was expected to speak because of Isaac. "I will not be speaking or attending the Republican National Convention in Florida.There is no time for politics here in Louisiana," he said.

Fugate warned that Isaac's biggest punch may land in Alabama or Mississippi. The National Hurricane Center said to expect a storm surge of at least six feet with the possibility it could reach up to 12 feet.

Alabama and Mississippi have already joined Louisiana in declaring states of emergency. A tropical storm warning is in effect along the Texas and Louisiana border.

The storm is currently off the west coast of Florida and is moving in the direction of the northern Gulf Coast.

"We can say that conditions are favorable for it to become a hurricane during the next day or so and after that steady intensification is expected until the center reaches the coast," said Todd Kimberlain, a forecaster at the National Hurricane Center. The storm is no longer predicted to be a Category Two hurricane because of the dry air mixed into the system.

"With winds of that strength, one of the greatest concerns is storm surge, where the water will be moving ashore, blown in by the winds," said Ed Rappaport, forecaster with the National Hurricane Center.

The storm threatened Tampa and the Republican National Convention last week, but moved away from the Florida coast. Overnight, Isaac dumped more than 8 inches of rain on South Florida, flooding many streets.

Nearly 1 million students in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties remained home Monday with all public and Catholic schools closed.

17 Beheaded for Singing and Dancing

The Taliban beheaded 17 people for attending a mixed-gender party where there was music and dancing, Afghan officials reported today.

The decapitated bodies were abandoned at a roadside in southern Afghanistan, according to Mullah Sharafuddin, the governor of Kajaki district in Helmand province.

All 17 bodies were decapitated but it was not clear if they had been shot first.

During Taliban rule, most types of music were made illegal, and anyone caught attending a mixed-gender party faced stiff punishment, including death in the most extreme cases.

NATO officials insist that the insurgency is waning, but today's gruesome discovery is a reminder that even after being ousted from power more than a decade ago, the Taliban are still firmly in control in some parts of the country.

Violence flared elsewhere in Afghanistan where two more American troops were killed when a rogue Afghan soldier opened fire Monday morning, the latest in a series of so-called "insider attacks" that have severely damaged the trust between coalition forces and their Afghan allies.

Monday's attack happened in Laghman province, in a river valley rife with Taliban activity. It's the same area where an ABC News crew was caught in a Taliban ambush in July.

According to NATO officials, the U.S. soldiers were part of a wheeled convoy travelling through the Alingar valley when one of their vehicles was hit by a roadside bomb. When the soldiers dismounted to investigate, there was an altercation between them and an Afghan soldier. The Afghan soldier then pulled his weapon and fired, killing two U.S. soldiers before he was killed by return gunfire.

With today's attacks, 12 American soldiers have been killed in the last month, all at the hands of their Afghan allies. This year, 42 coalition troops have been killed in insider attacks. The majority of them were American. The total surpasses the entire amount of insider attacks in 2011, when 35 coalition troops were killed by Afghan allies.

In response to this year's rash of attacks, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen, has ordered all troops to carry armed weapons with them at all times ' on base and off. Afghan officials have also promised to review their recruitment process, which has come under criticism for not vetting candidates properly before allowing them to enlist in Afghanistan's armed forces.

Series of Earthquakes Rattle Calif.

A series of small to moderate earthquakes that shattered windows and knocked trailer homes off their foundations is putting this small farming town east of San Diego on edge as they continue to feel jolts that scientists said could last for days.

The largest quake, registered at a magnitude 5.5, struck at 1:57 p.m. Sunday and was centered about three miles northwest of Brawley, said Robert Graves, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Another quake about an hour and a half earlier registered at magnitude 5.3.

No injuries were reported.

More than 30 additional earthquakes with magnitudes of at least 3.5 shook the same area near the southern end of the Salton Sea, Graves said.

"The type of activity that we're seeing could possibly continue for several hours or even days," Graves said.

The quakes pushed 20 mobile homes at a trailer park off their foundations and rendered them inhabitable, said Maria Peinado, a spokeswoman for the Imperial County Emergency Operations Center. A red-tiled roof apparently collapsed and landed on a wooden fence.

Sporadic power outages, at one point affecting 2,500 Imperial Irrigation District customers, also prompted authorities to evacuate 49 patients from one of the county's two hospitals, Peinado said. Police also received numerous calls about gas leaks and water line breaks.

By late Sunday, a magnitude-5.1 quake followed by several more with magnitudes of at least 4.0 shook the area.

"It's not uncommon for us to have earthquakes out here, but at this frequency and at this magnitude it's fairly unusual," said George Nava, the mayor of Brawley, a town of 25,000.

"And the fact that the aftershocks keep coming are a little alarming," he said.

At the El Sol Market, food packages fell from shelves and littered the aisles.

"It felt like there was quake every 15 minutes. One after another. My kids are small and they're scared and don't want to come back inside," said Mike Patel, who manages Townhouse Inn & Suites.

A TV came crashing down and a few light fixtures broke inside the motel, Patel said.

The first quake, with a magnitude of 3.9, occurred at 10:02 a.m. The USGS said more than 300 aftershocks struck the same approximate epicenter.

Some shaking was felt along the San Diego County coast in Del Mar, some 120 miles from the epicenter, as well as in southwestern Arizona and parts of northern Mexico.

USGS seismologist Lucy Jones said earthquake swarms are characteristic of the region, known as the Brawley Seismic Zone.

"The area sees lots of events at once, with many close to the largest magnitude, rather than one main shock with several much smaller aftershocks," Jones said.

The last major swarm was in 2005, following a magnitude-5.1 quake, she said.

Sunday's quake cluster occurred in what scientists call a transition zone between the Imperial and San Andreas faults, so they weren't assigning the earthquakes to either fault, Graves said.

New Orleans Preps for Isaac

After grazing the Florida Keys, Tropical Storm Isaac churned toward the northern Gulf of Mexico today with landfall expected in New Orleans late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

If Isaac hits the Gulf Coast Wednesday morning it would come on the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed hundreds of people and flooded 80 percent of New Orleans. A hurricane hasn't hit the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency and said he's "strongly advising" people in low-lying areas of coastal Louisiana to evacuate before the storm. St. Charles Parish officials told the parish's 53,000 residents to leave ahead of the storm. Alabama and Mississippi have also declared a state of emergency. A hurricane warning was in effect for an area that covers a roughly 300-mile stretch of the Gulf Coast in four states from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu confirmed that anxiety levels were high.

"The timing of this storm coming on, as fate would have it, on the anniversary of Katrina, has everybody in a state and sense of alertness, and that is a good thing," he said Sunday.

"There is a 70 to 80 percent chance we'll have tropical storm winds in southeast Louisiana and again as it moves west you'll see more of our state could potentially be covered, by those wind warnings," Jindal said Sunday.

As of 5 a.m. ET, Isaac's winds were whipping at 65 mph and were expected to strengthen as Isaac moves over the eastern region of the Gulf of Mexico. To be considered a Category 1 hurricane, winds have to reach 74 mph or higher. Much of South Florida remained under a tornado watch early Monday as the remnants of Isaac moved across the area.

Storm surges along the Gulf Coast could reach at least 12 feet with up to 15 inches of rain. The center of the storm is about 180 miles southwest of Fort Myers, Fla., and 405 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the National Hurricane Center. Because of the western shift in the path of Isaac, a tropical storm watch has been extended to Texas.

"With winds of that strength, one of the greatest concerns is storm surge, where the water will be moving ashore, blown in by the winds," said Ed Rappaport, forecaster with the National Hurricane Center.

Since the storm is apparently moving farther west, the Tampa Bay area is not expected to be affected as much as was initially feared. Fears that Isaac would pound Tampa on Monday led GOP officials to postpone the start of the Republican National Convention to Tuesday.

Overnight, Isaac dumped more than 8 inches of rain on South Florida, flooding many streets.

A tropical storm warning is still in effect for Tampa Bay and Miami. Tampa Bay is experiencing occasional gusty winds up to 30 mph within some rain bands. This type of weather will continue through the morning and then improve dramatically in the afternoon. The highest wind gust was 70 mph in the Florida Keys. Wind gusts in Miami and Fort Lauderdale were 60 to 66 mph.

Nearly 1 million students in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties will remain home Monday with all public and Catholic schools closed.

Empire State Building Shooting: NYPD Gunfire Wounded All 9 Victims

All nine people wounded in an incident when a man gunned down an aquaintance outside the Empire State Building and then was killed by cops were hit by police gunfire, New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly confirmed today.

The victims, who Kelly said were all hit either by bullets or "fragments" of bullets fired by police, sustained non-life threatening injuries. Two remain hospitalized, while a third was held overnight for observation due to elevated blood pressure, according to the NYPD.

Police said Jeffrey Johnson shot Steven Ercolino, a former co-worker, on Friday and then stood over his prone body, pumping more bullets into him.

Two NYPD officers, who each has 15 years on the force and no prior shootings, encountered Johnson, 58, a half block from where he shot Ercolino in front of the Empire State Building.

The dramatic and deadly confrontation was captured on surveillance video that was released today by the NYPD.

Johnson can be seen on the surveillance video pointing his gun at officers, who were eight feet away.

The officers fired 16 times, producing 10 bullet holes on the gunman's body.

Johnson had two live rounds in his .45 calibre semi-automatic pistol when he was shot, police said. They initially believed the gun had misfired, however Commissioner Raymond Kelly said investigators have examined the weapon and concluded Johnson did not try to fire on police.

Bystanders caught in between the gunman and a spray of bullets were injured by a combination of richochets and bullet fragments, police said.

Witness George King told ABC News he watched several people around him struck by bullets.

"I heard multiple gunshots, I'd say about 12 of them," he said. "I thought they were firecrackers, at first. I didn't know what was going on. Everyone started running for cover along with me. The girl that was running next to me fell down to the pavement and, when I looked at her, I could see she had been hit in the leg. She was bleeding from the leg.

"I noticed about five people who had been struck on the sidewalk or the street," he said.

Both officers have been assigned to administrative duties while a standard shooting review is conducted.

The saga unfolded shortly after 9 a.m. on Friday in New York's bustling Midtown area and stemmed from a feud Johnson had with a former co-worker.

Johnson was seen lurking outside a building adjacent to the Empire State Building, ABC News station WABC-TV in New York reported.

The building housed Hazan Imports Corp., which had once contracted with Johnson to design T-shirts, police told WABC.

Johnson's relationship with the company ended bitterly a year ago in a dispute with the company's account executive, Steven Ercolino, 41, police said.

A friend of Ercolino's who witnessed the shooting told police that she noticed Johnson, who was wearing a suit and carrying a black bag, outside the building. She saw him walk up to Ercolino and without saying a word, fire five times at the victim and keep firing as Ercolino slumped to the ground, police told WABC.

Ercolino's father said he was heartbroken.

"Steven was a wonderful son. He was very good son and person," Frank Ercolino of Warwick, N.Y., told ABC News.

Police told WABC that Johnson legally bought his gun in Sarasota, Fla., in 1991. He illegally brought it to New York City, which has strict gun laws.

Neil Armstrong, First Man on the Moon, Dies

Neil Armstrong, the astronaut who became first to walk on the moon as commander of Apollo 11, has died. He was 82 years old.

Armstrong had heart surgery several weeks ago, and a statement from his family said he died following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures.

"Neil Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job," his family said. "He served his Nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. ... He remained an advocate of aviation and exploration throughout his life and never lost his boyhood wonder of these pursuits."

Read the full statement from Neil Armstrong's Family

On July 20, 1969, half a billion people -- a sixth of the world's population at the time -- watched a ghostly black-and-white television image as Armstrong backed down the ladder of the lunar landing ship Eagle, planted his left foot on the moon's surface, and said, "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind."

Twenty minutes later his crewmate, Buzz Aldrin, joined him, and the world watched as the men spent the next two hours bounding around in the moon's light gravity, taking rock samples, setting up experiments, and taking now-iconic photographs. The third member of their crew, Michael Collins, orbited overhead in the Apollo 11 command ship, Columbia.

"Neil and I trained together as technical partners but were also good friends who will always be connected through our participation in the mission of Apollo 11," said Aldrin today in a statement. "Virtually the entire world took that memorable journey with us. I know I am joined by millions of others in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew."

Collins said, "He was the best, and I will miss him terribly."

President Obama issued a statement from the White House:

"Neil was among the greatest of American heroes -- not just of his time, but of all time," it said. Armstrong and his crewmates "set out to show the world that the American spirit can see beyond what seems unimaginable -- that with enough drive and ingenuity, anything is possible."

Photos: Neil Armstrong Through the Years

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden -- himself a former space shuttle astronaut -- joined in the tributes. With the space shuttles retired, NASA does not currently have a way to launch astronauts on its own, but it is working on a new spacecraft, and, this month, landed the robotic Curiosity rover on Mars.

"Besides being one of America's greatest explorers, Neil carried himself with a grace and humility that was an example to us all," said Bolden. "As we enter this next era of space exploration, we do so standing on the shoulders of Neil Armstrong."

'I Believe That This Nation Should Commit Itself....'

Armstrong's step fulfilled a challenge laid down by an earlier president, John F. Kennedy, in May 1961. Struggling in his first months in the White House, Kennedy addressed a joint session of Congress:

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth," he said. "No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."

Armstrong was a 30-year-old test pilot at the time of Kennedy's challenge, flying the X-15 rocket plane for a new government agency called NASA. He had served as a Naval aviator in the Korean War, flying 78 missions, and had an engineering degree from Purdue University. A native of the small town of Wapakoneta, Ohio, he was married to the former Jan Shearon and living near Edwards Air Force Base in the high desert of California.

NASA already had seven astronauts, flying its Mercury space capsule. In 1962 it sent out word that it was looking for more, and Armstrong was one of the nine it selected.

Gemini VIII

On March 16, 1966 he became the first American civilian to orbit the earth, commanding the two-man Gemini VIII mission with David R. Scott as his crewmate. On their fourth orbit, they made the first-ever docking in space with another spacecraft -- a maneuver the still-untested Apollo project would need to get astronauts to and from the lunar surface.

Minutes later, though, the spacecraft began to tumble wildly out of control, apparently because of a broken maneuvering thruster. It was a dangerous moment -- a 6,000-pound ship, moving at 17,500 mph, spinning and turning end-over-end once a second. Armstrong ended the emergency by using a second set of thrusters. Mission Control ordered the astronauts to land as soon as possible, and after 10 hours of flight they splashed down safely in the Pacific.

The two astronauts were commended for keeping their cool in a difficult situation, and when Project Apollo began, Armstrong was assigned to command one of the first six flights. At the time this was not momentous news. NASA had a system for rotating its crews among flights -- one served as backup crew for a mission and then actually flew three flights later -- and nobody knew how many test flights would be needed before the first moon landing could be attempted.

Teens Cut Mall Roof to Steal Jordans

Two teenagers were arrested this week after cutting into the roof of a mall in Houston to steal Nike Air Jordan sneakers.

A security guard at Greenspoint mall, on the north side of Houston, saw the thieves in the Foot Action store early Wednesday morning and called police. John Grant, 19, and another male, 16, were arrested at the scene, but a third suspect believed to be around the same age fled.

"We believe we know the identity of the third male who fled on foot and is still wanted," Cannon said.

Grant has a court date of Aug. 29 at a state district court and is currently in custody with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Police and the prosecutor's office will not release any details about the 16-year-old because he is a minor.

Grant, who does not have an attorney according to court records, could not be reached for comment.

John Cannon, Houston Police spokesman, said officers responded to a burglary call at 4:45 A.M. on Wednesday and found the suspects stole 16 pairs of Nike Air Jordan sneakers valued at $175 each.

Limited editions of specific Nike sneakers, such as the soon-to-be-released LeBron X Nike Plus basketball sneaker, are often bought and re-sold for costs as high as $1,000.

Violence and long lines have plagued stores like Foot Locker as fans wait hours for a limited number of sneakers.

In anticipation of such problems, earlier this week Nike reportedly issued general safety guidelines to retailers about the release of the popular sneakers, moving the release time from midnight to 8 a.m.

Cannon said the three used unknown instruments to cut into the roof of the store.

Greenspoint Mall and Foot Locker, which owns Foot Action, did not return requests for comment.

As part of their standard procedure, the police are checking if the individuals may have been responsible for other burglaries in the Houston area.

Police charged the minor with burglary of a building, a felony, and evading police on foot, which is a misdemeanor.

Gant was charged with burglary of a building, which is also a felony, the Houston Police said.

Apple v. Samsung: Jury Gives Apple $1B+

After just three days of deliberation, the jury in the Apple v. Samsung patent-infringement has handed Apple a big win, finding Samsung guilty of infringing on a number of Apple patents, and recommending that Apple be awarded $1.05 billion in damages.

The jury found that the majority of Samsung smartphones and tablets violated patents held by Apple. It included features such as one that allows a user to tap their screen to zoom in and out of an image, and a scrolling "bounce back" feature.

The jury added that in a number of cases it believed Samsung's infringement was willful. It said Samsung should not be awarded any damages in its countersuit against Apple.

"We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it," said Apple spokesperson Katie Cotton in a prepared statement. "The mountain of evidence presented during the trial showed that Samsung's copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values."

Samsung, stung by the verdict, called it "a loss for the American consumer."

"It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices," said Samsung in a statement. "It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies."

Apple will seek an injunction against Samsung phones and tablets that infringe on the company's patents. The hearing on the injunction is set for Sept. 20.

Nilay Patel, a former patent attorney and managing editor of The Verge, a technology publication, said Apple's competitors have already begun to change their new products to protect themselves.

"I think Apple's proven that its case about copying is very strong; we are already seeing software features change," Patel told ABC News. "I am sure we are going to see other software changes. I also believe we are going to see a highly differentiated hardware design."

The jury had to come to a unanimous verdict. Jurors were given a 109-page document with instructions about the case.

Apple sued Samsung last year for copying the essential features of its iPad and iPhone. Samsung responded with a suit of its own. Apple asked for more than $2 billion in damages and Samsung just over $500 million.

During the trial, Apple argued that Samsung copied numerous aspects of its smartphone and tablet designs, including touch screen gestures, icon design, and overall hardware aesthetic. In the process, Apple had to reveal secrets about the design of its products, including never-before-seen prototypes of iPhones and iPads.

Samsung's closing argument listed ways its products were different from Apple's. "Apple [is trying] to prevent its largest competitor from giving consumers what they want: smartphones with big screens," Samsung's lead attorney, Charles Verhoeven, said in closing arguments.

Samsung and Apple refused to settle out of court, even though, with so much at stake to be decided by a jury of non-experts, Judge Lucy Koh urged the two companies to come to an agreement.

In such a complex case, not all the verdicts went Apple's way. The jurors said some of Samsung's phones were legitimately its own. But as the decisions were read in the courtroom, they mostly went Apple's way.

Tropical Storm Isaac Heads Toward Florida

A hurricane warning has been issued for the Florida Keys and the parts of the Florida panhandle as Tropical Storm Isaac makes its way toward the U.S.

Isaac made landfall in Haiti overnight.

Hurricane Specialist Jessica Schauer at the National Hurricane Center in Miami told ABC News Radio that the storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour and brought drenching rains.

"It has passed to the west of Port-au-Prince and it is now heading to the northwest at around 14 miles an hour," Schauer said.

In Florida, residents have been told to stock up enough food and water for three days.

Several counties have declared local states of emergency.

In South Florida, some retailers are temporarily out of water and some residents are installing hurricane shutters, other tying up boats.

Tropical Storm Isaac could strengthen into a hurricane and cause headaches for those attending the Republican National Convention in Tampa next week.

"The forecast calls for Tampa to start feeling tropical storm force winds sometime late on Sunday, early Monday, and that could last through Tuesday," said Schauer.

Susan Muetzel, a Red Cross volunteer from Ohio, is headed to Tampa to help with relief efforts as Tropical Storm Isaac approaches.

Muetzel said her main role will be feeding residents displaced by the storm.

"We'll make just an assembly line and we'll just start feeding as many people as we have to," she said.

Bain Documents: Romney Offshore Investments Used 'Blockers' To Avoid Taxes

The private equity firm founded by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney made use of arcane techniques in several of its Cayman Islands-based funds to avoid U.S. taxes, according to a trove of Bain Capital's private audit and finance records made public on the website Gawker today.

The audited financial statements of one of the Cayman Islands funds make note of the use of "blocker" entities, which are used to help retirement accounts and nonprofit entities avoid some taxes. Financial statements for another fund note that it "intends to conduct its operations so it will ' not be subject to United States federal income or withholding tax ..."

Those details emerge on the statements of two funds in which Romney still holds a sizeable investment, according to the financial disclosure statements he filed when he announced his bid for president.

The publication of the Bain Documents on the Gawker website could rekindle debate about Romney's role at the company, and specifically about Bain's decision to domicile many of its funds in offshore locations known as tax havens.

Critics say Romney's investments in these funds offer just the latest example of how wealthy Americans can shelter their investments to limit the amount they pay in taxes.

"The only reason they structure it that way is to avoid tax," said Rebecca Wilkins, senior counsel with the group Citizens for Tax Justice. "It just confirms what everyone already believes about the tax system -- that it's rigged. That the rules are rigged to favor the well off."

Romney campaign officials did not immediately respond to questions about the newly published papers. But when ABC News first reported on Bain's Cayman Islands accounts, campaign officials said the purpose of locating offshore was to help attract money from foreign investors. The accounts provided no tax advantage to American investors like Romney. Romney, the campaign said, has paid all U.S. taxes on income derived from those investments.

"The tax consequences to the Romneys are the very same whether the fund is domiciled here or another country," a campaign official said at the time.

The issue of Romney's taxes have plagued his campaign. Just last week, a press conference set up to focus on Romney's Medicare plan turned into a back and forth about Romney's tax returns, and whether he had ever paid less than 13.9 percent.

Romney called the question "small-minded," lecturing reporters about the other issues facing American voters that he deems more important than his tax returns.

"I just have to say given the challenges that America faces -- 23 million people out of work, Iran about to become nuclear, one out of six Americans in poverty -- the fascination with taxes I paid I find to be very small minded compared to the broad issues we face," he said at the time. "But I did go back and look at my taxes and over the past 10 years I never paid less than 13 percent. I think the most recent year is 13.6 or something like that."

The admission by Romney came after he told ABC News in an interview that he wasn't sure if he'd ever paid less than 13.9 percent but said that he'd "be happy to go back and look."

Romney has so far released what is legally required of him, one complete year of tax returns from 2010 and an estimate for his 2011 returns. He filed an extension on his 2011 returns and the campaign has said they will be released in full by October.

2 Charged in La. Cop Shooting

Two men believed to belong to a right-wing separatist group have been charged in the shooting deaths of two Louisiana deputies during a bloody shootout in a trailer park on Aug. 16.

Brian Lyn Smith, 24, and Kyle David Joekel, 28, have each been charged with two counts of first-degree murder of a police officer and three counts of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer.

Both men were recently released from the hospital, where they'd been recovering from injuries sustained in the shootout,

Another suspect, Brittney Keith, has been charged with two counts of principal- to first-degree murder of a police officer.

Four other suspects involved in the shooting are in jail on lesser charges.

Deputies Brandon Neilsen, 34, and Jeremy Triche, 28, were "ambushed" by the men inside a trailer home near LaPlace, La., outside New Orleans early last Thursday morning.

One of the two suspects charged with murder exited the back of the trailer home with an assault-style weapon, killing the police officers, said St. John the Baptist Sheriff Mike Tregre.

The deputies went to the trailer park in pursuit of suspects from an earlier shootout in which two other deputies, Michael Scott Boyington and Jason Triche, had been wounded. Those deputies had been on a overnight traffic detail duty near the parking lot of an oil refinery.

Smith and Joekel are believed to be members of the Sovereign Citizens movement, according to police, a loosely knit right-wing organization that does not acknowledge the sovereignty of the federal government.

"Because they believe in particular law enforcement is not legitimate, they can be quite violent. Since 2000, they have linked at [least] six law enforcement deaths to sovereign citizens," said Brad Garrett, a former FBI agent and ABC News consultant.

Still recovering from their injuries, Smith and Joekel have yet to appear in court or enter pleas.

A funeral for Deputy Brandon Neilsen was held Wednesday.

"Our prayers are with the families of the fallen and injured deputies, the sheriff's office, and all of our greater law enforcement family. State Police is committed to diligent, thorough and complete investigation of these horrific acts. We will continue to leverage our resources in this investigation to ensure that the facts are presented and those responsible for these heinous crimes are arrested," said State Police Colonel Mike Edmonson in a statement.

Abducted Baby Found Alive

A 3-day-old infant who was abducted this afternoon from the maternity ward of a Pittsburgh hospital has been found alive, a Pittsburgh Police Department spokeswoman said.

The baby was taken back to the hospital to be positively identified, police spokeswoman Diane Richard sid. The infant's grandmother told ABC News that the baby has been positively identified.

A suspect, matching the description of the alleged kidnapper, is in police custody and being questioned. She has not been named, but spoke incoherently when she was walked past reporters into police headquarters.

"Mom guess what, it's all your fault and dad too," she said to the cameras.

When asked why she kidnapped the baby, the suspect responded: "I keep telling you it wasn't just me." She added, "It hurts a lot when you lose a child."

Baby Bryce Coleman was snatched this afternoon moments after nurses removed a security tag from the infant as his family prepared for discharge from the hospital.

At 12:34 p.m. a nurse removed the baby's security tag in the presence of the child's mother in preparation for discharge, according to hospital officials.

"At 1:15, the father alerted the staff that the family was ready to depart and then it was determined that the baby was missing," the hospital said in a statement.

"Hospital staff immediately searched the unit and followed other internal security procedures. Police were called at 1:44 p.m.," the hospital said.

ABC News affiliate WTAE reported that the suspect was wearing hospital scrubs.

The station reported that woman matching the description of the suspect earlier today entered a uniform store near the hospital and purchased UPMC scrubs. She told the clerk she was receiving training at the hospital today, according to reports.

NK's Kim Going to Iran, but Which Kim?

SEOUL, South Korea ' North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will travel to Iran next week, according to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency, but South Korean press suggests that Iran may have gotten its Kims mixed up.

A trip to Iran by North Korea's young leader would be his first since taking power last December and would bring together two leaders who are cooperating on nuclear weapons programs.

The announced purpose of the trip will be to attend a summit of the Non-Aligned Nations. Fars News Agency quoted Mohammad Reza Forqani, NAM summit spokesman, telling Tabnak news website that Kim's visit will show 'the two countries' willingness to strengthen their interactions.'

But South Korean government officials suggest the report may be incorrect and Iran may have misunderstood who from North Korea is actually attending. In North Korea, Kim Yong Nam, 84, holds the title of 'president' of the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium and has customarily attended overseas summits. He has been representing North Korea at NAM summits held every few years.

'We are trying to verify at the moment,' said Lee Sun-Heun, foreign press spokesperson at South Korea's Unifications Ministry. But later Wednesday, Yonhap News reported that Kim will not attend the NAM summit quoting an unnamed Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry official who confirmed with the Iranian government.

NAM, founded in 1961, is a group of 120 states comprising 55 percent of the world population that do not consider themselves aligned with or against any major power bloc. Its 16^th summit is expecting 40 heads of state and scheduled from Aug. 26 to 31.

Penn State Report Assailed as 'Blundering'

The legal team for the ousted president of Penn State University today assailed the "blundering" independent investigation that accused him covering up the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal.

Graham Spanier, who served as the school's president for 16 years, has not been charged with any crime, but an independent investigation conducted by former FBI director Louis Freeh accused Spanier of failing to alert authorities that Sandusky sexually assaulted a boy in a locker-room shower.

Spanier has insisted that was never aware of the allegations that Sandusky had sexually molested a boy.

Two other school officials have been charged with perjury and failure to report abuse, and authorities have indicated the investigation is continuing, leaving a legal cloud over Spanier.

The scandal ended Spanier's tenure as the school's president and the Freeh Report damaged his reputation by faulting Spanier for failing to stop a "child sexual predator harming children for over a decade."

FOR AN EXCLUSIVE ABC NEWS INTERVIEW WITH GRAHAM SPANIER, TUNE IN TO "NIGHTLINE" TONIGHT AT 11:35 P.M. EDT.

Tim Lewis, a former federal prosecutor and ex-federal judge who reviewed the Freeh report's findings on Spanier's behalf, called the investigation's findings a "myth" and a "blundering and indefensible indictment" that would never hold up in court.

Lewis said the report was filled with "glaring oversights, indefensible exclusions... [and leapt] to conclusions with no basis except the biased opinion of the author."

"The irony is that while this report attempts to portray Dr. Spanier as having engaged in a conspiracy to conceal information, a closer inspection confirms that if anyone is guilty of concealment it isn't Dr. Spanier; it is Judge Freeh," Lewis said.

Lewis acknowledged that it was unusual for one former federal judge to criticize another former federal judge and added, "It pains me to say this," referring to scathing criticism of Freeh's report.

A spokesperson for Freeh told ABC News, "We stand by our report."

Lewis insisted that had Spanier, a victim of child abuse himself and an expert family therapist, been appraised of Sandusky's crimes he would have reported them.

Instead Penn State officials told Spanier that Sandusky had only engaged in "horseplay" with a boy in the school's showers in 2001. The boy would later be identified as Victim 2, one of 10 victims police would later learn Sandusky had molested.

In July, Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of abuse against 10 boys.

"'Horseplay' was referred to over and over again, but never with any sexual connotation or suggestion of abuse," Lewis said.

Those comments echo Spanier's previous denouncements of the Freeh report.

"Had I known then what we now know about Jerry Sandusky ? I would have strongly and immediately intervened," Spanier wrote in a July 23 letter to the Penn State board of trustees. "Never would I stand by for a moment to allow a child predator to hurt children."

Two of Spanier's former colleagues, Athletic Director Tim Curley and retired Vice President Gary Schultz, face trial for perjury and failure to report abuse.

The charges stem from allegations that Curley, Schultz and Spanier never told authorities about the 2001 shower incident.

After the scandal broke, Spanier, who was president of the university from 1995 to 2011, was demoted to a professorship.

According to documents, the Freeh report and testimony at Sandusky's trial, Spanier learned in February 2001 that assistant coach Mike McQueary witnessed an incident between Sandusky and the boy later identified as Victim 2. During the trial, McQueary suggested that the incident was a rape of the boy.

Spanier, however, insists that he was never told the seriousness of the attack on Victim 2.

But the Freeh Report concluded that Spanier and his colleagues understood the gravity of the allegations against Sandusky, but chose to cover them up.

The Freeh allegations, Spanier claims, hangs on a tortuous game of telephone tag in which the story about the assault in the showers changed over time. By the time Spanier learned of the incident, it was described as "horse play," he says.

McQueary first confided in his father and a family friend and physician Dr. Jonathon Dranov about what he saw. He then went to head coach Joe Paterno and told Paterno he witnessed activity of a "sexual nature."

Spanier contends that McQueary did not initially indicate a serious sexual assault had taken place. Had he done so, Dranov, as a family physician, would have been obligated to inform the police, Spanier claims.

"Judge Freeh does not mention this in his Report. Nor does he mention that the jury acquitted Sandusky of this count. Most important, he doesn't mention or explain why he never even bothered to interview Dr. Dranov, even though he knew what he would have said. Yet he has the audacity to accuse Dr. Spanier of concealing important information," Lewis said.

Lewis also introduced a letter from Gary Gray, a former football player who met with Paterno in the days after losing his job and being diagnosed with cancer. Gray says Paterno told him a similar story in McQueary described what he wittnessed in the showers as "horseplay."

For Ransom: Your Medical Records

It started out as a data breach like many others. The hackers penetrated the computer network of a small medical practice in a wealthy suburb of northern Illinois, The Surgeons of Lake County, and broke into a server containing email and electronic medical records. But instead of sneaking out undetected and selling the stolen data on the black market, they took a novel tack -- encrypting the data and posting a message demanding a ransom payment in exchange for the password.

The move from fraud to extortion in cases of data compromise is frightening for several reasons. First, it suggests that the criminals knew exactly what they were doing, and that they deliberately targeted digital medical records as part of a well articulated strategy -- an approach that we can expect to see employed more frequently as the digitization of records and broadening of access become the norm in the health care industry. Secondly, this M.O. implies a tremendous confidence in the criminals' power to disrupt -- and a calculation that the illicit ROI from blackmail would exceed the price that the data would command on the black market.

[Related article: 7 Things ID Thieves Could Fund With Your Stolen Tax Refunds]

All of this is ultimately made possible by the digitization of medical records and the placement of those records on networks -- often unprotected ones. It gets you thinking...

Would you post your medical records to your Facebook profile? Share a CAT scan via Instagram? Discuss your prescription history with your network on LinkedIn? Not likely. Even if every single one of your Facebook "friends" really is a friend, the idea of such personal information falling into the hands of strangers is damn hard to stomach -- especially if those strangers happen to be criminals looking to make a quick killing and you are the roadkill.

But what if the server where that information is living belongs, not to Facebook or LinkedIn, but to a health information exchange -- a computer network designed to put your medical information and that of millions of other patients within easy reach of medical professionals throughout our nation's health care network?

[Related article: How to Dispute Bad Info on Your Credit Report]

The truth is that it may be there already, whether you know it or not. There are at least 255 health information exchanges across the United States so far, including 17 each in New York and Texas, 12 in Florida, and 10 each in California and Michigan, and that number is increasing at a steady clip. Their growth has been spurred partly by federal grants awarded to incentivize medical professionals to actively participate and promote the ongoing makeover of the health care system, and partly by the obvious efficiencies inherent in such a centralized and frictionless approach.

In a perfect world, this would not be a problem -- and could be a solution. There are tremendous benefits to be derived from having a patient's medical data available to practitioners throughout the health care network -- from GPs and pharmacists to surgeons, radiologists, lab technicians, and emergency response teams. To have current, accurate, and reliable data about a patient's medical history just a click away -- whether the issue is urgent or routine -- will save money, time, and, of greatest import, lives.

[Related article: 8 Signs Your Identity Has Been Stolen]

Man Arrested for Alleged Obama Threat

Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo

Federal agents in Washington state have arrested an armed man accused of making threats against President Obama.

U.S. Secret Service agents and local law enforcement officers knocked on the door of Anton Caluori, 31, in Federal Way, Wash., on Tuesday afternoon, Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said.

Caluori came to door with a shotgun, but was taken into custody without injury, Leary added, though Caluori made references to explosives, prompting a call to the bomb squad.

Secret Service Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bob Kierstead told local ABC News affiliate KOMO that suspicious items found in the man's apartment ' potential explosive devices ' prompted a sweep of the entire complex by a bomb squad. No bombs were found.

'He has a good education, he's a good boy, but he's done a stupid thing,' Caluori's mother, Renee told KOMO. 'I don't know a whole lot. How would you feel if your son got arrested? Never got arrested, was in the military, has a college education. And I'm just a little bit upset and shocked.'

Obama, who was campaigning in Ohio at the time, did not appear to be in immediate danger.

'A threat against the president was delivered via email to a general FBI inbox,' said Cathy Schrock with the Federal Way Police. 'The Secret Service went down to investigate and the defendant was found to be armed when they arrived at the apartment.'

Caluori is currently in federal custody and will have an initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon, sources said. He is accused of threats against the president and assaulting a federal officer.

ABC News' Chad Murray contributed to this report.

Tea Party Urges Akin to Quit Race

Pressure mounted on Rep. Todd Akin to quit his Missouri Senate race today despite his repeated refusals to step down over his incendiary comments about rape.

Earlier in the day, moderate Republicans campaigning in bitterly contested battle ground states called on Akin to exit the race. By late in the afternoon, conservative elements of the party, including an influential super PAC and the Tea Party Express called on him to terminate his race for the good of the party.

Tea Party Express Chairman Amy Kremer said Akin's remarks that women rarely became pregnant from "legitimate rape" were "unfortunate and inappropriate" and added that they had become a distraction that would cost Republicans the chance to beat Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill and ultimately any chance at winning the Senate.

"It is critical that we defeat Senator Claire McCaskill in November, but it will be too difficult to achieve that with Todd Akin as the conservative alternative. He should step down and give conservatives a chance at taking back the Senate in November," Kremer said in a statement.

The legal deadline for Akin to withdraw his name from the ballot is 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Akin, a Republican, insisted on Mike Huckabee's radio show today that he is staying in the race despite the furor over his comments that rape victims rarely get pregnant.

"If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," he said Sunday.

Akin apologized for the remark today and told Huckabee that he was "not a quitter," and still hoped to defeat McCaskill.

"I've really made a couple of serious mistakes here that were just wrong, and I need to apologize for those," he said.

"Let me be clear," Akin added. "Rape is never legitimate. It's an evil act that's committed by violent predators. I used the wrong words in the wrong way."

When asked by Huckabee to clarify what he meant by "legitimate rape," Akin said, "I was talking about forcible rape and it was absolutely the wrong word."

He later made similar comments on the Sean Hannity show.

CNN's Piers Morgan tweeted Monday that Akin, the "biggest name of the day," was to appear live on "Piers Morgan Tonight" Monday night. Morgan's show, however, opened at 9 p.m. with a shot of an empty chair.

Morgan said Akin's communications adviser agreed to book the interview and then pulled out "at the last possible moment ... leaving us and you looking at an empty chair." Morgan said that Akin is still welcome to appear on the show, or be "what we would call in England a gutless, little twerp."

After Akin insisted on staying in the race, the powerful and well-funded conservative super PAC American Crossroads, founded by former President George W. Bush's aide Karl Rove, pulled funding for his campaign, an attempt to exert pressure on him to quit or a tacit acknowledgement that he will now likely loose.

American Crossroads told ABC News that they "will not be spending in Missouri moving forward."

The group had spent $5.4 million and they had reserved at least $2.3 million more for the Missouri election.

Akin's initial statements sparked blowback from both parties.

Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., who are in competitive races in their own states, released scathing statements calling for Akin's withdrawal from the Senate race.

Akin would have to withdraw from the race by Tuesday in order for the Republican Party to field another candidate before November elections.

"As a husband and father of two young women, I found Todd Akin's comments about women and rape outrageous, inappropriate and wrong... Not only should he apologize, but I believe Rep. Akin's statement was so far out of bounds that he should resign the nomination for U.S. Senate in Missouri," Brown said.

"Todd Akin's statements are reprehensible and inexcusable," Johnson tweeted. "He should step aside today for the good of the nation."

Mitt Romney this morning called Akin's comments "inexcusable" and "wrong," but stopped short of calling for his resignation. A senior official in the Romney campaign said the candidate would not call on Akin to resign.

Shortly after Huckabee's interview, President Obama took the podium at a White House press briefing and called Akin's views "offensive."

"Rape is rape. The idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what type of rape we are talking about doesn't make sense to the American people and it certainly doesn't' make sense to me."

Obama said that Akin's comments demonstrated why "we shouldn't have politicians, most of whom are men, making decisions" about women's health.

He declined to comment specifically on Akin. "He was nominated by the Republicans of Missouri and I'll let them sort that out," Obama said.

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards denounced Akin's comment and it was an "egregious example" of legislators "making policy on women's health without understanding it."

"This statement by Mr. Akin is, I think, politics at its worst, ignoring basic medicine and science in pursuit of some political ideology," Richards said today during a conference call with reporters.

"I don't want to address whether he should resign, but I don't think he should be in office," she said.

Augusta Admits First Women Members

After decades of controversy, the all-male Augusta National Golf Club has admitted its first female members, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and business executive Darla Moore.

The prestigious Augusta National Golf Club is best known for hosting the Masters Tournament and the exclusivity surrounding the green jacket club.

Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne called the selection of the two new members "a joyous occasion" and a "significant and positive time in our club's history."

"These accomplished women share our passion for the game of golf and both are well known and respected by our membership," Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne said in a statement. "It will be a proud moment when we present Condoleezza and Darla their green jackets when the club opens this fall."

Rice, who served as secretary of state under President George W. Bush, said in a statement released by the club, "I have visited Augusta National on several occasions and look forward to playing golf, renewing friendships and forming new ones through this very special opportunity."

Rice's statement did not mention her ground breaking role or the club's long refusal to admit women members.

"I have long admired the important role Augusta National has played in the traditions and history of golf. I also have an immense respect for the Masters Tournament and its commitment to grow the game of golf, particularly with youth, here in the United States and throughout the world," she said.

Moore is the vice president of private investment company Rainwater, Inc. and founder and chair of nonprofit think tank, the Palmetto Institute.

"I am fortunate to have many friends who are members at Augusta National, so to be asked to join them as a member represents a very happy and important occasion in my life," Moore said in a statement. "Above all, Augusta National and the Masters Tournaments have always stood for excellence, and that is what is so important to me."

Since its inception in 1932, Augusta National has been embroiled in several heated debates for not allowing female club members.

The debate heightened in 2002 when Martha Burk of the National Council of Women's Organizations pressured the club to admit female members. The club's chairman at the time, William "Hootie" Johnson resisted, saying famously that women may one day be admitted to Augusta National, "but not at the point of a bayonet." The statement represented both the resolve of the club not to crumble under pressure.

"Our club has enjoyed a camaraderie and a closeness that's served us well for so long, that it makes it difficult for us to consider change," Johnson told in Associated Press in 2002. "A woman may be a member of this club one day, but that is out in the future."

The issue surfaced again in April when Virginia Rometty was appointed chief executive of IBM, a corporate sponsor of Augusta National. The CEO of IBM was traditionally admitted as a member of the club, but Rometty was not granted membership.

Another of Augusta National's club sponsors, AT&T, commented on the historic admission.

"As a sponsor of The Masters, we applaud today's historic announcement by Augusta National and warmly welcome Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore as members of Augusta National," said AT&T's CEO Randall Stephenson.

Assange to Obama: 'Do the Right Thing'

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared today for the first time since he took refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, calling for the release of Bradley Manning, who is accused of leaking documents to the whistlebowling website, and urging President Obama to "do the right thing" and end the "witch-hunt" against WikiLeaks.

For the past two years, Assange, 41, has fought extradition efforts to send him to Sweden, where he faces questioning over alleged sexual assaults against two women. The Australian has said he fears Swedish authorities will hand him over to U.S. officials.

Ecuador granted Assange political asylum Thursday, but he has been threatened with arrest if he leaves the country's 10-room London embassy, where he has been holed up for the past two months.

Appearing on a balcony, Assange read a prepared statement to more than 200 supporters, reporters and dozens of British police.

"I ask President Obama to do the right thing. The United States must renounce its witch hunt against WikiLeaks," Assange said. "The United States must dissolve its FBI investigation. The United States must vow that it will not seek to prosecute our staff or our supporters."

Assange called Bradley Manning, a U.S. soldier who is accused of passing classified material to WikiLeaks, "one of the world's foremost political prisoners."

"If Bradley Manning really did as he is accused, he is a hero, an example to us all," Assange said. "Bradley Manning must be released."

On Wednesday, Manning had entered his 815th day of detention without a trial. The legal maximum is 120 days, Assange said.

During his brief remarks, Assange also thanked Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa for "the courage he has shown in considering and granting me political asylum."

In an address last week, Correa discussed the decision to grant Assange political asylum.

"We've never said that Julian Assange shouldn't answer to the Swedish justice system nor contribute to the investigation into these supposed crimes," he said.

"What we have always asked for is a guarantee that there won't be a second extradition to a third country, as that would put at risk Mr. Assange's life and freedom," he said.

Correa also responded to what he called a "threat" sent in a letter from the British government, which said officials could lift the embassy's diplomatic status, allowing officers to enter the embassy and arrest Assange.

The UK's Foreign Office later told the BBC the letter had been sent to clarify "all aspects of British law that Ecuador should be aware of."

Correa stood his ground and fired back in his weekly address.

"Who do they think they're dealing with?" he said. "They don't realize Latin America is free and sovereign. We won't tolerate interference, colonialism of any kind."

For the time being, Assange remains safe in the confines of the embassy, which is considered Ecuadorean soil, however in order to reach the country, he will have to make it to an airport and board a flight to South America, all while evading arrest by British police.