welcome back, everybody. well, post-newtown, lawmakers have introduced legislation to strengthen care for the mentally ill. a big issue in the gun control debate, as well. >> that's right. the bill would expand access to treatment and enable community clinics to provide round the clock psychiatric care. a closer look at the issue of guns and the meantry ill. >> reporter: the search for solutions after the massacre at sandy hook elementary cut through this minneapolis jail this week, where the sheriff rick staneck told us he sees firsthand a link between gun violence and mental health. >> this is not about those who are receiving treatment. they're no more violent than anybody else. but untreated, we have a problem. >> reporter: staneck is president obama's ear, using white house meetings to push for more resources to identify and treat the mentally ill and keep dangerous people away from guns. the problem can be seen at jails across the country like this one, where an estimated 25% to 30% of inmates suffer from a mental illness. experts say not all those people belong here. those that do sometimes struggle to get the care they need. 8 of the 9 killers in mass shootings last year had histories of mental illness. few received care and none were blocked from legally purchasing a well because of gaps in the federal background system. >> when we run the background check for you to purchase or acquire a hand gun, if we say it's okay, nothing comes back, you should be good to go. the fact of the matter it's not. it's really become america's dirty little secret about these background checks. >> reporter: just 12 states actively submit mental health data to the federal data base. those that do only include court ordered records. on a visit to minnesota this week president obama said strengthening that system is a top priority. proposing money for states for better recordkeeping and asking doctors to report credible threats of violence when they appear. >> you have people who have committed these tragedies, who would not have come to anyone's attention. they wouldn't meet our commitment standards. they weren't in trouble with the law. we should be intervening early and right away with the intensity that's needed. >> reporter: it's a costly plan that will likely take a long time. and one far from foolproof. >> people need to keep hammering away and do the fixes that we suggested first and foremost. even if it's piecemeal and baby steps. >> reporter: steps that may one day prevent another tragedy from happening again. devin dwyer, abc news, minneapolis. >> and there really is no way the gun control debate in this country can proceed without an equally important discussion about mentally ill. you look at the stats of the mass shootings in recent years. how many of those men have clearly had mental illness. for whatever reason went through the system unchecked. somehow get their hand on a gun. that is absolutely part of the conversation. >> and the problem is, none of these people look or act alike. so we thought we had an idea of who was behind the mass shootings. young, white, maladjusted. now we're talking about christopher dorner, very well adjusted black man who was a police officer. and he's on a rampage right now. so there's no way to know who they are. when they're going to strike. >> there's no foolproof profile, but there certainly is most would argue the common ingredient of they all have mental issues going on in their head that somehow were not detected early enough, no one in their family or school or church or office had the power to say -- >> something's up. >> something's up with this guy. >> let's call some people. >> get this before it turns tragic. that's a lesson we keep learning the very hard way in this country. >> unfortunately. still ahead, you hear the stories. people getting discovered in all kinds of places. >> we'll introduce you to a young walmart employee who was passing the time with a song. then she became a youtube sensation. you're watching "world news now." song. then she became a youtube sensation. you're watching "world news now." ♪ oh, play me some mountain music ♪ ♪ like grandma and grandpa used to play ♪ ♪ i'll float on down the river talent can be found in all kinds of places, not on this show. but moving on. consider the case of a young woman passing the time at her job in walmart simply by singing. >> thanks to a customer with an ear for music, this talented cashier is now a youtube sensation. abc's steve osunsami has her story. ♪ i'm proud to be a coalminer's daughter ♪ >> reporter: she's proof there's big talent in small places. 21-year-old kayla sloan was toiling away in the checkout lane at this walmart in west virginia when a customer noticed her singing a tune. and then pulled out an iphone to record the magic. little did she know the video would catch fire on the internet. ♪ my coat of many colors >> reporter: this is coal mining country. her husband is a coal miner, her grandfather, too. she told us she's had big dreams for years. but never thought there's any chance they could come true. >> i never even thought that it would make it that far. i honestly thought that people would see me and enjoy it. but as far as it making -- making it that far, i never even dreamed. i'm hoping to be on the grand ole opry. ♪ take the ribbon from my hand >> reporter: when she was 15, she and her brother cobbled together what little they had to record this homemade album that no one heard. but now she's a hit. at least in the mountains and certainly at the walmart she calls her second home. ♪ >> i've actually had people come through my line and be like, can i have your autograph? or will you sing me a song? i start singing. ♪ lord, forgive me for what i do ♪ ♪ you want him, well it's up to you ♪ >> reporter: she now sings at her register, in the break room, and underneath the valentine's day balloons that are for sale. she says she'll never give up. no matter how small the stage. steve osunsami, abc news, west virginia. >> she's going to make it. she's already made it. >> she made national news. big hit on youtube. some producer, some reality show executive is going to see that and go, book her. done. that's all it takes these days. she's going to be a star. >> honey boo-boo, here we come. >> i'm telling you. she can sing, though. i admire the persistence. >> good for her. >> no matter how small the stage. that was a nice line, steve. i agree. so keep on rocking. coming up, it's almost polka time on this friday morning and a little surprise for our new anchor. stay with us, everybody. surprise for our new anchor. stay with us, everybody. ing. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ ahh ! mmm ! ahh ! finally, there's cepacol sensations. serious sore throat medicine, seriously great taste. plus the medicine lasts long after the lozenge is gone. ahh ! mmm ! cepacol sensations. well, my new permanent co-anchor, the lovely diana perez, she has now completed her first full week with us here on "world news now." >> wow. >> the entire week now in the books and already we have learned many, many interesting things about you, my dear. >> yes. >> this has been an educational week. for example, we know that her husband deuces is an anchor there for our abc affiliate. >> why do we keep showing that ugly face he made? >> and he will now have overnight feeding duty for their infant son. a good guy doing his thing there in philly. we learned that. and then we have this little guy right here, your 4 1/2-month-old son, first-time mom, devin. adorable baby. >> thank you. >> and the love of your life. >> i love him to death. can't get enough. >> no. he's an adorable kid. i'll give you that. absolutely. and we learned about diana's celebrity crush, penelope cruz. >> well, yes. >> which is my favorite thing i learned here. we'll talk more about that privately. but in the meantime, a very special polka with barry mitchell! ♪ born in philly, raised in queens, worked in boston for baked beans ♪ that's the perez polka ♪ ♪ we've picked a winner and it shows, just try not to pick your nose ♪ ♪ that's the perez polka, i hope you read the fine print in your contract it's a beut ♪ ♪ twice a week you're at the theme park wearing mickey's suit ♪ ♪ alma mater's here with a rousing college cheer ♪ ♪ the hofstra hempstead cheerleaders ♪ ♪ ♪ folks out there are half asleep, so how come all the fuss ♪ ♪ your husband's name is deuces but you're aces with us ♪ ♪ our youngest insomniac, that's the perez polka ♪ ♪ we knew that you were qualified the first time that you spoke ♪ ♪ we hired you because you laughed at each rob nelson joke ♪ ♪ just remember dignity has no place at half past 3:00 ♪ >> oh, that's okay. ♪ that's the perez polka >> welcome, diana perez. let's hear it! and we have a special something for you from the cheer leading coach christina ferino. where is it over there? this is for you. were you a cheerleader back in your college days? these guys, seven times national champions. eight times or seven times? eight times national champions. we'll see you monday. two major stories we're following on "world news now." first, blizzard warnings and hurricane force winds expected just hours from now in the northeast. why this storm could go down in the record books. and the developing story from southern california. the major manhunt for an ex-cop accused of killing three people and promising to kill again. accused of killing three people and promising to kill again. it's friday, february 8th. captions paid for by abc, inc. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everybody. on this very busy friday morning. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. accuweather updates us on the blizzard, and we'll get the very latest from l.a. on the man hunt. >> terrifying story out west. also this morning or colleague robin roberts has announced when she is returning to "good morning america." a big update on her road to recovery as she gets ready to get up early once again and head back to the studio. later on the party invitation that's outraged whitney houston's mother, cissy. coming up in the skinny. a mammoth storm that will be hitting the northeast, bringing hurricane force winds and in some spots up to two feet of snow. >> storm warnings are posted from green bay to portland. we begin with abc's chuck sivertsen. >> reporter: after back-to-back blizzards two years ago and the unforgettable wrath of superstorm sandy, mother nature is unleashing a winter storm so intense, the snowfall could be the worst in a century. the warnings could not be clearer. >> stay off the streets of our city. basically, stay home. >> reporter: a snowstorm that hit the great lakes with snow and ice is joining another storm in the south to form a monster nor'easter. as many as 23 million people are in the path. some coastal areas hit by hurricane sandy are in the bull's-eye of a prolonged storm. some of sandy's survivors still living in tents on new york's staten island will have to move. floods threaten the northeast shoreline for thousands of miles. it's a dreaded sense of deja vu. along the new jersey shore. >> i think i'm going to have to move my things upstairs and see what happens. >> in case it floods? yeah. >> reporter: salt truck and plow operators from pennsylvania to maine are ready for a long haul. >> it will probably be a long four days. you know? which is tough on anybody. >> reporter: fears of power outages sent people to the supermarkets to stock up. sales of generators are brisk, and travelers have been changing plans, rebooking flights to avoid agonizing airline delays. >> they relaxed their policies. so i don't have to may anything. >> reporter: thousands of flights will be canceled. a necessary precaution when up to two feet of snow may fall in a storm that's destined for the record books. chuck sivertson, abc news, new york. >> this storm could bring the heaviest snowfall in some are areases of the country in a century. >> a crippling snowstorm expected today. two systems colliding. low pressure strengthening. watching the corridor from new york city on north and eastward. blizzard conditions from long island up through maine through the overnight. worst conditions from noontime on. but the worst of the worst occurs around 7:00 p.m. tonight on through the early morning hours. by the time all is said and done, many spots one to two feet of snow. rob and diana, back to you. >> our thanks to jim. now to the other top story. the intense search in southern california for suspected triple killer christopher dorner. right now they're focusing in the big bear lake area about 80 miles east of los angeles. that's where dorner's burnt out pickup truck was discovered. dorner, an ex-cop, is wanted for killing a police officer, a popular basketball coach, and her fiance. abc's nick watt reports on the motive. >> reporter: 33-year-old christopher dorner lives here in orange county with his mother. a forensic psychologist. who just read his manifesto has a startling conclusion. dorner was never planning to return home. >> i think he wants to kill as many people as he can. and -- >> and then be killed? >> and then be killed. >> reporter: four years ago when he says he was fired by the lapd, he claimed a colleague kicked a detainee. the department disagreed. the former chief who once met dorner doesn't remember the case. >> believe me, the department goes through exhaustive efforts, and there were a multiple series of trials and reviews before an officer would be discharged. >> reporter: no one grows up and wants to be a cop killer, wrote dorner. it was against everything i ever was. in his sometimes rambling 6,000-word statement, dorner says he wants to clear his name and expose corruption. >> he knows what he's doing. >> reporter: but why now? dorner was honorably discharged from the u.s. navy reserve just last friday after ten years' service. including a tour in the persian gulf. was that the trigger for this killing spree? or evidence of careful planning? >> i have more questions than i do have answers at this point. >> reporter: if dorner gets his apparent wish, if he is killed, we might never know the whole truth. nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> wow. and this 6,000 word manifesto gives some scary insight into what he is thinking. one part in the document where he writes, self-preservation is no longer important to me. i do not fear death, as i died long ago on 1-2-09, referring to the day that he was fired. >> right. >> from the force here. so this is a guy as you heard from the piece who is looking to kill and be killed. that's what makes him so dangerous. >> this manifesto is interesting. he kind of switches between completely insane and 100% lucid. >> yes. >> he talks about two different political figures and different stars on television almost like this is something he now has a platform. unfortunately, he does. because this is such a big story. we have to talk about it. we have to talk about him. experts say he's not crazy. he's just narcissistic. >> exactly. >> it's all about him. >> it's a sickness in terms of that it drove him to murder. but he is aware of what he's doing. he mentioned celebrities. in the same manifesto he talked about ellen degeneres. he talked about larry david. charlie sheen and celebrity chief anthony bordain. so in this mix of talking about his life, these celebrity things intertwine. he also sent a package to anderson cooper. >> we'll get into that later on. you'll see what was in the package. just looking for attention and he's obviously getting it and he's -- he's getting it in more ways than one. and we need to find him. >> absolutely. >> they need to find him. >> exactly. that's whee the l.a. area is very much on edge. in other news this morning, boeing has been given the okay to run test flights on its 787 dreamliner. even though one jet flew from texas to washington state yesterday, the entire fleet of 787 passenger planes remains grounded. the upcoming flight will be used to test the plane's lithium ion batteries. the giant jets were taken out of service after one battery caused a fire and another smoldered during a flight. airline analysts predict if and when american airlines merges with us airways, fares could go up simply because there will be less competition. fares, in fact, have gone up 20% since 2009. industry experts also say there could be an emergence of discount carriers looking for business. the merger is expected to be announced next week, but will still need regulatory approval. in a small texas school district, there are a lot of double-takes going on this semester. >> that's for sure. that's because there are 14, yeah, 14 sets of twins roaming those halls. the twins are not all identical. but those who are shared stories of switching places. >> some of the kids say their parents are urging them to dress differently to make it less confusing for their teachers. now, this is a great story. but interesting fact, this is not a record. i did a story in connecticut -- this is a school district in texas. i did a story where in one high school, southberry high school, there are 14 sets of twins in one school. and a lot of these kids had come up through, you know, elementary school, middle school, high school and they were sad they were going to be separated. once college came. but they are the record holders. guinness book of world records. >> how long ago did you do that story? >> that was probably 2 1/2 years ago. >> okay. >> yeah. so some of them have -- most of them have already graduated. >> in this latest case in texas only one set of the twins actually a boy/girl combo. the rest of them are same sex. >> there were a lot of boy-girl combos in the story i did. so cool. >> would you want a twin? >> always. my entire life i wanted a twin. >> really. >> my entire life i wanted a twin. and i want to have twins. >> so you're not done with the one kid? >> that's what i'm saying on television. >> you heard that, deuces. >> hey, baby. >> have a wonderful valentine's day. coming up later in the show, why justin bieber is complaining, even though he's hitting a big musical milestone. and robin roberts' recovery and the date she's set to return to "good morning america." you're watching "world news now." ♪ [ male announcer ] eligible for medicare? that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance 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some excellent news to pass along to you this morning about our friend and colleague robin roberts. >> she has officially announced when she will return to the airwaves. abc's linzie janis reports on robin's recovery and how she is preparing for the big return. >> robin, this is a moment we have been waiting for. >> reporter: "good morning america's" robin roberts has been cleared by her doctors to return to work. she's been testing her strength, running through shows and winding her alarm clock back to 3:45 a.m. and now we have a date. >> wednesday, february 20th. exactly five months to the day she had her bone marrow transplant. >> reporter: robin rejoins co-host george stephanopoulos and the rest of the "gma" gang. and they aren't the only ones welcoming her home. >> robin roberts is coming back to the show. >> oh, my god. >> welcome back, robin. >> robin, i love you. god bless you. >> i am delighted to know that robin is coming back on the air. >> welcome back, robin! >> reporter: just last week, robin returned to her hometown in mississippi for the first time since her bone marrow transplant. watching the super bowl and celebrating her recovery with family. >> i feel mother's spirit. i feel daddy's spirit. and i know that from their heavenly balcony right now, they are celebrating. >> reporter: it was robin's sister, sally ann, who donated the bone marrow robin needed to get better. her blood disorder was a side effect of chemotherapy she received as part of her breast cancer treatment back in 2007. when she returns, robin will ease her way in, working her way back up to five days a week. she says she can't wait. linzie janis, abc news, new york. >> it is wonderful, wonderful to see her. she's eased her way back in. so it's nice to see that she's finally going to -- we're going to see her. >> february 20th is the big day. she's had a miraculous recovery. i've said it on the air before. i'll say it again. she is one of the most grounded, down to earth, real home, genuine human beings, don't let all the tv stuff go to her head, people in this entire building. so we're all just happy she's back and wish her nothing but the best. the show is not the same without her there. >> i know. we'll finally start tuning back in, robin. >> we'll see you in a few days. coming up, outcry over insensitivity from whitney houston's mother. and justin bieber's upset, even though he's hit a musical milestone. next in "the skinny." ♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ skinny, so skinny skinny in the house! >> welcome to "the skinny," everybody. we're starting with whitney houston's mom, cissy, who is very upset. so she got an invitation to clyde davis' grammy party. now, as you may remember, it was the annual party last year or leading up to the annual party last year that whitney houston died in the hotel. >> she performed at that party, remember that? last year. and then later that night went to the hotel and that's when she passed away. because the next night was the grammys. something like that. yeah. >> so mom says she got the invitation. she called it obscene. she says she has no idea why they would want me to come to the party in which she died. she called it unheard of. but she did say she probably -- she thinks they sent it to her for remembrance's sake. she's not attending the party. she's not attending the grammys. she did admit she will be tuning in to watch. and all of this ties into the fact that she also just released a book, which bobbi kristina tweeted out saying that it was disrespectful to her and her mother. to which cissy says she's grieving. we get it. but she knows that i love her. >> a lot of houston family drama. the daughter and the relationship with bobbi and all this kind of stuff. >> lots of drama. >> it's not obscene to be invited. it's obviously a sign of respect. clyde made whitney a star. >> the entire family is still grieving. so it's got to be a sensitive subject. >> before we move on to lighter news, we wanted to give our respects to stuart freeborn. he passed away at the age of 98 in london. you may not know the name or face, but you know his work. he was the makeup genius behind "star wars." he's the one who did chubaca and j java the hut. had a six decade career in film. he did "2001 space odyssey," but his claim to fame was "star wars" and george lucas released an incredibly flattering statement saying he was already a legend in the business before he came to the set of "star wars." but just wanted to note that passing and send thoughts and love to the family. but everyone loves "star wars." >> absolutely. justin bieber has become the first artist with five number one albums before his 19th birthday. >> wow, before 19. >> before he hit 19, this man has -- this boy, this teenager has five number one albums on the billboard 200. "believe acoustic" debuts atop the list with 211,000 copies sold. but great success and great tragedy, i guess if you can call it tragedy. he's never been nominated for a grammy. >> i don't know if tragedy is the word. >> maybe not tragic. i can't think of a word. >> great success comes great -- a little bit less success. also, weird context here for a reality show. apparently the mandela family, yes, as in nelson mandela, that family is jumping into the reality tv game. >> what? >> he himself obviously has had health issues. he's not going to be in the show. but his two 30-something granddaughters will be followed by the cam reras as they do the mother thing in johannesburg and his controversial ex-wife winnie will be in the piece as well. the first season will debut very soon. it should be interesting. we usually don't get a personal peek into this anti-apartheid icon and his family. >> this man has been in and outside of the hospital. he is a sick man. >> hey, it's reality tv. >> you've got to sign up if they give it to you. really quickly, john mayer is admitting he was a jerk to ex-girlfriends. we've all seen john mayer and those beautiful women he's dated. jessica simpson, jennifer anniston. now he's dating katy perry. he's going to be on cbs this sunday morning with charles osgood. he's basically admitting he was a jerk to his girlfriends. but he is a new man. >> girls like the bad boys. >> that's true. ue. ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm janelle monáe. and i'm a covergirl. ♪ have something new to say. ahh ! mmm ! ahh ! mmm ! ahh ! mmm ! because finally, there's cepacol sensations. the serious medicine for sore throats, with a seriously great taste. plus, the medicine lasts long after the lozenge is gone. ahh ! but don't take our word for it. ahh ! word of mouth is always better. ahh ! mmm ! mmm ! try cepacol sensations. serious medicine. seriously great taste. this is another! ta-daa! try charmin ultra strong. it cleans so well and you can use up to four times less than the leading value brand. oh! there it is. thanks son. hey! [ female announcer ] charmin ultra strong has a duraclean texture that can help you get clean while still using less. and it's four times stronger versus the leading value brand. charmin ultra strong helps keep you and your underwear clean. we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra strong? ♪ ♪ it is finally friday. almost time to get the party started. >> ready to roll. >> you always roll your eyes at me, by the way. >> do i really? >> yeah. like, you're like, oh, god. this one again. >> no. i didn't notice that. did i do that? >> yeah. >> nothing personal. >> it's okay. >> i roll my eyes at the week. from a super bowl blackout to a tense hostage standoff, it's been again another very busy news week. here's a look back at our friday rewind. >> we're not going to wait until the next newtown. >> we've identified gaping holes in the background checks. it's really become what is america's dirty little secret about these background checks. >> the suspect's mother, she may have reached out to mr. kyle to try and help her son. and we kind of have an idea that maybe that's why they were at the range for some type of therapy. >> at the time i had plans to commit suicide. um, so i was extremely confident that no injury would convict me because i didn't expect any of you to be here. >> mr. kdykes was observed holding a gun. at this point, fbi agents fearing the child was in imminent danger, entered the bunker and rescued the child. ♪ >> we lost power. i don't know what happened. >> i just knew with jim harbaugh being on the other sideline and all those years we've been together, that that game was going to be a dog fight right to the end. >> when washington is the biggest obstacle to economic growth, we have a big problem. while big banks and lenders built mortgage backed bonds, it was s&p ratings that detonated them. >> it's not a burp. it's barely a fart. >> chris christie turned 50, he blew out the candles on his cake and he wished for another cake. >> i don't like to get emotional, but i know what he's going through. >> today you can see that i'm alive. i can speak. i can see you. i can see everyone. and i'm getting better day by day. it's just because of the prayers of people. >> that's a lot of interesting stuff. >> that girl is so inspiring. i love her comeback and just what her life kind of represents to everybody now. >> yeah. she's a wonderful, remarkable young lady. that's for sure. >> i'm not rolling my eyes at that. >> i'm sorry. this morning on "world news now," under siege. the man hunt across a huge section of california for an ex-cop accused of killing three people. >> the latest clues, the suspect's motives, and how police discovered his plans to kill again. it's friday, february 8th. >> from abc news, this is "world it's friday, february 8th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." captions paid for by abc, inc. >> good morning. i'm diana perez. >> and i'm rob nelson. from los angeles to san diego, and even into the mountains, police are frantically trying to find a killer. that's coming up in our top story. i find this riveting and beyond frightening about this rogue ex-cop who is trying to take out his own. so to speak. >> the details are pretty frightening. >> wow. and then on top of that, the other big story today, really throughout the weekend. blizzard warnings in the northeast. a storm that could impact up to 23 million people later today. thousands of flights are already canceled and accuweather of course is tracking it all for us this morning. not a pretty weekend if you're living in this part of the country. >> another scary part of our morning. that's for sure. also this morning, drastic action by a maintenance worker who quit his job after, get this, seeing the number 666 on his w-2 form. and it's not the first time these numbers have given him the devilish scare. also later this half hour, a sweet time of the year. grab those props. as girl scout cookies go on sale, we will be celebrating this fundraising tradition that dates all the way back to the 1920s. and as i learn about my work wife here, we agree on what the best girl scout cookie is, which is very comforting news, samoas. absolutely the best cookie. i know there's a lot of thin mint fans out there, you can't beat the samoas. chocolate, caramel, coconut goodness. just saying. good. we agree on that. >> they're delicious. >> our marriage is off to a good start. it's been a good honeymoon. >> that's for sure. first, serious news. they're searching through the early morning hours around big bear lake for the fired police officer who vowed to bring warfare to the lapd. >> christopher dorner is heavily armed, highly trained and bent on revenge. brandi hitt has the latest. >> reporter: good morning. authorities are going door to door in the san bernardino mountains. where christopher dorner's truck was found abandoned. but it's not known if he's even still in this area. >> they're sending everything up here. >> reporter: on the hunt and on edge. officers searching for accused cop killer christopher dorner have found their biggest clue yet. his burned out pickup truck in the mountains east of los angel angeles. >> we did find some tracks around the vehicle, but they did not lead to the suspect. >> reporter: the former lapd cop is accused of gunning down fellow officers and their families in revenge killings. detectives say he opened fire in two southern california cities thursday, killing one officer and wounding two more. >> he has multiple weapons at his disposal. including assault rifles. >> reporter: and lapd chief says the shootings are in retaliation for dorner's firing in 2008. in his online manifesto dorner says he was terminated for reporting abuses. he blames several officers, including captain randy quan. stating i never had the opportunity to have a family of my own. i'm terminating yours. detectives believe drn dorner killed quan's daughter and her fiance on sunday. and may target more police families. >> i think he wants to kill as many people as he can, and then be killed. >> reporter: dorner also allegedly sent this package to cnn's anderson cooper last week. >> the package contained a dvd and bullet riddled keepsake coin. >> reporter: a former navy reservist, he was honorably discharged last week and his place badge was found thursday. near san diego's point loma navy base. we're talking about a guy who has tactical military and law enforcement training. detectives are combing through his burned truck for clues. rob and diana? >> thank you to brandi hitt for that. they're not only combing through the truck, they have search warpts. they've searched his las vegas home. no word on what they turned up, but sounding like not a whole lot. >> so far not too many clues. i can't get over this manifesto. not only does he name celebrities in this, he talks about tim tebow. new york jets quarterback. he talked about -- he complimented michelle obama on her new bangs. he talked about ellen degeneres a little bit, larry david, charlie sheen. the weird package he sent to cnn and anderson cooper. he also in this manifesto encouraged the nation to go back to its assault weapons ban that we had years ago. >> right. he's encouraging -- >> the killer is -- that has already murdered a few people is saying, yes, i'm for gun control. a twisted mind we're dealing with here in a very dangerous situation. >> i said this earlier, the experts don't think he's crazy. he's narcissistic. he's self-centered. and he wants the attention. >> they're calling it a personality disorder. i suppose saying he is criminally insane or something like that. it is a story that's going to develop throughout the day. keep it here on abc news for the very latest. now to the other top story. a giant snowstorm is just hours away from bearing down on the northeast, threatening to shut down new york and boston. crews in new england are gearing up for their plows and their salt spreaders for what could be a historic blizzard. there could be two feet of snow and hurricane force winds. drivers from new jersey to maine are told to stay off of the roads. and the northern edge of this storm is blowing over from the midwest, and it's already being blamed for a school bus accident in michigan. two children were injured when a bus slid off a snowy road. schools across the northeast will either be closed or dismissed early. 2,600 flights have already been canceled in the northeast. and in the hours ahead, expect a ripple effect nationwide. passengers were scrambling to fly out early last night. taking advantage of offers to switch flights without being charged the standard rebooking fees. others may be delayed until next week. >> it'll be a good weekend for many just to stay in the house or delay those travel plans maybe till sunday if you can. >> no reason to go out. >> stay in the same place. another reason why, busy amtrak and mass transit lines are shutting down as well. and power companies are preparing for the worst. >> meteorologist jim dicky has the latest predictions from accuweather. good morning, jim. >> good morning, rob and diana. a blizzard unfolding here today. through the morning hours not so bad. conditions will deteriorate steadily through the afternoon. overnight, storms offshore. expecting blizzard conditions from long island through providence, rhode island. from boston through bangor, maine. anywhere in the light blue shade one fo two feet of snow. with locally over two feet just off to the west of boston. rob and diana, back to you. >> all right, jim. thanks a lot. now we turn to capitol hill where cia nominee john brennan has strongly defended the use of drones against terror targets. brennan told lawmakers that drone strikes are used only against targets planning to carry out attacks against the u.s. but never merely as retribution. he promised to tell congress every time the cia targets and kills suspected terrorists. >> if i were to go to cia ands the cia was involved in any type of illegal activity, i would damn well make sure this committee had that type of information. absolutely. >> after the hearing, intelligence committee chair dianne feinstein called for more openness about drone strikes. the senator says lawmakers may set up a special court to actually regulate those strikes. >> talking about, this is a hot button issue. at the very beginning of that hearing, it was interrupted repeatedly by protesters who came in, and eventually the entire room had to be cleared and only people authorized to be there, because it was supposed to be open to the public, they were asked to leave. it was interrupted to many times, they couldn't even get their points across. >> we've seen that kind of thing before. they took it to another level yesterday, the fact that they had to close things off a little bit here. overall, politically speaking, seems likely he will get confirmation. he's certainly much more likely than chuck hagan. that seems to be a little more of an uphill battle. so far, so good for mr. brennan. but the drone has become the hot issue, because the obama administration has kind of changed positions in the last couple of years about, you know, tactics. >> a little worrisome. that's for sure. well, the dream of luxury living is over for a squatter in south florida. andre barbosa had taken over this foreclosed boca raton mansion, claiming an archaic law called adverse possession. but the bank of america, which owns the multimillion dollar property, had him evicted. the bank even had the locks changed and posted a 24-hour guard just to make sure the place remains unoccupied. >> this story should entertain you guys. a man in tennessee has quit his maintenance job after being linked with the number 666 through his employer several times. first walter received id badge number 666. another work issued document also included the so-called number of the beast. and the final straw was his recent w-2 form, when it included 666. he knew then he simply had to go. >> don't accept any papers, any telephone bills, anything with number of devil. >> the company contech casting says it wants walter back on the job. it says it will issue him a new w-2 form and it's now banned the use of the number 666 anywhere within the company. seems to be a little bit of a strong reaction. >> he's a very religious man and 666 does mean the devil. >> remember that movie "the omen" from the '70s. remember the older boy's name in that movie? damian. which happens to be my middle name. my parents liked the name so much. forget the satanic overtones. that name sounds cool. and i was born on the 6th month of the year at 6:22 a.m. and i weighed 6 pounds and 11 ounces. i'm going to say it. just back off, willis. that's all i'm saying. don't mess with me. weird, personal note to pass on this morning. >> that's it. just a personal note. >> let's move on with the news, shall we? now to a sports note after all that. we're beginning to wonder if any men's basketball team actually wants to be ranked number one. >> it happened again last night. number one indiana was upset by illinois thanks to a last-second basket. hoosiers go down. final score 74-72. we say it happened again because the number one team has now lost for five straight weeks. up and down season, man. it's crazy. >> in addition to indiana, the number one -- last night was indiana's second loss as a number one this season. >> i love college hoops. almost time for march madness. i love it. coming up next, dog gone innovative care for man's best friend. and expert advice on finding air fare bargains for the entire family. we'll find some money saving travel secrets. you're watching "world news now." now." 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[ male announcer ] right now at walgreens dayquil and nyquil are just $10.99 with card. in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ with a major snowstorm about to hit the northeast, you might be starting to think about some warm weather. >> to escape the cold, you're going to have to fly for most of you guys, and that can get expensive. but abc's paula faris got some expert advice to save you some cash. >> reporter: airline mergers can mean good news. you'll probably be flying on a newer aircraft. the bad news, with less competition, airfares can climb. >> just over the last three years, airfare has risen as much as 20%. >> reporter: rising fares are very much on the mind of the rodriguez family. madelyne and her three sons and daughter hoping to fly from honolulu to ontario, california, for a family reunion. and looking at nearly $1,000 a ticket. >> it's just too much. paula, i need your help. >> reporter: so we asked abc news.com travel expert genevieve shaw-brown for help. first tip, the rodriguez family is better off buying two tickets and then the remaining three tickets separately. finding all five seats together can cost you more for the convenience of sitting together. >> you have to be willing to break up the family, potentially. >> right. >> reporter: tip two, we've heard over and over it's best to fly on wednesday, the least popular day to travel. but when is best to book? turns out it's tuesday at 3:00 p.m. >> that's when the airlines typically release their sale fares, so they tend to load their systems around that time. >> reporter: tip three, use sites like kayak.com, which alert you of any drops in fare. but buy your ticket directly with the airline, often cheaper than the middleman. and finally, be flexible. the rodriguezes were looking to fly with a layover to ontario, california. we found them a nonstop flight to los angeles just 60 miles away for almost $2,000 less. airlines don't publicize this, but many of them will issue you a voucher or credit if the fare goes down after you booked. some, however, will issue you a change fee. if you don't have time to track the fares there are websites that will do it for you and alert you if the fare goes down after you book. we have more on this on our website. rob and diana? >> thank you, paula, for that report. we'll be back with more right after this. ♪ having a dog is, for some people, like having a child and sometimes just as expensive. >> when pets are sick, there are a wide variety of options, and more and more pet parents are choosing alternative treatments. so abc's juju chang checked it out. >> reporter: from bearded dragons to potbellied pigs, man's best friend comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. but when they get sick, we don't want to treat them like guinea pigs. instead, there's a growing movement to treat animals with the best that human medicine has to offer. >> like physical therapy. hydrotherapy. chemotherapy. and, yes, even alternative therapy. pet acupuncture, to be precise. >> nobody likes seeing their pet in pain. >> reporter: snoops suffered with chronic back problem, which is common with shih tzus. he wound up paralyzed. >> he couldn't use his back legs. acupuncture works primarily with the central nervous system. there really isn't an e kwif lant conventional medicine to stimulate the nerves damaged that acupuncture can. >> reporter: 3 million humans in the u.s. use this therapy. debilitating pain to quitting smoking. mark swears that acupuncture made all the difference. >> she has a bad neck and bad back. >> reporter: while animals can't tell if the treatments work or not -- >> it's okay. it's all right. >> reporter: these owners say their pets' actions speak louder than words. >> i know it was acupuncture. the other stuff didn't work. after these treatments, she was like a little puppy again. >> well, it's not for everybody. but the proof is in the pudding. if you do it and it works, it works. >> reporter: but there's a lot of skepticism, too. veteran vets say there's no science to prove that sticking dogs with needles is good medicine. >> the problem is there's no consensus. so you'll find some studies that show there's an effect. and you'll find there's studies that show no effect whatsoever. >> reporter: dr. david ramy helped shape the guidelines for alternative therapies on medicines on behalf of the american veterinarian association. >> another half truth is that there's such thing as an acupuncture point. nobody has ever been able to demonstrate there is such a thing. >> reporter: but even critics can agree, the best medicine for your pet is a lot of tlc. which doesn't cost anything and yet is still priceless. juju chang in new york. >> okay, two things. number one, that's a bit much because that's a lot of money and we have no idea if it works. because a dog can't say oh, that felt good. the dog can't say that. number two, don't ever feed your dog out of your mouth, because that's just gross. >> that was in the piece? because i wasn't paying attention. >> i know. >> that happened during the piece? >> that happened at the very end. i love, love pets, animals. i am a lover of the canine. and the cat. >> do you let your dog lick you in the face? all that? >> no. >> that's where i draw the line. i don't think you and rin tin tin should be making out. got to draw the line somewhere with all that stuff. disgusting. we'll be back. tin should be making out. we'll be back. hd 3. 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scouts have been selling cookies as their main fundraiser since, get this, 1917. the scouts say the cookie sales help girls learn about money management and builds people skills, as well as confidence. even though it's more parents doing the selling than the girls sometimes. >> you said you weren't going to do that. >> i'm sorry. had to point that out. i'm sorry, i'm sorry. >> that's a controversy. there are 11 different kinds of girl scout cookies these days. let's take a look. >> thin mints. samoas, also known as caramel delights. >> tag-a-longs or peanut butter sandwiches. the shortbread cookies. >> do-si-doh. the lemonades. the savannah smiles. dulce de leche. we have mango creams and the thank you berry much. >> i'm embarrassed to say i didn't know the do-si-doh. i stop at samoas. everybody has their favorite scout cookie. mine, the samoa. >> mine is the samoa, too. these are the best. so it's only natural that even the president of the united states has a favorite, as well. and if you're the president, making that decision can be a little tricky. check it out. >> i'm pretty partial to those mint -- >> thin mints! >> i'm just saying, that's just me. i didn't mean to create controversy here. did you hear? there was somebody booing. >> the president called out that person who was booing, who admitted he likes the peanut butter cookies a little bit better. >> the girl scout cookies were created back in the early 1900s. it actually wasn't until the '30s they were sold in large scale. >> the girl scouts of greater philly sold them in gas andwind? this morning on "worews this morning on "world news now," double trouble. two winter storms join together and now millions of people in the northeast are in mother nature's bull's eye. areas hard hit by superstorm sandy are about to get slammed again by blizzard conditions. sandy are about to get slammed again by blizzard conditions. it's february 8th. captions paid for by abc, inc. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good friday morning, everybody. a busy start to the weekend. that's right. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. accuweather predicts hurricane force winds and two feet of snow. that's our top story. another major headline, the all-out search for an ex-cop accused of killing three people. his motives and threats as southern california is under siege. >> such a frightening story and really a national manhunt at this point. also this morning a "world news now "follow up as lawmakers demand tighter gun regulations. there is a new focus on mental health care. hear from an outspoken minnesota sheriff who is now leading that discussion. and the need for speed. the fearless skateboarder who is in trouble after he took a joyride on busy streets going up to 43 miles an hour. lots of downhills, i'm assuming. >> looking good. all right. first, that fierce blizzard about to close in on the northeast, shaping up to be one for the record books. >> the northern edge of the storm has already slammed the midwest. but it's about to get a lot worse. poised to dump two feet of snow on new england. 2,600 flights have already been grounded. more from abc's ginger zee. >> reporter: from new york to boston, the winter weather arsenals are prepped and ready for blizzard war. and those in charge of the snowy battle are keeping their commands simple. >> stay off the streets of our city. basically, stay home. >> reporter: in a chaotic salem, massachusetts, supermarket, the fire department was called in because there were just too many people stocking up. >> what did you get? >> all the provisions, the junk food, the real food, the water. >> reporter: here's how it goes down. a storm slamming the great lakes now will join forces with another one from the south, and then there's the wind. wind gusts will reach 50 to 60 miles per hour from philadelphia to boston. >> we have more than 250,000 tons of salt on hand. our sanitation workers will work split 12-hour shifts starting at 7:00 p.m. >> reporter: wind and tons of snow is the last thing they need in new york city, where folks in staten island are still using tents after superstorm sandy. >> hopefully we can supply them with enough food, hot food, you know, to get them through before the storm starts. >> reporter: this storm comes 35 years after the historic blizzard of 1978. two feet of snow and 70-plus-mile-per-hour winds paralyzed the northeast. i'm standing here on what looks like snow, but it's not. it is 100,000 tons of salt. they're getting another 60,000 ton delivery ahead of the storm. just one of the tools so many of us will be using. i think by this time tomorrow i'll be using these. seagoggles. ginger zee, abc news, massachusetts. >> mass transit systems and amtrak are cutting service in parts of the northeast. >> accuweather meteorologist jim dicky continues our coverage now. good morning, jim. >> good morning, rob and diana. a crippling snowstorm on tap here for today. two systems merging, colliding off the eastern seaboard, strengthening, moving north and eastward, conditions rapidly deteriorating. as we head on through the afternoon, new york city likely starting as rain and changing over to snow. overnight here from providence, rhode island, on north to bangor, maine, blizzard conditions overnight. a distinction of strong winds and low visibility leading to very dangerous situation as far as travel is concerned. not a good night to be out and about on the roadways. that's for sure. accumulationswise, new york city right in the battleground. likely around a foot by the time all is said and done. wide swath of one to two feet of snow. including providence, rhode island, and boston. off to the west of boston, as much as two feet by the time all is said and done. rob and diana, back to you. >> don't you just love winter? oh, man. >> you mean when it snows? >> thank you, jim, for that. here's the rest of today's weather now. we have some showers around orlando and miami. some rain from san francisco to san diego. up to a half foot of snow in the southern california mountains, sierra nevada and northern rockies. >> 40s from seattle to salt lake city. 30s in the midwest. 83 in miami. the other major story we're following this morning, an intense manhunt in the mountains east of los angeles for a triple murder suspect. police are going door to door in the big bear lake area looking for christopher dorner. they say he's already killed three people including a police officer and the daughter of a former police captain. >> i think he wants to kill as many people as he can, and -- >> then be killed. >> and then be killed. >> he has multiple weapons at his disposal. including assault rifles. >> dorner posted a rambling manifesto on facebook. >> and apparently sent a package also to cnn's anderson cooper. he's threatening revenge for being fired back in 2008. as we look through this manifesto, he talks about being the victim of racism as a younger man and how this theme of being a victim is kind of one of the dominant themes of his life. on top of that on thursday morning, he went to a yacht club near san diego where he attempted not successfully to steal a boat and then flee to mexico. tried to steal that boat at gunpoint. did not work out here. but this guy is armed and extremely dangerous. >> if you see him, police are asking that you call them right away. >> immediately. immediately. and in other news this morning, we're learning new details about ray routh, the man charged with killing a former military sniper as well as another man. a cell phone taken from routh's house may show pictures of him with the victims taken right before their deaths. his attorneys are asking for a psychiatric evaluation to determine if routh is, in fact, competent to stand trial. thousands of mourners are expected to attend a public memorial for sniper chris kyle. that will take place monday at cowboys stadium. also the president's choice for the next head of the cia defended the use of drones against terror suspects during his hearing yesterday on capitol hill. john brennan said such strikes are rarely used and only against targets who are planning to attack the u.s. however, the head of the intelligence committee, senator dianne feinstein, is calling for even more openness about that drone program. outgoing defense secretary dee leon panetta has revealed for the first time that there was a plan in place to support rebels in syria. but that plan was eventually vetoed by president obama because of worries that the weapons might actually fall into the wrong hands. more than 60,000 people have died in syria's civil war. there's really -- i'm sorry. go ahead. >> by the way, i was just going to add to that civil war. it's cost that country the equivalent of $48 billion. >> wow. >> when you think about a war, our war obviously has cost us trillions of dollars. but a country that has no money, and they're relying on us for help, $48 billion is a lot of money. >> and the u.s. has already given syria about $210 million in aid to hopefully help those insurgents along to get assad out of office finally. but this issue of whether we arm them is one. how deeply should we be involved in other countries' affairs. after two wars and libya, maybe the country was not ready to get involved in another country. but the big issue is we put these arms in syria. how do we know they're not going to get in the hands of terrorists? that's the big deal. and on the other side, the rebel, opposition groups, look to the u.s. and go, hey, where are you guys? you're not helping. that makes them bitter towards us and more likely to link hands with those same terrorists. so it's kind of a -- it's a lose on one hand and lose on the other one as well. >> all you have to do is look into our history books to realize that sometimes this doesn't really go as we want. because when afghanistan went up against russia, we armed afghanistan. now they're using our old weapons to fight us. and that's dangerous. >> that's always the question. how much of a police officer for the world does the u.s. have to be. how deeply involved. syria, the latest and best example. >> that's right. now to this. a couple of restaurants are undergoing major repairs after unwanted visitors came to visit. surveillance video shows a bartender in south florida narrowly escaping as an suv comes crashing through a window. edmond perez suffered a cut on his leg. other than that, he's fine. the elderly driver was okay, as well. from the seattle suburbs, a van wound up inside a japanese restaurant. police say the driver was wearing a boot cast which got caught in the van's accelerator. four people were checked out. thankfully all of them were fine. a pretty outrageous stunt has police in south africa wanting to arrest one of that country's top skateboarders. here's why. the video shows him hammering it downhill on a steep road in capetown at over 40 miles an hour. >> cops say the speed he was going is irrelevant. they claim the video is proof that he was riding his board in a reckless and dangerous manner. another small issue with the ride? skateboarding is illegal in capetown on public roads. that's still cool. >> it looks cool. why do you think it's illegal? >> i'm not sure. i'm sure it's to protect the skateboarders. >> yes. oh, man. i can't even roller skate. i look at that guy, i'm impressed. little bit of a wipeout. coming up later in the show, a special surprise for diana as she wraps up her first week on the overnight. >> oh, boy. later on, from the checkout counter to a potential singing career, we'll find some talent at walmart. you're watching "world news now." ews now." people everywhere with sore throats have something new to say. ahh ! mmm ! ahh ! mmm ! ahh ! mmm ! because finally, there's cepacol sensations. the serious medicine for sore throats, with a seriously great taste. plus, the medicine lasts long after the lozenge is gone. ahh ! but don't take our word for it. ahh ! word of mouth is always better. ahh ! mmm ! mmm ! try cepacol sensations. serious medicine. seriously great taste. welcome back, everybody. well, post-newtown, lawmakers have introduced legislation to strengthen care for the mentally ill. a big issue in the gun control debate, as well. >> that's right. the bill would expand access to treatment and enable community clinics to provide round the clock psychiatric care. abc takes a closer look at the issue of guns and the mentally ill. >> reporter: the search for solutions after the massacre at sandy hook elementary cut through this minneapolis jail this week, where the sheriff rich stanek told us he sees firsthand a link between gun violence and mental health. >> this is not about those who suffer from mental illness who are receiving treatment. they're no more violent than anybody else. but untreated, we have a problem. >> reporter: stanek is president obama's ear, using white house meetings to push for more resources to identify and treat the mentally ill and keep dangerous people away from guns. the problem can be seen at jails all across the country like this one, where an estimated 25% to 30% of inmates suffer from a mental illness. experts say not all those people belong here. those that do sometimes struggle to get the care they need. 8 of the 9 killers in mass shootings last year had histories of mental illness. few received care. none were blocked from legally purchasing a weapon because of gaps in the federal background check system. >> when we run the background check for you to purchase or acquire a hand gun, if we say it's okay, nothing comes back, you should be good to go. the fact of the matter is, it's not. it's really become america's dirty little secret about these background checks. >> reporter: just 12 states actively submit mental health data to the federal data base. those that do only include court ordered records. on a visit to minnesota this week, president obama sard said strengthening that system is a top priority. proposing money for states for better recordkeeping and asking doctors to report credible threats of violence when they appear. >> you have people who have committed these tragedies, who would not have come to anyone's attention. they wouldn't meet our commitment standards. they weren't in trouble with the law. we should be intervening early and right away with the intensity that's needed. >> reporter: it's a costly plan that will likely take a long time. and one far from foolproof. >> people need to keep hammering away and do the fixes that we suggested first and foremost. even if it's piecemeal and baby steps. >> reporter: steps that may one day prevent another tragedy from happening again. devin dwyer, abc news, minneapolis. >> and there really is no way the gun control debate in this country can proceed without an equally important discussion about mentally ill. you look at the stats of the mass shootings in recent years. how many of those men have clearly had mental illness. for whatever reason went through the system unchecked. somehow able to get their hand on a gun. that is absolutely part of the conversation. >> and the problem is, none of these people look or act alike. so we thought we had an idea of who was behind the mass shootings. young, white, maladjusted. now we're talking about christopher dorner, very well adjusted black man who was a police officer. and he's on a rampage right now. so there's no way to know who they are. when they're going to strike. >> there's no foolproof profile, but there certainly is most would argue the common ingredient of, they're all -- you know, they all have some mental -- some issues going on in their heads that somehow were not detected early enough, no one in their family or school or church or office had the power to say -- >> something's up. >> something's up with this guy. >> let's call some people. >> get this before it turns tragic. that's a lesson we keep learning the very hard way in this country. >> unfortunately. still ahead, you hear the stories. people getting discovered in all kinds of places. >> we'll introduce you to a young walmart employee who was passing the time with a song. then she became a youtube sensation. you're watching "world news now." sensation. you're watching "world news now." ♪ oh, play me some mountain music ♪ ♪ like grandma and grandpa used to play ♪ ♪ then i'll float on down the river ♪ talent can be found in all kinds of places, not on this show. but moving on. consider the case of a young woman passing the time at her job in walmart simply by singing. >> thanks to a customer with an ear for music, this talented cashier is now a youtube sensation. abc's steve osunsami has her story. ♪ i'm proud to be a coal miner's daughter ♪ >> reporter: she's proof there's big talent in small places. 21-year-old kayla sloan was toiling away in the checkout lane at this walmart in west virginia when a customer noticed her singing a tune. and then pulled out an iphone to record the magic. little did she know the video would catch fire on the internet. ♪ my coat of many colors >> reporter: this is coal mining country. her husband is a coal miner, her grandfather, too. she told us she's had big dreams for years. but never thought there's any chance they could come true. >> i never even thought that it would make it that far. i honestly thought that people would see me and enjoy it. but as far as it making -- making it that far, i never even dreamed. i'm hoping to be on the grand ole opry. ♪ take the ribbon from my hand >> reporter: when she was 15, she and her brother cobbled together what little they had to record this homemade album that no one heard. but now she's a hit. at least in the mountains and certainly at the walmart she calls her second home. ♪ we were poor but we had love, that's the one thing my daddy made sure of ♪ >> i've actually had people come through my line and be like, can i have your autograph? or will you sing me a song? i start singing. ♪ lord, forgive me for what i do, you want him, well it's up to you ♪ >> reporter: she now sings at her register, in the break room, and underneath the valentine's day balloons that are for sale. she says she'll never give up. no matter how small the stage. steve osunsami, abc news, atlanta. >> she's going to make it. she's already made it. >> she made national news. big hit on youtube. some producer, some reality show executive is going to see that and go, book her. done. that's all it takes these days. she's going to be a star. >> honey boo-boo, here we come. >> i'm telling you. she can sing, though. i admire the persistence. >> good for her. >> no matter how small the stage. that was a nice line, steve. i agree. so keep on rocking. coming up, it's almost polka time on this friday morning and a little surprise for our new anchor. stay with us, everybody. surprise for our new anchor. stay with us, everybody. ing. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ ahh ! mmm ! ahh ! finally, there's cepacol sensations. serious sore throat medicine, seriously great taste. plus the medicine lasts long after the lozenge is gone. ahh ! mmm ! cepacol sensations. well, my new permanent co-anchor, the lovan well, my new permanent co-anchor, the lovely diana perez, she has now completed her first full week with us here on "world news now." >> wow. >> the entire week now in the books and already we have learned many, many interesting things about you, my dear. >> yes. >> this has been an educational week. for example, we know that her husband deuces is an anchor there for our abc affiliate. >> why do we keep showing that ugly face he made? >> in philadelphia. and he will now have overnight feeding duty for their infant son. deuces is a good guy doing his thing there in philly. so we learned that. and then we have this little guy right here, your 4 1/2-month-old son, you're a first-time mom, devon. adorable baby. >> thank you. >> and the love of your life. >> i love him to death. can't get enough. >> no. he's an adorable kid. i'll give you that. absolutely. and we also learned about diana's celebrity crush, penelope cruz. >> well, yes. >> which is my favorite thing i learned here. we'll talk more about that privately. but in the meantime, a very special polka with barry mitchell! ♪ born in philly, raised in queens, worked in boston for baked beans ♪ ♪ that's the perez polka ♪ we've picked a winner and it shows, just try not to pick your nose ♪ ♪ that's the perez polka ♪ i hope you read the fine print in your contract, it's a beaut ♪ ♪ twice a week you're at the theme park wearing mickey's suit ♪ ♪ look your alma mater's here with a rousing college cheer ♪ >> the hofstra hempstead cheer leaders! ♪ ♪ folks out there are half asleep, so how come all the fuss ♪ ♪ your husband's name is deuces but you're aces with us ♪ ♪ our youngest insomniac, that's the perez polka ♪ ♪ we knew that you were qualified the first time that you spoke ♪ ♪ we hired you because you laughed at each rob nelson joke ♪ ♪ just remember dignity has no place at half past 3:00 ♪ >> oh, that's okay. ♪ that's the perez polka >> welcome, diana perez. let's hear it! and we have a special something for you from cheerleading coach christina ferino. where is it over there? here we go. this is for you. were you a cheerleader back in your college days? these guys, seven times national champions. eight times or seven times? eight times national champions. >> thank you so much! >> two majoorie two major stories we're following on "world news now." first, blizzard warnings and hurricane force winds expected just hours from now in the northeast. why this storm could go down in the record books. and the developing story from southern california. the major manhunt for an ex-cop accused of killing three people and promising to kill again. accused of killing three people and promising to kill again. it's friday, february 8th. captions paid for by abc, inc. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everybody. on this very busy friday morning. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. accuweather updates us on the blizzard, and we'll get the very latest from l.a. on the manhunt. >> terrifying story out west. also this morning or colleague robin roberts has announced when she is returning to "good morning america." a big update on her road to recovery as she gets ready to get up early once again and head back to the studio. and later on, the party invitation that's outraged whitney houston's mother, cissy. we'll explain this emotional situation coming up in "the skinny." a mammoth storm that will be hitting the northeast, bringing brutal hurricane force winds. get this, on top of the wind, possibly up to two feet of snow. >> storm warnings are posted from green bay to portland. schools and workplaces are closing while transit systems and airport operations are in crisis mode. we begin with abc's chuck sivertsen. >> reporter: after back-to-back blizzards two years ago and the unforgettable wrath of superstorm sandy, mother nature is unleashing a winter storm so intense, the snowfall could be the worst in a century. the warnings could not be clearer. >> stay off the streets of our city. basically, stay home. >> reporter: a snowstorm that hit the great lakes with snow and ice is joining another storm in the south to form a monster nor'easter. as many as 23 million people are in the path. some coastal areas hit by hurricane sandy are in the bull's eye of a prolonged storm. some of sandy's survivors still living in tents on new york's staten island will have to move. floods threaten the northeast shoreline for thousands of miles. it's a dreaded sense of deja vu. along the new jersey shore. >> i think i'm going to have to move my things upstairs and see what happens. >> in case it floods? >> yeah. >> reporter: salt truck and plow operators from pennsylvania to maine are ready for a long haul. >> it will probably be a long four days. you know? which is tough on anybody. >> reporter: fears of power outages sent people to the supermarkets to stock up. and to the gas stations to fill up. sales of generators are brisk, and travelers have been changing their plans, rebooking flights to avoid agonizing airline delays. >> u.s. air relaxed their policies. so i don't have to may anything. >> reporter: thousands of flights will be canceled. a necessary precaution when up to two feet of snow may fall in a storm that's destined for the record books. chuck sivertson, abc news, new york. >> this storm could bring the heaviest snowfall for some areas in a century. >> our coverage continues as meteorologist jim dicky at accuweather. good morning, jim. >> a crippling snowstorm expected here today. two systems colliding. area of low pressure strengthening as we head through the afternoon off the eastern seaboard here. watching the corridor from new york city on north and eastward. blizzard conditions from long island up on through bangor, maine, as we head through the overnight. worst conditions from noontime on. but the worst of the worst occurs around 7:00 p.m. tonight on through the early morning hours. by the time all is said and done, many spots one to two feet of snow. rob and diana, back to you. >> our thanks to jim. now to our other top story. the intense search in southern california for suspected triple killer christopher dorner. right now they're focusing on the big bear lake area about 80 miles east of los angeles. that's where dorner's burnt out pickup truck was discovered. dorner, an ex-cop, is wanted for killing a police officer, a popular basketball coach, and her fiance. abc's nick watt reports on the motive. >> reporter: 33-year-old christopher dorner lives here in orange county with his mother. a forensic psychologist who just read his manifesto has a startling conclusion. dorner was never planning to return home. >> i think he wants to kill as many people as he can. and -- >> and then be killed? >> and then be killed. >> reporter: four years ago he says when he was fired by the lapd, he claimed a colleague kicked a detainee. the department disagreed. the former chief who once met dorner doesn't remember the case. >> believe me, the department goes through exhaustive efforts, and there are a multiple series of trials and reviews before an officer would be discharged. >> reporter: no one grows up and wants to be a cop killer, wrote dorner. it was against everything i ever was. in his sometimes rambling 6,000-word statement, dorner said he wants to clear his name and expose corruption. >> he knows what he's doing. >> reporter: but why now? dorner was honorably discharged from the u.s. navy reserve just last friday after ten years' service. including a tour in the persian gulf. was that the trigger for this killing spree? or evidence of careful planning? >> i have more questions than i do have answers at this point. >> reporter: if dorner gets his apparent wish, if he is killed, we might never know the whole truth. nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> wow. and this 6,000 word manifesto gives some scary insight into what he is thinking. there's one part in the document where he writes, self-preservation is no longer important to me. i do not fear death, as i died long ago on 1/2/09, referring to the day he was fired. >> right. >> from the force here. so this is a guy as you heard from the piece who is looking to kill and be killed. that's what makes him so dangerous. >> this manifesto is interesting. he kind of switches between completely insane and 100% lucid. >> yes. >> he talks about two different political figures and different stars on television almost like this is something he now has a platform. and unfortunately, he does. because this is such a big story. we have to talk about it. we have to talk about him. but experts say he's not crazy. he's just narcissistic. >> exactly. >> it's all about him. >> it's a sickness in terms of that it drove him to murder. but he's very much like you heard, aware of what he's doing. he mentioned celebrities. in the same manifesto he talked about ellen degeneres. he talked about larry david. charlie sheen and celebrity chief anthony bordain. so in this mix of talking about his life, his tribulations, these celebrity things intertwined. he also sent a package to anderson cooper. >> we'll get into that later on. you'll see what was in the package. just looking for attention and he's obviously getting it and he's -- he's getting it in more ways than one. and we need to find him. >> absolutely. >> they need to find him. >> exactly. that's why the l.a. area, understandably, is very much on edge. >> on edge tonight. that's true. in other news this morning, boeing has been given the okay to run test flights on its 787 dreamliner. even though one jet flew from texas to washington state yesterday, the entire fleet of 787 passenger planes remains grounded. the upcoming flight will be used to test the plane's lithium ion batteries. the giant jets were taken out of service after one battery caused a fire and another smoldered during a flight. airline analysts predict if and when american airlines merges with us airways, fares could go up simply because there will be less competition. fares, in fact, have gone up 20% since 2009. industry experts also say there could be an emergence of discount carriers looking for business. the merger is expected to be announced next week, but will still need regulatory approval. in a small texas school district, there are a lot of double-takes going on this semester. >> that's for sure. that's because there are 14, yeah, 14 sets of twins roaming those halls. the twins are not all identical. but those who are shared stories of switching places. >> some of the kids say their parents are urging them to dress differently to make it less confusing for their teachers. now, this is a great story. but interesting fact, this is not a record. i did a story in connecticut. this is a school district in texas. i did a story where in one high school there are 14 sets of twins in one school. and a lot of these kids had come up through, you know, elementary school, middle school, high school and they were sad they were going to be separated once college came. but they are the record holders. guinness book of world records. >> how long ago did you do that story? >> that was probably 2 1/2 years ago. >> okay. >> yeah. so some of them have -- most of them have already graduated. >> in this latest case in texas only one set of the twins is actually a boy/girl combo. the rest of them are same sex. isn't that interesting? >> wow. yeah. there were a lot of boy/girl combos in the story i did. so cool. >> would you want a twin? >> always. my entire life i wanted a twin. >> really? >> my entire life i wanted a twin. and i want to have twins. >> so you're not done with the one kid? is that what you're saying? >> that's what i'm saying on television. >> you heard that, deuces. >> hey, baby. >> have a wonderful valentine's day. coming up later in the show, why justin bieber is complaining, even though he's hitting a big musical milestone. >> that's true. and robin roberts' recovery and the date she and her doctors have set to return to "good morning america." you're watching "world news now." 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mmm ! ahh ! finally, there's cepacol sensations. serious sore throat medicine, seriously great taste. plus the medicine lasts long after the lozenge is gone. ahh ! mmm ! cepacol sensations. with olay, here's how. new regenerist eye and lash duo the cream smooths the look of lids... softens the look of lines. the serum instantly thickens the look of lashes. and the award for wow! eyes in just one week goes to you. ♪ ♪ ♪ we have some excellent news to pass along to you this morning about our friend and colleague, robin roberts. >> she has officially announced when she will return to the airwaves. abc's linzie janis reports on robin's recovery and how she is preparing for the big return. >> robin, this is a moment we have been waiting for. >> reporter: "good morning america's" robin roberts has been cleared by her doctors to return to work. she's been testing her strength, running through shows and winding her alarm clock back to 3:45 a.m. and now we have a date. >> wednesday, february 20th. exactly five months to the day she had her bone marrow transplant. >> reporter: robin rejoins co-host george stephanopoulos and the rest of the "gma" gang. and they aren't the only ones welcoming her home. >> robin roberts is coming back to the show. >> oh, my god. >> welcome back, robin. >> robin, i love you. god bless you. >> i am delighted to know that robin is coming back on the air. >> welcome back, robin! >> reporter: just last week, robin returned to her hometown in mississippi for the first time since her bone marrow transplant. watching the super bowl and celebrating her recovery with family. >> i feel mother's spirit. i feel daddy's spirit. and i know that from their heavenly balcony right now, they are celebrating. >> reporter: it was robin's sister, sally ann, who donated the bone marrow robin needed to get better. her blood disorder was a side effect of chemotherapy she received as part of her breast cancer treatment back in 2007. when she returns, robin will be eased back in, working her way back up to five days a week. she says she can't wait. linzie janis, abc news, new york. >> it is wonderful, wonderful to see her. now, she eased her way back in. so it's nice to see that she's finally going to -- we're going to see her. >> february 20th is the big day. she's had a miraculous recovery. i've said it on the air before. i'll say it again. she is one of the most grounded, down to earth, real home, genuine human beings, don't let all the tv stuff go to her head, people in this entire building. so we're all just happy she's back and wish her nothing but the best. the show is not the same without her there. >> i know. we'll finally start tuning back in, robin. >> we'll see you in a few days. coming up, outcry over insensitivity from whitney houston's mother. and justin bieber's upset, even though he's hit a musical milestone. next in "the skinny." er. and justin bieber's upset, even though he's hit a musical milestone. next in "the skinny." ♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ skinny, so skinny skinny in the house! >> welcome to "the skinny," everybody. we're starting with whitney houston's mom, cissy, who is very upset. so she got an invitation to collide davis's grammy party. now, as you may remember, it was the annual party last year or leading up to the annual party last year that whitney houston died in the hotel. >> she performed at that party, remember that? last year. and then later that night went to the hotel and that's when she passed away. because the next night was the grammys. something like that. yeah. >> so anyway, mom says she got the invitation. she called it obscene. she says she has no idea why they would want me to come to the party in which she died. she called it unheard of. but she did say she probably -- she thinks they sent it to her for remembrance's sake. she's not attending the party. she's not attending the grammys. she did admit she will be tuning in to watch. and all of this kind of ties into the fact that she also just released a book which bobbi kristina tweeted out, saying it was disrespectful to her and her mother. to which cissy says she's grieving. we get it. we know she's grieving, but she knows that i love her. >> a lot of houston family drama. the daughter and the relationship with bobbi and all this kind of stuff. >> lots of drama. >> it's not obscene to be invited. it's obviously a sign of respect. clyde made whitney a star. >> the entire family is still grieving. so it's got to be a sensitive subject. >> one other sad note before we move on to some lighter news. we wanted to give our respects to stuart freeborn. he passed away at the age of 98 in london. you may not know the name or face, but you know his work. he was the makeup genius behind "star wars." he's the one who did chee chewbacca and java the hut. had a six decade career in film. he did "2001 space odyssey," but his claim to fame was "star wars" and george lucas released an incredibly flattering statement saying he was already a legend in the business before he even came to the set of "star wars." but just wanted to note that passing and send thoughts and love to the family. but everyone loves "star wars." >> absolutely. incredible man, incredible work. justin bieber has become the first artist with five number one albums before his 19th birthday. >> wow, before 19. >> before he hit 19, this man has -- this boy, this teenager has five number one albums on the billboard 200. "believe acoustic" debuts atop the list with 211,000 copies sold. but great success and great tragedy, i guess if you can call it tragedy. he's never been nominated for a grammy. >> i don't think tragedy is the word. >> maybe not tragic. i can't think of a word. great success comes great -- a little bit less success. also, weird content here for a reality show. apparently the mandela family, yes, as in nelson mandela, that family is jumping into the reality tv game. >> what? >> he himself obviously has had health issues. he's not going to be in the show. but his two 30-something granddaughters will be followed by the tv cameras as they kind of do their motherhood thing in johannesburg as well as his controversial ex-wife winnie will be in the piece as well. the 13-episode first season will debut very soon. they're doing the press tours and everything. it should be interesting. we usually don't get a personal peek into this anti-apartheid icon and his family. but apparently, hey -- >> this man has been in and outside of the hospital. he is a sick man. >> hey, it's reality tv. >> you've got to sign up if they give it to you. really quickly, john mayer is admitting he was a jerk to ex-girlfriends. we've all seen john mayer and those beautiful women he's dated. jessica simpson, jennifer anniston. now he's dating katy perry. he's going to be on cbs this sunday morning with charles osgood. on february 10th. he's basically admitting he was a jerk to his girlfriends. but he is a new man. >> girls like the bad boys. >> that's true. ue. ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm janelle monáe. and i'm a covergirl. ♪ have something new to say. ahh ! mmm ! ahh ! mmm ! ahh ! mmm ! because finally, there's cepacol sensations. the serious medicine for sore throats, with a seriously great taste. plus, the medicine lasts long after the lozenge is gone. ahh ! but don't take our word for it. ahh ! word of mouth is always better. ahh ! mmm ! mmm ! try cepacol sensations. serious medicine. seriously great taste. this is another! ta-daa! try charmin ultra strong. it cleans so well and you can use up to four times less than the leading value brand. oh! there it is. thanks son. hey! [ female announcer ] charmin ultra strong has a duraclean texture that can help you get clean while still using less. and it's four times stronger versus the leading value brand. charmin ultra strong helps keep you and your underwear clean. we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra strong? ♪ it is finally friday. almost time to get the party started. >> ready to roll. >> you always roll your eyes at me, by the way. >> do i really? >> yeah. like, you're like, oh, god. this one again. >> no. i didn't even notice that. did i do that? >> yeah. >> nothing personal. >> it's okay. >> i roll my eyes at the week. from a super bowl blackout to a tense hostage standoff, it's been again another very busy news week. here's a look back at our friday rewind. >> we're not going to wait until the next newtown. >> we've identified gaping holes in the background checks. it's really become what is america's dirty little secret about these background checks. >> the suspect's mother, she may have reached out to mr. kyle to try and help her son. and we kind of have an idea that maybe that's why they were at the range, for some type of therapy. >> at the time i had plans to commit suicide. um, so i was extremely confident that no jury would convict me because i didn't expect any of you to be here. >> mr. dykes was observed holding a gun. at this point, fbi agents fearing the child was in imminent danger, entered the bunker and rescued the child. ♪ >> we lost power. i don't know what happened. >> i just knew with jim harbaugh being on the other sideline and all those years we've been together, that that game was going to be a dog fight right to the end. >> when washington is the biggest obstacle to economic growth, we have a problem. while big banks and lenders built mortgage backed bonds, it was s&p's faulty ratings that detonated them. >> i have a message for california businesses. come check out texas. >> it's not a burp. it's barely a fart. >> celebrity birthday today. chris christie turns 50. he blew out the candles on his cake and he wished for another cake. >> i don't like to get emotional, but i know exactly what he's going through. >> today you can see that i'm alive. i can speak. i can see you. i can see everyone. and i'm getting better day by day. it's just because of the prayers of people. >> that's a lot of interesting stuff. >> that girl is so inspiring. i love her comeback and just what her life kind of represents to everybody now. >> yeah. she's a wonderful, remarkable young lady. that's for sure. >> i'm not rolling my eyes at that. >> i'm sorry. i'm sorry. this morning, northeast knockout. >> millions are bracing for blizzard conditions today. a damaging storm already causing transportation shutdowns, school closures and more. we have the very latest forecast. it was a very anxious night across southern california. at least one town on lockdown, as police search for a suspected cop-killer with an online manifesto. new details emerging overnight. a developing story from texas. an e-mail hacking investigation involving the bush family. did a hacker break into e-mail accounts of both former presidents? and defeated. a stunner in college basketball. another number one team toppled. good friday morning, everybody. we do begin with the madness blizzard that is about to unload tons of snow and heavy winds on the northeast. >> forecasters say it could be the worst storm in a century. airlines have already grounded more than 2,600 flights. schools are closed in boston and a number of other cities. starting this afternoon, amtrak is suspending service between new york and new england. >> the worst of the storm is expected to hit this evening, with hurricane-force winds. we begin our coverage, n
versions of how reeva steenkamp was killed last thursday. pistorius will be tried for premeditated murder. he claims he thought an intruder was in his bathroom, so he shot through the door. only after breaking down that door did he realize he had shot his girlfriend. >> i'm not lawyer, but here's my question. your girlfriend is spending the night. you wake up, she's not there. you think there's an intruder in the bathroom, but you don't know where she is. >> he says he thought she was still in bed. that's what he's saying. he's saying he got up, saw there was something going on with the screen door. went to the check it out, never looked at the bed. that's what he's saying. called for her to call police, but what's going to -- what prosecutors and the defense experts are saying is going to really be the key here in the premeditated murder is whether or not he put on his legs, his prosthetic legs. >> to measure that, they're going to see where those bullets came through the door. >> which means he got out of his bed, had time to think about it, put on the prosthetics, then go seek what was going on. so did he really not know his girlfriend was there? this story is getting more and more bizarre. and willis brought up a good point. that's another point. if the girlfriend and boyfriend are in bed together and having these moments right before valentine's door, why would she lock the door to the bathroom? >> thank you. >> we're going to bring willis into every one of our chats. >> please don't. more serious news. the death toll from a missile strike in the syrian district of aleppo has reportedly climbed to more than 30. almost half of them children. abc's terry moran has more on the new normal inside syria. >> reporter: smoke billowed from a strike on the outskirts of the downtown. the suburbs are the battleground, for now. [ explosions ] in a damascus suburb, government air strikes have reduced much of the place to rubble. as they have in the northern city of aleppo, where they were pulling more bodies from the wreckage. but all sides suffer in this war. we went to a wake for a beloved local politician in damascus. he was kidnapped and burned to death in his car by jihadist rebels who claimed credit on the internet we were told. there was almost nothing left of him, his brother told us. rebel mortar fire landed near assad's palace. that's a first. you look in the eyes of so many people, you see a different kind of wound, the fear is real. near of what tomorrow may bring to damascus. terry moran, abc news, damascus, syria. former congressman jesse jackson jr. and his wife are due in court, expected to plead guilty to federal charges. he's accused of spending $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items, including a $40,000 gold rolex. his wife, a former chicago lawmaker, sandra jackson, is charged with filing false tax returns. vice president biden tells americans they do not need assault weapons to scare off bad guys, just use a shotgun. his response came in response to a facebook question about responsible gun ownership. >> look what the democrats are doing. joe saying i got two shotguns. obama saying look at my picture. they're trying to walk this line -- >> we're not against the 2nd amendment. it's all theater. here's a look at your wednesday weather. denver will see snow by this afternoon. that storm will move into the plains. showers for oklahoma city, dallas and houston. another frigid day for the upper midwest. minneapolis 10 degrees, boston, new york and baltimore, upper 30s. spring arrives one month from today, march 20. for the first time in 16 years, we'll hear the classic gray poupon "pardon me" ad. it begins just as stuffy as the original, with a chauffeured british aristocrat. >> it goes in a different direction, though. it has an action packed ending, complete with a high-speed chase. >> do you remember those? >> oh, yeah, of course. pardon me, do you have any gray poupon. >> i remember it, too. coming up, as we reflect on our old age, we asked you to ask us anything. so stay tuned for our answers. >> and who's pushing for better preschool programs across this country? what it could mean for your young kids, thirsty for knowledge. you're watching "world news now." [ female announcer ] going to sleep may be easy, but when you wake up in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ full of beautiful highlights and lowlights. that's why nice'n easy builds dimension into every shade. so here's a challenge: love the gorgeous dimension of nice'n easy or we'll pay for a salon color. take the salon challenge, from nice'n easy. and now hot pink toes. seems tough for a tough dog like duke. but when it has anything to do with gwen, he's putty in her hands. for a love this strong, duke's family only feeds him iams. compared to other leading brands, it has 50% more animal protein... ...to help keep his body as strong as a love that can endure anything... even every fashion trend. iams. keep love strong. last week, president obama called for publicly funded preschool to be available to every american child. and now education department commission is recommending that happen within ten years. >> abc's devin dwyer reports on the president's plan and what it could mean for kids. >> reporter: preschool for all is a simple idea. like learning your food groups. but giving every american child free access to classrooms like this one in atlanta is a bold new plan. >> not just babysitting, we're not just child care, we're really getting children ready for the next step in their education. >> reporter: 1 in 3 youngsters in the u.s. don't get that chance, prompting president obama to propose expanding the nation's public education system to help them. >> if you're looking for a good bang for your educational buck, this is it, right here. >> reporter: the plan could cost up to $10. 5 billion per year by one estimate. it's a bill obama says should be split between the federal and state governments. >> it's expensive. when you're talking about young children, you have to have very different ratios than you do in k-12 education. >> reporter: many of the nation's top economists, including several here at the university of chicago, say the cost is worth it. preschool for all, especially low income kids, can mean big savings for taxpayers down the road. >> we get a r cents on the dollar for each year of each upfront investment. >> reporter: economist james heckman says skipping pre-k by kids in poor families comes with a cost, too. >> it reduces crime, a society that's more engaged in a sense of employment and so forth. that's where the economic return comes. >> reporter: only five states offer preschool for all children. several have struggled to meet their goals. in georgia, 8,000 kids are on a waiting list. the state's high school graduation rate remains one of the lowest in the nation. >> universal pre-k is more difficult to do because you're opening it up to a larger group of children. and so that requires more funding. >> reporter: a wish that may seem more pipe dream than possibility. though advocates insist universal preschool still stands a chance. >> short term cost, long-term gains. >> how is this not a thing already? coming up next, you asked, we answered. >> we're going to up our "world news now" inbox and find out what you want to know. stay with us. ♪ all the little birds on jay bird street ♪ ♪ love the way the robin goes tweet, tweet, tweet ♪ song of the day around here at abc. today is the day our robin roberts is officially back five months to the day after undergoing a bone marrow transpant. robin returns to "good morning america" in a few short hours. i'm sure she's getting out of bed right about now. >> that's right. and it is our honor and privilege to say, welcome back, robin. we all love you very, very much. can't wait to see you. >> and it's time now for our "world news now" in box segment where you ask us anything and we have to answer whether we like it or not. >> our first question comes from sherylyn. can you do a segment on willis? is he married? does he have a family? what he likes to do when he's not at work. >> well, a little background first in the form of willis' greatest hits. >> yes, i've been in bed with willis for years, and he's quite a company man, if you know what i mean. >> oh, yeah, i like that. >> willis' pic right there. there he is right there. >> oh, yeah, oh, yeah. right between the eyes i got him. >> so willis, answer the question, are you -- the woman out there wants to know whether you're married or not? >> no, i am not married. >> how many girlfriends you got? >> i have a few young ladies i know, yes. >> what do you like to do when you're not at work? besides hanging out with your young ladies. >> he just answered that. >> i like to have a good time, enjoy myself. go places, do things. all that kind of good stuff. >> and we should explain, willis is back for a few weeks. but you've been retired sense the end of 2010. but you're back temporarily. we love having you back, despite our trash talk. all right. our next question, i woonlder if both of them are wearing clothes on their legs behind the table or if they just sit there in underwear and nice tops. >> buck naked. >> i ain't not nothing going on. >> there it is. >> i wear my prom dress underneath this table. >> normal suit, there you go. >> we look normal. >> nothing freaky deky underneath the desk. it's a family show. finally this from doug, why do you two awesome people sit there with two empty wnn coffee cups? >> these things are, yeah, they are empty. sometimes we put snacks in them. >> or our pens. >> and no, you cannot order them. they just look good on the desk. these were gifts for our 20th anniversary two years ago. >> this is also how i beam my messages to the aliens out there who i know are watching. >> really? willis, take these to a few of your ladies. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. hd 8. low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. but all i do to be broadcast ready damages my hair and scalp. then i uncovered head & shoulders damage rescue. it relieved my scalp and rescued my damaged hair. the proof? see it tonight, at eleven. head & shoulders damage rescue. ♪ okay. that's the midweek special. >> and also for this story, a pastor in chicago is responding to changing times with a unique solution and that's why this is our boom, favorite story of the day. >> that's right. he's trying to get the attention of young people by rapping his sermons. frank matthew from wls reports. >> reporter: university church on the university of chicago campus. it's headed now by 29-year-old pastor julian deshozzier. he's chicago born and raised and a graduate of divinity school. he rehearsed a sermon for us and explained the difficulties of preaching in a changing, much younger world. >> it's a challenge. i mean, we don't throw away the old classic message of the gospel or of love or peace and courage, because those are words that the church needs to continue to own. but we have to repackage them. >> reporter: and he repackages religion in a very unusual way. he's also a professional rapper, and preaches religion with rhyme. >> sometimes you have to do a little hip-hop, too. >> reporter: during a sermon? >> if need me. ♪ i'm trying to live it like christ ♪ >> reporter: as a rapper around the chicago area, the reverend is known as jay quest. >> what it really does is hopefully lead people into a greater understanding and awareness of themselves and their god. >> reporter: he's been preaching for ten years, he's been rapping professionally for about five years. they don't seem like they go together. but apparently they do. >> i don't think that i rap religion, though. i think that i rap about life, and i rap about the narratives of all of our experiences. i think that's the same thing that sermons are about. >> reporter: sermons and rap, the two have met. frank mathy, abc 7 news. >> whatever it takes. >> whatever gets the message out there is a good thing. so different people respond to different things. i like it. >> especially if you want to get to the younger demographic. that's what they listen to. >> why not? >> preach it, my brother. >> we could to the 2nd baptist biscuit -- >> amen. >> i like to at this moment focus on brother willis chambers. willis back on the overnight show, don't know why they let him hout, but the lord is going to let him back in. just pray for that boy. this morning on "world news now," missouri inferno. a gas explosion and huge fire burns shops and restaurants in kansas city. >> what investigators have already uncovered as cadaver dogs are brought to the scene. it's wednesday, february 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we'll get to the latest on the injuries and the search for answers after last night's major fire in kansas city. also this morning, the fear that raced through southern california after a gunman went on a violent shooting rampage. what detectives are uncovering. >> it's so weird how getting these e-mails during the day, another shooting, another shooting. it's hard to say whether more of these are happening or whether we're covering them more. but more violence. >> you hear a lot about shootings, but it's mass shootings. >> this one seemingly random as some of the others. for the first time, police are letting us hear in great deal the alleged plans to kill singer justin bieber. some evidence just being released. later on this half hour, every family could use a little guidance. but how about advice on parenting from a team of esteemed experts? >> is there one thing that you have learned that you had no about five months ago? >> what they say about them growing and developing quickly is true. we're not disciplining him yet, which is probably going to create a terror. >> he's running the house, isn't he? of course. >> but before you know it, they're growing up and doing all kinds of things you don't even realize. >> he'll be going to college next week. that's how it goes. don't cry. it's too early in the show. before all of that, the blast in kansas city we told you about a second ago was so powerful it shook windows and doors of homes and businesses blocks away. >> now investigators are looking into whether a gas leak may have triggered the explosion and the fire. abc's chuck sivertsen has the latest. >> reporter: dozens of firefighters battled a massive blaze in kansas city. the force of the blast leveled the restaurant, sending broke glass and building materials. a huge fireball engulfed the entire city block. thick, black smoke filled the air and could be seen for miles. >> this was a happy hour at a restaurant. there were patron in the restaurant. the investigation is ongoing, but it does seem like abvent. it doesn't appear to be foul play. >> reporter: witnesses say the explosion was so loud and powerful, it could be felt half mile a way. residents were asked to evacuate. >> the ground just shook. it sounded like -- i mean, it was just a giant explosion. >> reporter: several people who were injured were taken to area hospitals. most of the injuries were lacerations from flying glass. firefighters were investigating complaints of a smell of gas. patrons were asked to leave the building. >> i'm just keeping my fingers crossed this turns out to be a relatively low number compared to what it could have been. >> reporter: chuck sivertsen, abc news, new york. >> there were original reports that there may have been a car that crash swod the building and hit the main -- the gas main and that's what created it, but police have not been able to establish that is the case. so that's definitely going to be interesting to see what is causing this. >> they're going to search that scene throughout the night. just as a precaution, they did bring in some cadaver dogs just in case there are any fatalities. that's going to be a developing story throughout the day. you can see from the video how dramatic the fire was. four people including the gunman are dead in southern california after a bizarre shootishoot ing spree. it started when a college student killed a woman at his home and sped away. next he carjacked and shot a man. then he approached another victim at a gas station. >> he said, i don't want to hurt you. i killed somebody. today is my last day. give me your keys. >> two people were killed for their cars before he took his own life, as police closed in. they say his motive remains a mystery. we're getting new details this morning of that foiled plot to kidnap and kill singer justin bieber. reports surfaced in december alleging that a convicted killer and rapest had hired two men to murder and even castrate the 18-year-old pop star. for the first time, we're hearing recordings of a phone call made from a prison in new mexico. police say a 45-year-old dana martin telling one of the hitmen how to strangle bieber and his bodyguard using a scarf. >> martin was said to be infatuated with bieber. police say he wanted the singer dead after attempts to contact him had failed. a followup now to that incident that caused an aerospace agent his job. 60-year-old joe hundley will plead not guilty to a charge of simple assault. he's now free on bond, but cannot drink alcohol or possess firearms. those are the conditions of his release. he's accused of slapping a 2-year-old boy, on top of that using a racial slur during a delig flight two weeks ago. last night, president obama called the three key gop players on the issue in the senate. john mccain, lindsay graham and marco rubio. details of a backup immigration plan were leaked over the weekend. and general john allen who had -- has announced his retireme retirement. he says his wife has stood by him for more than 35 years. the president praised allen while accepting his allegation. >> according to a report in "the washington post," the wife has several chronic health issues, including auto immune disorder. he said in an interview, "for a long time i told her when you can't bear this anymore, just tell me and i'll drop my resignation letter." he said he no longer wants to place the pressure of that decision on her. look, everyone looks at things and says was this related to the petraeus e-mail scandal. he was e-mailing that woman in florida. he says it has no relation to that. >> and he was cleared from that. and he is still with his wife and he was able to keep his job. so looking into the future, our own martha raddatz says the replacement is a air force general named phillip breedlove. >> these two had become close and now he has this position to fill. there's some interesting politics going on in terms of the nation's national security and foreign policy. >> let's get this done. >> he was nominated for the most prestigious overseas military position. >> >> it's taken a few days but now we're getting details about that round of golf that president obama played with tiger woods in florida on sunday. woods is now in arizona getting ready for a tournament and he walled mr. obama "pretty cool." woods said the president hit the ball well in tough conditions and joked about how the round came about in the first place. >> yeah, he calls up and says hey, tiger, you want to play? >> he does not. >> okay. obviously there is a process that's involved and i was invited to play. >> he said that's simply an invitation you do not turn down. woods said if the president ever spent more time playing golf he could get to where he's actually pretty good player. >> one person from the "golf digest" was there, a member of the club. first time i've seen tiger woods smile in a very long time. >> he's slowly getting his groove back, in a good way. now to something that's truly an honor and privilege to report and something we're happy to share with you this morning. >> this morning marks robin robert's return to "good morning america." we'll be back at the anchor this morning aside the whole "gma" team, george, sam, josh and lara. >> it's been five days since she had her bone marrow transplant. we're so happy she's coming back. >> she's let those cameras into every stage of the process. she's really been -- she could not have been more open or more welcoming. i think she found power in letting people see what she was going through. she's not alone in battling illness in this country and she's been gracious and bounced back so well. >> i think she's been an empowering voice for people going through the same thing. >> welcome back. coming up, forget gasoline. see who is fuelling a car with coffee. >> and american roman catholics who are hoping the next pope will be from the u.s. see who may be up for the top job at the vatican. you're watching "world news now." when many soles pass through the most trodden areas of your home, your vacuum doesn't always pick up what's left behind. only the resolve easy clean system has foam power to stop dirt in its tracks. it penetrates deep within your carpet, removing 3 times more dirt than vacuuming alone. leaving the busiest areas of your carpets, truly fresh and clean. the resolve easy clean system. don't just vacuum clean. resolve clean. ♪ sing it now. >> we're having a little church. >> feel it going through your veins. in less than two weeks, pope benedict will step down and there are speculations about who is going to replace him. >> so what are the chances of an american becoming the next pope? abc's david wright lets us know. >> reporter: cardinal sean o'malley is a prince of the church who lives like a pauper. even his clothes set him apart. cardinal sean, as he likes to be called, wears the simple brown robes of a monk, plus sandals. even in winter in boston. >> he's a holy man, and a man of simplicity. wouldn't that be a lovely thing to have in a pope. >> reporter: the boston arch diocese he inherited was badly tainted. he sold off the cardinal's residence to pay off the victims and moved into a single room. the church has not always been so responsive. >> any new pope is going to have to look at that issue and speak to it. >> reporter: here in rome, there's been an unwritten rule, no pope from a superpower. but vatican watchers say times have changed. >> people realize a cardinal from the united states is not necessarily going to represent u.s. political interests. >> reporter: o'malley is one of two american names being floated. the other, timmy dolan who scoffed at the idea. >> what about you? >> is this abc evening news or comedy central? >> reporter: and o'malley isn't holding his breath either. >> i haven't lost any sleep about it. and i have bought a round trip ticket. so i'm counting on coming home. >> reporter: in boston, it would be the religious equivalent of the red sox beating the yankees. >> we always liked boston over new york. >> it will be interesting to see how it plays out. >> reporter: both americans are long shots. popes tend to be from europe, especially italy. the last time a non-european pope was chose was 1,000 years before columbus set sail. >> i'm saying there's a chance. >> odds are not on our side. that's what i get from our report. they could go for somebody from the latin american population. a lot of ways they can go with this. it's just fun speculation. >> as far as cardinal timothy dolan goes, he's sure his name is out of the running. not only did he say that to diane, he said the only people talking about hi being the pope are people smoking marijuana. so there you have it. still to come, advice from some of the nation's most successful people. >> could their strategies help your family solve everyday problems? don't go away. you're watching "world news now." ♪ be careful with your daughters, especially if they're hanging out with john mayer. parenting can be tough. >> but a new book is taking a different approach by asking successful people how to create a strong family. abc's juju chang checked it all out. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: think of it this way, you're not a family, you're a team trying to power up every single member. i'll tell you the lesson i learned with my three boys and a special-ops commando. >> get your legs straight. >> reporter: thanks to author bruce feiler, who asked high power sources to help fix the problems we all face in our modern families. >> i felt like as a parent, we were just stuck, we were lost. the shrinks, the self help gurus, those ideas were stale. >> reporter: you have to fight fair, and you can't have a team without a sense of mission. so hold family meetings and really listen. >> what didn't work so well our family this week? >> overreacting. >> reporter: and prepare to be surprised. what bothers families the most? how stressed out and tired today's parents are. in listening to my own children, i learned their favorite times were not ski weekends but the quiet moments when we're just goofing around. and what about money? he asks bankers about giving allowance. the number one thing they say, don't tie money to chores. chores are what we do to take care of each other, not to get paid. in fact, study after study shows all of us are more motivated by pulling for the team than by money. just ask the green berets. >> the team is only as fast as the slowest person. >> reporter: they say top down management doesn't produce as big a win as making everybody part of the plan. ready for this mission? that means the team leader, me, should listen to the rank and file. >> i think we should have the slowest person up front, and then the fastest person in the back. >> reporter: good idea. >> your son felt confident enough to say no, i want to do it a different way, and by the way, he had a good plan. >> if you can accomplish that kind of team work, you can do anything. >> reporter: now, that is mission accomplished. juju chang, abc news, new york. >> some good tips in there. but everyone does it differently. different strokes for different folks. >> that's for sure. you never know what's going to work and what's not going to work. >> that brings us to our facebook question of the day. >> we want to know what is the best parenting advice you have ever received? please share it with us. >> what was the most common bit of advice people told you when you were pregnant about motherhood? >> that it wasn't going to be easy and i have to let my kid cry it out. >> that's tough to hear that sound. >> it's not going to happen, no, my poor baby. >> we'll be back with more after this. my name is marjorie reyes, and i'm a chief warrant officer. i love the fact that quicken loans provides va loans. quicken loans understood the details i know wherever the military sends me, i can depend on quicken loans. woolite everyday, cleans your jeans and won't torture your tanks. woolite washed clothes look like new, longer. in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. 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everybody. time for "the wednesday mix." caffeine is critical, now it's critical for something else, running your car. guiness world records tracked this guy, martin bacon, who used his coffee powered car to get up to 65 miles per hour, the fastest ever speed for this type of vehicle. >> what? >> it doesn't use coffee like what's in your cup, but the waste from production and these pellets are heated in a charcoal fire to break them down into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. any car can run on this gasification process. he's worked on this while and says this is another alternative energy that we could be using here. >> we're always talking about getting away from our dependence on oil. but until they make these cars look like real cars and not these crazy factories on wheels, i'm not driving that. thank you. i've got to stop and put some coffee beans and get stuck on the side of the highway. no thanks. gentleman who did a little research so that he could come up with the most expensive cup of coffee ever. of course it's at starbucks. this is video from his youtube channel. now, he went out and he got himself a 48 shot mocha drizzle protein powder, caramel brulee topping with strawberries and vanilla chips. it cost him $47.30. and by the way, because it was his birthday, he got it for free. so remember all i said, go get it for your birthday, because you get the most expensive cup for free. >> does anybody drink folgers anymore? apparently folks like meteors around the world. according to the online measurement company visible measures, the meteor videos have topped 138 million views, the fastest video event ever to reach 100 million views. crazy, the interest in what happened over in the skies over russia. >> that's incredible. this is a new website called this morning on "world news now," inferno investigation. a gas explosion and fast-moving flames race through a popular kansas city district full of shops and restaurants. >> what investigators are finding this morning after a fire that burned for hours. it's wednesday, february 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we'll get to the kansas city fire investigation in our top story. and also this morning, the costly computer crimes costing the american economy hundreds of billions of dollars a year. the fingers are pointing at china, as the white house today announces plans to fight the hackers. and then -- this is crazy. why hand sanitizer is being singled out in a fire that severely burned an 11-year-old girl. wait until you hear how something so common turned into something so hazardous. you think you're doing the right thing, killing the germs, staying fresh, it's after the flu. and then something like that happens. that story is crazy. >> and where it happened is also crazy. you would think it's the safest place for an accident to not happen. and later on, clyde davis, his tell-all book and a singing star who has a few choice words for him. that's coming up in "the skinny." >> he's having a little battle well a well-known singer. "nightline" revealed an interesting tidbit from his personal life. >> we'll get to all of that. >> all that dirt. >> oh, yeah. but first, crews are working through the overnight hours at the scene of that explosion and the fire in downtown kansas city. >> they brought in cadaver dogs just as a precaution, since the destruction was on a widespread scale. it's believed that a gas leak is what set off this blast. witnesses said there was a strong odor of gas right before the explosion. >> it was happy hour at a restaurant. there were patrons in the restaurant. the investigation is ongoing, but it does seem like an accident and does it appear to be foul play at this time. >> the gas utility says there are early indications that a contractor was doing some underground work nearby and perhaps hit a natural gas line. the u.s. is reportedly poised to strike back as allegations surface about cost cyber attacks blamed on china. sources say the white house will unveil a new report today laying out aggressive steps to fight the cyber crimes. abc's brian ross investigates the latest security breaches that are hitting home. >> reporter: the chinese people's liberation army has more than 2 million personnel. but it's the thousand or so in this nondescript building in shanghai that may pose the biggest threat to the u.s. this is the headquarters of the army's secretive unit number 61398 where, according to the new report, english speaking computer experts spend their days stealing secrets from u.s. companies and hacking into government sites. >> this is an espionage operation run by the chinese people's liberation army, and it's targeting a broad swath of western organizations. >> reporter: among the most troubling targets, american infrastructure sites, including water treatment plants, transportation control centers, pipelines and power grids. >> the only reason you would want to get into the control system for the power grid is to cause damage, destruction and disruption. >> reporter: among the many corporate targets of the chinese hackers, according to u.s. officials, lockheed martin, the country's largest defense contractor and the maker of the f-35 jet fighter. u.s. officials say not surprisingly, the chinese version of the plane has some distinct similarities. >> it's koosting, according to u.s. intelligence, hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of u.s. jobs every year. >> reporter: the u.s. is believed to be doing its own cyber attacks on iran and its nuclear program. but u.s. officials say it's different than the economic espionage being carried out by china and now president obama has ordered u.s. intelligence agencies to help american companies spot and detect the hacking coming from that building in shanghai. brian ross, abc news, new york. and one day after targeting burger king, hackers have taken over the twitter account of another major company. pranksters broke into jeep's page and tweeted that the automaker had been sold to cadillac. the false tweets went out nearly an hour before the company regained control of that account. even the virtually virus free apple has fallen victim also. the company says that a small number of mac computers were infected. this attack at apple's new york offices was similar to one acknowledged at facebook last week. >> the more computerized world we become, this is the aftermath. this is the dirty underside of it all. according to the article in "the new york times," the white house today is going to respond to some of this stuff. "the new york times" said obama administration officials are planning to tell china's new leaders that the volume and sophistication of the attacks have become so intense that they threaten the fundamental relationship between washington and beijing. that could be only interesting words. again, we owe china a lot of money, so how tough can you be to the country to which you owe billions and billions of dollars? >> and china is completely denying this. there was a bbc crew that set up shop outside of that building that brian ross showed you in his piece in shanghai. they were told to hit the record and all their recordings were confiscated. china is saying they have nothing to do with it. it's going to be a little he said, he said here. >> there was a foreign minister who said, to make groundless accusations based on some rough material is neither responsible or professional. that's china's response. so maybe some tough months ahead. >> i would say, international relations for sure. a girl in oregon is recovering from burns after a fire her parents believe was started by hand sanitizer. 11-year-old ireland lane was a patient at a children's hospital in portland. her father believes the alcohol-based hand sanitizer was ignited by a spark of static electricity of his daughter playing with her bed sheets. >> i've been in medicine 30 years now. i've never heard of anything like this, and hopefully never will again. >> she suffered third degree burns to nearly 1/5th of her entire body. she's already had someone skin graph surgy. another is set for tomorrow. icy roads are to blame for a multi car pileup north of milwaukee, wisconsin. 26 vehicles were involved along the busy highway. the road was closed while tow trucks cleared up the cars. and a winter storm has brought snow and this rare tornado to northern california north of sacramento. >> and with that, here's a look at your weather today. a rainy one in seattle and portland. california dries out after yesterday's storms. denver will get snow around dinnertime. houston and dallas with a few showers. >> arctic air grips the nation's midsection with temperatures up to 20 degrees colder than usual. chicago is 19 when the normal high this time of year is 30. phoenix and l.a. are also colder than usual. folks, the big stock show and rodeo in san diego has arrived -- in san antonio, texas, i'm sorry. we don't want to get those confused. >> a little different. >> it continues through sunday and that means there's still a couple of days left for the mutton busting. >> what was that? >> mutton busting. >> who needs all those massive bulls and wild horses when you can see little kids wearing helmets riding sheep. some have a bit more success than others. >> kids between 4 and 7 and weighing less than 55 pounds can take part in mutton busting. and as one parent said, it's not whether you win or lose but how much fun you have. >> what is the link between this event and the term "mutton busting?" is that another name for a sheep, mutton? >> the only mutton i know -- that is mutton? okay, thank you. you knew that too, willis? >> willis is all-knowing. >> based on your extensive experience with sheep, i appreciate your knowledge there, willis. thank you for chiming in. baaaaa. that's willis' girlfriend. >> by the way, they don't tell the kids to let go because they might get hurt, so they tell them to hold on as long as possible. >> words to live by. >> hold on to your sheep. >> your what? coming up, an actor known for his tough-guy roles but now he's showing his softer side. and the victoria's secret model who insists there's something ugly going on in these glamorous professional photos. and the profession that she's chosen. you're watching "world news now." 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>> listen, she's got a graduate degree, she's a really smart girl. and there's a lot of really smart models out there. cindy crawford was discovered at a mcdonald's. but she was like the valid victorian. she's a beautiful woman, as well. so i just think they're upset about the fact that a lot of people view them as just a pretty face with no brains and they're only doing this for the money and it's so easy to get that money if you've won the genetic lottery. and they want the world to know there's more to them than just their looks. >> i judge her less how she got to the platform than what she's doing with it, and she's doing a lot of good with it. so i think that's cool. >> and that's wonderful. >> that's what i like those victoria's angels for, their minds. >> their brains, their minds. >> i'm always focused on their minds. >> especially when they're walking down the catwalk. >> always. >> lies, lies. coming up, the singer who refuses to be bullied. >> and an unusual performance by a tough guy actor, coming up next in "the skinny." next in "the skinny." ♪ skinny, so skinny skinny in the house! >> yes, it is. >> i'm going to miss that, willis. clyde davis in the news this week on two fronts. first, an issue with kelly clarkson. he has a new memoir detailing his decades in the music business, and has built many, many careers. so in his new book, he recalls a meeting with kelly that says "it was a very tough conversation and it didn't get any easier when kelly burst into sobbing when discussing the inclusion of that song "since you've been gone" on her second album." she fires back and says, i couldn't be more proud of that song. i resent him dampening that song in any way. i refuse to be bullied and i have to clear up his memory lapses. and misinformation. it feels like a violation. so apparently there was a tough meeting and they both tell very different sides of the story in terms of what went wrong. apparently no love loss. and he gave an interview on "nightline" earlier this week and admitted for the first time ever that he's bisexual, says he's been in a strong monogamous relationship with a man for the past seven years. before that, it was with a doctor for 14 years, but says i can still be attracted to women. therefore he calls himself bisexual. so clyde just putting all kinds of stuff out there about his personal life. 80 years old he is. >> okay. good for him. >> check out that memoir. here's something that's really sweet and adorable. vin diesel, for valentine's day didn't do the chocolates and flowers and everything else. instead he covered a rihanna school. take a listen. ♪ makes me feel like i can't live without you ♪ >> really sweet. he's got a really good voice. the way this worked out is he was inspired to do this after seeing rihanna perform and he obtained a mike and amp and he did this on a flight for his girlfriend and of course, he says the rest is history. so just a beautiful moment. if you hear the whole thing, it's really sweet. >> very, very cool. >> nice. so here's something else. tupac's mom, you remember tupac, he's been dead since 1996, or so they say. saying she will release his entire body of work. by the way, since he's been dead, he's released seven albums, not seven songs, seven entire albums. what, 13, 14 songs per. three of them made it to number one on the billboard 200. and of course, if you remember last year, tupac's fans saw a hologram of him, which was really great at the coachella music and arts festival. twitter went ablaze, there he was. he performed with snoop dog. but since then, the hologram company has gone bankrupt. so tupac is alive and well and we know it and you're probably watching right now. >> i'm going to tell you right now, i saw tupac at a walmart last weekend. i saw him, i saw him, i saw him. >> what? >> i'm breaking the news on this show, i saw tupac at a walmart last weekend and a piggly wiggly before that. i saw tupac. >> was he with his momma? he was with dave chappell. momma? he was with dave chappell. medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. 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14 were hurt, several critically. we will have an update in 30 minutes. >> golden gate bridge officials will launch a new campaign to make sure commuters know that toll takers are eliminated. it will happen weeks from now. cornell bernard joins us live with what you need to know to be ready for the change. cornell? >> the countdown is on. in a month toll takers will be gone and all electronic tolling will be here at the golden gate bridge and starting this morning, the bridge will kickoff a series of public awareness campaigns to answer questions and clear up confusion aimed at 30 james of drivers who still pay tolls with cash. there will be hand outs and signs and information online explaining how to pay the tolls. there are three options. sign up for fast track account and get $1 discount on each toll. pay by plate, register the license plate with a bridge using a credit card and pay as you go or make a one time payment online. payment locations are set up at some gas stations across san francisco for tourists but if those do not work for you can do nothing, go through the toll plaza, get an invoice in the mail, you have 20 days to pay that. all electronic tolls comes to the golden gate bridge by the end of march. >> new this morning, president obama's popularity among california is above 60 percent for the first time since 2009. the numbers are from a poll showing 62 percent of registered voters approve of president obama's job performance up from 58 percent in september and a remainder, abc7 news anchor dan ashley is in washington, dc, preparing right now for the exclusive interview with president obama and will be the only bay area journalist to interview the president today at the white house with reports from washington, continuing tonight from abc7 news. you can follow him on twitter. >> the san mateo sheriff is trying to figure out whose remains were found if a remote area of the county. hikers made the discovery at the preserve on monday. the human bones were found two miles west of skyline boulevard, 100' off a trail. some articles of clothing found suggest the person was male. details on a body owned in a water tank on the roof of a los angeles hotel. a hotel maintenance worker found the body yesterday morning while looking into complaints of poor water pressure. los angeles police now say the body is that of a 21-year-old canadian woman who disappeared last month. she was in contact with her family each day until she vanished. she reportedly had plans to travel to santa cruz. investigators now plan on determining whether this incident is foul play or "some kind of strange accident." in antioch the family of an 8-year-old filed a claim accusing the third grade teacher of duct taping his mouth shot and another teacher of plays a chair offer him and sitting on it. the boy has learning disabilities and attended antioch chad my -- charter two and another student was duct taped, as well, seeking $10,000 in damages and claims fur school emmyees witnessed incident in november and failed to notify authorities as required. >> some businesses and homeowners are cleaning up the damage left by a tornado two hours north of sacramento. authorities say it touched the ground in a few spots but was light as tornadoes go with wins up to 70 miles per hour. there were a few reports of damage but no injuries. >> it happened two hours ago, robin problems returned to the "good morning america" anchor desk and well show you the moment five months in the making. >> but, first, this is super-sized storage issue, too many dreamliner jets and so place to store them. >> we are back. coming up on 6:10. the big story this morning is how much cooler it is than yesterday morning. 13 degrees cooler in hayward and concord and six in napa and 12 in livermore and six in san jose and five at sfo. we have temperatures in san francisco and oakland at 42 and 35 in san jose, and near freezing if not sub-freezing inland neighborhoods and headed into the afternoon, check out these temperatures, in the mid-50's along the coast and upper 50's to near 60 with mostly sunny sky. sue? >> we have an update on the accident in san jose, c.h.p. giving a new location northbound 280 the on-ramp to southbound 87, left lane is blocked, injuries involved and they requested two flatbed tow trucks, so both cars injured enough they cannot drive out. it could take time. the alternate is 101 or highway 85 to 17. another injury accident in oakland north 880 blocking the detroit lane and the toll plaza metering lights have just been turned on. kristen and eric? >> boeing is facing a new problem related to the grounding of the boeing 787 dreamliner, running out of packing. boeing is rolling new boeing 787 dreamliner off the production line while the investigation into battery problems continues. as a result, boeing is senate delivering the new jets to airlines so dream linears are parked in washington at a facility. sources say space is running out and some jets could now be headed if storage in southern california and arizona. >> too hot to handle? what putting the safety of hand sanitizers into question. >> but, first, this photo tells the story, robin roberts runs to "good morning america" and we will show you the >> fremont, palo alto, north bay, all the bay area, this is abc7 news. >> look at these temperatures in saratoga and palo alto, 33 degrees. frost is forming. 31 in pleasanton, and 28 in american canyon and 32 in petaluma and upper 30's to low 40's for the rest of the bay area. by lunch, low-to-mid 50's. temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50's this afternoon. tomorrow and friday a warming trend and in the throw mid-60's away from the coast and in the 50's and a small chance of a shower on saturday. i am sorry i put it in there. eric? >> new this morning, we are not sorry to hear abc7's robin problems is become at "good morning america" five months after undergoing a bone marrow transplant. now, live to times square in new york city with the joyful return five months in the making. >> the celebration has already started here in times square and here is a look for you. >> it is robin the i have been waiting 174 days to say this good morning, america. >> faith, family and friends brought me to this moment and i am so full of gratitude. >> long-awaited moment since the "good morning america" anchor shared her diagnosis on air in june. >> it is something that is called mds, myloplastic sin-- syndrome. >> she took medical leave in august to undergo a bone marrow transplant. >> my big sister is voterally -- virtually perfect match and she will be my donor. >> doctors say the disease was likely brought on by chemo for breast cancer in 2007. >> i have no regret. no regret whatever. that treatment saved my life. living with no regrets unusualing thousands to register as bone marrow donors spreading the message. >> my mom said make your life your message. >> inspiring so many including the "good morning america" family. >> she taught us not to live in fear and dealt with the ultimate fear with such grates and -- such grace and strength. >> strong, healthy robin roberts back in the anchor chair, back where she belongs. >> a lot of smiles and cheers and excitement. wait until you hear the celebrity messages. >> what is robin doing right now? >> they brought in a huge amazing cake for her so she is getting ared to cut the cake and she is spending quality time with her abc family, she says she has missed them all so much. >> thank you from times square. you and catch the return on "good morning america" at 7:00 a.m. right after the abc7 morning news. >> friends, family and faith. she has inspired so many. dawn of a new day. >> it is now 6:17. we are waiting for when it will warm up. >> mike? >> here is a look at live doppler 7 hd, put the umbrellas away. grab the heavy coats and the sunglasses. you will need those. we have dry clear scion live doppler 7 hd. the lights have stopped suddenly. they are going with a straight pat end, it is getting too bright but they are fantastic. now, at look at temperatures, we are still in the low-to-mid 40's around san francisco and oakland and novato at 39 and santa cruz and livermore around 33 and this is from mount tamalpais this morning, breezy on top with snow on mount tamalpais yesterday and temperature right now is 30 and napa is 28 and we are flirting with profit and fairfield and concord and los gatos around 32 to 34 and through today it will be mostly sunny. a few clouds will develop this afternoon. a little bit of moisture in the ground that will create the clouds. it will be milder today from 8 to 13 degrees warmer. clear and forecast tonight and a slow warming trend starts today and you will notice it more tomorrow and friday. the low is to the south and the grapevine is open and to the sierra you can see the high pressure coming in, the same high pressure that will bring us sunshine and colder than average temperatures this afternoon. we will top out around 60 at san jose and everyone else in the santa clara valley in the upper 50's with 60 at redwood city and 55 at millbrae and everyone else in the upper 50's and headed north we have temperatures mostly around 60 to 61. east bay sure, san leandro 60, and everyone else in the upper 50's and veteran in san ramon for the cool spot, and frost tonight again inland, and upper 30's to low 40's around the bay shore and to the coast. the seven-day outlook is a couple of degrees warmer tomorrow and friday and a slight chance of a stray shower on saturday, don't change your plans and more sunshine and warmer weather for sunday, monday, and tuesday. >> injury accident in oak, northbound 880, and an exclusive traffic app, the accident right here major accident reported and very heavy traffic now backing up you did see, it is very heavy there, backing up toward foothill to fruitvale and you can download this free app to navigate the commute at apple app and google play. san jose the early accident is cleared out of the lanes to the shoulder so traffic is getting by with little delay. here is 280, beyond 17 overcrossing, light conditions through san jose, and a pretty skylightening up there, as well. >> now 6:20. a major announcement children across the country will be awaiting today involving what they will probably want if christmas this year. >> but, first, hand tan tieser hazard, a young girl who used the product literally catches on fire. >> today our show is all about medical mistakes that happen more often than you may realize, with a life saving medical checklist to keep you and your checklist to keep you and your kids [ mom ] 3 days into school break and they're already bored. hmm, we need a new game. ♪ that'll save t ♪ so will bounty select-a-size. it's the smaller powerful sheet. the only one with trap + lock technology. look! one select-a-size sheet of bounty is 50% more absorbent than a full size sheet of the leading ordrdinary bran. use less. with the small but powerful picker upper, bounty select-a-size. tens of thousands of dollars in hidden fees on their 401(k)s?! go to e-trade and roll over your old 401(k)s to a new e-trade retirement account. none of them charge annual fees and all of them offer low cost investments. e-trade. less for us. more for you. >> it is dry. in walnut creek it is dry. clear sky this morning. the big story is check out how much warmer compared to yesterday with record cold highs yesterday. not today, eight degree warmer in fremont and oakland, san jose and concord and santa rosa, ten to 13 degrees warmer. to southern california, that is where the high mountain snow is in the veal but it will taper and 63 in los angeles and clouds over tahoe and 39 degrees. safe travels. >> this is alarming because people are using hand sanitizers during the flu season. authorities in oregon are trying to figure how a girl caught fire after using hand sanitizer. the 11-year-old girl is involving from third-degree burns. she was in portland hospital when it happened painting in her room. moments later she ran into the hallway screaming with her t-shirt on fire. the girl is a cancer survivor and was in the hospital for an unrelated injury. doctors say they are waiting for the fire marshal to finish the investigation but static electricity from her hospital bed sheet could have been the trigger. >> we are nine hours away from a highly anticipated announcement from sony expected to unveil new play station 4 gaming console this afternoon that will be a hot holiday item. six years have passed since they launched play station three, and analysts say this will have to focus on mobile and social networking. they will announce at 3:00 our time. >> remember gray poupon mustard, remember that? >> do you have any gray poupon? >> but of course, the 16-year-old ad mocked the stuffy image of mustard and now will have an action movie ending complete with bomb blasts and fight scenes and create says this -- and kraft says this relies on footage that was lost from the original. and we have oscars footages starting at 2:00 p.m. on sunday with red carpet live and the big show at 5:30 and after that, we have a re-cap of the biggest moments and your pass to the after parties. jimmy kimmel oscar special at 10:00 and then abc7 news at 11 next. >> since the gray poupon ad, i would say it looks good. >> game over for internet cafes in the east bay. what they are told they cannot offer customers. >> but, first, a high-end kansas cityshipping center -- kansas city shopping center erupts in films. >> a cable car line was flooded and the cable car will not be moving through. what happ >> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> it is 6:29 on wednesday. what a lovely shot of the bay from our camera to start the day. got to love it. >> great shot. >> looks windy at the higher elevations. it is gorgeous. it is clear. it is cold. >> what a view, though. now, mike has the weather. >> i could look up at the snow yesterday from my house and i enjoyed it. good morning, everyone, it is cold. the cold air has been sinking from the higher elevations to our valleys but it has been a dry air so no need to worry about wet weather. now, the temperatures around the bay. we will hang around the 40's from now through 7:00 and up to the mid 50's by noon with a stray cloud or two. inland valleys, we are in the 20's to low 30's. there is forecast out there. if the car is like mine you got rain and it froze and there were big drops of water. we will be sunny and thawing by monday and 55 and 58 at 4:00, and in the mid-50's by 7:00, so a quick cooling and the coast low-to-mid 40's and we will hang out in the low 50's with a slight breeze but a lot of sunshine this afternoon. energy the change. sue? >> we go back to oakland and an injury accident north 880 in the clearing staging and you can see traffic is bumper to bumper from before fruitvale northbound. you can see heavy traffic in the northbound direction in the clearing stages. san jose north 280, that has been cleared and traffic is getting by with minor delay and a look at the bay bridge toll plaza metering lights are on and it is a nice drive but it is sluggish. >> 6:31 and breaking news we brought you at 4:30. san francisco public westerns crowes are cloning up the mess from the north beach neighborhood after an overnight water main break. amy joins unconscious live with the impact. >> crews are preparing to check the traffic of the cable car. look at it. the water is gone. you can see the track runs through here at mason and they want to know if debris fell through the cracks on to their track and caused damage. they will check on that in the hour. look at this video overnight. a big flood of water as the main broke at mason, a little bit after 2:00 this morning. the plan is to bus people through this area rather than taking them through on the cable car. no cars are coming through on mason but they will have a bus until they determine if the track is okay. while they check the track the water department has a fix on its hands and crews will be here for the day. >> most of the day, i would say, we will wait for usa and we can start trying to locate the main break. when we find that, we can excavate. then repair it. we need to see how bad the break is to begin with. >> when this first happened two blocks of homes were without water and the supervisor here on scene tells me he believes he has the water back on for everyone. unless there is a home or two on the line that he is unaware of, and if people wake up and head to the shower, he figures he will hear pretty soon if they don't have water but he things water is back for everyone. the impact will be felt out here on the street, this is a dense area in north beach, very crowded and they have heavy equipment to get in here. it is best to avoid the area if you can, today. >> happening now in daly city, arson investigators are on the scene of a fire near 91st street that started in front of the apartment when someone set a couch on fire. 50 people had to evacuate. one unit was damaged. the four break out before 3:00 this morning. >> there is a search for possible victims resuming in kansas city a day after a huge blast levels a shopping center into rubble. this is a well-known landmark in kansas city and katie marzullo is monitoring the search and joins us live. >> officials in kansas city, missouri, say one person is still missing, a female employees, a second person who was missing has been found. at least 14 people were hurt in the blast that led to this massive inferno last night. the fire chief says three of the injured are in critical condition and the lesser injuries include cuts and broken bones and burns. career -- they dealing with 3' to 4' of debris. >> we believe the dogs can find people at that level. they have not indicated they have found anyone and it is extremely lard -- hard to dig down that hard. we will bring if the heavy equipment in the morning. >> people in the area say the blast felt like an earthquake and knocked out windows half a block away and felt a mile away with debris blown 100' in the air. the cause is being investigated. missouri gas energy says there is evidence a construction crew may have hit a gas line but the mayor says it is too early to confirm that. >> happening now, dozens of customers in san rafael still don't have power after a major out aim last night. at the height, 20,000 people in san rafael lost power around 6:00 p.m. after a car crashed in a power pole and sever a main line. it is estimated the remaining 66 customers have power restored by 7:30 this morning, an hour from now. right now there are two other unrelated outages in the east bay, two outages in bay point, affecting 351 customers and san francisco has 148 people without power because of two outages there. no word when power in those cases will be restored. >> in the forth bay a health alert after a high school student was hospitalized with meningitis. officials say the 17-year-old went to the hospital over the weekend with highly contagious disease and is in serious condition but is improving. according to the newspaper the school sent a warning to parents yesterday. family and friends who have come in contact with the boy are now taking antibiotics. if untreats meningitis is deadly 50 percent of the time. ought c.h.p. is investigating a crash that killed a woman who was reportedly walking around looking for her dog. according to the santa rosa press democrat a 45-year-old was hit on west avenue last night. after she was hit the first time a second car hit her. both drivers are cooperating. witnesses say the cars seemed to be driving normal speeds and did nut have enough time to stop. >> now, blade runner, oscar pistorius, runs to court and what police found in his bedroom and another explanation from the olympian. >> but, the late night decision from an east bay city council on whether cafes that allow customers to play for cash can stay open. >> we are back. check out 24-hour temperature change, we are double digits cooler in hayward, concord, livermore, and napa and nine degrees cooler in oakland and five at sfo and nine on the peninsula and six in san jose. 35 in san jose. we are around 40 in fremont and 42 in san francisco. freezing temperatures inland. by the afternoon, mostly sunny, and upper 50's to low 60's and over the next three days we will see a warming trend with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50's and let to mid-60's for the rest of us. >> we are giving you an update to oakland northbound 880 at oak, and this is the ways app just getting an update with a red line extending into san leandro making your way northbound on 880 and this is a nice shot to show you bumper to bumper traffic headed northbound. elsewhere, we will look at the drive times, under 25 minutes for the 880 drive northbound, highway 4 bunching up from antioch and backup at the bay bridge toll plaza with a stall westbound right lane at the off-ramp. game over for intent cafes where you can gamble online for cash voting in favor of an emergency 45 day moratorium on new cafes in the city. the cafes sell internet time and offer access to games offering cash prizes. right now the city has two of the coffees and new ones are blocked until they can revise the zoning regulations. hayward issued a cease and desist order to close the club. >> we are 15 minutes away from robin roberts' west coast "good morning america" return and she has an interview scoop she scored and when you can see it. >> trading is underway on wall street. here is a look at the big board, the dow is down eight points but over the 14,000 mark. we will go live to jane king at the new york stock exchange. >> but, first, blaze -- blade runner back in court, and >> novato, oak, sunnyvale and all the bay area this is abc7 news. >> this is a live look at 280, 17 in the south bay clear, and sun coming over the hills. it will warm the cold air mass to eight to 13 degrees warmer than yesterday and san jose go from 50 to 60 from yesterday to today. from the grapevine, it is closed. the snow is moving through right but this afternoon the snow will be over and the grapevine will be open if you are traveling by car. 63 in los angeles and 56 in san diego. at home, a foot and some areas more in tahoe but not today mostly sunny and a few clouds at 39. safe travels today. >> new this morning, south africa police have testified they think "blade runner" oscar pistorius is a flight risk and should not be granted bail. it is reported that bail hearing finished for today and will resume tomorrow. police say while serving his bedroom they found testosterone, kneeleds and .38 caliber ammunition in a safe. on objection' attorney says the testosterone is an herbal remedy and the star says he thought he was firing at an intruder. >> and now a livermore woman who became known as "hummer mom." she is in jail if violating parole days after being released from prison. the 44-year-old finished serving a two-year and nine month jail sentence a few weeks ago for having sex with two, 14-year-old boys. agents found porn in her home, parole violation. now, livermore police are investigating whether she was behind a case of cyberbullying on facebook and twitter. threats were made against a victim by her children. >> he is scared. nervous. he is afraid. he doesn't know what is real or not and are people talking or do i really need to be worried. >> she is now awaiting a hearing that could mean up to 90 more days in custody. >> new this morning, the day "good morning america" fans have been waiting for, robin roberts is now become on the show after being away for five months. >> i have been waiting 174 days to say this: good morning, america! >> a strong and healthy robin runs to the anchor share after battling a rare blood disorder which was likely brought on by chemotherapy for breast cancer in 2007. >> faith, family and friends have brought me to this moment and i am so full of gratitude. >> she wasted in time getting back in action and will interview michelle obama in the first ever morning show interview to air next tuesday. you can catch robin roberts' return this morning on "good morning america" at 7:00 a.m. in 13 minutes right after the abc7 morning news. >> bay area automaker is coming out with quarterly earnings report, the first one since "new york times" reporter came a less than flattering review of the electric carmaker model s sedan two weeks ago. investors will look how many sedans were delivered in the 4th quarter and how many put down $5,000 to remember a new one. in november, they said they planned to deliver up to 3,000 much the model s sedans in the 4th quarter after delivering only 250 cars the quarter before. >> apple shows no company is safe from a hack attack. >> google stock burst through a big milestone. jane king has that and more. >> it crept up on us. we looked at gag yesterday and i will have that in a second but apple says we were hacked, too, apple joins facebook saying they were the latest technical company to be hit by a sophisticated criminal cyber gang of hackers. likely from eastern europe. also hit is twitter saying the thieves are looking for company secrets. shares on apple are down after financial times reported that the chinese company that makes the products have implement add firing freeze. speaking of facebook, zuckerberg is bullish own his company adding 100 million shares to the portfolio and has no plans to sell the stock until sent. now, the markets so far this morning, quiet with 135 points away from the all-time high reaped in the dow. we got confirmation, though, of office depot bying office max here today so we talked about that yesterday. the company is making that deal this morning. the silicon valley index shows a little bit lower. now, google shares yesterday topping $800 for the first time, ever, with renewed confidence in the company and ability to reap higher profits. e-bay has a redesign of the home page the most significant change in history taking searchers and converted to interest showing visual images that looks like pin twist displays. it first rolled out in october and now is out there for all. >> and now, how warm will be temperatures get later? >> you need the layers this morning and then you peel them off. live doppler 7 hd shows it is clear. the air is dry. it is cold. winter is back. a lot of frost inland neighborhoods, this morning, with the rain drops on my car freezing and that was fund to scrape off. here we are at 6:50 and downtown san francisco the ferry building shows no movement in the flags. 43 in san francisco. 42 in oakland. the airport in show it is 40. outlying areas are in the low-to-mid 30's, though, so it is cold. novato is 41. santa cruz and livermore flirting with forecast at 33. from mount tamalpais you can see the sun coming up over the east bay hills. it will warm the freezing temperatures. santa rosa 30 and napa 28 and fairfield 34 and concord and los gatos at 33 and gilroy at 31. we have a few passing clouds that we call sunny and mild irat eight to 13 degrees warmer. clear tonight and frost is possible inland and slow warming trend today, tomorrow, hanging around on friday afternoon ago while you were sleeping the low pulled away. it dragged in the cool and sinking air taking away the cloud cover and keeping the temperatures below average today. we will start down in the santa clara valley with 60 a warmer spot. mid-to-upper 50's along the coast into downtown and south san francisco. in the north bay we will have upper 50's to low 60's. in the east bay shore, 60 at san leandro. upper 50's to near 60 in east bay. tonight, you can see the frost inland, mainly upper 30's to low 40's around the bay and to the coast. seven-day outlook shows you need sunglasses tomorrow and friday with more clouds saturday and sprinkles is all we will get. do not cancel the plans. when the storm passes sunday, mop, tuesday, the temperatures are close to average mid-to-upper 50's at the coast and low do mid 50's for the rest of us. >> grip vine -- grapevine over i-5 is closed. in oakland, injury accident at north 880 but it is in the clearing stages and traffic is backed to the colisieum. heavy traffic northbound from the abc7 traffic. it is a free app you can download at apple app and google play yap. bart is on time and muni has a shuttle in place and there is no other mass transit issue. >> ahead, five things to know before you go. >> the morning news >> as we are ready to happened things off to america mechanic -- water department crews in san francisco have to dig up a north beach street to mix a 12" water main break. the neighborhood flooded early this morning and officials have shut down a cable car line today while they check for damage. >> parents at petaluma are on alert this morning after a student came down with meningitis. the 17-year-old senior is in serious condition but improving. the school sent out warning notices to parents. >> golden gate bridge officials are launching a new campaign to make sure commuters are aware that the toll takers are going away. almost a third of all drivers are still using cash. this month they began testing all electronic toll system that replaces human toll takers. >> attention giants fans, those would drive to the stadium, parking meter rates are going up around at&t parks with rates increasing to $7 an hour and march 4, meter hours are extended until 10:00 at night, all week, except sundays. on nonevent days they go up a quarter an hour. >> president obama's popularity is over 60 percent for the first time since 2009 with 62 percent approving of his approval. and he is speaking, the president, speaking with dan ashley and it will air tonight on abc7 and he is tweeting from washington, dc, as well. >> he just tweet add picture he is now in the white house, with pictures, so you want to follow him. any, the weather forecast. >> cold temperatures, how to dress this morning upper 20's to low 30's. livermore dropped to 31 degrees. in the mid-30's to low 40's around the bay shore. that is where we. hang out the next hour. as we head into the afternoon hours we have mostly sunny conditions and 54 at the coast and 60 around the bay and inland and this evening you need a heavy coat and we will cool back into the low-to-mid 40's have a great day. >> we have a live shot of the grapevine in southern california where it is shut down with a sig-alert due to snow and ice and you can see the big puffy clouds with traffic diverting off of i-five so if you are traveling you hey want to pass the word along. closer to home, this traffic is backed up to the colisieum, north 880 due to an accident at oak street so take 580 and the accident in san jose we have another accident at 280 at 87, the second one this morning. >> the only news continues in 25 minutes with news, weather, and traffic during "good morning america" and someone important is coming back. >> a special "good morning america" with robin roberts returning. me, sir i'm gonna have to ask you to power down your little word game. i think your friends will understand. oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7. sounds a little too good to be true sir. i'll believe that when pigs fly. ok, did she seriously just say that? geico. just click away with our free mobile app. of walking to give a breast cancer survivor a lifetime-- that's definitely a fair trade. whoo! you walk with friends, you meet new friends, and you keep those friendships. it was such a beautiful experience. (woman) ♪ and it's beautiful ♪ undeniable (woman) why walk 60 miles in the boldest breast cancer event in history? because everyone deserves a lifetime. visit the3day.org to register or to request more information today. ♪ burning like a fire ♪ building up from deep inside it was 3 days of pure joy. susan g. komen's investments in early detection and treatment have helped reduce breast cancer mortality in the u.s. by 33% since 1990. help us continue serving the millions of women and men with breast cancer who still need us every day. register for the 3-day now. (woman) it's just been an amazing, amazing journey. i love these people. ♪ and it's beautiful hi. it's robin. i've been waiting 174 days to say this. good morning, america. breaking news overnight -- a fire hits a downtown shopping center in kansas city at happy hour. >> it hits you like a shockwave. >> more than a dozen injured. firedogs still searching for the missing. we're live on the scene. and breaking right now, police reveal their case against olympic hero, oscar pistorius. their dramatic claims about how he shot his model girlfriend after nonstop arguing in the middle of the night. testosterone and needles found in his bedroom, they say. ♪ it's the song that made kelly clarkson a superstar. but did she even want to sing it in the first place? her bitter war of words with clive davis, saying she refused to be bullied behind closed doors. ♪ i'm on top of the world i'm on top of the world ♪ and hello, robin. the froggy slippers are off and she's back in times square. exactly five months from the day from her bone marrow transplant. her doctors, giving her the thumbs-up. she's been getting back into fighting shape. all on team robin here and across the country, with a big welcome, right now. >> welcome back, girlfriend. >> welcome back, robin. >> robin is back, only on "gma." ♪ i'm on top of the world
>> got a little carried away in the heat and emotion of the basketball game. so i apologized to allen and to the team. i feel very badly and 30 plus years of coaching it's never happened before. it's something i deeply regret. it's not going to happen again. >> i didn't take anything negative out of the situation. >> montgomery was publicly reprimanded by the pac 12 conference and uc berkeley. others say that's not enough. a cal alum wants the university ó2cal alum wants the][d suspend game. president obama warned us about cyber attacks in the state of the union address. it's plagued social media companies for months and today it hit cupertino offices of apple. our business and tech reporter scott budman joins us this evening after speaking with security experts who are fighting back. scott? >> raj, they're fighting technology with technology, tracking hackers from china in what many in both our government and our private secotor are calling all-out war. after attacks on facebook, google, twitter, "the new york times," coca-cola, and even apple, america, it seems, is in the midst of a cyber war against china. >> this it does seem that these attacks and intrusions are more brazen. >> reporter: mike is a former cyber policy adviser at the defense department. he says our government is threatened along with our personal information and says while the hackers are smart, the bay area tech industry is smarter. >> i think ideally i would like to see the government hooking up with more silicon valley companies. >> reporter: and that's happening inside the security companies like barracuda networks. here they're aware of the threat from china. they say when it comes to protecting your personal data it's a threat they see every hour. >> it happens all the time. it happens from everywhere. china just has the means to cover it up. >> reporter: so the attacks can be more brazen and out in the open which means we know what chinese hackers are using to attack us and sometimes it's our own technology. >> very similar tools people can use to attack the social networking site, their personal site. they were all very aware of the need to protect. those are very similar to the kind of tools you would need to hack into, let's say, the pentagon. >> reporter: and those fighting back say we can help. step one, avoid any message that looks suspicious. >> and that really comes from people who are not very careful about pass words, particularly pass words, e-mail pass words. >> reporter: so be careful because there are steps we can take to protect ourselves and our private data. in an ironic twist, the chinese hackers were found because in order to communicate with each other outside of the chinese firewall they had to logon to their facebook and twitter accounts where they were discovered. silicon valley technology at work to expose the hackers as well as to protect us from them. jessica? >> okay, thank you, scott. now one thing hackers could not disrupt is the steady march of google stock. shares reached a new peak today, $800 a share boosted by a rumor that google may soon open retail stores ala apple. california's largest public pension system is taking a stand on gun violence, withdrawing investments that make assault weapons and saturday night specials, both are illegal in california. that move comes after the discovery that the state teacher's retirement fund manufactured one of the weapons viewed in the shooting. today they took the first step to do the same. >> let there be light, san jose is stepping out of the darkness. the city shut off hundreds of street lights. now with the budget under control, the biggest city is flipping the switch. kimberly, why now and how will it help? >> reporter: they have the money now and they've been repeating so many complaints, they say it's time to act. city leaders say street lights are not just for a -- they are also for safety and those living in the darkest areas were complaining about that very issue. san jose will be a little brighter thanks to a plan the city council approved allowing for 900 street lights to be turned back on. >> san jose is a long way from becoming paris but we will be the city of lights for thousands of our residents in the coming months. >> along our major corridors, blossom hill road, every third or fourth light is out. so we're turning those lights back on will make a difference. >> reporter: the lights were shut off in 2008 as part of department budget cuts. >> in the throes of our darkest budgetary days we saved about $92,000 by keeping lights off. we recognize that in many places the lights were simply a major concern for residents nearby and we had to do everything we could to find the money to get them up and running again. >> there is information that would indicate street lighting makes a city safer but it certainly makes us feel safer. >> reporter: the deputy director says it will take about three months to get all the lights back on. >> hoping to make sure that we prioritized the lights that are in areas where we're the most concerned about public safety, that's one thing i would say and i will be asking the department of transportation. >> reporter: 179 lights shut off, represents the area. >> now that we have our budget under control, for the first time in many years actually had a surplus last year or a cushion as the mayor talks about, we've been able to restore some services and this is one of those we'll be able to restore and going forward we want to make sure we continue to make the right decisions so that we don't have to cut services. >> reporter: the department of transportation says it will start turning the lights on this weekend and again that process will take about three months to get all 900 lights back on. live in san jose, kimberly tere, nbc bay area news. san jose police arrested a man with a violent assault in downtown san jose. the attempted robbery happened a week ago in the area of north ninth street in east santa clara not far from san jose state. 54-year-old edward brown is suspected of attacking a woman from behind as she was walking home. the woman says she was struck in the head and knocked to the ground and her purse stolen by this man. two people came to her rescue. a woman who came to help ended up beaten by this man. the second witness, a male, was able to push him away and get the purse back. he took off. he already had two felony convictions. he could go to prison for life under the state's three strikes rule. >> her in0 owe sense may have been stolen but a 16-year-old girl is in protective custody after being the victim of a prostitution sting. san jose police department conducted a two-day undercover operation along the monterey road corridor. investigators arrested ten pr prostitutes, four johns. they say she was a runaway from the east bay who had been working as a prostitute since she was just 11. the woman known as the livermore hummer mom is back in jail tonight just five days after being released. she made headlines after being convicted for having sex with two under aged boys. 44-year-old christine, who lives in hayward, was taken into custody on friday for violating her parole by having pornography in her home. her family no longer lives in al alameda county. parole agents doing a compliance sweep to see if she's following the release, found the porn. she is now required to register as a sex offender. the mother of two is barred from returning to livermore. up next, minimum age workers could get a pay raise but will it help or hurt the economy? sam brock takes a look in tonight's reality check. also, from spring training, trading in microphones. a valentine's day tale for the ages. a local couple that became quasi heroes for doing the right thing. and good evening. i'm jeff ranieri in the nbc bay area weather center tracking this storm for tonight. we've had it all -- lightning, hail, low snow. more rain across the santa cruz mountains. we'll let you know how long that will stick around. if you're curious about how much rainfall we have had, anywhere from a quarter to over a half inch in the castro valley. a valentine's day surprise that didn't come in a blue box or a vase. instead it came in a camera case. joe rosato jr. shows us there are more than just valuable memories inside. >> there's me. >> reporter: like so many other couples on valentine's day, carlos and barbara were looking for a little romance. >> it was valentine's day, february 14th. and my husband says, let's go to san francisco. >> reporter: so last thursday the vallejo couple drove to the golden gate bridge. but among their snapshots of that outing are the curious photos of barbara and carlos posing with an abandoned camera bag they found that day at vista point. >> i stood right in front of the bag so nobody would take it and i told my husband, this is odd. >> reporter: after waiting nearly an hour for the bag's owner to return, barbara finally looked inside. >> it had a big, large, real expensive camera lens, batteries, and money. >> reporter: in fact, the wad of cash totaled $11,062.62. rather than heading out for a ritzy dinner or to buy some new bling, are the couple took the bag down to the police station and turned it in. >> we stayed there like two hours -- two hours. we were hungry. we hadn't had dinner or lunch or anything and then we got traffic. >> reporter: police traced the bag to a visiting tourist from china using credit cards. >> an officer gave me everything and he said, happy valentine's day. >> reporter: mark, who didn't want his full name used, said he was carrying the cash for several vacationing families and forgot the bag on the bridge. >> i think someone who turned it in is someone very, very kind in the heart. >> reporter: mark and his family drove to thank them personally. he put a reward check in the mail. and though their valentine's day was no bouquet of roses, they are happy how things turned out. >> the people got their, you know, their money and their bag. >> reporter: joe rosato jr., nbc bay area news. a big pairing in san francisco. the giants along with mayor ed lee announced this morning the first tenant and the anchor of a $1.6 billion mission rock development which is adjacent to the ballpark. and he will expand transforming into a brew house and giving visitors a chance to get an up close look at the art of brewing craft beer. >> an iconic san francisco company tying in with us, i think they wanted to make a great experience for people, not just before and after games, every day is a destination. >> there is so much going on here. we have people wandering around, going on tours, a destination. >> the development will include 27 acres of retail and office space, apartments, and parks. >> speaking of the giants, it's like touring with the rock band and perhaps it's one of the hardest jobs in baseball. hard to do and hard to get. how would you like to be the giants' traveling secretary? lauren scott takes us behind the scenes spring training in arizona. >> rain is in the forecast for tomorrow, all sunshine and great spirit. the giants really enjoying themselves. to borrow a song lyric, it's a beautiful day. after two world series tight unless two years, the giants have no doubt achieved rock star status. it should come as no surprise that the man who helped the team tour the majors came to the giants from a similar role with rock legend u-2. >> it's sort of trading microphones for bats. >> alexander makes sure all the travel logistics are dialed in because with both the giants in the world's biggest band it's all with about making connections from city to city and with the fans. >> we were just part of entertainment, part of the show, and there's an audience. whether that audience is there to listen to music or watch home ru runs, the fact that those fans are paying the prays to come watch it, the best we can. >> backstage the giants are living the life of champs. we passed the mike to marco scutaro for more. >> three, two, one, here we are with the white shark. gregor, how much you bench? >> i don't know. >> let me check. >> no. >> 250. >> thanks to our special correspondent marco scutaro and his interview victim, gregor blanco. tomorrow is photo day and we will have all the sights and sounds for you from scottsdale. that's the scene in arizona. back to you in the studio. >> is sunny in scottsdale. >> it looks very nice there, jeff. what's going on? they have good weather. we have sort of not so good weather. >> i'm a weatherman i love this kind of weather. let's take a look at the satellite radar picture. we have been hoping here for some sort of rainfall this month and we finally have it. more rainfall today, as you said earlier, than we've seen for the entire month of february. the core of the storm system is pushing off to the south. most of the rainfall has gone with it. for tonight we're going to watch out for a few severe aspects of isolated thunderstorms that may pop up. it's just one of them around 5:00, a lightning strike in the south bay so keep your eyes to the skies. if you do happen to see that lightning bolt take shelter inside. lightning is one of the leading killers when it does come to weather. while we're not expecting a huge outbreak, it's just something good to keep in mind if you're not familiar with it. across the santa cruz mountains, down to santa cruz as we head out 30 to 40 minutes. the rainfall today but the big talk was the cold. you must have had your jacket today, that's for sure. only 49 in santa rosa. 48 in san rafael. 50 in san jose. 49 in concord and also 50 in livermore. here is the thing, current temperatures right now in the low 40s in the north and off to the east bay, a wind 10 to 20 miles an hour making a lot of the bay area feel like the 30s this hour, even the 37 in cupertino, a slight windchill making it feel like 32. the live hd camera network. there's the cloud top buildup. we have some towering cumulus clouds in the south bay today as a sign of instability. we take you off to the north and what you notice is we do have some clearing up above but plenty of low-level instability here across san francisco. and as we also take you into downtown looks good tonight, but bring that jacket and be on the look out or fom rogue showers that once again may develop through the evening hours. back to the weather boards. enough instability through 7:00, 8:00, 9:00 to pop showers up along the coastline. by tomorrow morning we are expecting mainly clear conditions and that is going to set us up for an extremely cold start for wednesday morning. interior valleys in the upper 20s and low 30s at 8:00 a.m. by the afternoon, we'll get some sunshine in here but it's going to stay cold with mid to upper 50s. so that three-day forecast will keep it dry there throughout wednesday. a chance of showers returns as we head throughout thursday. not a large storm system but also stays cloudy as we head into friday's forecast. and just in case you're tuning in now, yes, we even had snow up across the higher elevations. a look at some of that mt. diablo snow. quite a contrast from the upper 70s last week. >> yes, very much a contrast. so sunny before and so cold outside. thanks, jeff. see you in a bit. still ahead at 6:00, determining your risk of really catching a cold. the one factor that could be key. >> and changing the rules of the road. california lawmakers take aim at driving under the influence of prescription drugs. and can state republicans mount a comeback? larry gersten joins us to explain what they need to do. and...done. did you just turn your ringer off so no one would interrupt us? oh no, i... just used my geico app to get a tow truck. it's gonna be 30 minutes. oh, so that means that we won't be stuck up here, for hours, with nothing to do. oh i get it, you wanna pass the time, huh. (holds up phone) fruit ninja!!! emergency roadside assistance. just a click away with the geico mobile app. putting up with pot? not if city leaders get their way. they are voting whether to ban medical marijuana dispensaries. they say they are a public nuisance. a city staff report says they bring violent crime, increased noise and foot traffic. final approval this evening. the new law will take effect in 30 days. turning our attention to politics, among the hot topics in politics, nationally and locally is the republican party. republicans lost badly in california last year. is the party on its deathbed or can it be revived? we bring in political analyst larry gersten. how bad is it? reports of my death have greatly been exaggerated? >> let's put it this way. it's about as bad as bad can get. republicans now make up 29% of the state's voters compared to 44% for the democrats. that's the biggest differential in years. and this most recent decline has occurred rather quickly as the data shows. in 2012 republicans lost so many for the legislature that democrats now control two-thirds of the seats in each house. they haven't done that in decades. and things are so bad for the republicans that the state party now has just three full-time employees. two of them work at home. and get as much as $800,000. by contrast, democrats have 18 employees and no debt. >> the numbers don't lie but why is this such an issue? >> the problem for the democrats, along with the legislature, they control every single statewide offense but it is a problem for the republicans and some would argue even the voters, why, because it's such a one-sided governance. it's very difficult for a minority to be heard much less play an active role in the policymaking process. and history shows, raj, that in one party's case elected officials can sometimes, well, lose their sense of accountability. >> okay, we love a good comeback story. is there a way back? what's the game plan for the republicans? >> there may be a game plan. next month it's widely expected republicans will elect a former legislator with 14 years' experience who served as the minority leader in both the assembly and the state senate. quite a record. he is well liked. he is a conservative but he's not a tea party type. he knows how to work with the democrats. look, his task will be to basically raise funds and candidates that appeal to increasingly racially and ethnically diverse voters. now whether he can do it, whether he can succeed remains to be seen. if republicans hope to be players in next year's election, they can't start soon enough. >> okay, challenge ahead for the republicans, thank you, larry. the health benefits of having a beard of all things. that story straight ahead. >> what cause add bay area man's laptop to suddenly burst into flames? and the company he is demanding answers from. and a developing story out of the midwest where a massive fire ripped through an upscale shopping center. we'll bring you the latest on that. and i'm janelle wang. a $50 million diamond heist on an airport tarmac in just three minutes. and his side of the story, what olympic star oscar pistorius says led up to the shooting death of his girlfriend. [ crickets chirping ] [ traffic passing ] ♪ [ music box: lullaby ] [ man on tv, indistinct ] ♪ [ lullaby continues ] [ baby coos ] [ man announcing ] millions are still exposed to the dangers... of secondhand smoke... and some of them can't do anything about it. ♪ [ continues ] [ gasping ] we have a developing story in ckansas city, missouri, tonight where a massive fire is burning in an upscale shopping and entertainment complex consuming nearly an entire block. police say the country club plaza right in downtown kansas city erupted in flames after a car struck a gas main outside of a restaurant sparking an explosion that appears to have leveled an entire building here as well. three people are now reported missing. there are several reports of numerous injuries, some severe. stay with us for the latest updates on this developing story. for the first time we're hearing his side of the story, are the attorney for oscar pistorius revealing why he says he shot and killed his girlfriend. >> janelle wang is here with our "world tonight." >> mace taken identity. they claim he thought he was firing at an intruder on valentine's day. attorneys read a statement that said he heard someone in the bathroom in the middle of the night and thought his model girlfriend, reeva steenkamp was still in bed. he fired several rounds through the bathroom door. when he opened the door he found steenkamp still alive but she then died in his arms. reports say steroids were also found in pistorius' bedroom prompting speculation his lawyers may consider a steroid rage defense saying drugs can cause paranoia and aggression. steenkamp was buried today in port elizabeth. >> it's a family. [ inaudible ] >> an emotional day today. pistorius' attorney asked for bail this morning. prosecutors want bail denied saying pistorius committed premeditated murder. in brussels the certificasearch for a man who stole $50,000 in diamonds. the armed men drove up in two vehicles, grabbed the diamonds and took off. the whole heist took only three minutes. officials say that man got on the tarmac by breaking through an airport fence. general john allen says he is resigning and does not want to be promoted to supreme commander of nato. he told president obama he needs to focus on health issues within his family but did not give any details. he says the scandal that led to the resignation of general petraeus, allen was cleared of any misconduct. in afghanistan a top taliban commander has been captured. afghan forces say they arrested muhammad. officials believe he's behind several large attacks in pakistan. raj? >> thank you, janel. new tonight at 6:00, about 200 pages of transcripts from private hearings in the chandra levy case are public. attorneys for the man convicted of her murder says the case against him is built on a lie. the pages are heavily blacked out but his lawyers will will demand a new trial. modesto intern chandra levy disappeared in washington, d.c., in 2001 while interning for gary condit. the man was convicted of killing her primarily on the testimony of a prison informant. today's records indicate prosecutors learned a year ago there was a problem with a witness and defense attorneys are outraged that prosecutors didn't share that information for months. it might be hard to believe but the federal minimum wage is lower right now accounting for inflation than it was 30 years ago under president reagan. president obama would like to raise the national minimum wage to $9 an hour claiming it would reduce poverty without costing jobs. sam brock checks the president. what does the research say? >> some of the elements might be surprising to you. surprising that poverty rates went up while jobs shrank. evidence it could debunk the president's claim. then one of the foremost economists in this country on this topic debunks our debunking. boosting the pay of our lowest wage workers is a topic popping up on local and national stages. last year san jose residents stumped for a $2 increase. >> we know our economy is stronger when we reward an honest day's work with honest wages. >> reporter: president obama lobbied the congress to increase the federal minimum wage by close to $2 claiming it will not kill jobs but will reduce poverty. >> there's no negative effect on employme employment. >> reporter: michael wright whose study on minimum wage hikes has earned him critical acclaim agrees with president obama. >> easier to recruit and retain workers. the minimum wage doesn't kill the jobs. >> reporter: naysayers, however, argued raising the minimum wage has an obvious negative impact on employment and for the moment we're going to play naysayers. the unmoiemployment rate in 197 1980 and 1981. unemployment starts out at 6% in 1978 and by 1982 it's almost at 10%. more recently the government raised wages between 2007 and 2009, and employment curves right up. 4.6% in '06 to hovering near 10% in 2010. now both these hikes occurred during recessions. one possible explanation higher unemployment. there's another reason for the disconnect, too. only 2% to 3% of workers nationwide are earning minimum wage, so overall employment, he says, isn't really relevant. >> the minimum wage affects the market. those people aren't getting anything other than jobs. the unemployment rate is namely about the bulk of the workforce. >> reporter: teen workers occupy a significant portion of the minimum age workforce. he took a microscope to that subset. >> we put in a control for the unemployment rate, in a local and state comparison and found it does not have an effect on the employment rate. >> reporter: now we were skeptical about the president's claim that a wage boost will reduce poverty since the national poverty rate went up by 3% the last time washington hiked the minimum wage. when you link up wages with households in poverty, not the overall population, the poverty rate actually comes back down. so bottom line controlling for outside factors the president's claim is pretty much true. i'm sam brock. that's today's "reality check." doped up and driving is a major problem in california. so a new bill is now moving forward aimed at cracking down on drivers who get behind the wheel while under the influence of illegal drugs. unlike the blood alcohol for drunk driving there's no statutory threshold for driving while impaired on drugs. southernc california senator introduced a bill that would make it illegal to drive under a wide array of drugs including some prescription drugs. that would create a step to prosecuting drivers. it did exclude drugs with a valid prescription issued by a licensed health care practitioner. breathing new life in a south bay neighborhood, there is a plan in place now for that area which is boredered by jackson and taylor streets in japan town. the idea to build apartments and a 60,000 square foot center for the arts. they are now negotiating with the portland base. now that things are looking up again, talks are back on. the city sees this as a way to revive japan town. still ahead at 6:00, one minute he was updating his software. the next his house was filled with smoke. what caused his laptop to burst into flames and his warning to others? and can your genetics play a role in whether you catch a cold? new research out tonight. and good evening, i'm jeff ranieri in the nbc bay area weather center. we're tracking a storm here throughout this evening. it's going to be a few areas of thunderstorms potentially for tonight. we'll let you know the track on that. otherwise it's also been pretty blustery with wind chills already in the 30s right now. in health matters tonight, what could be a new way to find 0 out if you're more at risk for the common cold, we all have caps at the end of our chromosomes and they have been link linked to life span. their length could be related to the common cold and whether you catch one. researchers say the new information could be used to identify people at an increased risk for infection. >> okay. put away the razor. growing a beard is good for your health. multiple studies reveal beards, like brian wilson's, protect against the sun. parts of the face covered by beards and mustaches on average had a third less exposure to harmful uv rays, facial hair slows down aging and prevents skin rashes. the hair stops water from leaving the skin, keeping it moisturized and protect iing it from the wind which dries out your skin. >> i need to grow a beard to keep my cold away. >> are you ready to go? >> i have one day of growth right now. you have about half a day. let's get a look outside right now in san francisco and downtown. it is clearing out after the stormy weather for today. we'll have details on who could get some ice and hit 29 degrees for tomorrow morning coming up in a few minutes. a little antiviral cleanup on his laptop left a concord man in a haze of smoke and sparks. that was a year and a half ago. >> and with no satisfaction yet, he's going public with his complaints about the laptop and what he says is a lack of customer support. stephanie chuang has the story. >> reporter: it was 5:00 in the morning. he says his service dog woke him up. >> he saved my life. >> reporter: he describes thick, black smoke coming from the kitchen. >> and that's when he came upon a bouncing demon. >> reporter: the hewlett-packard laptop. >> it was shooting out roman candles, little missiles. i mean thousands. it was dropping on me and it left these batteries out of it. >> reporter: he says it was the firefighters on scene who alerted him he wasn't alone. >> they both told me about consumer product safety recall going on. >> reporter: hp was one of three companies using the lithium ion battery packs which issued a voluntary recall in 2008 citing an overheating problem that pose add foy posed a fire and burn hazard. sony takes all reports or claims that could impact a potential safety issue very seriously and this matter is no different. hp has launched several voluntary recalls of its own batteries almost every year between 2005 and 2011 involving more than half a million batteries worldwide. of those there were 135 reports of overheating. 94 resulted in property damage and 21 reported injuries, mostly burns. >> this is buried. this was not easy to find. >> reporter: an hp spokesperson says the company not only sent recall letters to consumers but put up these posters in stores announcing the voluntary recall. >> if there was a recall on this, why are we finding out after our house almost burned down? >> reporter: they say they never got a letter but did get an in-person visit from someone from management trying to collect evidence. >> he got upset. he wanted to say, bye-bye, all done. >> reporter: they got this letter in august 2011 asking them to send the laptop to the engineering lab. if they did it within the week the case would be closed. instead their insurance company advised sending the laptop to an independent forensic lab. efi global found nine of the 12 battery cells broke free from the plastic housing. the report concluded that an empty battery cell failed causing the overheating that ignited the fire. >> they're covering things up. the right thing costs a lot of money. >> reporter: his wife is a flight attendant. her industry is trained in recognizing batteries and how to respond if there's a bad reaction. >> chemicals separated by plastic and if it heats up, the plastic melts and then the chemicals mix and it goes off like a roman candle. >> reporter: now they say the bigger goal is to warn other families. >> you're out of the room, that fire starts, the whole thing burns up, they can't trace back where it started and i think this is happening a lot more than people have any idea. we just don't have the proof. >> reporter: the risk might be small but the consequences immeasurable and for the two who fell in love just a few years ago, what might have been the driving force to sound an alarm. >> i'm not going to get over this, it took a long time to find each other. i sure don't want to lose them like that. >> reporter: stephanie chuang, nbc bay area news. let's check in with jeff ranieri one more time. today a mish mosh of weather out there. the same thing the next couple of days? >> we will be clearing out, a speedbump in the road. eventually some sunshine coming in the seven-day forecast. the heaviest rain, a few lightning strikes this afternoon pushing to the south. we do have some areas across the santa cruz mountains but that is even also starting to wind down so really what you want to look for tonight are hit and miss showers that we do think will develop and with that we may get a few lightning strikes and also some hail. the widespread rainfall is done. the current concern now heading outside, shut in for the past two, three hours, getting dinner ready. winds are 10 to 20 miles an hour. a major windchill right now. 39 in napa and also 39 in livermore. let's take you outside to that sky camera network on this cold night. the reduced visibility in the santa clara valley and also up to our emeryville camera looking to san francisco. this is shaking around quite a bit. any traveling over the bay bridge, both hands on the steering wheel and multiple players throughout the evening. here we go. the storm system we dealt with for today will be pushing off to the east as we head throughout tomorrow. then this coastal system moving in as we head throughout thursday and also into early friday. dry, not a whole lot of moisture. don't expect another storm system throughout the workweek. another reinforcing shot of cold air so don't expect any 60s or 70s to come your way as you head throughout wednesday, thursday, or friday. in the 50s for most of the coastline. that wind is not going to go anywhere as she heads throughout tomorrow's forecast. the future forecast has rain developing offshore throughout the night, a lot of that will be pushing off to the south so for tomorrow morning by all accounts we are expecting a clear start to the day and that is going to lead to some very cold temperatures. we talked about those 20s. it will drop down to 29 in santa rosa, also 30 in napa. ice could form in the interior valleys getting near the freezing mark up into the north bay. so you definitely want to remember a few of these tips. seems like common sense but keep enough distance between you and the car in front of you and also brake gently. if you hit a patch of ice that will definitely help you out of some of that trouble and be careful over those bridges and overpasses. they tend to freeze first. on your forecast, sunshine by the afternoon. it will stay cold. some slight warming but overall 56 in los gatos. upper 50s in santa rosa and also for san rafael. your three-day forecast has cloud cover and a slight chance of showers on thursday. stay cloudy and for this upcoming weekend another chance of showers on saturday. so no major storm systems coming our way at least over the next four to five days, just that possibility of showers on thursday and also on saturday's forecast. i keep thinking about that 79 in gilroy last friday and then today couldn't even get out of the 40s. crazy. >> that's good. i love it. >> it's a nice change. >> yes, it is. >> thanks, jeff. >> can we call you felledy now? are we at that level? >> i don't know it if you and i are there yet. you haven't offered to take me to lunch or dinner. we have mutual friends. we've never broken bread. >> next week. next week. >> jessica, you can call me feldy. raj and i have some issues. the giants have some issues, too. spring training. there's intrigue. the giants had a little scare today. we welcome in ahmed fareed. take it away. >> reporter: hey, feldy. how is it going? i feel comfortable calling you that. for the giants the last week and a half there hasn't been a whole lot of news but that did change today, you're right, there was an injury out in right field. javier lopez, the lefty reliever was playing catch. the next time you turned around and looked he was on the ground in serious pain. trainers were rushing over to him holding his left hand or wrist. he immediately ducked into the clubhouse after that. and then after practice bruce bochy addressed the injury. >> yeah, he's fine. x-rays were negative. he took a short hop off the back of the hand. he has a contusion there. close to the wrist area. the good news is he's fine. it was the left hand. i think the ball did ricochet, hit him in the chin, but that's not an issue as much as the hand. we'll see where he's at tomorrow. >> reporter: and it does appear javier lopez will be okay. i saw him in the clubhouse, no wrap on that wrist, no ice there either. it does appear all but a certainty now that he will not participate in the wbc. he was slated to pitch for team puerto rico n. scottsdale with the giants, ahmed fareed, nbc bay area. ahmed, thanks. bartolo colon spoke today. that is news since the first time he has done so publicly since being suspended 50 games for violating the performance enhancing drug policy. colon was forced to leave his teammates when the suspension was announced right when they were in the heart of the pennant race. >> the thing about last year the fans and teammates about what happened. mike montgomery with a stronger apology after shoving his star player during a game. he has been publicly representry mappeded and his own athletic director for pushing allen crabbe with both hands during a time-out in their win over southern cal on sunday night. >> got a little carried away in the heat and emotion of a basketball game. so i apologized to allen. i apologized to the team. i feel very badly. in 30-plus years of coping, it's never happened before. >> they have won five of their games to get in contention for an at-large bid in the ncaa tournament. raj and jess, let's go back to you. raj, i'll be waiting for your phone calls. >> you've got it. thanks. >> thank you, feldy. >> all right. you're welcome. >> thanks, david. for a full half hour of sports coverage, you can watch sports net central tonight at 10:30. ♪ secondhand smoke affects everyone's health. it's not just irritating. it can cause heart disease and even death. speak up about secondhand smoke. your health and the health of your family depend on it. good. no, not good. he's a vegetarian and he's going to be here in 20 minutes! [ mom ] don't stress. we can figure this out. ♪ [ male announcer ] get the speed to make a great first impression. call today to get u-verse high speed internet for as little as $14.95 a month for 12 months with a one-year price guarantee. this is delicious. ♪ [ male announcer ] save the day in an instant. at&t. ♪ hayward is cracking down on internet sweepstakes cafes. yes, you heard right. those cafes offer online sweepstakes games which are technically illegal gambling. an emergency action will shut down the cafe for 45 days. that moratorium is put in place the council will discuss the long-term solution such as extending the moratorium. right now hayward has three of these types of cafes. well, drivers can park for free at metered spaces. you know that. >> investigative reporter vickie nguyen joins us now. >> reporter: this is being used often and illegally. we confirmed many of the people parking for free were county workers using someone else's placards. the coroner and the sheriff. the dmv says this is registered to someone else, not you. >> oh, it must be my mother. >> reporter: more from the county worker we confronted. right now, though, head to our website for more on the three things you need to get in order to report this kind of abuse to the dmv. go to nbcbayarea.com and click on investigations. >> okay, we'll see you at 11:00. if you have a tip for anyone in our investigative unit give us a call. 888-996-tips or send us an e-mail directly to the unit. >> and that is going to do it for us this evening. we hope you'll be back with us tonight at 11:00. >> now on "extra," mindy mccready's frightening final cry for help. "extra" with the bombshell recording she left her private eye just before her suicide. was she crumbling because of the probe into her boyfriend's death? them and he was my soul mate. >> the blade runner's fatal mistake. new evidence he may have mapped out the murder of his model girlfriend. reeva's family tearfully speaking out today as she's laid to rest. >> there's only one thing missing -- reeva. >>new york's anchor attack. the married tv news casters who just became the top story. >> he says he choked her. she clocked him in the face. what he said in front of cops that could sink him. >> countdown to robin roberts' "g.m.a." return, toasting with a glass of wine inside her dinner party with the gang. then only "extra's" inside kim k.'s new bedroom and bikini shoot. why she is curious about the kennedy sec's secrets. >> which kennedy was it, or was it all of them? >> plus, why tonight's "ncis" holds -- >> the secret to the meaning of life, so watch them all. >> we're breaking news right here that will be turning everywhere. watch closely for the clues. >> "extra, extra!"! [captioning made possible by warner bros. domestic television distribution] >> welcome to "extra" here at the grove, i'm mario lopez. >> i'm maria menounos. coming up, a new piece of evidence that could prove oscar pistorius committed murder.
pistorius' attorneys and prosecutors presented their versions of how reeva steenkamp was killed last thursday. pistorius will be tried for premeditated murder. he claims he thought an intruder was in his bathroom, so he shot through the door. only after breaking down that door did he realize he had shot his girlfriend. >> i'm not lawyer, but here's my question. your girlfriend is spending the night. you wake up, she's not there. you think there's an intruder in the bathroom, but you don't know where she is. >> he says he thought she was still in bed. that's what he's saying. he's saying he got up, saw there was something going on with the screen door. went to the check it out, never looked at the bed. that's what he's saying. called for her to call police, but what's going to -- what prosecutors and the defense experts are saying is going to really be the key here in the premeditated murder is whether or not he put on his legs, his prosthetic legs. >> to measure that, they're going to see where those bullets came through the door. >> which means he got out of his bed, had time to think about it, put on the prosthetics, then go seek what was going on. so did he really not know his girlfriend was there? this story is getting more and more bizarre. and willis brought up a good point. that's another point. if the girlfriend and boyfriend are in bed together and having these moments right before valentine's door, why would she lock the door to the bathroom? >> thank you. >> we're going to bring willis into every one of our chats. >> please don't. more serious news. the death toll from a missile strike in the syrian district of aleppo has reportedly climbed to more than 30. almost half of them children. abc's terry moran has more on the new normal inside syria. >> reporter: smoke billowed from a strike on the outskirts of the downtown. the suburbs are the battleground, for now. [ explosions ] in a damascus suburb, government air strikes have reduced much of the place to rubble. as they have in the northern city of aleppo, where they were pulling more bodies from the wreckage. but all sides suffer in this war. weenent to a wake for abeloved local politician in damascus. he was kidnapped and burned to death in his car by jihadist rebels who claimed credit on the internet we were told. there was almost nothing left of him, his brother told us. rebel mortar fire landed near assad's palace. that's a first. you look in the eyes of so many people, you see a different kind of wound, the fear is real. near of what tomorrow may bring to damascus. terry moran, abc news, damascus, syria. former congressman jesse jackson jr. and his wife are due in court, expected to plead guilty to federal charges. he's accused of spending $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items, including a $40,000 gold rolex. his wife, a former chicago lawmaker, sandra jackson, is charged with filing false tax returns. vice president biden tells americans they do not need assault weapons to scare off bad guys, just use a shotgun. his response came in response to a facebook question about responsible gun ownership. >> look what the democrats are doing. joe saying i got two shotguns. obama saying look at my picture. they're trying to walk this line -- >> we're not against the 2nd amendment. it's all theater. here's a look at your wednesday weather. denver will see snow by this afternoon. that storm will move into the plains. showers for oklahoma city, dallas and houston. another frigid day for the upper midwest. minneapolis 10 degrees, boston, new york and baltimore, upper 30s. spring arrives one month from today, march 20. for the first time in 16 years, we'll hear the classic gray poupon "pardon me" ad. it begins just as stuffy as the original, with a chauffeured british aristocrat. >> it goes in a different direction, though. it has an action packed ending, complete with a high-speed chase. >> do you remember those? >> oh, yeah, of course. pardon me, do you have any gray poupon. >> i remember it, too. coming up, as we reflect on our old age, we asked you to ask us anything. so stay tuned for our answers. >> and who's pushing for better preschool programs across this country? what it could mean for your young kids, thirsty for knowledge. you're watching "world news now." [ female announcer ] going to sleep may be easy, but when you wake up in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ full of beautiful highlights and lowlights. that's why nice'n easy builds dimension into every shade. so here's a challenge: love the gorgeous dimension of nice'n easy or we'll pay for a salon color. take the salon challenge, from nice'n easy. and now hot pink toes. seems tough for a tough dog like duke. but when it has anything to do with gwen, he's putty in her hands. for a love this strong, duke's family only feeds him iams. compared to other leading brands, it has 50% more animal protein... ...to help keep his body as strong as a love that can endure anything... even every fashion trend. iams. keep love strong. last week, president obama called for publicly funded preschool to be available to every american child. and now education department commission is recommending that happen within ten years. >> abc's devin dwyer reports on the president's plan and what it could mean for kids. >> reporter: preschool for all is a simple idea. like learning your food groups. but giving every american child free access to classrooms like this one in atlanta is a bold new plan. >> not just babysitting, we're not just child care, we're really getting children ready for the next step in their education. >> reporter: 1 in 3 youngsters in the u.s. don't get that chance, prompting president obama to propose expanding the nation's public education system to help them. >> if you're looking for a good bang for your educational buck, this is it, right here. >> reporter: the plan could cost up to $10. 5 billion per year by one estimate. it's a bill obama says should be split between the federal and state governments. >> it's expensive. when you're talking about young children, you have to have very different ratios than you do in k-12 education. >> reporter: many of the nation's top economists, including several here at the university of chicago, say the cost is worth it. preschool for all, especially low income kids, can mean big savings for taxpayers down t ro. >> we get a return of seven cents on the dollar for each year of each upfront investment. >> reporter: economist james heckman says skipping pre-k by kids in poor families comes with a cost, too. >> it reduces crime, a society that's more engaged in a sense of employment and so forth. that's where the economic return comes. >> reporter: only five states offer preschool for all children. several have struggled to meet their goals. in georgia, 8,000 kids are on a waiting list. the state's high school graduation rate remains one of the lowest in the nation. >> universal pre-k is more difficult to do because you're opening it up to a larger group of children. and so that requires more funding. >> reporter: a wish that may seem more pipe dream than possibility. though advocates insist universal preschool still stands a chance. >> short term cost, long-term gains. >> how is this not a thing already? coming up next, you asked, we answered. >> we're going to up our "world news now" inbox and find out what you want to know. stay with us. nenearly 1 in 200 americans suffer with the debilitating pain and constant disruption of inflammatory bowel disease. the toll is both physical and emotional. chances are you know someone with ibd. someone like me. i'm amy brenneman and i support the crohn's & colitis foundation of america. ccfa was created to help those with ibd cope d to find a cure. people with ibd can't wait. won't you help someone you know? ♪ all the little birds on jay bird street ♪ ♪ love the way the robin goes tweet, tweet, tweet ♪ song of the day around here at abc. today is the day our robin roberts is officially back five months to the day after undergoing a bone marrow transpant. robin returns to "good morning america" in a few short hours. i'm sure she's getting out of bed right about now. >> that's right. and it is our honor and privilege to say, welcome back, robin. we all love you very, very much. can't wait to see you. >> and it's time now for our "world news now" in box segment where you ask us anything and we have to answer whether we like it or not. >> our first question comes from sherylyn. can you do a segment on willis? is he married? does he have a family? what he likes to do when he's not at work. >> well, a little background first in the form of willis' greatest hits. >> yes, i've been in bed with willis for years, and he's quite a company man, if you know what i mean. >> oh, yeah, i like that. >> willis' pic right there. there he is right there. >> oh, yeah, oh, yeah. right between the eyes i got him. >> so willis, answer the question, are you -- the woman out there wants to know whether you're married or not? >> no, i am not married. >> how many girlfriends you got? >> i have a few young ladies i know, yes. >> what do you like to do when you're not at work? besides hanging out with your young ladies. >> he just answered that. >> i like to have a good time, enjoy myself. go places, do things. all that kind of good stuff. >> and we should explain, willis is back for a few weeks. but you've been retired sense the end of 2010. but you're back temporarily. we love having you back, despite our trash talk. all right. our next question, i woonlder if both of them are wearing clothes on their legs behind the table or if they just sit there in underwear and nice tops. >> buck naked. >> i ain't not nothing going on. >> there it is. >> i wear my prom dress underneath this table. >> normal suit, there you go. >> we look normal. >> nothing freaky deky underneath the desk. it's a family show. finally this from doug, why do you two awesome people sit there with two empty wnn coffee cups? >> these things are, yeah, they are empty. sometimes we put snacks in them. >> or our pens. >> and no, you cannot order them. they just look good on the desk. these were gifts for our 20th anniversary two years ago. >> this is also how i beam my messages to the aliens out there who i know are watching. >> really? willis, take these to a few of your ladies. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. hd 8. low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. but all i do to be broadcast ready damages my hair and scalp. then i uncovered head & shoulders damage rescue. it relieved my scalp and rescued my damaged hair. the proof? see it tonight, at eleven. head & shoulders damage rescue. ♪ okay. that's the midweek special. >> and also for this story, a pastor in chicago is responding to changing times with a unique solution and that's why this is our boom, favorite story of the day. >> that's right. he's trying to get the attention of young people by rapping his sermons. frank matthew from wls reports. >> reporter: university church on the university of chicago campus. it's headed now by 29-year-old pastor julian deshozzier. he's chicago born and raised and a graduate of divinity school. he rehearsed a sermon for us and explained the difficulties of preaching in a changing, much younger world. >> it's a challenge. i mean, we don't throw away the old classic message of the gospel or of love or peace and courage, because those are words that the church needs to continue to own. but we have to repackage them. >> reporter: and he repackages religion in a very unusual way. he's also a professional rapper, and preaches religion with rhyme. >> sometimes you have to do a little hip-hop, too. >> reporter: during a sermon? >> if need me. ♪ i'm trying to live it like christ ♪ >> reporter: as a rapper around the chicago area, the reverend is known as jay quest. >> what it really does is hopefully lead people into a greater understanding and awareness of themselves and their god. >> reporter: he's been preaching for ten years, he's been rapping professionally for about five years. they don't seem like they go together. but apparently they do. >> i don't think that i rap religion, though. i think that i rap about life, and i rap about the narratives of all of our experiences. i think that's the same thing that sermons are about. >> reporter: sermons and rap, the two have met. frank mathy, abc 7 news. >> whatever it takes. >> whatever gets the message out there is a good thing. so different people respond to different things. i like it. >> especially if you want to get to the younger demographic. that's what they listen to. >> why not? >> preach it, my brother. >> we could to the 2nd baptist biscuit -- >> amen. >> i like to at this moment focus on brother willis chambers. willis back on the overnight show, don't know why they let him hout, but the lord is going to let him back in. just pray for that boy. this morning on "world news now," missouri inferno. a gas explosion and huge fire burns shops and restaurants in kansas city. >> what investigators have already uncovered as cadaver dogs are brought to the scene. it's wednesday, february 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we'll get to the latest on the injuries and the search for answers after last night's major fire in kansas city. also this morning, the fear that raced through southern california after a gunman went on a violent shooting rampage. what detectives are uncovering. >> it's so weird how getting these e-mails during the day, another shooting, another shooting. it's hard to say whether more of these are happening or whether we're covering them more. but more violence. >> you hear a lot about shootings, but it's mass shootings. >> this one seemingly random as some of the others. for the first time, police are letting us hear in great deal the alleged plans to kill singer justin bieber. some evidence just being released. later on this half hour, every family could use a little guidance. but how about advice on parenting from a team of esteemed experts? >> is there one thing that you have learned that you had no about five months ago? >> what they say about them growing and developing quickly is true. we're not disciplining him yet, which is probably going to create a terror. >> he's running the house, isn't he? of course. >> but before you know it, they're growing up and doing all kinds of things you d don't eve realize. >> he'll be going to college next week. that's how it goes. don't cry. it's too early in the show. before all of that, the blast in kansas city we told you about a second ago was so powerful it shook windows and doors of homes and businesses blocks away. >> now investigators are looking into whether a gas leak may have triggered the explosion and the fire. abc's chuck sivertsen has the latest. >> reporter: dozens of firefighters battled a massive blaze in kansas city. the force of the blast leveled the restaurant, sending broke glass and building materials. a huge fireball engulfed the entire city block. thick, black smoke filled the air and could be seen for miles. >> this was a happy hour at a restaurant. there were patron in the restaurant. the investigation is ongoing, but it does seem like abvent. it doesn't appear to be foul play. >> reporter: witnesses say the explosion was so loud and powerful, it could be felt half mile a way. residents were asked to evacuate. >> the ground just shook. it sounded like -- i mean, it was just a giant explosion. >> reporter: several people who were injured were taken to area hospitals. most of the injuries were lacerations from flying glass. firefighters were investigating complaints of a smell of gas. patrons were asked to leave the building. >> i'm just keeping my fingers crossed this turns out to be a relatively low number compared to what it could have been. >> reporter: chuck sivertsen, abc news, new york. >> there were original reports that there may have been a car that crash swod the building and hit the main -- the gas main and that's what created it, but police have not been able to establish that is the case. so that's definitely going to be interesting to see what is causing this. >> they're going to search that scene throughout the night. just as a precaution, they did bring in some cadaver dogs just in case there are any fatalities. that's going to be a developing story throughout the day. you can see from the video how dramatic the fire was. four people including the gunman are dead in southern california after a bizarre shootishoot ing spree. it started when a college student killed a woman at his home and sped away. next he carjacked and shot a man. then he approached another victim at a gas station. >> he said, i don't want to hurt you. i killed somebody. today is my last day. give me your keys. >> two people were killed for their cars before he took his own life, as police closed in. they say his motive remains a mystery. we're getting new details this morning of that foiled plot to kidnap and kill singer justin bieber. reports surfaced in december alleging that a convicted killer and rapest had hired two men to murder and even castrate the 18-year-old pop star. for the first time, we're hearing recordings of a phone call made from a prison in new mexico. police say a 45-year-old dana martin telling one of the hitmen how to strangle bieber and his bodyguard using a scarf. >> martin was said to be infatuated with bieber. police say he wanted the singer dead after attempts to contact him had failed. a followup now to that incident that caused an aerospace agent his job. 60-year-old joe hundley will plead not guilty to a charge of simple assault. he's now free on bond, but cannot drink alcohol or possess firearms. those are the conditions of his release. he's accused of slapping a 2-year-old boy, on top of that using a racial slur during a delig flight two weeks ago. last night, president obama called the three key gop players on the issue in the senate. john mccain, lindsay graham and marco rubio. details of a backup immigration plan were leaked over the weekend. and general john allen who had -- has announced his retireme retirement. he says his wife has stood by him for more than 35 years. the president praised allen while accepting his allegation. >> according to a report in "the washington post," the wife has several chronic health issues, including auto immune disorder. he said in an interview, "for a long time i told her when you can't bear this anymore, just tell me and i'll drop my resignation letter." he said he no longer wants to place the pressure of that decision on her. look, everyone looks at things and says was this related to the petraeus e-mail scandal. he was e-mailing that woman in florida. he says it has no relation to that. >> and he was cleared from that. and he is still with his wife and he was able to keep his job. so looking into the future, our own martha raddatz says the replacement is a air force general named phillip breedlove. >> these two had become close and now he has this position to fill. there's some interesting politics going on in terms of the nation's national security and foreign policy. >> let's get this done. >> he was nominated for the most prestigious overseas military position. >> >> it's taken a few days but now we're getting details about that round of golf that president obama played with tiger woods in florida on sunday. woods is now in arizona getting ready for a tournament and he walled mr. obama "pretty cool." woods said the president hit the ball well in tough conditions and joked about how the round came about in the first place. >> yeah, he calls up and says hey, tiger, you want to play? >> he does not. >> okay. obviously there is a process that's involved and i was invited to play. >> he said that's simply an invitation you do not turn down. woods said if the president ever spent more time playing golf he could get to where he's actually pretty good player. >> one person from the "golf digest" was there, a member of the club. first time i've seen tiger woods smile in a very long time. >> he's slowly getting his groove back, in a good way. now to something that's truly an honor and privilege to report and something we're happy to share with you this morning. >> this morning marks robin robert's return to "good morning america." we'll be back at the anchor this morning aside the whole "gma" team, george, sam, josh and lara. >> it's been five days since she had her bone marrow transplant. we're so happy she's coming back. >> she's let those cameras into every stage of the process. she's really been -- she could not have been more open or more welcoming. i think she found power in letting people see what she was going through. she's not alone in battling illness in this country and she's been gracious and bounced back so well. >> i think she's been an empowering voice for people going through the same thing. >> welcome back. coming up, forget gasoline. see who is fuelling a car with coffee. >> and american roman catholics who are hoping the next pope will be from the u.s. see who may be up for the top job at the vatican. you're watching "world news now." when many soles pass through the most trodden areas of your home, your vacuum doesn't always pick up what's left behind. only the resolve easy clean system has foam power to stop dirt in its tracks. it penetrates deep within your carpet, removing 3 times more dirt than vacuuming alone. leaving the busiest areas of your carpets, truly fresh and clean. the resolve easy clean system. don't just vacuum clean. resolve clean. ♪ sing it now. >> we're having a little church. >> feel it going through your veins. in less than two weeks, pope benedict will step down and there are speculations about who is going to replace him. >> so what are the chances of an american becoming the next pope? abc's david wright lets us know. >> reporter: cardinal sean o'malley is a prince of the church who lives like a pauper. even his clothes set him apart. cardinal sean, as he likes to be called, wears the simple brown robes of a monk, plus sandals. even in winter in boston. >> he's a holy man, and a man of simplicity. wouldn't that be a lovely thing to have in a pope. >> reporter: the boston arch diocese he inherited was badly tainted. he sold off the cardinal's residence to pay off the victims and moved into a single room. the church has not always been so responsive. >> any new pope is going to have to look at that issue and speak to it. >> reporter: here in rome, there's been an unwritten rule, no pope from a superpower. but vatican watchers say times have changed. >> people realize a cardinal from the united states is not necessarily going to represent u.s. political interests. >> reporter: o'malley is one of two american names being floated. the other, timmy dolan who scoffed at the idea. >> what about you? >> is this abc evening news or comedy central? >> reporter: and o'malley isn't holding his breath either. >> i haven't lost any sleep about it. and i have bought a round trip ticket. so i'm counting on coming home. >> reporter: in boston, it would be the religious equivalent of the red sox beating the yankees. >> we always liked boston over new york. >> it will be interesting to see how it plays out. >> reporter: both americans are long shots. popes tend to be from europe, especially italy. the last time a non-european pope was chose was 1,000 years before columbus set sail. >> i'm saying there's a chance. >> odds are not on our side. that's what i get from our report. they could go for somebody from the latin american population. a lot of ways they can go with this. it's just fun speculation. >> as far as cardinal timothy dolan goes, he's sure his name is out of the running. not only did he say that to diane, he said the only people talking about hi being the pope are people smoking marijuana. so there you have it. still to come, advice from some of the nation's most successful people. >> could their strategies help your family solve everyday problems? don't go away. you're watching "world news now." ♪ be careful with your daughters, especially if they're hanging out with john mayer. parenting can be tough. >> but a new book is taking a different approach by asking successful people how to create a strong family. abc's juju chang checked it all out. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: think of it this way, you're not a family, you're a team trying to power up every single member. i'll tell you the lesson i learned with my three boys and a special-ops commando. >> get your legs straight. >> reporter: thanks to author bruce feiler, who asked high power sources to help fix the problems we all face in our modern families. >> i felt like as a parent, we were just stuck, we were lost. the shrinks, the self help gurus, those ideas were stale. >> reporter: you have to fight fair, and you can't have a team without a sense of mission. so hold family meetings and really listen. >> what didn't work so well our family this week? >> overreacting. >> reporter: and prepare to be surprised. what bothers families the most? how stressed out and tired today's parents are. in listening to my own children, i learned their favorite times were not ski weekends but the quiet moments when we're just goofing around. and what about money? he asks bankers about giving allowance. the number one thing they say, don't tie money to chores. chores are what we do to take care of each other, not to get paid. in fact, study after study shows all of us are more motivated by pulling for the team than by money. just ask the green berets. >> the team is only as fast as the slowest person. >> reporter: they say top down management doesn't produce as big a win as making everybody part of the plan. ready for this mission? that means the team leader, me, should listen to the rank and file. >> i think we should have the slowest person up front, and then the fastest person in the back. >> reporter: good idea. >> your son felt confident enough to say no, i want to do it a different way, and by the way, he had a good plan. >> if you can accomplish that kind of team work, you can do anything. >> reporter: now, that is mission accomplished. juju chang, abc news, new york. >> some good tips in there. but everyone does it differently. different strokes for different folks. >> that's for sure. you never know what's going to work and what's not going to work. >> that brings us to our facebook question of the day. >> we want to know what is the best parenting advice you have ever received? please share it with us. >> what was the most common bit of advice people told you when you were pregnant about motherhood? >> that it wasn't going to be easy and i have to let my kid cry it out. >> that's tough to hear that sound. >> it's not going to happen, no, my poor baby. >> we'll be back with more after this. my name is marjorie reyes, and i'm a chief warrant officer. i love the fact that quicken loans provides va loans. quicken loans understood the details and guided me through every step of the process. i know wherever the military sends me, i can depend on quicken loans. woolite everyday, cleans your jeans and won't torture your tanks. woolite washed clothes look like new, longer. in the middle of the 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he's worked on this while and says this is another alternative energy that we could be using here. >> we're always talking about getting away from our dependence on oil. but until they make these cars look like real cars and not these crazy factories on wheels, i'm not driving that. thank you. i've got to stop and put some coffee beans and get stuck on the side of the highway. no thanks. gentleman who did a little research so that he could come up with the most expensive cup of coffee ever. of course it's at starbucks. this is video from his youtube channel. now, he went out and he got himself a 48 shot mocha drizzle protein powder, caramel brulee topping with strawberries and vanilla chips. it cost him $47.30. and by the way, because it was his birthday, he got it for free. so remember all i said, go get it for your birthday, because you get the most expensive cup for free. >> does anybody drink folgers anymore? apparently folks like meteors around the world. according to the online measurement company visible measures, the meteor videos have topped 138 million views, the fastest video event ever to reach 100 million views. crazy, the interest in what happened over in the skies over russia. >> that's incredible. this is a new website called >> that's incredible. this is a new website called fake inter y. i anderson cooper.. as parent, you want t to make sure that your child knows how to d deal with bullying when they seeee it happening. and chances are, they want to help but they don't really know how. teach them that the best thing to do is calmly walk away, findnd a teaeacher or other alt, and spspeak up. and your part--be that adudult they can t calk to and trust will listen. join me to help stop bullying. go to stopbullying.gov to find out more. this morning on "world news now," inferno investigation. a gas explosion and fast-moving flames race through a popular kansas city district full of shops and restaurants. >> what investigators are finding this morning after a fire that burned for hours. it's wednesday, february 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we'll get to the kansas city fire investigation in our top story. and also this morning, the costly computer crimes costing the american economy hundreds of billions of dollars a year. the fingers are pointing at china, as the white house today announces plans to fight the hackers. and then -- this is crazy. why hand sanitizer is being singled out in a fire that severely burned an 11-year-old girl. wait until you hear how something so common turned into something so hazardous. you think you're doing the right thing, killing the germs, staying fresh, it's after the flu. and then something like that happens. that story is crazy. >> and where it happened is also crazy. you would think it's the safest place for an accident to not happen. and later on, clyde davis, his tell-all book and a singing star who has a few choice words for him. that's coming up in "the skinny." >> he's having a little battle well a well-known singer. "nightline" revealed an interesting tidbit from his personal life. >> we'll get to all of that. >> all that dirt. >> oh, yeah. but first, crews are working through the overnight hours at the scene of that explosion and the fire in downtown kansas city. >> they brought in cadaver dogs just as a precaution, since the destruction was on a widespread scale. it's believed that a gas leak is what set off this blast. witnesses said there was a strong odor of gas right before the explosion. >> it was happy hour at a restaurant. there were patrons in the restaurant. the investigation is ongoing, but it does seem like an accident and does it appear to be foul play at this time. >> the gas utility says there are early indications that a contractor was doing some underground work nearby and perhaps hit a natural gas line. the u.s. is reportedly poised to strike back as allegations surface about cost cyber attacks blamed on china. sources say the white house will unveil a new report today laying out aggressive steps to fight the cyber crimes. abc's brian ross investigates the latest security breaches that are hitting home. >> reporter: the chinese people's liberation army has more than 2 million personnel. but it's the thousand or so in this nondescript building in shanghai that may pose the biggest threat to the u.s. this is the headquarters of the army's secretive unit number 61398 where, according to the new report, english speaking computer experts spend their days stealing secrets from u.s. companies and hacking into government sites. >> this is an espionage operation run by the chinese people's liberation army, and it's targeting a broad swath of western organizations. >> reporter: among the most troubling targets, american infrastructure sites, including water treatment plants, transportation control centers, pipelines and power grids. >> the only reason you would want to get into the control system for the power grid is to cause damage, destruction and disruption. >> reporter: among the many corporate targets of the chinese hackers, according to u.s. officials, lockheed martin, the country's largest d defense contractor and the maker of the f-35 jet fighter. u.s. officials say not surprisingly, the chinese version of the plane has some distinct similarities. >> it's koosting, according to u.s. intelligence, hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of u.s. jobs every year. >> reporter: the u.s. is believed to be doing its own cyber attacks on iran and its nuclear program. but u.s. officials say it's different than the economic espionage being carried out by china and now president obama has ordered u.s. intelligence agencies to help american companies spot and detect the hacking coming from that building in shanghai. brian ross, abc news, new york. and one day after targeting burger king, hackers have taken over the twitter account of another major company. pranksters broke into jeep's page and tweeted that the automaker had been sold to cadillac. the false tweets went out nearly an hour before the company regained control of that account. even the virtually virus free apple has fallen victim also. the company says that a small number of mac computers were infected. this attack at apple's new york offices was similar to one acknowledged at facebook last week. >> the more computerized world we become, this is the aftermath. this is the dirty underside of it all. according to the article in "the new york times," the white house today is going to respond to some of this stuff. "the new york times" said obama administration officials are planning to tell china's new leaders that the volume and sophistication of the attacks have become so intense that they threaten the fundamental relationship between washington and beijing. that could be only interesting words. again, we owe china a lot of money, so how tough can you be to the country to which you owe billions and billions of dollars? >> and china is completely denying this. there was a bbc crew that set up shop outside of that building that brian ross showed you in his piece in shanghai. they were told to hit the record and all their recordings were confiscated. china is saying they have nothing to do with it. it's going to be a little he said, he said here. >> there was a foreign minister who said, to make groundless accusations based on some rough material is neither responsible or professional. that's china's response. so maybe some tough months ahead. >> i would say, international relations for sure. a girl in oregon is recovering from burns after a fire her parents believe was started by hand sanitizer. 11-year-old ireland lane was a patient at a children's hospital in portland. her father believes the alcohol-based hand sanitizer was ignited by a spark of static electricity of his daughter playing with her bed sheets. >> i've been in medicine 30 years now. i've never heard of anything like this, and hopefully never will again. >> she suffered third degree burns to nearly 1/5th of her entire body. she's already had someone skin graph surgy. another is set for tomorrow. icy roads are to blame for a multi car pileup north of milwaukee, wisconsin. 26 vehicles were involved along the busy highway. the road was closed while tow trucks cleared up the cars. and a winter storm has brought snow and this rare tornado to northern california north of sacramento. >> and with that, here's a look at your weather today. a rainy one in seattle and portland. california dries out after yesterday's storms. denver will get snow around dinnertime. houston and dallas with a few showers. >> arctic air grips the nation's midsection with temperatures up to 20 degrees colder than usual. chicago is 19 when the normal high this time of year is 30. phoenix and l.a. are also colder than usual. folks, the big stock show and rodeo in san diego has arrived -- in san antonio, texas, i'm sorry. we don't want to get those confused. >> a little different. >> it continues through sunday and that means there's still a couple of days left for the mutton busting. >> what was that? >> mutton busting. >> who needs all those massive bulls and wild horses when you can see little kids wearing helmets riding sheep. some have a bit more success than others. >> kids between 4 and 7 and weighing less than 55 pounds can take part in mutton busting. and as one parent said, it's not whether you win or lose but how much fun you have. >> what is the link between this event and the term "mutton busting?" is that another name for a sheep, mutton? >> the only mutton i know -- that is mutton? okay, thank you. you knew that too, willis? >> willis is all-knowing. >> based on your extensive experience with sheep, i appreciate your knowledge there, willis. thank you for chiming in. baaaaa. that's willis' girlfriend. >> by the way, they don't tell the kids to let go because they might get hurt, so they tell them to hold on as long as possible. >> words to live by. >> hold on to your sheep. >> your what? coming up, an actor known for his tough-guy roles but now he's showing his softer side. and the victoria's secret model who insists there's something ugly going on in these glamorous professional photos. and the profession that she's chosen. you're watching "world news now." 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>> listen, she's got a graduate degree, she's a really smart girl. and there's a lot of really smart models out there. cindy crawford was discovered at a mcdonald's. but she was like the valid victorian. she's a beautiful woman, as well. so i just think they're upset about the fact that a lot of people view them as just a pretty face with no brains and they're only doing this for the money and it's so easy to get that money if you've won the genetic lottery. and they want the world to know there's more to them than just their looks. >> i judge her less how she got to the platform than what she's doing with it, and she's doing a lot of good with it. so i think that's cool. >> and that's wonderful. >> that's what i like those victoria's angels for, their minds. >> their brains, their minds. >> i'm always focused on their minds. >> especially when they're walking down the catwalk. >> always. >> lies, lies. coming up, the singer who refuses to be bullied. >> and an unusual performance by a tough guy actor, coming up next in "the skinny." next in "the skinny." ♪ skinny, so skinny skinny in the house! >> yes, it is. >> i'm going to miss that, willis. clyde davis in the news this week on two fronts. first, an issue with kelly clarkson. he has a new memoir detailing his decades in the music business, and has built many, many careers. so in his new book, he recalls a meeting with kelly that says "it was a very tough conversation and it didn't get any easier when kelly burst into sobbing when discussing the inclusion of that song "since you've been gone" on her second album." she fires back and says, i couldn't be more proud of that song. i resent him dampening that song in any way. i refuse to be bullied and i have to clear up his memory lapses. and misinformation. it feels like a violation. so apparently there was a tough meeting and they both tell very different sides of the story in terms of what went wrong. apparently no love loss. and he gave an interview on "nightline" eaier this week and admitted for the first time ever that he's bisexual, says he's been in a strong monogamous relationship with a man for the past seven years. before that, it was with a doctor for 14 years, but says i can still be attracted to women. therefore he calls himself bisexual. so clyde just putting all kinds of stuff out there about his personal life. 80 years old he is. >> okay. good for him. >> check out that memoir. here's something that's really sweet and adorable. vin diesel, for valentine's day didn't do the chocolates and flowers and everything else. instead he covered a rihanna school. take a listen. ♪ makes me feel like i can't live without you ♪ >> really sweet. he's got a really good voice. the way this worked out is he was inspired to do this after seeing rihanna perform and he obtained a mike and amp and he did this on a flight for his girlfriend and of course, he says the rest is history. so just a beautiful moment. if you hear the whole thing, it's really sweet. >> very, very cool. >> nice. so here's something else. tupac's mom, you remember tupac, he's been dead since 1996, or so they say. saying she will release his entire body of work. by the way, since he's been dead, he's released seven albums, not seven songs, seven entire albums. what, 13, 14 songs per. three of them made it to number one on the billboard 200. and of course, if you remember last year, tupac's fans saw a hologram of him, which was really great at the coachella music and arts festival. twitter went ablaze, there he was. he performed with snoop dog. but since then, the hologram company has gone bankrupt. so tupac is alive and well and we know it and you're probably watching right now. >> i'm going to tell you right now, i saw tupac at a walmart last weekend. i saw him, i saw him, i saw him. >> what? >> i'm breaking the news on this show, i saw tupac at a walmart last weekend and a piggly wiggly before that. i saw tupac. >> was he with his momma? he was with dave chappell. momma? he was with dave chappell. medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. 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[ male announcer ] join the millions of people who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. remember, all medicare supplement insurance plans help cover what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands a year in out-of-pocket costs. call now to request your free decision guide. and learn more about the kinds of plans that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is. have given way to sleeping. tossing and turning where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. it's time to honor those making a difference in your community with "good morning america's" hometown celebration. tell us about your organization. what they've done to help your neighbors and why they deserve win some disney time. a chance to relax and enjoy disney entertainment and characters you love all brought right to your community, curty of disney parks. you might even see yourself on television on "gma." to find out to enter, go to the website on yahoo. ♪ all the little birds on jay bird street ♪ love the way the robin goes tweet, tweet, tweet ♪ rocken robin, tweet, tweet ♪ feels good to hear that and say this. in just a few hours, robin roberts will be back on the anchor desk. >> no one is more happy to hear it than us and her colleagues at "gma." they sat down with robin for brunch to see how she's feeling. >> i remember when the doctor first told me, you're going to be out five to six months, i was screaming. you know, you have to do what you need to do. it just shows people that time passes, this too shall pass. it's about i have visualized this moment. i did visualize the other end of it. >> did that help you? did you use visualization? >> big time. it's something like this, looking into sam's blue eyes. i love how we're sitting, how we would be sitting. i know when i sit back down right in this chair and i look over and i see you and i see you and i see you, it's going to be all is right in the world. and it's going to seem like no time has passed at all. >> are there nerves? >> oh, yeah. it feels great to feel the nerves again. i haven't done live television since the end of august. so i'm a little bit nervous, because you all -- you've got my back, but that's what i'm not nervous about. i know you have my back. i know i can look at you and give you this -- >> and start talking. >> exactly. and you have it. but it's just that you all have -- boy, you've raised the bar. >> let's raise the glass to our dear friend. welcome home. >> good to be home. >> welcome b back. >> thank you. >> so good. >> onward. onward and upward. >> i like that. that is the perfect attitude, onward and upward. we're looking forward to welcoming robin, as well. >> she'll be back on the "gma" anchor desk in a couple of hours. >> that's going to be a big moment. everybody is going to tune in to see her, welcoming her back, showing her all that love. that's what's gotten her through these last few months. >> we're so excited this moment has finally arrived. >> more from abc next.
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>> is this abc evening news or comedy central? >> reporter: and o'malley isn't holding his breath either. >> i haven't lost any sleep about it. and i have bought a round trip ticket. so i'm counting on coming home. >> reporter: in boston, it would be the religious equivalent of the red sox beating the yankees. >> we always liked boston over new york. >> it will be interesting to see how it plays out. >> reporter: both americans are long shots. popes tend to be from europe, especially italy. the last time a non-european pope was chose was 1,000 years before columbus set sail. >> i'm saying there's a chance. >> odds are not on our side. that's what i get from our report. they could go for somebody from the latin american population. they're trying to boost the catholic numbers there. a lot of ways they can go with this. no one really knows. it's just fun speculation at this point. >> as far as cardinal timothy dolan goes, he's sure his name is out of the running. not only did he say that to diane, he said the only people talk hum -- him potentially being the pope are people smoking marijuana. so there you have it. still to come, advice from some of the nation's most successful people. >> could their strategies help your family solve everyday problems? don't go away. you're watching "world news now." ♪ be careful with your daughters, especially if they're hanging out with john mayer. parenting can be tough. >> but a new book is taking a different approach by asking successful people how to create a strong family. abc's juju chang checked it all out. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: think of it this way, you're not a family, you're a team trying to power up every single member. i'll tell you the lesson i learned with my three boys and a special-ops commando. >> get your legs straight. >> reporter: thanks to author bruce feiler, who asked high power sources to help fix the problems we all face in our modern families. >> i felt like as a parent, we were just stuck, we were lost. the shrinks, the self help gurus, those ideas were stale. >> reporter: you have to fight fair, and you can't have a team without a sense of mission. so hold family meetings and really listen. >> what didn't work so well our family this week? >> overreacting. >> reporter: and prepare to be surprised. what bothers families the most? how stressed out and tired today's parents are. in listening to my own children, i learned their favorite times were not action-packed ski weekends, but those quiet moments when we're just goofing around. and what about money? again, why not go to the top? feiler asked warren buffett's bankers about giving allowance. the number one thing they say, don't tie money to chores. chores are what we do to take care of each other, not to get paid. in fact, study after study shows all of us are more motivated by pulling for the team than by money. just ask the green berets. >> the team is only as fast as the slowest person. >> reporter: they say top down management doesn't produce as big a win as making everybody part of the plan. ready for this mission? that means the team leader, me, should listen to the rank and file. >> i think we should have the slowest person up front, and then the fastest person in the back. >> reporter: good idea. >> your son felt confident enough to say no, i want to do it a different way, and by the way, he had a good plan. >> if you can accomplish that kind of team work, you can do anything. >> reporter: now, that is mission accomplished. juju chang, abc news, new york. >> some good tips in there. but everyone does it differently. what works for you may not work for the dude next door. different strokes for different folks. >> that's for sure. you never know what's going to work and what's not going to work. >> that brings us to our facebook question of the day. >> we want to know what is the best parenting advice you have ever received? log on to our facebook page at wnnfans.com. please share it with us. >> what was the most common bit of advice people told you when you were pregnant about motherhood? >> that it wasn't going to be easy and i have to let my kid cry it out. >> that's tough to hear that sound. >> it's not going to happen, no, my poor baby. >> we'll be back with more after this. e back with more after this. my name is marjorie reyes, and i'm a chief warrant officer. i love the fact that quicken loans provides va loans. quicken loans understood the details and guided me through every step of the process. i know wherever the military sends me, i can depend on quicken loans. woolite everyday, cleans your jeans and won't torture your tanks. woolite washed clothes look like new, longer. in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ welcome back, everybody. time for "the wednesday mix." caffeine is critical, now it's critical for something else, potentially running your car. this i thought was a very cool story. guinness world records tracked this guy, martin bacon, who used his coffee-powered car to get up to 65 miles per hour, the fastest speed ever for this type of vehicle. >> what? >> it doesn't use coffee like what's in your cup, but the waste from production and these pellets are heated in a charcoal fire to break them down into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. any car can run on this gasification process. this guy has been working on this for a while. he says this is another alternative energy we could be using. >> we're always talking about getting away from our dependence on oil. but until they make these cars look like real cars and not these crazy factories on wheels, i'm not driving that. thank you. i've got to stop and put some coffee beans and get stuck on the side of the highway. no thanks. apparently, there was a gentleman who did a little research so that he could come up with the most expensive cup of coffee ever. of course it's at starbucks. this is video from his youtube channel. now, he went out and he got himself a 48 shot mocha drizzle protein powder, caramel brulee topping with strawberries and vanilla chips. it cost him $47.30. and by the way, because it was his birthday, he got it for free. so remember all i said, go get it for your birthday, because you'll kbet the -- get the most expensive cup of coffee for free. >> does anybody drink folgers anymore? can we keep it simple? apparently folks like meteors around the world. according to the online measurement company visible measures, the meteor videos have topped 138 million views, the fastest video event ever to reach 100 million views. crazy, the interest in what happened over in the skies over russia. >> that's incredible. we want to get to this. it's a new website called fake internet girlfriend. it goes on facebook and creates a new girlfriend that this morning on "world news now," a gas explosion and fast-moving flames race through a popular kansas city district full of shops and restaurants. >> what investigators are finding this morning after a fire that burned for hours. it's wednesday, february 20th. from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we'll get to the kansas city fire investigation in just a moment in our top story. also this morning, the costly computer crimes costing the american economy hundreds of billions of dollars a year. the fingers are pointing at china, as the white house announces plans to fight the hackers. and this is crazy. why hand sanitizer is being singled out in a fire that severely burned an 11-year-old girl. wait until you hear how something so common turned into something so hazardous. you think you're doing the right thing, killing the germs, all the dirt in our workplace and homes and something like that happens. that story is crazy. >> and where it happened is also crazy. and later on, clyde davis, his tell-all book, his big secrets, and a singing star who has a few choice words for him. that's coming up in "the skinny." >> he's having a little battle with a well-known singer. "nightline" revealed an interesting tidbit from his personal life. >> we'll get to all of that. but first, crews are working through the overnight hours at the scene of that explosion and the fire in downtown kansas city. >> they brought in cadaver dogs just as a precaution, since the destruction was on a widespread scale. witnesses said there was a strong odor of gas right before the explosion. >> this was a happy hour at a restaurant. there were patrons in the restaurant. the investigation is ongoing, but it does seem like an accident. doesn't appear to be foul play at this time. >> the gas utility says there are early indications that a contractor was doing some underground work nearby and perhaps hit a natural gas line. the u.s. is reportedly poised to strike back as allegations surface about costly cyber attacks blamed on china. abc's brian ross investigates the latest security breaches that are hitting home. >> reporter: the chinese people's liberation army has more than 2 million personnel. but it's the thousand or so in this nondescript building in shanghai that may pose the biggest threat to the u.s. this is the headquarters of the army's secretive unit number 61398 where, according to the new report, english speaking computer experts spend their days stealing secrets from u.s. companies and hacking into government sites. >> this is an espionage operation targeting a broad swath of western organizations. >> reporter: among the most troubling targets, water treatment plants, transportation control centers, pipelines and power grids. >> the only reason you would want to get into the control system for the power grid is to cause damage, destruction and disruption. >> reporter: among the many corporate targets of the chinese hackers, lockheed martin, the country's largest defense contractor and the maker of the f-35 jet fighter. u.s. officials say not surprisingly, the chinese version of the plane has some distinct similarities. >> it's costing hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of u.s. jobs every year. >> reporter: the u.s. is believed to be doing its own cyber attacks on iran and its nuclear program. but u.s. officials say it's different than the economic espionage being carried out by china and now president obama has ordered u.s. intelligence agencies to help american companies spot and detect the hacking coming from that building in shanghai. brian ross, abc news, new york. and one day after targeting burger king, hackers have taken over the twitter account of another major company. pranksters broke into jeep's page and tweeted that they had been sold to cadillac. even the virtually virus free apple has fallen victim also. a small number of mac computers ats office -- at its offices were infected. this attack at apple's new york offices was similar to one acknowledged at facebook last week. >> the more computerized world we become, this is the aftermath. this is the dirty underside of it all. the white house is going to respond to some of this, but "the new york times" said obama administration officials are planning to tell china's new leaders that the volume and sophistication of the attacks have become so intense that they threaten the fundamental relationship between washington and beijing. that could be some interesting words. again, we owe china a lot of money, so how tough can you be to the country to which you owe billions and billions of dollars? >> and china is completely denying this. there was a bbc crew that set up shop outside of that building that brian ross showed you in shanghai. they were told to hit the road, and all of their recordings were confiscated. china is saying they have nothing to do with it. it's a little he said, he said here. >> a foreign minister said to make groundless accusations is neither responsible or professional. that's china's response. so maybe some tough months ahead in that realm. >> international relations for sure. a girl in oregon is recovering from burns after a fire her parents believe was started by hand sanitizer. the 11-year-old was a patient at a children's hospital in portland. her father believes the alcohol-based hand sanitizer was ignited by a spark of static electricity with his daughter playing with her bed sheets. >> i've never heard of anything like this, and hopefully never will again. >> she suffered third degree burns to nearly one-fifth of her entire body. surgery is set for tomorrow. icy roads are to blame for a multicar pileup north of wisconsin. 26 vehicles were involved along the busy highway. the road was closed while tow trucks cleared up the cars. and a winter storm as brought snow and this rare tornado to northern california. cameras were rolling when this twister touched down in a rural area north of sacramento. >> and with that, here's a look at your weather today. a rainy one in seattle and portland. california dries out after yesterday's storms. denver will get snow around dinnertime. houston and dallas with a few showers. >> arctic air grips the nation's midsection with temperatures up to 20 degrees colder than usual. chicago is 19 when the normal high this time of year is 30. phoenix and l.a. are also colder than usual. folks, the big stock show and rodeo in san diego has arrived -- in san antonio, texas, i'm sorry. we don't want to get those confused. >> a little different. >> it continues through sunday and that means there's still a couple of days left for the mutton busting. >> what was that? >> mutton busting. >> who needs all those massive bulls and wild horses when you can see little kids wearing helmets riding sheep. some, of course, have a bit more success than others. >> kids weighing less than 55 pounds can take part in mutton busting. and as one parent said, it's not whether you win or lose but how much fun you have. >> what is the link between this event and the term "mutton busting"? is that another name for a sheep, mutton? that is? mutton? okay, thank you. you knew that too, willis? >> willis is all-knowing. >> based on your extensive experience with sheep, i appreciate your knowledge there, willis. thank you nor chiming in. >> baaaaaa. >> that's willis' girlfriend. >> by the way, they don't tell the kids to let go because they might get hurt, so they tell them to hold on as long as possible. >> words to live by. >> hold on to your sheep. >> your what? coming up, an actor known for his tough-guy roles, but now he's showing his softer side. and the victoria's secret model who insists there's something ugly going on in these glamorous professional photos. you're watching "world news now." 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>> listen, she's got a graduate degree, she's a really smart girl. and there's a lot of really smart models out there. cindy crawford was discovered at a mcdonald's. she's a beautiful woman, as well. so i just think they're upset about the fact that a lot of people view them as just a pretty face with no brains and they're only doing this for the money and it's so easy to get that money if you've won the genetic lottery. sthept -- they want the world to know there's more to them than just their looks. >> i judge her less how she got to the platform than what she's doing with it, and she's doing a lot with it. >> and that's wonderful. >> that's what i like those victoria's angels for, their minds. i'm always focused on their minds. >> especially when they're walking down the catwalk. >> always. coming up, the singer who refuses to be bullied by clyde davis. >> and an unusual performance by a tough guy actor, coming up next in "the skinny." ♪ skinny, so skinny skinny in the house! >> yes, it is. >> i'm going to miss that, willis. clyde davis in the news this week on two fronts. first, an issue with kelly clarkson. he has a new memoir detailing his decades in the business. certainly is a mogul and has built many, many a career. so in his new book, he recalls a meeting with kelly that says "it was a very tough conversation and it didn't get any easier when kelly burst into sobbing when discussing the inclusion of that song "since you've been gone" on her second album. she fires back and says, i couldn't be more proud of that song. i resent him dampening that song in any way. i refuse to be bullied and i have to clear up his memory lapses and misinformation. it feels like a violation. so they tell very different sides of the story in terms of what went down. apparently no love loss. and he gave an interview on "nightline" earlier this week and admitted for the first time ever that he's bisexual, says he's been in a strong monogamous relationship with a man for the past seven years. before that, it was with a doctor for 14 years, but says i still am attracted to women. therefore, he calls himself bisexual. so clyde just putting all kinds of stuff out there about his personal life. mr. davis at 80 years old, i think he is. >> okay. >> check out that memoir. here's something that's really sweet and adorable. vin diesel, for valentine's day didn't do the chocolates and flowers. instead he wept -- went a different route. he covered a rihanna song. take a listen. ♪ makes me feel like i can't live without you ♪ >> really sweet. he's got a really good voice. the way this worked out is he was inspired to do this after seeing rihanna performed and he obtained a mike and amp and he did this on a flight for his girlfriend and of course, he says the rest is history. so just a beautiful moment. if you hear the whole thing, it's really sweet. >> very, very cool. >> nice. so here's something else. tupa c's mom, you all remember tupac, he's been dead since 1996. is saying she will release his entire body of work. by the way, since he's been dead, he's released seven albums, not seven songs, seven entire albums. what, 13, 14 songs per. three of them made it to number one on the billboard 100. and of course, if you remember last year, tupac's fans saw a hologram of him, which was really great at the coachella music and arts festival. twitter went ablaze. there he was. it was very cool. he performed with snoop dog. but since then, the hologram company has gone bankrupt. so tupac is alive and well and we know it and you're probably watching right now. >> i'm going to tell you right now, i saw tupac at a walmart last weekend. i saw him, i saw him, i saw him. >> what? >> i'm breaking the news on this show, i saw tupac at a walmart last weekend and a piggly wiggly before that. i saw tupac. >> was he with his momma? he was with dave chappell. momma? he was with dave chappell. medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and you never need a referral to see a specialist. so don't wait. call now and request this free decision guide to help you better understand medicare... and which aarp medicare supplement plan might be best for you. there's a wide range to choose from. we love to travel -- and there's so much more to see. so we found a plan that can travel with us. anywhere in the country. [ male announcer ] join the millions of people who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. remember, all medicare supplement insurance plans help cover what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands a year in out-of-pocket costs. call now to request your free decision guide. and learn more about the kinds of plans that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is. have given way to sleeping. tossing and turning where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. it's time to honor those making a difference in your community with "good morning america's" hometown celebration. tell us about your organization. what they've done to help your neighbors and why they deserve win some disney time. a chance to relax and enjoy disney entertainment and characters you love all brought right to your community, curty of disney parks. you might even see yourself on television on "gma." ♪ all the little birds on jay bird street love the way the birds go tweet, tweet, tweet ♪ >> feels good to hear that and say this. in just a few hours, robin roberts will be back on the anchor desk. >> no one is more happy to hear it than us and her colleagues at "gma." they sat down with robin for brunch to see how she's feeling. >> i remember when the doctor first told me, you're going to be out five to six months, i was screaming. you know, you have to do what you need to do. it just shows people that time passes, this too shall pass. it's about i have visualized this moment. i did visualize the other end of it. >> did you use visualization? >> big time. it's something like this, looking into sam's blue eyes. i love how we're sitting, how we would be sitting. i know when i sit back down right in this chair and i look over and i see you and i see you and i see you, it's going to be all is right in the world. and it's going to seem like no time has passed at all. >> are there nerves? >> oh, yeah. it feels great to feel the nerves again. i haven't done live television since the end of august. so i'm a little bit nervous, because you all -- you've got my back, but that's what i'm not nervous about. i know i can look at you and give you this -- >> and start talking. >> exactly. and you have it. but it's just that you all have -- boy, you've raised the bar. >> let's raise the glass to our dear friend. welcome home. >> welcome back. >> thank you. >> so good. >> onward. onward and upward. >> i like that. that is the perfect attitude, onward and upward. we're looking forward to welcoming robin, as well. >> she'll be back on the "gma" anchor desk in a couple of hours. >> that's going to be a big moment. everybody is going to tune into to see her, show her all that love. that's what's gotten her through the last couple months. >> we're so excited this moment has finally, finally arrived. >> more from abc next. this morning on "world news now," dire warnings. with firefighters and police at his side, the president says we're just days away from billions of dollars in federal budget cuts. >> president obama says jobs will be lost if congress doesn't act. it's wednesday, february 20th. from abc news, this is "world news now." good wednesday morning, hump day. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we'll explain what's at stake with the next budget deadline. also this morning, a rare look inside syria after a fatal attack in damascus. while the fighting rages on, syrians demand an end to the suffering. sand then giving preschoolers a boost. who is calling now for new national standards and why they may make a big difference for some very young minds across the country. later on, a young preacher who can carry a town and send his message to the faithful with a hip-hop beat. you're going to want to wait to hear his sermon. >> whatever gets the message across. you can't argue with that. before all of that, we get to the looming battle over budget cuts on capitol hill. the deadline for a deal is less than two weeks away. >> president obama is pressuring lawmakers, but congress won't be in session until later on next week. here's abc's jonathan karl. >> reporter: the president brought firefighters and cops to the white house to warn emergency workers will be among the first to goes if those across the board spending cuts are allowed to happen. >> we've got these automatic brutal spending cuts poised to happen next friday. they will hurt our economy and add hundreds of thousands of american to the unemployment roles. people will lose their jobs. >> reporter: we now face cuts of $85 billion in one fell swoop. that's less than 3% of the budget, but the white house says virtually everybody will be hurt and we'll see long lines as tsa agents are furloughed. 1,000 fbi and other law enforcement agents forced off the job. and 70,000 preschoolers dropped from the head start program. you would think that would prompt emergency meetings between congress and the white house, but you would be wrong. >> has the president had a single face-to-face meeting since january 1 about averting these spending cuts? >> i don't have any meetings to read out to you. >> reporter: in fact, the answer according to sources on both sides is there have been no meetings between the president and congressional republicans, not one. now virtually everyone agrees that those cuts are almost certain to go into effect one week from friday. jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >> you know, we've heard about this over and over and over again. but i think people really start to pay attention when they realize it is and could potentially affect your day-to-day life. first responders, faa, tsa. it's your daily life. >> early childhood education. i just think the nation is incredibly wearied of these manufactured crises. there's so much blame on both sides of the aisle. we had the fiscal cliff, now we have this, we have the debt ceiling deadline in may. there's no dramatic substantive action. it's just one little baby step or kick it down the road and here we are again. and they're playing with people's jobs, money, taxes, livelihoods. our government just seems so dysfunctional and broken and gridlocked. >> and then things like this happen and we go until the 11th hour and oh, a solution but it's not really a solution because we've only done half of the work we should have done. in three months we'll talk about it again and we go through this all over again. just talking about we want to blame both sides and we want to say everybody is responsible. but president obama was up there with the first responders, and some people are questioning whether or not that was a manufactured setup and a scenario where he was like, i'm with these guys, you're the ones that are not able to let this happen and you're going to affect them. but was that necessary is the question? >> all politicians like their backdrops and to put a human face on the issue. forget all the press conferences, get in a room and talk until you get something done. let's move on before i really get hot. crews are working through the overnight hours at the scene of that huge gas explosion and fire in downtown kansas city. the police chief says cadaver dogs are going through the rubble just as a precaution. more than a dozen people were hurt. witnesses say the smell of gas was very strong in that area in the hours right before the blast. and lawyers for the man convicted of murdering former washington intern chandra levy is seeking a new trial. they claim new information calls into question the testimony of one witness and drastically undercuts the government's case. today is the deadline day for lance armstrong. he has until the end of the day to come clean under oath to u.s. anti-doping agents about his use of illegal drugs while winning seven straight tour de france titles. if that doesn't happen, he may not have his lifetime ban from organized sports reduced. armstrong and his team are also dealing with a massive whistleblower lawsuit. we could learn today if oscar pistorius will be let out on bail or if he will await his trial on a murder charge in jail. he is in court at this hour. pistorius' attorneys and prosecutors presented their versions of how reeva steenkamp was killed last thursday. pistorius will be tried for premeditated murder. he claims he thought an intruder was in his bathroom, so he shot through the door. only after breaking down that door did he realize he had shot his girlfriend. >> i'm not lawyer, but here's my question. your girlfriend is spending the night. you wake up, she's not there. you think there's an intruder in the bathroom, but you don't know where she is. >> he says he thought she was still in bed. that's what he's saying. he's saying he got up, saw there was something going on with the screen door. went to the check it out, never looked at the bed. that's what he's saying. called for her to call police, but what's going to -- what prosecutors and the defense experts are saying is going to really be the key here in the premeditated murder is whether or not he put on his legs, his prosthetic legs. >> to measure that, they're going to see where those bullets came through the door. >> which means he got out of his bed, had time to think about it, put on the prosthetics, then go seek what was going on. so did he really not know his girlfriend was there? this story is getting more and more bizarre. and willis brought up a good point. that's another point. if the girlfriend and boyfriend are in bed together and having these moments right before valentine's day, why would she lock the door to the bathroom? >> thank you. >> we're going to bring willis into every one of our chats. >> please don't. more serious news. the death toll from a missile strike in the syrian district of aleppo has reportedly climbed to more than 30. almost half of them children. abc's terry moran has more on the new normal inside syria. >> reporter: smoke billowed from a strike on the outskirts of the downtown. the suburbs are the battleground, for now. [ explosions ] in a damascus suburb, government air strikes have reduced much of the place to rubble. as they have in the northern city of aleppo, where they were pulling more bodies from the wreckage. but all sides suffer in this war. we went to a wake for a beloved local politician in damascus. he was kidnapped and burned to death in his car by jihadist rebels who claimed credit on the internet we were told. there was almost nothing left of him, his brother told us. rebel mortar fire landed near assad's palace. that's a first. you look in the eyes of so many people, you see a different kind of wound, the fear is real. near of what tomorrow may bring to damascus. terry moran, abc news, damascus, syria. former congressman jesse jackson jr. and his wife are due in court, expected to plead guilty to federal charges. he's accused of spending $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items, including a $40,000 gold rolex. his wife, a former chicago lawmaker, sandra jackson, is charged with filing false tax returns. vice president biden tells americans they do not need assault weapons to scare off bad guys, just use a shotgun. his response came in response to a facebook question about responsible gun ownership. >> look what the democrats are doing. joe saying i got two shotguns. obama saying look at my picture. they're trying to walk this line -- >> we're not against the 2nd amendment. we just want reform to the second amendment. >> it's not gun control. it's gun safety. >> it's all theater. here's a look at your wednesday weather. denver will see snow by this afternoon. that storm will move into the plains. showers for oklahoma city, dallas and houston. >> another frigid day for the upper midwest. minneapolis 10 degrees, boston, new york and baltimore, upper 30s. spring arrives one month from today, march 20. and a memorable tv commercial about to make a big comeback. >> for the first time in 16 years, we'll hear the classic grey poupon "pardon me" ad. it begins just as stuffy as the original, with a chauffeured british aristocrat. >> it goes in a different direction, though. it has an action packed ending, complete with a high-speed chase. >> do you remember those? >> oh, yeah, of course. pardon me, do you have any grey poupon? >> i remember it, too. coming up, as we reflect on our old age, we asked you to ask us anything. so stay tuned for our answers. and who's pushing for better preschool programs across this country? what it could mean for your young kids thirsty for knowledge. you're watching "world news now." [ female announcer ] going to sleep may be easy, but when you wake up in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ full of beautiful highlights and lowlights. that's why nice'n easy builds dimension into every shade. so here's a challenge: love the gorgeous dimension of nice'n easy or we'll pay for a salon color. take the salon challenge, from nice'n easy. and now hot pink toes. seems tough for a tough dog like duke. but when it has anything to do with gwen, he's putty in her hands. for a love this strong, duke's family only feeds him iams. compared to other leading brands, it has 50% more animal protein... b hd-3. n trend. iams. keep love strong. last week, president obama called for publicly funded preschool to be available to every american child. and now education department commission is recommending that happen within ten years. >> abc's devin dwyer reports on the president's plan and what it could mean for kids. >> reporter: preschool for all is a simple idea. like learning your food groups. but giving every american child free access to classrooms like this one in atlanta is a bold new plan. >> not just babysitting, we're not just child care, we're really getting children ready for the next step in their education. >> reporter: 1 in 3 youngsters in the u.s. don't get that chance, prompting president obama to propose expanding the nation's public education system to help them. >> if you're looking for a good bang for your educational buck, this is it, right here. >> reporter: the plan could cost up to $10.5 billion per year by one estimate. it's a bill obama says should be split between the federal and states. >> it's expensive. when you're talking about young children, you have to have very different ratios than you do in k-12 education. >> reporter: many of the nation's top economists, including several here at the university of chicago, say the cost is worth it. preschool for all, especially low income kids, can mean big savings for taxpayers down the road. >> we get a return of seven cents on the dollar for each year of each upfront investment. >> reporter: economist james heckman says skipping pre-k by kids in poor families comes with a cost, too. >> it reduces crime, a society that's more engaged in a sense of employment and so forth. that's where the economic return comes. >> reporter: only five states offer preschool for all children. several have struggled to meet their goals. in georgia, 8,000 kids are on a waiting list. the state's high school graduation rate remains one of the lowest in the nation. >> universal pre-k is more difficult to do because you're opening it up to a larger group of children. and so that requires more funding. >> reporter: a wish that may seem more pipe dream than possibility. though advocates insist universal preschool still stands a chance. >> short term cost, long-term gains. >> how is this not a thing already? coming up next, you asked, we answered. >> we're going to up our "world news now" inbox and find out what you want to know. stay with us. ♪ all the little birds on jay bird street ♪ ♪ love the way the robin goes tweet, tweet, tweet ♪ song of the day around here at abc. today is the day our robin roberts is officially back five months to the day after undergoing a bone marrow transplant. robin returns to "good morning america" in a few short hours. i'm sure she's getting out of bed right about now. >> that's right. and it is our honor and privilege to say, welcome back, robin. we all love you very, very much. can't wait to see you. >> and it's time now for our "world news now" in box segment where you ask us anything and we have to answer whether we like it or not. >> our first question comes from sherylyn. can you do a segment on willis? is he married? does he have a family? what he likes to do when he's not at work. >> well, a little background first in the form of willis' greatest hits. >> yes, i've been in bed with willis for years, and he's quite a company man, if you know what i mean. >> oh, yeah, i like that. >> willis' pic right there. there he is right there. >> oh, yeah, oh, yeah. right between the eyes i got him. >> so willis, answer the question, are you -- the woman out there wants to know whether you're married or not? >> no, i am not married. >> how many girlfriends you got? >> i have a few young ladies i know, yes. >> what do you like to do when you're not at work? besides hanging out with your young ladies. >> he just answered that. >> i like to have a good time, enjoy myself. go places, do things. all that kind of good stuff. >> and we should explain, willis is back for a few weeks. he's been officially retired since the end of 2011. >> 2010. >> so you're back temporarily. we love having you back. >> thank you. >> despite our trash talk. all right. our next question, i wonder if both of them are wearing clothes on their legs behind the table or if they just sit there in underwear and nice tops. >> buck naked. >> i ain't not nothing going on. >> there it is. >> i wear my prom dress underneath this table. >> normal clothe, full suit, there you go. >> we look normal. >> nothing freaky deaky underneath the desk. it's a family show. finally this from doug, why do you two awesome people sit there with two empty wnn coffee cups? just looks or maybe a hidden message? >> these things are, yeah, they are empty. sometimes we put snacks in them. >> or our pens. >> and no, you cannot order them. they just look good on the desk. these were gifts for our 20th anniversary two years ago. >> this is also how i beam my messages to the aliens out there who i know are watching. >> really? willis, take these to a few of your ladies. >> really? willis, take these to a few of your ladies. like it has for so mae before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. hd 8. low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. but all i do to be broadcast ready damages my hair and scalp. then i uncovered head & shoulders damage rescue. it relieved my scalp and rescued my damaged hair. the proof? see it tonight, at eleven. head & shoulders damage rescue. ♪ okay. that's the midweek special. >> and also for this story, a pastor in chicago is responding to changing times with a unique solution and that's why this is our boom, favorite story of the day. >> that's right. he's trying to get the attention of young people by rapping his sermons. frank matthew from wls reports. >> reporter: university church on the university of chicago campus. it's headed now by 29-year-old pastor julian deshozzier. he's chicago born and raised and a graduate of divinity school. he rehearsed a sermon for us and explained the difficulties of preaching in a changing, much younger world. >> it's a challenge. i mean, we don't throw away the old classic message of the gospel or of love or peace and courage, because those are words that the church needs to continue to own. but we have to repackage them. >> reporter: and he repackages religion in a very unusual way. he's also a professional rapper, and preaches religion with rhyme. >> sometimes you have to do a little hip-hop, too. >> reporter: during a sermon? >> if need be. ♪ i'm trying to live it like christ ♪ >> reporter: as a rapper around the chicago area, the reverend is known as jay quest. >> what it really does is hopefully lead people into a greater understanding and awareness of themselves and their god. >> reporter: he's been preaching for ten years, he's been rapping professionally for about five years. they don't seem like they go together. but apparently they do. >> i don't think that i rap religion, though. i think that i rap about life, and i rap about the narratives of all of our experiences. i think that's the same thing that sermons are about. >> reporter: sermons and rap, the two have met. frank mathy, abc 7 news. >> whatever it takes. >> whatever gets the message out there is a good thing. so different people respond to different things. i like it. >> especially if you want to get to the younger demographic. that's what they listen to. >> why not? >> preach it, my brother. >> amen. >> i like to at this moment focus on brother willis chambers. willis back on the overnight show, don't know why they let him out, but the lord is going to let him back in. just give him a little. just pray for that boy, because he ain't right, he ain't right. we'll be back. thank you. just pray for that boy. this morning on "world news now," missouri inferno. a gas explosion and huge fire burns shops and restaurants in kansas city. >> what investigators have already uncovered as cadaver dogs are brought to the scene. it's wednesday, february 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we'll get to the latest on the injuries and the search for answers after last night's major fire in kansas city. also this morning, the fear that raced through southern california after a gunman went on a violent shooting rampage. what detectives are uncovering. >> it's so weird how getting these e-mails during the day, another shooting, another shooting. it's hard to say whether more of these are happening or whether we're covering them more. but more violence. >> you hear a lot about shootings, but it's mass shootings. >> this one seemingly random as some of the others. for the first time, police are letting us hear in great deal the alleged plans to kill singer justin bieber. some evidence just being released. later on this half hour, every family could use a little guidance. but how about advice on parenting from a team of esteemed experts? >> is there one thing that you have learned that you had no about five months ago? >> what they say about them growing and developing quickly is true. we're not disciplining him yet, which is probably going to create a terror. >> he's running the house, isn't he? of course. >> but before you know it, they're growing up and doing all kinds of things you don't even realize. >> he'll be going to college next week. that's how it goes. don't cry. it's too early in the show. before all of that, the blast in kansas city we told you about a second ago was so powerful it shook windows and doors of homes and businesses blocks away. >> now investigators are looking into whether a gas leak may have triggered the explosion and the fire. abc's chuck sivertsen has the latest. >> reporter: dozens of firefighters battled a massive blaze in kansas city. the force of the blast leveled the restaurant, sending broke glass and building materials. a huge fireball engulfed the entire city block. thick, black smoke filled the air and could be seen for miles. >> this was a happy hour at a restaurant. there were patron in the restaurant. the investigation is ongoing, but it does seem like an accident. it doesn't appear to be foul play. >> reporter: witnesses say the explosion was so loud and powerful, it could be felt half mile a way. residents were asked to evacuate. >> the ground just shook. it sounded like -- i mean, it was just a giant explosion. >> reporter: several people who were injured were taken to area hospitals. most of the injuries were lacerations from flying glass. firefighters were investigating complaints of a smell of gas. patrons were asked to leave the building. >> i'm just keeping my fingers crossed this turns out to be a relatively low number compared to what it could have been. >> reporter: chuck sivertsen, abc news, new york. >> there were original reports that there may have been a car that crashed into the building and hit the main -- the gas main and that's what created it, but police have not been able to establish that is the case. so that's definitely going to be interesting to see what is causing this. >> they're going to search that scene throughout the night. just as a precaution, they did bring in some cadaver dogs just in case there are any fatalities. that's going to be a developing story throughout the day. you can see from the video how dramatic the fire was. four people including the gunman are dead in southern california after a bizarre shoot ing spree. it started when a college student killed a woman at his home and sped away. next he carjacked and shot a man. then he approached another victim at a gas station. >> he said, i don't want to hurt you. i killed somebody. today is my last day. give me your keys. >> two people were killed for their cars before he took his own life, as police closed in. they say his motive remains a mystery. we're getting new details this morning of that foiled plot to kidnap and kill singer justin bieber. reports surfaced in december alleging that a convicted killer and rapest had hired two men to murder and even castrate the 18-year-old pop star. for the first time, we're hearing recordings of a phone call made from a prison in new mexico. police say a 45-year-old dana martin telling one of the hitmen how to strangle bieber and his bodyguard using a scarf. >> martin was said to be infatuated with bieber. police say he wanted the singer dead after attempts to contact him had failed. a followup now to that incident that caused an aerospace agent his job. 60-year-old joe hundley will plead not guilty to a charge of simple assault. he's now free on bond, but cannot drink alcohol or possess firearms. those are the conditions of his release. he's accused of slapping a 2-year-old boy, on top of that using a racial slur during a flight two weeks ago. last night, president obama called the three key gop players on the issue in the senate. john mccain, lindsay graham and marco rubio. details of a backup immigration plan were leaked over the weekend. and general john allen who had been nominated to be nato supreme allied commander but also got caught up in the petraeus scandal has announced his retirement. allen says his main concern is for the health of his wife kathy. he says his wife has stood by him for more than 35 years. the president praised allen while accepting his resignation. >> according to a report in "the washington post," the wife has several chronic health issues, including auto immune disorder. he said in an interview, "for a long time i told her when you can't bear this anymore, just tell me and i'll drop my resignation letter." he said he no longer wants to place the pressure of that decision on her. he's only doing it for his wife. look, everyone looks at things and says was this related to the petraeus e-mail scandal. he was e-mailing that woman in florida. he says it has no relation to that. >> and he was cleared from that. they found there was no wrongdoing in the e-mail correspondence. and he is still with his wife and he was able to keep his job. so looking into the future, our own martha raddatz says the replacement nominee is expected to be an air force general by the name of phillip breedlove. hopefully president obama will have somebody in line. there's a lot of vacancies he's got to fill. >> these two had become close and now he has this position to fill. there's some interesting politics going on in terms of the nation's national security and foreign policy. >> let's get this done. >> he was nominated for the most prestigious overseas military position. this is a loss for the administration. we'll see what happens next. well, it has take an few days, but now we're getting some details about that round of golf the president played with tiger woods in florida on sunday. woods is now in arizona getting ready for a tournament and he walled mr. obama "pretty cool." woods said the president hit the ball well in tough conditions and joked about how the round came about in the first place. >> yeah, he calls up and says hey, tiger, you want to play? >> he does not. >> okay. obviously there is a process that's involved and i was invited to play. >> he said that's simply an invitation you do not turn down. woods even complimented the president saying if he spent more time playing golf, he could get to where he's a pretty good player. the issue is they didn't allow the press to take any footage of that. >> except one person who's a member of "golf digest" who's a member of the club. lucky him. first time i've seen tiger woods smile in a very long time. >> he's slowly getting his groove back, in a good way. now to something that's truly an honor and privilege to report and something we're happy to share with you this morning. >> this morning marks robin robert's return to "good morning america." she'll be back at the anchor desk this morning along with the whole "gma" team, george, sam, josh, and lara. >> it's just been five months to the day since robin had her bone marrow transplant to treat a rare blood disorder. robin, if you're watching, welcome back. have a wonderful show. know you have all of our love and respect. we're so happy she's finally coming back. >> she's let those cameras into every stage of the process. she's really been -- she could not have been more open or more welcoming. i think she found power in letting people see what she was going through. she's not alone in battling illness in this country and she's been gracious and bounced back so well. >> i think she's been an empowering voice for people going through the same thing. >> welcome back. coming up, forget gasoline. see who is fueling a car with coffee. and american roman catholics who are hoping the next pope will be from the u.s. see who may be up for the top job at the vatican. you're watching "world news now." when many soles pass through the most trodden areas of your home, your vacuum doesn't always pick up what's left behind. only the resolve easy clean system has foam power to stop dirt in its tracks. it penetrates deep within your carpet, removing 3 times more dirt than vacuuming alone. leaving the busiest areas of your carpets, truly fresh and clean. the resolve easy clean system. don't just vacuum clean. resolve clean. ♪ sing it now. >> we're having a little church. >> feel it going through your veins. in less than two weeks, pope benedict will step down and there are speculations about who is going to replace him. >> so what are the chances of an american becoming the next pope? abc's david wright lets us know. >> reporter: cardinal sean o'malley is a prince of the church who lives like a pauper. even his clothes set him apart. cardinal sean, as he likes to be called, wears the simple brown robes of a monk, plus sandals. even in winter in boston. >> he's a holy man, and a man of simplicity. wouldn't that be a lovely thing to have in a pope. >> reporter: the boston arch diocese he inherited was badly tainted by the church sexual abuse scandal. o'malley sold off the cardinal's residence to pay off the victims and moved into a single room. he put the victims first. the church has not always been so responsive. >> any new pope is going to have to look at that issue and speak to it. >> reporter: here in rome, there's been an unwritten rule, no pope from a superpower. but vatican watchers say times have changed. >> people realize a cardinal from the united states is not necessarily going to represent u.s. political interests. >> reporter: o'malley is one of two american names being floated. the other, new york's cardinal timothy dolan, who scoffed at idea. >> what about you? >> is this abc evening news or comedy central? >> reporter: and o'malley isn't holding his breath either. >> i haven't lost any sleep about it. and i have bought a round trip ticket. so i'm counting on coming home. >> reporter: in boston, it would be the religious equivalent of the red sox beating the yankees. >> we always liked boston over new york. >> i'm sure boston will represent the vatican very well. >> it will be interesting to see how it plays out. >> reporter: both americans are long shots. popes tend to be from europe, especially italy. the last time a non-european pope was chosen was 1,000 years before columbus set sail. >> i'm saying there's a chance. >> odds are not on our side. that's what i get from our report. they could go for somebody from the latin american population. they're trying to boost the catholic numbers there. a lot of ways they can go with this. no one really knows. it's just fun speculation at this point. >> as far as cardinal timothy dolan goes, he's sure his name is out of the running. not only did he say that to diane, he said the only people talk him potentially being the pope are people smoking marijuana. so there you have it. still to come, advice from some of the nation's most successful people. >> could their strategies help your family solve everyday problems? don't go away. you're watching "world news now." ♪ ♪ fathers be good to your daughters ♪ ♪ daughters will love like you do ♪ be careful with your daughters, especially if they're hanging out with john mayer. parenting can be tough. although there are lots of books of advice, there's no real fool-proof guide to it. >> but a new book is taking a different approach by asking successful people how to create a strong family. abc's juju chang checked it all out. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: think of it this way, you're not a family, you're a team trying to power up every single member. i'll tell you the lesson i learned with my three boys and a special-ops commando. >> get your legs straight. >> reporter: thanks to author bruce feiler, who asked high power sources to help fix the problems we all face in our modern families. >> i felt like as a parent, we were just stuck, we were lost. the shrinks, the self help gurus, those ideas were stale. >> reporter: you have to fight fair, and you can't have a team without a sense of mission. so hold family meetings and really listen. >> what didn't work so well our family this week? >> overreacting. >> reporter: and prepare to be surprised. what bothers families the most? how stressed out and tired today's parents are. in listening to my own children, i learned their favorite times were not action-packed ski weekends, but those quiet moments when we're just goofing around. and what about money? again, why not go to the top? feiler asked warren buffett's bankers about giving allowance. the number one thing they say, don't tie money to chores. chores are what we do to take care of each other, not to get paid. in fact, study after study shows all of us are more motivated by pulling for the team than by money. just ask the green berets. >> the team is only as fast as the slowest person. >> reporter: they say top down management doesn't produce as big a win as making everybody part of the plan. ready for this mission? that means the team leader, me, should listen to the rank and file. >> i think we should have the slowest person up front, and then the fastest person in the back. >> reporter: good idea. >> your son felt confident enough to say no, i want to do it a different way, and by the way, he had a good plan. >> if you can accomplish that kind of team work, you can do anything. >> reporter: now, that is mission accomplished. juju chang, abc news, new york. >> some good tips in there. but everyone does it differently. what works for you may not work for the dude next door. different strokes for different folks. >> that's for sure. you never know what's going to work and what's not going to work. >> that brings us to our facebook question of the day. >> we want to know what is the best parenting advice you have ever received? log on to our facebook page at wnnfans.com. please share it with us. >> what was the most common bit of advice people told you when you were pregnant about motherhood? >> that it wasn't going to be easy and i have to let my kid cry it out. >> that's tough to hear that sound. >> it's not going to happen, no, my poor baby. >> we'll be back with more after this. with more after this. my name is marjorie reyes, and i'm a chief warrant officer. i love the fact that quicken loans provides va loans. quicken loans understood the details and guided me through every step of the process. i know wherever the military sends me, i can depend on quicken loans. woolite everyday, cleans your jeans and won't torture your tanks. woolite washed clothes look like new, longer. in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include 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hydrogen. any car can run on this gasification process. this guy has been working on this for a while. he says this is another alternative energy we could be using. >> we're always talking about getting away from our dependence on oil. but until they make these cars look like real cars and not these crazy factories on wheels, i'm not driving that. thank you. i've got to stop and put some coffee beans and get stuck on the side of the highway. no thanks. apparently, there was a gentleman who did a little research so that he could come up with the most expensive cup of coffee ever. of course it's at starbucks. this is video from his youtube channel. now, he went out and he got himself a venti 48-shot mocha frappuccino soy, mocha drizzle, mocha powder, protein powder, caramel brulee topping. he called it the quadriginoctuple frap'. cost him $47.30. and by the way, because it was his birthday, he got it for free. so remember all i said, go get it for your birthday, because you'll get the most expensive cup of coffee for free. >> does anybody drink folgers anymore? can we keep it simple? apparently folks like meteors around the world. according to the online measurement company visible measures, the meteor videos have topped 138 million views, the fastest video event ever to reach 100 million views. crazy, the interest in what happened over in the skies over russia. >> that's incredible. we want to get to this. it's a new website called fake internet girlfriend. it goes on facebook and creates a new girlfriend that says you're in a relationship, leaves messages for you. this morning on "world news now," a gas explosion and fast-moving flames race through a popular kansas city district full of shops and restaurants. >> what investigators are finding this morning after a fire that burned for hours. it's wednesday, february 20th. from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we'll get to the kansas city fire investigation in just a moment in our top story. also this morning, the costly computer crimes costing the american economy hundreds of billions of dollars a year. the fingers are pointing at china, as the white house announces plans to fight the hackers. and this is crazy. why hand sanitizer is being singled out in a fire that severely burned an 11-year-old girl. wait until you hear how something so common turned into something so hazardous. you think you're doing the right thing, killing the germs, all the dirt in our workplace and homes and something like that happens. that story is crazy. >> and where it happened is also crazy. you would think it's the safest place for an accident to not happen. and later on, clyde davis, his tell-all book, his big secrets, and a singing star who has a few choice words for him. that's coming up in "the skinny." >> he's having a little battle with a well-known singer. "nightline" revealed an interesting tidbit from his personal life. >> we'll get to all of that. but first, crews are working through the overnight hours at the scene of that explosion and the fire in downtown kansas city. >> they brought in cadaver dogs just as a precaution, since the destruction was on a widespread scale. witnesses said there was a strong odor of gas right before the explosion. >> this was a happy hour at a restaurant. there were patrons in the restaurant. the investigation is ongoing, but it does seem like an accident. doesn't appear to be foul play at this time. >> the gas utility says there are early indications that a contractor was doing some underground work nearby and perhaps hit a natural gas line. the u.s. is reportedly poised to strike back as allegations surface about costly cyber attacks blamed on china. sources say the white house will unveil a new report today laying out kbraggressive steps to figh the cyber crimes. abc's brian ross investigates the latest security breaches that are hitting home. >> reporter: the chinese people's liberation army has more than 2 million personnel. but it's the thousand or so in this nondescript building in shanghai that may pose the biggest threat to the u.s. this is the headquarters of the army's secretive unit number 61398 where, according to the new report, english speaking computer experts spend their days stealing secrets from u.s. companies and hacking into government sites. >> this is an espionage operation targeting a broad swath of western organizations. >> reporter: among the most troubling targets, water treatment plants, transportation control centers, pipelines and power grids. >> the only reason you would want to get into the control system for the power grid is to cause damage, destruction and disruption. >> reporter: among the many corporate targets of the chinese hackers, lockheed martin, the country's largest defense contractor and the maker of the f-35 jet fighter. u.s. officials say not surprisingly, the chinese version of the plane has some distinct similarities. >> it's costing hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of u.s. jobs every year. >> reporter: the u.s. is believed to be doing its own cyber attacks on iran and its nuclear program. but u.s. officials say it's different than the economic espionage being carried out by china and now president obama has ordered u.s. intelligence agencies to help american companies spot and detect the hacking coming from that building in shanghai. brian ross, abc news, new york. and one day after targeting burger king, hackers have taken over the twitter account of another major company. pranksters broke into jeep's page and tweeted that they had been sold to cadillac. even the virtually virus free apple has fallen victim also. a small number of mac computers at its offices were infected. this attack at apple's new york offices was similar to one acknowledged at facebook last week. >> the more computerized world we become, this is the aftermath. this is the dirty underside of it all. the white house is going to respond to some of this, but "the new york times" said obama administration officials are planning to tell china's new leaders that the volume and sophistication of the attacks have become so intense that they threaten the fundamental relationship between washington and beijing. that could be some interesting words. again, we owe china a lot of money, so how tough can you be to the country to which you owe billions and billions of dollars? >> and china is completely denying this. there was a bbc crew that set up shop outside of that building that brian ross showed you in shanghai. they were told to hit the road, and all of their recordings were confiscated. china is saying they have nothing to do with it. it's a little he said, he said here. >> a foreign minister said to make groundless accusations is neither responsible or professional. that's china's response. so maybe some tough months ahead in that realm. >> international relations for sure. a girl in oregon is recovering from burns after a fire her parents believe was started by hand sanitizer. the 11-year-old was a patient at a children's hospital in portland. her father believes the alcohol-based hand sanitizer was ignited by a spark of static electricity from his daughter playing with her bed sheets. >> i've been in medicine 30 years now. never heard of anything like this. hopefully never will again. >> believe it or not, she suffered third-degree burns to nearly one-fifth of her entire body. icy roads are to blame for a multicar pileup north of milwaukee, wisconsin. 26 vehicles were involved along the busy highway. the road was closed while tow trucks cleared up the cars. and a winter storm as brought snow and this rare tornado to northern california. cameras were rolling when this twister touched down in a rural area north of sacramento. >> and with that, here's a look at your weather today. a rainy one in seattle and portland. california dries out after yesterday's storms. denver will get snow around dinnertime. houston and dallas with a few showers. >> arctic air grips the nation's midsection with temperatures up to 20 degrees colder than usual. chicago is 19 when the normal high this time of year is 30. phoenix and l.a. are also colder than usual. folks, the big stock show and rodeo in san diego has arrived -- in san antonio, texas, i'm sorry. we don't want to get those confused. >> a little different. >> it continues through sunday and that means there's still a couple of days left for the mutton busting. >> what was that? >> mutton busting. >> who needs all those massive bulls and wild horses when you can see little kids wearing helmets riding sheep. some, of course, have a bit more success than others. >> kids weighing less than 55 pounds can take part in mutton busting. and as one parent said, it's not whether you win or lose but how much fun you have. >> what is the link between this event and the term "mutton busting"? is that another name for a sheep, mutton? that is? mutton? okay, thank you. you knew that too, willis? >> willis is all-knowing. >> based on your extensive experience with sheep, i appreciate your knowledge there, willis. thank you nor chiming in. >> baaaaaa. >> that's willis' girlfriend. >> by the way, they don't tell the kids to let go because they might get hurt, so they tell them to hold on as long as possible. >> words to live by. >> hold on to your sheep. >> your what? coming up, an actor known for his tough-guy roles, but now he's showing his softer side. and the victoria's secret model who insists there's something ugly going on in these glamorous professional photos. you're watching "world news now." 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>> listen, she's got a graduate degree, she's a really smart girl. and there's a lot of really smart models out there. cindy crawford was discovered at a mcdonald's. she's a beautiful woman, as well. so i just think they're upset about the fact that a lot of people view them as just a pretty face with no brains and they're only doing this for the money and it's so easy to get that money if you've won the genetic lottery. they want the world to know there's more to them than just their looks. >> i judge her less how she got to the platform than what she's doing with it, and she's doing a lot with it. >> and that's wonderful. >> that's what i like those victoria's angels for, their minds. i'm always focused on their minds. >> especially when they're walking down the catwalk. >> always. coming up, the singer who refuses to be bullied by clyde davis. >> and an unusual performance by a tough guy actor, coming up next in "the skinny." ♪ skinny, so skinny skinny in the house! >> yes, it is. >> i'm going to miss that, willis. clyde davis in the news this week on two fronts. first, an issue with kelly clarkson. he has a new memoir detailing his decades in the business. certainly is a mogul and has built many, many a career. so in his new book, he recalls a meeting with kelly that says "it was a very tough conversation and it didn't get any easier when kelly burst into sobbing when discussing the inclusion of that song "since you've been gone" on her second album. she fires back and says, i couldn't be more proud of that song. i resent him dampening that song in any way. i refuse to be bullied and i have to clear up his memory lapses and misinformation. it feels like a violation. so they tell very different sides of the story in terms of what went down. apparently no love loss. and he gave an interview on "nightline" earlier this week and admitted for the first time ever that he's bisexual, says he's been in a strong monogamous relationship with a man for the past seven years. before that, it was with a doctor for 14 years, but says i still am attracted to women. therefore, he calls himself bisexual. so clyde just putting all kinds of stuff out there about his personal life. mr. davis at 80 years old, i think he is. >> okay. >> check out that memoir. here's something that's really sweet and adorable. vin diesel, for valentine's day didn't do the chocolates and flowers. instead he went a different route. he covered a rihanna song. take a listen. ♪ makes me feel like i can't live without you ♪ >> really sweet. he's got a really good voice. the way this worked out is he was inspired to do this after seeing rihanna performed and he obtained a mike and amp and he did this on a flight for his girlfriend and of course, he says the rest is history. so just a beautiful moment. if you hear the whole thing, it's really sweet. >> very, very cool. >> nice. so here's something else. tupac's mom, you all remember tupac, he's been dead since 1996, is saying she will release his entire body of work. by the way, since he's been dead, he's released seven albums, not seven songs, seven entire albums. what, 13, 14 songs per. three of them made it to number one on the billboard 100. and of course, if you remember last year, tupac's fans saw a hologram of him, which was really great at the coachella music and arts festival. twitter went ablaze. there he was. it was very cool. he performed with snoop dog. but since then, the hologram company has gone bankrupt. so tupac is alive and well and we know it and you're probably watching right now. >> i'm going to tell you right now, i saw tupac at a walmart last weekend. i saw him, i saw him, i saw him. >> what? >> i'm breaking the news on this show, i saw tupac at a walmart last weekend and a piggly wiggly before that. i saw tupac. >> was he with his momma? he was with dave chappell. momma? as with dave chappell. medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. 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>> big time. it's something like this, looking into sam's blue eyes. i love how we're sitting, how we would be sitting. i know when i sit back down right in this chair and i look over and i see you and i see you and i see you, it's going to be all is right in the world. and it's going to seem like no time has passed at all. >> are there nerves? >> oh, yeah. it feels great to feel the nerves again. i haven't done live television since the end of august. so i'm a little bit nervous, because you all -- you've got my back, but that's what i'm not nervous about. i know i can look at you and give you this -- >> and start talking. >> exactly. and you have it. but it's just that you all have -- boy, you've raised the bar. >> let's raise the glass to our dear friend. welcome home. >> welcome back. >> thank you. >> so good. >> onward. onward and upward. >> i like that. that is the perfect attitude, onward and upward. we're looking forward to welcoming robin, as well. >> she'll be back on the "gma" anchor desk in a couple of hours. >> that's going to be a big moment. everybody is going to tune into to see her, show her all that love. that's what's gotten her through the last couple months. >> we're so excited this moment has finally, finally arrived. >> more from abc next. breaking news this morning, missouri inferno. >> a massive gas blast rocks an exclusive area in kansas city. sending more than a dozen people to the hospital. still an active scene overnight. bail hearing day two is under way for olympic hero oscar pistorius. new details emerging in the case against him. a young girl hurt in a freak fire. investigators trying to find out if hand sanitizer ignited badly burning her. after her own health battle, robin roberts returns today. the day her fans and her work family here at abc have been waiting for is finally here. good wednesday morning. crews are still searching through smoldering rubble in an upscale area of downtown kansas city. >> more than a dozen people were injured and cadaver dogs were brought in to make sure no one is buried underneath. they suspect a gas leak touched off the massive explosion and fire that hit a powerful restaurant. it rattled windows and doors blocks away from the scene. >> the ground just shook. sounded like -- it was a giant explosion. >> and the explosion hit. and it hits you like a shockwave. >> the heat from the fire came into my car. my windows were up. but i could feel the heat. >> before the explosion, people who work in the area
so charming. first, the sad news tonight, the apparent suicide death of country music star, mindy mccready. why couldn't this tragedy be prevented? >> that's what i want to know. that's why i sat down with the man who tried to help her conquer her demons on "celebrity rehab" dr. drew pinsky. >> she apparently shot herself in the face on this front porch moments after shooting her dog and days after being released from a mental health clinic. >> it's awful. what's awful to me, she was allowed to go home where there was a firearm. >> dr. drew knew mccready well. she participated in season three of "celebrity rehab," and it was dramatic. >> she's having a seizure. nurse! nurse! she's having a seizure, right now! right now. somebody! dear god. nurse! >> mccready had attempted suicide three times before. dr. drew, now on hln's dr. drew on call. so could this have been prevented? >> yes, number one, by all of us. not jeering by someone at who is taking care of their mental health. and number two, holding people, even when it's on the margin holding them against their will to keep them safe. mackenzie phillips was hit hard by the news. >> i loved her very much and the tragedy is astounding. >> her death comes just weeks after david wilson, the father of her 10-month-old son, was found shot to death on the same porch. an investigation is under way. a devastated mccready on nbc news. >> he didn't just touch my heart. he touched my soul. he was my soul mate. >> in your opinion, was mindy capable of murder? >> no. no. there are facts about his death that she shared with me that i don't feel comfortable talking about right now. but once people are aware of the facts, his suicide will make much more sense. ♪ ♪ after the heart ache >> her life was in shambles. a chaotic combination of drug and alcohol abuse that put her in jail. and she was a victim of violence at the hands of billy mcknight, the father of her first son. the ultimate blow came this month with her two children. zander now 6 and baby zayne were taken from her and put in foster homes. ♪ >> in the mid '90s, she was a country superstar with billboard hits and a platinum selling album. . >> she was the first "celebrity rehab" patient to die. she won't be the last. if they're not every day involved in that treatment, their life is in danger today. >> troubling thought. nancy, you met mindy a couple of times. what was your impression? >> i hung out with her and dean cane. she was engaged to him. it was disheartening to see her life change in the last few years. let's change gears and go on to movies. number two was "identity thief" earning $28 million and number was "a good day to die young." >> and brooke is here with some help. >> it was so big i called in a special correspondent to cover it. the king of pop's son, prince michael. welcome to "e.t." >> thanks. this is my first time being an interviewee, not the interviewer. >> that's right. but you were so natural and smooth. i felt this was perfect because you're fan of the wizard of oz, your dad was in the wiz and he wanted to be a director. >> i want to direct, write, act, everything. right now, i want to do my first "e.t." assignment. i did men of oz and you did the women of oz. so ladies first. >> thank you. here we go. >> i waited a long time for you. >> guys, take five. >> the elaborate special effects and three beautiful witches. the set was family friendly and michelle williams got to bring her youngest daughter. >> did you get to play the witch that you wanted to be? >> yeah. i was only ever talked about to play the good witch and when i read it i really -- do i really want to be the good witch? >> where's your broom? >> you don't know much about witches do you. >> mila kunis is dazzling. and she told me how she manages to remain calm. how do you keep your cool? >> i separate my world. there's a separate aspect you won't ever get back and that's o okay. >> and each of the witches have been memorialized with a doll. >> the breast and hips and waist ratio is up reachable for us. >> what do you think of the doll if your likeness? >> it's pretty amazing. i'm totally nerding out on it. have you seen my doll? >> all the dolls are in stores now. oz the great and powerful is out march 8th. rachel plays the evil witch. her doll is a knockout. that's you. what do you think of your likeness? so pretty. >> yeah. she's very pretty. don't stick pins in her. >> it's not voodoo doll. i got a lot of great answers. now, it's your turn. but we didn't throw him to the wolves. i gave him a few pointers first. i have heard that before you do an interview, do ten push-ups. get the adrenaline pumping. prince michael warms up for his very first job. if you're relaxed they'll be relaxed. maybe give you something they didn't expect you to give you. >> interviewing the men of "oz the great and powerful", the men. >> are we our first interview? >> you are. >> tips from the hollywood stars and what he learned from his father. >> you have a special connection to this story, don't you? >> yeah, my dad was in the wiz. >> what an intelligent name. >> you're 16 years old. but you seem so much wiser. >> thanks to my dad. he raised me right. >> all this week on "e.t.." oh, prince, this is going to be big. >> thanks. i'm so excited to be here on "entertainment tonight." >> nancy, he'll be here all week long. we get to enjoy it. >> i can't wait. a special pleasure to meet you and to have you here. i look forward to your work. >> thank you. still ahead on the show tonight -- >> number 34. roxy diaz! >> roxy at the nba all-star game. courtside with beyonce. then julia and kiefer sharing vows. it's they dated, the oscar edition. plus -- rob and kristen's sexual outtakes and "twilight" stunts and the scenes you will only see here on the bible series. >> you want to take us to the commercial? >> i'm on it. that's all when "vanity fair's" campaign hollywood kicks off with the 2013 vanity's calendar crucifixion of christ. our special preview of the most dramatic moment from the new bible mini series. that is just about ten minutes away. but right now, let's go to rob and roxy. >> nancy, the nba all-star game shook up houston this weekend, and guess who was there? >> lucky me. i wasn't just there, rob. got to play a little basketball myself. it was all part of my wild b-ball weekend. >> jealous. >> i'm with beyonce courtside at the nba all-star games. hanging with the superstars. can you stand it? all in a day's work. >> from "entertainment tonight," number 34, rocsi diaz! >> but it's not all work. i laced them up and stepped on the court, competing in the celebrity all-star game. let's just say, we came in second place. worst part, i broke a nail. now the weekend is all about connecting the nba with their fans. and we're doing our part, too. y'all fans? real nba players, lebron james, dwyane wade and dwight howard used an app to take a few fan questions. >> dwayne, are you having fun in houston? >> yeah, we're having fun. got a chance to live our dream being all-stars. >> my pal, celebrity all-star kevin hart connects live. >> what do you like to do in your free time? >> watch me play basketball. >> my teammate and "hunger games" star josh hutchinson, says he gets a little star struck. >> see the basketball court behind me? >> yeah. >> i'm sorry. do you have a question or something you wanted to ask? >> you like to do some of these celebrity sports events. what do you particularly like about them? >> playing against people you know you idolize and stuff. pretty cool. >> you can check it out for yourself at the app store. >> you've got some skills out there. giving stars all they could handle. i want to know, how much did you practice? >> luckily i have some friends that played in the nba so they give me a little bit of help. >> i bet you do. >> well, we have been playing during our down time. still to come -- >> from the last supper to the crucifixion, "e.t." with an early preview of the bible miniseries. and the oscars, they dated? brad pitt and juliet lewis. and robert downey, jr. and sarah jessica parker. we have the "twilight" scene with kristen and rob, too sexy for the finished movie. >> that's coming up when "e.t." with nancy and rob returns. >> closed captioning provided by -- just six more days until hollywood's biggest night, the academy awards, airs live, this sunday, on abc. and four more presenters have just been added. melissa mccarthy, john travolta, salma hayek, liam neeson. >> well, nancy is my date at the oscars. >> indeed i am. >> we'll look back at the wildest star pairings who ever walked the red carpet today. we are cracking open "e.t.'s" oscar vault for this edition of they dated? >> the one and only cher. >> in 183, recognize her date? 23-year-old unknown val kilmer. they dated briefly in the early '80s, bringing him to the oscars again in 1984. 1989 was a fascinating year for couples on oscars' red carpet. >> you guys are a colorful couple. >> thank you very much. we're trying to be colorful. >> that was when teenage bad boy corey feldman's date was his 14-year-old girlfriend, drew barrymore. she was only 8 on her first red carpet. >> does this ever become old hat to you? >> no, it's -- every day is a new beginning, to be honest. >> 1989 also saw christian slater bring winona ryder to the oscars. they reportedly had a brief fling after starring in "heathers" together. >> also in '89, sarah jessica parker with robert downy jr., hollywood's it couple at this time. >> is there anybody you look forward to being with? >> hoffman. >> hoffman or streep, sure. >> six years later, sarah still with big hair, attended the oscars with matt dylan. >> and look who sarah's current husband, matthew broderick walked with in 1987. jennifer grey. >> pretty nerve-racking for me. i'm nervous. >> are you nervous, jennifer? >> definitely. >> they met on "ferris beuller's day off" and dated for a year-and-a-half. she was just about to hit big with "dirty dancing". >> so here on movie's night of nights, you plan to bask in the glory today? >> bask in the glory and -- yeah. >> can you sum up in one word what's going through your mind right now? >> everything. >> in '91, best actress nominee, julia roberts, brought kiefer sutherland. they actually attended together the year before as well. they broke up after this big night. >> was there ever a night like this before in your career? >> no, not like this. >> the next year, '92, brad pitt's date was juliet lewis. corn rows and all. but ten years younger, the much bigger star at the time and a nominee that night. >> i'll probably get more mer -- more nervous as it goes on. >> in fact, later it was juliet introducing brad to diane lad at an after party. >> this is brad. >> hey, brad. i saw you the other day. >> one couple you probably won't see together at this year's oscars is robert pattinson and kristen stewart. robert is shooting a movie in the australian outback. >> you totally bummed me out right now, thanks a lot. don't worry, only we have your edward and bella fix tonight, a behind-the-scenes look that not even the most hard-core twi-hard fans have seen. these outtakes have never been seen before until right now on "e.t." their big love scene, rob, cracking up. and here, kristen gets physical in a whole different way. >> i got to fly around on a wire and kick people. rip off a head. >> i don't know why i can't handle that. i can't handle it. >> see it on the release of "the twilight saga, breaking dawn part 2" on dvd, video on demand and digital download. >> one, two, three. >> i did a few stunts. one, 100-foot jump or something on a wire. that was pretty fun. >> and had magical powers. "twilight" has laughed all the way to the bank. the franchise has earned more than $3.5 billion. >> now, tomorrow as "good morning america" gets ready for the return of robin roberts on wednesday, "e.t." will show you the devastating medical procedure robin overcame to reach this moment. >> robin roberts' pain. exclusive, never-before-seen video inside her bone marrow transplant treatment. >> painful the first time. painful even more the second. >> behind the scenes with her doctors and nurses. tomorrow on "e.t." >> such a courageous woman. >> so strong too. i'm flying to robin to interview her. you will see that on wednesday. now what you haven't seen from mark burnet's "the bible" and from his wife, rona downing. >> and the scene that pushed roma to her emotional limit. the crucifixion of jesus has roma look on as mary as her son is whipped, beaten and pierced with a crown of thorns. she runs to help when he struggles with the cross. >> my son. >> she grieves, a life ended after a miraculous birth. >> from the virgin birth of jesus in a stable to his baptism. ♪ >> baptize me. >> the greatest story ever told is coming to history, in an epic ten-part series premiering march 3rd. >> where's my son? >> but that's not all. there is the last supper. >> this is our last meal together before i die. >> and the kiss when he is betrayed by judas. the entire life of christ is portrayed, including the resurrection. >> he's here! >> who? >> jesus! he's back! ♪ recreations there. hopes are high for "the bible" to score a big audience. but will it beat "the hatfields and mccoys," the highest-rated mini series ever? >> i think it has a good sense. >> now tonight's "entertainment tonight" birthdays. which television trainer's greatest fear is to run a marathon? bob harper, chris powell or jillian michaels? your answer is next in the "e.t." birthdays. >> and right back with prince michael jackson. and our "e.t." fan of the day. so don't go away. for over 75 years people have saved money with...ohhh... ...with geico... ohhh...sorry! director's voice: here we go. from the top. and action for over 75 years people have saved money with gecko so.... director's voice: cut it! ...what...what did i say? gecko? i said gecko? aw... for over 75 year...(laughs. but still trying to keep it contained) director's voice: keep it together. i'm good. i'm good. for over 75...(uncontrollable laughter). what are you doing there? stop making me laugh. vo: geico. saving people money for over seventy-five years. gecko: don't look at me. don't look at me. >> travel consideration provided by: tomorrow we're going to see how prince michael does as a tv interviewer. >> right now, why don't you present our tradition, the "e.t." birthdays. we'll give you that honor. >> okay. tonight's "entertainment tonight's birthdays matt damon turns 59 and john travolta is 59. and jillian michaels turns 39 today. >> you're a natural. yeah. he sure is. before we go, we've got to check out our "e.t." fan of the day, that is katie, giving us a big thumbs up. she watches on w.i.s.h. in indiana. >> snap your picture and send it to "entertainment tonight" or online on twitter and you can become our next fan of the day. >> and prince michael, we'll see you back here tomorrow. right? >> i can't wait. >> good night, everybody. >> bye.
grab an umbrella and turn on the windshield wipers that are not part of the routine because it has been so long. we will be out here monitoring the conditions so check back with us and we will let you know how it is looking. right now in petaluma a light shower is falling. >> stay with abc7 for continuing storm wax coverage and a reminder you can track the storm online with the live doppler 7 hd with abc7news.com. >> family near danville finds out if they can move back if their home as being crushed by a massive oak tree. the 80' oak fell on the house in an exclusive community crushing the roof. a work crew will bring in a larger crane than they had yesterday to remove the tree. the home was red tagged until engineers can determine the stability. the weather is not blamed for the tree falling because the roots were diseased. >> san francisco mayor lee is going to announce a $1 billion project that has both beer lovers and the san francisco giants saying "cheers." cornell bernard joins us live from bi48 to tell us about it. >> lots of new jobs, too, the project is big. if you like beer brewed in san francisco, check this out, pier 48, sitting right across from at&t park and it will be home to the anchor brewing company second brewery in san francisco. a production facility will have big brew pub restaurant, a museum, all inside the 212,000 square feet building the first big tenant for the $1 billion mission rock re-development project. it is calling for retail businesses, restaurants, parks, 1,000 rental housing units and 7,000 new jobs. anchor is excited to be part of the project and the addition to the portrero hill facility will quadruple their output from 120,000 to 600,000 barrels of beer a year. a news conference is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and we will learn details. >> thank you at 6:05. the battery on the boeing 787 dreamliner jet forced to land in japan is showing swelling. the flight made the emergency landing last month after the main battery failed. now, the transport safety board says two of the eight cells show bumps. officials are not sure if the bumps are irregularity but the airlines is the same one that launched boeing 787 dreamliner from mineta san jose international airport to tokyo which remains grounded for now. >> the connecticut state police department is denying a report detailing a possible motive for the sandy hook elementary school tragedy in december. the newspaper is reporting that adam may have been inspired by the norwegian mass murderer who killed 77 people two years ago saying he wanted to match or exceed the death toll amassed by the man who detonate add bomb in oslo and then opened fire at a youth camp. sources are not saying how they learned of the possible inspiration. the connecticut state police department is strongly dismissing the new report and a spokesman says no motive for the sandy hook elementary school tragedy has been determined. he is causing the story "speculation and hideous." >> imagine not one but two sets of identical twins. ahead, meet the mom defying the odds. >> coming up first, going after google, a new set for microsoft outlook trying to take a bite out of gmail. >> live doppler 7 hd working west to east at half moon bay, 92 a beautiful highway one right there getting wet with light showers. it crosses over to california drive and bayshore highway and it is dry at sfo but you will have another rain. the rain is in the middle of the bay headed to san leandro boulevard and alameda and mcarthur boulevard. st. mary's is getting wet spilled to walnut creek headed toward concord. the big picture shows we have more storms to the north, the more organized and heavier activity that will move in from about 8:00 through 1:00 o'clock from north to south. scattered thunderstorms are possible with rain and hail and lightning also today. >> back to the san mateo bridge, reports of a stall blocking a lane on the high-rise and it is not really affecting us, but a little bit of slow traffic on the highway rise section but traffic is moving nicely on the flat section and hopefully that will be cleared nicely with rain with wet roads on the san mateo bridge. hayward northbound 880 from the east bay from san mateo you find an accident northbound 880 blocking the right lane and southbound 680 a stalled big rig and a stall on the rank southbound 13 to eastbound a 80. kristen and eric? >> today, microsoft officially releases the web based outlook e-mail service after six month preview and is open to the public and microsoft is spending $30 million to market it hoping to lure users away from gmail. 60 million users are outing outlook.com and you can send large files, address books that update and fewer ads and option to connect to social sites. >> michelle obama and a mid-life crisis and what she is saying how she is handling it. but, first, a texas couple wanted to give their young son a brother or sister but they got four. four. whatall right that's a fifth-flr problem... ok. not in my house! ha ha ha! ha ha ha! no no no! not today! ha ha ha! ha ha ha! jimmy how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? happier than dikembe mutumbo blocking a shot. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. >> santa clara, san francisco, east bay, and all the bay area, this is abc7 news. >> live doppler 7 hd, are you ready for the wet weather? it has been a while since we had to deal with it. it is here in the storm of "scout" showers. the more organized wet weather is getting itself established to our north as we talked about. by 7:00, that will move into the north bay. ahead of that, it is mild in the mid-to-upper 40's and 51 right now in oak. we will have light showers through 7:00 and the heaviest showers from 7:00 to 1:00 o'clock and scattered showers in the afternoon and most of the showers this evening are over the ocean. >> a texas couple preparing for a new baby. four new babies. the 38-year-old gave birth to two sets of identical twins on the same day with no federal tell -- with no fertility drugs. they were in two separate placentas delivered on valentine's day by c-section. the odds of this happening are one in 70 million. mom and dad say they just wanted to give their son a little sister. they gave him four brothers and the babies are all doing well. >> still have to try for the sister. >> first lady is revealing the reason behind the fabulous new hairdo and the bangs saying it was a mid-life crisis. she debuted the new bangs and in an interview with a talk show host she got them because she cannot get a sports car and is not allowed to bungee jumps and celebrated her 49th history. >> why can't she get a sports car? >> okay, a reminder that the oscars are a few days away and abc7 is the only place to the watch the oscars with live coverage at 2:00 p.m. and you can countdown to the big night with our official oscar app and the back stage pass gives you best access and a dozen cameras streaming video behind-the-scenes and from the red carpet and the oscars experience by downloading the app available for iphone, ipad, droid, and kindle fire. >> carmakers were probably wishing and hoping she would get a sports car set off a trend 9 way she did with her bangs. >> the secret service agent would have to chase after her or right in the back. >> sports car with handles on it. that would be great. >> we can use a four-wheel drive in state of the union he. >> you need it up there. the snow is there, it is getting heavy and 1.5' of powder for everyone. it will be there but the best chance of heavy snow is today. here is radar to the north the organized area of wet weather along the cold front and that is where the heavy rain is, we have light rain moving through from walnut creek through hayward and san leandro across the san mateo bridge and back toward half moon bay this morning. so, that will keep sinking south and eastward, do not be surprised to get a few light sprinkles and the rain now is passing the bay bridge and at the toll plaza it is quieter weather-wise with a lot of traffic there. temperatures running santa rosa, napa, fairfield, concord, and gilroy, all in the throw mid-40's. now, what will happen today. we have the scout showers this morning, but, more organized showers are developing as we speak and they will bring rain for three to four hours with hail from the showers that develop later this afternoon and the thunderstorms. but it will get lower today starting at 8:00 in the north bay and exit the south bay at 5:00, and 1" down to 2,000 feet and 5" of snow on mount hamilton and when the storm pass as slow warming trend headed into the weekend. the cold front shows how quickly it is coming down with the moisture lining up along it and most of it is going to be with the northern tail into the system or the northern head of the system will head to the sierra so they will get so much snow. we are on the tail end so we are going to get .25 to .5" of rain. the models are picking up pooling along the cold front, and light-to-moderate steady rain and 9:00 or 10:00 in the north bay moving into the heart of the bay and by noon the steady moderate rain is in the south bay and by 1:00 o'clock or 2:00 it is out but you can see the snow on hamilton, snow in the north bay, also, as we head into the afternoon showers and evening showers staying mainly over the ocean and one or two could stray inland and we could have the small hail. tomorrow morning, frost inland, and upper 20's to mid-30's and mid-30's to low 40's for the bay and the coast, and we will start warming with sunny sky and 60's are back in the forecast thursday away from the coast and in the mid-50's better part of the forecast. sue? >> walnut creek has an accident south 680 with brake lights before north main before the 24 split. traffic is picking up so it is right around the curve blocking the right lane bumper to bumper out of the concord area southbound. metering lights on the at bay bridge with traffic here backing to the overcrossing and sluggish on the upper deck and an accident in hayward north 880 blocking the right lane of traffic. >> blade runner returns to court. ahead, the overnight outburst from oscar pistorius as the family of the late girlfriend meets to stay goodbye. >> coffee cup savings on the morning cup of joe. living with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis means living with pain. it could also mean living with joint damage. humira, adalimumab, can help treat more than just the pain. for many adults, humira is clinically proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, ctions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist about humira, to help relieve your pain and stop further joint damage. >> it is tuesday. live doppler 7 hd shows petaluma, to the north of town there is light-to-moderate rain and headed into the higher elevations as you try to get over to the next valley. the mountain snow and coastal rains are developing and the snow is developing at tahoe and that will slide south toward tahoe and the first wave of rain moves through. here is the upper low that. could behind it and brings us showers in the evening. headed to tahoe it is 32 and sack plane to and fresno is wet with low 50's and upper 50's in los angeles and san diego. >> if you are brewing a cup of coffee you could be using one of the single serve coffee makers and they are convenient but the costs for those...it adds up. >> consumer reports is partnered with 7 on your side to test out alternates that can save you money. >> good morning. it is no surprise single serve coffee makers are growing in popularity, they are convenient. however, the cost the little disposable pods are pricey. the average owner uses more than 1,000 cup as year and consumer reports checked out alternates to the traditional cups. >> single seven coffee makers are quick. fast. convenient. but the cost of the pods adds up. >> alternatives to the traditional pod promise to reduce costs. consumer reports checked out three that let you use your own coffee. >> compare with how much it would cost to brew a cup of coffee a day for a year and with pods it is $220 to $275. >> in addition to costs, testers looked at convenience, time, and taste. first up, one that claims to be a fraction, $14 buys a pack of 50 disposable cups and lids. >> it is less at $185 a year. >> but they are hard to close and brow time was longer than the traditional pod. >> next, the reusable easy cup for $13 plus $8 more for filters, and the average user spends $135 a year. the easy cup wasn't much easier to use than the simple cup. how did the coffee take? in tests using the same coffee all three delivered similar results. in the end, this was the clear winner, testers found it was the easiest to use, and when you purchased the reusable. cup for $18 the only expense is coffee. an estimated $80 a year. that is a big money saver. another plus, the my k cups they are easier on the environment than the original k cup and other pods. if all of this has you longing for a single serve coffee machine that can use the alternative cups consider the ss300 compact single serve for $130. in consumer report tests it delivered a speedy first cup of coffee and is very easy to use. >> speedy. when we need coffee we need it speedy. now. >> she is called the hummer mom, the east bay woman who had sex with underage boys finds herself behind bars again. >> the new photo emerging showing oscar pistorius with his late girlfriend days before her death and the outburst from him and the explanation for why he fired bullets in the bathroom. >> we are tracking a storm this morning. next well show you what the concerns like outside. can you see flashing emergency lights on the right side of the screen southbound 680 and correct crack just before the 24 split that is an accident in lane number four and traffic now is backing toward pleasant hill. we will follow this and the rest of your morning commute with the rain after >> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good morning. at 6:29. on tuesday morning we have rain in the bay area. we have clouds in the sky. a gorgeous shot here. when you are driving you may not find it so pretty with delays and wet roads that can be slicker and more addition. >> the clouds and rain go together, don't they, mike? >> once in a while you get some rain without the clouds but that can actually happen the clouds dissipates before the rain reaches the ground we let's talk danville and san ramon and you can see around castro valley, hayward, headed to san leandro, 680 and 580 all have slickness same as 92 with light rain and across the san mateo bridge headed to redwood shores parkway and down to redwood city, it is wet, coming in from the west and moving east. fremont, union city, mountain view, palo alto, sunnyvale, san jose, all of you are going to get a little bit of light rain the next, say, half hour to 45 minutes. there is more to the north. it is getting organized as we speak the what we will have are the heaviest showers from morning to early afternoon and less showers headed through the afternoon but that will bring lightning and hail and the showers taper to the evening with highs only in the upper 40s the to low 50's. >> we have an accident at walnut creek on the shoulder but the 24 split so traffic is getting by beyond here but the abc7 app shows the backup is all the way into pleasant hill and toward monument and the 242 split, so it is bumper to bumper due to this accident in walnut creek and we will take another look at the bay bridge toll plaza metering lights are on and sky is lighting up here and we have traffic now backed to the macarthur maze and sluggish on the upper deck. kristen and eric? >> our storm watch coverage continues with abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield monitoring conditions in the north bay. >> we just had a shower pass through here. look at this video we shot moments ago, it was a light shower in petaluma on highway 116 but enough to force people to turn on the windshield wipers and realize that wet weather is back. our dry spell is over. forecasters are saying the system will not have the moisture we need. it is a start. it is something. it is something to break up the routine. we are used to not having rain, with such a dry january and, so far, february. do not forget your umbrella. in petaluma we have a break. as we understand, as mike explained, more is to come and more getting organized and it should be stronger the next round, so, little showers here and there this morning, sounds like it is about to get stronger something to have on the radar this morning. >> skiers and snow boarders who spent president's day holiday weekend in the mountains cruised along on the 12' of snow that fell in december freshened by layers of man made snow and conditioned were "firm" without a significant amount of snow. in the high sierra they should get a foot to 1.5' of snow this week on the mount days during the "ski week" break. we will have continuing storm watch coverage and you can track the storm online with live doppler 7 hd at abc7news.com. >> blaze runner, oscar pistorius, returned to south africa courtroom in what was an emotional ordeal as our reporter tells us live from the newsroom, oscar pistorius broke down in tears when the late girlfriend's name was mentioned. katie? >> he was sobbing so uncontrollably at times that the judge actually had to stop the hearing several times and order oscar pistorius to compose himself. oscar pistorius was being comforted by his brother and his attorney. that attorney laid out their defense by reading a statement from oscar pistorius saying he shot reeva steenkamp by mistake, thinking she was a robber and full vulnerable because he did not have on his prosthetic leg. when he realized his mistake he put on the legs and breakdown the door and says he carried reeva steenkamp downstairs and she died in his arms. the prosecution is calling the sight premeditated murder saying he first put on his leg, walked more than 20' to the bathroom and opened fire. the funeral took place this morning in her hometown of port elizabeth. >> the family coming together and one person who would be the strongest held us together, unfortunately, is not here anymore, and that is my sister. >> this is a picture of the couple taken on february 7, a week before the valentine's day kill asking we are learning oscar pistorius allied for six gun licenses last month. the hearing is over today and the prosecution asked for postponement and the judge said proceedings will resume tomorrow morning. >> students at uc santa santa cruz are warned of a rape that occurred over the weekend in the middle of campus. flyers are going up around campus with students receiving text warning from the campus police after a 21-year-old woman was beaten and raped in birthday daylight on sunday afternoon. >> what makes this feel different is that it happened in the middle of the day. it involved the victim not knowing the assailant. >> another violent attack occurred off campus last monday. a senior was problemmed and shot while waiting at a bus stop on natural bridges drive. >> cal basketball coach will hold the news conference today but there is nothing "regular". >> boat it with the hot topic likely this, his shoving of a player at the game against usc. now state senator leland yee is calling for his suspension and the pac 12 has reprimand him. the senator is calling on the university to suspend him for at least one game. >> iowa's governor is coming to california today in an effort to lure companies to relocate to the heart land and says he will meet with businesses that have a presence in iowa and those he would like to attract. he will not name which companies he is actively courting. governor brown was critical of a similar move by texas governor perry who reportedly did not make much headway in trying to lure companies away. >> we are a day appear from robin roberts' return to "good morning america" and we will chat with her colleagues. >> coming up, first, back behind bars, the violation landing "hummer mom" would went to jail for having sex with underage boys, what is causing her to be behind bars again? >> a live look outside our camera showing the embarcardero and you can seat rain has started in parts of the bay area with light rain to begin. >> we are back. this is the san mateo bridge. we have a light shower falling right now along with the umbrella, dress for temperatures in the mid-40's to 51 degrees in oakland. here is a look at live doppler 7 hd right there right across the san mateo bridge we are showing that light rain. whether you are starting over around hayward or headed over to san mateo you will find light rain headed through castro valley light rain, and san ramon light rain, the more organized wet weather is to the north and you can see yellows which is light-to-moderate rain staying to the north for the next hour, and it starts to slide south. we will have our heaviest shower from 7:00 with scattered showers this afternoon and over the ocean by this evening. >> back to walnut creek, southbound 680, before the 24 split, an accident right here on the shoulder as you can see traffic picks up there but brake lights back to pleasant hills and we will look at the abc7 app a complete stand still with a lot of activity and traffic is backed to 242. as mike said, back to the san mateo bridge, rain here and bumper to bumper track along this band you are slowing toward foster city. eric? >> a livermore mother who served time in prison for having sex with underage boys is back in jail. the 44-year-old christine hubbs was sentenced to prison for the sexual encounters in her hummer, and was arrested for paw troll violation. authorities have not said what she did to get arrested or when she got out of prison the she is held in jail with no bail. >> president obama is an hour away from addressing the nation. we will preview what he is expected to say. >> and on wall street, a look at big board showing the about is up five and a fraction and we will go to jane king with the latest financial news. first, robin roberts is returning to the "good morning america" anchor desk after five months' absence. tomorrow is the big day. >> santa rosa, berkeley, san jose, and all the bay area. this is abc7 news. time for live doppler 7 hd with scattered light showers moving through the bay sinking south of the san mateo bridge and headed to dumbarton and more showers developing along the cold front to the north in mendocino county ready to move in to the north bay. you can see there is a lot of snow with the system, a cold system and a lot of shower active along the coast and over the ocean and the snow already is developing in tahoe. if you can get there the next couple of hours, get there quickly because the snow will get heavier, a foot to a foot and a half of snow in the sierra with rain moving from north to south across the entire state with 40's along the coast, throw mid-50's in the central valley, and upper 50's around southern cal. >> happening in an hour at 7:45 president obama will hold a white house event to call on congress to avert automatic budget cuts taking affect in ten days. the $85 billion in across-the-board cuts takes place march 1 unless congress acts resulting in the furlough of federal workers by april and state and local governments could loose funding. the president is pushing for a blend of spending cuts and new taxes but republicans are arguing against new taxes. our news anchor is traveling to washington, dc, this morning, to interview president obama at a white house and will be the only bay area reporter allowed this access. the exclusive reports live from washington, dc beginning today at 5:00 and he will tweet from washington, dc, as well. >> we have been telling you about the rise in gas prices but no one seems to know exactly why. >> hotmail is no more. bloomberg at the new york stock exchange with that and more. what is the outlook? >> people will be interested if that, but, first, gatt prices in the san francisco area, aaa says the average price of a gallon of gas was $4.14 cent for regular, jumping 46 cents from a month ago compared to 42 cent jump nationwide and analysts say it is because of rising oil prices and they are higher but no one is sure exactly why. the main reason is that there is big demand overseas for crude oil in china. there is blame of refinery ship down but we have not hit the spring driving season when the prices go up. >> two office giants talk about a merger, office depot and office max would create a single office supply retailtory compete with staples. another problem is amazon is luring shoppers away with low prices and free shipping. the markets show slightly higher across the space -- board. hotmail is no more, replacing all the accounts by summer so they will move from business customers to the general public and the new outlook will have cloud capability. sow think this will be the hotmail account rerouted could outlook you can keep the hotmail account and use it but you can see it to create health people outlook addresses, as well. finally, google looking to go head to head with apple building stand alone retail and has the first one open for the holidays with company looking to get potential customers the hand's on experience like apple and microsoft. >> jane, thank you at 6:47. now getting our hands on information you can use regarding the rain. >> you may be gripping snow and maybe an umbrella depending where you are. we will show you what is going on starting with live doppler 7 hd you can see south of san mateo bridge and headed to dumbarton, updated our light rain headed over toward the east bay, and we will look at the san mateo bridge and you can see there are drops on the lens and you can see residual moisture lingering on the bridge this morning. temperatures are mild at 51 in oakland for a warm spot and santa cruz on the low end at 42 and san francisco san jose and novato and livermore around 45 to 48. bigger picture is showing to the south, ever so slowly but falling apart so light rain is possible but we are looking at 280 in san jose to the south bay at 17 crossing over and it is dry right now but you could in 15 minutes get a sprinkle. temperatures from santa rosa and napa and fairfield and concord and los gatos and gilroy in the low do mid-50's. now, what will happen with the system. we are going to have showers. they are developing and the scout showers i just showed you with more showers along the cold front and that is the steady rain moving into the north bay the next hour. when we get beyond that we have thunderstorms possible with hail and snow levels dropping to 2,000 feet and an inch possible and 5" possible at mounts hamilton. the snow starts in an hour and exits the south bay right during the beginning of the evening commute at 5:00. we will have record warmth, not record, but warmer temperatures for the weekend. fast-moving system so we will see about three to four hours of steady rain when it develops. on the back side we will have forecast tonight inland, and that is how much colder it will get. at 7:00, you can see in mendocino county, the organized steady light-to-moderate rain. yellows are developing in the north bay by 10:00, and that is moderate rain and that will move through the heart of the bay from 10:00 for noon and it will enter the south bay and exits the south bay around 2:00 to 3:00 and scatters shows are possible throughout the afternoon and evening hours and overnight our best chance of showers are near the coast and one or two could stray inland and the afternoon and evening and overnight showers will be more likely to have lightning and thunder. tomorrow we wake up to upper 20 to mid-30's inland and mid-30's to low 40's around the bay but you do not need the umbrella and 60's are back away from the coast starting thursday and through the drive forecast. >> back to walnut creek we have a problem southbound 680 before the 24 split to the right shoulder with an accident and track is bumper to bumper and on 242 almost to highway four. and west 4 to eastbound 80 an accident blocking the transition ramp and overturn in south san francisco at daly city and northbound 280 blocking a lane of traffic. kristen and eric? >> 6:51. we are a day away from the return of robin roberts to "good morning america" and we are joined with a preview. you have to be tickled pink. >> we are. it is going to an big day. we have been building up for it. we are both completely energized. we are ready. she looks fantastic and she has energy and that is the best part of it all. tomorrow morning, we will have a normal show because robin wants it to be normal and we keep trying to explain there is nothing normal about tomorrow. we been baiting for this moment and we will try to adhere to her wishes but we will be sightly happy and maybe crying. >> there will be stuff coming in, people are going -- we heard from a lot of celebrities with want to say welcome back but the stories from people in america and the number of stories from people of america so we get in as many of those tomorrow as we can to let america have their welcome back with robin. >> that is what she wants, to hearer message as she has done and inspired so many people to talk about their own problems and so many people can relate they are going through something similar or someone in their family is dealing with cancer and i believe it is fair to say that is something that robin has been so touched throughout the experience the outpouring from people across the country. we will get into that. >> she has been such a big inspiration to all the viewers, what about robin, to you, the heart and solve "good morning america" and what does she mean to you and what do you miss most? you have 20 seconds to answer that one. >> i have missed the every day robin because you want to give people a little time to heal but i miss the every day robin and i can't wait to have her in here and have hour just back to full strength and roaring. >> across the desk looking at her will be an absolute joy and we cannot wait. it will be big. >> do not miss the wide shop because all eyes are on problem lynn in this chair tomorrow morning on "good morning america" and i hope, hope, hope you will join us. >> we will be this from 3,000 miles away. >> bay area is "team robin." five things to know before you go just ahead. 3 days of walking to give a breast cancer survivor a lifetime-- that's definitely a fair trade. it was such a beautiful experience. (jessica lee) ♪ and it's beautiful (woman) why walk 60 miles in the boldest breast cancer event in history? because your efforts help komen serve millions of women and men facing breast cancer every year. visit the3day.org to register or to request more information today. it was 3 days of pure joy. ♪ and it's beautiful >> as we get ready to happened things off to "good morning america" here are five things to know before you go. number one, we are getting much needed rain in the bay area. a cold storm from the gulf of alaska is moving into northern california. experts say expect wet streets for the morning commute. >> two, santa cruz police are putting up sketches of a man who rape add 20-year-old woman in broad daylight on campus in a trail on campus. they hope someone will see the sketch and identify the man before he strikes again. >> three, cal basketball coach will hold a scheduled news conference two daze after he shoved a star basketball player during the victory on sunday. senator leland yee is trying to call the university to suspend the coach for a game. >> four, a courtroom confession this morning from limp -- olympic star who says he shot reeva steenkamp to death by mistake thing she was a robber and felt vulnerable because he did not have on the process net ig legs. >> the city of san francisco and the giants are will unveil plans for a major development project south of at&t park at pier 48. the chronicle reports the san francisco-based anchor browing plans to build a restaurant and museum there. >> final check on accweather forecast and where the rain is now. mike? >> live doppler 7 hd shows initial "scout" shower activity is sliding to the south bay and falling apart and to the north you can see light-to-moderate rain, wide-spread rain that will move through the bay from 7:00 to 1:00 o'clock north to south. for our storm we will have showers and rain and small hail today and quarter to half an inch and snow level down to 2,000 feet. >> at the bay bridge toll plaza, traffic is moving, and 680, things are jammed and backed to highway four and appear overturn in south san francisco northbound 280, another dangerous spot. >> thank you for joining us for the morning news which continues in 25 minutes with news, weather and traffic. captioned by good morning, america. breaking right now. olympic hero oscar pistorius weeps. as a judge rules he'll be charged with the premeditated murder of his model girlfriend. lawyers saying he put on his legs and walked 21 feet to shoot her through the bathroom door. her funeral taking place today. brazen robbery raid. one of the biggest diamond heists of all time pulled off on the dark airport tarmac. eight masked men cutting through a security fence. ambushing a plane. stealing millions in gems. also breaking, alec baldwin now under fire for his latest rant against photographers. this time accused of using a racial slur. abc news learning right now the new york police department is investigating the tirade as a hate crime. and brand new pictures at this hour. princess kate stepping out in her first public appearance since december, revealing her baby bump and ready to get back to being a very public royal. and good morning, america. we are in final countdown mode right now. there it is, one day. until robin is right back here at this anchor desk. just 24 hours. we're going to hear a little bit from her this morning about how she's feeling. fair to say, a little bit nervous. >> yeah, yeah, indeed. >> we're very excited about her coming
his mother spoking out about the painful moment she says little jonah was assaulted on a flight. the immediate action taken against an executive under fire. watch out. this woman going one on one with great white sharks. sh can hold her breath for almost six minutes. get ready to meet the shark whisperer. only on "gma." and good morning to you, america. on this presidents' day. you can see, george is off. glad to have amy robach here and paula faris. hey, robin. 48 hours now. until that 4:00 a.m. alarm means business. robin roberts back in two days. looking forward to it. a lot of big headlines for you today. gas prices up almost 50 cents a gallon in the last month alone. and we're going have the latest on oscar pistorius. the fifth day in jail for the olympic hero. he focuses on defending himself against the charges he intentionally murdered his model girlfriend. explosive new details that challenge his explanation for her death. and danica patrick, the first woman to ever take the pole position for the daytona 500. so she'll be first on to the racetrack next sunday. we'll hear from her and all of that is just ahead. we can only hope, however, they have a bit warmer temps than i had in florida this weekend, sam champion, this frigid blast went from the northeast all the way down to central florida. >> you were not alone. a lot of folks got another big hit of snow. let's walk over to the wall. a lot of facebook and twitter pictures coming in this weekend. that from huntersville, north carolina. just a good white covering of snow. for the outer banks area. and all the way up, skipped the new york city area but really pounded from b boston to hyannisport pretty heavily. a good hit of snow. this storm, in some way was almost as powerful as the bli blizza blizzardmaker. up to 10 inches of snow in some locations there. the cold air dragging in behind. 12 below in saranac lake. the wind chills are brutally cold this morning. one more snowmaker we'll watch develop. north dakota on into minnesota. it's february, and every bit of it. josh? >> thank you, sam. paula faris here are the top storie stories. >> everyone is wondering what is going on at the pump these days. we begin with something we all need that is getting a whole lot more expensive. the experts are not sure why. gasoline prices have skyrocketed by 42 cents a gallon in just 2 last month much of that increase in the last few days. abc's lindsey janis, the newest correspondent in the house. welcome to our function nal family here at abc news. >> thanks, guys. good to be here. believe it or not, some drivers paying more that are $5 a gallon for gas. in every corner of the country, prices are skyrocketing. the average price, $3.71 a gallon. up 13 cents in the last week. the big question is, why? analysts say because of rising oil prices. they're not exactly sure why the cost of oil as spiked so quickly. some are blaming rising demand overseas. others blame refinery maintenance or speck laters on wall street. no end in sight. when the american families hit the road, prices could rise another 40 to 60 cents per gallon, major hit for the family budget, paula. >> we don't like you to be the bear of bad news. we're still welcoming you to the family, linzie. a german journalist who recently sbe viewed the pope said he appeared to be blind in one eye and had trouble hearing. he is stepping down next week. and police in chicago have arrested two people in connection with the city's latest case of senseless street violence. 18-year-old jennae mcfar land was shot in the head on the same day her little sister sat behind president obama during a speech on gun violence. police believe she was gunned down because the shooter thought she was somewhere else. and the white house is denying it leaked a draft of the president's immigration plan. the draft calls for an eight-year waiting period to get a green card. the white house says that the president is not trying to undermine the compromise bill 37. this is the closest that the media got to the weekend golf play of president obama and tiger woods. there was a formal protest from white house correspondents. shards of rock found in a frozen lake are from friday's meteor hit. the meteor was traveling 46,000 miles per hour when it crashed. causing an estimated $33 million in damage. so many windows were shattered, the broken glass could cover 40 football fields. about 4,000 yards there? police were swamps with reports of a fireball in the sky. look at that. but it was only part of a meteor shower. orionid? is that right? >> right. >> sam and i went back and forth. >> thank you, paula and sam. now to the news overnight on country mudsic star mindy mccready, dead at 37. she was going through a period of real turmoil, substance abuse, rehab, and most recently the death of her boyfriend. abc's chris connelly has the story of the woman with so much lost promise. ♪ i do it all the time >> reporter: years ago, long before her portrayal of a hungover party girl would seem ironic, she was a fresh-faced 20-year-old from florida. her "guys do it all the time" became a hit. ♪ i had some drinks with the girls all the time guys do it all the time ♪ >> reporter: her debut cd went double platinum. the radiance of the smile would fade, as alcohol and drug dependency seized her life. >> four suicide attempts, three trips to rehab, several arrests. her career was derailed because her personal life was chaotic. >> reporter: she spoke openly on "the view" in 2010. >> when there would be some kind of crisis or painful thing happened to me, it was ready available to go and drink too much. >> reporter: reality tv chronicled her struggle to get clean. when she sat down with abc news late in 2011, she was hoping she had turned a corner. >> i grew up in a really difficult way. i'm very proud that i've made it this far and that i understand why i've made the bad choices i've made. and how not to make them in if future. >> reporter: yet on sunday afternoon, she was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. she leaves behind two young sons, and unsullied memories of a hopeful young singh who once dreamed of having it all. she was 37 years old. for "good morning america," chris connelly, abc news, los angeles. >> we bring in dan abrams. a troubled individual here had dealt with numerous legal issues over her life. most recently the questions about the death of her then boyfriend. what now to make about it? >> initially, that was deemed to be a suicide. and then the authorities said, wait a second, too many questions here, we want to continue that. i don't think this is going to change that. think they are still going to want answers to know what happened, how 99 happened. this may kick it into further gear as the authorities try to get some of the questions answered. >> she dealt with addiction for most of her adult life. her children put into foster care a month ago when she was placed into court-ordered rehab. so now -- what becomes of them? >> the last time we talked about this on the show, she has taken o -- had taken e of the children out of state against a court order. the question was, how do they get her back? she eventually gave up both children when she went into this court-ordered addiction program. the father of the older child lost custody after he allegedly tried to kill her. so there's all sorts of family problems here. i would expect that the father of zander, the older child, will now try to get custody back. is he going to also ask for custody of zayne, 10 months old as well. >> wow, a sad end. thanks, dan. now to the nightmare journey of the carnival cruise ship "triumph." the kane is facing the first wave of lawsuits. >> this morning, two lawsuits have already been filed. and experts say more will be on the way after the ship lost power. the woman you're about to meet, lisa williams, says she was physically injured in her eight-day saga at sea. >> when your gut tells you it's possible you're not going to survive this event, that shouldn't be allowed to exist. >> reporter: in an exclusive interview, the houston resident says she became dehydrated on the ship and spent the weekend in and out of urgent care centers getting i.v. drips. >> i was not about to drink water coming out of the ship. >> reporter: her $75,000 lawsuit is the first to focus almost entirely on bodily injuries. >> she thought this luxury cruise turned into the titanic. it seemed that nobody was in control. and the passengers were pretty much left in the dark. >> reporter: she says the pictures tell the story. more than 3,000 passengers forced to move their beds outside, wait hours for food, and dodge sewage they say was all over the boat. she says the chaos left her battered and bruised. >> i wanted to go and lay in the sun. didn't expect to come home in the situation i was in. i don't think that's fair. >> reporter: what does the fine print say in the ticket contr t contracts say the company the no liable for mental distress. carnival's reputation may be already paying a price. >> you guys think you might have it bad, but do you have it worse than 4,000 stranded on nightmare cruise? that is about us. >> reporter: "snl" taking the company to task over the weekend. >> my only concern is this doesn't occur ever again. so they never have another ship with a similar experience. >> reporter: we did reach out to carnival. we're told the company had not yet seen the latest lawsuit. much more to come. >> thank you. turning to the laits on the shocking story of an i had man now facing a federal charge for allegedly slapping a toddler on an airline flight. john muller spoke with the child's mother and joins us now. good morning, john. >> reporter: anyone that's ever flown knows about crying babies. this case boggles the mind. a mother speaking out about the stranger accuse of the unthinkable, calling an innocent toddler, in pain, a horrible racial sure and then hitting him. >> jonah started crys baug the plane was going down. >> reporter: jessica bennett reliving her pain. a passenger on the plane allegedly called her 19-month-old son, jonah, the "n" word and then slapped him. >> he looked at me, and said [ bleep ]. >> reporter: they say this is the guy, joe hundley, now charged with assaulting a minor. it all went down just over a week ago on a delta flight from minneapolis to atlanta. jessica and jonah had the aisle seat. hundley the window. >> he put his mouth into my ear and sid it again. i had to push his face way from me and i screamed. this caused a commotion with the other passengers. they got worried and stood up and wanted to intervene. at that point is when he hit my child. >> reporter: jonah suffered cuts and bruises to his face. while his mom says he's doing better, she says he's become mistrustful of strarngs. >> he knows that a stranger hit him. he's aware of that. he's very leery of strangers now. >> reporter: this is not the first run-in with the law for hundley. last year, he was arrested for a di in idaho. his employer, agcaerospace and defense says he's no longer with the company. dad wasn't on the plane. he said that was probably a good thing. >> i can tell you, without question, had i seen anybody assault any child, i would take physical action and incapacitate them. >> reporter: now, in court documents, a witness backs up the story saying he saw the child get hit. hundley could face a year in jail in convicted. his attorney says, hopefully the situation can be resolved. no one should rush to judgment. >> thank you so much. now to race car driver danica patrick making history when she took the pole for the daytona 500. that means she'll be first on to the track next weekend as what is known as the super bowl of racing. jeff gordon saying he was the fastest guy on the track sunday. for once, that wasn't enough. take a look now at danica patrick, fastest of them all. what you're watching is 196.434 miles of speed and history. >> danica runs the same line. >> reporter: she cemented her place on the pole and in the history books. her first place finish in sunday qualifying gives her the lead position at next week's 500. known as the super bowl of nascar. >> if you're going start anywhere, especially at a big speedway like this, you hope it's on the front. >> reporter: she bested the speedway's best, three-time winner jeff gordon, binary roe marg margin. the significance of her finish was not lost. >> it's about as much exposure as this sport could get. >> reporter: the same type of exploezier she's been bringing since this 2008 indy car victory in japan. since switching to nascar full-time in 2012, she's yet to win a race. leading some critics to say she capitalizes on being racy. >> is this heaven? >> no, this is. >> reporter: instead of focusing her time on racing. >>? f she were to win the race, that would silence ever critic. >> i'm going do everything i can to prepare. so i can keep the car up front as often as possible. >> reporter: based on her performance on sunday, that may be what she'll do. >> if she wins the daytona 500, she'll be instantly the most famous female athlete on earth. >> and that is what she has left to do, win the race. >> it's a lot of pressure. >> indeed it is. jeff gordon tweeted even his 5-year-old wanted a picture with dan ka. there it is. danica and the gordon family. she hopes to be champion come sunday's end. >> sammy, there's a lot of pink and purple cold on the board. >> let's say you were one sam champion on twitter getting harassed by one josh elliott on twitter. it happened. orlando, 35 degrees this morning. normally, should be about 53. this is the first big push of cold air. last winter, we had several. miami, 47 yesterday. 49 today. this is the real cold push. jacksonville, 25 degrees. into the west today, brand-new sto stormmaker that will bring rain, snow, gusty winds. a lovely pattern about to shift. quick look at the big board. just for you. now you can see the whole thing. .> good morning 20 three degrees. the windchill is 17. this morning.ies ample sunshine today. a cold morning. it feels like eight and hagerstown. manassas is like six. upper 30 pasta lower 40 process afternoon. changes ahead. a wintry mix can expected tomorrow m >> the cities on the board are brought to you by big lots. we'll have more on america's whaert on what some people say is a holiday. coming up, the latest on oscar pistorius. family and friends insisting he's not guilt in the death of his mod 8 girlfriend. and new claim he may have been using steroids. and get ready to meet the shark whisperer. also coming up, leann rimes revealing secret pain she's been suffering. why she's blaming her dentist. this day calls you. to fight chronic osteoarthritis pain. to fight chronic low back pain. to take action. to take the next step. today, you will know you did something for your pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a pain reliever fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. anti-depressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not for children under 18. people taking maois, linezolid or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. take the next step. talk to your doctor. cymbalta can help. new griddle-melts to yourime usual breakfast sandwich. a lot more flavor. 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[ anouncer ] compare new griddle melts yourself. just $4.99. it's an epic breakfast sandwich. >> live an in hd, this is an abc news update. good morning. happy presidents' day. :26. we will begin with a developing story out of herndon. there is an apartment fire on waterside view drive. yet about whatwn happened. an unconscious person was found inside that apartment. .e will follow the story the family of a young girl hurt in a weakened house fire in southeast dc believes it was intentionally .et several people rescued from the 33rd tree home. the home's owner was arrested say he attacked and threatened to kill her mother. let us find out what is roadways.on the easy drive for you today. stays this way. we have a couple of metro things going on. is on the saturday schedule. the redline, single tracking rhode island and tacoma. no delays. beltway looks good. you will not see any problems. a chilly start to this morning. the coldest morning we have a couple weeks. 23 degrees. , 17.ind-chill ryder cup. those like -- colder in frederick. skies are clear. the clouds will move in late tonight. our highs will be in the upper .s pasta oh, wow. >> yeah, i don't know. i can't -- >> that music is never good. >> she's swimming willingly with great white sharks. it's almost all you need to say. >> she's touching a great white shark. >> wow. >> somebody, no sea rescues of yet. we still have some broadcast to get to. we'll have that story, a remarkable story. as we all get set to welcome robin roberts back. that audience back there in this weather, that is the spirit award. >> sam's our champion, too. >> welcome to you. good morning to you, america. we're two, two, two days to robin roberts' return, hope you're enjoying it there, robin. great to have amy robach and paula faris with us this morning. >> thank you so much. coming up, the latest on oscar pistorius, charged with the death of his model girlfriend. the claims right now he may have been using steroids. and the new details that channel his explanation of her death. then we ask, why is leann rimes suing her de'tis right now? and the brand-new video of jay-z and beyonce's beautiful daughter. first to the latest on oscar pistorius. the oimp lirk hero acruicused o murder. bazi kanani is in south africa with the latest. >> reporter: good morning, amy. as oscar pistorius spends his fifth day in jail, officials are leaking information to the me a media, including new claims that he may have been using steroids. for this man, the battle has never been so touch. oscar pistorius, known as the blade runner, will no longer be running races. his agent saying all of the track star's future events have been canceled, as he focus on defending himself against charges he murdered his girlfriend, model reeva steenkamp, on valentine's day. overnight, his father quoted as saying his countrymen are destroying a national icon. we build people up into hero, who overcome immense challenges, only to take great glee in breaking them cowen. the stories his family and friends insist he's not guilty. >> no doubt, no substance for the allegations. >> reporter: his best friends telling reporters a distraught pistorius called him just before 4:00 a.m. to say there's been a terrible accident. i shot reeva. those closest to the star say he mistook her for an intruder. new doubts on the allegation. one respected local newspaper, "the city press" reports multiple police sources say a bloody cricket bat will be a key piece of evidence, possibly used in a violent argument before the shooting. that steenkamp was wearing a nightgown and her overnight bag was found at the house. that miss popistorius may have shot her in the bedroom and she went to the bathroom, and she was shot three more times through the door. a reality show recently taped contained a tribute and her haunting last words. >> the way you grow up is so important. it can make an impact in a positive way or a negative way. i'm going miss you all so much. i love you very, very much. >> and our thanks to bazi kanani from south africa. for more, we're joined by dan abrams. we're hearing various reports. none confirmed about a bloody cricket bat and seal eed syring being removed. >> everything we're hearing makes it worse and worse for pistorius. every detail we hear makes it harder to accept this notion that he may have thought it was an intruder and accidentally shot. everything from the possibility of any kind of bloody item to her being shot in the bathroom tlurks a wall. every single detail is problematic this morning. >> reports that both oscar's and reeva's ipads have been seized. what could investigators be looking for? >> the first was the how. now it's the why. they want to understand what mooigd might have happened in the house, how i had happened, but why did it happen? what might have been the motivation. what might have set this off. >> there's a bail hearing tomorrow? >> if what his family is saying is true, that wouldn't mean necessarily not guilty. possibility of manslaughter, a lesser crime. i think it's likely he'll remain in jail. now an exclusive interview with the woman who shocked the country when she claimed she was attacked by a stranger with acid. her story took a bizarre turn when she admitted she made it all up. some of the images in the report may be tough to watch. abbie boudreau has her story. >> reporter: from victim. >> i could hear bubbling and sizzling, my skin. >> reporter: to villain. >> makes me sick. >> reporter: three years ago, 28-year-old bethany storrow told police, out of nowhere, a woman threw liquid acid in her face. it under the out to be a hoax. she did it to herself. in this exclusive interview with abc news, she's speaking out on cam have a for the first time. >> i made a mistake and i hope that people forgive me. and give me a chance because i'm a good person. i promise. i am. >> reporter: she's hard of hearing. she said she had an undiagnosed case of bodi body dysmorphic disorder. >> i saw a monster. >> reporter: she said she turned to liquid acid to make it go away and to end her life. >> it was like fire to my face. i was so happy. i thought i found the answer. >> reporter: but she says when the pain became unbearable, she couldn't bring herself to drink the acid. >> i'm freaking out, like this is not working. what am i going to do now. >> reporter: so she drove down the street and screamed for help. >> somebody screamed out and said, did someone do this to you? i said yes, and that's where it began. >> reporter: she gave police a fake description. >> if anybody knows any information of the girl that did this to me and help find her. >> reporter: did you kind of like all the attention with the cameras and microphone? >> yeah, i did. in that moment, i -- i felt like i was cared for and i mattered. >> reporter: two weeks passed before police pieced together the clues. and bethany confessed. >> and i'm so sorry to everybody. i really, truly am. >> reporter: in her new book, facing the truth, she says she's starting to feel more comfortable in her own skin. >> ooh, it's hot. >> reporter: this is the new you. >> yes. >> reporter: now, no longer seeing the monster in the mirror. >> i'm sorry, it's hard. i'm still me. i'm still the same person, but better. you know. i'm getting better every day. >> reporter: for "good morning america," abbie boudreau, abc news, los angeles. >> we certainly wish her well. for more on her book, go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! right now. time for another look at the weather. >> we start with this pattern. every storm system that moves into the west gets dragged across the country. a new one delivering big rains and snow to the west coast. it will move across the country. the snowmaker by the great lakes will move east as a little bit of a snow maiker as well. each one will trirg severe storms in the sourt pathern par the country. jackson, memphis, chicago, lose louisville, the ourn areas stay warm. raleigh, 50s. miami, back into the 80s. i know it's been a cold week a cold start here. with sunny skies. 17.nd-chill only we will warm up to the upper sunny skies. clouds move in ton >> just looking at denver, early this morning. you also get a warmup over the next couple of days. haul that weather brought to you by macy's everybody. get ready to meet the shark whisperer. why this young woman is get something dangerously close to sharks. >> get out of the water. [ male announcer ] this is anna, her long day teaching the perfect swing begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye. the reason i'm still in this body feelin' so good isn't because i never go out and enjoy the extra large, extra cheese world we live in. it's because i do. introducing the new weight watchers 360 program. join for free and expect amazing. because it works. i took my son fishing every year. we had a great spot, not easy to find, but worth it. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function starting within five minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. and that means...fish on! symbicort is for copd including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. with copd, i thought i'd miss our family tradition. now symbicort significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. and that makes a difference in my breathing. today, we're ready for whatever swims our way. ask your doctor about symbicort. i got my first prescription free. call or click to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. back now at 7:43 with the young woman being called the shark whisperer. nick watt has her remarkable story. >> reporter: holy moly. yes, you really are seeing what you think you're seeing. a great white shark, the most feared beast on earth, a killer. and a human with no air tank, no cage, no fear. and here she is. >> i understand that you know, it is dangerous. it's a wild animal. >> reporter: ocean ramsey is a hawaiian model/diver who can hold her breath underwater for 5 5:48. she means business. we've heard of the dog whisper. the eagle whisper. is ocean the shark whisperer? >> they're is understood and misconstrued as ravenous, mindless man-eating machines. they're not. >> reporter: california just this week declared great whites the enzadangers species. >> shark! >> reporter: ever since "jaws" it's tough to generate sympathy for these animals. that is why ocean and the guy that films her are driven to jaw-dropping extremes. >> the biggest thing is to nail the shot. a beautiful diver and a greaseful shark swimming along. >> it's difficult to describe what it's like to have a great white swimming toward you or next to you. it's really breathtaking. >> reporter: we'll just take your word for that, ocean, we'll just take your word for that. for abc news, nick watt, los angeles. >> well said, nick. incredible pictures. coming up, i'm sorry, i was looking at josh with a golf club. we have beyonce, like you have never seen her before. and our burfirst real, real clop of baby blue ivy. >> i do have a putter. and a golf ball. why do i? "play of the day." come on back. >> what happened to freeze it? ♪ "love" a collection by prabal gurung, exclusively at target. for a limited time. body washes with paper that reacts like skin. if others can strip this paper, imagine how harsh they can be to your skin. oh my gosh. 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[ male announcer ] sounds good. it's amazing what soup can do. living with moderate to [semeans living with pain.isod. it could also mean living with joint damage. humira, adalimumab, can help treat more than just the pain. for many adults, humira is clinically proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist about humira, to help relieve your pain and stop further joint damage. ♪ time to jump in to something new ♪ ♪ ♪ the best part of wakin' up ♪ is folgers in your cup >> live an in hd, this is an abc news update. good morning. 7:56. happy presidents' day. i am scott thuman. metro is operating on a saturday schedule today. track work could make it tough get around. not running on parts of the blue and orange lines. you're a single tracking on part of the redline. the bj details at lee.com. investigators are searching for driver of a car who hit and killed a man in north east ec. the 20-year-old was crossing m reet latter-day night when he the car ran over him and kept going. let us see how the road was look this morning. not a bad drive. -- southbound i 270 not bad. 6, 270 through tysons corner, told world looks good. both way, i hope, no delays. -- beltway, outer loop, no delays. let us get a look at the weather. thisbeautiful start morning. a cold one. 23 degrees. , 17.ind-chill it feels like 10 in gaithersburg. today, sunny skies. highs in the upper 30's to 40's. a wintry mix tomorrow morning. >> bundle up. thank you for joining us. ♪ i'm on top of the world, hey, i'm on top of the world, hey ♪ [ cheers and applause ] great and hearty crowd. right outside in times square on this presidents' day, as we wish you all a good morning, america. held throe robin, who, after a month-long time is now having the equivalent of a long weekend. enjoy it, robin roberts. you're back two days from now. cannot wait for that. greet to have amy robach and paula faris here. great story ahead about fellow transplant recipients and what it takes to get back into the swing of things. to get their sense of normalcy back. >> can't wait for that. also, some treats to kick off the week. they're brownie batter doughnuts. the brownie batter is inside the doughnuts from dunkin' donuts. >> how does amy know that? how does amy know? >> they swoped the already eaten doughnut out. >> it was gone. consumed in seconds. maybe we should all taste them. >> they're really good. >> really good. >> if you're a person, who likes to eat batter, we're not supposed to say do it, because there's raw eggs. >> wow, debbie downer. >> wet blanket. >> i love brownies. they taste like chocolate frosting. not the scary batter. really so good, right, amy? >> why aren't you partaking? >> because i'm on the oscar slim-down. i'm not going the lie to you. and i already has a bagel this morning. >> she's off the wagon. >> and we have emeril coming up. i'm anticipating inhaling food there. >> it's all about the oscar slimdown. >> we're going to talk about emeril and also leann rimes secret pain. why it stopped her from singing. she's taking her dentist to court, saying he's ruined her singing career. and beyonce, an up-close look at her and her project with jay-z, which would be little blue ivy. the first time we've got a good look that. >> a cute baby. >> really, really, really cute. speaking of -- take a look. our first oscar nominated picture we're going revit is "the life of pi." as perhaps you have never seen it before. who exactly is george interviewing here? >> one of the big stars of the film. >> perhaps the biggest star of the film. >> many say it's an oscar nomination for this star. >> i'm frightened for that story. i'm hesitant there. good morning, everyone. we begin with new video just coming in from a raging industrial fire burning out of control in tampa, florida, at a metal recycling complex. the blaze filling the skies are shooting flames and black smoke. firefighters battling to keep the fire way from two diesel tanks. no injuries so far. police in arkansas say it appears troubled country singer mindy mccready died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. she was found on her porch, where her boyfriend apparently committed suicide just last month. potentially damaging evidence against olympic runner osc oscar pistorius. a bloody cricket bat was supposedly recoveraged from his house. there are claims he may have used steroids. his family insists he's innocent, saying he was giving steenkamp mouth to mouth before paramedics rooifd. gas prices skyrocketing coast to coast. the average price now, $3.73 per gallon, 14 cents higher than last week and 43 cents more than just last month. analysts blame the rising cost of oil and speculators on wall street. after a fierce backlash from drinkers, the makers from maker's mark have changed their mind. they won't be watering down their bourbon at all. dy diluting it was a bad idea. some remember this last week, marco rubio diving for the bottle of water. now his political action committee is cashing in. started selling water bottles with rubio's name on them. they've already made $100,000. >> a game, like marco. >> rubio. >> very excited about the maker's mark thing. >> you guys where laughing. >> maybe a story that won't be told on "gma." >> might be told on "gma live." >> pop goes the news. let's do it. good morning to you, everybody. boy, xwt silver linings playbook" has become the little movie that could. just broke the $10 million mark at the box office. this film, starring bradley cooper, robert de niro, and jennifer launs continues to gain momentum. it becomes the sixth of the nine nominees to join the $100 million club. oscar voting officially closes tomorrow. i believe, at 5:00 p.m. >> this is going to be some show. this year is going to be some, some, some show. >> one of the movies that has done remarkably is "life of pi." we have one of the big stars coming up today. exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. sam, give us a -- meow. bright titan aggressive sexually. one critic is describing the clothing line of pop star rihanna. 120 items in the line, ranging in price. it was on a stage. it took place in a warehouse complete with smoke machines, booming hip hop, and lots of champagne. and leo dicaprio also in the news this morning. he's taking time off from movies to travel the globe. it appears he made a quit pit stop. he only had to memorize four words. cool bourbon. jim. beam. >> this is her favorite show ever. >> the ad, though, only airing abroad, where he hope he's relaxing somewhere with a nice glass of bourbon himself. and finally, everybody. hope you enjoy this video. the sloth may not be known for its speed. that may change. patrick says this sloth fell from a tree into his boat in the amazon. after getting his bearings, he now has a need. a need for speed. look at him. he enjoyed the ride. that's the way she's shaped. he's fine. everybody is okay. sloth back in tree. totally loved it. hair back in the wind. they went on a nice boat ride. >> where's his life preserver and seat belt? >> oh, my gosh, followups are not allowed here. sloth fine. >> sloth okay. >> and that's "pop news." >> i love the sloth. >> i often feel like the sloth. >> real, bourbon. >> samuel j., are you outside? >> o hi, everybody. it was 17 degrees the morning when this crowd -- go all the way to the end. go all the way to the end. when this crowd came out to see us this morning in times square on a holiday. and we're rocking the stove pipe hats. what is your name? >> mckenzie. >> where are you from? >> cocoa beach, florida. >> josh, did you see the hat? we should bring it back. later to be seen this week, josh wokking one of those. let's get to the boards. we had a live shot of chicago. we're going reinforce the fact that cold air gets pushed back down into the country this week. here comes the cold air. you may, may have already started feeling it even into the deep south. look at the numbers. 19, chicago, tuesday. wednesday, 22 degrees. this cold air gets solidly in the northern area. southern areas get a chance to warm up. the west, a brand-new system working its way in. rain, snow, gusty wind. it will be a rough one o a very cold morning. 25 degrees. 16 at reaganl is national. it feels like eight in gaithersburg. our forecast for today, mostly sunny skies. our high between 38 and 42 degrees. tomorrow, we expect to see a , especially in the morning. [ cheers and applause ] >> we are -- we are just trying to stay warm here in times square. let's go back inside to lara, everybody. good morning, lara. >> thank you, sam. here's a look what is coming up on our "gma" morning menu -- why leann rimes is suing her dentist, claiming he's ruined her career right now. and beyonce like you have never seen her before. and blue ivy. and robin's return. how fellow transplant patients got themselves back in the saddle. all that and more coming up on "good morning america" live in times square. we're at walmart. it's tax refund time and wesley & ashley are looking for a brand new smartphone. let's go. we've got a samsung galaxy sii on t-mobile monthly4g for only $299 with no annual contract. nice! 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>> yes. i battled with the edit. and in the end, i just jumped. ♪ you must not know about me you must not know about me ♪ >> reporter: just like her song, things she didn't reveal until now, like having the miscarriage before her daughter blue ivy. >> i flew back to new york to get my checkup. and -- no heart beat. >> you made a conscious choice to share that. >> i did. >> why? >> i felt like there are so many couples that go through that and it was a big part of my story. i am 20 weeks. >> reporter: she shares her pregnancy. her 60-pound weight gain and those intimate moments with the baby girl at home. >> tell us about her. is she funny? shy? >> she is hilarious. and she is fire. >> reporter: through it all, she says her best production yet is her daughter. beyonce says she's definitely not stopping with blue ivy, telling oprah another baby might be in the cards after her fifth studio album and her upcoming mrs. carter world tour. she plans to bring blue ivy along to show her the world. she works two hours aday. the rest of the time -- >> they tell new parents you'll never remember your life after having a child. you can see it with her. oh, so true. hard to believe. thank you for that. well, it's been five months since robin's bone marrow transplant. a long time for us to be without her each and every morning. in medical terms, it's considered a rapid recovery thanks to good health and great care. we're getting ready to welcome our friend back to "good morning america," less than 48 hours from now. wednesday morning. we talked to others on a similar journey getting back to normal after their transplants. >> hi, robin. i'm celebrating eight years post trant plant. >> this year, four years post trant plant. >> and i'm 3 years old. >> reporter: robin roberts is about to join a powerful team. this week, she'll join the ranks of survivors pushed to the edge. >> i just passed my sixth birthday. >> reporter: after extended periods of isolation, getting back to work is a huge milestone for so many. and life post transplant often means a new normal. >> thank you. this month, i celebrate my third birthday. >> reporter: a leukemia diagnosis in 2009 for jennifer meant an abrupt suspension of her career. >> it's a part of my life. work is a part of my identity. i was anxious, frightened, concerned about whether or not i would lose ground. >> i'm a leukemia survivor. i had a stem cell trants plant three years ago. >> reporter: for schoolteacher asa, she had to stop doing things she enjoyed. like hiking. and mostly, it meant being away from a job she loved. >> the kids make you feel like you have a purpose. >> we have a load of dishes that need to come out. this year, i'm 7 years old. >> reporter: nancy was 7 months pregnant when she was diagnosed with mds. she struggled to disconnect from an 80-hour work week. >> missed the people. seeing the customers and my staff. the trauma. >> reporter: during ill necessary aness and recovery, they yearned for the routine of work. >> i missed the camaraderie. my life became consumed with my illness. >> reporter: once patients get to okay, returning to work can be birt sweet. it means making big adjustments. >> i was fatigued easily. i could work a couple of hours, then go home and go the bed and sleep. >> i had to be careful not shake hands with people. >> reporter: transplant recipients often go back to work with a healthy dose of germaphobia and a modified work schedule. >> it was good to be back. >> reporter: simply being at work is a gift. >> a breath of fresh air to not have the restrictions anymore. >> reporter: and soon the illness is in the rearview mirror. >> sometimes i think about the cancer. but i don't dwell on it. i have a new lease on life. i have a purpose. i'm moving forward. it feels good. >> welcome back, robin. take it from me, it's great to be back to work. but don't forget to take care of yourself. >> i wish you all the best as you adjust to coming back to work full time. i know you can do it. >> ah. >> all she wants, again, she's said often, is normalcy back. blessed normalcy back. wednesday morning, it all begins. >> it's great to see stories of people who are been through it, how healthy they look, how active and earn jettic they are. early on, people would share their stories, members of family, someone they knew, it was comforting to know they had full lives afterwards. >> talking about being 7 years old, 2 years old. really special. >> five months. boy, she's ahead of schedule. and we cannot wait for wednesday morning to get here. still to come here on the program, meanwhile -- george sitting down with one big, r rambunctious star. >> huge, huge. >> you have never seen this before. >> never, oscar preview. go nowhere. you ever look at someone and think, boy, they look just like someone i've seen on tv? then we're talking to you. we're putting out a call across america to find the perfect "gma" look alikes. think you look like or know somebody who looks like robin, george, josh, lara, sam? the eye, the nose, the hair? maybe not they hair. do you know a "gma" match? go to goodmorningamerica.com and send us your picture. >> live an in hd, this is an abc news update. good morning everyone on this presidents' day. i am scott thuman. rising.ces are still 31 says they have risen for .traight days the national average for a price $3.71.ular is up to in d.c., $3.90. investigators believe a house fire in southeast dc that wasred a child intentionally set. the four-year-old girl was one rescued fromople .he home on 33rd street 's owner was arrested he attacked and threatened to kill the girl's mother. now for a check on traffic. >> it is moving well. not much going on. you will use the hov .anes fted.ve been lis no problems to report. both directions on canal road. no work on metro as far as the and yellow lines. >> it looks good. cold.ls .ut he five degrees -- 25ndchill is only degrees. the windchill is 16 degrees. temperatures will warm up. we expect to see highs in the to lower 40's with lots of sun. clouds move in tonight. thanks for watching. ♪ ain't no mountain high enough ♪ [ cheers and applause ] oh, somebody's favorite song. she'll be back in a couple of days. to sing it much better than any of us, as we welcome you, good morning, america. as -- i'm uncomfortable. paula faris, amy robach here. just ahead, getting into the oscar spirit. how? we're counting down to sunday. all week, sitting down with our versions of the hottest oscar stars. i guarantee you, you have never seen a tiger quite like you're about to this morning. >> have you ever seen a tiger interviewed boofr? >> it's the big get, ladies and gentlemen. it's on "gma." >> george with the exclusive. guess what, dana delany is with us. the abc show, "body of proof" here with a sneak peek at the brand new season. >> lara and i, shoes to die for. they are unbelievable. >> just gorgeous. and our friend, emeril lagasse is here. one of our favorite -- boy, did we have a good time with you in new orleans. >> i'm still working it off. i haven't had a meal in two weeks. >> now it's mother's day breakfast in bed contest. >> oh, hi. hey, there, heady, nice. we're going cook with em. we want you to tell us why your mom should win breakfast in bed this mother's day. he just might show up at her door and make it happen. we can't wait. abc has the oscars. we're the network with the in. we start our oscar coverage with our "gma" actor's studio. we're plunging into the back stories and the motivations of the characters. in the biggest movies of the year. let's start with the tiger from "the life of pi." look how george handles this. ♪ >> take one. action. [ roaring ] >> how did you get into character? >> a lot of stretching. a lot of seafood. fish. i'm not a big boert, generally. i spend my time more horseback riding, really. for this role, i did a lot of sea-faring. learned some terms, port, starboard. port. one of those. >> this may not be comfortable. i heard reports you were difficult on set. >> what is difficult, really? >> okay, "life of pi" take one. >> what's my line? >> take 500. >> hair, hair! fix that one. that's better. yes. thank you. okay, fine, i was difficult. because this story is about the tiger, george. it's about that, not about some kid, the photography. really? you got this to work with and you're going to say how great the lighting was. >> bottom line, you going to win the oscar? >> i don't know, george. i really don't do it for the award. i mean, for me, it's really about -- about the craft. but yeah, yeah, i'll win the osc oscar. >> take 47. >> milk? milk? people? milk? >> wow, unbelievable. unbelievable. >> the "gma" actor's studio, ladies and gentlemen. >> that was -- that was so much better than i ever hoped. >> yeah, to find out about all the other oscar-nominated films and make your picks on your oscars ballot, head to gma.com. sunday, it's already, like sunday. >> yes, it is. this week. >> yeah. >> and you've got weather, too. >> i know you're -- >> i want to -- i just, no, i missed the tiger. i miss it. >> that was like an hour in make f makeup for sam and it got better and better and better. >> was it a hot suit? >> there's so much more coming up. >> so many other costumes for you this week. and you really got into it, sam. >> a little too much, some would say. let's get to the boards. now they're yelling at me. we start with your twitter and facebook pictures. ann arbor, michigan. a gorgeous shot. a little bit of colorado as well. a lot of stuff happening today. an active storm pattern this week. a little bit of a snowmaker out of the great lakes. and into the northeast. this storm system that moves out of the west brings colder temperatures with it, along with clouds, rain, mountain snow. the entire west coast involvement. a little reagan, texas, lincoln, nebraska, jackson, california. we like to get >> sunshine. 25 degrees. wind-chill, 16. we will warm up to the upper to low 40's. moved >> haul that weather was brought to you by sears. oh, josh? now to dr. phil, out with a brand new book, life codes for winning in the real world. it's a play by play about how to form a support system. our cameron mathison sat down with the good doctor. >> i'm so passionate about this book. you can't imagine. >> what are you hoping people get out of your life code? >> this is my eighth book. i'm as excited about it as i was when i wre my first book back in the late '90s. i didn't intend to write this book. it wrote me, actually. my belief is, if the game changes, then the rules change. i mean, think about the explosion in the last generation of the internet, facebook, social media. things have changed in this world more than in any generation to generation that we have had in the last 150 years. so -- we have to have a new set of rules for our life. that's what this is all about. >> and implied in the title, life code and new rules for winning in the real world, is another way to say that is -- this is a playbook to happiness? >> it is a playbook to so much more than happiness, but yes. it is a playbook to effectiveness. it is a playbook to -- avoiding disaster. and to do that, you have to be careful who you surround yourself with. so -- we have to -- pay attention to who we let next to us. and who we don't. this is a very action-oriented book on how to keep yourself and those you love out of harm's way and how to get more of what you want for you and those you love. very action-oriented. dots very close together. >> and ultimately leading us to happiness and other great situations. are you happy? >> if i was any happier, i would think it was a frameup. >> well, i got to make sure it works. i'm talking to the man, so -- >> don't i look happy? >> yeah, you do. thanks for your time. >> all right. >> thank you, thank you, thank you. coming up, one of our most popular contests is back. emeril's breakfast in bed. guess who is here with us? >> yeah, baby. >> go nowhere. [ male announcer ] here's a friendly reminder -- it's your last chance to get a $200 verizon visa prepaid card with verizon high speed internet and phone for business, both with 9 99.9% network reliaiability, for only $84.99 a mononth when you sign up online with a 2-year term. plus a basic second line. just order at verizon.com/bizdeal, or call 1.888.929.4404 for other offers. hurry,his offer won't last long. ♪ it's time to honor those making a difference in your community. with disney time hometown celebration. why do they deserve to have some disney time? characters you love brought right to your community. courtesy of disney parks. you might see yourself on tv on "gma." how is that for a celebration? go the goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! to find out how to enter. back now at 8:41. in the kitchen with emeril. time for one of our favorite "gma" traditions, emeril's mother's day breakfast in bed. emeril will take his kitchen to her for an unforgettable morning. this morning, kicking off the contest. emeril is here to show us now make twoo of his favorite breakfast dishes. hi, em. >> how are you guys? >> let's talk about the contest. 13 years. this is 13. >> you're giving it away. >> no, i'm not. i want to make sure everybody has a chance to -- >> it's a lot of fun knocking on the door and surprising a special mom. although, one year, we didn't, it was a dad. >> that's nice, though. >> it was. >> i love that. you're equal opportunity. >> and we'll just, like, make you a great breakfast. and have a great day. >> we have two examples you might be serving this morning. starting with a breakfast bread pudding. one of my favorites. >> a breakfast sausage or italian sausage, hot or mild. you want to brown it. add onion to it. add red pepper. you can use green, yellow, whatever. a little salt. and then basically, now, we're going use zucchini today. >> it's really fresh. >> small zucchini cut in half. we'll add them. once this sautes, kind of looks like this, what we have is cut bread. or english muff fuins as well. give me half of that in that buttered casserole. >> cover the bottom, right? >> some thyme, parsley, margarine. >> look at you. >> josh, you have to work, too. >> i'll whisk. i get to whisk for a few more days. robin likes to whisk. for two more days, i'll whisk. >> you whisk. add cream or half and half. >> a lot of cream. >> and then chicken broth. >> this is just enjoy it, it's a luxury. >> look how many people it will feed. >> my favorite part is the emeril's army that creeps in unpresidentingly. >> now we'll add. >> what happened. >> did i burn you? >> yeah, just a bit. >> oh, come on. where? >> kind of on the -- >> will you? >> slowly pour over there, 350 degrees is the oven. easy now. ooh, look at the technique. technique, easy now. nice job. >> he wanted to do a nice covering. >> use a greated mozzarella and parmesan cheese. >> and more of the bread on top. >> yes. >> bakes about an hour, an hour and ten minutes. >> it's amazing. >> we've created a crater. >> sam, remember when you were in new orleans, we went to cafe du monde? >> yes. >> the beignets? >> yes. >> i don't know what you're talking about. i have not had anything. i didn't eat one. >> you saved yourself, right? >> i did. i decided no doughnut because i wanted one of your homemade beignets. >> i saw that. i was very proud of you. you had this bread pudding. >> how hard are these to pull off? the beignets? >> it's not hard. a fritter batter. flour, eggs, cream, or half and half. >> who is the lucky mother of children who is going to be having this? >> there's going to be a lucky mom out there. >> everybody go online. everybody has a chance to get in on it. for full details. >> goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! right? >> come here, lara. >> are you okay? coming up, dana delany of "body of proof" is here. >> and those shoes. >> and the shoes! >> look at those shoes. fill them with beignets. robin roberts is coming back to the show. >> oh, my god. >> welcome back, girlfriend. >> hi, robin. welcome back. >> all: welcome back robin! >> welcome back, robin. >> robin, i love you, god bless you. >> we have missed you. >> we love you. ♪ i'm on top of the world, hey >> hey, robin. welcome back. >> all: welcome back, robin! >> this wednesday, robin's back. we're back now with dana delany. the star of abc's hit show "body of proof." the new season premiering tomorrow night. we're so happy to have dana here with a sneak peek. everyone's been raving about your shoes. let's put them in full display. kidnapping, terrorism, a plane crash, zombies, stealing organs. did miss anything? >> exorcism. >> this is a clip of you and the new character, tommy sullivan, you meet again for the first time. >> this guy drank himself to death. >> that's what we figured. but we thought we would wait for the m.e. adam, say hello to dr. megan hunt. >> tommy. >> megan. >> you know each other? >> you have five seconds to tell me what you are doing here? >> they have a history on the show. you two have personal professional history, i should clarify that. >> yes, that was mark valley, we did a show called pass dean that 13 years ago. we played brother and sister. and now we're boyfriend and girlfriend. >> a different kind of relationship. what is it like to be rite euni? >> it's great. he's a great actor, nice to look at. he challenges me. sometimes people are afraid of me. he's not. >> from what i understand, in terms of research for this role, you have gone autopsies. what was that like? >> i loved it. i've been to four. i found it fascinating. >> your ipad has helped you many times in terms of medical jargon? >> yeah, 12:00 at night, you're trying to learn the lines for the next day. you're like, what is hat? thank god for the ipad. >> you scoured the newspaper for plot lines or -- what have you found in your -- >> thanks to "the new york post" which has great stories. >> great headlines. >> it's one of our plot line this is year. about organ harvesting. >> of course that was in "the post." how has the show evolved? this is the third season. >> this is the season of action. a lot of adventure. a lot of running in high heels. a lot more danger. think people will like it. >> speaking of heels, it's fair to say that many reviews have said you look like you're in a music video, flowing hair, flirty winks, boots, shoes that were made for walking or running. what does it feel to be a sex symbol. >> oh, my god. i haven't been called that in awhile, thank you. >> drink it in, drink it in. >> you tell me, what does it elel like to be a sex symbol? >> oh, no, no, no, no. you have a fantastic career. >> i can't complain. i just got offered a play. it's good. i don't sleep much. >> we're excited to see lots more of dana delany. thanks for stopping by. >> thank you. >> the new season of "body of okay, i need a better pizza. one made with only real cheese. a pizza my family will love. (announcer) freschetta naturally rising crust pizza. freschetta. made better to taste better. ah, but it's robin wednesday. in just two days. she just tweeted that scene, the segment about the women who walked the same road she has has made her more hopeful and excited about wednesday. i think it would be impossible to be more excited. >> we love you, robin. "gma" live just moments away. >> see you tomorrow, guys. now, get this, there's a cool new "gma" show. it's backstage live. what you don't normally get to see. just when "gma" on tv is over, something new begins. click over to the new "gma" live at goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo!. this is going to be so totally cool. >> live an in hd, this is an abc news update. good morning. 8:56. i am scott thuman. today is your last chance to maryland's tax-free holiday for energy star products. shoppers will not have to pay sales tax on certain items. alexandria will celebrate presidents' day by holding a george washington day parade. youth organizations are expected to take part in the one mile through old town. 30 p.m.s off at 1: empty roadways. we have not had any big issues. hov restrictions are lifted. 95, 395, 66, 270. beltway in maryland and virginia, looks good. the marc and vre, no service. no back up in the district. >> it is a cold start. at the temperatures. 25 degrees in d.c. 23 degrees at bwi. i will wind-chill's have been .n the sunny skies today. tonight, the clouds move in. 234 degrees. tomorrow, a wintry mix in the morning. it will change into light rain. thank you for watching. be back at noon.
jonah was assaulted on a flight. the immediate action taken against an executive under fire. watch out. this woman going one on one with great white sharks. sh can hold her breath for almost six minutes. get ready to meet the shark whisperer. only on "gma." and good morning to you, america. on this presidents' day. you can see, george is off. glad to have amy robach here and paula faris. hey, robin. 48 hours now. until that 4:00 a.m. alarm means business. robin roberts back in two days. looking forward to it. a lot of big headlines for you today. gas prices up almost 50 cents a gallon in the last month alone. and we're going have the latest on oscar pistorius. the fifth day in jail for the . he focuses on defending himself against the charges he intentionally murdered his model girlfriend. explosive new details that challenge his explanation for her death. and danica patrick, the first woman to ever take the pole position for the daytona 500. so she'll be first on to the racetrack next sunday. we'll hear from her and all of that is just ahead. we can only hope, however, they have a bit warmer temps than i had in florida this weekend, sam champion, this frigid blast went from the northeast all the way down to central florida. >> you were not alone. a lot of folks got another big hit of snow. let's walk over to the wall. a lot of facebook and twitter pictures coming in this weekend. that from huntersville, north carolina. just a good white covering of snow. for the outer banks area. and all the way up, skipped the new york city area but really pounded from boston to hyannisport pretty heavily. a good hit of snow. this storm, in some way was almost as powerful as the bli blizza blizzardmaker. up to 10 inches of snow in some locations there. the cold air dragging in behind. 12 below in saranac lake. the wind chills are brutally cold this morning. one more snowmaker we'll watch develop. north dakota on into minnesota. it's february, and every bit of it. josh? >> thank you, sam. paula faris here are the top storie stories. >> everyone is wondering what is going on at the pump these days. we begin with something we all need that is getting a whole lot more expensive. the experts are not sure why. gasoline prices have skyrocketed by 42 cents a gallon in just 2 last month much of that increase in the last few days. abc's lindsey janis, the newest correspondent in the house. welcome to our function nal family here at abc news. >> thanks, guys. good to be here. believe it or not, some drivers paying more that are $5 a gallon for gas. in every corner of the country, prices are skyrocketing. the average price, $3.71 a gallon. up 13 cents in the last week. the big question is, why? analysts say because of rising oil prices. they're not exactly sure why the cost of oil as spiked so quickly. some are blaming rising demand overseas. others blame refinery maintenance or speck laters on wall street. no end in sight. when the american families hit the road, prices could rise another 40 to 60 cents per gallon, major hit for the family budget, paula. >> we don't like you to be the bear of bad news. we're still welcoming you to the family, linzie. a german journalist who recently sbe viewed the pope said he appeared to be blind in one eye and had trouble hearing. he is stepping down next week. and police in chicago have arrested two people in connection with the city's latest case of senseless street violence. 18-year-old jennae mcfar land was shot in the head on the same day her little sister sat behind president obama during a speech on gun violence. police believe she was gunned down because the shooter thought she was somewhere else. and the white house is denying it leaked a draft of the president's immigration plan. the draft calls for an eight-year waiting period to get a green card. the white house says that the president is not trying to undermine the compromise bill 37. this is the closest that the media got to the weekend golf play of president obama and tiger woods. there was a formal protest from white house correspondents. shards of rock found in a frozen lake are from friday's meteor hit. the meteor was traveling 46,000 miles per hour when it crashed. causing an estimated $33 million in damage. so many windows were shattered, the broken glass could cover 40 football fields. about 4,000 yards there? police were swamps with reports of a fireball in the sky. look at that. but it was only part of a meteor shower. orionid? is that right? >> right. >> sam and i went back and forth. >> thank you, paula and sam. now to the news overnight on country mudsic star mindy mccready, dead at 37. she was going through a period of real turmoil, substance abuse, rehab, and most recently the death of her boyfriend. abc's chris connelly has the story of the woman with so much lost promise. ♪ i do it all the time >> reporter: years ago, long before her portrayal of a hungover party girl would seem ironic, she was a fresh-faced 20-year-old from florida. her "guys do it all the time" became a hit. ♪ i had some drinks with the girls all the time guys do it all the time ♪ >> reporter: her debut cd went double platinum. the radiance of the smile would fade, as alcohol and drug dependency seized her life. >> four suicide attempts, three trips to rehab, several arrests. her career was derailed because her personal life was chaotic. >> reporter: she spoke openly on "the view" in 2010. >> when there would be some kind of crisis or painful thing happened to me, it was ready available to go and drink too much. >> reporter: reality tv chronicled her struggle to get clean. when she sat down with abc news late in 2011, she was hoping she had turned a corner. >> i grew up in a really difficult way. i'm very proud that i've made it this far and that i understand why i've made the bad choices i've made. and how not to make them in if future. >> reporter: yet on sunday afternoon, she was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. she leaves behind two young sons, and unsullied memories of a hopeful young singh who once dreamed of having it all. she was 37 years old. for "good morning america," chris connelly, abc news, los angeles. >> we bring in dan abrams. a troubled individual here had dealt with numerous legal issues over her life. most recently the questions about the death of her then boyfriend. what now to make about it? >> initially, that was deemed to be a suicide. and then the authorities said, wait a second, too many questions here, we want to continue that. i don't think this is going to change that. think they are still going to want answers to know what happened, how 99 happened. this may kick it into further gear as the authorities try to get some of the questions answered. >> she dealt with addiction for most of her adult life. her children put into foster care a month ago when she was placed into court-ordered rehab. so now -- what becomes of them? >> the last time we talked about this on the show, she has taken o -- had taken one of the children out of state against a court order. the question was, how do they get her back? she eventually gave up both children when she went into this court-ordered addiction program. the father of the older child lost custody after he allegedly tried to kill her. so there's all sorts of family problems here. i would expect that the father of zander, the older child, will now try to get custody back. is he going to also ask for custody of zayne, 10 months old as well. >> wow, a sad end. thanks, dan. now to the nightmare journey of the carnival cruise ship "triumph." the kane is facing the first wave of lawsuits. >> this morning, two lawsuits have already been filed. and experts say more will be on the way after the ship lost power. the woman you're about to meet, lisa williams, says she was physically injured in her eight-day saga at sea. >> when your gut tells you it's possible you're not going to survive this event, that shouldn't be allowed to exist. >> reporter: in an exclusive interview, the houston resident says she became dehydrated on the ship and spent the weekend in and out of urgent care centers getting i.v. drips. >> i was not about to drink water coming out of the ship. >> reporter: her $75,000 lawsuit is the first to focus almost entirely on bodily injuries. >> she thought this luxury cruise turned into the titanic. it seemed that nobody was in control. and the passengers were pretty much left in the dark. >> reporter: she says the pictures tell the story. more than 3,000 passengers forced to move their beds outside, wait hours for food, and dodge sewage they say was all over the boat. she says the chaos left her battered and bruised. >> i wanted to go and lay in the sun. didn't expect to come home in the situation i was in. i don't think that's fair. >> reporter: what does the fine print say in the ticket contr t contracts say the company the no liable for mental distress. carnival's reputation may be already paying a price. >> you guys think you might have it bad, but do you have it worse than 4,000 stranded on nightmare cruise? that is about us. >> reporter: "snl" taking the company to task over the weekend. >> my only concern is this doesn't occur ever again. so they never have another ship with a similar experience. >> reporter: we did reach out to carnival. we're told the company had not yet seen the latest lawsuit. much more to come. >> thank you. turning to the laits on the shocking story of an i had man now facing a federal charge for allegedly slapping a toddler on an airline flight. john muller spoke with the child's mother and joins us now. good morning, john. >> reporter: anyone that's ever flown knows about crying babies. this case boggles the mind. a mother speaking out about the stranger accuse of the unthinkable, calling an innocent toddler, in pain, a horrible racial sure and then hitting him. >> jonah started crys baug the plane was going down. >> reporter: jessica bennett reliving her pain. a passenger on the plane allegedly called her 19-month-old son, jonah, the "n" word and then slapped him. >> he looked at me, and said [ bleep ]. >> reporter: they say this is the guy, joe hundley, now charged with assaulting a minor. it all went down just over a week ago on a delta flight from minneapolis to atlanta. jessica and jonah had the aisle seat. hundley the window. >> he put his mouth into my ear and sid it again. i had to push his face way from me and i screamed. this caused a commotion with the other passengers. they got worried and stood up and wanted to intervene. at that point is when he hit my child. >> reporter: jonah suffered cuts and bruises to his face. while his mom says he's doing better, she says he's become mistrustful of strarngs. >> he knows that a stranger hit him. he's aware of that. he's very leery of strangers now. >> reporter: this is not the first run-in with the law for hundley. last year, he was arrested for a di in idaho. his employer, agcaerospace and defense says he's no longer with the company. dad wasn't on the plane. he said that was probably a good thing. >> i can tell you, without question, had i seen anybody assault any child, i would take physical action and incapacitate them. >> reporter: now, in court documents, a witness backs up the story saying he saw the child get hit. hundley could face a year in jail in convicted. his attorney says, hopefully the situation can be resolved. no one should rush to judgment. >> thank you so much. now to race car driver danica patrick making history when she took the pole for the daytona 500. that means she'll be first on to the track next weekend as what is known as the super bowl of racing. jeff gordon saying he was the fastest guy on the track sunday. for once, that wasn't enough. take a look now at danica patrick, fastest of them all. what you're watching is 196.434 miles of speed and history. >> danica runs the same line. >> reporter: she cemented her place on the pole and in the history books. her first place finish in sunday qualifying gives her the lead position at next week's 500. known as the super bowl of nascar. >> if you're going start anywhere, especially at a big speedway like this, you hope it's on the front. >> reporter: she bested the speedway's best, three-time winner jeff gordon, binary roe marg margin. the significance of her finish was not lost. >> it's about as much exposure as this sport could get. >> reporter: the same type of exploezier she's been bringing since this 2008 indy car victory in japan. since switching to nascar full-time in 2012, she's yet to win a race. leading some critics to say she capitalizes on being racy. >> is this heaven? >> no, this is. >> reporter: instead of focusing her time on racing. >>? f she were to win the race, that would silence ever critic. >> i'm going do everything i can to prepare. so i can keep the car up front as often as possible. >> reporter: based on her performance on sunday, that may be what she'll do. >> if she wins the daytona 500, she'll be instantly the most famous female athlete on earth. >> and that is what she has left to do, win the race. >> it's a lot of pressure. >> indeed it is. jeff gordon tweeted even his 5-year-old wanted a picture with dan ka. there it is. danica and the gordon family. she hopes to be champion come sunday's end. >> sammy, there's a lot of pink and purple cold on the board. >> let's say you were one sam champion on twitter getting harassed by one josh elliott on twitter. it happened. orlando, 35 degrees this morning. normally, should be about 53. this is the first big push of cold air. last winter, we had several. miami, 47 yesterday. 49 today. this is the real cold push. jacksonville, 25 degrees. into the west today, brand-new sto stormmaker that will bring rain, snow, gusty winds. a lovely pattern about to shift. quick look at the big board. just for you. now you can see the whole thing. >> the cities on the board are brought to you by big lots. we'll have more on america's whaert on what some people say is a holiday. coming up, the latest on oscar pistorius. family and friends insisting he's not guilt in the death of his mod 8 girlfriend. and new claim he may have been using steroids. and get ready to meet the shark whisperer. also coming up, leann rimes revealing secret pain she's been suffering. why she's blaming her dentist. this day calls you. to fight chronic osteoarthritis pain. to fight chronic low back pain. to take action. to take the next step. today, you will know you did something for your pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a pain reliever fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. anti-depressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not for children under 18. people taking maois, linezolid or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. take the next step. talk to your doctor. cymbalta can help. new griddle-melts to yourime usual breakfast sandwich. a lot more flavor. 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[ anouncer ] compare new griddle melts yourself. just $4.99. it's an epic breakfast sandwich. i am megan pringle many here are the top stories for you this morning. police are looking for three unidentified sus ?ects connection with fatal stabbing on the unes campus. edmond stay st. clar died after a fight with two groups of people. police want to arrest attackers. he was a junior biology major. suspect are described as african american males in their late teens or willy 20s. the president of the university says it was heart wrenching to inform the parents about the student and how he was fatally stabbed on campus. it's almost 7:30 before you head out, hang on because here's lynette charles to let you know what you are looking at as you go outside. check this out. ellicott city looks beautiful with sunshine and blue skies. but do not let the sunshine fool you this morning. because temperature wise we are at 18 degrees and it's cold out there this morning. throwing in the wind we are feeling like we are at 10 degrees this morning. let's go over to graphics to show you gage on because at the surface we will have another system pushing in as we go through the rest of today and by tomorrow morning, we can see rain and some sleet freezing rain mixing in as we go throughout time. so it's going to be a messy commute. let's check the abc2 timesaver traffic with lawyer edge cook. >> reporter: good morning -- lauren cook. >> reporter: we have a crash in how fard county on the bel air by-pass along southbound lanes at route 24. heading out to 95. no delays whatsoever from bel air all the way to white marsh and from white marsh into the city. you are traveling in parkville we have a crash at quintin avenue. nothing in are way up to 83. and here is a live look at 83 in hunt valley nice and normal conditions down to the beltway. megan over to you. it's 7:28. we will send you back to new yock for more of good morning -- york for more of good morning america. oh, wow. >> yeah, i don't know. i can't -- >> that music is never good. >> she's swimming willingly with great white sharks. it's almost all you need to say. >> she's touching a great white shark. >> wow. >> somebody, no sea rescues of yet. we still have some broadcast to get to. we'll have that story, a remarkable story. as we all get set to welcome robin roberts back. that audience back there in this weather, that is the spirit award. >> sam's our champion, too. >> welcome to you. good morning to you, america. we're two, two, two days to robin roberts' return, hope you're enjoying it there, robin. great to have amy robach and paula faris with us this morning. >> thank you so much. coming up, the latest on oscar pistorius, charged with the death of his model girlfriend. the claims right now he may have been using steroids. and the new details that channel his explanation of her death. then we ask, why is leann rimes suing her de'tis right now? and the brand-new video of jay-z and beyonce's beautiful daughter. first to the latest on oscar pistorius. the oimp lirk hero acruicused o murder. bazi kanani is in south africa with the latest. >> reporter: good morning, amy. as oscar pistorius spends his fifth day in jail, officials are leaking information to the me a media, including new claims that he may have been using steroids. for this man, the battle has never been so touch. oscar pistorius, known as the blade runner, will no longer be running races. his agent saying all of the track star's future events have been canceled, as he focus on defending himself against charges he murdered his girlfriend, model reeva steenkamp, on valentine's day. overnight, his father quoted as saying his countrymen are destroying a national icon. we build people up into hero, who overcome immense challenges, only to take great glee in breaking them cowen. the stories his family and friends insist he's not guilty. >> no doubt, no substance for the allegations. >> reporter: his best friends telling reporters a distraught pistorius called him just before 4:00 a.m. to say there's been a terrible accident. i shot reeva. those closest to the star say he mistook her for an intruder. new doubts on the allegation. one respected local newspaper, "the city press" reports multiple police sources say a bloody cricket bat will be a key piece of evidence, possibly used in a violent argument before the shooting. that steenkamp was wearing a nightgown and her overnight bag was found at the house. that miss popistorius may have shot her in the bedroom and she went to the bathroom, and she was shot three more times through the door. a reality show recently taped contained a tribute and her haunting last words. >> the way you grow up is so important. it can make an impact in a positive way or a negative way. i'm going miss you all so much. i love you very, very much. >> and our thanks to bazi kanani from south africa. for more, we're joined by dan abrams. we're hearing various reports. none confirmed about a bloody cricket bat and seal eed syring being removed. >> everything we're hearing makes it worse and worse for pistorius. every detail we hear makes it harder to accept this notion that he may have thought it was an intruder and accidentally shot. everything from the possibility of any kind of bloody item to her being shot in the bathroom tlurks a wall. every single detail is problematic this morning. >> reports that both oscar's and reeva's ipads have been seized. what could investigators be looking for? >> the first was the how. now it's the why. they want to understand what mooigd might have happened in the house, how i had happened, but why did it happen? what might have been the motivation. what might have set this off. >> there's a bail hearing tomorrow? >> if what his family is saying is true, that wouldn't mean necessarily not guilty. possibility of manslaughter, a lesser crime. i think it's likely he'll remain in jail. now an exclusive interview with the woman who shocked the country when she claimed she was attacked by a stranger with acid. her story took a bizarre turn when she admitted she made it all up. some of the images in the report may be tough to watch. abbie boudreau has her story. >> reporter: from victim. >> i could hear bubbling and sizzling, my skin. >> reporter: to villain. >> makes me sick. >> reporter: three years ago, 28-year-old bethany storrow told police, out of nowhere, a woman threw liquid acid in her face. it under the out to be a hoax. she did it to herself. in this exclusive interview with abc news, she's speaking out on cam have a for the first time. >> i made a mistake and i hope that people forgive me. and give me a chance because i'm a good person. i promise. i am. >> reporter: she's hard of hearing. she said she had an undiagnosed case of bodi body dysmorphic disorder. >> i saw a monster. >> reporter: she said she turned to liquid acid to make it go away and to end her life. >> it was like fire to my face. i was so happy. i thought i found the answer. >> reporter: but she says when the pain became unbearable, she couldn't bring herself to drink the acid. >> i'm freaking out, like this is not working. what am i going to do now. >> reporter: so she drove down the street and screamed for help. >> somebody screamed out and said, did someone do this to you? i said yes, and that's where it began. >> reporter: she gave police a fake description. >> if anybody knows any information of the girl that did this to me and help find her. >> reporter: did you kind of like all the attention with the cameras and microphone? >> yeah, i did. in that moment, i -- i felt like i was cared for and i mattered. >> reporter: two weeks passed before police pieced together the clues. and bethany confessed. >> and i'm so sorry to everybody. i really, truly am. >> reporter: in her new book, facing the truth, she says she's starting to feel more comfortable in her own skin. >> ooh, it's hot. >> reporter: this is the new you. >> yes. >> reporter: now, no longer seeing the monster in the mirror. >> i'm sorry, it's hard. i'm still me. i'm still the same person, but better. you know. i'm getting better every day. >> reporter: for "good morning america," abbie boudreau, abc news, los angeles. >> we certainly wish her well. for more on her book, go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! right now. time for ano weather. >> we start with this pattern. every storm system that moves into the west gets dragged across the country. a new one delivering big rains and snow to the west coast. it will move across the country. the snowmaker by the great lakes will move east as a little bit of a snow maiker as well. each one will trirg severe storms in the sourt pathern par the country. jackson, memphis, chicago, lose louisville, the ourn areas stay warm. raleigh, 50s. miami, back into the 80s. i know it's been a cold weekend. >> just looking at denver, early this morning. you also get a warmup over the next couple of days. haul that weather brought to you by macy's everybody. get ready to meet the shark whisperer. why this young woman is get something dangerously close to sharks. >> get out of the water. [ male announcer ] this is anna, her long day teaching the perfect swing begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye. the reason i'm still in this body feelin' so good isn't because i never go out and enjoy the extra large, extra cheese world we live in. it's because i do. introducing the new weight watchers 360 program. join for free and expect amazing. because it works. i took my son fishing every year. we had a great spot, not easy to find, but worth it. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function starting within five minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. and that means...fish on! symbicort is for copd including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. with copd, i thought i'd miss our family tradition. now symbicort significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. and that makes a difference in my breathing. today, we're ready for whatever swims our way. ask your doctor about symbicort. i got my first prescription free. call or click to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. back now at 7:43 with the young woman being called the shark whisperer. nick watt has her remarkable story. >> reporter: holy moly. yes, you really are seeing what you think you're seeing. a great white shark, the most feared beast on earth, a killer. and a human with no air tank, no cage, no fear. and here she is. >> i understand that you know, it is dangerous. it's a wild animal. >> reporter: ocean ramsey is a hawaiian model/diver who can hold her breath underwater for 5 5:48. she means business. we've heard of the dog whisper. the eagle whisper. is ocean the shark whisperer? >> they're is understood and misconstrued as ravenous, mindless man-eating machines. they're not. >> reporter: california just this week declared great whites the enzadangers species. >> shark! >> reporter: ever since "jaws" it's tough to generate sympathy for these animals. that is why ocean and the guy that films her are driven to jaw-dropping extremes. >> the biggest thing is to nail the shot. a beautiful diver and a greaseful shark swimming along. >> it's difficult to describe what it's like to have a great white swimming toward you or next to you. it's really breathtaking. >> reporter: we'll just take your word for that, ocean, we'll just take your word for that. for abc news, nick watt, los angeles. >> well said, nick. incredible pictures. coming up, i'm sorry, i was looking at josh with a golf club. we have beyonce, like you have never seen her before. and our burfirst real, real clop of baby blue ivy. >> i do have a putter. and a golf ball. why do i? "play of the day." come on back. >> what happened to freeze it? ♪ "love" a collection by prabal gurung, exclusively at target. for a limited time. body washes with paper that reacts like skin. if others can strip this paper, imagine how harsh they can be to your skin. oh my gosh. [ female announcer ] dove is different. its new breakthrough formula changes everything. new dove. this is care. advil pm® or tylenol pm. the advil pm® guy is spending less time lying awake with annoying aches and pains and more time asleep. advil pm®. the difference is a better night's sleep. right then. here's "the play of the day." >> what could possibly go wrong? nine golfers, nine balls, one hole. take a look. >> two, one. >> oh, wow. >> that is incredible. >> no, way! >> that's amazing. >> students at the pga golf management program, trick shot, part of a monthly competition between classes. they pulled it off. >> we're going to do it. >> let's go, let's go. >> 45, hurry, hurry, hurry. amy, go first. >> i'm not going first. >> pendulum, people. >> you want to go third. >> on your mark. >> wait, wait. >> on your mark, get set, go. >> oh! >> okay. that didn't look good. >> not so good. >> one more, one more, one more. everybody go. >> one, two -- >> i missed mine. >> yes! >> oh! >> we got two in, though. that's not too bad. >> no, that is terrible. >> let's see -- oscars, life of pi, samuel champion as a tiger. who is not coming back for that? ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up. today is going to be epic. if yyou've got thegood whenwrong toilet paper.room, you want it to get you clean... gently. as long as i use quilted northern ultra plush® i'm happy... and positive i'm clean. quilted northern ultra plush with the innerlux layer. for a comfortable, confident clean, or your money back. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it... in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. great taste. mmm... [ male announcer ] sounds good. it's amazing what soup can do. living with moderate to [semeans living with pain.isod. it could also mean living with joint damage. humira, adalimumab, can help treat more than just the pain. for many adults, humira is clinically proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist about humira, to help relieve your pain and stop further joint damage. ♪ time to jump in to something new ♪ ♪ ♪ the best part of wakin' up ♪ is folgers in your cup good morning i am almost 8 and i am megan pringle. here are stories we are following. more than a dozen vendors at north pointe flea market were raided. police went look for items including counterfeit dvds and fake apple products and police say the raid was on individualvendors and the flea market is not shutting down.if you are heading out the door, be prepared it's a cold start let's find out how the rest of the day is shaping up with meteorologis lynette charms. >> it's cold start to the day. bundle up and it's cold and dry. lots of sunshine as high pressure will work and do its thing but we are looking at a system off toward the west and it won't be long before this moves in and brings us slippery weather and icy conditions as we head into tomorrow. looking at the most accurate future trend and the wet weather is working its way in. snow and rain and that's going to cause a within the i mix with sleet and rain. we will be dealing with dry and cold temperatures into the afternoon. 38 will be the high. let's check the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. >> reporter: good morning. well we have a malfunctioning traffic light in baltimore on boston street at dundalk treat it as a four-way stop no delays through the tunnels and jfx downtown going to be in great shape. no problems whatsoever. here's 695 and parkville at harford road. everything is up to speed easy commute no problems getting up to towson and over on the west side of the beltway this is actually the north west corner in pikesville at green spring avenue no problems whatsoever that will continue to be the same case as you make the push to route 40. over to you. >> all right traffic is looking good. thanks we will be back in 30 minutes for another update and we will send you back to new yock for more of good morning america. have a great day. ♪ i'm on top of the world, hey, i'm on top of the world, hey ♪ [ cheers and applause ] great and hearty crowd. right outside in times square on this presidents' day, as we wish you all a good morning, america. held throe robin, who, after a month-long time is now having the equivalent of a long weekend. enjoy it, robin roberts. you're back two days from now. cannot wait for that. greet to have amy robach and paula faris here. great story ahead about fellow transplant recipients and what it takes to get back into the swing of things. to get their sense of normalcy back. >> can't wait for that. also, some treats to kick off the week. they're brownie batter doughnuts. the brownie batter is inside the doughnuts from dunkin' donuts. >> how does amy know that? how does amy know? >> they swoped the already eaten doughnut out. >> it was gone. consumed in seconds. maybe we should all taste them. >> they're really good. >> really good. >> if you're a person, who likes to eat batter, we're not supposed to say do it, because there's raw eggs. >> wow, debbie downer. >> wet blanket. >> i love brownies. they taste like chocolate frosting. not the scary batter. really so good, right, amy? >> why aren't you partaking? >> because i'm on the oscar slim-down. i'm not going the lie to you. and i already has a bagel this morning. >> she's off the wagon. >> and we have emeril coming up. i'm anticipating inhaling food there. >> it's all about the oscar slimdown. >> we're going to talk about emeril and also leann rimes secret pain. why it stopped her from singing. she's taking her dentist to court, saying he's ruined her singing career. and beyonce, an up-close look at her and her project with jay-z, which would be little blue ivy. the first time we've got a good look that. >> a cute baby. >> really, really, really cute. speaking of -- take a look. our first oscar nominated picture we're going revit is "the life of pi." as perhaps you have never seen it before. who exactly is george interviewing here? >> one of the big stars of the film. >> perhaps the biggest star of the film. >> many say it's an oscar nomination for this star. >> i'm frightened for that story. i'm hesitant there. good morning, everyone. we begin with new video just coming in from a raging industrial fire burning out of control in tampa, florida, at a metal recycling complex. the blaze filling the skies are shooting flames and black smoke. firefighters battling to keep the fire way from two diesel tanks. no injuries so far. police in arkansas say it appears troubled country singer mindy mccready died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. she was found on her porch, where her boyfriend apparently committed suicide just last month. potentially damaging evidence against olympic runner osc oscar pistorius. a bloody cricket bat was supposedly recoveraged from his house. there are claims he may have used steroids. his family insists he's innocent, saying he was giving steenkamp mouth to mouth before paramedics rooifd. gas prices skyrocketing coast to coast. the average price now, $3.73 per gallon, 14 cents higher than last week and 43 cents more than just last month. analysts blame the rising cost of oil and speculators on wall street. after a fierce backlash from drinkers, the makers from maker's mark have changed their mind. they won't be watering down their bourbon at all. dy diluting it was a bad idea. some remember this last week, marco rubio diving for the bottle of water. now his political action committee is cashing in. started selling water bottles with rubio's name on them. they've already made $100,000. >> a game, like marco. >> rubio. >> very excited about the maker's mark thing. >> you guys where laughing. >> maybe a story that won't be told on "gma." >> might be told on "gma live." >> pop goes the news. let's do it. good morning to you, everybody. boy, xwt silver linings playbook" has become the little movie that could. just broke the $10 million mark at the box office. this film, starring bradley cooper, robert de niro, and jennifer launs continues to gain momentum. it becomes the sixth of the nine nominees to join the $100 million club. oscar voting officially closes tomorrow. i believe, at 5:00 p.m. >> this is going to be some show. this year is going to be some, some, some show. >> one of the movies that has done remarkably is "life of pi." we have one of the big stars coming up today. exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. sam, give us a -- meow. bright titan aggressive sexually. one critic is describing the clothing line of pop star rihanna. 120 items in the line, ranging in price. it was on a stage. it took place in a warehouse complete with smoke machines, booming hip hop, and lots of champagne. and leo dicaprio also in the news this morning. he's taking time off from movies to travel the globe. it appears he made a quit pit stop. he only had to memorize four words. cool bourbon. jim. beam. >> this is her favorite show ever. >> the ad, though, only airing abroad, where he hope he's relaxing somewhere with a nice glass of bourbon himself. and finally, everybody. hope you enjoy this video. the sloth may not be known for its speed. that may change. patrick says this sloth fell from a tree into his boat in the amazon. after getting his bearings, he now has a need. a need for speed. look at him. he enjoyed the ride. that's the way she's shaped. he's fine. everybody is okay. sloth back in tree. totally loved it. hair back in the wind. they went on a nice boat ride. >> where's his life preserver and seat belt? >> oh, my gosh, followups are not allowed here. sloth fine. >> sloth okay. >> and that's "pop news." >> i love the sloth. >> i often feel like the sloth. >> real, bourbon. >> samuel j., are you outside? >> oh, hi, everybody. it was 17 degrees the morning when this crowd -- go all the way to the end. go all the way to the end. when this crowd came out to see us this morning in times square on a holiday. and we're rocking the stove pipe hats. what is your name? >> mckenzie. >> where are you from? >> cocoa beach, florida. >> josh, did you see the hat? we should bring it back. later to be seen this week, josh wokking one of those. let's get to the boards. we had a live shot of chicago. we're going reinforce the fact that cold air gets pushed back down into the country this week. here comes the cold air. you may, may have already started feeling it even into the deep south. look at the numbers. 19, chicago, tuesday. wednesday, 22 degrees. this cold air gets solidly in the northern area. southern areas get a chance to warm up. the west, a brand-new system working its way in. rain, snow, gusty wind. it will be a rough one over the next couple of days. [ cheers and applause ] >> we are -- we are just trying to stay warm here in times square. let's go back inside to lara, everybody. good morning, lara. >> thank you, sam. here's a look what is coming up on our "gma" morning menu -- why leann rimes is suing her dentist, claiming he's ruined her career right now. and beyonce like you have never seen her before. and blue ivy. and robin's return. how fellow transplant patients got themselves back in the saddle. all that and more coming up on "good morning america" live in times square. we're at walmart. it's tax refund time and wesley & ashley are looking for a brand new smartphone. let's go. we've got a samsung galaxy sii on t-mobile monthly4g for only $299 with no annual contract. nice! 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[ male announcer ] make your escape... twice as rewarding. earn double points or double miles on all your hotel stays through march thirty first. sign up now at hiltondouble.com. on all your hotel stays through march thirty first. but all you notice is her beautiful, healthy skin. jergens ultra healing moisturizer makes even your driest skin look healthier, instantly. with beautiful skin from jergens, you'll always make an entrance. jergens®. the beautiful difference. whatever it takes, get to sears presidents day sale mattress close out. get 24 month special financing. and save up to 60%, plus get an extra 10% off. and free delivery. this is eye opening. this is sears. ♪ i'm walking on sunshine all right. look at those brave souls out there. what is it, 17 degrees, sam? >> it was when they got here. back now with details on leann rimes, taking her dentist to court right now, claiming his work stalled her career. paula faris is back with the very latest on the story. good morning, paula. well, leann rimes says the gum inflammation, chronic gum bleeding happened over three years. she's claiming negligence on the part of her dentist. if you're wondering why you haven't heard the country krool crooning of grammy award winner leann rimes lately, she says blame her dentist. in a valentine's day lawsuit, the country singer is showing now love for the man behind her smile, dr. wayne mckay, saying he placed eight faulty crowns that hurt so much that she had trouble chewing, singening, and talking. >> it's causing a lot of distress. >> reporter: she says the botched dental work took place over two years. she's rer cently undergone corrective treatments. including removing the faulty crowns and having nine root canals and having a tooth pulled. >> it would imagine it would be difficult and painful to perform at full capacity. >> reporter: he's been in and out of the headlines over the years. her relationship with her husband's ex, and her weight loss have been in the tabloids. her ability to perform as an artist has been and will continue to be compromised until all retreatment is complete. abc news was unable to reach her former dentist. last fall, she hinted to the problems in a post to concerned fans on her website. i've had too detour this is year due to dental issues. i'm finally in great hands. i'll see you on the road very soon. she's seeking unspes fid damages for emotional and psychiatric injuries. she wants compensation for loss of earnings and future earning capacity. >> oh, wow. >> a lot of money. >> could be, yep. now we move on to beyonce. another star in the news, opening up like she never has before. revealing private details of life with jay-z and giving us a look at blue ivy. linsey davis is giving us a look. >> reporter: with her new documentary and sitdown with oprah, she gives us glimpses of her life, her baby, and her bear stomach during the pregnancy. some say she still didn't reveal enough. >> look. >> reporter: it's one collaboration between beyonce and jay-z they haven't released a video of until now. they're 13-month-old daughter, blue ivy. her new documentary, "life is but a dream" shows a new side of the star. she touched on everything like firing her father as her manager. >> i felt like i had to move on. i don't care if i sell one record. >> reporter: to her love and admiration of jay-z. >> every year, i'm more in love with you. >> reporter: showing shoem videos. ♪ i want to be where you are >> reporter: and self-shot interviews of the grown-up, independent woman. she shows her vulnerable side. >> stop pretending that i have it all together. and if i'm scared, be scared. ♪ hello, hello >> reporter: in an interview on the own network, she discusses excitement with oprah about her latest baby, her documentary. >> were you worried about overexposing wrours? >> yes. i battled with the edit. and in the end, i just jumped. ♪ you must not know about me you must not know about me ♪ >> reporter: just like her song, things she didn't reveal until now, like having the miscarriage before her daughter blue ivy. >> i flew back to new york to get my checkup. and -- no heart beat. >> you made a conscious choice to share that. >> i did. >> why? >> i felt like there are so many couples that go through that and it was a big part of my story. i am 20 weeks. >> reporter: she shares her pregnancy. her 60-pound weight gain and those intimate moments with the baby girl at home. >> tell us about her. is she funny? shy? >> she is hilarious. and she is fire. >> reporter: through it all, she says her best production yet is her daughter. beyonce says she's definitely not stopping with blue ivy, telling oprah another baby might be in the cards after her fifth studio album and her upcoming mrs. carter world tour. she plans to bring blue ivy along to show her the world. she works two hours aday. the rest of the time -- >> they tell new parents you'll never remember your life after having a child. you can see it with her. oh, so true. hard to believe. thank you for that. well, it's been five months since robin's bone marrow transplant. a long time for us to be without her each and every morning. in medical terms, it's considered a rapid recovery thanks to good health and great care. we're getting ready to welcome our friend back to "good morning america," less than 48 hours from now. wednesday morning. we talked to others on a similar journey getting back to normal after their transplants. >> hi, robin. i'm celebrating eight years post trant plant. >> this year, four years post trant plant. >> and i'm 3 years old. >> reporter: robin roberts is about to join a powerful team. this week, she'll join the ranks of survivors pushed to the edge. >> i just passed my sixth birthday. >> reporter: after extended periods of isolation, getting back to work is a huge milestone for so many. and life post transplant often means a new normal. >> thank you. this month, i celebrate my third birthday. >> reporter: a leukemia diagnosis in 2009 for jennifer meant an abrupt suspension of her career. >> it's a part of my life. work is a part of my identity. i was anxious, frightened, concerned about whether or not i would lose ground. >> i'm a leukemia survivor. i had a stem cell trants plant three years ago. >> reporter: for schoolteacher asa, she had to stop doing things she enjoyed. like hiking. and mostly, it meant being away from a job she loved. >> the kids make you feel like you have a purpose. >> we have a load of dishes that need to come out. this year, i'm 7 years old. >> reporter: nancy was 7 months pregnant when she was diagnosed with mds. she struggled to disconnect from an 80-hour work week. >> missed the people. seeing the customers and my staff. the trauma. >> reporter: during ill necessary aness and recovery, they yearned for the routine of work. >> i missed the camaraderie. my life became consumed with my illness. >> reporter: once patients get to okay, returning to work can be birt sweet. it means making big adjustments. >> i was fatigued easily. i could work a couple of hours, then go home and go the bed and sleep. >> i had to be careful not shake hands with people. >> reporter: transplant recipients often go back to work with a healthy dose of germaphobia and a modified work schedule. >> it was good to be back. >> reporter: simply being at work is a gift. >> a breath of fresh air to not have the restrictions anymore. >> reporter: and soon the illness is in the rearview mirror. >> sometimes i think about the cancer. but i don't dwell on it. i have a new lease on life. i have a purpose. i'm moving forward. it feels good. >> welcome back, robin. take it from me, it's great to be back to work. but don't forget to take care of yourself. >> i wish you all the best as you adjust to coming back to work full time. i know you can do it. >> ah. >> all she wants, again, she's said often, is normalcy back. blessed normalcy back. wednesday morning, it all begins. >> it's great to see stories of people who are been through it, how healthy they look, how active and earn jettic they are. early on, people would share their stories, members of family, someone they knew, it was comforting to know they had full lives afterwards. >> talking about being 7 years old, 2 years old. really special. >> five months. boy, she's ahead of schedule. and we cannot wait for wednesday morning to get here. still to come here on the program, meanwhile -- george sitting down with one big, r rambunctious star. >> huge, huge. >> you have never seen this before. >> never, oscar preview. go nowhere. you ever look at someone and think, boy, they look just like someone i've seen on tv? then we're talking to you. we're putting out a call across america to find the perfect "gma" look alikes. think you look like or know somebody who looks like robin, george, josh, lara, sam? the eye, the nose, the hair? maybe not they hair. do you know a "gma" match? go to goodmorningamerica.com and send us your picture. good morning and happy president's day. i am megan pringle many here are some of the stories for you this morning. baltimore police say a training academy will resume limited operations this week. exercises at the academy were suspend after a instructor accidentally shot a trainee in the head. commissioner anthony bass will meet with the academy people this week and go over training that will resume. however, he says firearm practices will be moved to the end of the curriculum. the officer who was shot during the training at rosewood center was critically injured and is still in the hospital this morning. let's check the weather at 8:30 and it's a chilly morning. here's lynette charles. >> it's cold out there this morning. look at parkton at 21 in baltimore and aberdeen. so you have the temperatures but also the winds are adding to it. so it's making it chillier this morning. bundle up as you head out and about. going to graphics, you can see what's going on because as we go throughout the day, temperatures coming in around 38 degrees. and the cloud will increase a little bit but plenty of sunshine to be had. and it will be cold and less windy as we go throughout the day and as we work into the evening time frame, that's when we have the chance for an icy mix overnight lingering into tomorrow morning and this is what to expect. it will switch over to rain with temperatures at 49 degrees. and here's the #-day forecast be -- 7-day forecast blustery weather by wednesday. let's check the abc2 timesaver traffic. >> reporter: the wintery mix will affect your commute but right now we have problems and a crash in westminster. 140 at 97 and baltimore city at pebble brook road. heading downtown the jfx nice and clear as well as 695 here in pikesville. green spring avenue everything is moving along no delays down to route 40. >> thanks so much. we will be back in 30 minutes for more news weather and traffic. see you later. ♪ ain't no mountain high enough ♪ [ cheers and applause ] oh, somebody's favorite song. she'll be back in a couple of days. to sing it much better than any of us, as we welcome you, good morning, america. as -- i'm uncomfortable. paula faris, amy robach here. just ahead, getting into the oscar spirit. how? we're counting down to sunday. all week, sitting down with our versions of the hottest oscar stars. i guarantee you, you have never seen a tiger quite like you're about to this morning. >> have you ever seen a tiger interviewed boofr? >> it's the big get, ladies and gentlemen. it's on "gma." >> george with the exclusive. guess what, dana delany is with us. the abc show, "body of proof" here with a sneak peek at the brand new season. >> lara and i, shoes to die for. they are unbelievable. >> just gorgeous. and our friend, emeril lagasse is here. one of our favorite -- boy, did we have a good time with you in new orleans. >> i'm still working it off. i haven't had a meal in two weeks. >> now it's mother's day breakfast in bed contest. >> oh, hi. hey, there, heady, nice. we're going cook with em. we want you to tell us why your mom should win breakfast in bed this mother's day. he just might show up at her door and make it happen. we can't wait. abc has the oscars. we're the network with the in. we start our oscar coverage with our "gma" actor's studio. we're plunging into the back stories and the motivations of the characters. in the biggest movies of the year. let's start with the tiger from "the life of pi." look how george handles this. ♪ >> take one. action. [ roaring ] >> how did you get into character? >> a lot of stretching. a lot of seafood. fish. i'm not a big boert, generally. i spend my time more horseback riding, really. for this role, i did a lot of sea-faring. learned some terms, port, starboard. port. one of those. >> this may not be comfortable. i heard reports you were difficult on set. >> what is difficult, really? >> okay, "life of pi" take one. >> what's my line? >> take 500.r! fix that one. that's better. yes. thank you. okay, fine, i was difficult. because this story is about the tiger, george. it's about that, not about some kid, the photography. really? you got this to work with and you're going to say how great the lighting was. >> bottom line, you going to win the oscar? >> i don't know, george. i really don't do it for the award. i mean, for me, it's really about -- about the craft. but yeah, yeah, i'll win the osc oscar. >> take 47. >> milk? milk? people? milk? >> wow, unbelievable. unbelievable. >> the "gma" actor's studio, ladies and gentlemen. >> that was -- that was so much better than i ever hoped. >> yeah, to find out about all the other oscar-nominated films and make your picks on your oscars ballot, head to gma.com. sunday, it's already, like sunday. >> yes, it is. this week. >> yeah. >> and you've got weather, too. >> i know you're -- >> i want to -- i just, no, i missed the tiger. i miss it. >> that was like an hour in make f makeup for sam and it got better and better and better. >> was it a hot suit? >> there's so much more coming up. >> so many other costumes for you this week. and you really got into it, sam. >> a little too much, some would say. let's get to the boards. now they're yelling at me. we start with your twitter and facebook pictures. ann arbor, michigan. a gorgeous shot. a little bit of colorado as well. a lot of stuff happening today. an active storm pattern this week. a little bit of a snowmaker out of the great lakes. and into the northeast. this storm system that moves out of the west brings colder temperatures with it, along with clouds, rain, mountain snow. the entire west coast involvement. a little reagan, texas, lincoln, nebraska, jackson, california. we like to get creative in the weather office n >> haul that weather was brought to you by sears. oh, josh? now to dr. phil, out with a brand new book, life codes for winning in the real world. it's a play by play about how to form a support system. our cameron mathison sat down with the good doctor. >> i'm so passionate about this book. you can't imagine. >> what are you hoping people get out of your life code? >> this is my eighth book. i'm as excited about it as i was when i wre my first book back in the late '90s. i didn't intend to write this book. it wrote me, actually. my belief is, if the game changes, then the rules change. i mean, think about the explosion in the last generation of the internet, facebook, social media. things have changed in this world more than in any generation to generation that we have had in the last 150 years. so -- we have to have a new set of rules for our life. that's what this is all about. >> and implied in the title, life code and new rules for winning in the real world, is another way to say that is -- this is a playbook to happiness? >> it is a playbook to so much more than happiness, but yes. it is a playbook to effectiveness. it is a playbook to -- avoiding disaster. and to do that, you have to be careful who you surround yourself with. so -- we have to -- pay attention to who we let next to us. and who we don't. this is a very action-oriented book on how to keep yourself and those you love out of harm's way and how to get more of what you want for you and those you love. very action-oriented. dots very close together. >> and ultimately leading us to happiness and other great situations. are you happy? >> if i was any happier, i would think it was a frameup. >> well, i got to make sure it works. i'm talking to the man, so -- >> don't i look happy? >> yeah, you do. thanks for your time. >> all right. >> thank you, thank you, thank you. coming up, one of our most popular contests is back. emeril's breakfast in bed. guess who is here with us? >> yeah, baby. >> go nowhere. 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[ female announcer ] supercharge your internet speeds with a great deal that gets even better. switch to a fios triple play online for just $89.99 a month and we'll triple your speed for free with an upgrade to fios quantum internet. plus, get $250 back with a 2-year agreement. or, get the free upgrade and great price with no annual contract. fios brings 100% fiber optic power right to your door. that's why it can deliver the fastest internet in the nation plus unlimited internet usage. don't miss your chance to get this incredible deal. visit verizon.com/hotprice today call the verizon center for customers with disabilities for america's fastest, most consistent, at 800-974-6006 tty/v. most reliable internet: verizon fios. it's time to honor those making a difference in your community. with disney time hometown celebration. why do they deserve to have some disney time? characters you love brought right to your community. courtesy of disney parks. you might see yourself on tv on "gma." how is that for a celebration? go the goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! to find out how to enter. back now at 8:41. in the kitchen with emeril. time for one of our favorite "gma" traditions, emeril's mother's day breakfast in bed. emeril will take his kitchen to her for an unforgettable morning. this morning, kicking off the contest. emeril is here to show us now make twoo of his favorite breakfast dishes. hi, em. >> how are you guys? >> let's talk about the contest. 13 years. this is 13. >> you're giving it away. >> no, i'm not. i want to make sure everybody has a chance to -- >> it's a lot of fun knocking on the door and surprising a special mom. although, one year, we didn't, it was a dad. >> that's nice, though. >> it was. >> i love that. you're equal opportunity. >> and we'll just, like, make you a great breakfast. and have a great day. >> we have two examples you might be serving this morning. starting with a breakfast bread pudding. one of my favorites. >> a breakfast sausage or italian sausage, hot or mild. you want to brown it. add onion to it. add red pepper. you can use green, yellow, whatever. a little salt. and then basically, now, we're going use zucchini today. >> it's really fresh. >> small zucchini cut in half. we'll add them. once this sautes, kind of looks like this, what we have is cut bread. or english muff fuins as well. give me half of that in that buttered casserole. >> cover the bottom, right? >> some thyme, parsley, margarine. >> look at you. >> josh, you have to work, too. >> i'll whisk. i get to whisk for a few more days. robin likes to whisk. for two more days, i'll whisk. >> you whisk. add cream or half and half. >> a lot of cream. >> and then chicken broth. >> this is just enjoy it, it's a luxury. >> look how many people it will feed. >> my favorite part is the emeril's army that creeps in unpresidentingly. >> now we'll add. >> what happened. >> did i burn you? >> yeah, just a bit. >> oh, come on. where? >> kind of on the -- >> will you? >> slowly pour over there, 350 degrees is the oven. easy now. ooh, look at the technique. technique, easy now. nice job. >> he wanted to do a nice covering. >> use a greated mozzarella and parmesan cheese. >> and more of the bread on top. >> yes. >> bakes about an hour, an hour and ten minutes. >> it's amazing. >> we've created a crater. >> sam, remember when you were in new orleans, we went to cafe du monde? >> yes. >> the beignets? >> yes. >> i don't know what you're talking about. i have not had anything. i didn't eat one. >> you saved yourself, right? >> i did. i decided no doughnut because i wanted one of your homemade beignets. >> i saw that. i was very proud of you. you had this bread pudding. >> how hard are these to pull off? the beignets? >> it's not hard. a fritter batter. flour, eggs, cream, or half and half. >> who is the lucky mother of children who is going to be having this? >> there's going to be a lucky mom out there. >> everybody go online. everybody has a chance to get in on it. for full details. >> goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! right? >> come here, lara. >> are you okay? coming up, dana delany of "body of proof" is here. >> and those shoes. >> and the shoes! >> look at those shoes. fill them with beignets. ♪ ♪ no two people have the same financial goals. pnc works with you to understand yours and help plan for your retirement. visit a branch or call now for your personal retirement review. it's your last chance to get a $200 verizon visa prepaid card with fios internet and phone for business, both with 99.9% network reliability, on an unparalleled fiber network, for only $94.99 a month when you sign up online with a two-year term. plus a basic second line. order at verizon.com/rightforbiz, or call 1.888.774.4418 for other offers. hurry, this offer won't last long. ♪ robin roberts is coming back to the show. >> oh, my god. >> welcome back, girlfriend. >> hi, robin. welcome back. >> all: welcome back robin! >> welcome back, robin. >> robin, i love you, god bless you. >> we have missed you. >> we love you. ♪ i'm on top of the world, hey >> hey, robin. welcome back. >> all: welcome back, robin! >> this wednesday, robin's back. we're back now with dana delany. the star of abc's hit show "body of proof." the new season premiering tomorrow night. we're so happy to have dana here with a sneak peek. everyone's been raving about your shoes. let's put them in full display. kidnapping, terrorism, a plane crash, zombies, stealing organs. did miss anything? >> exorcism. >> this is a clip of you and the new character, tommy sullivan, you meet again for the first time. >> this guy drank himself to death. >> that's what we figured. but we thought we would wait for the m.e. adam, say hello to dr. megan hunt. >> tommy. >> megan. >> you know each other? >> you have five seconds to tell me what you are doing here? >> they have a history on the show. you two have personal professional history, i should clarify that. >> yes, that was mark valley, we did a show called pass dean that 13 years ago. we played brother and sister. and now we're boyfriend and girlfriend. >> a different kind of relationship. what is it like to be rite euni? >> it's great. he's a great actor, nice to look at. he challenges me. sometimes people are afraid of me. he's not. >> from what i understand, in terms of research for this role, you have gone autopsies. what was that like? >> i loved it. i've been to four. i found it fascinating. >> your ipad has helped you many times in terms of medical jargon? >> yeah, 12:00 at night, you're trying to learn the lines for the next day. you're like, what is hat? thank god for the ipad. >> you scoured the newspaper for plot lines or -- what have you found in your -- >> thanks to "the new york post" which has great stories. >>lines. >> it's one of our plot line this is year. about organ harvesting. >> of course that was in "the post." how has the show evolved? this is the third season. >> this is the season of action. a lot of adventure. a lot of running in high heels. a lot more danger. think people will like it. >> speaking of heels, it's fair to say that many reviews have said you look like you're in a music video, flowing hair, flirty winks, boots, shoes that were made for walking or running. what does it feel to be a sex symbol. >> oh, my god. i haven't been called that in awhile, thank you. >> drink it in, drink it in. >> you tell me, what does it feel like to be a sex symbol? >> oh, no, no, no, no. you have a fantastic career. >> i can't complain. i just got offered a play. it's good. i don't sleep much. >> we're excited to see lots more of dana delany. thanks for stopping by. >> thank you. >> the new season of "body of proof" tomor ah, but it's robin wednesday. in just two days. she just tweeted that scene, the segment about the women who walked the same road she has has made her more hopeful and excited about wednesday. i think it would be impossible to be more excited. >> we love you, robin. "gma" live just moments away. >> see you tomorrow, guys. now, get this, there's a cool new "gma" show. it's backstage live. what you don't normally get to see. just when "gma" on tv is over, something new begins. click over to the new "gma" live at goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo!. this is going to be so totally cool. good morning i am megan pringle. here are top stories for you this morning. time is running out if you want to save money on energy star products. today is the last day to take advantage of a tax break on certain alines such as washing machines and refrigerators. the complete list of the items available is on the comp trol are's website and today is the last day. the department of public works close for the president's day holiday. no trash or repsycheing pickup. mda is closed. subways and light rail is roping on weekday schedules. one thing to keep in mind. parking regulations and fees will be in effect. time for a check on your forecast. let's see how the weather looks with lynn yitette charles. >> it's cold and we have had lots of plaints and -- complaints and people saying how cold it is. boppedel up as you head out -- bundle up as you head out and about. lots of sunshine. it won't do much to warm us up. we are wait for the next system to come in. a few clouds 38 degrees and temperatures below averages. going into tomorrow morning we will have a chance for a wintery mix. let's check the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. good morning>> reporter: good morning. that wintery mix lay feblght your commute tomorrow mork. -- will affect your commute tomorrow morning. wove a -- we have a crash at philadelphia road. no problems to report through the fort mche helpry tunnel or harbor -- mchenry tunnel or harbor tunnel. no problems from shawan to the beltway and it will remain clear getting on jfx and head into the city. now over to you. >> if you are off and don't have to work enjoy the day. we will see you tomorrow morning starting at 4:30 in the morning. ♪ i -- i got it, i got it made ♪ i got it made, i got it made ♪ i got it made ♪ fresh at subway ♪ breakfast made the way i say [ male announcer ] at subway, you got breakfast made. like an under 200 calorie steak egg white & cheese. subway. eat fresh.