Transcripts For WJLA ABC News Good Morning America 20090917

good morning, america. and breaking news on this thursday, september 17th, in the case of the murdered yale student. text messages from the person of interesting suggesting they meet. could this be the key to solving the case? the chairman of an influential senate committee delivers a new bill to congress. is it a breakthrough in health care reform? or is the bill dead on arrival? a mother's plea. the mothers of american students held in secret captivity in iran, beg for their children's release. they're here live for a "gma" exclusive. and you've heard of an eye for an eye. how about a tooth for an eye? the landmark surgery that used a tooth to give a blind woman back the landmark surgery that used a tooth to give a blind woman back her sight. captions paid for by abc, inc. we say good morning, everyone. alongside chris cuomo, i'm robin roberts. diane is on assignment. and sources tell abc news this morning, that an arrest is eminent in the case of the murdered yale student. >> moments ago, police started pulling in front of this motel. this is where raymond clark is staying, the person of interest in the case. abc news has learned the 250 pieces of evidence, that the police have been matching dna from the person of interest to the victim. there's also text messages between the two. and card key evidence about where people were and when. there's a lot of evidence mounting up in this case. >> david muir, who is following the latest developments, joins us live from new haven, connecticut. david? >> reporter: robin and chris, good morning. authorities have made it very clear that raymond clark is the person of interest in this case. police believe there is one killer. that motel you speak of is about 30 minutes from here. and a key police person told me that an arrest is imminent. overnight, police camped out at a nearby hotel where authorities believe raymond clark has been staying. they he been following closely, as investigators wait for dna samples taken from him, from his hair his fingernails. new haven's police chief said boldly, the first match, and there will be an arrest. >> if we have one match from a person we know was at that location, we'll be going for an arrest warrant. >> reporter: investigators are also building a case beyond dna, with some 250 pieces of evidence. they have raymond clark's access clark for the yale research lab where he worked as a technician. it showed he left the building ten times for more, in the hours just before or after the disappearance of annie le. he was the last one to swipe into the same lab. police discovered bloody surgical gloves. and blood on a cart in a research facility. sources tell abc news, there were e-mails or text messages between clark and le. clark's job included cleaning the mice cages in the lab. and he wrote to le, complaining the cages has been left dirty. in text messages, he suggested the two of them meet. all of this as the chief medical examiner confirmed that annie le had an asphyxiated, choked. sources say a bead from her necklace was found on the floor, signaling a struggle. and authorities confirm to abc news, there were scratches and bruises on raymond clark's body. clark and his fiancee both worked as technicians in that lab. his sister and brother-in-law, too. and the new haven police chief says he has no reason now to believe that any of them new of the crime. it was in high school, his then-girlfriend reportedly told authorities he raped her. and that she was afraid of him. but she did not press charges. a former neighbor remembers what clark was like. >> he was very controlling of his girlfriend. he wouldn't let her talk to me or anything. >> reporter: meantime, the pastor counseling annie le's anguished family, says the wait to give their daughter a proper farewell continues. they want to bring her home. >> you know, you c certainly wod keo haveomplete closure on everything. but there's a process you have to go through. and there's a grief process. there's, of course, other details that have to be taken care of. >> reporter: and beyond those text messages, the e-mails we learned of between annie le and raymond clark, we wanted to know what the relationship was. when asked about that, the police chief said annie le was a ph.d. candidate. raymond clark was a lab technician. and they would pass each others in the hallways. >> david, thank you. for more, let's talk with abc news consultant and former fbi agent, brad garrett, who joins us from washington. explain the timing of arrest, the strategy that police use. >> robin, one of the keys that you use is you want to maximize the evidence that you gather. and leaving him on the street for several days, this allows him to run around the community, talk to people. so, the ability to collect more evidence, i think, is the reason they have done this. the other is that you also want to maximize an interview with him. and if you have the most evidence you can possibly have, it gives you, if nothing else, a real strategic advantage in an interview. >> and we know that the police have him under surveillance. we've been showing the motel in cromwell, connecticut, so there is no danger to other people. brad, let's talk about some of what we saw in david's report. the access card, that showed that clark swiped into the same lab, moments after le last used her card there. so, what does that tell police? >> well, it lets them track the movement of both of them. and i think what's very important is that the last swipe, apparently for her, is in the space where i think they believe she was killed. no more swiping. then, he starts swiping at various locations that he normally did not go into. and is apparently -- had swiped into the area where her body was found, which i think is very compelling evidence. >> also compelling to a lot of people, the text messages that he sent, raymond clark, allegedly sent annie le, the morning that she was killed. talking about coming to the lab, to clean mice cages. does that go into, perhaps, determining that this could have perhaps been premeditated? >> i think it's very difficult to call premeditation. i think you have to look upon it the following way, robin. people who tend to develop relationships, like perhaps mr. clark develops, is that they like to control people. and when they are losing control, that'when they become rageful and angry. and so, perhaps, he confronted her in some form or fashion on that tuesday. she rejected him. he just, basically lost it and killed her. and then, realized what he had done. and that's why he secreted the body. >> hopefully we'll get answers about that. brad garrett, thank you very much. let's turn, now, to the debate over health care reform. a key senate chairman has unveiled a new bill that he insists can pass the senate. but republicans and some prominent democrats are saying they can't vote for it. abc senior congressional correspondent, jonathan karl, is in washington for us. good morning, jonathan. >> reporter: good morning, chris. republicans are denouncing the bill. but more troubling to the white house, ithe avalanche of criticism from democrats. after democrat jay rockefeller slammed the bill as a, quote, big, big tax to the middle class, he was summoned to the white house to meet with the president. >> then, i was alone with the president. and you don't breach that confidence. >> reporter: as soon as he left the white house, he put out another statement saying, quote, i cannot vote for this bill in its current form. democratic interest groups were even harsher. moveon.orgalled it a dream for insurance companies. but this bill, crafted by max baucus, after months of negotiations, is close to what the president talked about in his speech to congress last week. it would require most americans to buy health insurance or pay fines of up to $3,800 for families. expand medicaid. and help those with lower incomes buy health insurance. and it would ban insurance companies from denying coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. >> the senator from florida's recognized. >> reporter: but democrat bill nelson warned, the bill would also cut medicare. >> i think it would be intolerable to ask the senior citizens on medicare who have it, to give up substantial health benefits that they're enjoying under medicare. >> reporter: while the senate haggled over the bill, a house committee heard heart wrenching stories from people fighting their insurance companies. including a man struggling to get treatment for his 3-year-old daughter's neurological disorder. >> i feel like her medical manager, instead of her daddy. i need you people to let me be a daddy. >> reporter: top executives from the nation's largest insurance companies will be on capitol hill today, to respond to their critics. and max baucus will have a response to kond to critics, as well. he's presenting his bill later today, chris, many to the democrats in the senate. >> okay, jonathan. thank you for that. the only thing that seems clear in this debate so far, is that it's unclear what the final plan will be. public option or co-op? how can we get more people covered without making us all broke? how will the rules change for the insurance companies? let's try to flesh this out a little bit. joining us now is abc's chief medical editor, dr. tim johnson. it's great to have you here. this is all about coverage. but let's be clear. what is wrong with the system? >> well, the three, big problems with the system or any system, are access, not covering everybody, cost controls, costs out of control. we're going to bankrupt the country. and quality issues, the fact that you can go to different places and get different outcomes and different quality. in this particular bill, and in the debate so far, i think the biggest debate has been about the public option because as obama keeps saying, that's the way we're going to keep the insurance companies honest. he's deliberately left it out. and there's no trigger to bring it in if the insurance companies don't perform. in papers and debates, that's what you're going to hear the most about. >> insurance companies, and they say politicians you talk about what you want. there's too many tests and too much diagnosis, because people are afraid of litigation. and the food that all of you eat is making you fat and sick. those are our two problems. we don't hear about that. where's the disconnect? >> well, the disconnect is right now they're focused primarily on insurance reforms. getting rid of all the own russ features like pre-existing conditions, dropping people when they get sick. and they play games in that regard. but they have a point when they say that. and certainly, the main problem in health care today that's driving the costs, are the costs of all the new tests, and new technologies. so, ultimately, we doctors and hospitals are very responsible for this. and i'm afraid this bill doesn't yet, at least in detail, get at those systemic problems of health care, that is how are we going to change the payment system? so we pay for outcomes and not simply doing nor tests. how are we going to get more quality assessment? how will we get more primary care doctors? all those constitute health care reform, versus simply insurance reform. >> do you think we're at the point where all the issues are on the table? >> that's a good question, chris. i'm trying to think of things that haven't been on the table at one time or another. i think everything's been on the table. but there's still a lot that hasn't been put in the actual reform packages. and we're going to see a lot of debate. i am absolutely certain we will have a bill by the end of this year. some kind of bill. the only question will be, how strong is it? does it really attack some of these systemic problems? >> those are good questions, also. tim, thank you very much for joining us this morning. let's heado kate snow. she has the news this morning. starting with news of a new terror raid. >> good morning, everyone. federal agents have carted away several boxes of evidence from the home of a suburban denver man who they say is at the center of a possible al qaeda plot to carry out attacks here in new york. najibullah zazi, returned home after meeting with investigators for more than eight hours last night. he denies any connection to al qaeda. zazi visited new york last week, triggers a round of raids in the area. sources tell abc news, agents found 14 backpacks there, which they suspect were meant to carry suicide bombs. there's been a major attack in afghanistan's capital. a suicide bar bomb hit a convoy of nato troops. six italian soldiers were killed, along with ten afghan civilians. toyota, which also owns lexus, hazarded its dealership to inspect the floor mats in all of their cars. the move comes less than a month after a fiery crash of california, which killed four members of one family. abc's lisa stark shows us what happened. >> reporter: could a floor mat have caused this tragic, southern california crash? that's what investigators think, that the gas pedal got stuck under the mat, causing the car to race up to 120 miles an hour. killed was california highway patrol officer, mark sailo his wife, daughthter, and brother-in-law, chris lastrella. lastrella made a harrowing 911 call from the out-of-control lexus. >> 911 emergency. what are you reporting? >> our accelerator is stuck. we're in trouble. we can't -- there's no brakes. >> okay. and you don't have the ability to, like, turn the vehicle off or anything? >> we're approaching the intersection. we're approaching intersection. hold on. pray. >> reporter: the speeding lexus slammed into another car, rolled and burst into flames. the issue is mats that aren't anchored down. and toyota warns drivers, never place one mat on top of another. this thickness, they say, is a recipe for disaster. in 2007, toyota recalled 55,000 cars to replace floor mats that could slip and catch the gas pedal. but auto safety experts say it's not just toyotas. >> it's an unknown hazard th's waiting to strike. and when it happens, the average driver doesn't have the reactions of a fighter pilot and can't bring the car under control. >> reporter: the government is looking into the accident, to see if it needs to launch a safety investigation. for "good morning america," lisa stark, abc news, washington. we have new images this morning of the midair collision of a small plane and tourist helicopter over new york's hudson river last month. nine people were killed in that accident. a safety investigator told congress on wednesday that the pilot of the plane repeated back the wrong radio frequency to monitor. but the air traffic controller, who was on a personal phone call, never corrected him. this morning, the nation has lost one of the most familiar voices of the 1960s. ♪ must a white dove sail before she sleeps in the sun ♪ >> singer mary travers, of the folk trio, peter, paul and mary, has died. hits, of course, "puff the magic dragon," "leaving on a jet plane." mary travers tied after battling leukemia. she was 62 years old. >> much more than music is lost. >> thanks, kate. thanks so much. time, now, for weather. sam champion, on the road again. he's in cleveland, ohio, this morning. good morning, sam. >> good morning, robin, chris. good morning, everyone. we're right outside browns stadium here. we're going to have digital and 3-d moviemaking stuff this morning. we have to talk about weather. outside of nashville, there were evacuations due to flooding. little cookville, tennessee, picked up three to four inches of rain overnight. they got an additional one to two inches of rain. this was a terrible situation of flooding. it continues watches out for northern tennessee, nashville, tennessee. little rock got one to three inches of rain yesterday. they see one to three inches of rain again today. frost and freeze advisories out for new england. that's a cold shot of air. that chilly air goes into the mid-atlantic. d.c., 63 degrees. boston, at 61. your normal is 72. >> a very good morning, brian van de graaff here watching a couple of showers off to arab west. -- off to our west. temperatures are in the low to mid 60's. it may be 70 this afternoon. there will be some clearing tonight and tomorrow is looking good, partly cloudy, near 80. the weekend fall is just about a week away. but there is heat, heat, summer heat. it runs from l.a., all the way to bismarck, north dakota. we'll talk about that summer heat in the next half hour. >> we know you love the heat, sam. thanks. yes, you do. now, to an amazing medical miracle. a woman who had been blind for nine years can suddenly see again, after doctors transplanted a piece of her tooth into her eye. jeffrey kofman has the remarkable story. >> reporter: when you've been blind for nine years, seeing the simplest of things is suddenly a thrill. i casee buildings. >> reporter: can you see me? >> you've got brown hair. >> reporter: kay thornton lost her sight when a rare condition destroyed her cornea. now, she is the first person in this country to have her eyesight restored with a slice of her tooth. that's right. her tooth. doctors here at miami bascom palmer eye institute, used a technique developed in italy. using the tooth to make a tiny cylinder that can be placed in kay's eye, replacing her damaged cornea. >> the front part of the eye does not work. if we can put a plastic window in the front part of the eye, they can change a life. >> reporter: they use the tooth because it's rigid. and the bone and tissue won't be rejected by the body. less than two weeks after the operation, kay can now read. what are you looking forward to most, now that you've got your sight back? >> seeing my children and my grand babies. >> reporter: thanks so some skillful surgeons and a tooth. for "good morning america," jeffrey kofman, abc news, miami. >> just pointing away, so excited to be able to see. >> wow. amazing. it just gives you a hope for maybe a cure for anything. >> that, it does. when we come back, we're going to take a closer look at the possible motives in the murder of the yale student named annie le. was it a crime of passion? what do we know about this killer? and we're also going to talk live with the mothers of the three americans still being held in iran. they're appealing directly to the president of iran to bring their children home. and you can see the three mothers. they are here. their message. they want their children back here. it's a "gma" exclusive, after here. it's a "gma" exclusive, after local news a weather. that women love into extra income. discover a part-time choice that can lead to independenc sell products you love. earn extra money. be your own boss. need this now? discover for yourself at marykay.com. or contact your independent beauty consultant. now your card comes with a way to plan for what matters to you. introducing blueprint. blueprint is free and only for chase customers. it lets you choose what purchases you want to pay in full to avoid interest...with full pay. and those you split... you decide how to pay over time. if having a plan matters. chase what matters. create your own blueprint at chase.com/blueprint. ocean spray craisins, sweetened dried cranberries, are sweet. we'll take that as a yes. craisins -- the sweetest way to eat a cranberry. as we get older, our bodies become... less able to absorb calcium. he recommended citracal. it's a different kind of ccium. calcium citrate. with vitamin d... for unsurpassed absorption, to nouish your bones. the only three layered bath " tissue with plush-quilts ® . it's so luxurious, it may inspire you to make all the things you touch ultra plush. quilted northern ultra plush ® luxury you can see and feel. >> live, and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. and the morning everybody. thank you for joining us on a thursday morning. i am alison starling. 7:22 is your time. let's begin with a look at traffic. >> it a long morning. the rain is not helping. it is a slow drive on 270 to get out of frederick. there's another delay that starts at 122 in clarksburg. virginia travel on northbound 95, the headlights are northbound, the delays are dale city to newington and then to the pentagon. the lles greenway is slowing to get onto the toll road. on 28 southbound, there is a crash at the toll road. >> outside, we have some showers especially to the north of town east of the 270 corridor. this batch is moving into howard county and carroll county. another batch is coming up from 17 and 29 in central virginia. temperatures will not move too much from the 60's, may be below 70's. tonight, we're looking at clearingith upper 50's and tomorrow, a lot better with upper 70's near 80. saturday and sunday looks good. >> we will be right back. on fridays, i have hockey before school, so i take two eggo homestyle waffles and put peanut butter inside. i add a couple chocolate chips when dad's starting the car. there's only one way to eat an eggo -- your way. l'eggo my eggo. > president barack obama will take his health-care package to the university of maryland, college park. doors will open in about one hour and a half. pamela brown is live with a preview. >> good morning. as the debate continues on capitol hill, president barack obama will make his case to the public at the university of maryland. the doors will open at 9:00 and he will make a speech at 11:00 this morning. there have been banners created on campus to push for the health care plan the chairman of the finance committee, max baucus, unveiled his proposal. the $895 billion bipartisan bill dropped the public -- the public option and requires the americans to buy health insurance and prohibits companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are already fired back. democrats say it will burden the middle class. not one single republican is on board with the latest bill. max baucus realizes he has a tough sell ahead of him. today, this event is free. doors will be opening at 9:00 this morning. the rally will begin at 11:00. you do not need a ticket. however, be prepared to go through a security check. no bags or sharp objects will be allowed inside the comcast center. the candidates in the race for virginia governor face off in mclean. this race could be crucial because it is still anyone's race. republican bob mcdonnell has a 5% lead over creigh deeds. 20% of voters are still under -- decided. budget problems will force upo $40 million in cuts for d.c. schools. the city council is looking to close a $650 million shortfall over the next three years. chancellor michelle rhee says there will be layoffs pai but there is no word on how i'm creigh deeds, candidate for governor and my campaign sponsored this ad. the washington post calls bob mcdonnell a "culture warrior." and what does that mean for virginia? it means: bob mcdonnell introduced 35 bills to restrict a woman's right to choose. he wants to outlaw abortion-- even in cases of rape and incest. and mcdonnell opposed birth control for married adults. learn more about bob mcdonnell's crusade to take virginia backwards. learn more about bob mcdonnell's crusade how to get rich, by america's health insurance companies. raise health insurance premiums 4 times faster than wages. pay your ceo twenty four million dollars a year. deny payment for 1 out of every 5 treatments doctors prescribe. if the insurance companies win, you lose. tell congress to rewrite the story. we want good health care we can afford with the choice of a public health insurance option. following breaking news this morning, in the case of murdered yale student, annie le. police say an arrest could happen at any moment this morning. their person of interest, raymond clark, has been staying in a hotel in cromwell, connecticut, just a short distance from new haven, where the crime was committed. police tested his dna against 250 pieces of evidence collected at the crime scene. we'll have the latest right ahead. we say good morning, america, to you. alongside chris cuomo, i'm robin roberts. and also, we have an exclusive for you this morning p with the mothers of the three hikers taken custody in iran. this morning, they are pleading to the president of iran to return their children. >> we're so appreciative that they're here with us this morning. and one family's fight with their insurance company. their doctor needed $150,000 in medical care. why would the insurance company only pay $200? "gma" gets answers. we have new details emerging about the murder of annie le. investigators say before her death, the yale graduate student received a text message from person of interest in the case, raymond clark, asking her to meet with him. how does this clue fit into the picture of this man at the center of this case? abc's andrea canning has more. >> reporter: many are asking what motive could raymond clark possibly have to kill a co-worker who had everything to live for, including a wedding. >> there's two possibilities that play into this case. one is that they had some sort of relationship. and it deteriorated at some point. he became obsessed and ended up killing her, unfortunately. the second version would be that there is no relationship between the two of them. the only relationship is what is in his mind. >> reporter: a blog posted by clark's fiancee, acknowledges there was gossip about clark at the lab. but adds, this rumor of fling is probably the most stupid thing i've ever heard. another possible motive? the fact that le was getting acof rage.uld have triggerer an crime on college campuses is rampant, with more than 30,000 documented cases every year. and many of them involve acquaintan acquaintances. this college student was killed by her ex-boyfriend, john peck, because she wouldn't get back together with him. >> i'm going to keep calling and calling. >> reporter: 18-year-old jessica faulkner had no romantic relationship with fellow student, curtis dixon. but his obsession led to murder. her father made this heartbreaking call to campus police. >> i just got a ry disturbing call from a fellow student of hers, that he's murdered my daughter. >> a common theme in these type of homicides is that the person who commits the homicide, tend to be controlling. tend to have trouble with relationships with females. >> reporter: as for clark, police say he has stopped cooperating with the investigation. his lawyer says, he has no comment. for "good morning america," andrea canning, abc news, new york. and joining us, now, is one of america's top forensic psychiatrists, dr. michael welner. he's going to help us put the pieces of this together. thanks for joining us this morning, doctor. >> good morning. >> all of this evidence seem to be points to a crime of passion. you say not so fast. >> she was engaged to someone else. it's disrespectful to her fiance and family, to suggest there was intimacy in this relationship. what we all need to remember is if this clark is responsible, more crimes at the workplace, more homicides at the workplace, male-on-female, have to do with rejection, than by far any other cause. and workplace homicides, rejection of one employee of another, is actually a phenomenon that's far more described than confrontations over work or disagreement about policy. >> the text message, the mode of death, the strangulation, what does it all mean? >> mode of death. and this is from a forensic psychiatrist. i think it's a desecration to have to release that someone died of traumatic affixuation. why do i need to know about that as a member of the general public? >> doesn't help you? >> if we can respect the dignity of the dying, we should respect the dignity of the murder. weon't need to know that. we have a case where there's a lot of dna. we know there was a plan encounter. whatappened in that encounte may not have been what he anticipated. a confrontation where she was more resistant and it escalated to murder. >> you look at one hand and say this man doesn't have a violent past. you say look at that past. even something like membership in an asian awareness club could be -- >> there are a lot of controlling men who don't kill. there's a lot of men who are even aggressive who don't kill. what do we know about the victim? she was not asian. vietnamese. what do we know about him? all we know is that he had some sensitivity to asians. the vietnamese experience in this country is a very special one because they came from a land where they were killed and where they were thought of, by many americans, as submissive and lesser-than. how did that play into an idea of rejection in a crime of rejection? what was it like for him to be rejected by, not an asian, but a vietnamese? and how did this encounter in its unexpected nature relate to as much to a hate crime as it relates to a crime of passion? we don't have any evidence that there was passion for her to him. only that this was a -- that she and he had communication. and he lured her, on a pretext of something going on in the lab, when they could be alone. that's all we know. >> and tell me a little bit about this rejection. how does it work? because he's the lab cleaner and she's the researcher? how does it work? >> it's hard to tell. this is the area where you don't have the luxury of leaping. what i am saying for the audience and for those scrutinizing this case. it's more important to understand his background about his sensitivity of asians and possibly vietnamese, if, in fact, he's the person responsible for this killing. >> there's a lot of evidence pointing that way. and you're saying, just because the evidence's there, it's not simple to assume why he did it. >> absolutely. again, with all the evidence around, how can we say this was a premedicated murder? because so much was left behind to solve this case relatively easily. >> dr. welner, thank you for the insight this morning. appreciate it. let's get toam champion. he's in cleveland. he has the weather. good morning, sam. >> good morning, chris. we are in cleveland. good morning, gang. might as well give everybody a good cleveland welcome. that's the shaw high school band, the superstar band over at the olympics and playing for us this morning. here's the reason we made it to cleveland this morning. this is the train that basically is promoting disney's new film. it's called "a christmas carol." it's a long train that you can visit. it makes stops all over the country. i know. i got it. it's a little early for christmas. but come on inside because i think you're going to really like it. when you come in, you get this whole warm feeling about the fact that there's carollers here. you really don't recognize it's jim carrey in there doing seven characters. we'll talk about the story and the train trip and how you travel through here. right now, i warm myands here by the nice fire inside the train. we'll talk about weather. here's what's going quickly on outside. one or two thingses we want you to know about. we'll deal with the middle of the country first. the heat is big. look at minneapolis at 81 degrees. billings, that's the record. you tie it at 90 degrees. st. louis, at 79. dealing with rain in the deep south. the cutoff low does not move. so, little rock gets more flooding today. nashville, you get more flooding today. atlanta will get in the heavy rain. and so will new orleans. this is a few days. out toward the west, we have a three- outside, we have some showers up towards gaithersburg and manassas and moving up to baltimore. cloudy this afternoon near 70 and warmer to moral and a good so, throughout the morning, we're going to walk you through this train tour. it makes about 12 stops in the country, so you can watch it. we'll show you some of the cool ways they've done this digital, 3-d movie. i think you'll like what we've got for you this morning. even though it's a little early on the christmas side. chris? 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it pays to discover. we want to return, now, to those three american hikers who have been held in iraq, without charges for seven weeks. shane bauer, sarah shourd, and josh fattal, were hiking in the kurdish part of iraq, which is a peaceful region near the border. since the tension, iran has not let anyone see them. today, their remarkable mothers are making a personal appeal to the president of iran. they are cindy hickey, the mother of shane bauer. laura shourd, the mother of sara shourd. and laura fattal, the mother of josh fattal. it's been seven weeks. how are you holding up? >> very much a rollercoaster. i've been emotional. we want our kids back. >> sure you do. nora? >> it just feels like sarah's a million miles away. our life's on hold. we can't wait until they start again. >> you feel it's on hold until -- >> yeah. until they're back. >> until they're back. cindy? >> i'm thinking, are they being fed? do they have a shower? are they sleeping? i'm thinking what is his daily life like? what is his well being? >> i'm sorry. you have written this letter to president ahmadinejad. and deliveringt to the iranian mission at the u.n. and i want to read, in part, what you said. mr. president,f course, referring to ahmadinejad. we implore you to bring shane, sarah and josh, with you when you visit our country next week, when you address the general assembly of the united nations. nothing would delight us more than to embrace our children. and to express to you personally our gratitude for the kindness of the iranian people. what is your overall message? what do you want to get across to ahmadinejad? >> we respectfully ask, with humility, for him to bring our children back. we miss them. we know that he is a father, too. so, he can understand the absence and the hole that is left in our heart. and we ask him to please return our children, out of compassion and kindness. >> your only concern, and rightfully so, your children back. but some people, when they read a letter to this -- like this, to ahmadinejad, are you concerned that some will feel like you're playing politics here? i know your only concern is the return of your children. but do you think about what people are thinking it may be a political ploy of any sort? >> no. president ahmadinejad is the president of the islamic republic of iran. so, he is detaining our children. but we know the 64th general assembly of the united nations is taking place next week. it is a time where we applaud the peace and friendship among nations. we think this might be a wonderful moment to have our children returned to us. >> and to let pele know more about your children, you have a terrific website, we'll tell people about, where they can learn more about them. nora, there's some -- being in that part of the country -- of the world. it was a peaceful part where they were hiking. and th -- you have no reason to believe that it was inadvertent, that they went into iran? >> well, absolutely. it was inadvertent, if they did stray into iran. they're good hikers. they usually know where they're going. you know? and it was a regrettable mistake that they did wander in there. >> and part of the reason we have you here, and part of the reason you want to be here, is to remind people of -- tell us something about each of your children. as you think about them, where they are right now. >> shane is a very kind, very compassionate. he's just, you know, my -- i've been thinking a lot. it's fall. he loves to be outside. i love to be outside. i can't wait to go -- we ride horseback together. and i can't wait for the next ride that we can have together. >> sarah probably misses cooking. she loves cooking. all about the fresh vegetables. cooking in the kitchen with her mom. i think she's probably missing that a lot. >> josh is kind of a combination of both shane and sarah and himself. and he is -- will probably go bike riding together. and he's also an organic farmer. so, we'll do some of that farming. and go biking. >> your strength, your grace, admirable. thank you. and we'll continue to remind people of your three. thank you so much. and hopefully, president ahmadinejad will actually get this letter. and you'll have a chance to speak to him when he's here. thank you for speaking with us this morning. and for more on the story, go to this morning. and for more on the story, go to abcnews.com. i've got good news. you need more fiber. huh? 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(announc) if you cannot afford your medication, how to get rich, by america's health insurance companies. raise health insurance premiums 4 times faster than wages. pay your ceo twenty four million dollars a year. deny payment for 1 out of every 5 treatments doctors prescribe. if the insurance companies win, you lose. tell congress to rewrite the story. we want good health care we can afford with the choice of a public health insurance option. >> live, and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. could thursday morning and welcome back. i am alison starling with your local update. let's look at traffic and weather. >> huge delays and we will start with the rain that will cause you extra time. add the volume and it is not even snowing yet. we'll show you a crash live on the beltway. this is university boulevard out of college park trying to get to 270. the traffic is using the shoulder. they have left 270 on the way to college park and the other side is slowing and looking at the other side. there is traffic on the other side of town with a delight from springfield to the 14th street bridge. we will now go to the weather. >> we still have some showers north of town. the rain has been about 1/4 of an inch. we are in the upper 50's and low 60's and temperatures will not move too much. we should be in the low 70's at best but tomorrow will be better and we are looking at good sunshine for saturday and sunday. we are following a developing story out of northwest d.c. where several people had to be rescued from an apartment building after it caught fire. the blaze broke out on the third floor of an apartment building on 13th street. we are told the fire is now under control. at least 10 people are being treated for smoke inhalation. we'll be back at 8:25. "good morning america" continues with a family battling to save their daughter's life and battling their insurance company for money to pay for it. why won't they help? "gma" gets answers. plus, germs on a plane. how at risk will you be an your next flight? we'll tell you what you can do to protect yourself from swine flu in the sky. and -- ♪ remember my name fame i'm going to live forever ♪ >> "fame," all-new and back on the big screen. original "famer" debbie allen, joins us live. ♪ people will see me and cry fame ♪ hello, everyone. >> hello. good morning to you. and good morning to all of you, out there in america. robin roberts, chris cuomo. diane is on assignment. mr. sam is in cleveland. >> mm-hmm. >> it's thursday, by the way. >> september 17th, by the way. >> thank you very much. also, it is a big week here in new york. it's fashion week. and our fashionable correspondent, we're talking about cameron mathison. he's covering the hottest ticket in town. what the top designers have in store for your wardrobe come spring. and talk about the height of fashion. look how high. >> wow. little page out of gene simmons' book there. >> we'll discuss that. >> gene simmons. kiss reference. >> i know. i'm with you. the personal letters from the queen mother. which means the mother of the queen. passed away in 2002. for the last seven years, they've gone through personal letters and really broken a century of silence. the queen mother lived to be 101 years old. great insight. we'll look at the man who did it today. let's go back upstairs to kate snow. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with the latest on that horrific murder at yale university. this morning, sources say the arrest of lab technician raymond clark is imminent. evidence reportedly indicates he was the last person likely to see annie le alive. sources say clark used his card key in build thing where le's body was found ten times, before and after she fannished. and computer records reportedly show clark and le were in the same room at one point. sources also say that clark sent a text message or e-mail to le, complaining about dirty mice cages and suggesting that they meet. the white house has decided to scrap bush administration plans to build a missile defense system in poland and the czech republic. a seven-month review finds that iran's lang-range missile program is progressing much more slowly than expected, reducing the threat. new comments last night from former president jimmy carter are adding fuel to a discussion agent race that many politicians in washington want nothing to do with. but on tv and radio, the divide in this country, is taking on race head-on. rush limbaugh was talking about this violent beating on a school bus. what critics are calling a sendup of obama's postracial meshgs. >> obama's america. white kids getting beat up on school buss now. with the black kids cheering, yay. right on. and they say the white kid deserves it because he was born a racist. he was white. >> reporter: limbaugh insists his audience understands he was being sarcastic. but even conservatives say that kind of talk is dangerous. conservative columnist, rod drayer, says lacking of any leadership, the right is turning to media stars, like glenn beck, who feed viewer anxiety. making comment likes this in july. >> this president has exposed himself as a guy, over and over again, who has a deep-seeded hatred for white people or the white culture. i don't know what it is. >> reporter: to be fair, any real racism is coming from a minority on the right. but those scattered science prompted former president carter to speak out again last night. >> and i thi people that are guilty of that kind of personal attack against obama have been influenced, to a major degree, by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be african-american. >> any criticism of an african-american president's policies statements or policies is racist. and that's it. >> reporter: it's a debate the white house would rather avoid. >> the president does not believe that the criticism comes based on the color of his skin. >> reporter: the president may not believe it. but it's swirling all around him. >> i think it's impoant that responsible leaders from both political parties come together. find common ground to work with the president. the partisanship divides with the first biracial president. but it should end with this president. >> senior white house adviser, valerie jarrett, told us this morning, she does not feel the president needs to give another speech this morning. he is focused on health care reform. what do you think? weigh in at abcnews.com on all of this. on to the weather now and sam champion. hi, sam. >> good morning, kate. we are in cleveland, by the way. we're inside these vintage railroad cars that make up the traveling exhibit of the new "a christmas carol" movie. when dickens wrote this in 1833, he was about 31 years old. it was an overnight success. some of the things from the dickens museum in london. you see some of his original writes. in the car we're in right now, are some of the costumes of the film. when we say this is a film, it's in this whole, new, creative way, called performance capture. let me show you clips from the movie. you can see what we're talking about here. they take the artists and digitally capture them and make them into characters. they don't make them look like they're putting makeup and prosthetics on these people. they make digital characters of in this, jim carrey plays like seven characters in this movie. when you see him, you realize it's jim carrey because of the y they handle his features and the way they do this. we'll show you how they do performance capture in the next half hour. he looks totally different. in another one of the train cars. here's one of the clay heads they turn into the characters. you see how different scrooge is going to look than jaim carrey. and this is the way in 1843, how big ben looks. they use some of the models to get the feeling in the film. it's a cool thing to walk through this. we're disney. we're here to show you that. but i had a great time walking through here. and there's still about 12 stops for this train trip before it opens in november. let's get to the boards. we'll show you exactly what's going on this morning. one or two things you need to know. we didn't touch on why we're concerned about the heat in california. it's so dry. we're getting in the middle of fire season in the next 15 days or so. this is a concern for us. it's so hot and so dry. elsewhere in the country, we're talking about big, floodin >> they're very good morning. take a look at our live shot. it is a gray de out of there with some sprinkles and show wars. here is a pocket down in central virginia and another pocket into northern maryland. low of 60's. upper 60's will be the y inside this traveling train exhibit, you can also take your face and make yourself one of the characters. so, chris, in the next half hour, i'm going to show you how i am as tiny tim. and also, a little bit of scrooge. chris? >> very nice. very nice, sam. can'wait for that. all right, now. it's time for "gma" to get answers. this morning, we're taking on medical insurers. and here's why. more than 11 million people in this country, suffer from dangerous eating disorders. it's a number that's growing. and we want to know why many are being denied the health care they so desperately need. so, we visited with a family of one, young woman, who has fallen through the cracks. and asked her health insurer, why they have refused to pay for her treatment. ♪ i want more than ever been so light ♪ >> reporter: 17-year-old emily gomez the outer banks of north carolina, is a singer, who dreams of performing on broadway. but that's not where emily's headed here. this is emily, a few months ago, traveling to an eating disorder clinic, over 1,000 miles away, where she is being treated for bulimia. >> i'd eat a normal dinner. and afterwards, i'd go to the pantry. anything i could find, i'd eat. and i'd go upstai to my bathroom. and i'd usually end up purging. >> reporter: emily was diagnosed with an eating disorder about 3 1/2 years ago. at that time, she wasn't bulimic. she was anorexic. she tried to hide it from her family. but it soon became obvious, emily was starving herself. >> she would eat like two slices of deli ham. and a couple pieces of lettuce. up to the 300 calorie level. and that would be it for the whole day. >> reporter: emily started passing out at school. several times she wound up in the hospital. and her doctors said, something had to be done and fast. >> her doctor would look at me and say, you have to do something right now. this child is extremely sick. and if you don't doing in immediately you're going to find her dead on the floor. >> reporter: a team of pediatricians said outpatient care wasn't enough. she needed long, residential treatment. but that treatment is expensive. ranging from $750 to $1,000 a day. because emily was so sick, her parents assumed the treatment would be covered by her insurer. but they were wrong. >> each time i called they would say, i'm sorry. there's nothing i can do for you. >> reporter: the insurer said nothing could be done, because one section of the policy, written in fine print, caps coverage for mental illnesses at $2,000. and because eating disorders are considered a mental illness by the insurer, that is allhey would pay. even though emily's treatment cost the gomez family over $50,000. >> it's not covering my family. it's destroying my family. >> reporter: lynn graef, ceo of the national eating disorder organization, says, even though eating disorders is one of the leading causes of death for young people, insurance coverage. what is wrong with this? >> you have young people fighting for their lives. >> reporter: the director of the national ints tut for mental health, says eating disorders has national consequences. >> you have an illness with very severe disability. frequently ends up with long-term hospitalization. and high mortality. >> reporter: we put the issue to emily's insurer, via satellite. to be clear, you won't pay for the treatment of a child like emily. but god forbid her condition becomes worse and she gets heart complications, the insurance would pay on the heart problem. and that makes sense to you? >> absolutely. this is true for depression. if someone attempts to commit suicide and they end up in the hospital, yes. we'd cover that. >> do you feel it's safe to say right now that the coverage of eating disorders is inadequate? >> i think that could be said of many conditions. >> how about this condition? that someone puts in a claim for $150,000, and they get $2,000? >> the financial situation, that this unfortunate family winds up in, is in no small part, due to the cost of the care that was delivered. >> it's also due, in so smart part, to the fact that you will only pay them a certain amount of money. and even that amount, you say was a mistake. >> in the policy this family purchased, that is the specific limit. that's correct. >> reporter: emily is back home now. her family just submitted her claim for her latest stay at an eating disorder clinic. the new claim, over $20,000, was also denied. so pay for emily's treatment, her family had to do something drastic. >> it's hard when you have to cash your child's college fund in because you can't get your insurancto help you. >> reporter: so, now, emily may not be able to go to college. but her family still has hope for a healthy future. >> i hope that she finds a piece of mind, that she lays down this burden that she has. that she finds health, well being, and she takes broadway by storm. >> all right. first, the good news. we got in touch with the clinic that was treating emily. and they said, if the condition gets worse, they will cover her for free. she will have help going forward. but the bad news is, this situation has not changed. and that eating orders is a mental illness and not a physical disorder, is a difficult one. the family is thinking about a lawsuit. they've put in a complaint with the insurance commissioner of north carolina. people are getting together on this because they're having to help themselves. and eating disorder patits are taking matters into their own hands. last night, i got an e-mail from an eating disorder organization. and the organization is called project heal. you can get information about them on our website, abcnews.com. please do that. we'll be right back. my name is herb. i live in northport, alabama. i'm semi retired and i'm here to tell a story. my parents all smoked. my grandparents smoked. i've been a long-time smoker. you know, discouragement is a big thing in quitting smoking. i'm a guy who had given up quitting. what caused me to be interested was, chantix is not a nicotine product and that intrigued me. the doctor said while you're taking it you can continue to smoke during the first week. 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(announcer) talk to your doctor to find out if prescription chantix is right for you. like football and campbell's chunky soup. well, except for maybe these two. - nice. - nice. with unbeatable prices on nutritious campbell's chunky soup-- game time costs less at walmart. save money. live better. walmart. according to the cdc, more than 1 million people have suffered from the h1n1 virus in just 3 months this year. now, imagine being in close quartersh h rangngers, n n they have thehe ilillness. clclose e quarteters, lili a a . rere's abc's lisisa a ststk.k. >> repororr:r: a airirlinenes e gegeinup foror the h1n1nu. sasandtitizezers aitits s tes.s. but even a as they epe, hahazazardououto your health. ss safafththan g gngo o ur going g toto work,k, o ogog to hoho. > repepororte air f flow stsn anan hp p ninimimizeri. air r ows acacrorossssows s of not onontoac is cocontntllllexchangeged d wh a combmbinatn n f fre, and recicircatated a air, , iconono of filters. >> probably the most persistent myth is that everybody on the plane is breathing the same air. and that germs just endlessly recirculate within the cabin. in fact, the air on an airplane is probably cleaner than in most indoor spaces. >> reporter: but passengers are confined to a tight and enclosed space, where contagious diseases can spread. >> contaminants like small droplets emitted by a cough, do move to other areas of the cabin. >> reporter: james has just finished a study, looking at how con tom nants move through a plane. if this person in this seat coughs, within seconds, top lets have spread outwards. and after 15 minutes, the germ-containing particles have traveled some ten rows away. even ten rows away, i can't feel like i'm out of the woods. >> you can't feel that there's no exposure. >> reporter: exposure alone doesn't mean you'll get sick. but some passengers aren't taking any chances. >> i always have hand sanitizer with me. and i always wipe that on me and on surfaces that he's touching a lot. >> reporter: this flu season, she won't be the only one. for "good morning america," lisa stark, abc news, washington. and our chief medical editor, dr. tim johnson, back with us again. we heard 2 woman who uses hand sanitizer. that's one good tip. what are other things we can do? >> here's a table full of ideas. you might want to bring along a supply of masks for yourself or somebody who is coughing or sneezing. obviously, avoid much people. bring along your own supply of hand sanitizers and wipes. you should wipe down surfaces that you're going to be putting your hands or arms on. i do that even though the plane's supposed to have done it. and constantly wash your hands. >> for the air vents. >> absolutely. anything you can touch or reach, nearby you. and don't go to the bathroom. those surfaces are typically going to be contaminated. >> if you have to? >> i mean, don't go there to wash your hands with soap and water. >> i was going to say, wow. not going to take transatlantic flights. >> that would be radical advice. bring along your own pillow and blanket. they're supposed to provide fresh ones after every flight. and bring along water and hydrate yourself. you're less susceptible to virus infections in general, if you drink a lot of water. the air in the cabins is very dry. all of these things together protects you. but mostly, be alert to people who are sick. and isolate yourself or insist they are isolated. >> if you're not feeling well, don't get on that flight, either. >> you're a good citizen if you think that way. but unfortunately, many people do. that would be the ultimate sacrifice. >> thank you, tim. we'll be back. he dragged me "up here. i'm scared. i don't want to take my feetoff the platform. hey, this is't bad! you look down and you'e like, ooh that's a lot farther than i thouht it was going to be. well that wasn't bad at all, that was fun. younger skin? 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ask your doctor about lyrica today. good morning. i am doug mckelway. time for your traffic and weather. >> very slow traffic this morning. we have our share of accidents. there was a crash at university boulevard. they have moved it onto the shoulder. delays from kenilworth avenue past route 1 over to university boulevard. traffic on the right is heading out of college park to greenbelt. now we go to 270 where we have had a long ride this morning. it does not look too bad in this camera. i see a little bit more running om. in virginia, no accidents to report on 95. we have done that out of dale city. delays out of out of landmark to get up to glebe road. >> a few showers still to our north over into howard county. coming into prince william. a few sprinkles on the eastern side of the bay. we will not move much with temperatures. near 70 or so. it will still be gray throughout the afternoon. some clearing tonight. tomorrow, partly sunny. much warmer. >> thank you. president obama will take his health-care message to students at the university of maryland. the rally starts at 11:00 a.m. you do not need a ticket. you do need to go through a security checkpoint. max baucus unveiled his version of a health care reform bill. big changes could be in store for d.c. classrooms. the district will probably cut teachers. >> it is a tough lesson in economics. >> it is our responsibility to do more for less. >> doing more with fewer teachers. they added 1000 teachers this summer. how many will be let go is still not clear. parents say the effects will be devastating. >> i do not se how it cannot impact overall quality of education. >> the city council reduced the city -- reduced the budget. the union president said they were left in the dark, only finding out about the reduction in force at the last minute. schools are already having a difficult time with resources. >> these kids do not have books. this is ridiculous. >> that was courtney robinson reporting. the communications center at bwi airport is closing. cell phones largely replaced the service. it will save for under $50,000 a year. eight staffers will lose their jobs. metro is making more changes pepper some big problems. they are updating their employee manual. the menu will include new restrictions on texting and cell phone use. we will have another news update for you at 8:56. er. ♪ dream of running away. becoming a big star. singing, dancing. >> and i want to go to that high school. >> it looked like the coolest high school. it is "fame." it is back. once again, we're going to have debbie allen. she was a star then. she's a bigger star now, even. miss debbie allen. >> hi, mom. >> isn't that sweet? >> gorgeous. >> as always. and looking good. we'll talk to debbie allen coming up. >> i want to dance. i want to dance. >> we've been singing the songs all morning. >> how huge was that for us? >> huge. we have kate snow, robin roberts, chris cuomo. it's good to here. look at my new car, everybody. tony stewart, carl edwards. great to have you. a lot of fans for good reason. the sprint cup series starts this sunday. what makes it better for you guys? >> the way our format's changed over the last six years of having a playoff-type situation, where after 26 races, everybody gets shuffled and reorganized into points. and the guys that have won a race over the course of the year, get ten bonus points per win. it rewards the guys that have won. but at the same time, resets the field. now, you have to put together ten-straight weeks to win a championship. >> sounds tough. how's the leg? >> my foot is feeling good. thgreatest part for me, i closed in 400 or 500 point on you. i have a shot. >> you going for your first? >> yeah. our aflac team is working hard. >> he's going for his third. >> tony stewart, a lot of fans here. carl edwards. glad you're on the mend. can't wait for the series to start. thank you very much. all right. time to get to sam champion. he's out in cleveland. he missed all this good fun. he's having fun of his own. sam? >> hey, chris. don't take the car for the block. don't take the car for the block. a little croed in times square. be careful. we're inside one of the completely redone train cars, part of this exhibit. it's a remake of the dickens' classic, "a christmas carol." we wanted to show you how this capture technology is done. you've seen animation work before. you see the actors wear these jump suits or leotards. each have a sensor on it. and it captures the motion of the body. and it's transferred to computer. let me show you how this takes it further on the capture here. look at gary oldman's face here. he plays three characters. each one of those dats captures his entire facial movement. it's also transferred into the digital character on the computer. we're going to walk becomewards in the train a little bit. show you the nerve center. careful. don't want to lose you. there's 56 monitors that show you each step the movie. how digitally, it's transferred into the computer. and what it becomes. the other thing you can do when you're here. let me show you how you can capture your face and turn it into one of the characters that's in the movie. you get to walk away with it. they'll e-mail it to you. here i am in the screen. adjusting the screen there. and you quickly capture this. i'm not sure which character we've got for you there. i did a couple of them. there you go. and i'm digitally made into eastbound kneeser scrooge, or tiny tim, or one of the ghosts of christmas, as well. it's a lot of fun. you want to know if this exhibit comes into your town or not, we'll link you to that. look at the big board. we'll show you what's going on as you walk out the door. the one thing that we haven't hit on is the flooding in new mexico. there's been >> thank you so much. we have cool temperatures, only around 60 degrees. it will be a cool day. te & and all that weather this morning was brought to you by "love happens." robin, we're still in cleveland. >> oh. cleveland rocks. cleveland rocks. >> it certainly does. a lot of fun. >> good to see you, sam. thank you. here in new york, the world's most famous fashion designers have descended on the city for a huge show known as fashion week. it's all about cutting-edge design. all happens on the catwalk. fashion week is usually an extravagant affair. but as our contributor cameron mathison explains, this year, economic crisis comes into play. >> that's right, robin. the bad economy is even on the minds of the globe's elite designers. and it's clear that the designers are trying to figure out what shoppers want when being frugal is in fashion. so, i went behind the scenes of fashion week, for the very first time. for designers and fabulous fashionistas alike, new york's fashion week, is the event of the fall season. >> fashion, i think it's a art standpoint, someone's personal perspective. >> fashion is a story. >> if i look good, i feel better, more confident. >> reporter: all of the greats of american fashion are here. michael kors, donna karan, diane furstenberg. >> we have a very good product. a design product. but at a price that is reachable. >> reporter: since this is my first time backstage, i met up with suze yalof schwartz, of "glamour" magazine, who put me through a crash course. >> you need to know the first look and the last look are usually most important. they kind describe what the show's all about. >> reporter: you have to explain to me how the makeup can be almost as important as the clothes. >> the makeup complements the clothes. you need both. >> reporter: you got it. good point. but to offer the perfect look in this tough economy, designers tried to strike a balance between classic shapes and wild originality. >> this is all about the combination of things. the layers of things. we were listening to a lot of lady gaga when we were working on this. ♪ i want to hold them like they do in texas ♪ >> i love the optimism of her music. >> reporter: and a whole crop of new talent is bringing unexpected things to the runway. like feathers in jason wu's collection. the designer of the moment is tom brown. his style's not for everyone. but for the fashion-forward, his clothes are a work of art. how would you describe the tom browne man? >> just a trtrue individual. someone who is very comfortable and confident. and doesn't want to be like everybody else. >> reporter: ultimately, with shoppers watching their dollars, designers are betting on the one thing you can't live without. while trying to avoid items that would feel so last year. >> buying one thing. but the one thing has to be special. it has to be exciting. and it has to make you feel unbelievable. >> that's right. so, that's what's coming up, spring 2010. what we have here is sort of what's hot, currently, right now. saks fifth avenue, lent us some shoes to show. the super extreme stiletto is in. five inches. 5.9 inches. things like that. let's hold it up to give an idea. >> i tried to put them on. but they're size two or something like that. victoria beckham, wearing them on "the view." >> on "the view." and she claims they're really comfortable. i wanted to get you in them to find out if they're comfortable. >> i'm sorry. >> she's comfortable. if you're wearing these, i have to stand on an apple box. >> sometimes when you see the fashions, like we saw in your piece, you think, where in the world are you going to wear some of that stuff? >> exactly. an interesting thing about fashion week is not everything you see on the runways is going to be for sale. the designers put their collection out, of an idea. what the buyers like or the audience responds to, gets made and produced and put in stores. not alof these extravagant outfits will be on sale. >> i love to hear you talk about fashion. it makes a girl's heartbeat a little faster. >> trying to fit in. just trying to fit in. >> you're working that tie, too, my man. love it. thank you, cameron. we appreciate that. someone who knows knows i'm creigh deeds, candidate for governor and my campaign sponsored this ad. the washington post lls bob mcdonnell a "culture warrior." and what does that mean for virginia? it means: bob mcdonnell introduced 35 bills to restrict a woman's right to choose. he wants to outlaw abortion-- even in cases of rape and incest. and mcdonnell opposed birth control for married adults. learn more about bob mcdonnell's crusade to take virginia backwards. got big dreams. you want fame. well, fame costs. and right here's where you start paying. ♪ fame >> you remember it so well. whether you know her as an emmy award winning choreographer, or as a golden globe winning actress, you must remember debbie allen from "fame." first, there was the 1980 hit film. then, the television show. now, the remake of the original "fame" is coming to a theater near you. and debbie allen, just so good to seeou. >> oh, thank you. >> please, ladies and gentlemen. >> thank you, robin. [ applause ] >> you deserve that. first of all, looking good. >> i'm still trying to keep up felic felicia. i'm going to catch her. >> you're working it. >> i'm working it. >> you're just so out there. there's so many projects that you're involved with and your school and all that. this, "fame." when they first came to you and said, we're going to do it again, what was your reaction? >> i didn't blink. my agent was like, don't you want to read the script? i was like, child, please. "fame" is part of my life. this is going to introduce it to another generation. and hopefully it will become a global phenomenon like it did the first time. the whole world was wearing leg warmers. it's a family movie. >> it's pg this time. >> it is. it was "r" last time. it's pg this time. but it's still a gritty, realistic look. >> the more things change, the more they stay the same. the intent of what these young people want to accomplish, that's timeless, isn't it? >> timeless. it will be the same story 50 years from now. it will be who has the talent to make it but not the heart? who has the heart, but not the talent? i had a family that supported me. i wouldn't be sitting here right now if my uncle lloyd didn't take me to dance class. it's a community effort sometimes to get young people the opportunity. >> your role, you're principal sims. >> i'm the principal. lydia gray is married, and running things. just like she knows she should. just like i run the debbie allen dance academy. >> let's take a look. here's a clip from the new "fame." >> here, you will come to understand what being a performing artist really means. here, you ll dedicate yourself to your craft. now, if you are looking for short cuts. if you want fame. if you want easy rewards. i highly recommend that you get up and leave now. committed, very talented, young people, who would be thrilled to take your place. so, have a great year. >> now, that's taken care of. but you have your own dance school. how much did you take to that role? you run things at your place. >> i do. it's the challenge every day. you have young people who want this opportunity. but maybe the family's not supporting them. >> right. >> or they can't get to school. nay need a ride. or they're not disciplined. they need to be reined in. it's tough love, this world of the performing arts. you have to be disciplined. it's character education. that's why it needs to exist in every public school. >> thank you. >> in america. because kids would come to school. but it is character education. and i know our president understands that. and as soon as he gets the support of the medical field, we're going to work on education. >> it's a phenomenal cast. kelsey grammer, bebe. and you all come together. new talent, that we'll see tomorrow. tell us about it. >> yeah. you have wonderful, young people. you have kerrington, and you're going to have naturi here. irene kara burst on the scene. it beaeaututulul thihi...and sh. w wbenteresti to see e whwhat the aududiencesesayay. ananhohow w eyey gravivite- whw thth gravitatete t to.>> i want thing g bebeforee e leleavave. swayayzeze's m momompatrickck i i knknow you tk k toto her.. but t shlped y you.. when i wawas a young gigirl and beuse erytythingngas la gregeged, i lolook a windndow of h herchchining her cl and d e cacame outside one day.. e id, lilittlele ghyhy arere u u out here? i said i'm just watching. she said, can you dance? i said, yes, ma'am. and she said bring your dance shoes tomorrow. and she taught me at a time when it wasn't allowed. and patrick was dancing, at like 7 or 8 years old. i love her family. and it's a very big hurt for us, losing patrick. but we will always keep him in our heart. >> there's something about the dance. >> the dance. about the dance, yeah. >> something about you, debbie. thank you so much. continued blesses. >> so happy to see you. >> and this is something else. >> "fame." maybe somebody's going to live forever, honey. >> "fame" will be in theaters on friday, september 25th. actors from the movie "fame" will be performing live tomorrow actors from the movie "fame" will be performing live tomorrow on "gma." "gma. how to get rich, by america's health insurance companies. raise health insurance premiums 4 times faster than wages. pay your ceo twenty four million dollars a year. deny payment for 1 t of every 5 treatments doctors prescribe. if the insurance companies win, you lose. tell congress to rewrite the story. we want good health care we can afford with the choice of a public health insurance option. the quality of our lives depends on our connections. access to high-speed internet, at home and on the go, is no longer a luxury. it's how our children access education. it's how we find jobs, discover information, and connect with family and friends. it's the spark that drives innovation, creates investment, and builds a stronger economy. to shape a better tomorrow, at&t is investing in america's future - working to create an internet that's smart, mobile and safe. last year at&t invested more than any other company in the u.s. and we're continuing to invest this year, to expand and enhance our wireless and wired networks. we support a national plan that ensures high speed internet access and enables adoption by all americans, over the next five years. adoption by all americans, over the next five years. the future is our business. at&t. we have a special treat for you now. a side of the royal family you have never seen. why? well, official biographies of royals are only permitted after their deaths. so, it is just now, that we're getting a look at the life of elizabeth, queen mother of britain. her life spanning an entire century. her official biographer. the book is "queen elizabeth, the queen mother." and he tells us what he has to tell us. first of all, congratulations to you. i know it is an honor to be able to do this work. >> well, a huge honor. and huge excitement. you're quite right. to be asked by the queen to write the official biography of her mother, it was marvelous. >> we're dealing with the queen mother. started writing letters about the age of 10. lived to be 101. lived through the time of 6 monarchs, 19 presidents. what can we learn? >> she was, all her life, an extremely joyous and loving and attentive woman. and her letters sort of brim over with optimism and wit. and also, when serious times were required, like in the second world war, the -- her letters were fantastically impassioned in the defense of britain against the nazis. and yet, her wit never left her. she wrote a marvelous letter in november 1940, when buckle ham palace behind me, was bombed by a german plane. a single plane flew up and dropped its bomb on the palace. nearly killed her and the king. if the windows had been closed, rather than open, they would have probably been killed by the flying glass. and wrote a letter to her mother that day, describing it. they went down to the east end together, to see people whose houses had been completely destroyed. she did that all through the war. she mingled with ordinary people. and kept the morale of the country up. >> is that what kept -- i'm just asking a follow. is that what kept her in the palace, even after it was bombed, is the famous courage. >> yes, it was. she said after the palace was bombed. she said, i'm glad, because we can look at the east end. now, we can look the east end in the face. she was a huge support to the war effort. >> and some insight into her own history. obviously, she ascended to the throne through somewhat of a scandal. her brother abdicated the throne to marry an american divorcee. we assume there's animosity. but what do we learn from the letters? >> animosity is not the word. but she was distressed. she never wanted her husband to become king. he never wanted to be king. they were very fond of her brother. sad for the family, when he fell in love with mrs. simpson, he left the family. he had no time for anybody else. he had no time for the country, for his throne. he gave it up for love of mrs. simpson. my subject, elizabeth, had to become queen. and although she didn't want that, she was a wonderful queen. and we were very lucky. and her king -- her husband was a shy man. but she supported him magnificently after he became king. and he rose -- they both rose to the occasion. and there are some people who think we should have statues to mrs. simpson all over the country, in gratitude, for the fact that we got george and elizabeth instead. >> interesting. interesting take. mr. shawcross, thank you very much for sparing your insights. and on compiling all this serious work. we look forward to reading it. thank you, sir. >> it's a pleasure to be with you. >> there's some interesting insight we'll all learn into the current royals. about the charles and diana divorce. what about her grandsons, harry and william. it's in there. "queen elizabeth, the queen mother," is out in the u.k. now. but will be available here next month.month. let's say good-bye to our man, sam, out there in cleveland. thank you very much for this morning. get back here, my friend. all your cousins. >> thanks for being here with us. >> thanks for being here with us. and at home. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. good morning. i am doug mckelway. let's get a look etch traffic and weather. >> in northwest, there is a structure fire along 13th street, which is closed in both directions south of colorado avenue. if you're traveling near dulles airport, look traffic at 28. there is a crash. it is quite a hefty back up leaving the toll road. taking you next northbound traffic on 95. delays out of springfield. that will take you to the 14th street bridge. the beltway in maryland looks ill little better. there was an accident on university boulevard, but that has been moved out of the way. >> we have a better chance of rain through the morning hours. heavier showers out in montgomery county. let's look at what is going on outside. we will see temperatures that may not hit 70 degrees. a chilly afternoon. sunshine returns tomorrow. near 80. lots of sunshine and comfortable conditions on saturday and sunday. dry. >> thank you. investigators are at the scene of a fire that broke out around 7:00 this morning in northwest. firefighters rescued many people. four people needed to be taken to the hospital. thank you for watching. we will be back at noon.

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