Transcripts For WJLA ABC News Good Morning America 20100126

good morning, america. on this tuesday, january 26th. i'm george stephanopoulos. >> and i'm robin roberts. breaking news overnight. home grown terror. authorities arrest this man in a new jersey hotel, with an arsenal of weapons, asalt weapons. even maps of a military facility. the white house announces a three-year freeze on domestic spending. what does this mean for you? plus, president obama in his only interview before his state of the union address. and reaction from the man who ran against him in 2008, senator john mccain. and more trouble for the kerrigan family. the once olympic hopeful with dreams of olympic gold, suffers a new tragedy. her father is dead, after an altercation with her father. and stranded. 500 american tourists stuck in a storm on the machu picchu mountain in peru. threads of mudslides, as they wait to be air lifted to safety. and we're so glad you could start your day with us. and a lot of news ahead, including those tourists, stranded on machu picchu, for three days now. there are actually 2,000 people stranded there after mudslides pushed rocks, debris on the train tracks. some have already been rescued, as you can see. and we'll have more details for you straight ahead. >> need the helicopters to get them out. that's one of the most special places in the world because it's so remote. also ahead, our exclusive interview with president barack obama. he tells diane sawyer, he's going to announce new jobs in the state of the union. you see the president addressing boast of the concerns of the american people. jobs on one hand. the deficit on the other. we'll get live reaction from senator john mccain. bewe begin with the arrest of a man in new jersey. stha authorities say he had a small arsenal. are they taking the threats serio seriously? chris cuomo has been tracking this. >> lloyd woodson, they arrested him almost by accident. he's from virginia. he had come to new jersey for some reason. they arrested him in a minimart. they asked him some questions. he got nervous and ran. they found him hiding in bushes. when they opened his coat, he had on a bullet-proof best. and an assault rifle, that could shoot .50 caliber bullets that could destroy a house. they take him back to his hotel room. he had another rifle like that. hundreds of rounds of ammunition. a rocket launcher. maps that show a military base and another community. and he's arrested and charged with several crimes. is he a terror threat? authorities say no. he has no affiliations to any type of group. he is emotionally disturbed. >> he wanted to do serious harm here. >> and that is the curious part of the analysis. what is a threat to us today? okay. he's not associated with a group. but if we look at who's shooting up the malls, shooting up our schools, creating violence here. emotionally disturbed people with some type of surprising access to weapons. not just a gun. not just a rifle. a massive, massive damage these weapons could cause. a rocket-launcher. >> thankfully someone saw him, thought he was suspicious, called authorities. >> and authorities have found many people like him in the region and the country. >> thanks, chris. we'll get back to you later. >> people taking defense in their own hands. we're going to turn to the other major story of the mornin the white house announcing overnight, a three-year spending freeze on all domestic programs, except those related to natial security. jake tapper has the details. this shows before the state of the union, that the government gets it on government spending. >> reporter: that's right, george. it's a proposed hard freeze on nonsecurity related discretionary spending. about one-eighth of the federal budget. they say this would save $250 billion over the next decade. reducing the deficit. during that same time, the deficit is expected to increase by $9 trillion. these cuts would -- this freeze would avoid the biggest ticket items. the pentagon budget, social security, medicare, medicaid. but the administration says you have to start somewhere. >> in the meantime, the president announced some jobs proposals. senate democrats backing that up now. new job proposal today? >> reporter: that's right. it could come as soon as this week. could be a mix of infrastructure spending and tax cuts aimed at small businesses. up to $90 billion. and people on the senate say -- democrats in the senate say, even if the administration wants to talk about health care, they are focused on jobs, jobs, jobs. >> thanks very much. we're going to have our live exclusive with senator john mccain in a minute. now, another exclusive. >> the president's only interview before his state of the union address tomorrow. president obama sat down with diane sawyer to talk about that speech and his changing agenda, as he faces relentless republican opposition, especially on his handling of the economy. >> republicans are saying what you're talking about so far for wednesday night, is not going to create any new jobs. >> you know, i would suggest that they save the rebuttal for after the speech, since they haven't really heard what we're proposing. >> but what is it going to be? >> we're going to talk about how we can, first of all, focus on job creation and growth. and i met with the republicans. so, i have their ideas. and some of the things we propose are things that actually should get some strong bipartisan support. >> but a year ago, you said the first item on the agenda, a year ago. >> right. >> jobs. >> absolutely. over the next two years, this plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. >> painted a picture of jobs from coast-to- -- >> well, think that's not fair. here's what i said. >> a hope for jobs at least, for infrastructure. >> here's what i said. our number one priority was stopping the economic contraction. now, the economy's growing again. and we did create or save several million jobs. but we still lost 7 million jobs. and so, you know, i understand why the american people, their attitude is how do we make sure we keep on getting it better? >> there are reportsow, of other potential suicide bombers coming out of yemen. osama bin laden, as we know, has issued a tape, championing the christmas day attempted bomber. do you have any indication that they're already here? >> since 9/11, we have put in a series of measures that make us much safer than we were before 9/11. al qaeda itself is greatly weakened from where it was in 2000. bin laden sending out a tape, trying to take credit for a nigerian student who engaged in the failed bombing attempt, is an indication of how weakened he is because this is not something necessarily directed by him. >> ever in the middle of all this coming at you, do you think maybe one term is enough? >> you know, i would say that, the one thing i'm clear about is that i'd rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president. and i believe that. you know, there's a tendency in washington to think that our job description, of elected officials, is to get re-elected. that's not our job description. i will not slow down, in terms of going after the big proems that this country faces. i'm not backing off the need for us to tackle these big problems, in a serious way. for the republican reaction, let's turn live to senator john mccain. he's at the capitol this morning. good morning, senator. >> good morning, georg >> i want to get to the proposal for a spending freeze in a second. first, al qaeda. we have a foiled bomb plot in new jersey overnight. we have seen other incidents. and so many have been connected to this. american citizen in yemen, the administration debating whether it would be appropriate to take him out. do you have any qualms about that? >> no. >> none at all? >> no. i think these people cannot have sanctuary. anywhere in the world. i would love to work very closely with the governments of the countries in which they reside. but for us to have some kind of sanctuary for someone who wants to destroy america is just foolishness. but i would also point out again, our ability to find out what the christmas bomber's connections were. were totally wiped out. without consultation of any heads of our intelligence, agencies, the justice department decided to give this guy his miranda rights. that's one of the worst things that i have seen happen in a long time. particularly when the president finally acknowledged that we're in a war. >> so, are you unsatisfied with how the president is prosecuting the war on terror? >> i'm certainly not satisfied when you have a person who may have direct ties to al qaeda, is given miranda rights, and puon trial in a civilian court. when clearly, they're an enemy combatant and a terrorist. that sends the wrong signal, certainly, around the world. >> let's turn to the domestic issues. white house announced is morning a spending freeze. three-year freeze on all nondefense discretionary spending. it's already drawing some criticism from your party. john boehner saying, given washington's unprecedented spending binge, this is like announcing you're going on a diet after eating a pie-eating contest? isn't this what republicans have been calling for? >> it's important. we need to do it. i'll support it. but the esent has to promise to veto bills that are laden with pork barrel spending. and it's going to save a good amount of money over time. about $15 million last year. meanwhile, this year, the senate and the house are looking at $100 billion or more of new spending just on, quote, stimulus, on more money, sending bad money after good, in an effort to stimulate the economy. so, i think it has to be put in that context. but the president has to commit to vetoing any of these appropriations bills that have earmarks or pork barrel spending on them. that means taking on democrats and republicans. >> from what you just said, it sounds like you're against the new bill that the democrats are proposing that jake tapper just talked about. $90 million for job creation. if you're against thatwhat job creation moves are you for? >> tax cuts. giving more tax incentives and breaks to small businesses. making sure that we do not raise taxes, which may happen if the present tax cuts lapse. there's a lot of things that we can do to -- including, by the way, a path to some kind of fiscal sanity. >> those tax cuts are going to increase the deficit, aren't they, sir? >> no. if outcut people's taxes, you it stimulate the economy. we found that out during president reagan. >> let's turn to ben bernanke, the fed chairman. you voted for the financial rescue that he endorsed. now, you're against his reappointment. a lot of administration officials, market experts say that's going to create absolute turmoil in the markets if he's not reappointed. are you willing to take that risk? >> yes. i believe he was the captain of the ship when it hit the iceberg. he was there at the casino when the gambling was going on. and they didn't do anything about it. when paul volcker and ronald reagan were around, they cut taxes and restrained the role of the fed. now, we have the largest amount of liquidity from the fed in the market today than any time in history. >> can you defeat him? >> i don't know. i just vote for myself. >> finally, sir. the senate democratic leader, harry reid, has tough words for you in sunday's "new york times." he says, my disappointment -- no. that's the wrong word. i'll try to find a better word. my amazement was john mccain. i thought he'd turn out to be a statesman and work for things. he's against everything. he's against everything. your response? >> well, harry reid attacked me and my temperament and attacked my character during the campaign. that's rather typical of senator reid. he's the one that declared the war in iraq lost. also, accused me and other republicans being like those who oppose the abolition of slavery. that's sort of his modus operandi these days. i'm proud of my record and service to the country. >> senator mccain, thanks for your time this morning. >> thank you. now, turning to juju chang here with the morning's news. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with troubling news about home sales. they were positive for months. but then, fell off a cliff in december. bianna golodryga explains what happened and what it means going forward. >> reporter: it's important to remember that december has never been a popular month to buy a home. but home sales were expected to be low. but not this low. one explanation, everybody thought that the government's tax credit for first-time home buyers was going to expire november 30th. remember that? people rushed to meet that deadline going back to last summer. even though that credit was extended, later onthe deals weren't closed fast enough. there's one silver lining. home prices for december were up over 1%. that's a sign of growing confidence in the marketplace. >> it sounds like the extended tax credit should be good news in the months ahead. >> reporter: that's right. people are optimistic about it, especially in the fact it will boost the price of lower-priced homes. that's crucial to reviving the housing market. but you have to have a signed contract by april 30th. the deal doesn't have to be completed until june 30th. if you're selling a home, don't wait until the spring. buyers will be looking for that credit ithe coming months. in other economic news, ford will announce today it's hiring again, adding 1,200 workers in chicago. but new hires won't get the same $28 an hour that current union members get. they will be paid $14 an hour instead. today marks two weeks since the haiti earthquake. u.n. peacekeepers had to fire pepper spray and rubber bullets into the air, to dispurse this crowd monday at a food distribution site. haiti's president is pleading for 200,000 tents to shelter the millions of people left homeless since the quake. the u.s. government is cracking down on big rig and bus drivs that text behind the wheel. a new text ban takes place today. studies show drivers who text are 20-times more likely to get into an accident. and finally, you're going to love this. the last laugh for a high school girls' basketball coach in kansas. they told him, final four tickets were on the line. but he had to sink the ball from half-court, after being blindfolded and spun in circles. the kids were planning to cheer when he missed. but guess what happened. he made it. there was stunned silence. isn't that unbelievable. >> what about the tickets? >> that's the other part of the joke is there are no four tickets. >> yeah. >> i think somebody's going to cough up the four tickets. >> the kids felt so bad. they got him a gift certificate to a local restaurant. but people stepped up and said they're going to get him final four tickets. >> that's an instant classic, right? he was a basketball player. >> walk-on at kansas. >> exactly. can you do that, sam? >> can't do it with the eyes open. we should bring him on. spin him around and see if he can shoot another one on the air. >> i'm on it, sam. >> we're going to talk about the storms in the mid-atlantic and the northeast yesterday, with some pictures, as we talk about this. as new york's weatherman for about 20 years before i got this job, this was the kind of storm we really worried about. a 62-mile-per-hour wind gust just north of new york city was blowing things off of the tall, high-rise construction sites. airports were shut down because of strong, gusty winds and the damaging rains that moved through. it's a better situation as we watch that storm pull away. it's still breezy in the area. and temperatures aren't going down yet 48 in boston. we have a new system in southern california. it's going to bring more rain. the good news is this is not a group system. it's an inch to an inch and a half of rain in the areas getting rain last week. a very good morning, brian van de graaff pierre and outside the sun is rising in fredericksburg but there is a deck of clouds. 35 degrees to start and through the afternoon it will finish nicely. there is energies windproof and could bring progress sprinkle or two but a nice looking day to day. temperatures will climb in the mid 40's. long term, wednesday and thursday, clouds i don't want to overstate or minimize the concern in southern california. there's heavy rain in those areas. and they're cleaning out the mud basins that were full from last week's rain. >> i was in northern california over the weekend. it was saturated there, as well. another major weather situation in peru. >> you were talking about it at the start of the show. the heaviest rain in 15 years in machu picchu. there were mudslides and flooding. they left nearly 2,000 tourists stranded in that area. the idea here is that there's only two ways up. one is by train. and the rocks and mud hit that area down. and 300 people had to be pulled off the trail there. had to abandon their trip there. 500 americans are among the tourists that have been stuck there for about 3 days. we've had good news. the peruvian air force and police are getting some of the tourists off. they started with elderly and women first. they're going to keep getting those folks off the mountain. >> 20 hours and 10 helicopters to get as many people down as possible. >> it's incredibly remote. that's why people go there. >> and it's just gorgeous. just amazing. and that train ride, when there's no mud on the tracks, is just spectacular. >> that's the way they get there. >> it's so sad. there are reports that the tourists had run out of dollars. and they were reduced to begging from villagers for food and accommodations. tough. >> the operation is under way to get them off the mountain. coming up, another tragedy for nancy kerrigan. the skater whose shattered dreams of public gold in the past. her brother charged with assault. is he is a he? 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( phone rings, laughter ) ♪ ( phone rings ) victory starts now. with the special k challenge, you can lose up to 6 pounds... in 2 weeks. now with so many delicious ways to be victorious. lose up to 6 pounds in 2 weeks. >> live, and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update." >> and good morning everybody, welcome back. i and alison starling. 7:22 is your target tuesday. let's look at traffic. we have had a deadly accident on metro which has caused problems. 4 red line commuters, the shady grove station is closed. the lineup is likely to catch the shuttle bus. let's see what looks like by going live to the highway. there will be more action on 270 and that is what we see between father hurley boulevard and the beltway. take a look at these numbers, in the 30's. yesterday was a 50-60. it will be cooler day with a cooler finish. let's look at the maps. we are looking at a few clouds streaming across the area throughout the day but not a b day. there may be a sprinkle or two as we had through the afternoon. temperatures will be on the pool side but typical for this time of the year at about 40 degrees cooler to night and tomorrow night looking day. thursday, temperatures spike before clouds rolling for the end of the week and maybe start friday night. -- and may be snow friday night. >> we will be right back. shop your way rewards card. earn and spend unlimited rewards on qualifying... products when you shop at kmart and sears stores. plus, chances to win k'ching surprises at kmart checkout. for the most rewarding rewards card... there's smart, and there's kmart smart. the big story this morning is "metro workers are dead after an early morning accident along the red line. -- "metro workers are dead. -- two metro workers are dead. >> investigators are trying to determine what happened. let's talk show you a live look at what metro says killed these two men. this is a high-realm over. the two men were working on the red line track in between she growth and rockville. they were hit by this truck. metro says they are still investigating to determine what caused that truck to hit these men. one died immediately and the other died later from injuries. metro says they are working to notify next of kin. there were two automatic train technicians. there were out here in the early morning hours, installing equipment and that happened at 1:45 this morning. metro is telling us that the shady grove and rockville metro stations are closed. there are so many people here there is no point going to either station. you should avoid both of those stations. you should drive in a possible. shady grove and rockville metro stations are both shut down. you will have to take a shuttle bus to get between those two stations breaking news of springfield, va. where firefighters are battling a house fire. the fire started in the basement. one firefighter was injured. we will bring you updates on this breaking news as they become available. we will be back with another update at 7:56. for continous news coverage, tune in to our sister station, newschannel8 newschannel8 and in hard times, sometimes, a belief in a dream, a belief in what is possible - can transform everything. at at&t, we've never forgotten that our company began in a small laboratory, with a dream and a belief, in the future. today, our wired and wireless high speed internet networks are connecting small businesses across america - in cities and small towns - to markets around the world. we know that investment in broadba high speed internet can create hundreds of thousands of new american jobs. small businesses are being formed - dreams are being launched - and real jobs are being created. at at&t, we're investing billions to upgrade and build out our wired and wireless networks. now is not the time to stall momentum or to stifle innovation or investment. dreams, and jobs, and the future are at stake. at at&t, the future, are at stake. at at&t, the future, has always been our business. at&t... your world... delivered. this morning, another tragedy for nancy kerrigan. who can forget how her dreams for olympic gold were shattered? now, she's dealing with the sudden death of her father. her brother may be to blame. details ahead. good morning, america. i'm george stephanopoulos. >> i'm robin roberts. will apple shake up electronic readers? it could be do for the word what ipods did for music. and rosie o'donnell. she's going to be talking about everything from parenting to politics. she has a new documentary out on families. >> that's coming up in our next half hour. first, to the family tragedy unfolding for skater, nancy kerrigan. her father has died. her breaux, arrested. a heartbreaking drama for one of america's beloved icons. >> reporter: this is one of those stories that just makes you gasp. nancy kerrigan always said her father was a source of strength and inspiration. now, he's dead, with her own brother charged with assault, for a violent struggle just before the father's death. 45-year-old mark kerrigan sobbing. charged with attacking his own father in his massachusetts home. he pleaded not guilty. >> i'm going to ask that you release him on his personal promise to come back, so that he may grieve. >> reporter: police rushed to the kerrigan home early sunday, and found 70-year-old daniel kerrigan on the floor. police say he had been fighting with his son, mark. there was blood and smashed photos. police say they found mark in the basement, belligerent and smelling of alcohol. daniel kerrigan was announced dead at the hospital. his wife, brenda, told the paper it was a heart attack. mark kerrigan has a history with the law and a complicated history with his parents. he served time on assault charges. and two years ago, his parents sued him f more than $100,000, for money they claim spent paying his mortgage and paying his lawyer. for the kerrigan family, this is one more tragic turn. >> why? >> reporter: we all remember the famous attack before the 1994 winter olympics. nancy kerrigan's right leg smashed by assailants connected to one of her chief competitors, tonya harding. kerrigan fought back to get the silver. >> really lucky for the influence my parents have on me to be able to deal with such a thing. >> reporter: her father, a welder, worked three jobs at the time to support nancy's career. >> what's money? i've been broke all my life. i'll be broke the rest of my life. it doesn't matter. >> reporter: her mother, legally blind. but always there to cheer nancy on. >> you can hear. you know when something's going good. if you closed your eyes and you heard people cheering and clapping, then you'd know something was going good. >> reporter: now, her mother is without a husband. and nancy, without a father. and as for the brother, bail has been set. his lawyers say he suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder from time in the military. there will be an autopsy of daniel kerrigan. and the result could determine if charges against his son change from assault to manslaughter. robin? >> and the skating community has reached out to kerrigan. fellow olympic medalist, paul wylie said he spoked to her on the phone. even tonya harding issued this same. quote, tonya feels very sad for nancy d her family. and extends her deepest sympathy and condolences to them. tonya's beloved dad, al harding, passed away this past april. so, she understands what nancy and the family are dealing with this time. for more, joining us is abc news sports christine brennan. and chris cuomo is back with us, as well. chris, want to start with you, first. what is the brother charged with? could that change? >> right now, assault of an elderly person, which is a pretty serious crime under massachusetts law. could change, though. after the autopsy, this could be ruled a homicide, which means the death was caused by a person. and if authorities are able to do that, to connect what mark did. a choking to the death, he could get hit with homicide charges. >>he timeline is key here. >> timeline is very key. causation was key. you have to show between the time that the choking was done, and the death happened, the heart attack, as it's alleged right now, that that was the cause for it. not that simple. a charge is more likely than a conviction for that in this case. >> christine, you've been covering this family for many years. even wrote a book about them. very close family. very close, catholic family that's struggling right now. >> it . you think of the hardings, the notion of tonya and nancy, like rich and poor. no. the kerrigans were very much a blue-collar family. dan was a welder. nancy was a feisty, boston tomboy that played hockey with her brothers. dan for me was a hockey dad, that kind of was stuck amid the sequins. wouldn't all parentsomplain about judges, when they're kids are out there skating? a real man. a real dad. and a great guy. >> it was great to hear his voice in john berman's piece. he's always been broke. didn't mind being broke. his kids so important to him. but the relationship, with the son. it's been very, very, very difficult in recent years. >> it certainly does sound like that. of course, the kerrigans have been out of the public eye, as you know, for the most part. the attack was in 1994. it's been a while. but, you know, with -- it sounds like there's been assault charges. there's been some domestic abuse charges with his ex-wife and also the family. it makes you so sad to think an argument potentially over a telephone, could have led to this, with dan kerrigan. and, you know, i think again, when you think of dan kerrigan, a real man, a real dad. always concerned about his kids. and a very sad turn, of course, in this case. >> very proud. and, chris, the son, mark, is due back in court, at the end of next month. and we heard what christine said, and what john berman said, about posttraumatic syndrome, from his time in the military. could that be going forward -- >> i think the best defense, will be the family connection. what is the licy going forward and prosecuting for this family? what does the mother want this situation? that may be the best argument he has going forward. >> the mother has been telling family members it was a heart attack. >> it was an accident. >> thank you very much. christine brennan, thank you for your insight. have a good day. see you again soon. down to the weather and sam. >> wre going to start with pictures out of la canada flintridge, california, again. we're going to show you what they've done. in the strategic areas they know there's going to be mud runoff, they put the catch basins. they're about 40 feet deep. and they catch the debris off the hills. the idea is hopefully it won't get into the neighborhoods until it gets into a spillover problem there. so, they're going in and clearing out all those areas because they're getting ready for another round of rain. it's a half-inch of rain in the low areas. and about an inch of rain in the mountains. and the word is, they don't think there will be a substantial runoff from that. as the storm moves in, and will continue to cause problems across the country today, over the next really 24, 48 hours. even beyond then. on thursday, we've already got some warnings. winter storm watches out for amarillo, texas, oklahoma ci a very good morning, brian van de graaff here, 30's this morning, downtown 39 degrees and your forec all that weather was brought to you by milk processors. george? >> okay, sam. we're going to turn now by the quest to solve the century - old mystery, one of the questions that never go away. who is the mona lisa? scientists say the answer may lie deep in leonardo da vinci's tomb. and some believe she may be a he. and not just any he, but leonard himself. nick watt is on the case. ♪ mona lisa mona lisa ♪ ♪ men have named you >> reporter: who is she? is she smiling at me? if only we lived in the same century, we could have been -- hang on. now, they're saying she might be a guy? not just any guy. a self-portrait. she might be da vinci himself in drag. >> leonardo is a renaissance man. why can't he be a transvestite, as well, and a cross-dresser? >> reporter: italian scientists believe the great man is buried in a french castle. and plan to dig up his skill. using "csi"-like technology, they'll rebuild his face. could he be the mona lisa. >> this sounds like a caper movie. reporter: mona lisa was painted around 500 years ago. beyond that, we know almost nothing. a new documentary, "mona lisa revealed," suggests there's a hidden love note. the real mystery and always has been, who is she? a merchant's wife? da vinci's mum? or some may say, da vinci himself in drag. a jo? a riddle. we're all familiar with da vinci's love of riddles from a rather successful book and movie. if the mona lisa is a riddle, self-portrait in drag, somewhere out there, da vinci will be laughing that it's taken us 500 years to solve it. for "good morning america," nick watt, abc news, london. >> i guess he'll be laughing. i think leave the man at peace. >> who really cares? it's a beautiful painting. and we got to hear nat king cole singing "mona lisa." when we come back, the new gadget that has everybody buzzing. why does lubriderm work so well with skin? one reason? lubriderm® ontains th same nutrients naturally found nin healthy skin. skin absorbs it nfor a clinically tested 24 hours. for skin that looks and feels truly comfortable. lubriderm®. yourmoisture matched. because metlife removed ifshe guesswork.ier combining the insurances family's need most, term life and disability, in one affordable package. see just how affordable it is to start building your safety net at metlife.com. e if i can tell you something about osteoporosis you don't already know. it runs in families - my mother has it, and now i have it. so even though i tried to keep my bones strong, it wasn't enough. now, once-monthly boniva is helping me do more. it didn't just stop my bone loss. boniva worked with my body to !stop and reverse my bone loss. and studies show, after ne year on boniva,, nine out of ten women stopped nd reversed theirs, too., (announcer) " don't take boniva if you have low blood calcium, severe kidney disese, or can't sit, or stand for at .least one hour., follow dosing instructions carefully. stop taking boniva and tell " your doctor if you have difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain or severe orontinuing heartburn, as these may be signs of serious .upper digestive problems., if jaw problems or severe bone, joint, and/or muscle pain develop, tell your doctor. you've got one body and one #life, so don't wait. ask your doctor if boniva can help you stop losing and tart reversing. (announcer) for a free trial offer call 1-800-4-boniva or visit boniva.com always well made always well designed always with free design service now with extraordinary savings ethan allen... always well worth it and now, apple has a special media event scheduled in san francisco tomorrow. steve jobs said it's the most important thing he's ever done. and becky worley joins us live from the san francisco bay area, via skype. this is something. steve jobs has been part of apple from the very beginning. now, he says this is the most important thing he's ever done? >> it's a big statement. and it actually starts with a very mild invitation from apple that said, simply, come see our latest creation. and no one knows what that creation is. but silicon valley is buzzing, george, about the idea of a tablet computer. and the thought that it's from steve job and company, has tech fans on their seats. >> apple about to introduce this new tablet device this week. and it says it will revolutionize the way families ignore each other. >> reporter: ask anyone. they'll tell you whait should look like. >> a giant iphone. an iphone on steroids. >> i'd like it to be lightweight and have a lot of memory. >> a monster ipod touch. >> reporter: so much isn't known about apple's latest creation. but after some digging, patents and trait mark files show us that it may be i-slate or i-pad. verizon, a partner that could prv always-on connectivity. while there is speculation all over the web. >> between seven to ten inches. >> reporter: there's nothing official from apple yet. >> a steady stream of rumor ps it will be able to download applications. full color. one of the big uses for this tablet could be consuming traditional media. but in a whole new way. some people are talking about steve jobs saving the publishing industry. >> reporter: could this device still unseen, do all that? sources close to steve jobs report him saying, this will be the most important thing i've ever done. but launching yet another expensive gadget in this economy is a serious challenge. even far company reporting record profits in a recession. >> come wednesday, we're going to pop that big bubble of rumors. and we're going to fill it with facts. >> now, tablet computers as a whole are not new. bill gates them introduced them in 2001. this is from hewlett-packard. a beautiful touch screen. this one is from plastic logic. you can see the form here. pap paper-thin. with apple jumping into the category, we're all abuzz. >> sam is jumping out of his seat. so, real quickly. any sense of how much thing might cost? >> you know, it's probably going to be more than $400, which is the high-end ipod. and less than 1,000, is what people are hoping. >> sam will be first in line. thanks, becky. see you tomorrow. coming up, the movie that sank "titanic's" record. coming up, the movie that sank "titanic's" record. what is it about "avatar"? if perfection is what you pursue, this just might change your course. meet the new class of world class. the twenty-ten ! lacrosse, from buick. may the best car win. 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>> i'm in. >> we're going. >> my brother said it was the best movie he's seen in 15 years. >> wow. we'll be back with rosie next half hour. stay here. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 tdd# 1-800-345-2550 to help with my investments. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 so where's that help when i need it? tdd# 1-800-345-2550 if i could change one thing... tdd# 1-800-345-2550 we'd all get a ton of great advice tdd# 1-800-345-2550 just for being a client. tdd# 1-800-345550 i mean, shouldn't i be able to talk about my money tdd# 1-800-345-2550 without it costing me a fortune? tdd# 1-800-345-2550 if i had my way, investment firms would be tdd# 1-800-345-2550 falling all over themselves to help me with my investnts. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 (announcer) at schwab investors rule. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 are you ready to rule? ♪ looks like it's time to stock up. so, save big at the stoc up & save sale at petsmart. sa up to 20% on hundreds of items. right now, at petsmart. until life shows up wih hungry. or, you can follow the weight watchers plan entirely online and learn life skills that pt you in charge. join for free right now and see how 31,000 food options giveyou options, and 1,800 recipes # keep them fresh, so when life comes knocking, you can learn to live it, and lose weight and kep it off. join for free right now .and get living. weight watchers online. top dieting. start living. to get more of the fiber you need every day, try fiberchoice. with the natural fiber found in fruits and vegetables and 33% more fiber per serving than benefiber. fiberchoice, the smart choice for th most fiber. you'll find the complete -- and completely affordable -- collection from van heusen at the men's store inside jcpenney and at jcp.com. style, quality and price matter. the oil crisis is over. i don't think so. our economy is bleeding billions for foreign oil... importing nearly 70% - much of it from countries that don't like us. that's billions we should use toreate american jobs. we have plenty of american natural gas, to power our trucks and bus fleets. it's cheaper, cleaner, abundant, and it's ours. we've had our wake up call. it's time to act. >> live, and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update." welcome back, everybody. i am alison starling with your local update. let's look at traffic and weather. we have an unfortunate incident that occurred this morning for metro rail customers. between shady grove and rock bill, those stations are closed with a shuttle bus -- shady grove and rockville. here we are at 270 with delays leaving father hurley boulevard down to the beltway. we will go to newschopper7. traffic armed the left is heading east on the dulles toll road of reston to get to the toll plaza. that is the normal volume. it is chilly this morning. it is not bad for this time of year. yesterday we were at 60 degrees, 38 degrees feels little chilly right now. your forecast for the day calls for partly sunny and may be a sprinkle but not a bad looking day. tonight, a fairly comfortable, thursday, clouds rolling, may be snow friday night into saturday. delays on the red line are after two metro workers were killed early this morning. there were hit by a maintenance vehicle while working on the tracks near the rockville metro station. one person died at the scene and the other at the hospital. a firefighter was injured while battling a fire in springfield. another news update at 8:25. for continous news corage, tune in to our sister station, newschannel8 brendon: did you know about 75% of walmart's store management team started as hourly associates? brendon: because at walmart we're about more than just jobs, we're about careers. brendon: and that makes life more fruitful for everyone. save money. live better. walmart. ♪ she's a lady whoa, whoa, whoa ♪ everything's coming up rosie. uh-huh. rosie o'donnell is here. she's back with a new special, celebrating what it means to be a family. we're going to talk to her all about it. talk parenting with her. talk politics with her. so, hold on to your seats, everyone. rosie in this half hour. >> enough of that. >> you said -- i have never interviewed her. >> i have not. can't wait. i'm robin roberts, everybody. hope you're having a great tuday morning. >> i'm george stephanopoulos. it's tuesday, january 26th. something i can wait for, headlights. i have a confession to make. whole family went through it about ten days ago. i had that treatment. the whole family did. >> he told me just moments ago that it happened. that's right. you have this reaction. and so, hopefully, when we talk about it later, we can bust some myths about it. >> dr. richard besser will be here to help us do it. and for those trying to get a handle on the monthly bills, there are ways to save on electric, cable. and so much more. first juju has the morning news. >> there's some breaking news we have to tell you from afghanistan. there's reports of a large explosion and apparent suicide attack in kabul, very close to a u.s. military base there. camp phoenix. lama hasan is on the phone. lama, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, juju. absolutely, there was a car bomb, as we know, targeting a u.s. convoy on what is known as the jalalabad road. we don't know of casualties just yet. it's early on. happened about an hour ago. this road has been targeted before. most of the nato bases are located on that road. >> lama hasan, reporting live from kabul. thank you. we'll keep our eyes on this story throughout the morning. back in this country, police in new jersey may have headed off a deadly attack. they say lloyd woodson of virginia was wearing a bullet-proof vest and hiding an assault rifle when he was arrested. inside his hotel room was a rocket-launcher and other major weapons. and a map of a u.s. military facility. a red and white middle eastern-looking head scarf. and officials do not believe that woodson is linked to any terror group. president obama is poised to call for a three-year freeze on all nonsecurity-related ne ed dc programs. the freeze to be announced in tomorrow night's state of the union address, would affect about one-eighth of the bruudge. meanwhile, senate democratic leaders are backing the president's jobs proposals. they are expected to present a $90 billion bill as early as today. back in this country, the florida mother charged with killing her daughter has been found guilty of check fraud. casey anthony was sentenced to time served in jail, while she's already paid the price for that crime. our andrea canning reports, it could cost her big when she goes on trial for her daughter's murder. >> reporter: after pleading guilty to check fraud monday, casey anthony showed a side of herself rarely seen. >> i just want to let everyone know that i'm sorry for what i did. i take complete and full responsibility for my actions. >> reporter: these surveillance pictures show anthony at local stores and banks, spending more than $600 of her friend's money in the summer of 2008. all while her daughter, caylee, was missing. >> i wish i had been a better friend. >> reporter: anthony will go on trial for murder as a convicted felon. >> we don't believe the jurors we're going to pick on this case are going to find her guilty because she wrote some bad checks. >> reporter: but a felony record could cast her as a liar. >> any competence defense lawyer will be concerned about the fact their client has six felony convictions. one conviction is bad enough. >> reporter: for "good morning america," andrea canning, abc news. >> clearly more to come on that story. that's the news at 8:04. now, to the weather with sam champion. good morning, sam. >> you know what, juju? i just walked down here. my good morning is not nearly enough. look at the size of this crowd. okay, everybody. give us a good good morning. go ahead. [ cheers ] i'm telling you. so, front-runners, running saturday. >> yeah. >> not. little too chilly. you guys are from where? new jersey? >> yeah. >> is that right? >> yeah. >> look at the faces here. you're all so close here. you look suspiciously similar, like you could be part of the same family. let's get to the boards. one or two things to know about. iowa yesterday, the blizzard conditions in minnesota. they were asking people not to travel on the ad. they even took the plows off the road. whiteout conditions with 50-mile-per-hour winds. today, still breezy. dangerous driving conditions. this cold blast drops down and heads, i'm talking to you, front-runners, heads to new york, by the weekend. we're talking about cold air. chicago 17 degrees by thursday. detroit, 22 by tuesday. you know that heads to >> a very. it is a bit cooler at the mo we have had the last day or so. we are near 40. 41 in bethesda. 39 in alexandria. 40 downtown. let's take a look at the maps. a fairly calm pattern for the next couple of days. the cold air comes in from the north. there could be i'm telling you. i'm on the other side of the studio. it's just as crowded. robin? >> full house, sam. thanks. the your family's health and the word that strikes fear in the hearts of parents of school-aged children, lice. it's affecting schoolchildren, second to the common cold. how can you stop your kids from getting it? if they do, how can you get rid of it? our dr. richard betssser, just back from haiti. >> it's tough on parents. it's even tougher on children, who will suffer not just the itching from the lice, but the teasing they may get from classmates. the truth about how they get lice and adults, too, they're not immune. it may surprise you. >> wouldn't it be funny if you came over just for a simple play date and you left with lice? >> reporter: "cougar town" star, courteney cox, joked with conan o'brien about lice in her daughter's hair. >> i got it. and it wasn't so funny anymore. >> reporter: with up to 12 million case every year, delousing is big business. maria says her national chain, hair fairies, is the starbucks of lice removal. >> we serve over 15,000 families. 2 million bugs. and about 30 million eggs. ♪ >> reporter: the larussa family is fighting their second household bout of head lice. is it embarrassing? >> uh-huh. >> reporter: it was? >> sometimes i feel like if anybody ever found out or something at school, it might be just like, you know, spread around and stuff. >> i was upset. and psychologically, you actually get itchy, all over, just thinking about it. >> i'm getting itchy, having this conversation. what was the worst thing about having lice? >> probably the itchiness. and what it looks like. kind of gross you out. >> reporter: except for the grossout exacter, head lice are harmless. >> head lice do not transmit diseases. >> reporter: professor michael roup, agreed to show us lice up close and personal. >>hese guys are actually starting to feed. i can feel kind of a little tingling, trickily sensation on the surface of my skin. over the span of about two to ten minutes, they'll drink my blood, fill up, more than double their body weight. that's like me drinking a 200-pound milk shake in 10 minutes. >> reporter: the most common myth out there is that you get head lice due to poor hygiene. false. another myth, they can spread to your body. not so. head lice stay on your head. a final misconception, is that lice are jumpers. >> they do not jump or fly. if that were the case, the entire u.s. would have lice. >> good point. a lot of great information there. but harmless. >> an important thing people need to remember, is lice don't transmit disease. but there's a lot of emotional toil. our son went to camp two years ago. and arrived. they thought he had lice. and they shaved his head. and it was very, very upsetting to him. and colored his whole summer. so, there aren't diseases that come from this. but there is a lot of impact from lice. >> we have some right here. and it's so tiny, tiny. how does it work? >> they are very small. you can look at your child's especially, if your child has light-colored hair, you don't see these. these lice were alive and kicking and moving around. they're dead. important point for people to remember, they don't live for long off of a human body. they need that meal. there's not a lot of transmission from articles. but there is some. >> we hear about when there's an outbreak in a school. parents are concerned. they want to pull their kids out of school. what do you do? >> schools -- there's a lot of material for schools on how to control this. good news is, over the course of a weekend, the lice all die. from friday to monday, your school is really fine. that's a period to check children, do lice checks. and make sure that everyone in that school, even those that aren't itchy, have been checked for lice. while most children have itchiness, not all will. you want to make sure that once a child is treated, they're not just getting it from sharing it with a child. the big way to get this is sharing combs anhats and scarves. i think our son got it from sharing catchers gear. >> talk about treatment. >> treatment involves the individual family members in a household. there's over-the-counter products to treat. you want to use them properly. it requires more than one treatment. following that treatment, you can use a fine-tooth comb to brush out the nits. vinegar on the air loosen the nits. they stick firmly to the hair. that's a good way to tell the difference between dandruff, which brushes off easily. and lice, that hangs on sightly. check and clean the linens. >> any of the treatments sound familiar? >> we did it all. the conditioner in the air. the baking soda. no vinegar. we didn't use vinegar. did the combing. and everyone's lice is gone. >> as soon as he told us. >> people have those reactions. everyone does. >> yeah. all right. you cafind out more of dr. besser's tips at abcnews.com. next, right over there. rosie o'donnell. don't start scratching, rosie. rosie o'donnell. don't start scratching, rosie. >> grossed out by that. e have e. a car that can help awaken its driver if he begins to doze. keep him in his lane if he starts to wander. even stop itself... if he becomes distracted. if you want to see the future of the automobile, look at where the e-class is...today. this is the 9th generation e-class. this...is mercedes-benz. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial. to lower yourptional offers bad cholesterol but your good cholesterol and triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole picture. ask your doctor about trilipix. if you're at high risk of heart disease and taking a statin to lower bad cholesterol, along with diet, adding trilipix can lower fatty triglycerides and raise good cholesterol to help improve all three cholesterol numbers. trilipix has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or stroke more than a statin alone. trilipix is not for everyone, including people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, or nursing women. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. blood tests are needed before and during treatment to check for liver problems. pain or weakness, as this can be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. this risk may be increased when trilipix is used with a statin. if you cannot afford your medication, call 1-866-4-trilipix for more information. trilipix. there's more to cholesterol. get the picture. but there's one that makes your skin look better even after you take it off. 98% of women who tried neutrogena healthy skin makeup thought so. does your makeup do that? neutrogena cosmetics. it activates on contact leaving youskin moisturized. it's clinically proven to fight skin dryness better than any regular men's body wash... leaving your skin feeling comfortable. be comfortable in your own skin. has focused on making the best-tasting... sour cream for over four generations. it's made with farm-fresh cream that's 100% natural. no preservatives. and no added hormones. ♪ do-do a dollop of daisy we're going to look, now, at the modern family. rosie and i have been talking for the last five minutes. we c keep the conversation going. she's here because she has a new documentary on hbo, that explores the nature of families. it's called "a family is a family is a family." good to see you. >> good to see you. >> i've only been doing this about a month. you were on daytime tv. what do i need to know? >> you're doing pretty well. just relax. and remember that not everyone's a politician. and you don't have to grill them. she said lovingly, smiling. it's a different gig, right? >> you're right. >> you're speaking for the people. the populous. you're saying, are your a slimy politician? but with celebrities, just gentle. >> good advice. you're taking control already. tell us about this amazing documentary. how is that? >> i had dinner with marlo thomas, i adore. i said i want to do "free to be you and me" can i have the rights? >> she said you don't need the rights. what is your subject? i said equality and families. she said, just go do it. and i went to she'ila nevins. i said what do you say? it's our third one togethe and i think it's beautiful. >> did anything surprise you about the kids in this? >> everything. the woman, amy schotts, she finds the most amazing kids. and she elicits responses from them, that each response is a pearl of wisdom. kids saying the truth about their life is really accessible to everyone. >> you didn't have to look too far. some of your kids are in this, as well. your daughter vivian. we have a scene of you and vivian. >> what kind of family do you think you're going to have when you get big? >> i don't know. >> are you going to get married and have kids? what about kai from school? >> he's not as old as me. he's 5. >> he's 5 and you're 6? >> yeah. >> that would be robbing the cradle. >> why do we need families? >> we need families so we have people to take care of us and people we can take care of. and so that we can learn what it means to love all the way. >> there is a mother's pride right there. >> yes, indeed. >> she's not going to go for the younger men? >> i don't know. this kai is pretty fantastic. he's the cutest kid i've ever seen. and he does not enjoy being called cute. he's lit. he has very long hair. you just want to pick him up. and every time i see him, i go you're so cure -- curious. you can't call him cute. >> you have four children. your new partner has six. that's quite a blended family. >> that makes ten. i did that in my head. that's a lot of kids. to some people, that seems insurmountable and ridiculous. but somehow, it feels all right. >> our eldest daughter, ellie, is going through a "brady bunch" phe. she got the dvds for her birthday. this is the modern-day "brady bunch." >> or "yours, mine and ours." that lucille ball movie. when something happens in your life. you meet somebody. it clicks. you move forward with certainty. and you go, you know, hopefully with grace. >> so, you have ten. anymore? >> listen. you know, i'm concerned like a lot of people about the situation in haiti. i would love it if the government would employee an envoy for adoptions. and we could facilitate the adoption of children or fostering them here in america. with the knowledge that, should the parents be found, should the country recover -- >> they go back. >> of course. you don't want to take natural resources from a country, the most prized ones. but this is a crisis of epic proportions. i'm hoping that the president will appoint an ambassador, somebody that can do that. once we get those kids situated, we can work on the kids in foster care in the united states. >> and that community in pittsburgh, adopted 54 children from the haitian ocerganization. >> and i think many people would say yes. people understand that these children are coming from a traumatic situation. you're more able to understand that this could be a safe place for them to land until they go back home. you know? so, i would be totally open to doing that, in any capacity. and would hope to facilitate that here. >> no grilling. but a little politics. let's do a lightning round. first thing that comes to your mind. president obama, year one? >> i still have faith, is what i can say. i'm not looking for a quick fix. i think we're an instant gratification society. and the last eight years were horrific by anyone's standard. and to right that vessel takes more than one year. and i have faith in him. i think he's an amazing leader. >> anything disappoint you over the last year? >> not really. i think i understand the parameters of what's involved. everybody has the greatest ideals when they walk in there. and it's a quagmire. and congress is stuck. people are fighting. people are trying to get re-elected. and there's our lovely senator from connecticut. and so, you know. >> i guess i know each one you're thinking of. >> mr. lieberman. and to think that, you know, you can judge everything about what he has accomplished by what he has not, i think does everyone a disservice. >> tiger woods? >> i feel sorry for him. i'm probably one of the only women i know who do. do does. he was a child prodigy. i equate him to michael jackson. he was pushed out on the scene. i don't know. i think everybody has demons. you know, sexuality in this country is so kind of seen in a paradigm that's unrealistic. and it's a difficult thing to be the most famous guy in the world and the most famous golfer. i don't know. i don't feel as hatred about it. >> we only have a few seconds left. oprah leaving in september 2010. "new york post" says maybe you'll come back. >> no. first of all, no one could follow oprah winfrey. and no one should. she was the best there ever was. to be on her show was perfect. >> that's the word from rosie o'donnell. thanks very much. we'll be right back. you know what will really ge us in the spirit? ♪ 99 boxes of raisin bran crunch ♪ ♪ if you're nice to me i'll share some with you ♪, ♪ you take one down ( and pass it around ) ♪ ♪ 98 boxes of raisin bran crunch ♪, three tasty ingredients, one great combination. ♪ raisin bran crunch! from kellogg! gotta get that bacon! there, in that bag! mom: who wants a beggin' strip? dog: me! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum... it's beggin'! hm... i love you! beggin' strips! there's no time like beggin' time! , yum, yum, yum... it's beggin'! hm... i love you! vegetables are naturally low in calories. v8 juice gives you 3 of your 5 daily servings. it's a tast, nutritious way to mke this number go up... and help this one go down. v8. what's yournumber? [ female announcer ] we all love. ♪ we all share. ♪ we all create. ♪ and we all get dirty. try new and improved all with more cleaning ingredients. all's trusted, powerful stainlifters help get your whole wash incredibly clean. and costs up to 40% less than the leading brand. for all your laundry, it's all good. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. good morning. i am doug mckelway. time for a look at traffic and the weather. >> we have an interesting scenario in virginia. 95 has settled down between fredericksburg and the springfield. nothing on 66. i will take you live northbound 395. here we are looking at traffic leaving the beltway at duke street. this delay wil carry you all the way to the 14th street bridge. that is no surprise. on 270 southbound, you'll find slow traffic beginning at father hurley boulevard. the metro rail, the red line customers using the highway because the shady grove and rockville stations are closed. shuttle service has been established. heavier on the highway. not only 270 but 355, as well. we will allow the weather after this. -- we will have the weather after this. >> a very good morning. take a look across the city. we do have a fair amount of cloud cover. upper level energy will swing through. temperatures in the 40's. this afternoon, we cannot rule out a sprinkle chance. much cooler than yesterday. back in the 30's and 20's tonight. a bit cooler tomorrow but still pretty pleasant. some snow could be moving in on friday into saturday. we will be right back. investigators are at the scene of another deadly action on metrobus red line. two employees were hit by a prime mover piece of maintenance equipment. one man died at the scene. there is no red line service between the shady grove and rockville stations. one firefighter has been injured after battling a fire in springfield. this happened at the 5600 block of heming avenue. proposed budget cuts in fairfax county school systems are targeting sports teams to foreign language class. a lot of people are upset. students and parents sounded off last night in falls church. >> i have one question for you. if you were a kid like me, how would you feel if you had the programs you enjoy in life taken away from you? >> the school system is facing a 107 $6 million budget deficit. they might charge students $100 to participate in sports. tai shan will be heading home. he has been a big attraction at the zoo. he is on loan from china. the zoo is throwing a huge goodbye party on saturday. your last day to see him will be february 3. for continuing news coverage, you can tune to our sister station, news channel 8. ♪ the songs of our soldiers. ♪ somewhere beneath the stars and the sky ♪ lifting up their voices to help troops returning from war and their families. bob woodruff spent some time with this singing group. you hear bob at piano. >> nice. >> oh, that's the -- okay, bob. okay. bob is going to bring us their remarkable story of courage and healing, coming up. >> the multitalented bob woodruff at the piano. >> i think he's blushing right now. >> he's loving it. good morning, america, on this tuesday morning. i'm robin, here with george, juju and sam. also this morning, so many people are struggling with their monthly household bills in these tough economic times. so, elisabeth leamy has come up with ways you never thought of before to cut those bills down. everything from cable to electricity. and she's going to show you how to do it. and guess who is in the house? he's right over there. can you say movie star good looks? a new romantic comedy. we'll be talking to josh duhamel, coming up. sam, speaking of good looks? >> aw. and jewelry -- as we're attached to the hip, let's get to the boards this morning. couple of things. rry about the jewelry. we'll show you as this storm left new england yesterday, and still a little breezy today. but bond 56 gives us t twitter picture of what it looks like. we're sitting in front of a big window with robin. she was pointing at the clearing going, look, look. there it goes. here's the big board today. we have that one, little sn snowmaker in the northwest. it's getting cold and breezy dropping out of the great lakes. all of the systems moving across the co >> a very good morning. we have numbers in the 30's out there. mid 40's this afternoon. maybe a sprinkle. cool but sunny tomorrow. maybe a sprinkle. cool but sunny tomorrow. all that weather was brought to you by thermacare heat wraps. robin? >> all right, sam. from the battlefield to the recording studio. back from iraq and afghanistan. they came back from the war and immediately set their sights on a different mission. music. they formed a band called four troops. and bob woodruff joined them for a recording session, as we heard. >> reporter: i didn't know wt to expect. i had this great chance to see them record this wonderful, new cd they're putng out. they turn out to be fantastic. the bad news, as you already know, is i was so inspired by them, i decided to have a little bit of playing the piano and singing really, really badly. check it out. >> let's see. ♪ somewhere beneath the stars and the sky ♪ ♪ our flag is still standing there ♪ >> reporter: they're in fatigues but far from fighting. four veterans of the iraq war, back home and following their dream. ♪ still lead us there still there ♪ >> reporter: to make music that will inspire the american spirit, they're a new group called four troops. ♪ the brave >> every troop, no matter where they've been has a story to tell. it can be a story of courage or loss. or brotherhood. and i think that for us, this opportunity iso unique because we get to tell our stories and share our experiences through music. >> reporter: sergeant david clement, sergeant daniel gens, agent ron henry, and captain meredith melcher, veterans with their experience of war fresh in their minds. >> you don't think of anything but watching your back when you get there. >> reporter: do you think you move closer to the love of music? >> oh, yeah. it became my friend out there. and to be able to use it as a tool, to bring buddies closer together. >> i've gotten a lot of hey, ron, can you sing this song? will you sing this song? it makes me think of my family. >> reporter: what did you see in iraq? >> february 14th, 2003. we made it all the way up from baghdad to ballad. and we established the first medical clinic there. and we evacuated casualties. >> reporter: you helped set up the hospital in ballad, where my life was saved? it was there, where doug vogt and i were sent there. without soldiers like meredith, i would not be here today. ♪ lean on me i'll be your friend ♪ >> reporter: 100% soul. ♪ i'll help you carry on >> reporter: but 0% skill. all right. i missed it. but these vets do have skills. ♪ i am beautiful no matter what they say ♪ ♪ words can't bring me down ♪ >> reporter: they have been impressing audiences for years. long before this new record deal, singing at ceremonies, army talent shows, even appearing on "military idol." >> i am a soloist. but i understood, that them coming together, they would be stronger. we're forming a unit, if you will. >> reporter: music is about the most competitive business. what do you think the chances are this will really take off? >> i think they're pretty good. >> really, it's bigger than just us as a group. there's families of soldiers that are gone. i really look at us, this group, as, you know, not about us making it. but about us standing in the gap between the veterans, the soldiers that are deployed, the families of those soldiers. just inspire a spirit of america. >> plus, it's a way of saying thank you to everyone for the support. every soldier would like to say thank you back. ♪ and hands up high and for freedom ♪ >> reporter: four troops back home. but still, on a mission. ♪ >> reporter: you know, i really should tell you that the thing i thought was really interesting about these guys. they said that the battlefield really prepared them for the tough music industry, as well. they got really thk skins, i have to say. they say for soldiers, music, it is more about morale than entertainment. the single is going to be called "for freedom." and a full album is out on may 25th. they'll donate the profit of this for the charities that help the veterans. that's wonderful. >> they are the real deal. so much talent that they have. and you, too. >> you should play next. >> no, no. the relationship that you continue to have with our soldiers is just -- >> i have no choice. they're my brothers and sisters, totally. can't let go. >> no. they all have a story to tell. >> now that i can hear. >> thank you, bob. it's great to see you, as always. you can watch the entire music video of their first single on our website. that extreme cold that gripped most of the nation this month is pushing home heating bills into the stratosphere, at a time when so many americans are struggling in this economic times. economic concerns, pocketbook issues, the number one concern on the minds of most americans right now. we're going to go to elisabeth leamy, who joins us from washington, with money-saving information that could help you cut hundreds of dollars a month from your household bills. eli, the big expense is right up at the top. home power, home energy. >> that's right. our first way to save on power. many states have deregulated their power industries so that alternative companies can compete for your business. they're called retail energy providers or r.e.p.s. and often, they offer discounts off of the energy rate. some will let you lock in a rate, so you can have peace of mind that your power bills will not spike. check the reputation of the r.e.p. before committing. john underwood of texas, saved $2,042 a year. next, if you install energy-efficient windows, doors, insulati insulation, appliances, that will cut youenergy bills. here's the best part. right now, the federal government will kick in $1,500 of your costs in the form of a tax credit. plus, additional rebates from state governments and utilities. we'll link you to the information you need from our website. finally, you can join a kilowatchers program. you agree to let the power company to cycle your air conditioners off. they install a radio control device to do this. this saves the power company's grid and saves you money. up to $400 a year on average. >> is there a time limit on that federal credit or the state credits? >> it goes until 2016. you have plenty of time. >> plenty of time. next, cell phone costs. >> the number one way to save on cell phone service is to fit a plan that fits your calling patterns. there are thousands of plans, making it impossible to analyze on your own. but for just $5, the website, y myvalleydos.com will analyze your cell phone bill. now, there is also another great tool for big talkers, in danger of going over their maximum minutes each month. you can track your talk time with overmyminutes.com. it wl let you know when you are about to run out of minutes. and your employer may be able to pass along a discounted cell phone rate. some companies get as much as 17% off. josh davis of manchester, new hampshire, discovered this perk and saved himself $204 a year, george. >> here's my pet peeve, cable bills. it's hard to figure out what you're paying for half the time. >> yes. they are tough. here's a solution. cable companies don't like to advertise this. but there is a more basic plan than what they call basic cable. it's often called lifeline cable. and it typically gives you channels 2 through 14, if you find you really only watch the basic channels and you really only have cable to get good reception, this is for you. annual savings around $420 a year. the next tip is more about saving the environment. but also saves you a little bit of money. many cable companies will pay you to forgo your paper bill. time warner, for example, offers a $1 credit each month if you go paper less. if you really want to save on cable, you could cancel it. these days it's possible to see all your favorite shows some other way. the websitesps cancelcable.com. the average cable bill is $720 a year. >> give us the grand total. what's the big savings? >> drumroll, please. if you add up the nine strategies we showed you. the total is $5,748. of course, your savings will vary, depending on your circumstances. but these are easy possibilities for people. >> great stuff. thanks very much. you can find more of her tip funny how that josh is a vikings fan and i'm a saints fan. we're rehashing the big nfc title game. i digress. emmy award winning actor, josh duhamel. did i say that right? he's joining us live in the studio this morning. he's starring in the new comedy, "when in rome," about a young woman who finds a fabled fountain of love. and she steals the hearts of the men who threw in the coins. it's a very lovely romantic comedy. >> it's based on a true story. >> i didn't know that. >> no. >> didn't you study like art history in school? and so, being this is set in rome, and to be there -- >> i did. i did study -- art was my minor in college. so, i studied a lot in the places that we actually saw when we went to rome. it was kind of a dream come true for me to go and see some of the places that i only saw in books before that. i had one day off. and i took out a vespa. just sort of cruised around the city, not knowing where i was going. and did as the romans did that day. there's literally 9 million of those things riding around the city. >> when in rome. >> exactly. that's exactly what i did. >> didn't you bring someing special for your grandmother? >> how did you know about that? >> i know stuff. >> my grandmother collects thimbles. thimbles for sewing. >> right. >> i got her a thimble from the vat vatican. >> from the vatican. >> being the good catholic she is. >> you're in now. this is the point of the interview where we play a little clip from the movie. >> okay, good. >> and the maid of honor, kristen bell. she said great things about you, josh. >> she didn't mean any of them. >> she did. it was right after the -- not the s.a.g.s. it was after the golden globes. she's the maid of honor. and you have a little bit of an interesting conversation here. >> okay. >> "when in rome." >> i wanted to ask you before. who is your service provider? >> why? >> i saw you e-mailing earlier. and i kind of have signal envy. can i send one quick work e-mail? >> you can't have my phone. >> why not? >> you're just gng to take my number. >> i'm not going to take your number. >> you're going to take my phone. and you will have my number. i can't have you calling me at 2:30 in the morning. >> i do. i need to block it from my phone. >> you can't have it. it's off. >> it's on vibrate? >> no. it's off. >> like off-off? >> who would turn a cell phone off anymore? what would we do without a cell phone? >> we would beost. there was real magic between the two of you on screen. >> thank you. kristen is unbelievable. and this cast is unbelievable. i was pleased with the movie when i just saw it a couple of weeks ago. and i got to say, it's more of a comedy than a romantic comedy. there's a great romantic story that goes with it. when you have dak sheppard and will arnett and danny devito and jon heder. all these people really made it a rich, funny comedy. >> a little bit of a physical comedy, too. you were doing some of your own stunts. it looked a little hairy. >> yeah. i love doing that kind of stuff. when i was out on my children back in the day, they let me do that. and a little on "vegas." but the director, mark steven johnson, let us go bonkers on this movie. they kept a lot of the stuff that i didn't think they were going to keep. and i think it all works. >> it does all work. your beautiful wife, fergie. i know you celebrated a one-year anniversary. >> thank you very much. >> that means applause. that means applause, people. >> all right. [ applause ] all right. >> she's a -- >> she's at the hotel right now watching this. hi, babe. how are you? >> get him on camera. so you can see him. she sang in "9." did it give you a rome kind of feel. >> i can't remember what happened first? i think this came after. they have the italian theme going. did you see the movie? she's unbelievable. her little number. that girl's crazy talented. it scares me sometimes. >> everything's good. >> everything's fantastic. >> and you're going to be working with samuel l. jackson. >> i don't know if i will or not. i heard it last year. i'm the last one to find anything else. i play golf with him quite a bit. >> who is better? >> he is. >> he plays all the time. >> he takes my money. like he doesn't have enough money. >> all right. will you root for the saints now that we knocked your vings out? >> you know? i think -- i'm a huge fan of manning and brees to be honest. they're both exceptional quarterbacks. i just want a good game. my team is out. i want it to be a good game. >> it was a good game. i thought you all at the end were going to kick it. >> i'm still upset about that. you keep bringing thatp. >> i'm sorry. >> we were that close. packer fans probably wanted us to get back to the super bowl, to see us lose a fifth one. i have a lot of packer friends. >> the control room, too. they're like, that's right. you are a delight, as always. continued blessings in all t tomorrow, we're going to be here. hope you will, too. don't you work out with bob green? >> i try not to embarrass myself too much. >> bob green is going to be here. >> see you then. >> have a great day, everybody. >> bye-bye. >> live and in hd, tn abc 7 news update. good morning. i am doug mckelway. let's get a look at traffic and the weather. >> 66, 95 seem to be improving to get up to the beltway. georgia avenue, you'll find problems with gas line break issues. this has been georgia avenue. we'll take you there live to pliers mill road. they found two broken gas lines of there. beautiful at the beltway. the american legion bridge. no problems at the beltway on more for road. we will back up from montrose road and show you delays are hefty from montgomery village avenue to about montrose road on 270 and then things start to improve. there are issues on the red line that will get to after brian van de graaff. >> we have numbers in the 30's. it will be a mix of clouds and sunshine. there could be a sprinkle today. it will be a nice winter day. yesterday was 68 to. a bit of a breeze. it will clear out. about 30. comparable tomorrow with lots of sunshine. a good-looking day on thursday. maybe a chance for some snow on saturday. >> thank you. two metro train technicians are dead after an accident on the red line. this was near the rockville station. one man died at the scene. the other at the hospital. there is no red line service between the shady grove and rockville stations. think for watching. brendon: did you know walmart is designing stores that are over 20% more energy efficient? vo: plus, we're committed to one day powering every one of our stores in america with 100% renewable energy. vo: because we believe the best way to power savings, is innovation. save money. live better. walmart. men don't merge. the woman will sit there and wait. this is what men do. you see where i am over here? and, ka-blam, and then we're all an hour late. depend brand. for women and men.

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