Transcripts For WJLA ABC News Good Morning America 20100402

good morning, america. on this friday, april 2nd, i'm george stephanopoulos. >> and i'm robin roberts. this morning the new jobs report is out today. does it mark a significant turning point in the economy? we have a closer look at what the numbers really mean. our experts weigh in. also, overnight president obama announces tough, new security rules after he gets a scathing report on the nation's trains and highways. why are mass transit systems are at higher risk nine years after 9/11. caught on tape. the granny accused of stealing nearly a million dollars from her family and friends, even her pastor. how did she go from being a scam victim to scam artist? and the 3-d dilemma. so many 3-d movies so popular at so few screens. can hollywood take box office profits to a whole new dimension? happy good friday to you. >> good friday to all christians out there. we have a lot of news this morning. it's a big day for everyone looking for signs that the job market may be finally coming back. the new jobs report for march is out. economists are bullish expecting the best job growth in tee years but the big question is, will it be strong enough to show that the worst is really over and the economy is ready to take off again? >> that is the question people want answered. quite a week on "gma." as always we've had terrific guests and she's back. we had such an overwhelming response to our visit from raqu welch, we asked her to come back to weigh in on some of the week's hottest topics from sandra bullock's husband going to rehab, new diet recommendations. >> she is ready to play on everything. we'll begin with those march job numbers being released. bianna golodryga is here. bianna, there is so much buzz on washington about this report, everyone wants to know will this be theood news. >> we came close in february but if forecasts prove true march could be the first month in a long time that jobs e added to the economy. forecasts call for anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 while the unemployment rate is expected to remain at 9.7%. after two years of job losses, many economists expect march to be the turning point. >> we're looking for payrolls in march to have risen by 300,000. >> reporter: does that mean a permanent turnaround for the nearly 15 million seeking work? not necessarily. >> i think the numbers over the next two or three months are going to be temporarily inflated by the hiring of all people to follow up with the census form. >> reporter: in fact the census bureau started to hire the more than 1 million temporary workers it will need this year to complete the once in a decade head count of the u.s. population. but those jobs are expected to start fading by the summer. still, there are indications that the economy is recovering. a new report shows that manufacturing grew at its fastest pace since 2004. i.t., accounting and retail sectors are also seeing a comeback. but unemployment still remains a problem for many states. 9 highest levels on the map show where the worst unemployment ra rates are, michigan is number one, among the five states where unemployment has risen the most recently virginia has been hit the hardest. where jobs are returning, florida leads the list with the biggest jump in new jobs. even if they're slowly returning those with jobs on average are experiencing the largest drop in wages in 20 years. people like sara lee, a single mother who is employed but now has to apply for assistance. >> i have not received a raise for the last two years. i'm really on the fence of survival basically so to speak. >> on a more positive note small businesses which account for over half of u.s. employers are expected to add 50,000 jobs in march according to the small business employment index. what is so significant about it, it's been more difficult for them to recover, still, george, even if we see a recovery we need to see 300,000 jobs added each month for the unemployment rate to come sdoung. >> they have to be the engine of job creation. now joined by former labor secretary robert reich, now professor at u. cal berkeley and co-author of "winning" and our new "gma" contributor, susie welch. welcome to you both. bob, let me begin with you. is this the turning point? >> we hope so, george. certainly the job numbers have been getting a little better over the past few months or maybe i should say thought as bad as they have been but the big question mark is, number one, how much are the census hirings, these temporary census hiring workers going to distort it and can it be sustained because the good job numbers are in part a result of t stimulus, really at its peak right now, and, secondly, consumers who were spending a little bit more but wages ve not increased. >> those are the big questions, susie. you know, those census hirings going to continue through the spring but this issue where businesses, productivity has gone up. business has found a way to do more and make more with fewer workers. >> right. and what we're seeing is this is a recovery being led by corporate profit, not like previous recoveries and i do think we've seen the bottom not that we'll shoot straight up but i think we've seen the bottom. all the indicators show positive signs. and yet the question is, is it a boom or a boomlet? profits have been coming into the system, but that's because of these deep, deep cuts that companies have made. >> that's right, and, bob, echoing ur point, treasury secretary tim geithner said unemployment will be unacceptably high for a long period of time. so the big question is, what more, if anying, does the government need to do about it? >> well, the government certainly can help small businesses, george, in terms of getting credit to them. although small businesses are getting a little bit more credit than they had before. they can borrow a little bit more easily than before. they are the engines of job growth. they are still having a difficult time getting the -- borrowing the money they need. the second thing the government can do is make it a little bit easier for state and lal governments to get by. remember, state and local governments are restricted in terms of their deficits and as a result, they are continuing to shed jobs by, you know, millions including teachers and firefighter and raise taxes. >> suzy, that means more aid to state and local governments. can you buy that? >> george, you have to remember that small business has been through a car wreck. they feel as if they just, you know, had the wind kicked out of them. recession came faster, hit harder and really hit small business. so what they're worried about is are taxes going to go up? is health care costs going to go up? will they have to pay more for energy? if you keep stimulating that seor, others will say what about the real economy? where is the stimulus for us. >> the other thing they have to worry about, bob, is interest rates. one of the -- the recovery has been fueled by very low interest rates for a very long time right now and the question is, how long can the fed go keeping interest rates these low? >> well, the fed has signaled that it's going to keep rates low for a very long time but the tricky bit here is the possibility of inflation. the fed does not want to keep interest rates so low that it creates somewhere down the line some sort of a bubble or it creates the expectation of inflation and so it's a very delicate balancing act. >> very delicate. suzy, only have 30 seconds left. what should americans expect going forward? even if we start to recover are we going to have higher unemployment than we've been used to? >> we're going to certainly have higher unemployment than anyone would like and probably than we've been used to because companies will be slow -- cautiously optimistic with the emphasis on cautious in bringing people back in. they don't want to go through what they went through before and don't want to let people go and been able to bring in profits with fewer people so we the way that anybody would want so we're with these numbers for awhile now. >> suzy and bob, thank you very much. jake tapper will have a lot or on the economy this week. larry summers will be his guest and former fed chairman alan greenspan and has a lot more with us now. >> now to the chilling new assement of the nation's transportation system before you head out the door for your morning commute. it outlines the vulnerability of trains, subways and highways and the aforementioned jake tapper has more. >> reporter: good morning, robin. that's right. the study of security for the nation's surface transportation, that's subways and trains shows alarming vulnerabilities and comes at the same time president obama is revamping it for flights coming into the u.s. after the failed christmas day bombing attempt, the president introduced what one adviser calls a blunt instrument, additional screening for every passenger from 14 countries such as afghanistan and somalia but the obama administration is now scrapping that blunt instrument and replacing it with a system based on flat assessments and intelligence. >> and in the days ahead i will announce further steps to disrupt attacks including better integration of information and enhanced passenger screening for air travel. >> reporter: whereas the no fly list contains specific names, now airlines will be told to also look for, say, anyone with a passport stamped from a particular country or even a partial description. it's intelligence based instead of name based and came after a several-month study. a separate study looked at security for ground transportation, train, highways, subways and reached a more unnerving conclusion. more than eight years after 9/11, coordination among agencies and governments when if comes to threats and data about ground transportation systems "is not functioning properly, established roles and responsibilities have not been well communicated and are being disregarded." it's a frightening thought given the recent bloody subway bombings in moscow. >> surface transportation has not received the same attention, the same priority and the same resources as aviation security. >> reporter: the report issues 20 recommendations and some may surprise you that they need to be made at all. for instance, there is not one single agency taking the lead on all security risk-related information on transportation systems and assets." and robin, we should point out the obama administration does not have a permanent director of the tsa, of the transportation security administration, their second nominee withdrew his name from consideration a week ago after questions from lawmakers about his professional dealings. robin? >> we'll watch you on sunday. thank you. joining us is abc news consultant and former national security adviser richard clarke. a lot of people will be upset about this. it concludes the nation's transportation network is at elevated risk of attack, has been for the last ten years, so are authorities just asleep at the wheel here, richard? >> well, robin, subways and commuter rail are very hard to protect. much harder to protect than airplanes and airports, which is probably why terrorists attack them more. around the world terrorists have attacked subways and railroads about 20 times as often as they've attacked airplanes. >> we saw, of course, what happened in moscow on monday and there are a lot of people saying that could very well happen here in the u.s. is america's subway system vulnerable as you said? >> it's very vulnerable and we're not doing enough. for example, in new york, there are over 4,000 cameras in the new york subway system. but we recently discovered about half of them don't work because there's not enough money to do the maintenance necessary to have them working properly. >> well, that's frightening when we hear something like that and you heard in jake's report about the 20 recommendations and leading the way is saying that they need to designate a lead agency and the tsa has been nominated but they're still looking for a leader, as jake said so where does that leave us, richard? >> well, there is a fight between states and cities that run the subways and the federal government. and they both are pointing at each other as to who is in charge. our hope, robin, that this report will put enough light on the subject that tsa can take the responsibility and increase the security on the subways that millions of americs ride on every day. >> you don't want to hear when the report says it's inefficient and poorly coordinated. you have -- this is your -- this is your expeise here, richard. what are some of the solutions that you think should be put in place? >> well, one thing is to put in a lot of cameras and make sure they're running and working with the up-to-date software. another thing is to do random searches of people and only one city, new york city, does random searches of people entering the subway and even new york has really reduced the amount that they're doing rang dom search. >> talk about why those random searches -- you're right. it would be impossible to search everyone going through the system. why would they be effective, do you think? >> well, we hope that random searches deter terrorists. that if they think there is a chance they may be stopped by the police on the way into the subway before they can do the attack that they'll choose some other target or some other city. we don't have any proof of that but you're right. you can't search everyone. you can't search 5 million people going into the new york subway every day so you have to be selective and use intelligence. >> that's right and do something. richard clarke, thank you so much. have a good weekend. appreciate you being with us for your insight. bianna in for juju chang has other top stories. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with breaking news from washington state where an explosion and fire engulfed an north of seattle.t 70 miles four workers were hurt. three others are missing. the explosion was so loud that people thought it was a sonic boom. housesive miles away shook from the boom and, of course, we'll keep you posted as we learn more. turning overseas now. new defiance from iran over its nuclear program meeting with chinese officials today. the top nuclear negotiator said new sanctions will not stop his country from pursuing nuclear activities and comes just hours after president obama spoke on the phone from air force one with china's president who had agreed to attend a nuclear summit in washington this month. well, this morning there's a sign of life in that coal mine in china where 153 men have been trapped for days. today rescuers heard tappings and men shouting. the men have been stranded underground since it was flooded sunday. rescue workers are working around the clock to reach them. israel launched a series of air strikes overnight targeting what it claims were weapon storage sites in response to a rocket launched from gaza thursday. no one was hurt but israel is threatening a more wide-scale military operation in the rocket attacks continue. a man convicted of murdering a kansas abortion doctor has received the harshest sentence possible, life in prison with no chance of parole for 50 years. scott roeder said he killed dr. george tiller to save the unborn. finally, one man's sense of adventure got him a little tangled up 80 feet in the air flying a small parachute when a motor -- with a motor that ran out of gas and couldn't quite make it to a nearby clearing and called 911 from his cell phone because of course he has one on him, left dangling from a tree for two hours. a tree climber ended up coming to his rescue. this isn't the first time it happened to this man. >> the tree climbers happened to be passing by. >> bianna, thanks so much. time for the weather. sam champion, who is at the museum of science and industry in one of his fave city, chicago, chicago. >> chicago. good morning, robin, good morning, george, bianna. happy friday. cool stuff here at the chicago museum of science and industry. it's a brand-new exhibit that opened that's interactive. we will get inside a 40-foot tornado and so will you. to the boards, start with flooding going on in the northeast. those rivers that were at record flooding will come down off that record floodstage today but still be in flood over the weekend and extend from maine to north carolina. oklahoma city to dallas, kansas city, severe weather to look at today and we'll certainly talk about more about in this morning. beautiful day today, a lot of sunshine already and they are our comfortable temperatures in the next couple of days. 44 degrees in temple hills and everywhere is well into the 40's. the forecast today calls for nearly total sunshine, just as sunny as yesterday b >> all of america's weather in the next half hour live from chicagoland and, george, we'll make lightning in the next half hour. >> i cannot wait to see that. sam, we'll turn now to the 3-d revolution. "avatar" may not have taken home the oscar but hollywood got the message loud and clear. it doesn't mean just larger than life pictures but profits. it's all about 3-d with a slew of potential blockbusters being released. not all those thters are ready for the revolution as david wright explains. >> have yoseen what's happening out there. >> reporter: what happens when "clash of the titans" meets "how to train your dragon"? and at alice in wonderland." >> alice, it's you. >> reporter: all in 3-d, all on the same holiday weekends. >> this is absolutely a traffic yam at the movie theaters and something has got to give. >> reporter: the production of 3-d blockbusters is now moving quicker than the movie theaters are installing 3-d screens. o many movies, not enough high-tech movie theaters. movieplexes are facing an impossible choice. here at the pacific theater they have 18 screens but only two of them are 3-d so as soon as "clash of the titans" open, "alice in wonderland" is back to two dimensions. huge success of "avatar" kicked it into overdrive and now studios are scrambling to give old films that extra dimension. finally theater owners have an answer to home video. they can even charge $18 for tickets. >> nobody is going to say about "avatar" or "clash of the titans" or even "how to train your dragon," you know, that will be fine on tv, i'll watch it at home. >> reporter: if only there were enough movie screens to see them all. for "good morning america," david wright, abc news, hollywood. >> $18 a ticket and people are paying it. >> i know. especially this weekend, a holiday weekend. coming up caught on tape, the grandma accused of bilking friends and family out of nearly a million dollar, even her pastor. how does she go from scam victim to scam artist. making the grade. advice for students getting word from college admissions offices. ow to turn a maybe into a yes. that's coming up. ♪ mmmmm... 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[ chuckles ] >> live, and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> and welcome back everybody, 7:22 is your time on this friday, april 2. good morning, i am alison starling and we begin with a check on traffic. we started this morning complicated, 270 south with a crush at 370. we are settling down coming out of germantown into gaithersburg. we are flying over the scene of a crash, 29 is closed briggs chaney road. we will end on a happier note and that is traffic across the roosevelt bridge in the sunshine, heading over to the tidal basin and the cherry blossoms. and perfect weather today and through the weekend and early next week. get outside and see those cherry blossoms downtown total sunshine right now and through the weekend. 48 in rockville. the forecast for today calls for 80 as the high temperature and the same story tomorrow and easter sunday may have a couple of edit clouds. -- added clouds. >> we will be right back. we begin with this developing story from silver spring where a man was seriously injured after being hit by a car. this is at the intersection of veirs mill road and rdolph road for the man was taken to hospital and the road is no closer. d. new safety measures are in place at the pentagon after eight gunmen opened up on security at the pentagon. they have added extra screen for visitors and employees and improved communications and better outdoor lighting grid last month, a man shot and wounded two officers before being killed by return fire. it will certainly be a busy weekend at the tidal basin. the warm weather and cherry blossoms mean big crowds. >> with forecasters predicting temperatures in the 80's, the cherry blossoms are becoming more inviting for tourists. >> this is gorgeous. >> and four locals. this is beautiful. >> speaking of crowds, and expect company this weekend. thousands will make their way to the tidal basin to capture a picture-perfect moment. >> springtime is the right time. >> not wasting any time, many are deciding to come out at all hours. take a look at this backup that stretched for miles. >> it was horrible. >> officials wanted to use public transportation. -- want you to use public transportation. here are some events happening over the weekend. there will be fireworks saturday night at the southwest waterfront and the lamps lighting ceremony will be held on sunday. the reflecting pool on the national mall is getting an upgrade. it is leaking water. the renovations will likely begin in the fall and take two years. we'll be back with another update at 7:56. hope you have a great day and a wonderful weekend. check this out. this is undercover police video from florida, and this 78-year-old florida woman is actually a scam artist. she tried to bilk according to police, her family, friends, even her pastor out of nearly a million dollars. here's the twist. before she tried to scam others she was the victim of one of those nigerian e-mails. she was the victim of a scam so this morning we'll try to tell you how to protect yourself and give you this amazing story. >> it really is. turned the tables. good morning, america, on this happy friday, happy good friday. glad to have you with us. a lot of high school seniors and parents may be a little anxious right now waiting to hear from college admission offices. at some schools the acceptance rate only 6% so how does your child become one of the chosen few? we'll have some of the tips how you go from the maybe list to the yes list. >> this is that week when all those acceptances, rejections, waiting lists are coming in. good tips coming up. also, we had such a great time with raquel welch. we decided to invite her back to be part of the morning mix and talk from the mood of the voters to men behaving badly. we'll hear her on every subject. >> that is ahead. we begin with the 78-year-old florida woman, doris siegel, that police say ripped off her friends, police are now trying to piece together whether the lottery scam is connected to a similar online scam that siegel herself fell victim to several years earlier. jeffrey kofman has more. >> reporter: she seemed like such a sweet old lady. >> it's my asthma. >> reporter: in this police surveillance video shot last week 78-year-old doris siegel plays the part of a sickly granny. police say it was all a con. >> how much i've got invested so far is probably around 21,000. >> reporter: the man in the surveillance videos jimmy ford, one of at least 15ictims doris siegel is is accused of bilk from friends and neighbors in this mobile home park. pat mckean is another victim. >> how i became a victim of something i preached against, i have no idea. except she was good. >> reporter: police say they believe this all began when doris siegel herself was the victim of an overseas lottery scam. they say she then took what she learned and victimized her neighbors. >> these notices of lotto winnings were taken during the search warrant at doris siegel's home. >> reporter: it is a common scam. tell people they've won millions. they just have to pay thousands up front to get it. >> that's the reason i started the mission in guatemala. >> she had another scam that -- which was a mission she started and she was the president of that was in guatemala and she actually had photos of starving children. >> reporter: as for the frail old woman she was anything but when police interrogated her. >> you lied to these people. >> okay, so i lied. >> why did you lie. >> i don't know. if i knew, i would tell you. >> i must have had a senior moment is all i can say because normally i would have never done anything like this. it was my stupidity. i should have checked into it more. >> our investigation is focusing on trying to track where the money went to see if any of it was diverted to other sources. >> this old broad got me really good and, you know, it just -- i can't believe i did it. >> reporter: doris siegel is in jail facing first degree felony charges. several of her victims are facing bankruptcy. for "good morning erica," jeffrey kofman, abc news, brookville, florida. >> and joining us now to talk about the threat of online scams and how you can protect yourself is jeffrey robinson, an online security expert joins us from our london bureau and, jeffrey, to go from a victim to a scam artist, does that happen from time to time? >> unfortunately, it happens all the time. e nigerians who start these e-mail scam, once they get their teeth into you they never let go. they have scams and follow-up scams designed to come behind the original scam. they also, by the way, once they have a victim and bilk them two, three times they then sell the victim's e-mail address to other scammers. once you've been hit you never get away. >> i know. i gist not. they feel they have you so they'll keep trying to bk you as much as they can. target anyone in particular? >> yeah, they -- they certainly target the elderly, senior citizens, target students but you know what, they're n nondiscriminatory. they target everybody. in fact, every man, woman and youngster watching "good morning america" this morning will be targeted by professional fraudsters multiple times and one in nine will lose money as a result of fraud. that's how bad this has gotten. >> not multiple times over the month but the day you'll get e-mails from not just nigeria but all the scams. what are the ones we should look out for right now, jeffrey? >> lottery fraud is so big. you get an e-mail saying you won a lottery. if you didn't buy a ticket you didn't win the lottery. it's nasimle. another one that i actually followed was a work-at-home fraud. this is the e-mail that arrives and says, we're an english fabrics company and we are looking for someone in the states to represent our interests and collect money for us. and what will happen is our client to pay us will pay you with a cashier's check. you deposit to your bank account. wait till it clears and wire the money out. now, on the surface it sounds about right. but if you look very carefully at it, what you find is do a google, the address in england doesn't exist, the name of the managing director is a name that's been used in other frauds. he's got a gmail or hotmail address, not a company e-mail address. and the checks are, of course, counterfeit so once you deposit into your account, three days later you see it cleared or at least you think it's cleared and in fact, it hasn't, the bank advanced you. four or five days after you're wiring out 90% because your share is 10%, the bank informs you the check has bounced and you owe them money. >> i got to tell you, it was last year, i got in the car and it was early. i was kind of tired. an e-mail that came to me from a friend saying she was overseas, she lost her wallet and there was just enough information to sound right and to say could you help her out? could you send something and i was tired. this doesn't quite sound right but there's enough information here and i did a google search and found the exact same letter that was online like that so wh can you do to -- i know you say if it sounds too good to be true it probably isn't. there are sophisticated people out there trying to get money out of us. >> there are very sophisticated people. that works off a virus that spreads e-mails throughout -- from your address book to all your friends. what you do is read the letter very carefully. if somebody wants to use your bank account, they're a crook. flat and simple categoric they're a crook. no reason for anybody or any company to need your bank account at all. never disclose your password, never disclose your identity, keep your bank account private. also, read the e-mails. if it's addressed dear trusted friend, that's not you. that's sent to thousands of people. look at the english involved. a lot of these e-mails, the english is very stilted yet they claim to be british or american. no, no, no, if you get an e-mail from someoneffering to share money with you and you don't know them, it's a scam. throw it away. strangers don't share money with other strangers. >> no, they don't. bottom line, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. jeffrey, thank you. we'll have to have you back from time to time. >> pleasure. >> thanks for being so straightforward. go to our website at abcnews.com. time now for the weather. sam is in chicago at what can only be called a weatherman theme park. the museum of science and industry. sam. >> i'm in mad scientist mode, robin, this morning. it's wonderful here. let me show you around, though. first of all, in this exhibit and it's 26,000 square feet here, it's called science storms and you can do all kinds of ain't active stuff. you can trigger lightning which we'll do in a moment. watch a tornado develop. you can see how lightning has struck sand and made these incredible formations in the sand. you know, you've got things like edison's original lightbulb is here, all this great stuff but let me do this, the largest science center in the western hem miss fear but it's crazy wonderful. you can call me thor even though it would be more appropriately zeus. take a look at this. believe it or not, that hasn't changed since nicola tessa put it out there. it's incredible to see and hear. we got one or two things we want you to know about and a quick look at the weather. gorgeously warm across most of the eastern seaboard. one area of severe weather. oklahoma city getting a line of strong storms. this is likely to continue throughout the day and, of course, a look at the big board will show yo a lot of sunshine outside right now with clear skies. there are a few high thin clouds. temperatures will be above 40's and near 50 degrees now. >> all tha >> all that weather was brought to you by pedigree denti-sticks. we'll get inside a tornado in the next half hour. >> do you want to hit the lightning one more time? >> wait, wait, wait. one more time. >> there you go. you are a kid in the candy store this morning. thanks, sam. thor, zeus, whatever. we have inside tips on how to help your child get into the school of their choice with we come back. hi, jay bush and duke here to introduce new bush's black bean fiesta....whoa... you can't tell everyone about new black bean fiesta. but it's perfectly cooked black beans, in a zesty "south of the border" chipotle sauce with red and green peppers, onion, and crisp corn. a bold new taste. i know. but i want people to think i'm a great cook. so hide. delicious! can i have your recipe? your secret is safe with me. hello... new bush's black bean fiesta. and try new texas ranchero, thanks for your help.r grillin' beans f it is that season of high anxiety for so many high school seniors and their parents as they find out did i get in? am i goi to my top choice college? applications to the top schools are skyrocketing and acceptance rates are dropping. we were with kristen, a senior, when she heard from her three top choices last night. >> tonight i will find out whether or not i was accepted to my college of choice. i think the thing that makes me the most nervous is just the waiting period. there have been a few nights where i have been very, very stressed and my mom has had to come and talk to me and calm me down and reassure me. it's definitely starting to sink in that this is going to be a very big moment. brown university, yale university and harvard university. i opened my e-mail and it's a yes or it's a no. i am very sorry to inform you -- oh. >> i'm sorry, sweetie. >> that's okay. >> i still have two others to wait for. oh, well. >> well, we still have brown. >> sorry, sweetie. >> it's okay. well, at least now we know. i am feeling pretty disappointed. i think i had gotten my hopes up a little higher than i realized, but i do feel very hopeful about my college experience. i have applied to six colleges and i have been accepted to three. i know that wherever i end up i'm sure i'll make the best of it and i'll have an excellent time and i'll definitely enjoy myour years there. >> what a great spirit from kristen. tough night for her. joining me now to talk about this, michel hernandez, president of hernandez college consulting and application boot camp. we just saw right there this is such a tough year. >> yeah, i mean it's a lot of dynamics at once. rid ofheir early program a lot of kids ended up to early action schools to save themselves for harvard and princeton and created a sea change where a kid gets rejected from yale or stanford which had a 40% rise two years running apply to 25, 30 schools and are flooding the pool. not very efficient. >> you know, we saw kristen, she's going to make the best of it and will probably go to the university of minnesota. someone who has hair that's right set, go somewhere else and try to transfer a year or two later. >> transferring is hard. a lot of top schools don't take transfer students so sometimes it's better maybe to take stock, take a gap year. look at what your weaknesses are. re-evaluate. maybe retake some tests and simply reapply a year or two ahead. it's not a bad idea to take a gap year. >> do something you've always wanted to do. >> it's a good chance and encourage that in general in society more. >> how about if you're on the wait list? what is the best way to move yourself from wait list to acceptance. >> a lot depends on look. first thing you can do is fill out the wait list card to let them know you want to wait. there's a hot one and if you don't tell them you're not on it. you have to activate and send a short update, contact your admissions officers tell them what you've done since you sent in your applications. applications were mailed january 1st. now it's april 1st so you need to get your application updated and say what's happened since then so you need to be proactive and advocate for yourself. >> how about you're a junior, what is the best way to increase odds next jeer. >> juniors should take stock and say they need to start early. one of the best things you can do is start visiting colleges this summer and get your applications done over the summer and also visit departments. think of why you're applying to a school. colleges don't want to see you're applying because of their name but because of their incredible plasma physics lab that they have that you have to go to their college. >> be specific. michelle, great advice. see more of her tips on abcnews.com. and when we come back, it is a peeps world. we help you get in the mood for easter. ♪ your easter bonnet one reason? lubriderm® contains the same nutrients naturally found in healthy skin. skin absorbs it r a clinically tested 24 hours. for skin that looks and feels truly comfortable. lubriderm®. your moisture matched. for skin that looks and feels truly comfortable. ♪ (female announcer) if you want to slim them down, wear them out, or clean them up, you can find exactl what you need during the petsart solutions sale. save up to 20% on hundreds of items! right now, at petsmart. bad cholesterol but your good cholesterol and triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole pictu. 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 beme preant. treatment to check for liver problems. contact your doctor if you develop unexplained muscle 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. and it's something that you think about. we try to be conscious of that and plan out our meals so that we can feed everyone on a budget. at giantwe know saving money is important. every time you shop with your card, you can enjoy thousands of real deal sings and weekly specials. like super g spiral sliced ham, $1.28 a pound, and beef rib roast, $4.99 a pound. this weekend only. it makes me feel good because we're saving money. and that works for me. only with your giant card. ♪ in your easter bonnet >> so peep people. >> peep people. >> peep people for easter. "the washington post" has its fourth annual contest where people submit over 1,100 displays and people, you know, talk about modern culture, pop culture. we'll look at the winners. the first is a play on the movie "up" called "eep." the second -- >> clever. >> i love this where the wild things are. it's where the wild peeps are. >> creative. >> this is my favorite. little bo-peep. get it, the president. >> oh, yeah. >> then we have the salahis even have their own, the white house party peepers. >> the crashers. >> the crashers, the salahis. excuse me, yes. then we have balloon boy, balloon peep. and this one i thought, you know, i was in d.c. during the massive snowstorm so i kind of felt i can relate to this one. >> but now we have cherry blossoms so cherry blossom peeps, a great day in washington today. happy easter. [ nasonex is the only prescription that's proven to help prevent most seasonal nasal allergy symptoms, including congestion, so you can have more symptom-free days. 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[ male announcer ] now arriving, free wi-fi service on acela express via amtrakconnect. >> live, and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning everybody. it is 7:56 on this friday, april 2. i am alison starling and we begin with a check on the roadways. we have had a few difficult problems? we had some very severe car wrecks. they're isolated in montgomery county. newschopper7 was flying over 29 southbound at briggs chaney road. this is traffic that was closed. they have just reopened all lanes of 29 a moment ago. if you leave colombia to go to silver spring, expect delays. we'll take you live to a picture in virginia where it is beautiful across the potomac river and the 14th street bridge. is a perfect day to day. yesterday was a good and today will be even better, a comfortable 80 degrees. 50 degrees in domestic and the district as at 52. the forecast today calls for sunny and near 80 through the weekend. tomorrow, similar conditions into easter sunday. there will be added cloud cover on sunday. doesn't get any better than desperate unfortunately, if you have to get ready for headaches on virginia highways. vdot is getting ready to start construction on some big projects. hot lines on the beltway is one and a widening of i-295. each project will have day and night closures. the wideng of 95. hope you have a great day. hope you have a great day. it'smportant to be prepared for dinner. that's why i've prepared my perdue perfect portions fresh chicken breasts. they're individually wrapped, so you can cook what you need and store what you don't. 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[ male announcer ] now try perdue oven ready bone-in breast and cornish hens. this hour on "good morning america," an easter miracle. doctors said he'd never walk again then after 30 years he proved them wrong in an instant. why he says divine intervention made the difference. and it's tax time. are you paying more property tax than you should? up to 60% of properties are overassessed. we'll tell you what you need to know and how to fix it. plus, she's back. we're mixing it up on the morning's mix with the sensational raquel welch speaking her mind about tiger, jesse and that controversial new exercise recommendation for women. how does she stay so healthy and sexy? ♪ since she came along you sexy thing ♪ >> why not? it's tri. >> it is. it's the right music for this morning. >> good morning, america. hope you have some wonderful weekend plans. raquel welch was here just a few days ago and made such an impression with you at home and in the studio we invited her back for more. she said for much of her career was a sex symbol. talking about cokie roberts now. no. that she was heard. that she was seen and not heard so we're really hearing raquel and cokie will join the morning mix. >> hi, cokie. holding your own. >> talking about bodies. >> cokie roberts and raquel welch. who would have thought about that on a roundtable. a lot of fun with that. also this morning, here's a man who thought he knew everything about child care. he was a pediatrician, one of the best in the country then had his own baby and found out how much he didn't know so he wrote a book about it and came up with a whole new prescription to guide parents through the first year. we brought babies in. >> a win all the way around. we'll check in with sam at thchicago's museum of science and industry. there he is. it's a tornado exhibit. in the windy city, it's never been windier. he is a happy man this morning where he is so we'll check in with sam. >> the calm at the center of the storm. >> he always is. this is nothing for him. juju chang as you know is wrapping up vacation. wonderful having bianna golodryga here. >> potential talk show over there, cokie and raquel in the morning mixing it up. good morning. for only the second time since the recession began it looks like the economy added jobs last month. we're awaiting the march jobs report which is expected to show businesses added 190,000 workers last month while the unemployment rate held steady at 9.7%. but it's also important to note th temporary u.s. census workers likely inflated that jobs number by up to 100,000. we continue to watch that breaking story in washington state this morning. an explosion and fire at an oil refinery overnight. three workers are missing at this hour. four others were hurt in the blast. well, next time you fly into the united states, be prepared for another layer of security. homeland security is announcing new screening procedures that will focus on passenger travel patterns and personality traits even evaluate them against potential threats. the changes are the result of a review following the christmas bomb plot over detroit. also today the faa is announcing a change in the rules covering airline pilots. for the first time those taking anti-depressants will be allowed to operate in the cockpit. here's lisa stark. >> reporter: it's been a hard-and-fast rule in the cockpit. pilots could not fly if they were seeking help for depression or were taking anti-depressants. >> if you look back in the history, we didn't know as much as we know today about both medicines involved and the diagnosis of the illness, so today we know more and, therefore, the change. >> reporter: under the new policy, pilots on medication for depression will be able to keep their jobs. but they will be restricted to one of four drugs, prozac, zoloft, celexa or lexapro and will be grounded until they're one year, only then they can for fly. how can you reassure people they will be safe? >> people in the program have to be carefully monitored. >> reporter: psychiatrists say these drugs don't hurt job performance and can help. >> you don't take an antidepressant and have a change in your thinking or level of awareness like that and so they're not addictive drugs. they're not -- they don't acutely change your consciousness. >> reporter: the faa says it expects little opposition to this, but pilots in the medical community have been pushing for it. for "good morning america," lisa stark, abc news, reagan national airport. and now a look at what's coming up tonight on "world news." here's diane sawyer. >> good morning to you, bianna. on "world news" all the big stories and how could the magnificent sounds of nature help unlock the mysteries of troubling human disorders? the answer is so amazing we made the scientists behind it our person of the week. that's coming up tonight, bianna. from one scientist to another mad scientist our own sam champion in chicago. are you having fun or what, sam? >> bianna, this is the most fun friday ever and i swear when you come to chicagoland you got to come see this exhibit. it is the largest, by the way, in the western hemisphere science center. we want to show you the vortex of air here that mimics a tornado. if you can see the swirling column here, the way this works is very, very complicated, take a look at all the fans that are lined up the wall here because that air comes out of the fans it is going to create a turning motion here. you would not normally be able to see it but in real life in a tornado you're picking up dirt, debris, buildings, pieces of building, things like that and so you can see it here, this is moisture. they've got this big pool of water here. almost like a fog machine so take a look up inside and see if we can actually capture the swirling column from the inside of a tornado for the first time. let's just see if you can see it that way. let me tell you, you would not want to be that close to a real one in life. it's kind of gentle but gives you an idea of the amazing swirl. one or two things going on. as you head out the door for your weekend you should know that all of that flooding that was in the north, by the way, kind of tapers off a bit. now it's going to take some time. you drop below record fld stage, under dry skies but you will still have flooding throughout the weekend. in the middle of the country, this is a large area of strong to severe storms into oklahoma and kansas, arkansas, i think you're under the gun here. there will and we have total sunshine again today, mostly sunny skies and 55 degrees at reagan national airport. a comfortable start to the day and temperatures around 50. our forecast for today, it is sunny and 80. mild but not humid >> i'm telling you, robin, this exhibit brings out the inner geek in everybody and i mean that in a good way. we'll show you how to trigger a tsunami in just a minute and the effects that have. >> boy, it keeps on coming. like a theme park to you. thanks, sam. on this good friday the vatican is investigating what one family here in the u.s. is calling a miracle. brought about by the late pope john paul ii. they say their father who had been in a wheelchair for decades was suddenly able to rise and walk. "20/20's." co-an authorize elizabeth vargas is here. >> 80% of americans believe in americans and nearly half say they have personally witnessed or experienced a miracle. the amarol family in new bedford, massachusetts, are sure they have. joe says he's always been a believer in saints and miracles. a faith reinforced by the simple fact that he is now walking on his own. he depended on canes and crutches for 30 years due to a narrowing of the spine called spinal stenosis further complicated by a stroke of the spine that put him in a wheelchair. >> the doctor said, i'm sorry, the connection from the brain sensors how it tellsou to walk and move, it's gone. >> but doctors were sayi there's nothing we can do. >> exactly. it was very difficult, you know, because i couldn't do anything to help him. >> yet you would come to church. you would come to mass every week and struggle to get up those stairs. >> yeah, it was difficult because there's no -- at this particular chump there's no elevator. >> he would rk his way up the stairs, up the huge granite staircase that we have outside. he'd come on up on those crutches pronated in a sense leaning forward dragging his legs behind him and it touched me very much to see this man's great faith when he would heroically bring himself when i would distribute holy communion. >> reporter: that deep belief was at the center of what joe and father landry call a miracle. it began two years ago during a saturday confession. >> something -- something -- something happened and sunday morning i felt different. not physically great but felt like a calmness and peace. >> reporter: joe says he parade hard to a spirit cal hero of his, pope john paul ii. >> he believed in divine providence. >> what did you pray for. >> i prayed to understand god's will. i never prayed to walk. >> just to understand why this is happening to you. >> his will. as a husband, as a son, as a father, what are my duties? what am i supposed to do? >> then coincidence, after he said his prayer, turned on the tv and there he is. >> it was a documentary about john paul ii called "witness to hope." >> translator:e calls out the world be not afraid. >> reporter: joe says he took the late pontiff's words to heart. >> i looked athe picture of pope john paul the ii and just caught up. >> you just got up after years of not being able to walk. >> i just got up and started walking. the more i kept walking, the more thank you, thank you, lord. >> joe's doctors tell us they have no medical reason why joe suddenly began to walk after 30 years of being unable to. they thought he'd spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. it will take years of intense scrutiny. a medical miracle must be instantaneous, inexplicable, a high standard to meet. >> there are rules? >> yes, robin, there are so many rules, it's actually quite rigorous. >> i'm sure a bevy of doctors. >> a whole team will spend years. >> sometimes you just got to believe. all right, elizabeth, thank you. she'll have a whole hour of these unbelievable stories on "20/20" tonight at 10:00, 9:00 central. have a good weekend. the explosive issues so many people are talking about. raquel welch, cokie roberts weigh in with george on "the morning mix." come on back. special k protein shakes -- ♪ a truly great-tasting breakfast shake. with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, it's the creamy, delicious way to satisfy... your hunger to help you lose weight. ♪ so you can kick the tin can habit. try special k protein shakes today. so you can kick the tin can habit. have you tried honey bunches of oats yet? every spoonful is a littlemmm.ferent./ they got three kinds of flakes. this is delicious. it' the perfect combinaton of sweet and crispy. i love it. this is so good. this is great. the magic's in the mix. a deep ache all over. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. so now i can do more of what i love. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing or skin or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision, or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. ♪ (announcer) right now, all over the country, discover card customers are getting five percent cashback bonus at home improvement stores. it pays to get more, it pays to discover. used to make me cry myself to sleep at night. but i gotta say my sienna is great. it's super stylish. oh, and the available dual-view entertainment center? awesome. hold on. i just finished episode 8. oh, boy, if i wasn't married. [ laughs ] i telmy husband the more time i spend in it, the less stressed i feel... and the fewer headaches i get. honey, mommy's having a timeout, ok? [ male announcer ] meet the family and the new sienna on youtube. toyota. ♪ let's give them something to talk about ♪ >> it is friday which means "morning mix." time to weigh in on stories everyone is talking about from the sour mood facing all politicians to some very public cheating husbands and that new exercise 00 duct pore women. here to mix it up cokie robert, also raquel welch, we had so much fun with you earlier in the week talking about your new book, "raquel: beyond the cleavage" what a title. >> mine would be called "what cleavage?" >> we are definitely ready to mix it up today. >> take them and leave. >> let's start out in cokie's wheelhouse, politics, some really stunning numbers got our attention in "usa today" yesterday. u.s. fumes over politics and showed only 50% of the country believes that president obama deserves re-election. even worse for members of congress, 65% of the public don't think that they deserve re-election. only 28% think they do. this is as angry a mood as i've ever seen. >> all about the economy and so all of these members of congress and the president, although 'not up for re-election luckily for him have to just pray that the economy gets better between now and november and that people are not as mad. but if it stays with these high, high unemployment rates and people just not feeling like their own lives are getting any better, it could be a bloodbath for democrats in the fall. >> are you one of these angry, unhappy americans. >> i'm a little -- yeah, i'm a little nervous about what's going on. i think part of it is because there's a lot of bickering with the economy as opposed to fixing it andhe overall whatever, health of the american economy, but it's slipping all around the world so i think it's a terrible feeling of insecurity that not only are we as americans seem to be, you know, losing our status in the world on these levels, but that also there's no place to go because the rest of the world is in worst shape than we are. >> i think there's something to it, the sense that the future is not going to get better. we're not going 0 come back. >> that's what the administration ought to pick up and do a little better job on. joe biden to some degree talked about it cleanly. about how the, you know, this country is great and it has not lost its greatness and will go forward and i think that spirit needs to be reinfused and that can come from the top. >> that can come -- >> it's enough to say, it's not enough to say this is a great country. we know that. but why isn't it -- why isn't it up to its former glory? why can't we, you know, seem to pull up our socks at this point? they are promising they came in promising that they were going to fix it and make it better and it was going to all be changed for the good. and i think that's what's very frustrati frustrating. >> we had wives lose their patience with their husbands over the past several month. >> finally. about time. >> that is he right. tiger woods coming back to golf next week after his stint in rehab. jesse james, of course, sandra bullock's husband says he's now checking in to rehab, as well, for sex addiction. this has become the new get out of jail free card. >> exactly. it's total baloney. what is that? >> you don't buy sex rehab. >> well, no, of course not. of course not. >> no, i mean these guys do it because they can and they -- then they get caught and say -- >> sorry because they got caught. >> exactly. i mean and they all sort of have fantasies about this -- >> it's not my fault. how did this become my fault. sandra, i had nothing to do wit. nothing, absolutely nothing. >> it's their fault but they clearly, you know, just got caught and what's interesting is that they do feel some at least some need to pretend that they're sorry, which -- >> that's not the way to do it. well because they have to kind of remember what their spofrnts is. they took some kind of a commitment. but still they're also husband, they're fathers and they're supposed to take responsibility. are they adult or what. >> mo. >> otherwise it's just like, oh, go stand in the corner over there in sex rehab, you know, and we're sure it's going to make it better but that's so impractical and i really -- >> adults and responsibility is the bottom line problem. i did a panel last week with women in the senate which was a lot of fun and they were asked about why weren't women in politics ever caught doing these kinds of things and kay hutchison from texas joked about it said we're actually busy. we have children, we have the jobs, the idea of arranging that plane to south america, you know, is a little bit difficult to do. >> happened to be a teacher then -- >> wasn't the irish politician -- who got caught a few weeks ago -- the first one, an awful long time. interesting though that in this case both sandra and elin stay out of it. not standing by their men publicly at least. >> well, but don't you think that there's something kind of really cruel about the way the media just lambastes us with this stuff and they had tiger for awhile by the tail and they just shook him until he nearly -- i mean i felt sorry for the guy, felt sorry for his family. now he's sort of calming down a little but now he's going to go back in and be in the public but now they got to find somebody else so they're -- it's open season and it's like -- >> but the media didn't go out and have those affairs with all those women. it was him. >> both these cases people profit from the media. we have a minute left. i want to get to the new study recommending that women have to now exercise one hour every single day. >> but that's not a lot. >> just to -- just to maintain your current weight. well, it's not a lot for you perhaps and i can't believe we're talking about women's bodies with each other but -- but the fact is -- not a lot? then what's the point. even if you do manage to do it, the men still go off with those chippies. >> you're pointing to me. >> i was not pointing to you. >> i'm sorry. i've been set up here. >> no, you're not. 30 seconds what is your -- >> it's not about the -- well, i mean first of all, this is not news. women do have to exercise. you use it or you lose it. >> that has to be the last word. lose it or lose it from raquel welch. announcer: naturals from purina cat chow with whole grns, real chicken and salmon and the oodness of leafy greens., you live well. you eat right. help your cat do the same. naturals from purina cat chow. but only vegetables can give you vegetable nutrition. one of these will get ou more than half way to your five daily servings. v8. what's your number? we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a ski trip twice as fast. we get double miles every time we use our card. ( thuds ) i'll take this. ( crashing ) double miles add up quick. and all of those. so we brought the whole gang. one adult, one goat please. it's hard to beat double miles. everyone knows two is better than one. introducing the venture card from capital one... with double miles on every purchase every day. go to capitalone.com. >> live, and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning, i am pamela brown. your time as the clock 25. let's look at traffic and weather. i am happy to say we are open onto 70, 29 maryland, randolph road, they are documented an earlier crash. if you take 895, the harbor tunnel through it, there's a problem inside the tunnel. use 95 to fort mchenry under way to delaware. this is 270 live, no delays between by 70 of the beltway. -- i-70 on the beltway. not bad at the tidal basin. perfect. to is perfect at the tidal basin right now. a beautiful weekend and a good weekend to taken all the events for the cherry blossoms. 51 degrees in the district. a comfortable start today and our forecast calls for a lot of son sann, a mere 84 the high today and a few degrees cooler on saturday, added cloud cover and a wonderful easter sunday which will continue to the early part of next week. our next chance of rain is not until thursday of next week. >> we will be right back. we are learning more about the youngest suspect in tuesday night's mass shooting in southeast d.c. the 14-year-old has been charged as an adult with murder. he was a runaway from a youth home. he was arrested at least nine times for crimes ranging from possession of a stolen vehicle to armed robbery. hundreds of local government employees are about to lose their jobs. mayor adrian fenty says the early 400 jobs will be cut as the city deals with a five order $23 million budget gap. the frederick county government will lay off employees and eliminate another 79 jobs that are vacant or retirees. expect crowds of the tidal basin this weekend for the cherry blossoms are in peak bloom. >> with forecasters predicting temperates in the 80's, the terry blossoms are becoming more inviting for tourists. >> they are gorgeous. >> and locals. >> they are beautiful. >> speaking of crowds, and expect company this holiday weekend as thousands make their way to the tidal basin to capture a picture perfect moment with a backdrop that is only around once a year. >> the peak time is the right time and not wasting any time, many are deciding to come out at all hours. take a look at this back up that stretched for miles. >> it was horrible. i should have taken the metro. >> that is the advice that officials are trying to get out, use public transportation and for all the events at the festival. we will have another news update at 8:56. for continous news coverage, tune in to our sister station, newschannel8 ian is a vegetarian. he doesn't eat meat. >> he don't eat no meat? >> no, he doesn't eat meat. >> what do you mean he don't eat no meat? oh, that's okay. that's okay. i make lamb. come. come. >> that's great. i love that scene from "my big fat greek wedding." >> it is just fantastic and they are having some fun. >> oopa. >> that is pretty good. >> this is like anchor special day. sam gets to be a mad scientist. we'll celebrate greek easter. one of those rare years where orthodox easter falls on the same day for the rest of the christian world and we'll celebrate with michael psilakis, a great greek restaurateur and will have greek dishes including, of course, lamb. >> preparing that lamb this morning as we say good morning, america. so glad that you're with us. also this morning, this award i've winning pediatrician thought he knew everything there was to know about babies and that was until he became a father himself for the first time. so now dr. scott cohen has a whole new philosophy about child care. >> look. >> oh, my goodness. a new book. i love the title of this book. "eat, sleep, poop," a commonsense guide to your baby's first year. >> it is a great title. also later how do you know your property tax bill is right? as many as 60% are paying too much. mellody hobson will be back. listen to those kids over there. >> oh, look, crawling? oh. >> even wearing a tie. >> oh, a ham. a star is born! a star is born! okay. we don't work with babies and we don't work with animals. >> sam does. >> yes, he does. sam champion who is in chicago at the museum of science and industry and in a tsunami tank, sam. >> yeah, we are. from the science of babies and, george, good morning, to "eat, sleep, poop" to the science of tsunamis which became evident that we -- how much we didn't know in 2004. we'll show you pictures out of banda aceh and phuket. it was one of the worst natural disasters in history. here in the tank in the exhibit you can trigger the wave here in the tank. it has a paddle in the background. you watch this splash a wave in our direction. dr. olivia kraslini. first of all, lovely to see you. thanks for letting us in your territory. >> thanks for coming. >> there was so much we didn't understand about the underground neath deciding how much the damage would be. >> absolutely. so in this tank we can explore and investigate how waves propagate and inundate on two different coastlines so there is a split in the tank. on this side we have a very -- >> rocky. >> deep drop-off and on the other a shallow gradual increase so as that wave propagates and moves up across those it will affect how the wave is moving differently. >> this was so damaging. wasn't just a gentle rise -- just, look at that. a big hard splash. that's why the damage was so bad. what we didn't know what was underneath it. >> so the depth of the water as it's coming up will affect how that energy dissipates. >> cool stuff. >> when you get deep drop-offs more energy. >> this is just one of the exhibits. there's six major exhibits. 200, by the way, artifacts like edison's real lightbulbs. >> very, very cool. >> let's get to the boards. one or two things we want to show you before you leave for your weekend. here's the pattern you should know about. let us just hang because we're not done with you yet. snow levels will come up above 3,000 feet. into the middle of the country, gorgeous weather, chicagolapd, record high yesterday of 83 degrees. all that warmth moves into probably the east coast today. it's right now, we're starting out in the 50's. we are on our way to 80 degrees this afternoon. mostly sunny today a >> the four sensors, you can compare the amount of energy till in the wave. >> there's a tsunami buoy if you wonder how the warnings systems are triggered, olivia. your crew is wonderful to let us in this early. george, robin. >> we'll go from a tsunami to toddlers. scott cohen won many honors for his work as a pediatrician -- sorry about that. when he became a father himself he discovered how much he didn't know about kids and his first-time dad mistakes are chronicled in his new book, "eat, sleep, poop," a commonsense guide to your baby's first year. i apologize. i kicked you by mistake. i am so sorry. but you are so calm about it. so, scott, i love the way you sum up your entire philosophy about raising children, informed common sense. >> yes, you know, parents just commonly complained to me they're overwhelmed on information overload. the books they were reading were encyclopedic and we gave a lot of information but not a lot of answers. we have all been to google university for information and as a parent you foe we get solicited and unfortunately unsolicited advice from everybody from grandparents to friends and family and strangers walking down the street. >> you studied it as part of your profession but it wasn't until you had your daughter who is now 2 that you changed your approach. >> my daughter taught me more about parenting than i could have ever learned in school. >> tell us about these moments, you call the daddy v. doctor moments. take us inside one of those. >> daddy versus doctor was my way of showing that doctors are human too and as parents we all go through very similar experiences and to combine that daddy aspect with the doctor aspect, to give you a perfect example. sleep training is something -- >> gets everyone's attention. >> did you sleep train your daughters. >> i have to confess we didn't do a good job because we couldn't take it. >> it's hard. >> listening to our daughters cry all night was more -- we could take -- even though we knee we were supposed to. >> it's easy to say, four months let your child cry, sleep train them because i'm in the quieof my own home and i don't have an emotionaattachment as you do but when it came to my daughter were we able to do it? my wife visited a good friend of hers and came home from that trip and was exhausted and she said, i slept the whole week on the couch. their child wakes up every two to three hours. every two to three hours crying for their mom. when is the earliest we can sleep train? i said four months but it's harder than you think so fast forward. my daughter is four months old. friday night we go to sleep train. i'm watching the summer olympics in our bed. 10:30 rolls around and my daughter starts crying. my wife is looking at the monitor. i see her look at me, now i'm hearing it in stereo. my wife crying, as well. i turn to her and i say, you know she's okay. you know she's hungry, she's okay and i was dying inside. i knew i could be her hero and picked her up. she looked at it one more time, uttered something i can't repeat and went and picked her up and sleep training was aborted. the next day i was the insensitive father. she was the hypocritical mother who gives her friends the same advice. we came to a truce and were able to sleep train her and it was hard and now i have that perspective when i talk to parents. >> the empathy. one other hot button issue, vaccinations. my wife and i had hours of discussions when our first daughter was born, whether or not to do it how to do it. on top of everything else it is so hard to watch. >> yes, absolutely. i always thought i understood the vaccine, it's best for your child and prevents illnesses that can be so deadly and catastrophic but i never really understood the topic until i became a parent because when i winter in for aubrey's two-month visit, the first shot visit, i was her father, not her doctor and every bad thought that any parent had ever said to me came to life. what if i'm wrong? she's so small, she's so perfect. what if it does cause x, y and z then i had to think and couple that with the families i sat with who had children die of these infection that is are so easily preventable. the real risk outweighed that. i understood how anxiety can keep in. >> we have a lot of parents doing such a great job. your kids are so well behaved. it's incredible. they're fantastic. >> you made me feel at home. >> me too. >> the book is called "eat, sleep, poop," scott cohen, thanks very much. get more of scott's tips what to buy for your baby and how to choose a pediatrician on our website, abcnews.com/books. when we come back, if i had to sit on a bench during the middle of a game due to diabetes it would frustrate me. in a basketball game a couple minutes could mean a big momentum shift. my bayer meter is very important. (announcer) only bayer's contour meter has programmable personal high low settings. it allows me to be able to look at my highs and lows to make sure that my diabetes is being controlled as tightly as possible. with my bayer meter i don't miss valuable game time. i'm alana burns and staying in the game is my simple win. (announcer) the contour meter, only from bayer. what if sweet mocha wha fell from the sky?olate? [ male announcer ] mcdonald's new mccafé frappe. a creamy blend of ice, coffee and mocha. or caramel. mmm. sweet. ♪ ba da ba ba ba now property tax bills starting to appear in mailboxes around the country but are they always accurate? what can you do if you think your bill looks too big? "gma" financial contributor mellody hobson and also president of ariel investments joins us live to tell us everything you need to know about property tacks. let's start with the basics. how are they assessed to begin with? >> it's actually pretty simple. it's the assessed value of your home multiplied by your tax rate in your community and those are rates are different community by community and you may qualify for some exemptions which they subtract out to lower your bill. of course, these rates pay for everything from, you know, your library to your schools and cities and states and counties right now are really desperate for the money because of the recession. >> of course, they are but how accurate are these assessments? >> well, the national taxpayers union says that 60% of properties are overassessed right now. and it has a lot to do with how the assessments take place so the value is determined by the county assessor and they do those valuations every three to four years but we know we've had this housing bubble that burst so housing prices have come down somewhere in the neighborhood of almost 20% a year for the last three years, yet taxes have gone up 7% a year which has people scratching their head saying this doesn't make any sense at all. >> you talk about the number of homes that are overassessed. it happens to be the majority in the northeast for some reason but can you give us an example of how a house is -- the property taxes are not in line. >> the philadelphia inquirer had a great story about someone named scott sladek. in his situation it was assessed for $93,500 one year and then the very next year, it was assessed for $124,500 and yet none of his neighbors' property values went up but his went up 33% which makes no sense. >> no, it doesn't. it's so important to know what your neighbors' homes are selling for and what is the best way ofetermining that, mellody? >> well, that's a big part of a contesting any kind of assessment y don't believe to be correct. you need to know what is the value of your home and the best way to figure that out is what about the homes that are like yours worth in your community. there is a couple of ways to easily figure it out. zillo.com is a great website as well at domainia.com where you can type in addresses and see home values. if you don't trust those, you can actually go out and get a real appraisal. that's going to cost you anywhere between $250 and $500 but could very well be worth it. >> i'm telling you i've checked out zillo.com and it is an excellent site as you said. once you follow all the steps how do you go about if you feel you want to lower your taxes there or how do you go about doing that, determining that? >> first understand you're contesting the assessed value not your tax rate because any won't understand that and 2% to 3% go out and make this appeal and 20% to 40% actually wing. so this is not a fruitless effort. you want to start by contacting your assessor and asking them for an informal review. if they won't give you one then you go for the formal appeal but make sure you have your paperwork in ordinary. have pictures of your home because sometimes they might have the wrong number of rooms. they might have upgrades that you didn't make. when you go in front of a committee, you'll get a hearing. you'll only have 10 to 15 minutes so you need to be tight and exact and have copies for everyone. if you lose the appeal, your only other option is going to court which probably isn't a good idea because of the expense. >> i didn't mean to cut you off but when you said the possibility of an exception, it piqued our interest. can you tell us more. >> some qualify for exemptions. they don't give them to you automatically. you have to apply for them. for example people who are disabled, people who are veterans may qualify for an exemption and you can go to your assessor's website to see who qualifies and how you apply. >> that is good to know. mellody hobson, thank you so much. have a wonderful holiday weekend. take care, mellody. you can get extra tips to lower property taxes at our website, abcnews.com. next, one greek easter feast coming up. george stephanopoulo ♪ why choose between delicious or 100 calories? with yoplait delights... ...now you can finally have bh. it's the perfect parfait... ...with two indulgently rich layers... ...of chocolate... ...and raspberry yogurt... ...and only 100 calories. yoplait delights. get rid of the "or". this is a treat for me. time for a greek easter feast. i rolled up my sleeves ready to cook with michael psilakis who is the restaurateur and author of "how to rose a lamb." one of those rare years where easter falls at the same tim for every christian, orthodox christians, for everyone else so we'll celebrate it a little early this morning and you're starting with of course the lamb. >> we're doing it the greek way. so we're going to roast a leg of lamb which is a really, really simple piece of meat to roast. we butterflied it out to give us a nice flat surface. we'll season it well with salt and pepper then we'll stuff it with a puree that we make with sun-dried tomato. >> your special twist. >> it brings the flavors of the mediterraneaning to and makes something super traditional like lamb for easter especially in the greek culture and add -- pump it up a little. >> whole lamb and roast it on the spit. >> that's what we're doing at the house. i figure not too many people have spits at their house so went with the leg in the oven instead. to make a quick paste that we can spread throughout the lamb we'll use sun-dried tomatoes, black olives and put everything into this food processor and pulse it, some thyme, some oregano, rosemary, a little mustard. garlic which we have in a book, a really fantastic thing to have in your refrigerator, garlic cooked in olive oil very, very slowly and becomes very soft. just a really slow gentle cook in the oven and becomes soft and caramelizes and becomes very sweet and we puree it and use it instead of butter. it's wonderful. a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and becomes this. so if you take that out. you're going to help me. just put it right on there. spread it all over there. be generous. don't be shy, all, all over it. that's fantastic. and this is really going to give you a tremendous amount of flavor. think about all of the mediterranean flavors going on here right now. >> let me get my left hand. >> you're really good. you want a job? >> you never know. i might need one someday. >> i think that's perfect. then basically what we'll do is take it and we're -- it's been butterflied. we'll roll it all up. ooh and this is what we get something, really nice like that and we tie it with some string and after we tie it, ultimately you'll bring it underneath and then just bring it around then finish it up and tie it. it's going to look like -- >> this, okay. so now you'll do this for me. just be careful. a little amount here. >> fat side down or up. >> either way is fine. >> there you go. all right. so we're get a good sear on the meat. that's pretty important so we can protect cash call it set the integrity of the po teen so protect the outside and keep those wonderful juices inside. >> we'll let this sear. what will you have with it. >> ultimately what we'll do is reserve a little bit of at puree that we made and we're going to take the puree and put it into a good roasting pan, just some regular water, a little bit of dijon mustard, now, this is to puree of the garlic confy that i was talking about so think you're eliminating that senseless fat and adding that wonderful garlic flavor and we're going to just mix it up a little bit so we've kind of in a fast, simple, easy way have made this really wonderful sort of gravy with all of that sun-dried to mate owe to and garlic flavor and add some rosemary and then you'll take that out, okay. still needs the other side. >> let's show what we'll serve it with. >> after it's cooked and take it out of the oven, an hour, hour and 15 minutes, get this beautiful lamb. we have one here. all set and ready to go. >> beautiful. >> already eating it. look at that. >> that's perfect. it's okay to eat lamb medium rare. want to cook it more, we brought this to about 130 degrees in temperature. along with that to finish the table we have some artichoke africa say, lemon, dill, it wouldn't be easter without this soup and obviously the highlight of every greek table is there you go -- [ speaking a foreign language ] >> bread for easter. >> and the red eggs, as well. recipes are all online [ male announcer ] it's our hottest offer of the season, but it's melting fast. so hurry, act now to get fios tv, internet and phone at the super low price of $99.99 a month -- guaranteed for 2 years! call now and you'll also get a multi-room dvr and set top box -- free for six months. with 100% fiber optics straight to your home you'll get an amazing hd picture, america's top rated internet and phone. all for just $99.99 a month. enjoy tons of your favorite shows and channels. fios brings facebook and twitter right to your tv. also, check sports, weather and traffic without interrupting your show. you'll get tv with four times more very satisfied customers than comcast. get it all for just $99.99 a month -- guaranteed for 2 years! plus a multi-room dvr and set top box -- free for six months. don't wait. this incredible offer ends soon. call 1-866-932-fios. that's 1-866-932-fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v. this is beyond cable. this is fios. we're going to say good-bye to sam out in chicago. so long, sam, as we celebrate easter a little bit early here. we hope you have a good easter, as well. >> live, and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good friday morning at 8:56, i am pamela brown with your local update. let's look at traffic and weather. > the rush-ho direction is fabulous. westbound 66 is not so pretty. they are putting the final touches on a long-term construction project. right now, we will show you what it looks like on the beltway in montgomery county. there has just been a car crash. i don't see any delay at the moment. let's check it closer to the mormon temple. the car wreck is near rockville pike. here we are with a beautiful drive headed over to the tidal basin and the cherry blossoms. i am sure the traffic will pick up in that camera today. the weather will cooperate all weekend. it will be up to 20 degrees higher than average. 50 degrees now at reagan national airport. we are well into the 50's right now. the forecast today and the forecast for the next few days, a sunni and 80 and light pleasant southerly winds. the cherry blossoms at the tidal basin are in full bloom. huge crowds are expected this weekend, especially since the weather is so nice. the national festival runs through april 11 and the cherry blossoms are expected to generate $8 million per day for the d.c. economy. we will be back here

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