the stunt man who plunged before a horrified crowd. he's here to tell us if he will fly again. and living with lions. the man who is spending a month cooped up with big cats. he joins us live from the lions' den, only on "gma." and good morning, everyone. let's take a live shot of the lions' den. how many days can you start the day saying that. it's day four for a florida man right there. he's two roommates are lea and ed. 2 250-pound lions. >> he must have fed them breakfast. they seem calm. also this morning, new tapes surfacing in the growing navy scandal. captain owen honors has been temporarily relieved of his command. is there any chance that he can come back? we'll talk to wesley clark, coming up. and the jackpot for tonight's megamillions drawing is up to $330 million. one of the largest ever. we're doing some myth-busting when it comes to what works and what does not? >> i couldn't resist. i had to. $330 million? >> i'm with you there. >> we'll get to that. we start with the president returning to washington. getting ready to work with a new republican house and a new staff. a number of names on his desk for final personnel decisions. jake tapper joins us from the white house. one of those names may be new chief of staff. >> reporter: that's right, george. president obama has spoken with former clinton commerce secretary, bill daley, about possibly coming here to become his new chief of staff. the fun and sun of hawaii now behind him, when president obama comes to the fabled resolute desk in the oval office, after returning to washington, d.c. later today, he'll find a full inbox. foremo foremost, some personnel decisions. should he tap bill daley as his chief of staff. the president needs to talk to the interim chief of staff, pete rouse, about rouse's plans. he needs to talk to press secretary robert gibbs about what he wants to do next. but the first order of business, picking a new director of the national economic council. gene sperling may have the edge over roger altman. he will welcome david plouffe, his 2008 campaign manager, and bid adieu to david axelrod, back to chicago to work on the 2012 re-election campaign. then, the president's issue agenda. expect to hear more from him about competitiveness. >> at this moment, the most important contest we face, is not between democrats and republicans. it's between america and our economic competitors all around the world. >> reporter: you'll see aggressive outreach to incoming speaker, john boehner, on education reform. but the president will push back on house republican efforts to repeal the health care law. still to come are decisions about the budget. expect house republicans to propose big spending cuts before the white house does. and white house officials tell abc news that later this week, elizabeth warren, george, the woman tasked with setting up the new consumer protection bureau, she will name holly petraeus to a new commission that protects military families from pred tear lenders. holly petraeus, is the wife of general david petraeus. we're going to talk to capitol hill. the new gop majority takes control of the house of representatives tomorrow. and republicans are painting a big target on one of president obama's biggest and most controversial accomplishments. jon karl has that story. and, the republicans say they're keeping their number one campaign promise. >> reporter: they've already unveiled their first major piece of legislation, george. aerohere it is. short and to the point. this would repeal the health care reform law, replace it with nothing. and set the stage for the first ba battle of the new congress. the vote is a clear sign of the new congress' determination to roll back the obama agenda. led by the man soon to become a household name, john boehner. >> nancy pelosi. >> reporter: he handed the speaker's gavel to nancy pelosi. he'll get it back tomorrow. he is a man with many sides. he can be harshly partisan. at times, looks like the weeper of the house. >> i spent my whole life, chasing the american dream. >> reporter: he has worked with democrats, joining ted kennedy, for example, in crafting the no child left behind education bill. boehner says he will use his first speech as speaker of the house to talk about tough choices to deal with the $14 trillion debt. and unlike his congressional colleagues, he says he has never once put an earmark in a bill for a pet project. keeping a close eye on boehner, a new crop of republicans, many of them new to politics, who may want even deeper cuts to spending. people like bobby schilling, who, until yesterday, ran a pizza shop in illinois. >> we need to go to washington so our kids and grandkids have the same opportunities afforded to us. >> reporter: there will be 85 new republicans sworn in tomorrow. now, every, single one of them supported boehner for speaker of the house. but they have a willingness to challenge their leadership when they disagree. >> thanks very much. new developments in the scandal involving an aircraft carrier commander, who produced raunchy videos starring himself. he's been relieved of his command, pending results of an investigation by the navy. new video clips have surfaced now. martha raddatz is in washington with the latest. good morning, martha. >> reporter: good morning, robin. the navy will make it official today. but abc news has confirmed that as of now, these videos that the navy itself says are clearly inappropriate, has cost the captain his job. when "the uss enterprise," deployed to the middle east a n a few weeks, captain owen honors will not be on it. the navy's top brass relieved him of command, whul investigation into the lewd videos he made remains. two, new clips just leaked to "the virginian pilot" newspaper, show more of the crude and offensive behavior, honors showcased while the weekly movie night. >> let's ask the check about being gay. that's not a good idea. >> reporter: there's gay innuendo video, toilet humor, and broadcast to crew members on active duty. >> it's hot. >> we're getting close to hell. >> reporter: and while many on the crew found the videos entertaining. >> the girl in the shower? >> it was pretty funny. >> reporter: navy officials are deciding if this is official misconduct or grounds to keep honors from the helm of "the uss enterprise" for good. >> he's a significant figure in the united states navy. >> reporter: the navy spells out the behavior expected of all officers. abide by an uncompromising code of integrity. and exhibit the highest degree of moral character. now, captain honors is being held accountable. and a once-promising career is likely finished. there are questions that the navy still has to answer. why was captain honors never investigated before and even promoted? the navy says those are questions they are trying to find out. and more officers could be im y implica implicated, robin. joining us is now is retired four-star general, wesley clark. good morning. >> good morning. >> what was your initial reaction when you heard that a senior officer would do something like this? >> this is incompatible with the climate of command we are trying to establish in the armed forces. we should be treating people with dignity and respect despite their differences. they're taught this as they come up through the ranks. that's true in all of the services. when you see something like this, you understand that was an attempt at humor. maybe an attempt to maintain morale. but it crossed the line. the question to comes out of something like this, why was it permitted? he wasn't the senior officer on the ship. there were people over him on the ship that permitted it. and apparently there were complaints against him. and he bulldozed his way through it. it's a difficult position he's in. >> let's talk more about that. martha said at the end of her report, that the navy was made aware of this four years ago. they put a stop to the videos. but there were no consequences. and captain honors was promoted. so, this does not bode well for the navy? it doesn't put him in a good light. >> it has to be looked at. and obviously this, is an outstanding officer. he has a tremendous record of establi accomplishment. he has a lot of fans and supporters in all ranks of the armed forces. and he should. a lot of people said he made a mistake. maybe they thought they handled it. the navy has to go back and unpack the incident. find out if it was handled right and see what was done. you know, maybe it will turn out that it's been handled appropriately. this was old stuff. it's not happening now. it's never going to happen again. maybe he was admonished for it. we don't know. but the navy is certainly taking a cautious line. and i think this is an appropriate line at this point because you just don't understand the full circumstances of it. >> i think you really hit upon something when you said that the intention was to boost the crew's morale. and you can't fully understand why a senior officer would do something about that. but there's something about the environment or culture that civilians don't understand? >> well, there is and there isn't. it's impossible to overstate the degree of difficulty that the crews on these big aircraft carriers go through. it's 24 hours a day operations. there's no down time. when you're in your bunk asleeped, you can be awakened for fire drills and battle station drills. they're months at sea. they're really working hard. and it's dangerous. so, there are morale problems. and people do need to work on this and build teamwork and camarader camaraderie. for that reason, you have to be careful to maintain the dignity and respect of all of the people, regardless of their rank that serve underneath you. they can't speak up easily for themselves in a senior subordinate relationship. and they have feelings. you have to respect it. >> captain honors has been temporarily relieved. do you see that he could be -- that he could return to his position? >> yes, it's possible. i think it is possible. it depends on what was done at the time. who knew about it. what were the actions taken. or is this evidence of a broader pattern of behavior that has just now surfaced. but it did happen four years ago. i think there's some chance the navy could do the investigation and perhaps that it can -- it's possible he could be returned to duty. i think it's going to be tough, though. i think when they look at this, they're going to find out that maybe there were other circumstances. maybe it wasn't dealt with properly at the time. i hope for the navy's sake and everybody, it can be worked effectively and we can get the ship on its way. >> general wesley clark, thank you very much for your insight this morning. we appreciate your perspective. have a good day. >> robin, thanks. we're going to turn to a murder that's mystifying official washington. a former white house aide to former president reagan and both president bushes has been found dead in a delaware landfill. pierre thomas has the latest. >> reporter: by all accounts, john p. wheeler iii was a man of stature. west point grad. vietnam veteran that helped spearhead efforts to build the memorial wall in washington. his untimely dead at complete odds with his life. he was murdered, in a landfill found not far from his delaware home. >> very prominent gentleman. why anyone would kill him would be beyond me. >> reporter: monday, police were back at the landfill, desperately hunting for leads. >> there are no suspects. we're trying to determine where the cream scene occurred. >> reporter: wheeler was believed to be in washington prior to being found dead on new year's eve. he was a white house aide to president reagan. and worked in the administrations of both bush president sis. he pushed hard as chair of fund-raising for the vietnam veterans memorial, seen by 4 million annually. >> do our lives reflect the best that is in the lives of those whose names are on the wall of this memorial? >> jack wheeler reese life was centered around patriotism and service. we've lost a great friend and a great engine in efforts to help the country. >> reporter: friends say, so sad that a man so concerned about giving honor to fallen comrades apparently was afforded so little dignity in his own death. for "good morning america," pierre thomas, abc news, washington. >> okay. it's time, now, for the weather. sam champion. >> good morning, george. we're going to start with pictures out of va cass. ktnv. you're there. four inches of snow west of the city, on the strip, not a lot. it happens. you get a little bit of snow every year in the area there. the last time they got a measurable snow, was 2008, december 17th. last big-time snow. it's incredible. here's what happens with the temperatures there. the idea is that wrmer air gets in. vegas at 48 degrees. palm springs at 60. l.a. comes in about 61 degrees. the milder air is moving across the country. here's the one place where the temperatures are brutal. early morning extreme northern part of the country in the middle, could be 35 below in the windchills this morning. we'll be talking a lot about those numbers. we will start this morning with a beautiful shot over the bed. notice the extra cloud cover overhead which we did not have yesterday. partly cloudy conditions out there. 27 degrees at reagan national airport. 20 degrees at dulles and martinsburg is down to 14 degrees. highs will be in the mid 40's today with partly cloudy skies and we're looking at a cooling trend later this week. all of america's weather in the next half hour. we like our weather screen. but, robin, that's a smart screen. >> as opposed to the not-so-smart screen. you led me there. your fault, sam. gas prices headed for a new high. and the increase could have a big ripple effect on the economy. bianna golodryga is here to talk about it. let's go to america's smart screen and see the highs and lows of this. >> not a great way to kick off the year for commuters. looking at the highest prices across the country. california, alaska. we happen to be in one of the states, new york and connecticut. hawaii. you have to wonder if people were complaining to president on his trip there. >> and in the middle of the country, the low. >> utah, $2.81. and the ripple effects will cost you on everything you buy. not just gas. these days, most everything you buy, use or do gets to you on wheels. >> for everybody, we will pay more for airline tickets. you will pay more for dry cleaning. >> reporter: the average price of a gallon of unleaded is now $3.07, up 33 cents in the last 3 months. that spike cost consumers $30 billion. from $3.02 in north carolina. >> it's very frustrating. i get paid $8 an hour. i'm pretty much working to get to work. >> reporter: to $3.33 in los angeles. >> the gas prices going up and up, it really impacts the amount of money we have to spend on vacations. >> reporter: how bad can things get? take a look at what happened in july of 2008, when gas prices spiked at $4.11. that summer, the price of a gallon of milk soared to $3.84. today, it's back down to $3.20. but rising. back in 2008, a cross-country flight was around $340. today, the average price is already creeping up to $310. and experts say this summer could bring back those dreaded surcharges. from pizza to dry cleaning to shipping companies. so, let's break this down and put it in perspective. let's say we want to go on a cross-country road trip. you pick us up in the stylish minivan here. the round-trip would be $55.86 to go across country. >> now? >> oh, wow. $64. this means that the economy is going better. >> with an economy just now coming back this, is not great news for consumers already feeling the pinch. we could see $4 by the end of the year. >> happy new year. brett favre may not be coming back to pro football. but he's having trouble shaking his troubles by the new york jets. fined $50,000 from the nfl for failing to cooperate with a sexual harassment probe. he's facing a new lawsuit from two massage therapists who say favred harassed them when they work for the jets. >> reporter: good morning, george. and their attorney believes there's a big coverup going on here. one of the two massage therapists say the quarterback propositioned her sexually in 2008. and both women claim they lost their jobs because of favre. now, they want to work again and see change in the nfl when it comes to these matters. while brett favre was a star quarterback with the new york jets, massage therapist, christina scavo, claims he treated her like a hanging flab of meat. and says the suit ar alleges he wanted a three- way with her and another therapist. she alleges he sent text messages. >> he was propositioning my client and another massage therapist. my client showed her husband. and he contacted brett favre. he was very arrogant. he used some choice language. >> reporter: the suit claims that scavo came under fire from her supervisor, who writes in the text messages, feel horrible that you had to go through with a pervert. then, she added, i've been up there 13 years out anything that happened to me on tmz. you will never work for the jets again. the jets are also named in the lawsuit for allegedly doing nothing to stop the harassment. and are accused of treating women as sexual objects. >> if this happened in 2008, why are they coming forward now? >> it's clear there's no change going on at the jets. and it's not right. and it happens to be illegal. >> reporter: it's one of many scandals for the season for the jets. former reporter jenn sterger claims when favre was on the team, he sent her nude photos of himself. the nfl fined him $50,000 for his failure to be forthcoming. reporter ines sainz also names to be physically harassed in the locker room. the lawsuit is critical of the investigation into favre. but the two women said they chose not to participate because it felt it was a big sham. brett favre, the jets, and the supervisor named in the suit, no comment. coming up, "the spider-man" star that plunged 30 feet in front of a stunned audience, is here to tell us why the show front of a stunned audience, is here to tell us why the show must go on. ebly farm, to talk about our blueberry juice drinks. they're made with my sweet, ripe blueberries, picked right from the bush, and they're good for you. taste real good, too! to give you an idea, let's whip up a quick sample. or you could just try this. [ chuckles ] yeah. ocean spray blueberry juice drinks -- real blueberries, real good. ♪ you know how i feel i feel like jennifer hudson but with new arms, new legs, and this smile. ♪ freedom is mine ♪ and i know how i feel i'm loving weight watchers new pointsplus program and the edge it's giving me. ♪ it's a new dawn, a new day i've got even more control now. ♪ and i'm feeling good go on, join for free. weight watchers new pointsplus. because it works. introducing wisk with stain spectrum technology. try new wisk. we upgraded the formula, but not the price. ♪ we upgraded the formula, but not the price. hey, chili's later? do we know each other? yeah. well, no. no. okay. that worked? chili's $20 dinner for two. share one appetizer, choose two entrees. all you need is somebody to go with. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> the time is 7:26 on this tuesday, january 4. i am scott thuman with your local news update. let's check on the roadways with lisa baden. metrorail is in a delay on the red line because of a switch malfunctioned. the red line trains are back on normal service this morning. with 66ok at the maps and 95 status quo. no accidents. 95 out of woodbridge looks good. 95 maryland and 295 south that has heavy traffic for laurel. southbound traffic is open to get to the beltway. 95 to the baltimore-washington parkway is better because route one has a crash out of laurel to beltsville. notice the cloud cover overhead. this is a live picture over the bay. that is a beautiful shot but we have scattered clouds. we did not have that yesterday and temperatures are on the cool side, only in the 20's and all the and -- and also a few teens. 14 degrees in martinsburg but 27 degrees in the district. partly cloudy today with high temperatures in the mid-40's with a light southwesterly wind and it will be quiet until thursday with a chance of a few snow flurries. there has been more talk about a possible cancer clustered near fort detrick. a state official looking at the issues as more research is needed but one group says hundreds of people near the post have battled or died from cancer related to agent orange. the officials say there is no evidence. we will be back with anoth what a terrifying moment. watch this. the musical, "spider-man: turn off the dark," and there goes a stuntman, 30 feet. he hits the ground. the most ambitious -- technically ambitious broadway show ever. the stuntman survived. and he is here this morning, in a "gma" exclusive, with his fellow cast members from "spider-man: turn off the dark." that's coming right up. we say good morning, america. i'm george stephanopoulos. >> i'm robin roberts. looking forward to hearing from the cast. the popular priest, once known as father oprah, who left the catholic church after a high-profile love scandal. he's going to talk to us this morning to talk about his new life. >> a husband and father. still a priest in the episcopal church. this hour, the lions' den. here he is. this man is spending the next month living with big cats. we're going to go inside his wild adventure. we begin with "spider-man" the musical. the actor that was in the frightening 30-foot plunge is up and walking again. first, here's a look at his story and the star-crossed broadway show that's packing in crowds every night. flashing nights. gravity-defying stunts. a rocking score from u2's bono and the edge. costing $65 million to put on stage. "spider-man: turn off the dark" is broadway's most expensive musical of all-time. with a tangled web of accidents and injuries making headlines week after week, theatergoers are left wondering, could it also be the most dangerous? look at this video, filmed during a performance on december 20th. the cord holding actor christopher tierney isn't fastened properly. tierney crocked four ribs, crocked three vertebrae, punctured a lung and suffered internal bleeding. last week, natalie mendoza left "spider-man" after a concussion. and two other transformers suffered broken bones in their hands and feet. new safety guidelines are in place. requiring a second person to ensure that harnesses worn by performers have been put on properly. joining ugs nous now, are cast members chris tierney. >> you look great. >> i feel fantastic. aggressive physical therapy. i'm walking with a lot less caution. my physical therapist probably doesn't want me to say that, for that matter. i feel like i could walk. >> you had a fractured skull, four broken ribs, three cracked vertebrae. you had back surgery. >> yep. >> what do you remember? you were watching that, as if nothing's happening. what do you remember about the moment? >> the moment i always had my moment, where i speedy pose, to look at the goblin. and then, i look down. and the beautiful mary jane gets cut. and she drops and i jump. but i get -- >> slack. >> i always go forward. we were talking before. you don't go forward, it doesn't play. it doesn't look good. and so, i'm out. and then, all of a sudden, it's like oh. i'm not being held back at all. tried to grab the edge of the stage. i had too much inertia. and the moment i realized, i'm just going to go head-first. i had to duck and turn -- like twist it around. >> you fell on your back? >> i came around on my back. >> jennifer, you were dangling, watching the whole thing. what did you see? and what did you feel? >> i remember falling. and then, just in a split-second, i saw spider-man on his back. but i wasn't sure which one it was. i heard cat talking to chris. i knew it was him. and i just tried to stay as calm as possible because i was happy to know it was chris. i know he's like the strongest dude i've ever met. so, i was like, okay. at least that's better. but -- >> i was happy to know it was me. >> i think we all knew he would probably withstand that better than anyone else in the cast. >> and he did. it raises the whole question of safety. and, you know, there's been a lot of reaction in the community. we wanted to ask you about this. alice ripley had a tweet. and she said this, is completely unacceptable and embarrassing to working actors everywhere. does someone have to day? where's the line or decisionmakers. what's your response? >> we appreciate everyone's concern for our safety. i guess you just get into this job. you know, it's an athletic event. there's something that has a certain amount of risk involved. people on our crew are amazing. they care or fur safety every day. and improvements to safety are -- we have to trust. we do trust them. we appreciate everyone's concern. but i think the only people more concerned than the other actors are the people in the crew. >> and you know everyone's looking out for you. >> yeah. you definitely feel it. >> patrick, you're a veteran. there's been blowback also on julie taymor, who has directed this. adam pascal says, you know, she should be charged. he was taking poetic license there. but what do you say to your fellow actors who think this is just across the line? that too many risks are being taken? >> i wish they could be in the building with us and see the care that julie takes and that our producer, michael cole takes. and our union takes. we've had representatives there from equity there, from the very first day. and in our building, virtually, all the time since then. looking after us. and we also have this crew. i work with this crew once before. i did another show in the same theater with the same guys. and i've been, you know, hooked up to the very top part of that theater by these same guys. you just couldn't ask for anybody better. i really agree with what reeve says. if i was on the outside hearing the things they hear, i might have the same reaction. i wish they were in the building with us because i think they would have a different reaction. >> you're coming to replace natalie mendoza. you don't have any fear, right? >> i don't have fear in temples of safety. >> what are you afraid of? >> me. >> i'm afraid -- not really afraid. i have a great want to step into some big shoes and to do the best that i can do. and to -- not a fear. but a desire. >> healthy butterflies. >> yes. and you're coming back? >> oh, yeah. the moment i can, i mean, the moment i get the okay from, you know, my doctors, i have a bunch of, you know, screws in my back right now. but the moment i'm going to, aggressively as i can, go through my physical therapy. and the moment i feel i'm good, i'm back in the show, i can't wait. >> reeve, he was saying yesterday, that this show is going to go down as the biggest comeback story in broadway. >> thanks to this guy. >> what do you want people to know about it, beyond all the press? >> it's a great story. it's a classic love story. and action-packed thriller. it's got something for everyone. i think it's so great to see everyone come together. and to make that a reality. to have it be the greatest.combagreatest.co come back in theater history. >> my daughter said, i love action theater. thank you all very much. you're looking great. >> thank you. juju? >> thanks, george. quite an ensemble. we're going to turn to a story that's happening right now. we're just getting video in of a massive fire burning in new jersey. this entire condo complex has gone up in flames. fire crews had to back off because part of the facade was falling down. no injuries are reported. a major settlement for a key player in the mortgage crisis. bank of america has agreed to pay nearly $3 billion to fannie mae and freddie mac. scientists call it alarming. bumble wees are dying off. it's unclear why. four species have suffered declines of up to 96%. the bees are important because they pollinate crops like tomatoes and strawberries. experts in arkansas say the 3,000 birds that fell out of the sky were likely startled to death, flying through a new year's fireworks show. but officials in louisiana are trying to figure out what killed birds near a school. hoping to land that high-paying job in wear glasses. a new study finds that people who wear them are more likely to be hired. 43% say glasses make you look smarter. you can thank the old stereotype that people who read a lot develop poor eyesight. >> i have my peepers here. >> you look so much smarter now. >> i look like harriet potter. they're great for reading now. i don't know how much smarter. all right, sam. harriet potter. that was really good. good morning, everybody. let's get pictures of snow where it maybe shouldn't be. in san diego, you're not thinking snow. but in the elevations near laguna mountains. this was part of the western sweep of snow. here's what happens with that whole setup. the jet stream's riding a little too low for a la nina pattern. now, it's more north. this is more regular. we'll get more moisture moving into the northwest. get ready for that. you dry out from san francisco south. it's a couple of days of good, dry weather in southern california. that feels good. international falls at 17 below. bismarck at 12 below. on the twitter, we had folks saying, it's cold up here. and it is until may. that's the idea that the cold air is in place. detroit at about 29 degrees. nice into it is a cold start to our tuesday with temperatures down and the 20's but we will climb into the mid 40's. we cool down a bit later this week, friday through the weekend all that weather was brought to you by red lobster. george, i just noticed. honolulu, 81 degrees. 14 did you buy a lottery ticket, sam? 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[ male announcer ] it's a new year. so, ask your doctor about chantix. and find out how you could save money on your prescription go to chantix.com to learn more and get terms and conditions. as we've been telling you tonight, millions of americans will be anxiously waiting and wishing to see if they have the winning ticket. the megamillions jackpot is up to $340 million. the odds of winning, 1 in 76 million. is there anything you can do to improve those odds? steve osunsami joins us from atlanta with strategies that people are using. >> reporter: people are doing what they can. $330 million is such a delicious number. lottery officials are telling us that today, they're going to look at ticket sales. and the jackpot could rise to $350 million by this evening. with every ticket sold today, there's a dream behind it. >> go buy an island. >> wonderful way to start the new year. a millionaire. >> reporter: across 41 states, the nation's capital, and even the u.s. virgin islands, there's lined up for a chance at the big money. >> once you start getting into larger numbers, $80 million, $100 million, you bring in a lot of new people. people that haven't played more. that's why the jackpots really accelerate. >> reporter: some people told us they were picking numbers from their birthday. >> my birthday. my son's birthday. >> reporter: we talk with mathematicians and people that run the lottery and asked what works? do your odds get worse when more people play? no. the odds are always the same. about 1 in 176 million because they always draw 6 balls from the same set of numbers. >> tonight's mega -- >> reporter: what are the thoughts that your chances are better if you live outside a big city. the experts say that's not true, either. new york state leads the way with 23 megamillions winners. and more than half of those winners came from new york city. >> i heard people told me they don't buy tickets in atlanta. they drive out of town. it's all one, giant, computer system. >> reporter: and what about quick picks? should you let the computers decide your numbers or choose your own? >> if you want to win, choose quickly. >> reporter: it doesn't matter. playing the same numbers time after time, doesn't help you win faster. >> there's a level of fantasy we engage in. and someone will win that. >> reporter: this could be the winner number. and lottery officials tell us, if it is, we should change our phone numbers and hire a good accountant because we're going to owe millions and millions. >> you're going to owe so much more than that. thank you, steve. after seeing your report, i've never been so happy to live in new york city. go out and get my lottery ticket now. coming up, the final seven. we're revealing the results of our search for "gma's" advice gu ru. come on back. when you've lost interest in everything. when you've had one too many days feeling sad or anxious... aches and pains, fatigue. when it becomes hard to ignore that you need help. that's the day you do something. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. is today your day? talk to your doctor... and go to cymbalta.com for a free 30-capsule trial offer. depression hurts. cymbalta can help. in a more delicious world, there would be more smoothness, more creaminess, more rich just-for-me-ness, more hershey's bliss-fulness. hershey's bliss. it's not just chocolate. it's bliss. don 't fdoronge'tt f orgeon 'ti .w on't. ♪n 't fdoronge'tt f orgeon 'ti .w ♪'t. ♪♪'t. or spreoadr asp lreitad maxw a s riyochu a r ccuofp feofe c offeespreoadr asp lreitad maxw a sso yoou csoan y boue t a r ccuofp feofe c oh, bayer aspirin? i'm not having a heart attack. it's my back. it works great for pain. 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[ man ] thermacare, more effective for back pain than the maximum dose of acetaminophen, the medicine in tylenol. go to thermacare.com today for a $3 off coupon. thermacare. no pills. no pain. just relief. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning, it is 7:56 on this tuesday, january 4. i am scott thuman with your local news update. we begin by checking on the roadways with lisa baden. saturated with traffic this morning on like a gesture which was quiet. plenty of traffic is heading over to navy med , 355 jones bridge road, that traffic was heavy to get to the guard gate and starts to clear out. this is rockville traffic and that affected 70270. 270. noticed this live picture of vague bay which is different than yesterday. today it is a little cloudy over the metro area. we are mainly in the 20's and teens here and they're pretty gaithersburg dropped down to 19. 23 degrees at quantico. it is warmer at lexington park at 31 degrees p. lee cloudy today and a few degrees warmer than yesterday and cooling down the rest of the week. highs only in the mid 30's for the weekend and with that shift, we cannot rule out a few isolated snow flurries. you have just hours left to take a chance that striking it rich. the mega millions jackpot is now $330 million. the lottery is played in d.c., maryland, and virginia and you could see the drawing live tonight on abc 7 at 11:00. we'll be ♪ "the lion king," right across the street from us here in times square. and there's the lion king, right there in florida. we ask, how far would you go for a good cause? this man is eating, sleeping, living with lions for a whole month. and he's doing it to rise money for his wildlife center. and is he arm wrestling with them? in a few minutes, you'll meet him and his new roomies. >> i don't know if i'd play that rough if i were him. but go ahead. also this morning, we're going to meet the priest known as father oprah. who sparked a debate about whether catholic priests should be allowed to marry. when he left the catholic priesthood to get married to a former parishioner. he has a baby girl. he has a new family. he's an episcopal priest. he is telling his whole story. and he has scathing words for the catholic church. father cutie. >> and we're going to talk about -- look at this. you're going to be wanting one, when you see it. it's the closest thing to getting the laundry to do itself. and one of the winners of good housekeepings v.i.p. products. >> wonder if ali's going to want one. first, juju and the news. >> that's the machine for people like me, that forgets to move the laundry into the dryer. president obama is back at the white house today, facing questions about how his staff and new challenges from republicans. abc news has learned the president has spoken to former clinton commerce secretary, bill daley, about becoming his chief of staff. meanwhile, house republicans have unveiled their first bill to repeal the president's health care reform law. they plan to vote next wednesday. but repeal faces long odds, with democrats still controlling the senate. police say they have no suspects or no motive in the murder of john wheeler, whose body turned up in a delaware landfill. wheeler served as military adviser to three presidents and worked tirelessly to get the vietnam veterans memorial built in washington. wheel enand his wife had been involved in a battle with the owner of a house under construction that was blocking their views. the navy commander found in the raunchy videos that was revealed over the weekend, has been released of his command. owen honors is unlikely to be onboard "the uss enterprise," when it deploys in two weeks. floodwaters in northeastern australia are expected to peak today. they've cut off 1 city of 75,000 people. now, something else to worry about. residents are being warned to avoid the water because of snakes and crocodiles. a medical scare here in new york to tell you about. hundreds of people may have been exposed to hepatitis a, while receiving communion during christmas mass. health officials are offering to vaccinate parishioners. it was not in the communion wafer but in the person who handled it. symptoms include fever and nausea. and it's rarely fatal. a fair of smash-and-grab thieves didn't need a gun to pull off their heist. they used a minivan, instead. they used it to uproot an atm. and turned that minivan into a getaway car. it happened so fast, police say they have no idea who the burglars might be. a spectacular sight across the evens and moon. when the moon slips between the sun and the earth, it created the first partial ellipse of the year. it started in the middle east and came halfway across the earth. it was a solar eclipse. >> yeah. i have to keep it in perspective. earth, little moon, and the shade. i feel we need the hanging -- what do you call them when you put them in kids' rooms? mobile. >> mobile. >> we need those. we'll get one next time. the next one is in june. we'll have those in june, juju. good morning, everybody. how is it going? good? we've got an action-packed, live studio audience. we can't show you that way. we have something set up for 8:30, that's pretty nice. we have to stay here. trust me. there's a whole lot over there. go ahead and make noise so they know you're over there. a lot over there. let's get to the boards. one or two things going on this morning as you head out of the door. how about unlocking arctic air. we get back to colder temperatures. boston, you're headed back down into the 30s. new york city, as well. see that little low. there's a little low back in the northern territories. as that swings in, there could be not coast at storm for new england, by the end you will notice first thing this morning that we have added cloud cover overhead. temperatures are still in the 20's and even teens and a few locations. 29 degrees in arlington but 21 in front royal. 17 in brunswick. partly cloudy to day and a little warmer this afternoon then yesterday, highs and amid the 40's and weak cold for the middle part of the week and we cool a lot more by frida there's a lot down here in the next half hour. george? >> thank you, sam. many faiths, jewish, muslim, protestant christian, allow their clerics to marry. but roman catholic priests are expected to stay single and sell brat. that's why there was controversy when a catholic priest left the catholic church to marry a woman he met at church. first, the story of how a stolen kiss caught on camera, forced him to choosz between the church he served and the woman he loved. they're photos albert father cutie, thought he would never see. his wedding day. holding his baby girl. >> father cutie's actions have caused scandal in the catholic church. >> reporter: he was a catholic priest when he's photos were snapped by paparazzi. the scandal cost him his job as head of a miami parish. in his new book, he said it was a relationship he tried to avoid. he said more than once, to ruhama, it wasn't her choice to fall in love with a priest. but she couldn't help it, either. and neither could cutie. >> coming before the community that i have tried to serve and continue to love with all my of heart, to announce i'm continuing to call to spread the message of god's love. >> reporter: after 14 years as a catholic priest, he became an episcopalian. he leads a new parish, with his wife and family by his side. for a long time, he writes, i endured a tug-of-war between something that was good, my love of god. and another thing that was good, my love for the woman i wanted to honor and cherish in marriage. now, i believe both were given to me by the same god, who is ultimately the source of all love. and father albert cutie joins us now. you seem a man at peace with your decision. >> i am at peace. and i think it's good for people to know, that behind the stories that you see in tabloids, there's something else. the actual person involved in the story. and i have quite a story to tell. >> you have a daughter now. you wrote that marriage has helped you become a better priest. you think that fatherhood will, as well? >> i think being a father is something you should never be deprived of. i think it's part of life. i always thought my father and my uncles and the people in my family, as bei role models. i hope i can do the same for my child and for the children that may come. >> this is not a decision that came easily to you. you had a secret relationship for some time, until the photos were snapped by the paparazzi. why not come out before you were caught? >> that's part of the dilemma. when you are raised in a culture that tells you this is the way to be a priest, celibacy is that tug-of-war that i talk about. and the celibacy works for some priests some of the time. but it does not work for most priests most of the time. a lot of priests struggle with these things. violation of celibacy is not just getting caught with secret girlfriend or boyfriend in the case of some priests. it can be watching pornography on the internet. masturbation, even. basic human exfor examples are violations of celibacy. that's part of the problem. it has a lot to do with controlling someone's sexual life. your desire for intimacy. your desire for that connection with another human being. >> my father is a greek orthodox priest. my uncle. i'm familiar with the arguments. how about ruhama, your wife, was in the parish. in our church, you can be married and become a priest. but because of the power relationship that can be exploited by priests. how do you respond to that? >> it's interesting. that does happen if, in your mind, you really believe that you have this power. i never felt the kind of power over people, especially over ruhama. she's an adult. we're about the same age. she's five years younger than me. but there was a never situation where i felt i used my situation to get involved with her. on the contrary, we avoided each other for a long time. like magnets that attract. no matter how hard you try to pull them apart. >> we did. we both did. >> you're pretty tough on the catholic church. one of the things you write, is celibacy is not something that the catholic church takes seriously. what did you mean by that? >> i think on the outside, there's all these rules. you know, the church appears antiseptic like listerine, we have no germs. when the scandal comes out, the church reacts to the scandals. what i was surprised in my situation, the reason it got critical, is when i'm really bothered by is the fact that you would respond to this situation, between an adult consenting female and an adult male, both of them single, in such a harsh way. but when priests are caught in other situations, sometimes there's no statement. sometimes there's no public declaration. and i think some of that has to do with the church's dysfunction. i don't think i'm critical of the catholic church, to tell you the truth. >> you say there's great hypocrisy. >> i'm critical of that dysfunction. you say there's so many homosexuals in so many clergy, that the church would never be able to function if they were really to exclude all of them from the ministry. >> i think it's hypocritical to say in statements, like we've seen recently, oh, we're not going to have gay seminarians. what are you going to do with hundreds of thousands of priests that already are here serving? and they're good men. >> at the highest levels of the church? >> some of them, i know honor celibacy and do it quite well and are happy men and are integrated sexually. but some are not. insisting on celibacy is not the problem. but insisting that every secular priest makes a commitment of celibacy. 40 folks were married. and for 1,200 years, all priests had the option to marry. i don't think this is part of something that's traditional. >> now, you're an episcopal priest. what have you sacrificed? >> in the roman catholic church, there are numbers. our church congregations are smaller. but many who go to the roman catholic church, even though many support my decision. but 80% of roman catholics don't agree with their church, on in vitro fertilization. that's a mortal sin. tying your tubes. getting a vasectomy. getting remarried of a bad marriage. all of those are mortal sins. those are the rules of the church. if you follow the rules, basically, a good percentage of roman catholics can't participate. >> we're almost out of time. you're a happily married family man. why did you go back to the spot where the paparazzi caught you to propose? >> that was such a publicized spot. first of all, the pictures came out. and what i tried to do is make something that was so negative and had so much negative publicity for us, something positive. actually, it was funny. i had to pick a place to give her the ring. she had no idea we were going there. no paparazzi. >> father cutie, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> the book is called "dilemma." you can learn a lot more by reading an excerpt of it at our website, abcnews.com/gma. and when we come back, moving in with big cats to raise big money. one man's lion king adventure. call me. 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in a moment, a "gma" exclusive. we'll ask that man, right there, jim jablon, why he's stepping into the lions' den. but first, matt gutman has more. >> hey. do you want a toy? >> reporter: jim jablon rang in the new year, here. determined to spend 30 days and nights in a cage. >> hold on, honey. >> reporter: with two, adolescent lions. ed and lea. jablon has run this animal shelter for almost 20 years. paying out of pocket to rehabilitate nearly 100 animals. many of them abandoned pets. but the money has run out. the shelter's owner has turned into a showman of sorts, hoping for doe vagss. it's being streamed live, on the web. jablon eats with them. and sleeps when they do. or tries to. >> give me the blanket, eddy. >> reporter: the kings of the jungle are nocturnal. most active at might, and most dangerous. jim feeds lea and ed once every day. while they've known him since they were cubs. they're still 250-pound animals, very powerful. jim knows one wrong move while they're feeding, can be the last move he ever makes. in 2003, roy horn of seigfried and royal was nearly killed when one of his tigers attacked him during a show. it's one reason conservationists are critical. >> it can send a bed message that it's okay to try to make pets out of wildlife. >> reporter: jablon agrees. but says he's willing to take the risk this time, to help the animals he loves. for "good morning america," matt gutman, abc news, springhill, florida. and joining us now, from the lions' den, in springhill, florida, jim jablon. we've been seeing you throughout the morning. tell us about your two friends right there. >> two friends, i call them kids. this is ed. he's an african lion. this is lea. i got that backwards. this is ed. this is lea. these are my two african lions that were raised here. this is their home. >> got the blanket again. >> yeah. got the blanket again. >> we're watching this. and as we understand your passion. and it's admirable, that you want to care for these animals. but there's also people watching this morning who have already e-mailed us. and said what is up with him? how safe is this, jim? >> what do you mean? what's up with me? it's safe enough for me because i raised these animals and i'm familiar with them. i don't let strangers come into here, obviously. i know their moods, their actions, their facial expressions. and i'm careful. so, it's not that dangerous. it can be. but it's not. >> it doesn't send a bad message, as we heard in matt's report, that some people get the impression that you can tame the wild animals and make them pets? >> these animals are not tame. they're young. and they're used to me. they can turn at any time. and therefore, once they get a little bigger, i won't be sitting in here with them. i'll be respecting their size and power. and i'll do it from the other side of the fence, whether they're used to me or not. when they're young, you have to have contact with them. and you have to establish a relationship. so, while you're taking care of them for the next 20 years, it's less dangerous than if they came from somewhere where they didn't know you. so, it's -- the extent of the training we do is to keep them familiar with whoever is going to be feeding them and possibly having to transport them or take them to the vet. so, there's has to be some interaction when they're young, otherwise, you can't have any interaction with them. right now, i'm not in a dangerous position. >> we're glad to hear that. tell us about the other animals that are there in your refuge and who is taking care of them. >> well, we've got over 100 animals here. we have siberian tigers. bengal tigers. cougars. lynxes, many different kinds of primates. livestock. i take care of them mostly with my 13-year-old daughter, chelsea, which right now, she's -- it's a full-time job. it's about 12, 14 hours a day. we basically do what we have to do to make sure they have what they need. and then, we take care of ourselves at the end of the day. there's a lot of mouths to feed here. there's a lot of cages to clean. there's a lot of habitats to repair and construct. we do them the best we can. the enclosure we're in right now, is about a 4,500 square foot enclosure. they have room to run, play, jump, climb trees. they're really happy here. they're really relaxed. >> we only have about 15 seconds left. and we know you're trying to raise funds. but tell people what they can do to help. >> you need to go to worhflorida.com. you need to go to the website. you can watch everything going on here for the next 29 days. i'll be in here until january 31st. >> jim, please take care. and thank you very much. >> i'm going to try. you, too. thank you. >> concentrate on them right now. we'll have nicolas cage coming up in our next half hour. ® you'll save 100 calories a day. that could help you lose up to 10 pounds in a year. 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[ ship horn blows ] >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> and good morning everybody. i am alison starling at 8:27 on this tuesday. here is lisa baden and a look at the roadways. i will begin with metro ran. orange line customers in the direction of vietnam have an additional wait for trains because of a train malfunction outside the west falls church metro. aron's line customers have an additional weight. an additional weight at a green belt. there was a car fire on the beltway. everything is under control on the outer loop at university boulevard the inner loop leaving colesville road is passing by. randolph road looks awful. there is a westbound accident near kennedy high school but 395 looks beautiful. we have some clouds we are dealing with today and not as a sunny head yesterday. overall, it will be partly cloudy today. 17 degrees in brunswick, maryland are in arlington as 29 degrees. 22 degrees in front royal. another cold start to the day. this afternoon will be warmer than what we had yesterday. it gets colder later this week, down in the mid 30's for high temperatures and maybe a few snow flurries thursday through saturday d.c. says it is owed more than $300 million in unpaid tickets for the city may hold an amnesty program to collect some of that money and the drivers would have to pay the original fine for officials say they could probably collect at least $6 million. we will have another update at 8: party's here. >> snooki. >> hey. >> i have your new roommate. >> snooki walks through door -- >> we have a situation coming up. and we're looking forward to it. "the jersey shore" kicks off its new season. and the gang is going to be right here on "good morning america," live, on thursday. >> boy. all of them. that is something. >> yeah. she does have a new book. a novel, actually. >> okay. we'll hear all about it. >> behave. >> just talking about the book. also, we're very excited about our advice guru. we started with more than 15,000 people. got down to 20. you saw the submissions. this morning, we reveal the final seven. see how they're going to make it to the absolute final. how would you never like to sweep or mop your floor again? we're going to show you some of the great gadgets, like the self-propelled robot, that have earned the good housekeeping v.i.p. good product awards. steve is moving. but the camera's not moving. and nick cage is back. he has a new movie "season of the witch." he will tell us all about it. >> he gets to be a knight from the 14th century. let's get to sam. very special guests. >> i do. and good stuff. first of all, thank you so much for coming in. this morning, we have a special guest for this morning's warm coats, warm hearts coat drive. she has driven over 1,700 miles this morning. she left colorado the day after christmas, just to donate to our coat drive. she didn't just bring coats. this is what i love about when something wonderful catches on. you see us doing this. you think, these folks need more. they need hats. they need scarves. you knitted some of these. >> i did. >> before we get to the donations, i want to show the work that you do. this is spectacular stuff. this would go for an enormous price at some specialty shop. and you did all of this to donate. >> i did. i do have to say, a friend of mine did this one. i can't take credit for this one. i would love to. but my friend did this one. i did those. i did that one. >> and we have pictures of you taking donations. and so, you would go to people. and you would say, i'm driving across the country, and what? >> i'm collecting hats, coats and skafshs for "good morning america's" coat drive. people need to be warm. and a coat doesn't do the whole job. >> you're absolutely right. and it warms my heart to see folks taking action. mike did some of the driving, as well. you brought some coats. toss them in for us. [ cheers and applause ] so phenomenal. thank you so much. >> thank you, sam. thank you so much. >> you made it so good today. our ebay auction, first time ever. jump on it. we're auctioning more than 40 coats that have been donated by celebrities. all of the fans see celebrities sign, you can get them on ebay. when you do that, your donation will allow us to get more coats for people and kids and families in need. thank you so much again. let's get to the boards. good job on the driving. one or two things -- i'm holding your hand for a while. let's start with what's happening in the twitter pictures this morning. we finally got everybody up and moving for the new year and have great twitter pictures are. there they are, today's selection. we'll watch in the southwest, where you get a slightly warmer for the most part, we are down in the 20's but on our way to the mid 40's this afternoon so a bit warmer than yesterday. partly cloudy this afternoon and cooler friday into the weekend. all that weather was brought to you by 21st century auto insurance. george? >> thank you, sam. it's the finals for our advice gurus. started at 15,000 people. narrowed it down. now, to the final seven. bianna golodryga is here with that. it's a tough one. >> reporter: this has been the mother of all searches. the competition is heating up. we've narrowed it down to seven applicants. they don't know who is being chosen. but they're about to find out right now. may the best guru win. our guru finalists have been put to the test. answering your questions. >> i have five kids. and it is very difficult for me to take me time moments without feeling guilty. >> i'm the mother of preteen twins. how do i best prepare the girls for the changes in in their bodice. >> don't give up. hang in there. >> tell us what you think of our finalists. >> reporter: and you weighed in. letting us know who you think has the chops. all the way from 15,000. to 20. and now, down to just seven. >> hi. i'm liz pryor. >> amy. i'm carla barnhill. >> i'm fran harris. >> i'm phil von munchen. >> they are the top seven. >> the mistake that most people make, is they live their lives for other people. they never step back and say what do i want? >> change is the one constant for all of us. when you embrace it, more often than not, something really good comes from it. >> reporter: we want you to get to know them. >> one word that describes me. >> optimistic. >> spontaneous. >> curious. >> one word that pulls out every aspect of my personality. >> i'm obnoxiously optimistic. >> you never know what i'm going to say. >> that's easy. delicious. >> reporter: they're not afraid to be real. >> my family went through two divorces when i was a kid. it inspired me to better understand what makes a healthy relationship tick. >> we get stressed out over things we don't have a lot of patrol over. >> how much better to look forward and seek out the people that lift us up. >> i believe that everybody has the ability to make this world better. everybody has the responsibility to make this world better. >> reporter: and they don't think any issue is too small. >> one thing that drives me nuts, people who talk in the movie theater. >> when i was in sixth grade, i sent shaun cassidy a letter and a picture. and i never heard back from him. >> i went into the dressing room. and there was no mirror. why do they think i want to try on a dress and parade it in front of strangers. >> i would have mr. cassidy answer the question. do you think i'm cute, yes or no. check one. >> our top seven are about to duke it out to the end. who will be the last guru standing? there you have it. the top seven. i can imagine how difficult it was to break down the 20. >> how did they do it? >> reporter: these are great journalists. at the end of the day, they can all write. they shelled out great advice. and you want these people at a dinner party with you. they talked about everything from children entering puberty. we gave them four questions. they broke it down. and our producers have to decide which of the final seven would make it. >> what's in store for them now? >> reporter: now, we're doing something never done before. online reality series. we're going to pick two of them a day, going to have a randomly-selected viewer question, they have to answer. along with a taped video piece and a short written essay. and we want our viewers to weigh in and tell us what think they about our what the solutions are. we'll have two a day. form, we have fran harris of dallas, texas, versus amy kean of new york city. >> they're going to duke it out online. >> we will come up with whoever is the winner for that day. we'll announce it that day. >> and at the end of the process, they'll come out a little bit, too. >> yeah. even better. >> this is the mother of all searches. >> the mother of all searches. >> thanks very much. >> i can't even say guru daily dual. how about a little drumroll? here are our first two dualing gurus. >> she said -- >> it's amy kean and fran harris. >> it's started. never mind. >> you can get to know those two never mind. >> you can get to know those two and the rest of the seven at the next, you start one feeling a bit off.ne. the moment you feel run down or achy, nip flu-like symptoms in the bud, with oscillococcinum. get oscillo and feel like yourself again. oscillococcinum, nip it in the bud. this is tupperware. >> this is tupperware. that's a vintage commercial for tupperware, first introduced in 1946. it's in nearly every american home today. and tupperware has just been voted into the good housekeeping hall of fame by its readers. folks at the good housekeeping institute are really busy. they put thousands of products to the test. as part of a v.i.p., or very important product award. this is a very high honor. what's the criteria to win the award? >> there's three criteria. we scan about 200 new products a year. first, to make sure they work as promised. but also they have incredible innovation, the way they're put together and are designed. and they solve a problem in a nobody has solved before. a big problem or a little problem. >> and this washingtoner and dryer, just kicks it off. it's like in this machine. this practically does your laundry by itself. it has an overnight sickle. it works as a regular washer. but you can put up to eight garments overnight. it can wash them. but overnight, it fans and tumble dries them. you take the garments out. not only are they clean. not only are they dry. they are wrinkle-free. it's like fool-proof. no more lugging your laundry from the washer to the dryer. if you want to do huge loads, it sounds like you wanted to do this in a dryer. >> this is great, getting your kids sports uniforms ready for a 7:00 a.m. game. or you're taking a trip and need it ready to go early the next morning. it's a wonderful benefit for a busy mom. >> or for a knucklehead like me. what are these? >> this is method laundry detergent. it cleans very well. as you know, going to the grocery store, and lugging home big, heavy, laundry detergent bottles. huge plastic. it's hard to measure. these are eight-times concentrated formulas. that let you use just four pumps. this one does 50 loads of laundry. >> one hand and four pumps, you're done. and this small bottle replaces this jug? >> this does 50. it's light weight. and very environmentally friendly. >> this is an iron sfeemer. >> this is the sunbeam steam enand iron built into one. it acts like a regular steam iron. you put it on a plate. turn a dial. and it acts like a steamer. you can see. >> superman, clark kent, all rolled into one. >> it works very well. great. >> and it's really not -- you don't have to have both appliances. this looks like a piece of modern art. >> isn't this great looking? this is the air multiplier. this is a fan with no blades. that children's fingers get caught. and this -- you should turn it on. >> this is amazing. it mops or vacuums. it's less than ten inches wide. >> audience is going wild. >> it has a gps system that maps the room. it will go underneath furniture, around. >> and it uses gps. that's probably more technology that the apollo landing gear. and it will replace your wet mop? >> it works great. this freezes pops in less than ten minutes. you can make your own healthy pops with fruit puree, or juice. >> they can pick the treat. and literally, as they're eating lunch -- >> it becomes frozen. >> nutritious and economic, as well. that's fantastic. >> thank you for having us. >> these are not all of the v.i.p. winners. you kept afew aside. and you can find those online at abcnews.com/gma. guess who is coming up next? he is one of hollywood's most versatile actors, playing in blockbusters like "national treasure," to his oscar-winning turn in "leaving las vegas." we loved him. now, nicolas cage is getting medieval in "season of the witch." he plays a 14th century knight on a mission. and he's here this morning to tell us all about the journey. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, nicolas cage. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. nice to see you again. it's been a little while. >> this had to be a childhood fantasy to play a knight. >> this is the truth. i've been playing a knight since i was a small boy in the backya backyard. i don't know why it took this long to do it in a movie. but it's a dream come true. >> you're up on a horse. you would think you were born on a horse. and you had to learn? >> i had never been on a horse before in my life. and it was scary at first. but i had a really good teacher, named camilla. and she got me up to a full kantor, going over a hill in two days' time. and i said, this is one of the oldest relationships in our history. man and horse. this works. i got into it intuitively. and i loved it. >> you certainly did look the part. >> thank you. >> there's so many things we talk about in the film. you're searching for a witch. and it's also, among other things, a buddy movie. you and ron perlman, are so good together. >> thank you. i love ron. he's got a great sense of humor. he's always cracking a lot of jokes. it was like no acting, please. we just had a great connection. it's got a lot of action in it. it's an adventure film. but you're right. it's a buddy movie. it was a really good cast. >> let's see you and your buddy, ron, in action right here. here it is. "seasons of the witch." >> the witch? >> that's not what i see. >> the priest said you confessed. >> we both know the church can be most persuasive. >> i am sorry i put you into this, felson. >> as dungeons go, it's not so bad. i've spent time in worse places than that. what is that smell? >> that would be you. >> he's like -- >> it's a funny moment. >> it does. and you know, also, the scenery. so dramatic. >> we talked about new orleans when we were on camera. i had just done "bad lieutenant." and i was in a hot, little office. and i was dreaming about being in a forest and like the austrian alps. it happened. the script came in. i said, where it is shooting? it was like travellog. we went to hungary. and the forests of austria. it was just gorgeous. >> you said, it's touching. it's beautiful in many ways. and it's also about your character, seeking redemption, really. >> yes. >> is there any way that you relate to that? anything that you've gone through in your life that helped you? >> yeah. everybody makes mistakes. it's part of being human. when we make mistakes, sometimes, it can be a great lesson because it puts you into looking for something. some people say you have to be a sinner before you can be a saint. and so, if you're a good person, you're going to make mistakes because you trust people. and some people will lead you in the wrong direction. you can learn from it. so, i have the experiences. >> like the rest of us. and everyone always loves to talk about your hair. i don't know what the deal is with that. we have some of you through the years in the films that you have done. starting here. >> i have to say, that was a great segue. >> there's no way of doing it. look at these different looks that you've had. >> yeah. >> you do transform "con air." that was from "con air." >> i see myself to subscribing to the lon chaney school of acting. historically, film actors and stage actors have created new looks and transform themselves. i don't wear a wig in my personal life or public life. i believe because i make so many movies, i like the idea of giving the audience something else. a new look, to keep it eclectic. and i have to go back and forth, so it saves time. i can't grow my hair that long in two months. for me, it gives it something. i'm not the only actor in hollywood that does that. but for some reason, it's more fun with me. but i enjoy it. i like to play dress-up when i'm working. >> you're such a good sport. and such a talent. that's why. >> thank you. >> that was a good segue, too. >> it was. >> happy birthday on friday. >> i'll be celebrating my birthday on british airways. >> have fun. >> thanks, robin. >> continued success in all that >> thanks, robin. >> continued success in all that you all right. what do you want to say? >> hi, dad. >> she said hi, mom, earlier. >> good for day. tim mcgraw is going to be here tomorrow. got some swoons over here. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> and good tuesday morning everybody. i am alison starling with your local update. here is lisa baden and a look at traffic. we have metrorail back on normal service. we had an earlier train malfunction outside west falls church station is resolved. you will be happy about 95 between richmond and baltimore. we will have normal travel times for this time of morning. if we have a minor slow down on 66 in centreville and from 123 to the beltway. not too bad along to 70. traffic is moving at speed at 109. in this view, we see mostly cloudy skies. there are areas of sun across the region. overall, when we look back on the day, we will call it a partly cloudy day. it is 10 degrees colder in manassas and 21 in hagerstown. lexington park is the warm spot. high temperatures today in the mid-40's with partly cloudy skies and warmer than yesterday and we will cool down again tomorrow and really cooling down for the weekend with ties only in the 30's and maybe a brief isolated snow flurries. the new mayor of d.c., vincent gray, is not saying if he will seek a new tax increase. he is looking at all the options. the new mayor named terry bellamy as interim ddot director. >> thanks for watching and we will be back at noon. "live with regis and kelly" is up next.