and a diet soda debate. a new study links the drink to increased of heart disease. but how worried should you really be? good morning, everyone. and happy birthday, george. i know you don't want us to make a fuss. and we'll try to honor -- >> we have ten minutes to go. >> so, this is your last ten minutes as a 49-year-old. >> this is it. >> all right. enjoy. >> we better make it big. good thing we have a lot of news. we have dramatic pictures coming in from cairo right now. there was a brief moment of panic, when crowds were banging the rocks. that was the signal that the military was about to crack down. it turned out to be a false alarm. but in a moment, we're going to head there live to show how the latest fears are running through that city today. >> they were prepared, locking arms, the protesters. here in new york, an icon for american capitalism for 200 years, the new york stock exchange, in talks with a potential, new owner, the germans. >> a lot of fear here that new york will no longer be the financial capital in the world. but this, if it wept through, would link the united states and 14 european countries. it would be huge. >> that's something to think about. and we have snapshots of a very public lunch that has so many people buzzing. soon-to-be, princess kate, asking her future stepmother, camilla, about what it's like to be a royal. and chris lee. this is the photo that forced him out. lee resigned late yesterday afternoon, after the website gawker, reported that the married congressman had sent it to a woman he was flirting with on craigslist. jonathan karl joins us with more. and i've never seen a story move so quickly, from revelation to resignation. >> reporter: i haven't, either, george. within hours after gawker put that on the website, congressman lee was gone. he issued an apology and that lert of resignation. it was this photo to did him in. published by the gawker website, which sent congressman lee e-mailed to a woman, described only as a 34-year-old government employee from maryland. she said the congressman contacted her through the craigslist forum, women seeking men. in the e-mail exchange posted by gawker, lee described himself as a fit, fun, classy guy. and added, i promise not to disappoint. in those e-mails, he also calls himself, a 39-year-old divorced lobbyist. that's not true. he's 46, married and a member of congress. or was, until this letter of resignation was read on the house floor last night. >> i hereby give notice of my resignation from the house of representatives. >> reporter: lee's family, including his wife, son and parents, joined him in january with speaker boehner, for the ceremonial swearing in of the new congress. he had just easily won re-election. in a statement last night, he apologized to his staff and his constituents. saying, i have made profound mistakes. and i promise to work as hard as i can to seek their forgiveness. he had only been a member of congress a little over two years. but he had already landed a spot on the powerful ways and means committee. last speech on the house floor was on health care. >> we will vote to repeal last year's massive health care law. >> reporter: lee is the third member of congress to resign in disgrace in just less than a year, george. and the second from new york. it is now up to new york governor, andrew cuomo, to set a date for a special election to replace him. >> let me ask you about that, jon. he's a republican congressman from near buffalo. is it a seat that will be held by republicans? >> reporter: it's a seat long held by republicans. republicans have a hand up there. but some i spoke to said this is not a slam-dunk. this is a potential pickup opportunity for democrats, if a difficult one. >> jon karl, thanks very much. >> and that story goes in the what were you thinking column? >> absolutely. let's go to weather now. it's so cold in parts of the south, we're hearing that farmers in arkansas are getting up early to check that their newborn calves are not sticking to the ground. some cows have icicles growing on their backs, as you can see. that's a rough commute. two feet of snow dropping in parts of arkansas and oklahoma. sam will have a broadcast in a few minutes. first, let's go to yunji de nies in atlanta, where there is more snow there, too. good morning, yunji. >> reporter: good morning, robin. it doesn't take much to slow things down around here. it did snow overnight. that's forced some schools to delay their start this morning. but it's the weather to the west that sparked a snow emergency, with the national guard, stepping in to help. as snow fell in little rock, cars started sliding and couldn't stop. watch as one after another after another slip down this hill. the drivers, losing control, crashing into each other. at times, almost in slow-motion. >> go back. you're not going to make it up the hill. >> reporter: the powerful southern storm dumped two feet of snow in arkansas. closing roads, backing up interstates, for miles. the arkansas national guard, helping stranded drivers. across the region, the accidents are piling up. north of dallas, this massive collision shut down u.s. 75 for more than four hours. in fayetteville, arkansas, another tractor-taylor mess. and whiteout conditions in eastern oklahoma left many motorists stranded. tulsa broke the record for the snowiest winter ever. >> we're not equipped to handle this. work stops. school stops. life kind of stops. >> reporter: in memphis, this sign said it all. they want the snow to go away. and that is exactly how we feel here in georgia, after the very rough january we just got through. the bottom line, if you're driving through winter weather this morning, take your time. robin? >> good at vice, yunji. thank you so much. and sam will have more coming up. we're going to turn to egypt right now, where after two weeks of protests, the uprising continues to grow, with bus drivers and other public employees now on strike. but the government is not backing down. and there's new warnings that a crackdown could be coming. jim sciutto is in cairo with the latest. hey, jim. >> reporter: good morning, george. there's news this morning of a document posted on the protesters' main facebook page, in arabic, which reports to be military plan to move into tahrir square tonight and break up the protests with force. it's certainly raising tension in the square. sounding the alarm. [ knocking ] fearing an imminent crackdown, hundreds of protesters spring into action this morning. the word is spreading here that security forces are coming this way. and they just asked for volunteers to come to this gate to help defend it. it's a sign of the real nervousness here. [ chanting ] >> reporter: still, the protesters are vowing not to back down. are you worried? >> no. i'm between all my people. all my egyptian people. so, why should be scared? >> reporter: 16 days into these demonstrations, fears are growing of a confrontation with government forces. vice president omar suleiman warned of a coup. from bus drivers, to dock wokkers at the suez canal. and an egyptian official assures our christiane amanpour, there will not be a government crackdown. but the country cannot handle the protests economically. that's why the strikes are so important. we hear this morning tens of thousands of workers taking part. >> we have this facebook posting. not sure what that is. but in the face of assurance, from the vice president, that there's not going to be a military crackdown, why are they worried? what other signs are they seeing? >> reporter: they hear about security. and we've seen this, as well. increased security around government sites. the palace, the headquarter of the government security services. and tomorrow, a major demonstration planned for friday prayers. and there's an interpretation that this is a government scare tack take to keep numbers down morrow, george. >> okay. jim sciutto. thanks very much. we're going to move on to an abc news investigation. airline pilots overworked and exhausted. it was something lawmakers vowed to change after that deadly buffalo plane crash two years ago this week, brought nationwide attention to pilot fatigue. our brian ross is here and has more on this. good morning, brian. >> reporter: good morning, robin. for many pilots, the hardest part of the job is staying awake. fatigue is the dirty, little secret of the airline industry. now, our undercover investigation, has offered a rare glimpse of what leads to those tired eyes and tired skies. a night flight over washington, d.c. it's no time for a pilot to be struggling to stay awake. but all-too often, that is the case. >> one pilot will reach other to the other. tap him or her on the shoulder. and say, i'm going to examine the overhead panel for a while. that was code for i'm going to fall asleep. >> reporter: it's a system where poorly-paid pilots report to duty hundreds or thousands of miles from home. and have to scrounge at night for a place to sleep. ending up in secretive, so-called crash pads, seen in this abc news undercover video, of one crash pad near laguardia in new york. bunk beds, 24 in all. crammed into rooms in violation of housing and fire codes. $24 a night. hot bunks. bring your own pillowcase. and try to ignore everyone else. >> i happened to have a bunk mate that snored louder than anyone i had heard in my life. >> reporter: and many pilots can't afford a crash pad. so, they end up spending the night in the airline's crew lounges. airlining claim it's against the rules. but these pictures were provided to abc news. >> that's disruptive sleep. you're not going to get a full sleep doing that, no. the pilot who took the picture says he put his job on the line so the public, and in particular, members of congress, could see what he sees every day. >> do they want a well-rested pilot when they take that 6:00 a.m. flight out of washington, d.c.? or do you want a guy that just slept in the crew room? >> reporter: the head of the faa told us he was surprised by our findings because the airlines denied to him that crew lounges are used as bedrooms by the pilots. now, the question, robin, is, will anyone do anything about it? >> the question, the faa, has said they're looking into new guidelines. where does that stand? and will it make a difference? >> reporter: guidelines, perhaps, by the end of the summer, will improve somewhat. but it doesn't address the issue of the pilots who travel long distances. they make $17,000 a year as a starting salary. and they say they can't afford the crash pads or the crew lounge. >> $17,000. all those lives? >> reporter: exactly. this has outraged the members of the families of the victims in buffalo. >> i'm sure it has. >> reporter: those two pilots had slept in crew lounges the night before, not in a bed. >> brian, thanks very much. another outrage out this morning. a new study showing that military veterans make up the largest, single group of homeless americans. perhaps the most troubling sign of a housing crisis in our military. yesterday, the banking giant, jpmorgan chase, was forced to apologizing for chosing on service members and overcharging 4,000 more for their mortgages. with so many service members struggling to mick make their monthly payments, "gma" gets answers. when he went on active duty, chase bank was required by law to cap his mortgage interest, at 6%. >> we received phone calls saying we were behind on our payments. >> reporter: by the end of 2009, his wife says collection agents were calling her three times a day. >> we paid our mortgage. we paid it on time. we paid the full amount. we were receiving harassing collection xaums. >> reporter: on wednesday, chase apologized. >> we're deeply disappointed that we have let down the men and women of our military. >> reporter: critics identify a much larger problem. the federal law to protect service members, doesn't apply to houses they bought after joining the military. foreclosures near military bases were nearly 10% higher than the national average. last month, army staff sergeant, keith oliver, feared he would become one of those statistics. that's when he reached out to us at "gma" for help. after years of paying his mortgage on time, oliver received a letter from bank of america, demanding nearly $19,000 in back mortgage payments. >> they would trefr me from one department to the next department. and then, transfer me to the original department i talked to. >> reporter: the sergeant said his problem began when he was transferred to hawaii in 2008. bank of america agreed to cut his payments in half until he could sell his house. but the house never sold. last year, oliver got sent to iraq. in january of this year, you basically got a notice from bank of america saying, if you didn't pay up, you would be foreclosed on? even though you're in the military, serving in iraq? >> yes, sir. and joining us now, is bank of america executive, larry darita. sergeant oliver was falling through the cracks. but after he e-mailed me, and we contacted you, you found a way to solve the problem quickly. >> there's a lot of problems out there. some are not eligible for all of the programs out there. sergeant oliver is one of those out there. he had challenges as he was moved around. we cut his payment in half for a couple of years. and we decided, and he talked about that, to resolve his situation. >> he's free and clear? he's clear of the house? >> he's good. and what we're trying to do, bank of america has had specialty military programs since world war i. this is something we're focused on. we care about doing the right thing for the services. and we've set up a new unit. he talked about being moved around. we set up a unit, where hopefully we can keep that down to zero. get somebody who identifies themselves as military, to get that to a special unit that handles military situations. you're overseas defending the homeland. >> but there's a loophole in the law, as you point out. if you buy the house after you're in the military, the law that's supposed to protect service members doesn't cover it. >> it's complicated. we're going to set up a prime minister of our own that allows us to reduce their principal if they get in trouble. extend their payments. bring their rates down. the other thing about the law, you do a rate reduction, down to 6%. and we know, of course, mortgage rates are lower than that. we want to go lower than that. and we'll be rolling this out shortly. again, connected to a unit that's going to focus specifically on military. >> this is important. while the legislation may be snagged, bank of america, you're saying, is going to take action on its own, to reduce principal for service members in trouble? >> yeah. our outcome is, you don't need to be worried about your house. if you find yourself in a distressed situation, let us know. we'll start working with you right away. that's a very important thing. it's an important way to approach all of our customers. there are people facing problems right now. >> do you have a sense of how big a problem this is throughout the military? >> it's hard to know. part of our challenge is knowing when somebody's deployed and in a distressed situation. when you're deployed, i was in the military. you have 1,000 things to think about. and the last thing you want to worry about is your home. you're going overseas. and you don't always think about, while i'm gone, my mortgage might get under water. a lot of things happen. >> anyone dealing with bank of america, it's important right now, to make sure that you identify yourself as part of the military. >> it's important that people tell us, up front. i'm in the military, i need some help. we'll put you into this new yint and go from there. >> larry, thank you very much. now, over to sam with the weather. good morning, sam. >> good morning, george. happy birthday. let's get pictures of what's going on in the midsouth. there was a big snow system. you're looking at atlanta. tar tops, grassy surfaces. oklahoma and arkansas, two feet of snow fell in that direction. and it's the cold air behind it. in oklahoma, 4 below. 18 below in kansas city. but in bartelsville, oklahoma, it's never been colder than 27 below in oklahoma ever. this morning, 27 below there. new orleans, about 27, the way it feels. the warmth is in the west right now. still, for weeks now. san francisco, at 62. fresno's about 62. san francisco, is one degree cooler. and l.a., about 77 degrees. that's where the warmth is, in case you're wondering. a cool start 2 hour day, in the 20's and tomorrow will be even colder and we are seeing the clearing start to push through. you can see clouts off to the east but often are west is where we have clear skies moving into town. sunshine today and 25 downtown very 19 degrees in frederick. a little bit breezy. the wind chills are down in the teens and highs this all of america's weather in the next half hour. robin? >> sam, thanks. lindsay lohan is free this morning after posting $40,000 bail. the 24-year-old actress entered a plea of not guilty, to a charge of felony grand theft for allegedly stealing a necklace worth $2,500 from a jewelry store in california. david wright has the latest. >> reporter: regardless of the fact that she looked like a million bucks, this was no red carpet. >> for the case people versus lindsay lohan. >> reporter: lohan pled not guilty to felony grand theft, stemming from her alleged shoplifting of a necklace from a venice jewelry store. judge keith schwartz set bail for $20,000, plus another $20,000, for possibly violating her probation. >> miss lohan, let me tell you a couple of things, so we have no misunderstandings. >> reporter: then, he read the 24-year-old actress the riot act. >> you need to follow the laws, just like everybody else. you're no different than anyone else. so, please, don't push your luck. >> reporter: judges have lectured lohan before, to no avail. but on this day, at least, she did not go back to jail. the hint of a smile crossed her face, as the news sank in. >> do you understand that? >> yes, i do. >> you hope when a celebrity is in trouble, when they have the potential of jail hanging over their head, what you want to do is make these things go away. but she's piling on. >> reporter: she would not be the first celebrity to end up at the century regional detention center. other famous alums include paris hilton, daryl hannah, michelle rodriguez, and lohan herself. for now, she avoided being sent back. but she's due back in court in two weeks. for "good morning america," david wright, abc news, los angeles. >> her next court date is february 23rd. some people are taken aback. you could see a little smirk on her face when she knew she wasn't going back to jail yesterday. >> she is not out of the woods yet. coming up, black market cosmetic surgery. one young woman's fatal quest for a better body. we're going to go inside the police investigation. and the debate over diet soda heats up. dr. richard besser is here with a reality check on a controversial, new study. and how do you prep to be a princess? there's kate asking camilla for advice on becoming a royal. of course, she'll be her mother-in-law. i want to know what happened at that lunch. - you know, these things are never wrong. see? "my girl." - oh, here's one. "you're an amazing, beautiful woman. "you're everything i ever wanted. i love you." - that's not on there. - no, it's in here. - save 20% to 50% fashion jewelry from kay, one more reason kay but my allergies put me in a fog. so now, i'm claritin clear! claritin works great on all my allergies like dust, mold, pollen, or pets without making me drowsy, cause i want to be alert around this big guy. live claritin clear. indoors and out. introducing wisk with stain spectrum technology. try new wisk. we upgraded the formula, but not the price. ♪ make sure you give it something that counts. i love quaker oatmeal, it's seriously a superfood. it's fuel that your body needs to get going. this stuff is a game changer. and now it's better than ever. it's got a heartier texture, and in some of your favorites, all natural flavors and 25% less sugar. i can't think of a better way to kick off your day. so i just have one question for you. are you eating quaker for breakfast? new aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers, with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on, to even skin tone in four weeks. new aveeno tinted moisturizers. that lets you eat six times a day? yeah, baby! try the slim-fast 3-2-1 plan. 3 snacks, 2 shakes or meal bars, and 1 balanced meal. slim fast. who has time to slim slowly? and 1 balanced meal. curtis: welcome back to geico gecko: caller steve, go right ahead. steve: yeah, um, i just got a free rate quote on geico.com, saved a ton, and it only took me 5 minutes and 12 seconds! steve: i was wondering, is that some sort of record? gecko: that's a good question. let's have a look. curtis: mmmm, not quite. someone's got you beat by 8 seconds. gecko: still, i mean, that's... that's quite fast! steve: well, what if i told you i only used one hand? anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on rr insurance. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning to you at 7:26 on this thursday, february 10. i am pamela brown with a local news update. let's check in with lisa baden. we have had a few fender benders around town. we have one on 66 and on the beltway close to them dorn street parade 95 -- did delays leaving potomac mills to a crash and lorton. --leaving lorton. 395 delays are out of springfield to the pentagon which is normal. in maryland, there are delays on 270 out of germantown and passed shady grove road. the dusting of snow did not get us in the metro area. up to half an inch south of the metro area. be careful getting out of your neighborhood. we have delays running at the top and bottom of your screen. here is a look at our rooftop camera. this is the back edge of the cloud cover looking east. anticipate sunshine today. 25 degrees in the district and 21 degrees in winchester. with the wind, it feels like we're in the teens. highs today in the lower 30's and teens tonight but we will warmups starting tomorrow in the 40's and sunday and monday, 50. we have some school closings and delays. we will be back with another update at 7:56. have a great day. ♪ ah, the pictures that have royal watchers buzzing. the very public lunch between prison sis-to-be, kate middleton, and her future step mother-in-law. what kate asked camilla, in our royal diary. good morning, america. it's official. you're officially 50 years old now. >> 27 minutes into it. i feel okay. >> not much difference? >> not at all. except, i drank a lot of diet soda. >> uh-oh. >> there was a new study that came out yesterday, that was incredibly alarming. that says drinking too much diet soda may drastically increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. that worried a lot of us. we talked about it at our staff meeting. we brought in dr. richard besser. >> a lot of people this morning have a diet soda in front of them. they drink that instead of caffeine in coke -- no. in coffee. we'll look at that. and we're going to show you the man who is shaking up the surfing world. but not by surfing waves. take a look. on skis. chuck patterson's new wave in sports. it's called surf skiing. >> that looks pretty cool, though. >> i have to admit. do that on your birthday. >> a little challenge. we're going to begin with the investigation on how a back-alley cosmetic procedure cost the life of a 20-year-old girl. she traveled from land on the a philadelphia hotel room for silicone injections. and andrea canning is here. this girl's quest for the perfect body just killed her. >> reporter: it did, george. such a tragic story. police say it was an internet chat room who brought this aspiring model and actress to america. she was looking for a cheaper alternative to look fuller. silicone injections are one of the hottest trends around the country. but they're also illegal, and dangerous. police say it was here in this philadelphia hotel, not a doctor's office, where 20-year-old claudia flew 3,500 miles, just for buttock enhancement injections. >> she had come here from britain, to have a cosmetic procedure, here at the hampton inn. >> reporter: the medical examiner believed it may have contained a silicone substance called hydrojell. the cause of death, say it entered her bloodstream and stopped her heart. >> had trouble breathing and chest pains. >> reporter: the desire for the perfect posterior, like j. lo and the kardashian, has the business booming, with women turning to pump-up parties and online forums. we found hundreds of women looking. quote, i'm interested in getting the bootee shots asap, and selling. we're currently setting up appointments for ladies seeking injections. safe, solid silicone implants run around $7,000. some with silicone purchased from a hardware store. the problem is, is liquid injections are illegal. this new jersey model was indicted in november for allegedly injecting women who were then hospitalized for bacterium infections. she pled not guilty. this woman collapsed after she paid $500 for an injection she received at this apartment. but doctors say the most common problem is permanent scarring. this mom who asked us to alter her face and voice, injectsed $10 silicone she bought on the internet into her cheeks and lips in her own bathroom. the results were disastrous. >> i thought, this was a cheap way to go. it looks good. it was completely inflamed, my whole face. it looked like horrible blisters. >> reporter: in the most recent case, detectives searched the home of the woman they believe set up the implant transaction. but are still on the lookout for the woman who actually did the injections. the suspect is believed to be a transgendered woman. george? >> thanks. i'm here with dr. arthur perry, the author of "straight talk about plastic surgery." we brought in some props. this is the kind of silicone that a doctor would implant. >> this is a silicone rubber that would be used for chin implants and buttock implants. >> but that can only be inserted by a doctor, right? >> not just by a doctor. but by a board certified plastic surgery. this is a breast implant. also extremely safe. it contains silicon. there's no issues, particularly with these implants. >> how about issues of them leaking? haven't there been over time? >> there can be leaks. but those leaks are nuisance-type problems, as opposed to real issues with your health. the real problem is with free silicon. silicon that can be injected by a doctor, which is illegal in the united states. or worse, by lay practitioners, which is the case here. this is silicone caulk that you can buy in any hardware store. >> for your shower. >> it works well on windows. but it's not a good thing to use for medical procedures. i prefer to buy my medical supplies at medical supply houses. >> why does injecting silicone, particularly in the buttocks area, so dangerous? >> the buttocks is a very vascular area. that means there's a lot of blood vessels in the buttocks. when we inject things in the buttocks, we can get into the blood vessels. if we get something like silicone jell in the blood vessels, it can travel right to the lungs. deaths have occurred as soon as 13 minutes after injections. and as late as two days later. it's a very toxic substance. >> here's what i don't get. if this is illegal, even for a doctor to inject silicone the way you just talked about, how can the online chat lines -- how come they're not being cracked down on them? how problematic are they? >> they are out there. i checked last night. you can check for all sorts of materials. and there's people doing these injections. it is absolutely illegal for many reasons. it's illegal to use the materials, even if you were a doctor. and it's illegal, obviously, to practice medicine without a license. and that's what's happening all over the united states. >> somebody who really wants a procedure like this, what is the safe and legal way to do it? >> if you want your buttocks enhanced, my personal advice is exercise. you can increase the size of your buttocks 7% increase in the size of your buttocks in just six weeks of focused exercise. that's the safe way. if you're going to have a buttock enhancement procedure, it's by a board certified plastic surgeon. and the safe material is a fat injection, fat taken from your belly, for instance, and placed into your buttocks, by a board certified plastic surgeon is safe. buttock implants is a second procedure that can be done. there's a lot of complications with those. i don't recommend those. but they are considered safe in proper hands. >> the doctor's recommendation from a plastic surgeon, is do some squats. >> go do squats. that's the answer. >> thanks very much. let's get other stories develop right now with juju chang at the newsdesk. >> good morning, everyone six people are missing after a natural gas explosion in philadelphia. up to 500 people had to evacuate the neighborhood. well, a symbol of american capitalism could soon be owned by germans. the owners of the new york stock exchange are in merger talks with the frankfurt stock exchange. the foreign partner would end up with the majority stake. any deal would likely face regulatory challenges. prices at the supermarket will be going up again. that's because the price of corn is surging. after the government warned of near-record low supplies. corn is essential to nearly everything, from cereal to meat. overseas, now. a child suicide bomber no more than 12 years old, is blamed for one of the worst attacks on pakistan's military in years. the boy entered a military base, disguised as a student and blew himself up, killing 31 soldiers. and a new low in pro sports. the cleveland cavaliers, in their first year since lebron james' departure, have now lost 26-straight games. that streak ties football's hapless tampa bay bucs who lost 26-straight in the '70s. the cavs can break the biggest loser record tomorrow. >> couldn't give the cavs a break on my birthday? >> sorry. i know you're from cleveland. go, caves. >> this is where you don't want to be the biggest loser. time, now, for the weather again with sam. >> good morning, robin, george, juju. let's start with pictures out of the raleigh area. the folks sending us pictures what the road conditions look like in raleigh this morning. we have snow falling this morning. we expect some accumulation on grassy surfaces. the roads are holding up. when snow is falling and the roads look wet, those bridges, off-ramps, on-ramps, they're the icy problems because they don't have the ground below them to insulate them. so, that cold air circulates right around it. everything freezes. be careful. fun driving. just not fun stopping. there's the area of low pressure that goes all the way under. that means down into the deep south. into florida, scattered thunderstorms and thunder showers. what follows is probably some hard freeze, as far south as the gulf coast. it's much colder air that gets down there during the day tomorrow. but the colder air moves out of the way rapidly. we see kansas city going up to 38 on saturday. dallas, you're going to 60 by the time we get towards that saturday time period. oklahoma city, 55 degrees. chicagoland, you'll warm up, as well. from 14 today, it is a cool start to the day with temperatures in the 20 and when you factor in the wind, it feels like we are in the teens. a lot of sunshine today and highs only in the lower 30's but and here's a look ahead at our "gma" morning menu. the latest study that made you go what? could drinking diet soda be setting you up for a stroke or heart attack? not so fast. we'll get behind the scenes of the startling headlines. and one remark by the first lady that a conversation we should have been having all the time. how young is too young for your kids to be on a social network site like facebook? plus, just in time for valentine's day. the lovely jennifer aniston join us to talk about her new romantic comedy. right here. my contacts are so annoying. they're itchy, dry and uncomfortable. i just want to rip 'em out, throw 'em away and never see them again. [ male announcer ] know the feeling? get the contacts you've got to see to believe. acuvue® oasys brand contact lenses. feel how hydraclear® plus keeps your eyes exceptionally comfortable all day long. it feels like it disappeared on my eye. [ male announcer ] discover why it's the #1 doctor-prescribed contact lens in the u.s. and if you're not 100 percent satisfied, you get your money back. guaranteed. are they on? 'cause they don't feel like they are. [ male announcer ] acuvue® oasys brand. see what could be. to share the love this valentine's day, with gifts for all the loved ones in your life. big or small. so stop by walgreens. love is in the air. make your sweetheart smile with ferrero rocher... and share the love with hershey's kisses chocolates. find stuffed animals, fragrances, even fresh flowers and more at walgreens. there's a way to share the love. man: whoa! mom just caught air. not that she'll describe it that way to her book club. she'll probably say something like, "everyone had a wonderful time. the food was great. it was good to get away." but let's be honest... mom just caught air! now, there's a first. tell us what you've always wanted to do, on facebook. [ ship horn blows ] we're back at 7:44, on george's birthday. headlines this morning about a new study that says, drinking diet soda could be dangerous to your health. the study links diet soda to a 61% higher risk of heart attacks and strokes for people who drink it daily. dr. richard besser is here to get a little bit of a reality check. this is concerning for a lot of people. should it be? >> you know, robin, when i see a bad study out there, i usually say, let's not talk about it. but when it captures headlines, it's worth doing a reality check. and i have to say, this is one of the worst studies i've seen captures headlines in a long time. it's bad because of the science. but it's also bad because of the behavior that it can induce in the fear that people have. i don't think people should change behavior based on this study. >> but this was presented at a major conference. you're talking about the american heart association and the stroke association. when that is associated with that, you -- >> that's right. let me tell you what they did here. they followed 2,500 people over a long period of time. but there were only 8% of them, a couple hundred people who drank diet sodas every day. they asked about diet soda at the beginning of the study. followed them for a decade, and assumed their behavior, the amount of soda they drank didn't change. they didn't look at salt they took in. they didn't look at other foods they ate. those things we know are associated with stroke and heart attack. they didn't even look at obesity over time. so, to conclude from this that it's all from the diet soda, just makes no sense whatsoever. now, at a meeting -- national meetings are different than what's published in a journal. a meeting is a place for scientists to talk about things. to talk about studies in the works. but what i'm finding over time, is there tends to be a desire to capture the headlines. you see the sensational things like this, just going wild coming out of a meeting. >> it certainly did capture attention and grabbed headlines. give us the bottom line when it comes to our consumption of diet soda. so many people this morning, instead of a cup of coffee, they're having a diet soda. >> first off, i'm not a big soda fan. regular soda is worse. we know it's linked to obesity. diet soda is better than that, because it doesn't give the calories. if you're drinking a lot of diet soda, it's so sweet. you're going to crave that kind of sweet and develop a love for the sweets. the subtle sweetness of a carrot or a tomato won't stand up against the sweetness of a diet soda. if you're going to do it, one a week, that's not a big deal. >> one a week? >> okay. maybe a little more than one a week. but you don't want to have five or six in a day. >> okay. >> try and move towards the unsweetened beverages. the plain water, carbonated water. unsweetened tea. lemon, lime. i'd love to hear from people what their favorite unsweetened beverages are. >> and is there any difference -- george was asking about this. i didn't know there was a diet ginger ale. is the cola the same? >> you may find if they have a lot of caffeine. and the caffeine jolt you get from diet sodas, you won't get that from diet ginger ale. that's a benefit there. >> people should weigh in and let us know if they have a substitute for diet soda. >> send it to me at twitter. >> had to get that in. >> more followers. >> happy birthday, george. coming up, what if there is more than you bargained for lurking inside your valentine's day flowers? [ engine revs ] [ male announcer ] the uconnect touch system on the 2011 dodge journey controls the radio, media player, heated seats, climate control, navigation, phone, and more. this means that if you call shotgun on a dodge journey, you've just inherited a lot of responsibility. [ engine revs ] [ flag blowing in wind ] was just voted product of the year? in a national consumer survey on production innovation thousands of americans voted. aquafresh iso-active was the clear winner! we guarantee it will be your favorite, too, or your money back. try aquafresh iso-active. amazing. or your money back. this is my band from the 80's, looker. hair and mascara, a lethal combo. i'm jon haber of alto music. my business is all about getting music into people's hands. and the plum card from american express open helps me do that. you name it, i can buy it. and the savings that we get from the early pay discount has given us money to reinvest back into our business and help quadruple our floor space. how can the plum card's trade terms get your business booming? booming is putting more music in more people's hands. dinner with the girls tonight. i really want dessert. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need. [ stomach growls ] [ female announcer ] skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women who eat breakfast, like the special k breakfast, actually weigh less. now in new multigrain oats and honey. with honey kissed whole grains... you'll never want to skip breakfast again. make your breakfast beautiful. ♪ whoever heard of strapping on your skis to hang ten? but take a look at this. this is chuck patterson. a former professional free skier. started free skiing on big mountains. he decided to take it to the surf. look at that. he's off the northern coast of maui, combining two, incredible sports. he makes it look like so much fun. >> he said it's similar to skiing on the snow. and the poles help with balance and control. >> he's good at it. jennifer aniston, coming up live. so, when you're dining out, what's healthy and what's not to order? sauteed? roasted? poached? gill grilled? go to abcnews.com/gma. i was young, i was in shape, and i had a heart attack. you need to do the preventative things that you need to do for your heart health. for me, it means an aspirin regimen. before you begin an aspirin regimen. speak to your doctor. all you expect from the number-one recommended detergent by dermatologists. all free clear is free of dyes and perfumes. and has powerful stainlifters to help get your whole wash clean. it's all good. fitting into clothes is naturally satisfying.an. so select harvest light soups are 80 calories or less, 100% natural. and-oh-so-satisfying. select harvest light from campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can do.™ with the most customized piece of furniture you will ever own. get that one piece right, and the rest of the room will just fall into place. don't miss the february sale, going on now at ethan allen. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning to you. the time is 7:56 on this tuesday, february 10. i am pamela brown with a local news update and we begin by checking on the road with lisa baden. we have a little bit of snow for those on the southeast side of snow but highway crews are out there treating the surface. the other side of crown looks great. there was a crash on the beltway on the inner loop at 66. we will go to georgia avenue at east west highway where we had a car wreck in the middle of the intersection. northbound georgia avenue to get through 410 is complicated. we will change cameras and go to the beltway at new hampshire ave. we will take you to 395 in virginia across the 14th street bridge. it is not bad into the city. we have sunshine right now. there is the back edge of the cloud deck. here is a look westward. you can see the clear skies off to the west, mostly sunny pour the rest of the debacle now in the 20's. 19 in gaithersburg. 26 degrees in quantico. when you factor in the wind, it feels like the teens did a little breezy today and high temperatures will be near freezing but warming up. we will be in the 50's in a few days. we got some snow overnight so we want to tell you about school closings and delays. we will be back with another update at 8:27. for continuous news coverage, tune in to tbd news on news channel 8. ♪ pretty woman walking down the street ♪ ♪ pretty woman the kind i'd like to meet ♪ >> hi. >> good morning, america. >> there's a few people out there. >> it's up in the 20s again. jennifer aniston is back on the big screen in a romantic comedy, just in time for valentine's day. she's going to be here live this morning. it opens on friday, which also happens to be her birthday. yours by a day. >> that's right. a lot younger. >> showing the trailer of that movie the last couple months in times square. it looks pretty good. >> i did see it. very good. very funny. also, flowers, of course, the most popular gift for valentine's day. but what is lurking inside some of those bouquets? you will not believe it. we have a "gma" investigation into the items hidden in flowers. and are these the pictures of a pep talk, perhaps? kate's public lunch with camilla. >> lots of secrets there. we're first turning to the facebook story. the very popular website with about 500 million users. but first lady michelle obama says her children will not be friending anyone on there now or anytime soon. her comments have a national conversation started about facebook. how young is too young to join facebook? claire shipman is going to take a look at this. >> reporter: forget the debates about driver's licenses. it's the right to navigate the social networking world, which is the hot, new debate between parents and children. and mrs. obama weighed in. the first lady weighed in on the parental anxiety about social networking. made it plain on the "today" show that her daughters won't be on the facebook frontier anytime soon. >> i'm not a big fan of young kids having facebook. it's not something they need. >> reporter: malia is only 12. technically, kids need to be 13 to have social networking accounts. >> it was very clear that she understood that preteens should not be using fatebook. >> reporter: a recent pew survey found that 93% of teens between 12 and 17 are online. and 73% do use social networking sites like facebook. but a lot of parents worry that 13, even 14, is too young. an abc news poll found last year, most parents think 15 an appropriate age. but a sizable minority, 43%, say social networking sites aren't appropriate at all for kids under 18. keri lee is one of those parents. she told her 16-year-old daughter no for years. >> she knows what we want her to accomplish. that's to finish high school and get accepted into college. at that time, she can decide if she has a facebook account. >> reporter: and daughter, kendyl, is not happy about that ruling. >> i'm the only one of my friends that doesn't have face book. just shake it off. we're still friends. still living. >> reporter: the key, say experts, know your child. >> is your child balanced in school? do they play outside? do they have offline friends? if so, they can spend some time on facebook and other sites like facebook. >> reporter: this is a tough battle. and you can see, robin, just from the statistics, there's a disconnect. 73% of kids 12 to 17 are online and have a social networking account. and yet, 43% of parents out there think it's too young. they're not winning. >> well, your oldest, hugo, is 9. very tech-savvy. how do you weigh? >> he's already lobbying me for an e-mail address. and we said, no. not yet. luckily, his school has fairly strict guidelines that we can follow. so, i keep pointing to those when he argues with me about it all the time. >> you're looking for reinforcements to put it on somebody else. >> send me those guidelines, okay? >> and now, michelle obama. i'm going to put it on her. >> claire, thank you. we would like to know what you think. should there be an age restriction for social networking sites such as facebook. weigh in on our shoutout board. let's get the other top stories now. juju at the newsdesk. >> good morning, robin and birthday boy. i mean, george. capitol hill is short one lawmaker this morning, after an arupt deparjer of a married congressman at the center of a sex scandal. new york congressman chris lee resigned hours after this shirtless photo of him appeared online. a photo he e-mailed to a woman he met on craigslist. chinese hackers strike again. this time, breaking into computers at u.s. oil companies. an online security firm says the hackers stole sensitive financial information, including bids for oil fields. tensions are growing in egypt this morning. protesters who have been gathering around government buildings are anxious about reports that the military may start cracking down on demonstrators tonight. tens of thousands of egyptian work,er are on strike, adding to the country's economic uncertainty. another airline is raising baggage fees. if your suitcase tops 50 pounds, u.s. airways will charge you $90. and if your bag is heavier than 100 pounds, you'll be charged $175. that's in addition to the base fee. i'm hearing boos. with less than three months to go before the wedding of this century, britain's princess-to-be, was seen hobnobbing with her future step mother-in-law. picking up a few tips, perhaps? nick watt joins us from london with all of the details. good morning, nick. >> reporter: good morning, juju. kate and camilla had a lunch at the swanky hotel. and they had a good, old natter, about life, love and marriages. they're a pair of queens in waiting. camilla passing on her wisdom to kate. camilla knows the score. she and charles were an item before diana was on the scene. they finally wed in 2005. she heard camilla say, i can give you one piece of advice. >> you wish they would work harder to find out what camilla was saying. >> reporter: the diner said, we can't have trumpets. the ceiling is too high. presumably talksing about westminster abbey where kate will wed. >> the invitations are going out next week, i'm told. >> reporter: and this is a statement. lunching in public. unphased by the photographer. kate and camilla are friends. >> for many years, camilla's been very instrumental in grooming kate. she is in a great position, probably the best position, on how to give kate advice on making it work. >> reporter: looking behind, the female royal bodyguard. kate, understated and chic. camilla, as usual, sporting some serious tweed. unlikely, they were trading fashion tips. now, juju, marrying into the royal family must be unbelievably daunting. but for kate, it must be some help that she knows he has her future step mother-in-law fighting her cause. >> nick watt, with the latest on the royal plans. thanks for that update. now, diane sawyer wants to weigh in on george's birthday and give us a look at tonight's "world news." diane? >> good morning, to you, juju. hope it's a great one. in these tough times, are taxpayer dollars being squandered in our jon karl is the sherlock holmes of government waste. and tonight, he'll make congress answer for what he's found. it's on "world news." by the way, george, happy 5-0. you're just a teenager. >> that's the news at 8:07. now, time for the weather with sam. >> now, you can. now, let it out. we found a mighty band of folks wondering through times square. all huddling to stay warm. you're like me. where are you from? >> lake arrowhead, california. >> you're from california. i just tear up. it's not about you. i'm just wetting the eyes. let's get to the boards. one or two things we want to talk about. outside your doors in chicagoland, you had to spoil my bragging rights. i was there for the coldest morning so far in chicago, at 6 below. it's 7 below this morning. i can't say that anymore. thanks for that. let's get to the boards. one or two things going on. this is the way the temperatures run. there's milder air, south of omaha, kansas city, des moines. you're still on the cold side of that air. here's where the milder air is coming from. from san francisco, to palm springs, to vegas. reno, you're 49 we have some sunshine and a cloud deck is pushing off to the east. a lot of sunshine but call with temperatures now in the mid 20's. 19 in gaithersburg. 23 degrees at dulles airport. factor in the wind and it feels like the teams everywhere. it will be cold despite the sunshine with a little bit of a it will be cold despite the sunshine with a little bit of a breeze and highs we are live in times square. sir, love the jennifer aniston? is that what you're yelling? >> that's right. >> george? >> thank you very much. valentine's day is big business. consumers, expected to spend nearly $2 million on flowers this year. how would you feel if the flowers you sent or received were crawling with bugs or infected with some awful disease. elizabeth leamy is live at dulles airport to fill us in on this threat. hey, eli. >> reporter: george, happy birthday. two-thirds of the flowers sold in the united states, are imported from other countries through airports like dulles. this is a story about flowers. but also about invasive species, our economy, even narcotics. it sounds bizarre. but it's all true. you're looking at thousands of flowers, just landed at jfk airport. but what you're not seeing are the flowers' tiny hitchhikers. >> it's running. >> reporter: exotic insects that don't exist in this country. these customs and border protection agriculture specialists are hoping to keep it that way because foreign invaders like this could wreak havoc on u.s.-born flowers and food crops. >> it could damage our agriculture industry. >> reporter: that's why specialists inspect imparted flowers right at the airport. most are from colombia and ecuador. on this day, a big shipment of greenery arrives from italy. >> it really secures our way of life. >> reporter: as we watch, they identify a threatening plant disease. and shake out at least three different kinds of insects, including a colombian fly, hiding in the middle of a chrysanthemum leaf. >> year after year, and day after day. >> reporter: the specialists believe all of the parasites got here by careless accident. but they're always alert to the possibility of deliberate agri-terrorism. >> it could contaminate crops. wipe out entire species of plants. the impact could be incalcuable. >> reporter: drug smugglers have been known to put cocaine in imported flowers. >> drugs in flowers. flower stems, cut open, with drugs inserted, sewn back up. glued back up. >> reporter: no drugs this time. but plenty of bugs. the specialists take the insects to an airport lab to identify them. last year during valentine's season, they intercepted nearly 300 pests. >> look at this big guy. >> reporter: the tiny insects are then sent to the department of agriculture to confirm the threat. if it's significant, the flowers they rode in on will either be fumigated or destroyed, rather than heading to somebody's home. as you saw, customs and border protection runs a pretty aggressive program. but if you spot insects on a bouquet, here's what they want you to do. put the flowers, all of them, in a plastic bag. seal it up tight. stick that in the freezer for at least 48 hours, george, to kill the bugs. and then, throw the entire thing away. >> that makes a lot of sense. there's a real danger if the pests come into your house, they will infect your other plants, too, right? >> reporter: yes. some of them, absolutely can cross-contaminate to house plants, fruits and vegetables, too. >> eli, thank you very much. and when we come back, jennifer aniston will be here live. thanks to the venture card from capital one, we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a trip to new orleans twice as fast! bebebebebebaaa! we get double miles every time we use our card, no matter what we're buying. i'll take it. and since double miles add up fast, we can bring the whole gang. fire! [ garth ] it's hard to beat double miles! have you seen garth? oh! [ male announcer ] get the venture card from capital one. money magazine's best rewards card if you aim to rack up airline miles. what's in your wallet? bebebebebebaaa! it was a tough game out there today. i thought i was going to be it forever, but then it was dig deep time, and i brought it... and i struck like a cobra. that was a good tag. [ male announcer ] kids take play seriously. nourish it. quaker chewy -- the goodness of whole grains, no high fructose corn syrup and 25% less sugar than the leading sweet snacks. air optix contacts let up to five times more oxygen through the lens for enhanced breathability. air optix. the lens you can survive a long day in. go to airoptix.com for a free one-month trial offer. that's it. just in time for valentine's day, a beautiful, new, very funny, romantic comedy, hitting theaters, featuring one of our favorite leading ladies. jennifer aniston stars with adam sandler, "just go with it" as a couple takes a wonderful trip to sunny hawaii. so glad you're here. >> good to be here. >> i guess you would like to be in sunny hawaii with the weather out there. >> it wouldn't be bad. but it's cold here. >> you wouldn't refuse that trip. >> no. 24 degrees. you guys have been hitting with some cold. >> it's day after day. when i've been watching the film with some friends, we saw you in hawaii. but also, i was telling you this at the commercial break. so funny. you and adam sandler. and i know you're friends and you went to his wedding. but chemistry just jumps off the screen. how is it for you working with him? >> well, we were saying -- it's just so much fun. we were saying it, at the premiere, that we laughed as hard watching the premiere -- watching the movie, the final -- i hadn't seen it all cut together, as we did when we were making it. we thought, i don't know how they're going to get anything on film because we were just basically laughing throughout most of our scenes. so, it was fun. >> well, that's just how adam seems to live his life. >> yeah. he just brings -- and i'm telling you. i've said it. i just feel like there's no greater healer than laughter. and that's why i feel like doing what i get to do is just one of the luckiest things there is. to sort of be out there and trying to just create joy. bring some levity to people. >> gosh. we need that. >> i know. >> we need that. and i want to play a little bit of it. for people that don't know, you and adam are co-workers. and he has convinced you, somehow, to pretend to be his ex-wife. and you go along with it. but you want a little something in this clip. you want something in exchange. >> what do i want? >> "just go with it." >> oh, my god. these are gorgeous. how much are these? >> $1,700. >> $1,700? do you come with them? my parents' house cost $1,700. no. walk away. >> you know what? we won't be needing them anyway. i'm starting to feel not so hot. is it warm in here? woo. i'm not sure i'll be able to make it this evening. >> oh, very good. you know what? we'll take them. it's your christmas bonus. >> oh, really? okay. i would like them in blue, too. in case a heel breaks. or i just want to cuddle. >> you sicken me. >> yes. that's why we're getting a divorce. >> we're getting a divorce because you're greedy, schemey and selfish. >> you asked for this. >> you asked for this. >> oh! >> did you know that was coming? >> i love that. i swear. you got a great laugh. >> that's our andy. >> good job. >> did you know that push was coming? >> no. every take, he would do something different. but he knew i really was -- heels -- those heels were really particularly a little -- you know? i was not expecting that. and i'm glad they didn't drop down the camera. it was a fall out of frame. >> it seemed like there was a loft improv. >> there was a lot of improv. it started to become like who is going to try to make the other break first? >> just go with it. >> that's what you all did. you talked about the new york premiere. we have lovely pictures. you were hanging out with your girls. and nicole kidman. i didn't know until i watched the film she's in it. >> i know. surprise. >> you guys in the hula hoop competition. that had to be improv. >> it was all improv. we were winging it, as they say. we were just going with it, or whatever. we were doing a silly hula competition. and it turned into a whatever competition. that was fun. and she kind of -- >> and dave matthews. >> and dave matthews. who, we knew, music man, fabulous, amazing. and pulled out the funnies. and i've known him for years. i didn't know he could -- >> an embarrassment of riches. >> an embarrassment. >> in the time we have remaining, fun stuff here. "allure" magazine. you really did not like the rachel ahair cut? >> i have never seen something get legs, that one sentence. that looks silly right there. i think i said the rachel -- it was more the attention that it brought than the cut itself. i didn't like it in some of the pictures. it became like the rachel. that was -- i mean, i guess -- hindsight, when i'm much, much, much -- like 100 years old, i'll be able to look back and say, they had a hair cut about a character i played. like the dorothy hamill or something. >> i wanted that. the wedge. >> did you? >> my mom said i had a fro, so i couldn't get it. >> did you? >> yeah. >> well, you can get it now. >> thank you. i'm going to tell momma you said that. >> i'll tell your momma. >> i saw in the paper, you're thinking of relocating here to new york city? >> i'm thinking about it. i've been looking. i grew up here. and i miss it. there's nothing like being in the city that just is the city of every man. it's all walks. and i love that. >> we'd love to have you. and happy birthday tomorrow. jennifer, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> if you want to spend her birthday with her, "just go with it" in theaters this friday. >> it will be a great birthday. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 anywhere in the world... tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 without having to pay to access your own money. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 it'd be like every atm in the world was your atm. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 the schwab bank high yield investor checking® account. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 zero atm fees. a great interest rate. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 no minimums. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and it's fdic-insured. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 the schwab bank high yield investor checking® account. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 the biggest thing in checking since checks. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 open an account at 1-800-4schwab or schwab.com. but the nicoderm cq patch gradually steps you down off of nicotine in just three steps, doubling your chances for success. nicoderm cq. 3 steps, 10 weeks and you're free. nicoderm cq. if you want to build a healthy heart, it's about being active and it's about putting the right fuel in your body. it's that simple. and here's the good news -- it's never too late to start. quaker oatmeal is proven to help lower cholesterol. it's a staple in my diet. in fact, it's the only cereal i eat. it powers you up and it makes you feel great. are you eating quaker for breakfast? ♪ are you eating quaker for breakfast? gotta get that bacon! smokey bacon, crispy bacon, tasty bacon! where is it? where is the bacon? tv newscaster: bacon popular, "story at 11. dog: yummy. crunchy. bacon. bacon. bacon. there, in that bag! mom: who wants a beggin' strip!? dog: me! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum... it's beggin'! hm... i love you! i love bacon! i love you! i love bacon! i love you! beggin' strips! there's no time #like beggin' time! share the fun at beggintime.com "you're an amazing, beautiful woman." "i love you." - that's not on there. - the new charmed memories collection at kay jewelers. is hand-crafted in italy, and with hundreds of charms the possibilities are endless. create your own memories with charmed memories, one more reason kay >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> and good morning everybody. thank you for joining us on this thursday, i am alison starling endicott 27 is your time. let's begin with traffic and weather. we have a smooth ride right now on the greenway and the dulles toll road. the george washington parkway as some volume but no major accidents in virginia. let's look at the volume north on i-395 which is still there from the belt way to go to glebe road. after the pentagon, more slow traffic across the 14th street bridge. will next take into maryland and the outer loop delay is every day from 952 georgia ave. we have a lot of sunshine out there right now. there is the edge of the cloud deck. it is getting further off into the distance towards the east. it is cold, 24 degrees down town and 19 degrees in culpeper 21 degrees in frederick. when you factor in the winds, it feels like we're in the teens. a little breezy from time to time today and called with ties only in the lower 30's. be patient, we will warm up to the 50's by sunday and the early part of next week. we have some school closings and delays. we will have another news update at 8:56. have a great day. ♪ sweet dreams are made of these ♪ let me tell you something. this is the kind of accident you want to have happen. sara moulton reveals a valentine's day accident that she calls a happy accident. chocolate cheesecake. if george plays his cards right -- also, cameron mathison is here. he has last-minute gift ideas. if you haven't gotten your gift yet, he's got the guid and he went out and did it by himself. >> and at a good price, too. what can you do now to make sure your children grow up to be the adults you want them to be? we're looking at a new way of thinking that may take some of the worries out of parenting. i can't even -- >> i read the book. anybody who was angry about the tiger mom should read this book. >> really? that's a tease. >> a great message. before all that, check in with sam with the weather. >> huh? warm chocolate cheesecake? >> that's all you heard? >> that's all i heard. we're going to start with a live shot outside in new york city. about 24 degrees is what it feels like right now. windchill, 13, 14 degrees in general. this is part of the cold air sweeping across the country and heading into the northeast. we're going to work on that a little bit. here's the bitter cold locked in place right now, being shoved aside. and that allows places like washington, d.c., to get to 45 degrees on saturday. philadelphia, 42 on saturday. boston, 37 on saturday. and those are good numbers for this time of year. and we see milder air hanging around until next week. it has been mild in the west, for days on in now. portland, at 51, to las vegas, at 57. and l.a.'s in the 70s, again today. waco, texas, is part of the cold spill through the country. 36 degrees today. and we know the state of florida has a cold front passing through it today. that means showers virtually all sunny but cold this morning with temperatures in the 20's. highs today are right near the freezing point and when you factor in the wind, we will have wind chills in the 20's. sunny and all of that weather was brought to you by kay jewelers. george? >> thank you, sam. "america's recipes" going to be extra special. sara moulton is here with the perfect ending to a valentine's day meal. only six ingredients in. >> six ingredients. you can get them all at the supermarket. >> i'm sorry. i don't mean to interrupt. sara, we love you. you know, this is a big ruse. this is not really -- >> i knew there was one somewhere in the show. i didn't know where it was. >> we said we wouldn't make too much of a fuss about it. but we had to hide it. thank you. can we take this away for now? >> happy birthday. there you go. >> we'll bring you back. >> i may need you. >> george, it's a great recipe, i promise. >> sara, good acting. so, this is your life, george stephanopoulos. 50 years old. and can we have a drumroll, please, for george? drumroll, please, for george. [ cheers ] >> happy birthday, honey. i am fully clothed. >> your beautiful wife, ali. you are clothed this time. >> yes. it's a very reputable morning show. and as much as your producers wanted me in a g-string, i'm a very elegant woman. >> aw. >> happy birthday. >> really? you're not -- wow. i'm so proud of you. we were all worried about what you were going to possibly do. >> oh, robin. >> that's what you were worried about. >> wait. there's much more. >> there's more. >> "we are family." can we hear it? happy birthday. >> hey. >> you brought everybody. >> hi. >> all the kids. >> the dogs are all here. >> how did you get daisy to be so quiet? >> we put something in her dog food. >> and wait. there's still more. >> oh, yes. >> come on out. >> mom. >> george's mother. and his father, father robert stephanopoulos. they are here. and the goods just keep on coming, george. come on. >> and all that jazz. >> from broadway. >> wow. >> good to have you here. >> morticia. >> who is that? >> thank you. >> hi. >> happy birthday. >> happy birthday. >> who is that barking? is that you? >> they don't like mice. >> it's not complete without elvis. >> and we need a little something. >> it's a birthday, robin. >> all right. >> thank you. >> your favorite chef. >> it's your big, fat, greek birthday. >> i didn't want to do this. they made me bring it out. i just have to show it to you. >> sam, you're getting yours soon. >> one, last surprise. i want you to know that your real-life wife and your work wife have been plotting against you for weeks. but when it came to find a gift for you, it's really hard. you're not materialistic. you don't collect anything. all we had to go on was you are crazy for your daughters. and you're a little in the doghouse, for not doing the cake boss segment with us. so, i got the cake boss to give you a cake lesson. >> wow. what a way to celebrate 50. that's not something to celebrate right there. >> did they track you down? >> my actual card. was sent to an apartment i had 15 years ago. and i found out. dr. richard besser on twitter. >> we have to ask your mother and father, first of all, so good to have you here. tell us, father robert, what was this little man like growing up? how was he? >> he was like he always is. we knew he was destined for big things. there was no doubt about that. >> oh. give us a favorite childhood memory, mrs. stephanopoulos. >> i can give you two. he was born. it wasn't at 10 after 7:00. it was at 10:17. >> okay. i'm not there yet. >> everybody back in the cake. >> same day. >> as it turned out, it was also my husband's peace day today. he had to go to the church to do a liturgy. so, i took a cab to the hospital. >> how could you do that to your mom, george? >> we made it at a quarter of 10:00. and he was delivered at 10:17. >> me was the bearer of both of their labors. he cut the umbilical cord. >> how about the cake? sara is such a good sport about it. where is the cake? look at that, george. ♪ happy birthday to you happy birthday to you ♪ >> thank you, elvis. >> ♪ happy birthday, dear george happy birthday to you ♪ >> thank you. thank you. what a great birthday. [ applause ] and one to grow on. >> and just think if we didn't make a fuss. >> they tried to get all of us in this cake, honey. but it didn't happen. >> what do you think, harper and elliot? pretty good? >> all they know is they got their hair done this morning. that's what they're focused on. >> that is so nice. thank you. >> who knows what's going to come up next. we're going to have cake. that's what i know. we'll see you in a moment. [ male announcer ] verizon believes that no small business should be invisible, so we decided to help a real small business make it easier for customers to find them. my name is elizabeth heinz, we're at isabella's boutique in rockville center, new york. do me a favor, and search for your business. alright. ♪ what did you find? nothing. i mean, if you don't have a website, you're basically invisible. [ male announcer ] 40% of small businesses don't have a website. but with verizon websites powered by intuit, it's so easy you can do it yourself, and so powerful it can make any small business more visible. add photos... and then, we'll hit "publish." i have a website?! you have a website. oh my gosh, i can't believe it was that easy. [ male announcer ] verizon can put your small business on over 100 search sites so customers can find you, with a personalized business e-mail address that connects with your site. visit me at isabellasny.com. [ male announcer ] small business owners, don't be invisible i call today and get a 6 tnth free trial of verizon websites powered by intuit, when you sign up for verizon's reliable high-speed internet & phone for business, just $84.99 a month with no term contract required. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities verizon. the hardest working network in business. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. our countdown to valentine's day. we have some advice for all of the sweethearts out there who still haven't gotten a gift. what a gift is daisy stephanopoulos. our special contributor, cameron mathison. this is tough to top, cameron. >> it's really tough to top. i wasn't as prepared as you guys. i was a little late in the game with valentine's. but creativity, a few, quick stops. and we are making valentine's day very special this year. ♪ my wife, vanessa, the love of my life. mother of my two, beautiful children. eight years of marriage. for her, only the very best. wait? did you say valentine's day is this monday? that's four days away. i better get moving. we're just a couple days before valentine's day. how do you get a personal? sentimental gift? memory stick. local drugstore. i hate to brag. but i think me and havanessa ha a pretty cute family. with this kiosk and memory stick, i insert this and i have options of what i can make. my own card. photos, designed by me. i can make a nice freedom, with different photos through it. or my own, personalized photo book. as easy as this. in about an hour, i had three, unique gifts, all for under 40 bucks. for valentine's. >> for valentine's? >> reporter: think she's going to like it? >> yeah. >> reporter: next up, chocolate. when we think valentine's day, we think chock lass. everybody likes chocolate. it's great for last-minute. but the key is not to get just any chocolate. you have to get something special. to help me do that, i have diane here who has her own specialty chocolate shop. ♪ >> you can choose from 14 different kinds of chocolates to put into our most magnificent box called gardener roses. and it comes as a bouquet with chocolates inside. you don't have to buy flowers because they won't die. and your lady love will keep this forever and remember your undying love. >> flowers and chocolate. >> and chocolates inside the bouquet. i would get a box of the truffles. why don't you taste one, cameron. >> reporter: so good. >> this is definitely the ultimate experience for chocolate. >> reporter: savoring. two stores down. now, we're getting somewhere. but what about our valentine's day dinner? even though i haven't made a dinner reservation yet, all is not lost. websites like opentable.com, can hook me up. i just have to enter the location, other information, what kind of food we want. put it all in there. search. find me a reservation. and when you sign up, they'll even send you recommendations of your neighborhood's most romantic restaurants. this is fantastic. 7:00. 7:00. 7:00. i'm in good shape here. why stop there? i found tons of last-minute deals online. websites like groupon and livingsocial, offer specials all across the country, all for a fraction of the price. wine tasting for two. couples massages. even tango lessons, a personal favorite. but when all is said and done, valentine's day is really just about the love. and maybe the chocolate. >> thanks so much, cameron. >> reporter: thank you very much. >> happy valentine's day. >> reporter: happy valentine's day. oh. okay. so, maybe i did go a little overboard with the chocolates this year. and by the way, i did not steal these from my wife's valentine's gift. they were extra. you don't have to go overboard. maybe special packaging. maybe exotic flavors. anything to make the chocolate special this year. >> tell us about some of the gifts you made, cameron. >> well, i happen to have them right here, robin. this picture frame. imagine the odds. we're connected like that. >> yeah, right. >> it was so simple. all i had to do was enter the bar code on this frame. the kiosk you saw in the place knows to lay out photos in there. and in an hour, something special that vanessa is going to love, as long as she's not watching this morning. >> i hope she's not. >> if she does, we'll joke about it. >> that's great. that's really a lot of fun. thank you, cameron, so much. >> thank you. >> have a wonderful valentine's day. you can get details on all of these gifts at our website abcnews.com/gma. and you can really find sara's abcnews.com/gma. and you can really find sara's warm chocolate cheesecake. this valentine's day, on abc, "good morning america." a journey, that will take us all to the most romantic extremes. extreme proposals. extreme wedding. extreme love. it begins, valentine's day, 2011. >> got a sigh of relief because it wasn't extreme birthday. it was nice, wasn't it? >> it was a fantastic. >> for us, it was a little understated. you're not the only one celebrating your birthday. very wise to have the same birthday as the big boss. >> bob iger, the president of disney companies. his birthday, as well. i would never do that. you can do whatever you want. >> happy birthday, bob. >> we're joined by mickey and minnie mouse. and you have the distinct of being on the first disney junior animated series about pirates, right? >> yes. >> and you're izzy. >> yes, i play izzy. >> you don't look like a pirates to me. help me. >> i'm not a pirates. izzy is my pirates persona. oh. >> it's fun because i get to interact with the classic characters, captain hook and mr. snee. that's so much fun. parents and grandparents will love watching it with the kids. and the new pirates. >> how do you like doing that whole thing behind the scenes, where you're playing to the cartoon? >> i love doing voiceover because, izzy's a little younger than me. and i get to go in the booth and take over the fun imagination. like a little 4-year-old. i go into the booth. >> imagine playing a little girl. >> i mean, a little toddler. >> yeah. >> we have a coat drive, as well. so, in the middle of it all -- >> mickey and minnie. i missed that. our kids are from, the greater -- we have somebody from the -- i'm looking. i'm looking. all right. we'll just do the coat tally while i figure it all out. the coat tally is 201,022 coats. >> yeah. >> and i have to say, in this particular winter, it's great that we're able to give out so many coats. >> and are people allowed until sunday, at burlington coat factories. >> and the y of greater new york. >> let's get the totals up even higher. >> yeah. something you want to say? >> we want to thank jake and neverland pirates launches monday, february 14th at 8:30. thank you for a great birthday. >> happy birthday. >> happy birthday. >> the final words are, george is 50. and in about three months, i'm going to be 30. so, i know. i know. a lot of birthdays. >> oh. >> why is everybody laughing so hard? >> i don't know why. >> and happy birthday, eisner, bob iger and the disney family. >> you said eisner. >> it's eisner's birthday, too. everybody at disney. it's their birthday. >> happy birthday, george. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> and good morning everybody. 8:56 is your time on this thursday. i am alison starling. here are some school closings and delays. let's begin with lisa baden and a look at traffic. 66 in virginia has a crash eastbound after the martial exit. pimmit is now westbound before 28/centreville. is quite a backup leaving fair lakes into centreville. we will give you a green light to and from the wilson bridge and to and from the american legion bridge. things are settling down to the pentagon. a lot of sunshine overhead. mostly sunny skies for the rest of the day and into tomorrow. it will be a dry weather pattern. over the bay you can see a light dusting of snow on the pier. 24 degrees on the district and martinsburg is 20 degrees. it will be a cold day to day and a little breezy as well. when you factor in the wind, it feels like we are in the teens this morning. it will feel like the 20's this afternoon despite highs near freezing. have a little patience, we will be in the 50's by sunday and monday. >> thanks for watching and we will be back at noon. "live with regis and kelly" is up next.