a floor accident in the most expensive brood broadway play ever. what happens now, to the splashy, new musical? good morning, everyone. robin is off today. great to have elizabeth here. >> nice to be here. >> boy, welcome to winter. >> first official day today. >> out in california, they're dealing with mudslides. the rest of the country, a lot of it, may be having a white christmas. >> absolutely. and imagine going to the airport and seeing this. this is what stranded americans trying to get home from london heathrow airport is dealing with. more snow is on the way. could the east coast be in for travel trouble next? that's on the minds of everybody taking to the airplanes and the roadways this holiday weekend. >> sam will have the latest on that. also, look at this. this happened overnight. it hasn't happened in 372 years, since 1638. a lunar eclipse on the winter solstice. there's the earth moving in front of the moon, blocking the sun out. going away. we'll have more on that, coming up. first, let's get right to the weather. rain and snow, slamming much of the country. more is on the way. record-setting rains in southern california, touched off mudslides on monday, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. floods outside las vegas, where a 50-year record for rain was broken. outside salt lake city, all of the snow is leading to avalanche warnings. and in the colorado mountains, whiteout conditions. some areas there could see up to eight feet of snow before the week's end. we begin with the mudslides in california. and mike von fremd is in la canada with the latest. good morning, mike. >> reporter: good morning, elizabeth. earlier this year, this house behind me was covered with mud. and so was much of this neighborhood. and the west coast is now bracing itself again for the big one. from the mountains, to the freeways, to the foothills, people are having to run for cover. in what could be a storm of epic proportions, snow is blanketing western colorado, leaving cars stranded along interstate 70. the central colorado mountains, getting as much as two feet of snow today alone. in utah, an avalanche warning is in effect, outside of salt lake city. parts of utah getting nearly 4 feet in the last 36 hours. in northern california, more than 300,000 customers have lost power. further, in jenner, a 62-year-old woman apparently became disoriented by the storm. she drove her minivan into the river. and her body was discovered last night. it's treacherous. >> i was driving. the wind is what pushed me and caused me to hit the pole. >> reporter: the pacific coast highway near e near malibu is blocked with mudslides and rocks. in bakers field, california, one young man decided a jet ski was the way to travel. the rain has been relentless. and the fear this, this bushing water could turn into mud. concrete rails have been put in place. but there's no way of knowing how much they can hold back. the storm is just getting started. los angeles can expect three to six more inches through wednesday. las vegas, more than seven inches. in st. george, cedar city, utah, more than eight inches. and it's moving east. just look at fargo, north dakota, and much of minnesota. a white christmas is one thing. but whiteout conditions are a tough way to travel home for the holidays. on the west coast, this prechristmas nightmare is supposed to let up on christmas eve. but, elizabeth, the long-range forecast shows, the end of 2010 may be one we never forget. >> all right, mike. thanks so much. let's turn, now, to sam champion, on the ground in las vegas this morning. sam, what's going to happen to all of the heavy rain as it moves inland from the west coast? >> a lot of folks are going to have to deal with it. and some flooding, as well. good morning, elizabeth. we're going to show you how the rain is heaviest along the coastline. lightens up as you move inland. in the deserts, it takes a lot less rain to get flooding. we're beginning to see flood watches and warnings come out in the las vegas area. we show you the total. we say it's about a half-inch of rain, it's not going to seem like a lot to you. but all of that rain starts a runoff problem. and it goes into the streets with some flooding here. that's going to happen over the next 24 to 48 hours. california, nevada, utah, all flood watches or warnings out. and the 18 inches of rain to a half-inch of rain in the desert. it will be raining from l.a., to vegas, through thursday. look at the moisture connection, from hawaii all the way to the coastline. that's more than 2,000 miles. and there's at least two more rainmakers in. one for tomorrow morning and one for later on. all of this tapers off by thursday. then, we have to deal with the cold air as it moves across the country. george? elizabeth? >> sam, thank you very much. we want to continue on the theme of weather. yesterday in minnesota, they had to recover from last week. we showed you when the metrodome collapsed. last night, the vikings had their first outside game in 30 years. >> crews worked to remove the snow from the field. but that acted like an ice pack. nfl stadiums have heating coils underground. but college stadiums do not. and the bears managed to beat the vikings, 40-14, clenching the division title. this is why they had to play in a college stadium. that's last week at the metrodome. >> they got killed. we're going to go across the atlantic now. there's more bad weather there. in britain, snow and ice continues to cripple air and rail services, after the storm hit last weekend. that was only about five inches that fell. but an unusual arctic blast has proven too tough for the cleanup crew there's. left thousands stranded at the high of the travel season. many at heathrow airport, where lama hasan is this morning. >> reporter: good morning, george. the good news is, there's a few planes taking off and landing today. the bad news is, it's nowhere near what heathrow normally operates. and adding to the misery, it is london's worst snow in 25 years and coldest december in 100 years. everywhere you look today, long lines, a long wait, and a lot of frustration. two-thirds of flights have now been canceled out of london's heathrow airport until at least wednesday. only one runway has now been cleared so far. and airplanes are still stuck in ice. >> i have been waiting 16 hours. i'm exhausted. >> reporter: these american newlyweds were on their way to honeymoon in south africa, not london. >> i spent a good part of 24 hours crying. >> reporter: these passengers were forced to spend a third night sleeping on a hard floor. and they're running out of space. travelers are being turned away because there isn't enough room for them. the wintry weather woes stretch across europe. brussels airport is shut down because they've run out of deicing liquid. more snowfall overnight, in frankfurt. means no takeoffs or landings today. at least 1,000 flights canceled in germany. in paris, one-third of all flights also canceled. getting on a train isn't any easier. people were lining up for eight hours outside london's international station in the bitter cold. in the u.s., it is not looking good, either. travelers making their way home for the holidays are stranded. >> my daughter is coming home. and i don't see her very often. and she's coming home to an empty house. and it's just -- well, it's devastating. >> reporter: well, hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded here since saturday. backlog to clear is huge. and the word from officials is, expect further delays through christmas day, elizabeth. >> what a nightmare for those travelers. also in london this morning, we're getting more information on the 12 men arrested yesterday. british police arrested them after accusing them of plotting a large-scale attack. jim sciutto has the latest in london this morning. good morning to you, jim. >> reporter: good morning, elizabeth. this morning, we are learning more about the plotters. several were british nationals. some of them very young. and also more about the targets they were hoping to bomb with an al qaeda-inspired spectacular attack. shopping centers, nightclubs, iconic landmarks in cardiff and london. these are some of the possible targets it's feared the 12 plotters were hoping to attack, with a series of deadly bombs. cardiff, where several of the men were arrested, has been buzzing for days with rumors of an attack on the city's night life. according to "the guardian" newspaper, the plotters also scouted the house of parliament. >> with the information we had, i believe that today's arrests were absolutely necessary in order to keep public safe. >> reporter: several of the men were british, of bangladeshi origin. ranging in age from 28 to 17. some of them still living with their parents. police are still searching their residences, but have yet to find weapons or explosives. >> i've never had any problems with the family at all. they're socialible. and that's about it, really. >> reporter: the raids followed months of surveillance by britain's mi-5. and intelligence indicates that al qaeda was planning attacks in britain, france and germany. earlier this month, a suicide bomber struck sweden. and germany circulated warnings about an assault. monday's raid involved cooperation from several european countries' intelligence services. the scale of this plot is particularly striking. with attacks in possibly three or four british cities. >> thanks. the threat of a terror attack here at home, has been a top priority of officials in the united states. we want to bring in our senior justice correspondent, pierre thomas, who just sat down with an exclusive interview with attorney general eric holder. the attorney general is a pretty circumspect man. but on this subject, he's not pulling any punches. >> reporter: i've known and covered the attorney general for more than a decade. and i can tell you. he was candid and blunt about the nature of the terror threat the u.s. is combatting. what keeps you up at night? >> the concern that perhaps we might have missed something. the threat is real. the threat is different. the threat is constant. >> reporter: in a rare interview, the attorney general laid out the most-pressing terror threats. dangers he says are more divorce and increasing. among them, the new rapidly-evolving threat from homegrown radicals. >> the threats have changed from foreigners coming here, to people in the united states. american citizens. raised here, born here. you didn't worry about this, even two years ago. >> reporter: in the last 18 months, at least 50 americans have been charged with planning acts of terrorism. and holder, in a sober assessment, said an american member of al qaeda, anwar al awlaki, may be a greater threat than osama bin laden himself. alack al awlaki, holder said, is a danger. >> he has shown a desire to harm the united states. >> reporter: the u.s. suspects aill awlaki, had a recent schem to blow up cargo planes. >> he's a person, an american citizen. familiar with this country. and he brings a dimension because of that american familiarity that others do not. >> reporter: and where would you rank him? >> he's on the same list with bin laden. he's up there. one, two, three, four. i don't know. he's on the list of people that worry me the most. >> reporter: does the u.s. have a presence, in terms of al awlaki, dead, prosecuted or captured? >> we want to neutralize him. we'll do whatever we can to do that. >> reporter: al awlaki also suspectedly encouraged the ft. hood shooting. one of the things that struck me is how many people have been radicalized online. >> the ability to go into your basement, turn on your computer, find a site that has this kind of hatred spewed. they have an ability to take somebody, who is perhaps just interested. perhaps just on the edge, and take them over to the other side. >> reporter: to cope, the u.s. is monitoring scores of radicals, in a set of stings to combat the homegrown threat. but the increasing number of stings is not without controversy. >> the critics say that the stings that the fbi have been doing, basically amount to entrapment. >> we're going to do whatever it is to protect the american people. options are given all along the way, for them to say, i changed my mind. i don't want to do this. every one that we've charged says i want to go forward. and all those actions were designed to kill americans. >> reporter: holder said the u.s. has made great strides in improving its ability to detect and block attacks. the intelligence community, essentially working around the clock. and al qaeda central has been degraded. have we been lucky or good? >> i'd like to think that we're good. >> reporter: but he said while confident the u.s. will continue to thwart attacks, the pressure is unrelenting. and there's no guarantees. >> the american people have to be prepared for, you know, potentially bad news. >> reporter: holder says much of the intelligence is chilling. and sharing a bit of personal insight, he says, one of the few things that gives him a sense of normalcy, is helping his children with homework. george? elizabeth? >> thanks very much. real stark warnings from the attorney general. i guess we have encouraging news on the economy. >> we do. switching gears now. with christmas just a few days away, americans seem to be willing to open their wallets and spend again. could it be another sign the economy is bouncing back? and what are people buying? bianna golodryga has more on the big shopping tally so far this holiday season. good morning, bianna. >> reporter: good morning, elizabeth. and if george happens to call in sick tomorrow or thursday, i'd check the local mall. despite the hype around supersaturday, those two are expected to be the busiest shopping days of the year. while consumers are buying more this year, it's what they're not buying that's surprising a loft analysts. while most of us will be dreaming of a white christmas this friday night, retailers will no doubt be dreaming of a black one. and it looks like their dream will come true. >> i think i'm spending a little more this year. >> i'm buying funky hats. >> ice skates. >> boots and jeans. i found them both. >> reporter: last saturday was supersaturday. and according to brand-new data from shoppertrak, it was the second-biggest shopping day so far this year. with sales up 15% from last year. and consumers spending a whopping $1 billion more. >> it's clearly a different mood an what we saw last year. there's more energy. it's more exciting. consumers are certainly more interested in participating in the event. >> reporter: the good news for retailers? they haven't having to entice shoppers with rock-bottom price slashing we saw the last two holiday seasons. >> what's happening now, is what's left in the store are the things they want to move. they believe they can move, with not as steep a discount as they had last year. >> reporter: and for shoppers, the next four days are crucial, as stores try to empty their shelves. as for the hot items this season, people are spending on clothing and jewelry. especially luxury jewelry, which is doing slightly better. up nearly 3% from last year. if you've decided to stay warm and shop from your bed, you're not alone. online purchases are up 13.5%. but the big surprise, sales of electronics, traditionally a holiday favorite, are down. and experts are saying that flat-screen tvs have been marked down the past few years. so many americans have them. they don't feel the need to go out and buy a new one this year. we don't have the hot items, like we saw the ipad was last year. that's why stores like best buy are cutting that 15% restocking fee they used to charge when people returned gifts. >> i'm only a little behind on my shopping so far. >> disciplined shopper. >> ali must have called her. let's check back in with sam champion, who is in las vegas, with more on the storm out west and what's going to happen out east? >> exactly. let's start with how much more rain is happening out west. two hits of moisture today. one comes today and tonight. and the other one comes on wednesday. in that, you'll see las vegas -- l.a. picking up about two to four additional inches of rain. las vegas picking up one to two additional inches of rain. as we move to the east, boston's been getting hit with snow. the cape, as well. 10 inches of know in chattham. from boston to new york, into d.c., the temperatures are going to be cold and windy. about five to ten degrees below normal. what's falling in the way of snow into connecticut, is light. it's nice in texas. it's warm again today. and from minneapolis to chicago, there's a little bit more snow on the ground, as you're waking up in minneapolis, to chicago. and there will be another hit of snow, coming on thursday. george? >> okay, sam. thanks. it hasn't even opened yet. but there's been another accident for the most expensive broadway musical ever. a stuntman in "spider-man," fell 30 feet during a preview performance last night. rob nelson has more. >> wow. here he comes. >> reporter: this was not the curtain call the cast of "spider-man" wanted to hear. [ applause ] shaken, audience members clapping for a 31-year-old spidey stunt double, as paramedics loaded him into an ambulance. >> spider-man fell down like through the stage floor. >> reporter: these images obtained by "the new york times" show the very moment when the cord harnessing the actor snaps, before he then free falls into the pit below. >> spider-man was about to jump off of the brooklyn bridge to catch mary jane. he went flying into the audience. and he crashed down through a hole in the set. and you heard mary jane scream. the house lights came up. and they said, we cannot continue with this performance. >> reporter: this is the fourth accident to plague the $65 million musical. it's now pushed its opening night back to february 7th. but with visionary director, julie kaymar at the helm, and a rocking score by bono and the edge, audience members are hoping this troubled show will take flight. >> up until that point, people are going to assess the fact, it's incredible acrobatic stunts. hope he's okay. >> reporter: according to officials, all signs were good, as that actor was taken to a local hospital last night. of course this, is broadway. that means the curtain goes up on spider-man again tonight at 8:00. back to you guys. >> the show must go on. >> it will go on. coming up, scandal at notre dame. a student accuses a football player of sexual assault. then, takes her own life. this morning, her father says he is asking if justice, in a "gma" exclusive. first, william and kate. now, another royal engagement for the queen and the country to celebrate. we'll tell you who it is in a moment. [ female announcer ] cooking up a big christmas meal? get great savings on all the fixings at walmart. we'll match any store's price on groceries right at the register. and we take coupons too. add that to our everyday low prices, and you can make it a tasty holiday for everyone at walmart. and you can make it a tasty holiday for everyone ["stir it up" playing] stir up a smile with hershey's syrup. narks maryland's most powerful doppler -- now, maryland's most powerful doppler radar and forecast certified most at ribbing by weatherate. merry eclipsemas thanks to the clear sky the storm in new he canland dumping heavy snow. we cleared out and another system toward the south and we have the. and we get squeeze play. enjoy the sun and 27. clouds filter back in and breeze picks up. 35 is the two degree guaranteed high and it will feel like 20s. solstice this evening winter begins at 6:38. we are looking for a low of 23 and quick peek with a chance of flurry tomorrow. dry thursday fright night -- friday night but saturday we will watch the christmas snowstorm. kim. >> reporter: justin, volume is picking up this morning. still managing to move at a ready good pace. hooking at live at 695 for the netly no issues around baltimore beltway. checking around the area, we are working an accident in parkville involving a struck pedestrian. har foreat man's and gay and fayette and arnold a crash route 2 down this at kimwood avenue. here carly crowson with the morning news update. >> thanks. a chiropractor's office seriously damaged after a three-alarm blaze on west pennsylvania in towson it. starteded around 2 this morning in the doctor's adolf and kla kstein. crews went to three alarm and despite windy conditions they prevented the flames from spreading to businesses nearby. dr. kalkstein is the chiropractor for the orioles and we don't know what started the fire. now in other news this morning, mark hyzer a baltimore city teacher arrested and charged in bel air after deputies say he was performing sex acts with a teen. back to "good morning, america" and we are back in a few. it's that time of year. time for campbell's green bean casserole. you'll find the recipe at campbellskitchen.com. campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can ..™ to stay fit, you might also want to try lifting one of these. a unique sea salt added to over 40 campbell's condensed soups. helps us reduce sodium, but not flavor. so do a few lifts. campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can do.™ ♪ it's a marvelous night for a moon dance ♪ what a sight. that was the lunar eclipse that happened earlier this morning. the moon was in the earth's shadow for 72 minutes. that hasn't happened for 372 years. watch as it passes through the sun and the moon. >> hasn't happened on a winter solstice in almost 400 years. seeing the first official day of winter. like to have a little van morrison to start our half hour this morning. >> good morning, america. i'm george stephanopoulos. >> i'm elizabeth vargas. robin roberts is off this morning. how do you know when you're on the internet dating sites that mr. right is who he says he is? we'll tell you about a new online dating detective, to find out if your new flame is who he says he is, without getting burned. also, we have another engagement in the british royal family announced. we'll get the details on that in a moment. someone else in the british royal family, besides will and kate. >> maybe they had to wait to make that announcement. coming up, the "gma" tragic story of a college freshman who accused a notre dame football player of sexual assault, and then took her own life. no charges will be filed against the player, accused by elizabeth seeberg of attacking her in a dormroom. elizabeth's father is going to join us in a moment. but first, barbara pinto lays out the case. >> reporter: this is how lizzy seeshering's family remembers her. >> always happy. always willing to help out someone who needed some help. >> reporter: but lizzy, who battled anxiety and depression, took her life in stept, days after she claimed she had been sexually assaulted by a notre dame football player. in her statement to university police, lizzy wrote, i don't feel safe in his room. he proceeded to grab my face and started to kiss me. tears started rolling down my face because i didn't know what to do. i felt so scared, i couldn't move. the following day, her parents say lizzy got this text from the friend who had left her alone in the player's room. don't do anything you'd regret, messing with notre dame football is a bad idea. 15 days later, police questioned the football player. after lizzy's death. >> the timeline speaks for itself. >> reporter: and the seebergs say they ran into roadblock, trying to get answers from the storied university, attended by 11 members of their family. in a written statement, notre dame maintained, we kept the seebergs informed throughout. and at the same time, honored their request to keep this matter private. we have great sympathy for a grieving family that may believe our investigation was insufficient. but we also respectfully and wholeheartedly disagree with that contention. prosecutors decided not to file any criminal charges, deciding inconsistencies in cell phone records. and partly because lizzy seeberg was not alive to testify. now, the parents face christmas without their oldest child. >> we're here, with our loss of our daughter. it's going to be very hard. >> reporter: for "good morning america," barbara pinto, abc news, northbrook, illinois. joining us now is lizzy seeberg's family, tom seeberg. i can only imagine how hard it is for you to watch that story. i'm very sorry for your loss. >> thank you, george. >> you did say it was important for you to come here and speak out. tell us why. >> it's important from the standpoint, that you have a young lady, lizzy, who does all the right things here. she, as we encourage women to do, she reports this in a timely manner. she's thorough. she's thoughtful about it. and the response that she gets is just inadequate. and the concern we have is that what happens to the next young woman who does this? i think this is a case where these things largely go unreported. or there's a serious underreporting of these incidents because women don't want to go through this. >> you say you feel betrayed by notre dame. >> betrayed is a word we have because we spent a lot of time hoping that they would live their values in this case. live their values in sharing with us what they could about the investigation. and live their values by trying to give lizzy a voice in the university of notre dame disciplinary process. >> how do you explain why that didn't happen? >> you know, i made the statement in an earlier interview, looking back at it, they sort of lawyered up from the beginning. and they hunkered down, like they were afraid of us. we are on record with them saying, we're good people. we don't want to sue anybody. we're not after anybody's blood. we're after truth for its own sake, as it is exactly outlined in the code of conduct, notre dame's stated code of conduct and disciplinary procedures. anybody can get access to that document online. >> as you know, notre dame takes issue with the idea they weren't thorough in all this. want to show a statement they put out. it says, no matter how thorough, careful, timely and judicious any investigative process, we understand it may never be enough for a family that has lost a child. they think they have done everything that they should have done. >> first of all, i have to say, i'm insulted by the tone that because we're grieving, that somehow we're not rationale, that we're not intelligent. anybody looking at the facts of this timeline has to reach the conclusion that this wasn't a serious investigation. >> two-week delay. >> 15 days to interview the accused. and beyond that, you've got six days where they're trying to find this individual. just doesn't seem credible. if you look at that two-week period of time, george, you'll see that this football player took the field twice. 80,000 people, times 2, 160,000 people saw this individual before the police did. >> and that player continues to take the field for notre dame. >> yes. and, george, we started this, as a journey of two people, a simple trip from chicago to south bend, to find out, like any parent would, what the status of the investigation is. what we could learn about the process. and to carry on what lizzy wanted to do, which was to pursue something in the disciplinary code of conduct at the university of notre dame. she was never, at this point -- at the point that she died, pursuing a criminal charge. she hadn't made that choice yet. so, we start on the simple journey down to south bend. and it really ends in, we can't tell you much of anything. and ultimately ends in, you know, while lizzy may have had rights under the code of conduct in that proceeding, you don't have any rights to tell us to pursue such a proceeding. we can determine on our own. but this started in september. there were still leaves on the trees. here we are, with snowstorms. as i said, and here we are. >> this is a university that has been so much a part of your family's life. 11 family members going to notre dame in the last 100 years. >> yeah. we believe, you know, that notre dame dips their values. and we're a family that believes that. we still believe it. we think there's something that's skewed here. there's something we need to pinpoint and draw attention to. they do espouse and live a high standard. they also put together a very well-written code of conduct. but how do they walk that talk? >> what would you like notre dame to do right now? >> i think right now, we're speaking, not necessarily to the administrator there's. we're speaking to faculty. we're speaking to domers. we're speaking to the board of trustees, saying you do have a history of living a higher standard. i think there's a problem here. i think you need to look into this. if you're going to have a university police force that's going to investigate issues on campus, what triggers what somebody reports possibly felony type situation -- what triggers what should be its most robust response? this isn't a matter of somebody stealing a laptop or a beer bottle. this is a serious allegation. >> and you said you want young women and their parents to take a big lesson from this, as well. >> yes. we want women to still do the right thing. to report this immediately. to seek help from counseling. to do the right thing, in respect to hospital, dna. they need to know the case. they need to know that the infrastructure or the system is going to support them. >> mr. seeberg, thanks for your time. i hope you get comfort out of this. and for more stories developing right now, let's go to juju chang at the newsdesk. >> we're going to turn to a record filing for toyota. the company has agreed to pay the government $32 million to settle claims that it failed to promptly recall cars with sticky gas pedals and notify regulators about steering defects. today, the fcc is expected to approve new traffic rules for the internet. they would cut back on the control broadband providers have, like comcast, to block access to sites and applications, while giving wireless companies some discrimination to limit access. a crowd of 5,000 showed up for a holiday singing event, when people thought they felt the floor shifting and cracking under the weight. the mall was evacuated. the crowd managed to stay calm. engineers think it was a false alarm. a remarkable animal story in germany. a ridgeback has given birth to seven puppies. all of them survived, which is rare for a litter this big. they say four or five puppies die in such a litter. and the owner is so busy helping out with bottle feedings, she says she's barely gotten any sleep for three weeks. that's the news at 7:40. >> 17 pup byes. >> exactly. as soon as she's finished feeding the last one, the first one's hungry again. >> ridgebacks. they're going to need a new house. >> those are big dogs. wow. thanks, juju. let's go to sam, now, for the weather. >> your turn. >> it is my turn. out at the bellagio hotel in las vegas. hey, sam. >> george, elizabeth, juju. the reason we're here is our effort to bring you some of the most incredible holiday christmas decorations across the country. look at this. this is the bellagio conservatory and botanical gardens right here. from the ornaments, the penguins in the back. the dancing fountains. there's 16,000 flowers and plants here. and it takes 100 people 7 days to set this up. one of the things i wanted to show you. look at this polar bear. there's two polar bears here. the mother polar bear has 10,000 carnations. the water spreads out through the carnations. when we light this up, there's a fir here. it's going to be incredible. look at the boards. we'll show you what's going on with the weather this morning. one or two things we wanted to talk about. in the west, we're watching the pattern of rain that goes through thursday. elsewhere in the country, it's pleasant in the middle. it's dry in the deep south. and the northeast has the cold and gusty the bellagio. it's a holiday spectacular. you would expect no less from vegas. all that weather was brought to you by allied bank. george? >> look at that smile. sam's having a good trip. when we come back, the gift of a new face. and an emotional thank you.e boe ♪ ♪ but i really love my bank ♪ i hate-- didn't quite catch that last bit. i said i really love my bank. right... is there a problem ? it's not really raging, man. uh, we were hoping for more raging ? well, you said write from the heart. yeah... don't do that. at ally, you'll love our online savings account. named the best of 2010 by money magazine. ally. do you love your bank ? ah, it's stinging a little bit more than usual! yeah, you'll get used to it. the longer you keep your high mileage car, the more it pays you back. get castrol gtx high mileage. it helps engines last longer by fighting the main causes of engine failure. i think a dime went up my nose. yeah, it happens. don't change your car. change your oil to castrol gtx high mileage. its more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. ♪ i'll stop the world and melt with you ♪ ♪ i'll stop the world ♪ ♪ i will stop the world ♪ ♪ you've seen the difference ♪ ♪ and it's getting better all the time ♪ ♪ i will stop the world ♪ ♪ i'll stop the world and melt with you ♪ ♪ i'll stop the world ♪ ♪ i'll stop the world, i'll melt with you ♪ ♪ don't forget that neck massager for your uncle stu ♪ [ female announcer ] walgreens makes it easy to finish your list with extended hours and great gifts. walgreens. there's a way tay jolly. this morning, an unforgettable face-to-face reunion. you may remember connie culp, disfigured after being shot by her husband. she received the first full face transplant in the u.s. and just in the past few days, she was finally able to say thank you to the family who made her new life possible. here's diane sawyer. >> reporter: you may remember connie culp. after she had been shot in the face by her husband. doctors at the cleveland clinic performed the nation's first full face transplant. over the years, we have been so moved and inspired by her joy. >> what a great day it is. yee-haw. >> reporter: do you know anything more about the donor? >> they've never contacted me. >> reporter: that was last august. just this weekend, she was still wondering. is there a resemblance? you know. that's what i'm curious about. >> reporter: the woman who gave connie her future was about the same age. her name was anna. >> she was my wife. she was my friend. we miss her. >> reporter: ronald kaspar was married to her for 22 years. two weeks before christmas, anna had suffered a fatal heart attack. >> grieving is hard. and it's really hard when you lose somebody that you love. but you can find so much comfort, in knowing that they're helping someone else. that it helps a lot. it really does. >> reporter: altogether, her body helped 50 different strangers. and then, someone who needed something else. >> it was a rather extraordinary request. it was a thing that anna would have wanted to do. she would have wanted to help connie. >> reporter: we were there, when connie and the kasper family met and spoke for the first time. >> what do you say? i mean, thank you's not strong enough. you know? i thought i was going to walk around like that forever. >> reporter: from anna's daughter, one hug. >> i really want to hug her. >> reporter: after all these years, two families meet. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: and in connie's face, she saw her mother's perfect nose and perfect grace. >> i'm so glad you did this for me. >> what an extraordinary family. an extraordinary decision on their part. we'll be right back. mmmmm... 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[ lucy gasps ] [ female announcer ] this year, hallmark has all new ways to say it. if you've had a coke in the last 20 years, ( screams ) you've had a hand in giving college scholarships... and support to thousands of our nation's... most promising students. ♪ ( coca-cola 5-note mnemonic ) did you guys see it? it was a total eclipse of the moon last night. the moon turned from bright silver to red. with the earth blocking the sun's rays. and the red comes from indirect sunlight, breaking through to give it that beautiful color. >> beautiful. >> it lasts about 72 minutes. that's about the amount of time that george sleeps. so, he missed the entire thing. >> i slept through it. but i'm glad i get a chance to see it right now. it's a good thing we caught it. we're not going to see another one until 2094. >> of this quality. that high in the sky. >> they're usually lower in the sky, right? >> yeah. they happen about annually. but it's a stunning red moon. stay with us. 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[laughing] yeeah. that' why ther's castrol gtx... with our most powerful deposit fighting ingredient ever. castrol gtx exceeds the toughest new industry standard. get castrol gtx.ts hold your car back./ now, maryland's most powerful doppler radar. good morning 7:56. we had a beautiful view of the lunar eclipse. clear skies for the most part. 26 arnold and 23 westminster but we expect to have the cloud really collapse back in on region. we have a storm in new england trying to work backwards increeing the wind. influence in the upper levels of the atmosphere providing snow showers in the mountains. and the storm we are talk about for christmas is just hitting california right now. this storm in new england allows the christmas storm to take form and looks more and more heckly it will happen. today, a dry day. partly cloudy skies. 35 will feel like 20s with the wind and outlook for the rest of the week. flurries tomorrow and upper 30s lows in the 20s and well below normal thus and friday night plan for christmas know storm and high near 30. >> reporter: we have a slow ride this morning southbound on the jfx coming off the exit from the beltway heading down toward the north avenue. delays are running at about 4 minutes. looking pretty good live at 895 in both directions at the o'donnell street exit. we have a couple road closures to let you know about including an accident in notingham with silver spring roads closed because of an accident involving a struck pedestrian. people are using white mash as an alternate. southbound york road look at a water main break that has one lane open. you can use an alternate. in kate opsville darton avenue close between edmonton and frederick because of a earlier crash. single vehicle struck a pole and they are making repairs. now back to you new york for more of "good morning, america" ♪ i don't want a lot for christmas ♪ i love that song. >> mariah carey, singing this 8:00 half hour. >> a lot of people downstairs. we say good morning, america. i got out of the dating game before it all exploded online. >> right. >> there's a problem that people have to deal with. is the person you're co corresponding by e-mail with, really who they say they are? >> we're going to tell you about a new online detective service, that can help you from flirting with disaster. you'll meet one woman what learned the hard way that people are not sometimes who they purport to be when corresponding online. and also this morning, we've herd of attention deficit disorder in kids. but millions of adults also have it and may not even know it. we're going to introduce you to some of those people. and tell you what the signs are. she's been called the most gorgeous woman on television. she's also one of the funniest, from "modern family." golden globe nominee, sofia vergara. >> we have time. come on in. and sam champion has a cross-country journey, lighting up america this morning. he's in las vegas. first, let's get to the top stories with juju. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with breaking news out of puerto rico. a national guard helicopter has crashed there.. six people are feared dead, as they were headed to a drug raid on the neighboring island of vieques and changed the route due to bad weather. chilling word about terrorism from the nation's top cop. in an exclusive interview, attorney general eric holder tells our pierre thomas, that the terror threats against the united states, are more diverse and are increasing. holder called homegrown terrorism a constant threat. and the cleric accused of trying to blow up a plane over detroit last christmas, is just as dangerous as osama bin laden. results of the 2010 census are out this morning. there's an estimated 308 million people living in the u.s. that's a 9% jump since last decade. in california, even more rain is expected today and tomorrow. thousands of residents are on alert for mudslides. some areas are expecting another five to ten inches. further east, the snow in the mountains is being measured in feet. and more is on the way. sam will have today's conditions in just a minute. some planes are taking off from london's heathrow airport. but most remain grounded after the worst snow in 25 years. fresh snow is extending the travel nightmare from france all the way to germany. the other big story across the bond. word of a new royal engagement. jim sciutto is here with the news. >> reporter: good morning. it's not prince harry. this is for another of the queen's grandchildren. zara phillips. she will be marrying the rugby player, mark tindall. this comes a little more than a month after the engagement of prince william and kate middleton. like will and kate, it looks like they will tie the knot in 2011, setting up the prospect of two royal weddings. the palace said the queen and duke of edinburgh are delighted with the news. now, diane sawyer with a preview of tonight's "world news." diane? >> good morning, juju and everyone at "gma." as we head into the holiday travel season, so many questions about the terror warnings at the airports, at the trains, on the road. what does your family need to know? what do america's top insiders on the front lines know? you'll hear. on "world news," i sit down with them tonight. >> important information. that's the news at 8:04. time for the weather with sam champion. only in vegas, do you hang out with an elvis dummy. good morning, sweetie. >> good morning, juju. it's not just the glamour of vegas. it's also the stars. terry fader is here this morning. you're at the mirage. congratulations on all that. thank you for being here. you brought maynard with you. >> maynard tompkins. >> you have a special family connection to the holidays. >> what's your family connection to the holidays? >> well, my grandfather was christmas. better than what my uncle was. >> what was your uncle? >> my uncle was a yule log. >> painful. we have another relative behind you. a 42-foot fir, that we need to light up for the holidays. can all three of us count down together? >> i don't know if all three of us. >> two of us countdown together. all right. three, two, one. hit the lights. there it is. it is a gorgeous -- thank you all very much. >> happy holidays. merry christmas. >> thousands of lights on this tree. absolutely beautiful right here in vegas. thank you very much for showing up this morning. >> thank you for letting us in here. you know, sam. the only thing that people care about this weekend, is if they're going to have a white christmas. >> about 50% will have. >> 50%. >> i don't know if we'll have a white christmas. i do know one thing. ♪ i'll have a blue >> i should have known. the elvis outfit. let's get to the boards. one or two things we want to show you. a giant fly-by, so everybody gets in on a quick hit. on the east coast, gusty winds and about ten degrees below normal. texas is warm. and the rain continues on the west coast. we'll be watching for additional snow as that moisture moves into the middle of the country, with all that cold air. terry, maynard, big stars. that's darn good, elvis, terry. darn good elvis. george? elizabeth? juju? >> sam, thanks. we're rockin' out to elvis over here. on dating websites, people may fudge on their age or their weight. how can you tell if they're lying about more critical information, like whether they're married? or worse, have a criminal record? now, there's new ways to screen potential online dates. and becky worley joins us from oakland, california, to fill us in. good morning, becky. >> good morning, elizabeth. the holidays are a particularly tough time to be single. millions turn to online dating sites. now, a new industry is cropping up to help daters stay safe online. rebecca shot she had met someone nice on eharmony.com, until they agreed to meet in person. >> he became sexually aggressive. and i tried to fight him off. and at that point, i knew i was in trouble. >> reporter: dustin trickett is a convicted sex offender. nieto only found that out after the attack. >> i was afraid. >> reporter: then, there's jeffrey marsalis. dozens of women met him on match.com. but he was a convicted serial rapist, who found his prey online. these are cautionary tales. there's over 1,500 dating sites. over 20 million americans use them. that's double the amount of users from just five years ago. there's a growing demand for online detectives to suss out who is looking for love and who is looking for victims. >> my match checker comes into play to add a little bit more of the trust. but verify idea behind online dating. >> reporter: robert buck holtz runs mymatchchecker.com. >> some of the things we can find misdemeanors, to felonies, to a listing on the sex offender registry. >> reporter: then, there's true.com. a site that requires a background check before users become active. if you want to check on somebody while you're out on that first date. pull out a smart phone. there's an app for that. like datecheck. type in a name and state. and for $14.95, you can get a background check, property search, and social network profile. but a background check doesn't put a potential match in the clear. >> we feel there's inaccuracies and incomplete data in the databases. >> reporter: but for rebecca nieto, even a little information about her attacker would have been welcome. >> if somebody seems too good to be true, they probably are. >> reporter: now, elizabeth, that one site that does do date checking in advance, the background checks, they say they reject about 2% of applicants because they're either already married or they do have a record. but other dating sites say they're against this model of prechecking applicants because say they site gives a false sense of security. they still mandate a serious sense of scrutiny and common sense to go with the practice. >> becky worley, thanks so much. joining me is parry aftab, founder of wiredsafety.com. this is a billion-dollar industry. don't the websites have an obligation to make sure that the people advertising and looking for love are who they say they are? >> no legal obligation. in fact, they have full immunity, if people are doing bad things on their site. but they should have an ethical responsibility, for better education. helping people make better choices. and giving them options to do background checks, making sure they know where they can get them. >> this isn't like facebook, where you're meeting people for free. you pay a fee when you go on to these dating online services. >> in some cases, a very hefty fee. if you're going to do that, see what you get for it. true does background checks. mandatory if you want to be there. although, it doesn't make you feel absolutely comfortable where you are. it lets you know what you didn't know before. >> i am wondering what to make of the 2% rejection service, on true.com, where they do screen their candidates. is that high or low? >> i think it's low. true has tens of millions of users. so, even at that 3%, you're looking at lots of people. people use fake names. fake residences. a lot of things that make background checks a little difficult. >> these are people who are registering with the dating service, they know does some checking. >> you know, i always count on the stupidity of cyber criminals. >> you were mentioning, we don't have a problem of just convicted sex offenders towards adults who are trolling some of the internet dating sites. you have pedophiles also. >> yeah, you do. and what we're seeing is it's sort of a shopping carts for pedophiles, and looking at pictures the moms are posting. and then, dating the moms to get to the kids. >> what do you do? i have several friends that use online dating services. if you want to use them, how do you protect yourself? >> make a good choice. use a big one that you know is good. others than that, use pay per go, on your cell phone, so you can talk to people. use a disposable e-mail address, for the site. and use a good monitoring software. specter soft makes the most powerful. you put it on your own computer, it will capture everything you do or say, if you need to turn it over to police. >> you can use high-tech ways to protect yourself. >> absolutely. and keep your clothes on. so many people are lonely. and they end up flashing something. and then, later on, if it turns out he or she is not who they say they are, that ends up going public. be careful. be cautious. you're allowed to be lonely over the holidays. if you're looking for love, do it in the right cyber places. use some common sense. >> that's good advice for any date, if you met them online or not. >> thank you so much. and record what you find. >> all right. coming up next, why millions of adults have attention deficit disorder and may not even know it. don't go away. 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. mmmmmm. ( shattering, thud ) mmmmmm. ( crash, shattering ) it's good! ( shattering ) when you add velveeta and ro tel tomatoes... and green chilis to chicken and pasta, it's so good... mmmmmm. it'll blow 'em away. ( crashing ) man, that's good. man, that's good. velveeta and ro tel. man, that's good. most people think of adhd, as a condition affecting kids that they can grow out of with help. but millions of adults have it, without exactly knowing they have it. you have two people that didn't know they had it. and treating it made a big difference. one is a good friend of yours. >> reporter: it can be a life-altering diagnosis. and you've seen the signs. people are scattered. easily distracted. unorganized. maybe you know someone who has had trouble staying in a job or holding a relationship. many spend a lifetime thinking it's a character flaw. but it could be adult attention deficit disorder. in adults, it's wildly underdiagnosed. many don't see it until they have kids. >> it was life-defining because something in my whole life. >> i had given up trying to figure out why i was the way i was. and i had accepted it. and thought this is me. >> reporter: ashley and john are 5% of adults, 8 million, living with adhd. both busy, working parents got diagnosed because one of their kids got diagnosed. six years ago, john's daughter, kay, began showing signs of adhd. and john realized it was like looking in the mirror. >> as i was reading, i saw not only kay, our daughter, but i saw myself. >> reporter: a doctor confirmed his suspicions. and at age 36, john was diagnosed, the very same day as his then-3-year-old daughter. >> it was a big relief. it gave us a name. >> reporter: his three other kids are on the spectrum, as well. but less severely. married authors say adult women are often underdiagnosed. >> this isn't true across the board. but many of the women are more of the day-dreamy, inattentive type. >> adhd is genetically transmitted. there's some cases that you can acquire. but 95% of cases acquire through the genes of your parents and grandparents. >> reporter: as it turns out, when my close friend, ashley mcdermott was researching her son's adhd, she was reading about herself. >> i closed the book and started to cry. >> reporter: ashley struggled in school. and her lack of focus followed her into adulthood. >> she could be a good student if she could calm down and stop talking and pay attention and focus. >> reporter: john's academic struggles grew into career struggles. >> i always hit walls, in terms of trying to climb the job ladder and move on to bigger and better things. and a loft it was because i couldn't get organized. >> reporter: a combination of medication and behavioral therapies made job superproductive at work. bonuses followed. >> i think the first year on medication, we blew our numbers out of the water. and i got about 145% bonus. it was absolutely enormous. we'd never seen that much money in one, big, fell swoop. >> reporter: ashley is about to publish a novel. a feat unimaginable were before going on medication. >> it was so bad, i couldn't read a book. you have that in the back of your head. you take your a.d.d. medicine. and it's like it turns off. >> reporter: john has weaned himself off medication. and has new strategies. >> if i have a deadline, i'm going to shut myself away from everybody a in a nice, quiet room. typically, at my home office, instead of in the office. once i'm in the office, i start talking to people. >> just to be clear, you hear people say a.d.d. and adhd. the official clinical diagnosis, is attention deficit attention deficit disorder. so many of my friends and colleagues are like, i think that's me. or that's a friend of mine. i want to bring in dr. ned hollowell. we saw him in the piece. a lot of people have it. my friend, james carville, as well. what should people watch for, if they think they have it and it's starting to trouble them? >> unexplained underachievement. you know you could be doing better. and you're trying really hard. like driving on square wheels. why is it difficult to deliver what i have in me. and it's not lack of effort. it's that you can't focus. and the intermittent focus, leads to underachievement, procrastination, trouble getting your act together. people say you lack discipline. it's not a matter of discipline. it's the neurological function of mental focus. >> if you're starting to have the feelings, how do you get diagnosed? >> go to someone who understands adult a.d.d. most doctors don't. so, go find a specialist that understands adult attention deficit disorder. it can change your life dramatically. take you from being a loser to a winner. turn your life around. >> we mentioned that women are underdiagnosed. and that's a lot because symptoms are different in women and often manifest differently. >> absolutely. women tend to be daydreamy. they're not disruptive. the ditsy blonde. or the dumb blonde. or depressed. that's the last thing they need. when they get the right diagnosis of a.d.d., then they transform their lives from being the underachiever to the winner. >> so, the treatment is not prozac. what is the proper treatment? >> reframing it. lifestyle changes. structure, exercise. and stimulant medication. and don't be afraid of the medication. >> can you wean yourself off it? >> not at all. you can take it for as long as you need it. you don't have to take it at all. you can take it, learn new habits and wean yourself off. or if you intend to take it indefinitely, that's fine, too. when it's used properly, no side effects and it's very safe. >> there's a lot of organizational behavioral treatments that people can do beyond medication. >> physical exercise matters a lot. a coach to help you get organized can help a great deal. strategies in the workplace and at home. delegate. learn -- you should do what you're good at and delegate what you're bad at. don't spend a loft time trying to get good at what you're bad at. >> thank you very much. bewant to go to our next finalist of our advice guru. that's sophia venable. she has her cure for holiday stress. >> my tip for handling holiday stress is to lower your expectations. of yourself and your family. just keep it simple. do plenty of shopping online. and be sure to delegate some of the cooking. when it comes to your relatives, again, lower your expectations. they're going to be the same people they were last year. santa can't deliver new personalities. if you have one normal rockwell moment this holiday season, consider yourself lucky. enjoy your eggnog and it will be over in before you know it. >> you can tell us what you think of our finalists 579 abcnews.com/gma. and coming up, "modern family's" sofia vergara will be here live. you, honey. - i'll be home soon. until then, i have my wingman helping me out. tommy? - i helped dad pick it out. - it's beautiful. - behind every open heart is a story. tell yours with my open heart collection at kay jewelers, the number one jewelry store in america. there are millions of reasons to give one, but the message is always the same: keep your heart open, and love will always find its way in. - i love you. - i love you too. ♪ [ keys jingle ] drop everything! shop the petsmart christmas holiday countdwn sale and save 50% on all petholiday products. plus, save 50% on select dog beds. hurry, last chance to save. only at petsmart. son: hey mom! wife: what are you doing? what is that? what is this? guy: it's a special paste i invented to replace socks. we're dipping our feet in it. wife: why? guy: because we can't find socks that shape to our feet. we're sick of it! son: sick of it! wife: that's really stupid. guy: that's the future. announcer: hanes makes better-fitting socks the whole family will love. guaranteed, or your money back. i can get a cc for just my signature? that's right, right now you can take home a volkswagen for just your signature. like the cc, or the tiguan. huh. yeah, plus every vw includes scheduled carefree maintenance. really? that's great. there you go. oh, that guy's pretty good too. yeah, he's ok. [ male announcer ] it's amazing what you can do with a pen. sign then drive is back. for a limited time get any 2011 volkswagen for practically just your signature. now mayor and -- maryland he most powerful doppler radar and forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. >> 8:27. how about that, 27 on the thermometer. 28 in east op and mid-20s all across the mid atlantic. wind chill down into the teens. wind are starting to crank up and that's because of the storm really crank off of new england's coast. flying no logan that may impact your travel. and light snow past the southern virginia this morning. we have some we expect clouds to really close back in on the region as winds pick up. 35 the two degree guaranteed high. wind chill will make it feel like the 20s. as we celebrate eclipse the winter solstice, 23 overnight and we are expecting an outlook of 30 for the rest of the week and snow on christmas. >> reporter: still a pretty slow ride southbound on the jfx from the beltway past northern parkway. an earlier accident that has been cleared but we are looking at volume delays right now up in notingham, an injury accident vfg a struck pedestrian with silver spring road closed. a lot of drivers bailing out on white march and southbound 95 at 395 a crash blobbing the right lane slow from the edge of the fort mchenry tunnel and dutton closed. here's charlie with the morning news update. a 3 alarm fire damages a chiropractic office in towson. it took firefighters an hour to put the fire out. the offices of drs adolf and lalkstein. dr. lalkstein is the chiropractor for the orioles. no word on what started the fire. nuns in baltimore are getting their money. this started over that by a by a -- baseball card sold at august for more than $200,000 and the money didn't come and someone in dallas bought it. back to new york. okay. sue me. i am a colombian mother. and i'm not going to let him make a mistake that's going to affect him for the rest of my life. his life. >> there she is. sofia vergara. as soon as she came on the screen with that big smile, everyone around us started to laugh. >> starts laughing. >> she just got a golden globe nomination. we're happy to have her this morning. we say good morning, america. i'm george stephanopoulos. here with elizabeth vargas. >> robin roberts is enjoying the day off this morning. we also have all these great books for holiday gets. what do steve martin and frank sinatra have in common? they're part of our best picks. we'll have all of the top sellers and the top reads this year. >> i read steve martin's novel. >> you liked it. >> and janice agrees. plus, annie lennox was here a little bit ago. she has a new christmas cd. >> i've been playing it a lot. >> it's a terrific album. we're going to hear a little more this morning. and first, we'll check in with sam champion, who is lighting up the holidays at the bellagio hotel. sam, it is gorgeous behind you. >> it is spectacular here. that's one of the reasons we wanted folks to get in the spirit and see the lights. we have a good surprise. terry fator, and his beautiful wife are here this morning. and they wanted to participate in our coat drive, which i thought was just amazing. 12 families will get coats because of what you just did. you have the bellagio in, as well. 64 coats coming in from the bellagio. this is amazing. we're running a little behind on our drive. your being so generous. would you explain to people, maybe why and what it means to you? and why maybe they should jump on? >> absolutely. even if things are a little difficult at home, and it's not the best year that you had, remember th there are people who really need these coats. go out, be generous. get as many as you can afford and help out. that makes you feel good. and it will make a great christmas for somebody. >> it really well. you can walk into any burlington coat factory. we'll show you how to do it online. and donate a coat. thank you, guys. you've been wonderful to us here. and make us feel like we're at home in las vegas. by the way, i wanted to introduce you. terry, you know these folks. they're a local choir from cheyenne high school. it's an empowerment school. start us off with music as we get to the weather. ♪ hear the bells >> it's gorgeous. a quick look at the fly-by today. we'll show you that the east coast has some cold air. the west coast, plenty of rain. that does not shut down until thursday morning, probably. and we do see the opportunity of more moisture coming into that connection, by the time we get to tend of the weekend. middle of the country doing well. we have cold air coming toward ♪ from everywhere filling the air ♪ >> it is the magical choir from cayenne high school. all that weather was brought to you by volkswagen. this is holiday right in the greatest city in the world, vegas, this morning. >> that is just beautiful. thank you, sam. now, to one of our favorites. the heart of "modern family." nominated for a golden globe. here's one reason why. >> you lied. >> what? >> i'm colombian. i know a fake crime scene when i see one. that doesn't make any sense. who wants to leave in a world where dogs eat each other. doggy dog world is a beautiful world where there are pup i byes. >> don't tell her she doesn't have a choice. she'll say, don't give me an ultimatum. >> okay, enough. you try speaking in another language. everybody, out of my house. >> and sofia vergara joins us live now. that was a great scene. >> i know. i felt like my mother. >> you know, you've just answered one of the questions. we've gotten so many e-mail questions. everyone wants to know, how much of gloria and sofia are the same? >> i'm colombian. i kind of have the accent. i also have a kid. i'm an immigrant in this country. there's a lot of similarities. every time, when i first get the script, before i go to the table, and read every week, i think how would my mother react to that? i want to make it very real. i mean, funny. but in a way, i want to make it how a colombian woman would react. >> it is really fun. you did this milk ad, with him. i don't know if we have it here. is he anything like manny? >> he used to be very like a mature, like an old soul. always when he was a little boy, we would be crossing the street, he would say, mom, hold my hand because this is very dangerous. and he would be like 5 years old. he's a little bit like that. but not too much. >> he's grown up now. is he going to be in the business, as well? >> he wants to be an actor. he wants to be a director. he's going to college this fall. we'll see happens. he knows everything about movies, about television. and he used to rehearse with me when i started acting. he would be rehearsing with me, the lines. and he was correcting me. and he thought, with that accent, you're not going to find any job. >> sure enough. you found the perfect job. >> the perfect role. >> it's been great. i know you're taking a christmas holiday here in new york. and it all comes back. we want to show a little bit of a preview of what's coming up. >> i know. you don't have to push me. i don't want to get hurt. >> trust me. i'm not going to hurt you. you're a work of art. if you get scratched, the value goes down. i'm trying to joke to lighten the mood. >> it's not working. >> let's do this. >> slowly. jay, slowly. >> you're not going to fall. put your feet on the pedals. look where you're going. >> i'm falling. >> look straight ahead. go, go. pedal. >> jay. >> what are you ringing the bell for? >> why you let me go, jay? >> pedal. watch where you're going. look where you're going. >> i'll kill you, jay. >> i love it. >> you and ed, i wouldn't necessarily think to put you two together. but it seems like the chemistry came from the start. >> i was so surprised from the beginning. i thought, they're going to hate this character. they're going to think that she's a gold-digger. but now, i understand them completely. they need each other. at different times of their life. and they make the perfect couple because they love each other. >> i don't know if you heard. but we're going to try an experiment here at "gma." we're going to try to find our own "modern family." we will have people tell us what makes them special. what is the secret to your chemistry? >> we were lucky. we were lucky that everybody like each other. everybody loves each other. we're a team. we feel like a family. every time someone gets nominated, we all get happy. we're all one cast. we know that we couldn't, you know, have "modern family" if it wasn't for each of us. not only one of us could do "modern family." we were very lucky. >> we have so many viewer questions. i want to get one from lisa in millford, michigan. she wants to know what's the difference between being famous here and being famous in colombia. you were a star in colombia. what's the difference? >> the dollars. >> a very honest answer. >> you still have to go to premieres, do hair and makeup. you have paparazzi. it's the same. but, you know, you make dollars. >> which gets to our next question. sadie coleman of san antonio, what's the most rewarding aspect of your life? >> this has been one of the best years of my life. my career, i never dreamed of being nominated to anything. i mean, i'm lives the dream for my career. my son behaves very well. so, i can't complain. you know, it's one of those years where everything works out. >> you deserve it. have a great christmas. and a great holiday. we'll see you in the new year. >> gracias. >> "modern family" is wednesday nights at 9:00, 8:00 central. and if you want to be part of our "modern family" search, go to abcnews.com and find out how to apply. coming up, janice kap (greenery) hey cheese log. (cheese log) hello centerpiece. (greenery) fruit cake. how are ya? [fruit cake] dry. (greenery) who's the new guy? edible arrangements bouquets, beautiful like flowers, but unforgettably delicious, visit, call, or go to ediblearrangements.com we are counting down to christmas. just four days away. and we've got books for everyone left on your list. and here to tell us about the best-sellers and the critical favorites is janice kaplan, novelist and contributor to "the daily beast." i love to give and get books. let's start with great fiction choices. >> these are great for everyone. that's the point of all of the books. you don't have to worry too much. you're going to get a smile whoever you give them to. let's start with nora ephron, "i remember nothing." i love that title. >> the reviews were even funny. >> she's terrific. and she manages to be funny about divorce, death and getting older. and she was famous for movies like "when harry met sally." she's hollywood royalty. on the page, she come across as every woman. >> we have "frank," and "cleopatra." >> this is a great creation by james kaplan, no relation. "frank, the voice." >> and you said it was written like a novel. >> it's about his early career. and it reads like a novel. you say, if sinatra didn't exist, he would have to make him up. it's about his legendary rise. his wunderkind endless affairs. his marriage. i put it in the don't miss it category. >> okay. >> same for "cleopatra." i was surprised how much i loved this book. "cleopatra," we think of elizabeth taylor. she comes to life by stacey schiff, the author. we tend to think we made up women politicians. guess what. 48 b.c. she had affairs with marc anthony and caesar. >> she had the only son. >> she did. >> some power with that. we have political books from two presidents. president bush, and president carter. president bush's book is selling well this year. >> it is. i said the books were for everyone. i particularly mean it with these two. it's okay to cross party lines. it's interesting to know what our presidents were thinking. this is bush's first book. it's gotten a lot of attention, about what went into his decisions. the book is "decision points." jimmy carter has written a lot of books. what i like about "white house diary," is it was written when he was at the white house. it's his notes and diary from when he was there. >> you feel like you're in the oval office. now, we're getting to the fiction table. that was the memoir table. >> fiction. let's start with david ball khaki. >> it takes place in washington, like so many others there. and in lafayette park, across the street from the white house, a bomb goes off. and our hero, the former assassin, oliver stone, has to figure out who did it and why. and the interesting thing about baldacci, in previous books, he's come up with things that end up being true. >> you love daniel silva. you say he's one of the smartest writers you've read. >> such great depth. and interesting things he talks about. his hero is interesting. he is in an israeli secret agency in this book. he's also an art restorer. don't know know. it's called the office. in this book, a rembrandt painting goes missing. he has to find who did it. and he gets involved with nazi atrocities. >> and for the first time in many years, a new tom clancy novel. >> sort of the dean of this genre. >> i loved them. >> this book is co-written with grant blackwood. jack ryan jr. in this book. the legacy lives on. they search for a terrorist. >> and a favorite of george's, steve martin's novel, "an object of beauty." >> how talented is this man? he's a comic. he's a movie star. he plays the banjo. this is set in the new york art world. a young woman comes to new york and gets a job at sotheby's. goes on to run an art gallery. what i love about the book, in addition to the interesting plot, is there's pictures in it. you don't get adult books with pictures. there's pictures of the paintings. >> a great box sets. "the girl with the dragon tattoo," and i read all three of these. a great read. also, harry potter. a fantastic gift, as well. >> and the penguin classics. they have a bunch of different classics. "christmas carol." "little women." i heard that decorators are picking them by the color. >> janice kaplan, thank you very much. you can get details about all of the books at abcnews.com/gma. you can also find suggestions for last-minute shopping deals for every budget with our holiday shopping guide. coming up next, a christmas classic from annie lennox. annie lennox was with us not too long ago. and she left us a special gift under the "gma" tree. a holiday classic from hur new cd, "a christmas cornucopia." here she is performing, "god rest ye merry gentlemen." ♪ got rest yes merry gentlemen ♪ that jesus christ was or savior was born on christmas day ♪ ♪ to save our soul from when we were led astray ♪ ♪ glad tidings of comfort and joy ♪ ♪ glad tidings of comfort and joy ♪ ♪ in bethlehem in israel this blessed babe was born ♪ ♪ and laid within a manger upon this blessed morn ♪ ♪ to which his mother mary did nothing take in scorn ♪ ♪ o tidings of comfort and joy comfort and joy ♪ ♪ o tidings of comfort and joy ♪ from god our heavenly father a blessed angel came ♪ ♪ and unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same ♪ ♪ how that in bethlehem was born the son of god by name ♪ ♪ o tidings of comfort and joy comfort and joy ♪ ♪ o tidings of comfort and joy ♪ fear not then said the angel let nothing you afright ♪ ♪ this day is born a savior of a pure virgin bright ♪ ♪ to free all those who trust in him ♪ ♪ from satan's power and might o tidings of comfort and joy ♪ ♪ comfort and joy o tidings of comfort and joy ♪ ♪ now to the lord sing praises all you within this place ♪ ♪ and with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace ♪ ♪ this holy tide of christmas all other doth deface ♪ ♪ o tidings of comfort and joy comfort and joy ♪ ♪ o tidings of comfort and j joy ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] (vet) i love working with animals, 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. ♪ [ male announcer ] we touch a lot of things throughout the day. so it's nice that clorox disinfecting products help kill the germs that can live on surfaces for up to 48 hours. ♪ feels sweet when i can touch you ♪ our three words right now, thank you, sam. there he is, saying good-bye to las vegas. he's on his way to chicago tomorrow. >> tomorrow, josh groban here. a special christmas performance. >> big day. see you then. from now, maryland's most powerful radar and forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. good morning. 8:56. and while we are dealing with some sun it's a slow climb in the thermostat. 29 in east op and back on this side the bay, 29 in laurel. 25 in westminster. we shift focus to new england. they are getting hit with hefty snows boston up through maine and we have some clearing but the winds increasing around that system. and also an upper level system providing clouds to the west and eventually both close in and we will lose the clear skies partly cloudy and the breeze picks up 10 to 20 miles per hour 35 will feel like the mid-20s and we will drop back down into the low to mid-20s overmight winter begins at 6:38 in the evening. more on that potential christmas snowstorm coming up on "good morning, maryland "i at nine. now the final check on traffic with kim. >> reporter: right now we are looking at very slow volume as you head southbound on the jfx. it's going to be a pretty slow ride from the beltway toward northern parkway. beltway look good. earlier accident on outer loop at liberty road cleared off to the shoulder. check maps, earlier crash up in knotting -- notingham has been reopened near perry hall boulevard. dutton avenue close between frederick road and edmonton and an accident -- coix me that has another road closed excuse me between 175 and approaching route 32. and we have a water main issue southbound york road as you approach dutton avenue expect closures there. stay with us, "good morning, maryland" is back at nine.