died at the age of 85, just one year after retiring from nearly 50 years of bringing big bird and oscar the grouch to life. those are some of our top stories on this monday, december 9th. good morning, everyone. great to have toni in from espn. >> hey! we do begin this half hour with democrats wasting no time setting the stage to unveil articles of impeachment against president trump this week. >> another public hearing is getting under way today to lay out the case for removing the president from office. the president is crying foul tweeting quote no president in american history has been treated like this. abc's david wright has more. >> reporter: on the eve of historic impeachment hearings, congress has been burning the midnight oil. >> we have to act now, you can't wait for the next election because he's trying to interfere with the next election. >> reporter: the house judiciary committee is now charged with drafting specific grounds to remove president trump. >> the president leaves us no choice. >> reporter: describing impeachment as the constitution's final answer to a president who mistakes himself for a monarch, they plan to present evidence trump acted in a way that betrays our national security and corrupts our elections using a foreign power. they also say the ukraine episode is part of a repeated pattern. >> nobody wants to, you know, put the kitchen sink, as you called it, into these articles. we are very clear we need to be focused. >> reporter: democrats hope to vote on articles of impeachment as early as this coming week. >> we have a very rock-solid case. i think the case we have, if presented to a jury, would be a guilty verdict in about three minutes flat. >> reporter: the president's allies have been working out how they plan to push back. >> i don't see a single republican defecting. they've looked at the facts, they know where we are on this. >> reporter: while house republicans have accused the democrats of moving too fast, trump wants to fast forward to a senate trial where his party sets the rules. his personal lawyer spent last week in ukraine, to the discomfort of some republicans. but president trump says he's fine with it. >> he has not told me what he's found. but i think he wants to go before congress and say, and also to the attorney general, and to the department of justice, i hear he's found plenty. >> it is weird that he's over there. i believe that the president urging mayor giuliani to provide that clarity to the congress will be helpful in resolving what seems to be odd having him over there at this time. >> reporter: monday's hearing is expected to begin with a recap of the evidence so far from the intelligence committee hearings. and while this process is on a fast track, democrats have not yet reached a consensus, we're told, on what the specific articles of impeachment should be. that said, they are hoping to clarify that by the end of the week, and they hope to put on it a vote to the full house before christmas. david wright, abc news, the white house. >> for complete coverage of today's impeachment hearing, abc news will be live from capitol hill srting at 9:00 a.m. eastern. the race for 2020, senator elizabeth warren has revealed that she was paid nearly $2 million for past legal work dating back to the 1980s. warren's disclosure comes amid a feud with fellow democratic candidate pete buttigieg whom she criticized for holding closed-door fund-raisers. as a senate impeachment trial looms, several candidates may soon have to leave the campaign trail to head back to washington. here's abc's rachel scott. >> reporter: in this critical stretch of the primary, the iowa caucuses less than two months away, an all-consuming impeachment trial could not come at a worse time for the five senators still in the race. now bracing to split their time between the capitol and the trail. >> i have a great husband, a great daughter, they'll be out there campaigning for me. >> i'm going to do my job. of course it's going to present challenges with the campaign, but that's my priority. i trust iowa. >> reporter: here in iowa, mayor pete buttigieg riding a wave of momentum, drawing large crowds during his weekend blitz. at his last stop, nearly 2,000 files in. >> first of all we got to win, no question about that. >> reporter: his rivals zeroing in saying buttigieg is heading behind closed-door fund-raisers and shielding his work at mckenzie, a top consulting firm. >> he should open up his fund-raisers, he should release bundling for him, he should make clear who's on his finance team. >> reporter: what do you say to voters who are concerned about the transparency of your campaign? >> well, i'd say that we are leading in many ways on this, including making sure i put out the tax records covering my entire time in the private sector. >> reporter: many undecided caucusgoers have other worries like jobs in their hometown, and say democrats could have a hard time going head to head with president trump on the economy. >> i think the economy's doing well, although i think there are issues out there, first of all, businesses. >> a strong jobs report came out last week. >> i see it, but i don't see it around here. >> reporter: the qualifying deadline for the next debate is days away as the field narrows. three candidates dropped out of the race this week, 15 are still in but only six so far have qualified for that next debate. rachel scott, abc news, cedar rapids. now to that breaking news. at least one person is known dead after a volcano eruption in new zealand. >> officials warn the numbers are likely to rise because some tourists are missing. white island is a popular tourist destination. some of the missing tourists may have been passengers from a cruise that left from sydney. investigators are focusing on a motive as they probe the deadly shooting at a florida navy base. >> they are trying to determine if the saudi airman acted alone. saudi authorities are reportedly investigating whether he was radicalized during a trip back to the kingdom late last year. three people died and eight others injured when the suspect open ed fire in a classroom friday morning. the suspect was killed by a sheriff's deputy. 23-year-old joshua watson, 19-year-old mohammad haitham, 21-year-old cameron walters. died during the rampage, all of them just beginning their navy careers. >> they were honored during a solemn procession. two of the victims were praised for confronting the gunman, florida's governor saying they ran to danger trying to save others. fans are remembering a television legend who brought joy, so much joy to generations of children. >> caroll spinney, the "sesame street" puppeteer behind big bird and oscar the grouch has passed away at the age of 85, and this morning we're hearing the words once again from the legend himself on not being considered a household name. here's abc's trevor ault. >> a? >> 9. >> what's next? >> 10! >> oh, of course. >> reporter: he taught generations of children to count, to laugh and to love. puppeteer caroll spinney spent close to 50 years of sunny days on "sesame street," bringing two of the show's most iconic characters to life. >> listen, it's fun to be a grouch. >> reporter: the crotchety but charming oscar the grouch inspired by a new york city taxi driver. >> you're not a bird, i'm a bird. birds are big. >> reporter: his greatest joy, the kind-hearted yellow bird loved the world over. >> i'm not particularly a household name, which is fine, big bird is. >> reporter: hired by jim henson in 1969, spinney ultimately stepped away from the roles he'd held half his life in 2018. his legendary career celebrated in a film "i am big bird." spinney died sunday at age 85. sesame workshop saying he gave something truly special to the world. >> it's probably a little bit better a place than if he, big bird, hadn't been there and had his suffering and his joy. >> reporter: sesame workshops says caroll spinney was an artistic genius who shaped the show through five decades and his legacy will be unending. trevor ault, abc news, new york. >> quite a legacy, thank you, trevor. and talk about timing, "sesame street" was among this year's recipients at the annual kennedy center honors ceremony. >> the night even included big bird who is now portrayed by matt vogel. "sesame street" is the first tv show to receive a kennedy center honor. other recipients include actress sally field. >> great, great artists there in acting and music. and again, with "sesame street," the cofounder of "sesame street" accepted the honor on behalf of the show. the night ended with a backstage performing eawf's "september." earth, wind, and fire. i will admit it took me a quick second. is it e, f -- okay. >> there we go. >> just like "sesame street," me sounding it out, taking my time. the lessons of "sesame street," big bird, again, your legacy just lives on there. >> all right. coming up, we've got the controversial nativity scene in los angeles. and the great christmas tree controversy that's playing out in the state capitol in rhode island. and later -- >> the giz wiz with unique holiday gifts. interactive pets for seniors. a lantern that doubles as a mini fireplace. a party light for your phone. upbeat music♪ no cover-up spray here. cheaper aerosols can cover up odors in a flowery fog. but febreze air effects eliminates odors. with a 100% natural propellent. it leaves behind a pleasant scent you'll love. [ deep inhale] freshen up. don't cover up. febreze. we're back with this we're back with this horrifying video from alabama. two tuscaloosa county deputies being dragged by a truck. they were trying to arrest one of the county's most wanted suspects. the suspect hit the gas but soon ran off the road and crashed into a tree. he was taken into custody. both those deputies are expected to be okay. a california man caught on video apparently torching a police vehicle near los angeles. >> the video released by the hawthorne police department shows someone dousing the suv with a liquid, then setting it on fire. luckily no one was inside that cruiser, which was of course a total loss. the suspect was arrested and is expected in court today. a nativity scene display by a methodist church is stirring up controversy. it's been put on display in clairmont 30 miles east of los angeles. it shows jesus, mary, and joseph as refugees in cages. the pastor says the holy family is standing in for families separated at the border by administration policies. she says her church often uses nativity scenes to address social issues. and another christmas controversy is unfolding here on the east coast. >> it's happening at the state capitol in rhode island. it's a debate that's as old as the hills. real tree versus fake tree? here's our janai norman. >> three, two, one -- >> reporter: uproar around the rhode island statehouse days after the governor revealed the state's first-ever artificial christmas tree. the spruce lighting up quite the debate. some residents say the faux fir simply is an imposter, especially local tree farmers. >> the scale that's going on in the statehouse right now is absurd. >> reporter: for years farmers have donated trees to the statehouse. >> it's ridiculous. the governor bought a fake artificial tree for $6,500. >> reporter: but the governor says fire safety was behind this year's yuletide decision. >> just a practical decision to keep it beautiful and keep us safe through the whole holiday decision. >> reporter: the decision practically splitting the state in two. real versus fake. >> i would say to all the people seeing this show today, go out there and support your local farmers. >> they don't want no faux firs in here. >> our thanks to janai for the report. wow, would you do real or fake? >> i don't think that it matters that much? but i understand why everybody's angry on both sides, how about that. >> there is a point to each, so we get it. >> state officials are taking a lot of heat for this, but in the past statehouse trees died of dehydration or lost massive amounts of needles, they need to be taken care of, watered, all these things. >> and a fake one lasts forever. >> that's true. coming up, holiday gift gadgets. try clean freak! it has three times the cleaning power of the leading spray to dissolve kitchen grease on contact. and it's great for bathrooms! just keep pumping the power nozzle to release a continuous burst of mist and make quick work of big jobs. it even works on stainless steel. it cuts through 100% of dirt, grease and grime. available with easy-to-swap refills. to get three times the cleaning power, try clean freak from mr. clean. we are now we are now down to just 16 shopping days until christmas. and if you're still looking for some shocking stuffers, the giz wiz's dick debartolo is here with his favorite holiday gadgets for those on your nice list. so, dick, you're really santa's favorite little helper, i see. you brought some friends. >> i did. these are interesting, it's from a company called joy for all. they're called companion pets for seniors. so seniors who would like a pet, they're going crazy here. but can't -- you know, not even afford one or take care of one. >> i'm not typically a cat person. >> i know -- >> but this little guy right here. >> if you hold it, he will do the kneading action. >> oh, he's purring. >> he's purring, he's kneading. the cat they told me does whatever he wants, like real -- >> just like any regular cat, got it, real life. >> joy for all -- yeah, yeah, okay, buddy. >> what else we got? >> oh, this is really neat. this could be a regular lantern here. but this is the fun part. so you're in the backyard. you're all around the table. you want some light at night. >> whoa! >> now it's late at night and you thought, wouldn't it be nice if we had a fire to sit around? >> oho! dick bringing the magic there. >> isn't that neat? this thing is like -- it's about 13 bucks. >> that's it, $13? >> yeah, it's really great. all right, so party time, all right? >> let's party, it's the holidays. you don't need to bring in a lot of equipment. all you need is your party l.e.d. light. >> there it is. >> it dances to the music. it moves with your voice. three adapters for iphone, usbc, usb micro. >> so, does it drain your batteries? >> it's three l.e.d.s, it's going to be really low key. plug it into an external battery charger or your computer. >> keep that light on. >> your own shirt? >> chalk of the town. these are shirts with a little blackboard area. you can make whatever you want. here my logo. it doesn't smudge. when you're tired of it, take a wet cloth -- >> wipe it right off? >> to the black. now in november, just a month ago, they introduced chalk of the town badges. here's a giz wiz badge. >> thanks, appreciate it. >> this is what they look like. they're blank, they come with two markers. stick them on the back. if you want you can sew them on. same thing. when you get tired of it, you can erase them and put something new on it. >> i'm afraid of this one here. it's still making noise here, i'm going to move you over here, get over there. >> i was telling someone about my new clock. i can tell it to play music. do you have a clock that just tells time and wakes me up? this is from sharp. it's a quartz clock. it should keep accurate time. but in the back here, i'm going to -- [ ringing ] so that will really wake you up. >> wake up, insomniacs, wake up. >> there's one little modern feature, a button back here, it's hard to see here. i'll show it to you. when you push that, there's an l.e.d. that shines across the entire face of the clock. >> well, that's pretty cool. this is much different than the one i had is a kid that used to wake me up for school, nightmare. >> this is 10 bucks. very inexpensive gifts. these are great, i love them all. let me get my kitty back here. >> notice how these two get along? >> they really do. >> they love each other. >> that's a first. for these and other holiday gadgets check out dick's website, giz wiz.biz, or wnnfans.com. dick debartolo, thanks for joining us and bringing these guys. happy final shopping days, everyone. >> bye! >> you're watching "world news now." for your worst sore throat pain, try vicks vapocool drops. hd 5. upbeat music♪ no cover-up spray here. cheaper aerosols can cover up odors in a flowery fog. but febreze air effects eliminates odors. with a 100% natural propellent. it leaves behind a pleasant scent you'll love. [ deep inhale] freshen up. don't cover up. febreze. ♪ fresh photos no man on the minnesota vikings ♪ ♪ true person need something more exciting ♪ ♪ i'ma hit you back in a minute ♪ >> all right, all right. >> that wasn't the next words but it was the words in my head. >> i like it though. the truth may hurt for lizzo but her hit song is bringing plenty of joy for a class in san jose, california. >> will ganss is here to tell us all about it. will. you're ready to tell us all about it. >> that's exactly right. as the class found out in person, lizzo took a dna test, turns out she's 100% responsible for the best field trip ever. ♪ check my name baby how you feeling ♪ >> reporter: thanks to lizzo some elementary school students are feeling pretty good themselves. miss dorothy's second great class in pittsburgh making the cross-country trip to see lizzo in concert in san jose. ♪ i'ma hit back in a minute the teacher singing miss lizzo's praises. >> wanting to go to her, look in her eyes, say thank you, thank you. you don't know how many of us are watching you, and these kids, how much she's having an impact on us. >> reporter: last month the pittsburgh unified school district posting a video to facebook with the class singing their own version of "truth hurts." of course the lyrics were changed to be a bit more kid friendly. ♪ kids describing their 15 minutes of fame. >> scary. >> exciting. >> reporter: nothing more exciting than when "gma" connected the students and their favorite singer. >> we're only little but it's kind of cool. >> reporter: the kids' version of the song focusing on the importance of education, echoing lizzo's themes of self-empowerment. miss malari said she's touched the group is making a difference. >> she's got so many lessons to teach us and that's what people don't understand, this is why i love teaching. i learn so much more than they can ever learn from me. >> yes, we love our teachers. miss malari also shared a video of her kids singing an 'n sync song, so i'll let you know if that group reunites and invites the kids to their reunion show. >> do you want to go to that as well? you wanted to go to this one, you would have been fine with lizzo and the kids. you mentioned the message there? >> amazing. celebrate your individuality. >> and she definitely does, she definitely does. thank you so much. turn it up, everybody. ♪ lizzo in the morning. never hurt nobody. come on. here we go. bring will back in! take us to break. there we go, take it on, will. have a dance party here in the morning. >> you can dance too. >> they don't do this at espn, right? >> no, we don't. this morning on "world news now," new details on the pensacola naval base rampage. >> investigators say the gunman who shot and killed three sa this morning on "world news now," new details on the pensacola naval base rampage. >> investigators say the gunman who shot and killed three sailors may have watched mass shooter videos before the attack. they want to know if he had help and how a saudi national was able to legally purchase a gun. the next impeachment hearings are just hours away, democrats are set to highlight the evidence they say president trump should be removed from office. a self-driving car slammed into the back of a trooper, the driver facing charges. and the world knows his work but few people know his face. the man behind big bird passed away over the weekend. this morning we take a special look back. when the voice of big bird made an appearance right here on "world news now." it's monday, december 9th. good morning, everyone. do not adjust your screens, this is not "sportscenter" on espn. >> no, no. >> in the house right now, filling in, in the coanchor seat, is toni collins, everyone. >> gracias, gracias. >> toni collins! that's not your whole name, i tried to say it earlier. >> say it, say it. >> antonietta collins. >> people call me toni, you guys are my friends. >> i will be calling her toni. >> kenneth. >> yes, that is right, yes. if you know toni collins, you know her because she is everything on espn, doing "sportscenter." tell the people about you. >> yeah, i work for espn. now a confession to make. i'm an insomniac. i got to watch you and janai. now i got to be part of the family and i'm excited for a day, thank you. >> you are so welcome, she is an insomniac now, she is here, we are so happy. from espn to -- again, it helps to have people who know sports because we know nothing. >> then you teach me everything too, so it's a give and take. >> definitely, we're going to have fun this morning. but we do have some news to get to. let's begin this half hour with the investigation of a deadly rampage at the pensacola naval air station and the possible link to terrorism. >> investigators are trying to determine if the gunman acted alone and watched mass shooting videos before the attack. the suspect was a saudi air force trainee, was reportedly upset with an instructor for giving him a derogatory nickname. the three victims killed in the attack have now been identified. authorities say the men saved lives by confronting the gunman. >> ensign joshua watson was shot five times but crawled out of the classroom building. he was able to describe the gunman and his location to authorities. eight others were injured in this attack. abc's stephanie ramos has more from pensacola. >> reporter: the deadly attack at the naval air station in pensacola now a terror investigation. hundreds of federal agents working around the clock to determine if gunman mohammad alshamrani had help in carrying out his shooting spree. >> our main goal right now is to confirm whether he acted alone, or was he a part of a larger network? >> reporter: authorities say the gunman's saudi classmates are being kept on the base and cooperating with questioning. alshamrani, a member of the saudi air force, in pensacola as part of a pilot training program. military bases now on alert, but authorities emphasizing there's no known danger. >> the community is safe and there's not any sort of immediate direct threat of any additional terrorist acts at this time. >> reporter: officials tracing the gunman's footsteps claiming he and several classmates made a recent sightseeing trip to new york city. sources now telling abc news they're investigating classmates' claims that alshamrani watched videos of mass shootings in front of friends at his home days before the carnage. they believe it served as a way of psyching himself up. >> members of the fbi's joint terrorism task force are working tirelessly to discern if any possible ideology that may have been a factor in this attack. >> reporter: the fbi now poring through surveillance images and cell phone video recorded by someone nearby directly after his deadly rampage. >> the gun weapon that was a .45 glock 9 millimeter that has been confirmed, he did purchase it legally and lawfully. >> reporter: a solemn procession mourning the loss of three sailors. 23-year-old joshua watson, who aspired to be a jet pilot. mohammad haitham, whose father called an exceptional kid. 21-year-old cameron walters, a navy aviation student. the two officers wounded after heroically confronting the gunman are recovering. >> the deputies that you're talking about, they went in there to neutralize this, this evil, if you will, and were able to save countless lives. >> reporter: normally non-u.s. citizens cannot legally obtain a gun, however, there is an exception under federal law that allows an official representative from a friendly foreign government, like saudi arabia, to obtain one. stephanie ramos, abc news, pensacola, florida. >> thank you, stephanie. now we're going to turn to capitol hill where the next impeachment hearing is set for today with house democrats poised to present their case for removing president trump from office. >> democrats worked through the weekend as they prepare to lay out evidence showing the president betrayed national security using a foreign power and say the ukraine scandal is part of a repeated pattern. the president has refused to take part in the process and republicans are standing firmly behind him. a committee vote on articles of impeachment is expected this week. stay with abc news for today's live coverage beginning at 9:00 eastern. the justice department's internal report on the origins of the russia investigation is coming out today. the inspector general reportedly found the fbi had adequate basis for opening the probe. a rejection of president trump's claim that it was a witch hunt. but the report is also expected to document errors by investigators. the attorney general is overseeing a similar but separate criminal investigation. police are on special alert in hong kong amid calls for a general strike. overnight protesters wrapped up the largest demonstration in months with a sea of lights, flashes from their cell phones. the demonstration marked six months since the pro-democracy protests began. the march was largely peaceful with few reports of violence. the california man accused of planning a mass shooting is due in court today. investigators say steve homoki filmed and posted chilling videos on youtube in which he appeared to be rehearsing a terror attack. the videos show the man pointing assault weapons at people from a hotel window in downtown san diego. he told a local station this was an art project and he did not wish to cause harm. heavy rain caused major flooding in downtown san francisco. this scene in the city was described as lake market street. residents dealt with flooded homes in other neighborhoods. the heavy snow that fell in the northern rockies is moving into the upper plains in time for the morning commute. accuweather's adam del rosso has the details. adam, good morning. >> kenneth, good monday morning. we're watching this powerful storm make its way into the great lakes. on the back side of it, cold and snowy for the upper midwest. ahead of it across the northeast, warmer but wet. by the end of the day tomorrow, widespread, 1 to 2 inches of rainfall. snow accumulations central to north dakota into the u.p. of michigan, 6 to 12 inches expected. behind this storm lots of colder air. snowing into the northern tier of the nation and into the northeast by the time we head into the middle of the week. we're going from near 50 in chicago today to highs only in the upper 20s by tomorrow. kenneth, toni? >> adam, thank you. the world's most famous piece of fruit turned into a meal at a florida art gallery. >> yep, a banana duct taped to a wall at an art bassil was seen in the final day of the exhibit. a performance artist grabbed it, ate it, and bragged about it, on instagram, he posted "art performance by me, i really love this installation, it's very delicious." >> very delicious. it was sold three times at art basil miami for $120,000 to $150,000 each. he took it right off the wall and was like, yummers. >> let me tell you, if it would have been jalapeno, different story, right? >> that would be very good as well that would be some art right there as the tears came streaming down his face. again, on friday when i saw this whole art, i called it -- >> i love the quotations. >> b-a-n-a-n-a-s. that is crazy. but that's art. and he just took it off the wall and ate it, there you go. coming up, remembering the man and the legend behind big bird. but first, another crash for a tesla in autopilot mode, the driver slamming right into the patrol car of a state trooper. plus caught on camera, what triggered this massive cliff collapse. se. want to freshen your home ♪ without using heavy, overwhelming scents? try febreze one; it eliminates odors with no heavy perfumes, so you can feel good about using it in your home. for a light, natural-smelling freshness, try febreze one. ordinary tissues burn when theo blows. so dad bought puffs plus lotion, and rescued his nose. new puffs have more lotion... and soothing softness to relieve. a nose in need, deserves puffs, indeed. days of intense rain took their toll on a cliff on new zealand's south island. a large chunk collapsed into the river triggering a large wave that swept downstream. no injuries are reported but some residents have evacuated because of the danger of other landslides and flooding. firefighters in australia's now south wales are preparing for another tough week. >> temperatures are soaring there and conditions are expected to be even worse tomorrow. nearly 90 fires are burning and about half of them are uncontained. >> at least six people have died and 700 homes have been destroyed since the fires began. a skier is dead after an avalanche in colorado. >> investigators say a 29-year-old woman was buried under 2 to 3 feet of snow on a mountain about 70 miles north of denver near cameron pass. the death is the first caused by an avalanche in colorado this season. turning now to the new trouble for tesla. >> a fresh round of questions are being raised this morning after the crash of yet another tesla model that police say was driving in autopilot mode. police say the driver behind the wheel of this 2018 tesla model 3 driving down i-95 in norwalk, connecticut, claims his car was on autopilot as he checked on his dog in the back seat. that's when he collided into a police cruiser parked on the side of the highway, then rammed into a disabled vehicle. >> it's not designed for you to look into the back of your car and check on your dog or your child or read a text. you have to keep your hands on the wheel. >> reporter: but this isn't the first time tesla's autopilot feature allegedly failed. last year the driver of a tesla died in a highway crash. that car was also reportedly in self-driving mode when the vehicle slammed into a highway barrier. >> it's not self-driving, it's not a robot car, we're not there quite yet. >> reporter: earlier this year in russia a tesla model 3 on autopilot mode driving more than 60 miles per hour crashed into a parked tow truck along the highway before erupting into a fireball. abc news has reached out to tesla for comment but the company has not responded. after other incidents, tesla has said autopilot mode is not a self-driving system saying it's quote an advanced driver assistance system that enhances safety and convenience behind the wheel. again that expert, he said look, this is not a self-driving car, it's not a robot car. we're not there yet. the technology's not there yet. but people really believe we're there. because they are taking their hands off the wheels, getting into back seats. it's pretty scary when you think that people just are driving down the road without being behind the wheel or having full control. >> it is crazy to think that we're giving machines that much control that they maybe don't deserve. >> right. you know what you don't deserve it. >> machines, you don't. >> you don't deserve that expensive car. it's not that expensive, how much are these teslas, guys, jack? mark? they're not that expensive, then. they can be as much as $75,000? so that's the range there. but the self-driving mode there, got to be careful. coming up next half hour, take two. it appears that the stars were knocked out of alignment once again for miss universe and steve harvey. what the host got wrong this year and what the mistake is being blamed on. but first, remembering the man who brought big bird and oscar the grouch to life with our own polka guy, barry mitchell. mitchell. mitchell. that's next on "world news now." ♪ ♪ i love that music. and of course we do have some sad news to report out of the world of "sesame street." he was one of the pioneers of "sesame street." caroll spinney, the puppeteer behind two of the show's most beloved characters, big bird and oscar the grouch, has died at the age of 85. >> spinney passed away at his home in connecticut after battling dystonia. a movement disorder. we're looking back as our own barry mitchell caught up with spinney here in new york at the bronx zoo. ♪ sunny day sleeping the clouds away ♪ ♪ on my way to where the air is sweet ♪ >> hello, say, how you doing, cousin? hey, how's the bird seed? maybe i'd like to live here. we're at the bronx zoo with some big birds and the real big bird. you'll get your copy later. the original big bird from "sesame street," caroll spinney. nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> i can't wait to read your book! "the wisdom of big bird." how many years you been doing big bird? you're the original big bird. >> 34 years, since "sesame street" started. >> hello, big bird. >> he was a different kind of character. he wasn't a child, he was kind of a goofy guy. hello! he had no feathers above the top of his eyes. so he didn't look there was room for much of a brain. >> kind of like this. i've got a big talent here, guys. watch yourself. every kid in america is going to be crying if you peck at big bird. >> they always go for the eyes. >> am i safe from the ostriches? boy, you never know what you're going to find here at the bronx zoo. >> hey, this is my tree, barry. >> hey, oscar the grouch! ♪ i love trash >> caroll, not only big bird, you're also oscar the grouch. >> he is? oh gosh, you're right. yeah, i am. >> how did you come up with the voice? >> well, funny. i was -- it was down to the last minute, just before the first -- the show went on the air, back in november of 1969. we were getting ready to do it. i still hadn't come up with a voice for oscar. so i got in the cab to go across town and meet jim at "sesame street." >> jim henson. >> jim henson. i got in the cab. the taxi driver looked around at me and said, where to, mack? and i said, hey, there's a voice. >> flying me all the way to the moon in his spaceship. ♪ fly me to the moon >> at what point did you know that big bird had entered the american consciousness? >> well, i think it was funny, a subtle little thing. i was all by myself, a little bookstore that's no longer there on broadway. we were on 81st street then, just right close to it. >> in manhattan. >> in manhattan. there was a little rack with golden books. i took one off to look at it. i looked at the back. it said, other little golden books you might like. to make the page pretty, they had a little list. there was musical notes going all around it. mickey and minnie, donald and daisy, bugs bunny, yosemite sam -- >> in a moment, in a moment. >> big bird and oscar. i'd watched these as a child, and suddenly i was amongst them. >> you're amongst them now, and they're looking hungry. caroll, what is the wisdom of big bird? >> well, i found that i had a lot of dreams as a child. big bird or being big bird or something like him on a children's show was my dream. i think it's pretty much, if you believe in your dreams and stick with your dreams and do something to make it happen, you see a lot of your dreams come true. there's a lot of other stories in there too, barry. >> it's a book for adults. >> there's some of them quite funny, i'm told. i think it's a fun book. >> you're about to be attacked by one of your brethren. >> gee, you're tall. >> listen to this. ♪ sing sing a song sing out loud sing out strong ♪ >> hey, barry, you sing really well. >> thank you, oscar. >> yeah, cause i love trash, ha ha ♪ >> thanks to barry mitchell. incredible, big bird being attacked by big birds, right? >> i'm surprised how calm they were, all those ostriches. >> very calm. mr. spinney was asked about his legacy, he said big bird, he hadn't been there, it wouldn't have been a better world. it was a better world because of the work by mr. spinney there. "the mix" is next. upbeat music♪ no cover-up spray here. cheaper aerosols can cover up odors in a flowery fog. but febreze air effects eliminates odors. with a 100% natural propellent. it leaves behind a pleasant scent you'll love. [ deep inhale] freshen up. don't cover up. febreze. a lot of folks ask me why their dishwasher doesn't get everything clean. i tell them, it may be your detergent... that's why more dishwasher brands recommend cascade platinum... ...with the soaking, scrubbing and rinsing built right in. for sparkling-clean dishes, the first time. cascade platinum. ♪ time for "the mix" with toni collins, her first "mix" here. we're so happy to have you. our sister network espn, so nice to loan us toni collins. >> you were so nice to let me come in the building. >> you're welcome any time. yes, we're all paid by the mouse, espn. abc. >> we're all related. >> conditionn >> disney. okay. christmas trees. it's christmas time, people are paying for these trees. how much you think these trees are going for, $20, right? here in new york city everything is marked up by a lot. apparently there's a $6,500 christmas tree that people are buying in soho. >> you said people are buying this? >> yeah, no, manhattan vendor soho trees are putting out there, the city's most expensive tannenbaum, $6,500 for a 20-foot fraser fir. >> whoo, does it have gold in it? >> that price, apparently, the same as three louis vuitton bags. either get the bags or this tree you're going to have a couple of weeks before you throw it out on the curb. people keep it up until the middle of january. >> do you? >> no, i do not. >> another cool thing, a rare coin, yep, from 44 to 42 b.c., was put in the salvation army kettles in tampa. this precious piece of metal, guess how much it's worth? $2,000. >> whoa. >> yep. but the cool thing was the thracian kings gold coin -- sounds fancy. >> really does. >> they used to use it, the romans used to use it in exchange. >> three of those coins would get you a soho christmas tree. that's pretty cool. >> and one louis vuitton bag. >> three of those as well. how about -- my math right? my math is right. how about this, a christmas dog photo shoot. juxtaposition, they're calling it here. this twitter user says, took my dogs to take their yearly christmas photo, it's really hard when you have one super photogenic dog and one dog having an existential crisis. >> hi, baby, see? >> aww, so cute. >> i feel that's how most family portraits are too, that one kid that always -- >> oh, that's very true. were you that one kid? >> yes. >> i love it, i love it, i love it. >> we have one more or no? >> yeah, let's do it. >> let's do it. santa's brave, my friends. the rain in glasgow, charity run, thousands of runners brave wind and rain. would you do that? >> no. that reminds me of santa-con that happens around here. >> are you excited? have you ever done it? >> no, it's too much. >> wait, the cool thing about this is they have raised this morning on "world news now", breaking news. a deadly eruption of a volcano popular with tourists. people were seen walking near the volcano in new zealand moments before eruption of ash and steam. the latest on the search for victims. as this morning, the deadly naval base rampage being investigated as a possible act of terrorism as communities come together to mourn the three sailors lost in the shooting. investigators are looking into whether the gunman had help in the attack. new this half hour, a scorpion stinging a woman on a plane. also remembering the puppeteer behind the iconic big bird. we'll see how caroll spinney made the famous costume come to life. another miss from miss universe and steve harvey. see the new gaffe from the host at this year's pageant and what he's blaming it on. plus the winner making history on this monday, november 9th. good morning, everyone. happy monday. and we have toni collins from espn filling in for janai norman. >> so you know a lot about sports. >> i do. >> i know nothing about sports. >> that's why we're here, baby. >> you also know spanish. >> mucho. >> i'm afraid to tell you i studied spanish for eight years in school and i'm afraid you might try to test me, that's why i was afraid to tell you that. it is great to have you. we do have to get to that breaking news, a deadly volcano eruption in new zealand. at least one person is dead after a volcano erupted on an island popular with tourists. officials warn that the number is likely to rise. dozens of people were in the vicinity on white island when the eruption occurred. >> tourists were seen walking inside and near the crater moments before. officials say it's too dangerous to search for the missing and some of them may have been passengers from a royal caribbean cruise that had left from sydney, australia. >> the prime minister says she is traveling to the region. we'll continue to monitor this breaking news story. we'll have the latest on "good morning america." next to that deadly naval base attack in pensacola, florida. >> investigators are retracing the suspect's steps as they try to determine if the saudi airman had help planning the attack. he and several classmates recently made a sight seeing trip to new york city. >> we're also learning more about the three young lives lost when the gunman opened fire. two died confronting the suspect and saving lives. the youngest victim was just 19 years old. abc's trevor ault has more. >> reporter: hundreds of federal agents continue to investigate friday's deadly shooting at naval air station pensacola which the fbi now presumes was an act of terror. >> i know that the community is safe and there's not any sort of immediate direct threat of any additional terrorist acts at this time. >> reporter: the suspected shooter, mohammed alshamrani, a second lieutenant in the royal saudi air force was in the u.s. as part of a pilot training program. >> you have foreign military personnel coming to our base. they should not be doing that if they hate our country. >> reporter: the saudi classmates are being kept on base and are cooperating with questioning. sources are telling abc news that investigators are looking into claims by alshamrani's classmates that he watched mass shooting videos at his home days before the attack. >> members of the fbi's joint terrorism task force are working tirelessly to discern if any possible ideology that may have been a factor in this attack. >> reporter: the fbi's now carefully reviewing surveillance images and cell phone video taken immediately after the rampage as families mourn the loss of three young lives. 23-year-old ensign joshua watson, 19-year-old airman mohammad samai haitham, 21-year-old cameron walters. members of the community lining up to pay respects during a solemn procession returning the fallen to the naval air station. >> i urge anyone who feels they need a little extra support to reach out and get the help they need. >> reporter: the two officers injured when they heroically confronted the gunman are now recovering. trevor ault, abc news, new york. now to the impeachment investigation rapidly moving forward with another public hearing on tap for today. >> it was a busy weekend for the democrats in the house judiciary committee moving to bring formal charges against the president this week. they say they have a rock-solid case that will focus on the president abusing power by pressuring ukraine to investigate former vice president joe biden. they're hoping to show it was part of a pattern of behavior. republicans say democrats are rushing an impeachment vote to impact the 2020 election. >> stay with abc news for live coverage of the impeachment hearings starting this morning at 9:00 eastern. travel may be a problem across the northern midwest this morning. this weekend's heavy snowstorm in the rockies is expected to arrive in minneapolis and the region just in time for the morning commute. the snow will hug the canadian border but a wide area south and east of the great lakes will see rain. that will spread into the interior northeast later today and reach the coast by evening. behind the storm system, however, temperatures will plunge. turning now to the ambush and execution of an arkansas police officer as he sat in his patrol car. officer steven carr was waiting for his partner in a parking lot in the fayetteville police station saturday night when the suspect opened fire. other officers rushed outside after hearing gunshots. the suspect was chased into an alley and fatally shot by police. fans and celebrities mourning the shocking and sudden death of 21-year-old rapper juice wrld whose real name was jarod higgins who reportedly suffered cardiac arrest at a private hangar at chicago's midway airport. his hit "lucid dreams" had been streamed a billion times and made him a star. juice wrdl toured with nicki minaj. to lose someone so kind and close to our hearts is devastating. boston red sox legend david ortiz has returned to his native dominican republic. it was big papi's first appearance there since he was shot six months ago. ortiz was greeted with cheers and a standing ovation. at a charity baseball expedition. the california wildlife sanctuary says some tigers were just being playful when they seriously injured the founder. authorities say patty perry went into the tiger cage during an event for donors at the facility in moorpark northwest of los angeles. a spokesman says she interacts with the animals daily and it was obvious the big cats were just playing with her. she suffered cuts and puncture wounds before she was rescued. united airlines is trying to figure out how a scorpion got onto one of its planes. according to tmz the animals stung a passenger on a flight from san francisco to atlanta last thursday. the woman was treated at the hospital. the scorpion reportedly caught up her pant leg. it was eventually caught by flight attendants. >> that is a big old -- >> -- no. >> -- no. up the pant leg? huh-uh. from that happening on a flight to this happening. an airline crew stepped in to help a couple after a wedding mishap. cam and lewis eloped 20 years ago. they took a trip to the dominican republic to have a religious celebration. >> unfortunately their friend who performed the ceremony forgot to have them sign the marriage certificate. >> oops. >> the crew on their southwest airlines flight performed their vows on the plane and gave all the passengers champagne. >> everybody was part of the celebration, congrats to them. so from the scorpion to this guy. >> there's good news happening. >> a lot of people getting stung on these flights these days. >> ai-yi-yi. >> yeah, congratulations. all right, so coming up, sports with toni. but first remembering the man behind or rather inside big bird. what you may have never known about caroll spinney and his iconic character. plus oops, he did it again. steve harvey's latest stumble on the miss universe pageant later in "the skinny." ♪upbeat musieverything was so fresh in the beginning. [sniff] ♪ dramatic music♪ but that plug quickly faded. ♪upbeat music luckily there's febreze plug. it cleans away odors and freshens for 1200 hours. [deep inhale] breathe happy with febreze plug. ♪ ♪ ♪ how i love the fish >> the iconic voice behind chef louis in "the little mermaid" has died. rene auberjonois lost his battle against lung cancer at his home in los angeles on sunday. his career began in the 1970 movie "m.a.s.h." he received tony nominations for his work on broadway. he had regular roles in the '80s sitcom "benson" and the '90s series "star trek: deep space nine." he was 79. quite a talent there. big loss. and there was another high-profile passing from the world of children's television. >> "sesame street" puppeteer caroll spinney who brought to life big bird and oscar the grouch has died at the age of 85. will ganss is here with more. >> remembering a legend this morning. good morning to both of you, good morning to all of you at home. he entertained and educated generations of children. his legacy hiding behind the costumes of two of the most icon and iconic beloved characters in children's television history. ♪ who's the fellow who's all yellow who who who ♪ >> reporter: 8'2" of pure sunny yellow happiness. caroll spinney, the beating heart that brought big bird to life, spinney has been underneath those 4,000 feathers since "sesame street's" first episode in 1969, when big bird looked like this. >> i'm a bird. birds are big. >> reporter: all eyes on that loveable giant canary. though the puppet itself had no eye holes at all for spinney. instead he was able to see using a video monitor strapped to his chest. one of spinney's arms operating the head, beak and eyes. >> i was just about to see if i had any mail today. >> reporter: the other operating a left wing and a string helping him to operate the right. originally big bird was supposed to be a goofy hillbilly adult character. but spinney's idea was to make him a 6-year-old who could learn along with his audience. the actor has also been the voice behind "sesame street's" notorious grump, oscar the grouch, who was orange when he made his debut. spinney said oscar's voice was inspired by a cab driver he met on his way to a rehearsal. >> well, if you won't go away, i will! >> reporter: spinney revealing he almost left "sesame street" in the first season. the actor worried he wasn't up to par with the rest of the cast. on his way to quit he ran into the guy who built the big bird puppet, convincing him to give it another month. spinney gave it another month and another five decades. big bird receiving a star on the hollywood walk of fame. >> today, ladies and gentlemen, i proclaim this big bird day in hollywood. >> reporter: taking trips around the world. >> this is the great wall of china! >> reporter: not bad for a flightless bird. neither of spinney's five daytime emmys and a lifetime achievement award. he's been training his successor since the late '90s but matt vogel didn't don the feathers full time until just last year. vogel whose last name means "bird" in german paid homage to his late great mentor sunday saying caroll taught me to keep an innocence and child-like quality alive, not only in big bird, but in myself, thank you, caroll. thank you, caroll, indeed. spinney did retire last year after 49 incredible years. his voice recordings for big bird and oscar can be heard in "sesame street's" giant special that aired last month on hbo, will continue to air next year on pbs. >> iconic. remarkable. just incredible. there are really no words to really truly describe the impact that he had on so many children. and i think he said it was hundreds of millions -- it really is countless. >> around the world. i grew up in mexico, we knew "sesame street." to think that was him reaching every culture. >> exactly. creating the physicality too of the character. he had to be in pretty good shape for that. >> i'm sure back in the day it was hot in there. unlike the new age one, they have fans in there or something. >> listen, if they can put a video recorder hanging from his chest, i'm sure they've got some fans in there, too. >> will, thank you. when we come back, a history-making moment. the newly crowned miss universe. and j. lo slips back into that dress. >> that dress. ♪ skinny just gimme the skinny time now for "the skinny" starting with last night's historic miss universe pageant and host steve harvey has had another rough night, just a little bit. just a little touch. >> he mixed up two contestants, he says because of a flub of the teleprompter, announcing the winner of a national costume contest. >> here's a look at the winner, philippines. this is it right here. i thought i had on something fly, but girl, you just whoo, cake and oranges and potato chips. this is a lot. yes? >> it's not philippines, it's malaysia. >> okay, well let me explain something to you, i just read that in the teleprompter, y'all got to quit doing this to me. i can read. they're trying to fix it now. this is what they did in 2015, playing me short. >> earlier harvey joked about his epic mistake, naming miss colombia as the winner instead of miss philippines. so making a lot of fun of it and joking around, and obviously very quick to point out, hey, it was the producers, it was the teleprompter, blame it on the teleprompter. >> can we do that? >> no, we actually never do that here. we don't blame anyone except for us who are speaking the words out, right, guys? >> yes, we take responsibility. >> we never blame it on others. >> but that flub? >> the world does have a newly crowned miss universe but not before we saw quite a show. >> miss usa fell short but she did manage to make it into the top ten. chesley kryst from north carolina, a lawyer from charlotte, is now a correspondent for "extra tv." >> she did a great job, we're so proud of her. we have to say this year's miss universe is miss south africa, 26-year-old zozibini tunzi is a public relations professional, an activist whose platform is largely based on her fight against gender-based violence. now this year for the first time ever, miss universe, miss usa, miss america, and miss teen usa, are all black women. so a very historic night there. and this new miss universe, she is impressive. she had some incredible quotes. one of them i remember looking up, she said, i grew up in a world where a woman who looks like me with my kind of skin and my kind of hair was never considered to be beautiful, and i think that is time that stops today. she said she wants children to be able to look and see themselves reflected. and we are so proud of her as well. good night, good night. and steve, it's okay. a little, small flub. >> we all make mistakes. >> we surely do, we know that right here. let's go to the big news from jenny from the block. >> jennifer lopez just won this year's best supporting actress for "hustlers" at this year's l.a. film critics association awards. >> saturday night, her third hosting "snl," j. lo wowed the audience stepping out of a tuxedo to reveal, guess what? da, da, da! that green versace dress. >> oh my god that one. >> the same dress she wore at the 2000 grammy awards. >> she got a beyonce fan to go with it. j. lo said, quote, "some people say i look better now than i did then, i'm not bragging, that's just, you know, gossip." she looked amazing. >> she's so good. >> fire. next to a development coming out of the growing controversy surrounding the so-called peloton husband. >> the peloton wife is breaking her silence. in a statement actress monica ruiz says quote she's shocked and overwhelmed by the attention the ad has generated on social media, especially the negative. >> yeah, in the meantime, though, the stationary bike has catapulted her into another major gig, a commercial spot with none other than ryan reynolds. that ad continues the story of the peloton wife without really acknowledging it. >> what about the fact that the husband still doesn't have a job, what about that? >> she's happy, look at her. >> she is. ryan reynolds, he got a bit of a scare over the weekend. >> actor was in brazil for a comic-con event, jumping off a stage runway, when that happened. he was forced to leap to safety, almost flattened when that barricade gave away under a crush of fans. >> he quickly jumped back from the chaos and managed to avoid getting hurt. ♪ it's time for sports with our own espn superstar toni collins. toni, it's all yours, take it away. >> let start with the 14th sunday of the nfl season finishing in l.a. the rams hosted seattle. jared goff's two touchdown passes helped l.a. build an early lead on the way to a 20-12 win. one thing did slow down the rams. their cheerleaders. >> get the cheerleaders off the field, please. >> all right, guys. >> the cheerleaders can have fun too. >> one twitter user wrote, rams cheerleaders spend more time in the end zone than any one of the seahawks did in the first half. >> whoa! that's a good one. i know, right? >> all right, the rematch of january's afc championship game lived up to the hype. >> it did. >> kansas city returned to foxborough to meet new england. the chiefs built an early lead, then needed a huge defensive stand late to beat the patriots 23-16 and end their 21-game home winning streak. the win game after k.c. nearly forfeited gear for 35 players, their gear went to new jersey instead of boston because the chiefs didn't take it off their plane. >> what? >> so it showed up hours before the game. >> there was conspiracy theories about what happened with the equipment, right? >> something always happens -- >> toni's like there they go again. >> there were issues, mechanical issues. >> i saw a funny meme that said they blamed the new equipment manager by the name of willie willicheck or something. bill belichick? >> i get it. >> i know you did. >> big time college football fine four all set, lsu is number one heading into the college football playoffs. tigers will face oklahoma in the peach bowl december 28 in this atlanta. that night number two ohio state plays third-ranked clemson in the fiesta bowl. in glendale, arizona. the winners will meet january 13th at the superdome in new orleans for the championship. >> this is all the time clemson fans hate that i'm in this position because i always shade them. >> why do you shade them? >> because it's clemson. it's clemson. >> all right. >> gamecock for life. >> all right. back to the nfl for what could be the celebration of the whole weekend. look at this. baltimore's marcus peters knocked away josh allen's potential game-tying touchdown pass to secure the ravens win over the bills. then he jumped into the stands, you know, and grabbed a cold one because you need to hydrate. >> the players can drink? >> well, he did. he tried to shotgun it, i think it's a huge fail, but he tried. the fans are loving it, they're with him. you know, the ravens have won nine straight, why not celebrate with a little hydration? breaking news in america this morning, deadly volcano eruption sending ash and particles into the sky. this morning what royal caribbean is saying about passengers on the island as shocking new video of the eruption comes in. naval base attack. the fbi tweeting the mass shooting as an act of terrorism. did the saudi air force member have help planning the attack and how authorities said he legally obtained the gun. impeachment showdown, a critical hearing getting under way in just hours with democrats laying out their argument as republicans intensify their counterattacks, plus the long awaited report released today on whether the fbi conducted illegal surveillance on a former trump campaign aide.

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