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Transcripts For KGO ABC News Good Morning America 20110515
impartial jurors? and precious steps. a story you have to see. this college student taking miraculous steps in front of tens of thousands, his family, his friends, the whole world seeing it for the first time all at once. a commencement ceremony in so many ways. can i just say, this young man who walked for the first time yesterday in four years, he is astonishing. the moment when he walked, which we're not going to show you now, we're going to hold it, is really something to see, and i went back into one of the edit rooms to watch an early version of the piece and one of my colleagues said to me, make sure you have a handkerchief ready. >> it's no wonder the crowd of 15,000 there at the graduation broke into wild cheers and what's amazing, the scientists that developed this exoskeleton that helped him walk believe they can help millions walk in the next few years at an affordable price. >> incredible story coming up. >> it is fantastic. also this morning, there are some very real fears that those brave navy s.e.a.l.s who pulled off the raid to kill osama bin laden are being targeted themselves. and they're not the only ones. their families could also be in danger. the pentagon is very concerned about this matter. we'll tell you what the pentagon is doing. >> the guys are really being hounded. also this morning, a lot of parents outraged about this television ad. it's for those skechers shape-up sneakers, the one developed to help you tone your rear end. these are aimed at preteen girls. so the question this morning, is that so much for girls to be worrying about their bodies, or as the company claims, is it all about good fitness? we'll dive into this rather emotional debate. we begin with something that hasn't happened in almost 40 years. look at this video. this is the moment that the floodgate was open in louisiana, sending a wall of water from the swollen mississippi river gushing towards cajun country. once it's fully open, this spillway can move water at three times the rate of niagara falls at its peak. and take a look at this map. an area almost the size of connecticut where 25,000 people live will be flooded with up to 15 feet of water. officials are doing this on purpose in order to save the larger cities downriver, and yunji de nies has the latest from butte larose, louisiana. good morning, yunji. >> reporter: good morning, bianna. we were standing on that spillway. and it was unbelievable to see the power of that water. it is all, as you said now, rushing downtime. it's flowing into smaller rivers and tributaries like this putting communities like here at butte larose at risk. this will be the first area to experience that flooding and there are thousands more at risk. the water came fast. a burst of energy. a liquid explosion from that single floodgate. in less than an hour, the farmland below transformed from a dry field to a lake, just a hint of what's to come. >> we want to make sure that folks have the understanding that water is coming their way, and they need to evacuate. >> reporter: in that deluge, we spotted animals. this otter, scrambling to make sense of his new surroundings. all of this, from opening just one floodgate. officials have over 100 more they could open as the river continues to rise. colonel, for the folks down river, can they expect any kind of federal compensation if they lose their property because of this? >> well, you know, i think the thing to remember is that public safety is our number one priority. >> reporter: in other words, no. residents choose to live here knowing that spillway could someday be unleashed. that someday is here. >> it looks like a battlefield. it's not the rate we expected. >> reporter: moving vans crowd the streets in morgan city where ronald perry has lived for the last 20 years. >> they said we were going to have a nice, quiet life in retirement, and it seems that everything is just turning upside-down on us now. >> reporter: the water is expected to be here in two days, and residents are racing to get out. >> we had to borrow two of the other pickup trucks that were here, and we practically had to bribe family members to use those, because everybody is doing that right now. >> reporter: now, remember, officials have only opened one floodgate. they are expecting to open two or three more today and they'll continue to open them gradually until they feel the river levees are safe enough for the folks in new orleans and baton rouge. and get this, they're continuing to keep them open for the next several weeks because they don't expect the mississippi to crest here for another nine days. dan. >> so it is only going to get worse for the people who are where you are. thank you. this morning, we have guy cormier. he's the president of st. martin parish. he's joining us now from butte larose. part of his parish is in that spillway. and so this morning people there are packing up and i'm getting out. guy, thank you for joining us this morning. >> thanks for having me, dan. >> it's our pleasure. let me ask you, are you angry that this decision was made to flood out people in your parish, or is it your sense that they were fairly warned? >> well, i have mixed emotions. i mean, of course, we were fairly warned without a doubt. but at any rate, we're going to affect some people's lives, and it is heart-wrenching for me and the people that i represent, just knowing that here comes rising waters, and we're just a little concerned about it -- a lot concerned about it. >> yeah, i would imagine, a lot concerned. as you travel around the parish and you talk to the people who elected you, what is the mood? what are people saying to you? are they angry? are they somber? >> well, to be honest with you, dan, just like the rising atchafalaya waters and the sunset behind me, in louisiana we're fighters, and we've been through this. my grandfather fought the flood of 1927. my father helped fight the flood of 1973, and here i am in 2011 fighting another flood. we're going to fight this and we're going to rise just like this sun is going to rise this morning, just like the river rises, we'll rise and we're fighters. >> i'm confident you will. let me ask you, in the short term, i understand there are some people who don't have the resources to evacuate. can you tell us about the young couple that i know you visited who are expecting a baby in the next two weeks? >> yeah, pretty tough conversation that i had with them. they are expecting a baby in two weeks and live right here in this community and doesn't have a place to go once the water starts rising. they know they'll get water in their home, because it's a low-lying home. and we made provisions for them to try to find a place and safe ground, but, you know, got a brand-new baby on the way, just starting their life. came to this beautiful community to set up life and live it and have fun and enjoy, and all of a sudden, this comes up. when i think about it, we are in a drought right now in louisiana especially in my parish, and we're fighting floodwaters from somewhere else. we haven't had rain, significant rain in months here and all of this rain that fell in the northern part of the united states and central part of the united states is all flowing our way. so it's a federal flood that's coming our way and is going to flood us. >> well, let me just say from all of us that we wish you the best and once again really appreciate you coming on this morning. guy cormier, the president of st. martin parish joining us from butte larose this morning. thank you again. >> bmg, over to you. >> devastating situation. but as you said, they are fighters, dan. we want to turn to an international sex scandal that erupted overnight in new york city. picture this, one of the most powerful bankers in the world sitting in a first class seat on an air france jet just minutes before takeoff back to paris. all of a sudden police sweep on the plane and take him away. now he's sitting in jail here in new york charged with attempted rape. mike marusarz has the details? outside the hotel where the alleged assault took place. good morning, mike. >> reporter: bianna, good morning to you. his name is dominique strauss-kahn and he's accused of allegedly sexually assaulting a maid in a luxury room at this posh midtown manhattan hotel. it's straight out of a hollywood script. one of the world's most elite financial figures, a possible presidential candidate, snatched from his first-class seat moments before his paris-bound plane took off from new york. the saga began at this posh midtown manhattan hotel, the sofitel. police say 1:00 afternoon, a hotel housekeeper entered room 2806, a luxury $3,000 a night multiroom suite. dominique strauss-kahn allegedly walked out of his bathroom naked and forced himself on the 32-year-old woman. she escaped, but by the time police arrived, they said kahn was gone. detectives found his cell phone still in the room. they pulled him off a flight at new york's jfk airport moments before he left for france. the hotel released this statement saying, "we are taking this matter seriously and cooperating with the nypd." tourists staying at the hotel are more vocal. >> it's outrageous. i mean someone at that level, right, to ago like that is incomprehensible. >> reporter: dominique strauss-kahn is the head of the international monetary fund, a giant global bank that loans money to developing countries. one of the biggest roles in the global financial world. he's expected to run for president, considered to be the leading rival to french president nicolas sarkozy in the 2012 election. this isn't kahn's first brush with controversy. in 2008 he had an affair with a hungarian economist admitting he made an error of judgment. his rumored sexual escapades have been folklo rchlt echre in france for years. he is a father of four and married to his third wife, one of the most esteemed television journalists in france, american born ann sinclair, but today, he's the one making headlines. and despite his past, his arrest is sending shock waves through france this morning. we have learned that he is not being protected by diplomatic immunity. we expect him to be back in court noon eastern time today. bianna. >> mike, it sent shock waves in france and also the financial area, as well. thank you. we turn to a big political announcement last night. former arkansas governor, mike huckabee, who would be an early front runner in a republican presidential primary said he will not run. >> all of the factors say, go, but my heart says no. my answer is clear and firm. i will not seek the republican nomination for president this year. >> and joining us from washington to talk about this is "this week" host christiane amanpour. christiane, good morning. good to see you. as you heard, his heart said no. but what are the implications that huckabee's decision could have on a gop field that isn't set yet? >> well, it's really just kicking into high gear. newt gingrich has got in and we're going to be talking about this and other candidates on the program this morning. but, of course, since huckabee won iowa last time around and is such a magnet to social conservatives and doing well in the last go-round, this will be difficult for his supporters but obviously will be playing a key role, as he said, in terms of supporting those candidates that he shares their views, but also as you've seen, so many of the candidates or presumptive candidates have come out and talked about what his decision was and clearly, many people are going to want his endorsement, bianna. >> i want to turn overseas to pakistan now, christiane, where in the aftermath of the raid on the bin laden compound, u.s. tensions with pakistan are at their highest level in over ten years. right now the u.s. emissary to pakistan is headed there, john kerry. had what is his mission and message from the administration? >> well, he's going in his role as the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee. he's obviously got talking points from the white house. and also he does control the purse strings on some very big dollars that go to pakistan, so clearly he's going to be able to talk about what might happen in the future if pakistan doesn't cooperate. but, beyond that, there's a sense amongst officials who i talked to, that u.s. policy on pakistan is is rather divided at the moment, in the sense of not quite knowing what to do. and more than that, there are people who are saying that a much higher level, in other words, somebody directly from the administration, not just congress, should go to pakistan, look the government in the eye and really reset this relationship if it's at all possible. but it's in a very bad state right now. >> a very bad state, indeed. christiane, we'll have to leave it there. we appreciate you joining us this morning. and, of course, you be sure to join christiane later this week when she'll examine the 2012 presidential race. one of her guests, south carolina governor nikki haley. dan? >> okay, bianna. >> they killed osama bin laden, and now they are being hunted. this morning at the pentagon they're worried about members of that elite navy s.e.a.l. team 6. worried that al qaeda may be plotting revenge by targeting the s.e.a.l.s and their families. john hendren is on that story from washington. john, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, dan. the rule about navy s.e.a.l. team 6 is you don't talk about s.e.a.l. team 6. but now that the whole world is talking about the navy's most elite and super secretive commandos, they're not happy bit. nearly a decade, the crosshairs of the united states were on osama bin laden. since the elite navy s.e.a.l. team 6 killed the man code named pacer for the way he paced across his compound, defense secretary robert gates fears the crosshairs have shifted from bin laden to the s.e.a.l.s themselves. >> when i met with the team last thursday, they expressed a concern about that and particularly with respect to their families. >> reporter: don mann is a former member of team 6. he said in virginia beach, the s.e.a.l.s' home, there are very real fears that the battle with come to them. making the s.e.a.l.s and their families targets. >> the families are alone about 300 days a year and the s.e.a.l.s have always been a target. and now i believe the families are going to be targeted by these islamic extremists. >> reporter: here a favorite pastime is s.e.a.l. spotting. with locals wondering if they could be sitting at the bar next to the man who fired the shot that ended osama bin laden's reign of terror. >> god bless the man that took the shot. he's going to live with that for the rest of his life. >> reporter: but defense officials fear it's not just locals who are looking at the pentagon where the team is so secret its name is not acknowledged. the frustration is so hard to miss. >> in the situation room, we all agreed that we would not release any operational details from the effort to take out bin laden. that all fell apart on monday, the next day. >> reporter: authorities say the pentagon is now considering extraordinary measures to keep their most elite warriors safe. navy s.e.a.l.s have been protecting the united states since world war ii, but now that they've returned home, what members of s.e.a.l. team 6 are protecting most are their identities. bianna. thank you. i want to shift to the judge in casey anthony's murder trial who wants arguments to start on tuesday. that's been thrown into jeopardy after saturday's special court session failed to get a full jury seated. they'll try again tomorrow. ashleigh banfield has more. >> both sides ready to proceed. >> reporter: casey anthony sitting just a few feet away from the people who could decide if she lives or dies. six days of watching the jury being picked for her trial. many candidates grilled exhaustively by attorneys. >> it's not unusual for lawyers to start arguing and advocating their cases in jury selection. >> reporter: woven throughout questioning, hints from the prosecution, they plan to open canisters of material found in the trunk of anthony's car, so that jurors can smell what they say is the stench of death. >> it's for you to decide. >> reporter: from the defense, questions about physical, sexual and mental abuse, could foreshadow their strategy. >> by raising family dysfunction, possible sexual, physical abuse in the anthony household, the defense is planting a seed now. >> reporter: a tuesday deadline looms for the start of trial. 12 possible jurors have made it through to the next round yet so many others have not. some dismissed for making light of a deadly serious case like the juror who posted on facebook "book on its way." another woman became emotional on the stand saying she lost a child in the car crash and had formed an opinion about casey anthony. >> to lose a child is the worst thing that this earth has to serve on anyone. it changes the way you see the world. >> reporter: anthony herself, hard to read as she watches the jurors being questioned, but the big show, the trial, is set to begin just two days from now with stakes that don't get higher, life or death. for "good morning america," ashleigh banfield, abc news, new york. well, we want to get a check on the other headlines this morning. for that we turn to ron claiborne. >> hey, good morning, bianna, dan. good morning, everyone. a muslim religious leader in miami and two of his sons have been arrested on charges they gave financial support to taliban. the imam of this mosque and his sons are accused of providing about $50,000 to the pakistani taliban. the money was allegedly used to buy guns and support militants' families. three other people in pakistan were charged with handling the money. and protests in the west bank and gaza strip were turning violent today. israeli troops fired tear gas into the large crowds that threw rocks at them and burning tires. israel stepped up security because of calls online for a third intefadeh. and former u.s. agricultural department worker shirley sherrod is going back to work for the agency. sherrod, who is black, was forced out last year after a video of the speech she gave was heavily edited to make it seem like she discriminated against whites. she's not going back to her old job. instead she will have the department improve its civil rights record. and finally a connecticut high school senior will be going to his prom thanks to thousands of people on twitter, facebook and jimmy kimmel and our own diane sawyer. james tate was banned from his prom after breaking school rules by posting his invitation on a school wall. but under pressure from all across the country, the school's headmaster has reversed her decision. so all's well that ends well with james tate. >> you have diane sawyer to thank for that. apparently some of his colleagues at school held a sit-in, as well. >> that helped too. >> june 4th will be a good night for him. >> all right. we want to turn to weather now. jackie meretsky. good to see you. >> good to see you guys. good morning, everyone. well, it's not just residents of the south that are dealing with flooding concerns. take a look what's happening in akron, ohio, portions of north eastern ohio have received close to 6 inches of rain since friday and more on the way, and that's all because of this pesky stalled frontal boundary you can see. so the rain taking us from the ohio valley all of the way into the northeast. new york city, expect showers to linger for at least the next four days and as far as the weather is concerned, this is what we're looking at for severe weather. let's go down to the mid-atlantic. 60-mile-per-hour winds, hail, and you can't rule out the possibility of an isolated tornado. >> dan and bianna. >> thank you, jackie. coming up, the ad that is making so many parents angry. should rear-end toning shape-up sneak eers be marketed to pre-teen girls? >> and the amazing moment you just have to see. a paralyzed young man actually walking in front of thousands as he graduates from college. we'll show you how he did it. >> the story is incredible. >> the story is incredible. 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[ clears throat ] there's another way to minimize litter box odor: purina tidy cats. our premium litters now work harder to help neutralize odors in multiple cat homes. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home. it's something that if someone told me four years ago i would be walking at this graduation or if someone told me i would graduate from college in four years, i would have never believed them in a million years. here, i'm about to that and walk across the stage. >> that's u.c. berkeley senior austin whitney. he actually walked across the stage to get his diploma as thousands of people and his family and friends looked on. it's a moment you never would have imagined and a moment you need to see. of course, we'll show you coming up on the show, "good morning america." i'm bianna golodryga. >> and i'm dan harris. it's an incredible story, very, very moving and he said it was the best day of his life. >> yeah, that's right. also on the show we're going to show you some of the stories we've been obsessed with all week long including dan's run-in with a very persistent and furry squirrel. >> he caught the french fry when i threw it to him. coming up later you'll see he actually steals my lunch. i'm unhappy about that. >> we are going to be in with something that is lighting up the mommy blogs and provoking outrage from a lot of parents. shape-up sneakers that are meant to tone your legs and backsides now made for young girls. some people say they send a bad message. linsey davis is here with more on the covers. linsey, they're saying they're focusing on 7-year-old girls. >> exactly. they start at size 2. good morning. they all the sparkle and glitz that little girls love, but some parents are giving the shoes a bum rap and the president of skechers doesn't know exactly why. he says it goes one step further comparing it to michelle obama's "let's move campaign." >> the best i've ever had. >> kim kardashian says these sneakers are the secret to her toned legs and these other assets. >> it's something else. >> reporter: brooke burke says she's sexier because of them. skechers, step into your body. >> reporter: but women aren't the only ones to benefit from a few more curves. >> shape-up for girls are here. let's go. >> reporter: the latest ads run on the cartoon network and nickelodeon and feature skinny cartoon girl, one who is being chased by boys dressed as junk food. >> everything a girl wants, from skechers. >> reporter: but some parents take issue with making a kid's version of the glute shape-up brand. >> we don't want to make sure she feels she looks a certain way or have a certain shaped body. that bothers me. i'm not a prude, but seems like too much. >> the shape-ups? the butt, the thighs, the calves, no, i wouldn't want my daughter to wear them for that reason. >> reporter: there's even a petition online called tell skechers to discontinue shape-ups for girls. it has more than 1,500 signatures so far and a long list of comments like this one "women have plenty of time to be targeted for their weight throughout their lives. skechers is sending a clear message to girls and women you're never too young to start hating your body." >> these shoes are just for little girls, which sends a message that girls have to look a certain way but, boys, it's okay to be you. >> reporter: we called the president of skechers to get his response. >> the intended purpose of shape-ups is to exercise. it's not a push-up bra, it's not a diet pill, it's not spanx. it's something that's actually good for kids, if used for the intended purpose. and that is our message. >> reporter: but critics question if they're really trying to get kids to exercise, why only make the shoes for girls and not boys? one more concept that has some kicking up their heels in protest. the president of skechers inthons to that was they first tested the market for women and when they found out there's a demand, they made them for men. they are doing the same thing with the kids' version, shape-ups for girls and then potentially for boys. >> a few weeks ago we were talking about abercrombie & fitch introducing a push-up bikini for girls. >> they are a big market. linsey, thank you. >> the rest of the morning's headlines once again with ron claiborne. >> good morning, everyone. in the news, army engineers could raise one or two more floodgates in louisiana today unleashing the swollen mississippi river on cajun country. more than 3,000 square miles could be covered with up to 15 feet of water. and the transformer exploded on the las vegas strip knocking out power to some hotels. there were no injuries reported there. and sony has started restoring its online playstation network nearly a month after shutting it down, because of a massive data breach. personal information of 100 million accounts was stolen. and finally the chicago bulls and miami heat tip off in the eastern conference finals today. two days earlier than planned. why? because oprah winfrey already has chicago's arena booked on monday and tuesday to tape her final shows. oprah first, bulls second. it's a quick look at the headlines. jackie meretsky and the weather. please. >> hey, good morning again, ron. let's go right to the northwest. this is a huge powerful storm system. in fact, we even have flash flooding concerns in portions of western montana, as well as idaho. up to a foot of snow is expected in the sierra nevada, perhaps some late spring skiing, and we do have an inch of rain expected in portions of the northwest. this is a very, very windy system, as well. 60-mile-per-hour winds. the other big story is a cooldown in the midwest. keep in mind chicago hit 90 early last week. and now it will struggle into the 50s. 53 today and 63 in minneapolis. that's a quick look at your national weather. today's weather report has been brought to you by ocean spray. dan and bianna? >> thank you, jackie. coming up on "good morning america" on this sunday morning. you are going to witness a dream coming true. an unimaginable moment for a young man who was paralyzed but is no longer confined to his wheelchair. >> plus, the international song contest that europe gets fixated on every year, and this year we are too. we'll show you why coming up. are too. we'll show you why coming up. in cranberry and pomegranate blueberry. they have bubbles and come in these really cool cans. it's real fruit juice, crisp sparkling water, and no added sugar. comes in diet, too. it's refreshing, tasty -- the whole family will love it. you want one? i'll wait a bit. all right. mmm. refreshing. real juice. real bubbly. find it in the juice aisle. as a buyer for t.j.maxx, i'm not just looking for deals, i'm looking for the hottest fashion. hot -- hot, hot. i get a lot of ideas just walking around the city, checking people out. it's like a fashion show out there. then, it's all about the deal. i negotiate directly with designers... so you get the savings. you know, the smartest fashionistas-- are really maxxinistas! t.j.maxx. let us make a maxxinista out of you. the frontline plus killing force is there annihilating fleas and ticks. ♪ visit completekiller.com and get a coupon for frontline plus. parentheses have a place. but not on your face. juvéderm® xc is the gel filler your doctor uses to instantly smooth out lines right here. temporary side effects include redness, pain, firmness, swelling, bumps, or risk of infection. ask your doctor about juvéderm® xc. ron has been covering what is easily the most moving story of the morning. this is a really great story. >> it is, dan. it's really a truly amazing and emotional story. 22-year-old austin whitney has been a paraplegic ever since he was in a car crash. that was four years ago. he was told he would never walk again. but yesterday with the help of a device developed by mechanical engineers at the university of california at berkeley, he rose from his wheelchair to attempt what he himself says he once thought was impossible. ♪ for austin whitney, this was the moment he had dreamed about, the moment he once thought would never happen. four years ago, austin graduated from high school in his hometown of san juan capistrana in southern california. a few weeks later, he lay in a hospital, paralyzed from the waist down from a car accident. he was the driver and he had been drinking. >> after my car accident, i was so consumed by hatred for myself, that i put my family and everyone i knew through so much pain. all for nothing. and i said, austin, you have to find some meaning in this accident. >> reporter: ten days after he got out of the hospital, he was enrolled in a local community college. in his sophomore year, he transferred to berkeley, which is where he learned about the research team that was developing something called an exoskeleton. >> is this thing twisting a little bit? lovely. >> reporter: originally devised as a kind of mechanical body and leg brace to help people carry heavier loads, the researchers realized it could also be adapted to help paraplegics to walk. >> exoskeleton is basically a pair of computer-controlled legs the person would wear and the machine has computers and it's got senors, and the way it works, basically walks the person. >> reporter: dr. kazaroni and his research team met austin and agreed to let him become, in his words, their guinea pig. austin recalled the excitement he felt the first time he stood up. >> wow. it really happened. i'm not in a wheelchair. i'm standing on my only two legs, something that doctors, and everyone i knew, even myself accepted as an impossible feat. >> reporter: austin's goal has always been to finish college on time, in four years. now he had a dream to go with it. to walk in public across the stage on graduation day. >> if someone had told me i would have graduated from college in four years, i would have never believed them in a million year and here i'm about to do that and walk across the stage. >> never in our wildest dreams did we ever think that he would be walking. >> and the true joy for austin, for everybody connected with it, is what this means really to literally millions of people around the world who felt the same way. who never thought that they'd be walking. >> reporter: and it was a powerful moment yesterday afternoon. as he stood, then one step, then another. a powerful moment, not just for austin and his family, but for the thousands of people at the commencement who watched and who applauded the determined young man doing the impossible. >> when he's standing and i get to put my arms around him and we're face to face, and i love that. and we're going to be dancing. >> it was like having a piece of my life that i thought was gone forever. return to me. >> austin whitney. >> it's probably the best day of my life. >> the best day of his life. isn't that something? >> amazing. >> and literally an incredible achievement. austin will continue to use his exoskeleton and just maybe, maybe he will one day dance with his mother as she says she wants to do. you would not put anything beyond his reach of this determined young man. and, you know, the researchers who developed this exoskeleton say in the future we hope to see other paraplegics using these devices which give him the mobility, independence and as austin put it, the pride of standing up face to face with other people. >> i think that puts the finger right on it. being able to be face to face with other people. >> he actually was even quoted as saying, you never realize what you take for granted when you look somebody eye to eye. and he was able to do that. and he was looking forward to do that it was really an amazing story to watch. >> terrific story, ron. thanks. coming up on "good morning america," an amazing catch. check this out. there it is, whoa, look at that. here's the question, though, is that real? ron investigates after the break. >> i love how he shakes it off. >> i love how he shakes it off. ♪ ♪ ♪ introducing purina one beyond a new food for your cat or dog. 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[ slap! slap! slap! slap! slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum tum tum tum tums ♪ you're an obsession ♪ you're my obsession all right, kids. it's time for a hard new segment. i didn't know my mike was up there. sorry. it's time for our as yet unnamed show and tell segment where we show you the stories we're obsessed with if ron doesn't break the table. jackie, why don't you start? >> all right. well, this is my pick because it's very close to home to me literally. here's what happened. so i woke up on monday morning last week and heard this loud hum about 6:00 a.m. i looked out my window and saw what looked like a cruise ship so i went downstairs, it was not a cruise ship. this was will smith's super uber trailer because he's in town filming "men in black 3." now just so you all know, this trailer has two floors, a lounge bar, cinema, bedrooms and a kitchen. however, this is where it gets interesting, guys. so a few type "a" soho residents, present company excluded, complained to the city. and mayor bloomberg comes along, shuts it down and it got towed to a private parking lot. >> wow, good. >> the moral of this story is "men in black" might be able to defeat aliens on earth, but can't beat mayor bloomberg. >> that's right. go, mike bloomberg. >> another story, this is something i don't know if you were watching last night, the euro vision's "europe's got talent." it's a big hit. 300 million people watch this every year. and my birth country, moldova, was one of the top contenders. here is their video. this is what i have to be proud of right here. >> yes. something to be proud of. >> they were up for number one. just take a quick listen. ♪ a sideshow the song is called "so lucky." it's catchy, right? >> this is where you got your start, right? >> it really is. but you know what, they came in 12th. azerbaijan beat them. >> i'm devastated. >> here's the video that i loved, this one from baseball, the world of baseball. check this out. this is the tampa bay rays third baseman evan longoria talking to a reporter, we believe, and a screaming line drive comes towards his head, grabs the ball at the last second and throws it away. but there have been questions, is this real or is it computer generated? look at this, watch again. watch, watch him throw the ball away, right here? see? no ball goes anywhere. apparently this was done by gillette, which he is an endorser for. they will not say whether it's real or not. but i think our investigative skills have uncovered the truth. >> ron claiborne on the case. >> the truth. >> first i thought you said eva longoria. >> very quickly, here's the piece of video that i've been fixated on this week. i have been taking a lot of guff over this. i was in the park the other day shooting a story and i was menaced by a nasty squirrel. look at that thing. i threw a french fry at him to get him away and he caught it. that's real video. no computer generation there. look at this. that's a fat squirrel in the park. then you'll see in a minute this rather roly-poly squirrel comes up and chomps my burger, takes it away from me. i was going to eat that thing. >> you should have taken it back. >> you know what, i'm afraid -- >> you're bigger than he is. >> i was a little afraid. >> he could use some of those skechers. >> shape-ups. >> all right. so i have to say that before we go, we have finally come up with the name for this thing, it was a viewer's suggestion and the drum roll, please? "fixation" that's what we're calling this segment. >> we like it. >> fixation. >> all right. that's going to do it for "fixation" this week. we'll have another one next week, and we'll be right back. ♪ you're my obsession ever? spectacular plants without all the weeds. with miracle-gro shake 'n feed plus weed preventer. just a few shakes stops weeds .before they start. plants grow twice as big. with almost no weeds. even in your vegetable garden. want three months of feeding, withut all the weeding? ♪ all you need... is shake 'n feed plus weed preventer. the place they've been searching for. staples. the one place that makes it easy to buy a new laptop. ♪ or get one fixed. ♪ with highly trained tech experts, staples makes trouble-shooting and repairing technology just the way you want it -- easy. easy to buy. easy to fix. easy to save. staples. that was easy. ♪ well, there you saw it, [ male announcer ] using frontline plus shows your pet you care... by unleashing a complete killing force against fleas and ticks. and not just adult fleas. what makes frontline plus complete the flea life cycle -- is that it breaks killing adults, eggs, and larvae. and it keeps killing fleas and ticks all month long. that's why it's the #1 choice of vets for their pets, and yours. unleash a complete killing force in every dose of frontline plus. there you saw it folks. i went hunting for alligators with billy the exterminator, riveting. we got a few. >> you took that gator down. >> i got taken down by 19 kids and the 19 kids and counting thing. that's them pushing me on the swing. there's also some scenes with about 17 of them jumping on top of me. that's coming up. your show airs on thursday, mine airs on friday, is that right? >> i believe mine is tuesday. whenever. you should watch all week. >> thank you for watching abc news. we're always online at abcnews.com. much more later with christiane amanpour and then david muir. much more later with christiane amanpour and then david muir.me much more later with christiane parentheses have a place. but not on your face. juvéderm® xc is the gel filler your doctor uses to instantly smooth out lines right here. temporary side effects include redness, pain, firmness, swelling, bumps, or risk of infection. ask your doctor about juvéderm® xc.
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