now, she's here live the morning after queen b.'s big surprise for her. and she cannot stop dancing. ♪ that is d.j. swivel on this friday morning. deejay friday. welcome back from rome, to robin and josh. bon journo. >> can we go back to the video again? the doctor dancing before her surgery. had everybody dancing in that o.r. so happy that she's going to be with us today. >> i love this. and she got to go to the blockbuster beyonce show last night. really special. >> 7 million-plus people have now responded to this video. dancing in her operating room. she said she wanted the power of positivity before that surgery. >> and she has all today on her 45th birthday she will celebrate with us. we have other things to get to, as well, this friday morning. including the latest on target. massive security breach, a huge backlash from customers. now, target reaching out to so many people affected. they're doing that overnight. and overnight, that "duck dynasty" controversy, heating up, as well. new questions about commander phil robertson. right there, new video surfacing. and the cast suggesting the show may not go on. >> it's a busy friday morning. >> we're going to get it all going, because there are a lot of people setting off for the holidays today. >> the busiest travel times. of course, we have something that's going to get into your way. let me take you straight to that. and the first thing i need to tell you is about the timing. of course, it is today. it's into tomorrow. and the threats are many. look at this. severe weather from much of the south, into almost cincinnati. ice, right below chicago, back through parts of kansas city. and snow right above it. how much snow? everybody wondering, not only for the white christmas thing. but also, how is this going to stop you up? are my packages going to get here in time? kansas city over half a foot. looks like milwaukee gets hit. we're right on the rain/snow line in chicago. you may get ice mixes in with the snow. we could see some 3 to 5 inches. and here's what i'm concerned about today. i studied severe weather for a long time. the late season outbreaks. you get the damaging wind possibilities in texas today. and tomorrow, we have a moderate risk for parts of louisiana, mississippi, up to tennessee. george? >> thank you, ginger. now, terrifying moments in a packed theater. almost 80 people injured. hundreds traumatized when the roof collapsed during a live performance last night at the historic apollo theater in london. terry moran is there with the latest. good morning, terry. >> reporter: good morning, george. an investigation is under way this morning to find out what happened here. what caused the frightening collapse of the ornate plaster ceiling of the apollo theater, that old theater back there. for hundreds of audience members, it was a shocking and surreal night at the theater. inside the apollo theater today, a wreck. all that debris crashing down on a packed house, in one terrifying moment last night. 76 people injured, 4 seriously. the wounded carried out on stretchers. iconic london buses, used as makeshift ambulances. >> as far as we know, the roof collapsed above us. and i just got a bang on the head. the next thing i know, i was in the foyer. >> reporter: it happened during act one of the hit play "the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime." witnesses said one of the actors shouted, watch out, as the ceiling came down. >> we heard a creek. and the ceiling, it just slowly -- and the whole thing just collapsed. just like that. >> reporter: this theater, more than 100 years old, the ceiling a grand, heavy plaster design. more than 900-square feet of it came down on that audience. the height of a five-story building. >> it's been confined to some heavy ornate plastering, typical of what you would expect to find in a theater in the west end of this age. it's from the roof level. >> reporter: two people remain hospitalized this morning. but think about how vulnerable everybody in this place was and how much debris came down, this is an incredibly close call. robin? >> it certainly is, terry. still frightening. thank you. now, to the latest on target and the escalating backlash after credit and debit card information was stolen in a security breach. we told you the company reached out to customers overnight. the investigation into who is behind this is intensifying. pierre thomas is joining us now. good morning, pierre. >> reporter: the secret service is working with target in an urgent hunt to find those cyber thieves. overnight, sources tell abc news, the investigation is being focused on processing centers where target takes in the credit and debit transactions of millions of customers. this morning, the secret service and a private forensic team hired by the company, are trying to determine how the robbery took place. >> anyone who believes that they may have been victimized in any intrusion or of this case, should make immediate notification to the secret service or their financial institutions. >> reporter: some investigators believe as customers made credit and debit purchases in the stores between november 27th and december 15th, hackers were vacuum cleaning the information as it came into financial processing centers. the stolen information includes names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates and the security code on the back of cards. they're looking at whether the theft of information from roughly 40 million credit and debit cards was launched from the outside, possibly from overseas. they'll also be investigating whether the scam was an inside job. cyber crime and identity theft have spread like a computer virus in recent years. with billions stolen from companies and individuals. in 2006, hackers stole personal information from nearly 46 million customers from popular stores like t.j. maxx and marshall's. with thieves committing these crimes sometimes from thousands of miles away, the secret service says there's just a few critical things consumers can do. >> consumers should be checking credit reports and billing statements to maintain some control, some knowledge about what's going on in your credit history. >> reporter: there's some good news. customer p.i.n. numbers were not stolen. but the bottom line is we're all at risk. your debit and credit purchases are as vulnerable as hackers are creative. >> that's something we definitely had to keep in mind. i know you also had breaking news for us. the long-awaited report on the secret service is now out. several agents soliciting prostitutes. what is the breaking news here? >> reporter: abc news received a copy of the report last night. the headline, while a large number of agents engaged in embarrassing behavior in colombia, the report found there was no such widespread sexual misconduct throughout the agency. the inspector-general examined 824 cases of employee misconduct between 2004 and 2013. among those, a handful of investigations found prostitution cases. they also surveyed more than 2,500 secret service employees. 83% of those said they were not aware of widespread sexual misconduct. but it's unclear how skeptics in congress will receive these findings. many believe colombia was an example of the culture of misconduct, robin. >> pierre, thank you. a shocking report on the military officer who commanded a critical part of america's nuclear arsenal. we learned that major general michael carey was relieved of command earlier this year, after his wild behavior on a trip to russia raised questions about possible breaches of national security. martha raddatz joins us from washington with the details. good morning, martha. >> reporter: good morning, george. this is a tale of out-of-control drinking, fraternizing until the wee hours with two suspicious foreign women in russia. and conduct that left his aides and colleagues stunned. this is an air force two-star general, who commanded our nation's arsenal of nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles. 450 of them and close to 10,000 people. the behavior began in zurich on the way to a security exercise in moscow. an inspector general's report said major general carey appeared drunk and was bragging loudly about the importance of his command. and how he, quote, saves the world from war every day. but he gets worse once he arrives in moscow. dancing, drinking, slurring his words. here are a few choice descriptions from staff. he was not totally coherent. and did not have all of his faculties. he needed assistance standing and was frequently rude to both his fellow delegates and to his russian hosts. in addition, he met two women, who the next day he described to colleagues as hot, george. >> that's some weekend. martha, that gentleman is still in the air force, even though he's been relieved of the nuclear commander duties. we'll wrap up all of the politics on "this week." let's get the top stories from josh. >> we're going to begin with a new case. the white house backtracking on obamacare. the administration now says it will allow the millions of people whose insurance was canceled because it didn't meet minimum standards to buy catastrophic coverage instead. instead of paying a penalty. the announcement comes as the monday deadline fast approaches. the last day you can enroll if you want coverage by january 1st. and health concerns for senate majority leader henry reid. the he checked himself into the hospital as a precaution. the spokesman not providing many details but medical tests show, quote, everything is normal, end quote. and a verdict has been reached in the trial involving nigella lawson. that put the spotlight on her drug use and assistants lavish spending. >> reporter: this morning nigella's former assistants have been found not guilty of swindling more than $1 million of nigella's and her former husband, multi millionaire charles saatchi's money. prosecutors arguing that they spent that without permission and guilty of a free-for-all. the sisters pleaded not guilty and their defense it was inconceivable nigella did not know about the spending. for three weeks this case has been gripping the nice with revealing and dramatic details. some of the explosive testimony throughout the trial was the sisters allegations sof her dru use. she said she used cocaine and ek smoed the odd joint. but the sisters said that was a lie claiming it was more frequent than that. when read in court, the sisters attorney said they were relieved and crying their eyes out. what next for nigella lawson? she's due to host abc's "the taste" in january. >> thank you for that. meanwhile lawson called the trial a ridiculous side show, saying she's disappointed but not surprised by the verdict. and the economy grew. thanks in part by consumer spending. and warren buffett made on average $37 million a day this year. yes, that's about 1.5 million dollars for every hour. and a school field trip would have ended in disaster if not for two teachers. the driver fell out of the seat and one driver grabbed the wheel while the driver was still in the way. another teacher jumped over him and slammed on the brakes. thankfully no one was hurt. and finally, if you like chicken wings -- >> who doesn't? >> -- there's a huge supply of them out there for you. it appears that mcdonald's may have overestimated the demand for wings during its fall promotion. the company has some 10 million pounds of wings leftover. >> i didn't know they had them. >> just sitting in freezers. as robin says, i didn't know they had them. that may speak to the issue. they have plenty of them still. >> give them to charity. >> yeah. >> food for thought. we're going to turn to the big win for ryan o'neal. a los angeles court has decided that he is the owner of this multimillion-dollar portrait of farrah fawcett. his longtime but often estranged love. >> reporter: after deliberating for 12 hours, an l.a. jury decided ryan o'neal can keep this warhol portrait of his late love, farrah fawcett. apparently, he's going to give it to their only child, redman. >> it's a great christmas gift, you know? >> reporter: one of the pair was painted by the master in 1980. o'neal claims warhol gave one to him and one to fawcett. but the university of texas at austin, of all places, took the "love story" star to court, to fight for it. fawcett, a "charlie's angel," left her art collection to u.t., her alma mater. they got one of the warhols, worth millions when she died in 2009. and then, someone noticed the other one hanging above o'neal's bed in malibu on his reality show, "ryan & tatum: the o'neals." the university sued. >> the only artwork she wanted at the university of texas is her artwork, which ironically l is in a basement or cat combs for the last three years. >> reporter: o'neal was in court for weeks. and one day, by fawcett's fellow "charlie's angel" jaclyn smith. >> i feel farrah would want that portrait with ryan. >> reporter: and the jury agreed, 9-3. >> we need to take a look at where we go from here. >> reporter: for "good morning america," nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> our thanks to nick. turning to medical news. and a spike in flu levels in parts of the country. health officials in the houston area are confirming six deaths from h1n1, commonly known as swine flu. orb chief health and medical editor, richard besser, is here to explain all of that. people hear those numbers and get concerned. >> it's coming. we're hearing from houston, six have died. there's more in hospitals that are critical ill. and it's not just houston. look at this map. all of these states. this is google flu trends. all of the states in orange, texas, louisiana, mississippi, alabama, georgia, they're having high levels of flu activity. flu tends to start in the south and spreads from there. and that's what we're see. >>s it ate holiday season. i have to tell you. >> people are hitting the airports, and families are traveling. what can we do to protect ourselves? >> the flu vaccine contains the strain. you want to get vaccinated. it's not too soon to do that. if you're sick, you want to stay home. if you have a cough, you want to cover the cough. there's nothing worse than sitting next to someone who is coughing on you. you might want to go with fist pumps rather than hand shakes. those things help reduce the spread of that flu. >> and who is more at risk? >> you get vaccinated to protect yourself. pregnant women, those people with chronic illnesses. the very young, the very old. those people would have a severe disease, more than a two-week illness. >> wash those hands. >> all the time. >> thanks so much, rich. good to see you. we're going to switch gears now. and all of you who saved your holiday shopping for the last minute, take heart. it's worth braving the crowds. because these final hours may offer the best deals. abc's rebecca jarvis has the details. >> reporter: last-minute shoppers rejoice. this might be the year that procrastinators reap big rewards. does it pay to procrastinate? >> it pays so well to procrastinate. or it pays less because you're going to save so much. >> reporter: according to shopper direct, tomorrow is the biggest spending day of the year, behind black friday. in-store sales are down slightly from last year. >> people are doing last-minute like me. and they need all the time they can get. >> reporter: the national retail federation says the final two weeks of the year can make up as much as 30% of holiday sales. there's so much at stake, retailers are doing everything they can to pull the stragglers into their stores. this year, more retailers are using social media to remind shoppers that the clock is ticking. and for online shoppers, many retailers are offering free shipping, along with last-minute deals and discounts, up to 60% off. and in the last stretch, major chains, staying open around the clock. while some consider the longer store hours a blessing, others already suffering discount fatigue. >> taking away christmas to me. it's not a christmas feel anymore. >> it's all money-based, unfortunately. that's what christmas has come to. all about the bottom line. >> reporter: and if you do shop late, that is late at night, when it's not so busy in the stores, ask a sales associate if they can give you additional discounts. chances are, you can get another 10% off. more than likely to do it if you ask nicely. >> never stop bargaining. >> never pays to be naughty, especially this time of the year. >> exactly. what do you have for us, ginger? >> demanding something. demand weather, maybe. i have a lot of rain. flood watches. no, it's not good for travel. let's go straight to the maps. i want to tell you how much rain we're talking about here. this is, again, over the weekend. the next 48 hours, through sunday. look at the big-time four-inch to five-inch zone. this is from parts of ohio through parts of kentucky. again, this is going to come some time flash, where the severe weather is. we're going to watch for the flood watches to stick around through your weekend. i want to hit on this. the mild, little gift for those folks that want it. new york city, to 67 by sunday. >> a lot of these numbers could end up being records. look at orlando, close to 90. that's like bikini time when you're going to see mickey at christmas. >> showing off. >> thank you, ginger. big questions about whether "duck dynasty" will go on, as the family rallies behind duck commander phil robertson. and shocking reversal of fortune for a husband found guilty for his wife's murder. why the judge overthrew the conviction. and mariah carey under fire right now. why the superstar is getting slammed for a recent performance. and remember this video. it went viral. she wanted to dance to beyonce before surgery, a mastectomy. she joins us live this morning. bringing her dancing shoes. can't wait for it all. >> come on. come on. come on. let's do gifts, no, let's do surprises. yes, yes, bingo. let's do confidence. let's do, how did you know? let's see what's in santa's bag, and nail it. let's do this. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, save 20 dollars on your choice of these ryobi combo kits. just 79 bucks. at famous footwear, we believe victory is more time loving the reaction and less time shopping for it. madden girl, nike and more at famous footwear. victory is yours. [ whistling wind ] don't worry, santa will find us. ♪ [ female announcer ] this christmas, light santa's way with the hallmark santa signal ornament. only available at hallmark gold crown stores. i have a cold with this annoying runny nose. [ sniffles ] i better take something. [ male announcer ] dayquil cold and flu doesn't treat all that. it doesn't? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms plus has a fast-acting antihistamine. oh, what a relief it is! in her favorite color? diamonds that capture her look, her style perfectly. kay jewelers presents the artistry diamonds collection. genuine diamonds, in vivid blues, greens, blacks, yellows and purples. and right now save up to 30% off artistry diamonds in a palette of colors at kay, the number one jewelry store in america. artistry diamonds. they're diamonds of a different color. ♪ every kiss begins with kay artistry diamonds. they're diamonds of a different color. ghirardelli squares peppermint bark.zvous ♪ rich chocolate layers and festive peppermint. a ghirardelli original. ♪ a little reward for all the things you do ♪ get them before they disappear. good morning. i'm eric thomas. the real shopping frenzy begins now with many retailers holding marathon hours staying open now through christmas eve. kohl's opened at 6:00 this morning and will stay open for 108 hours. toys r us will stay open for 87 straight hoursro sw morning. thanksgiving came late this year creating the shortest holiday retail season in more than a decade. can you get there from here? here's leyla gulen. >> absolutely. b.a.r.t. is going to provide extra police escorts as well at the san le an dro, west oakland and fruitvale stations today. no traffic out there. and westbound 80 an accident involving a big rig over to the shoulder right at 13. there is a bit of a delay thro good morning. it's up to 16 degrees cooler this morning in some spots. microclimate from 27 in santa rosa, 49 in san francisco, 35 in oakland, 39 at san jose. san ramon, 37. hopefully black ice won't be an issue there. the way it looks downtown, temperatures today anywhere exactly where they should be one to six degrees warmer. and watch the accuweather seven-day forecast, now, all the way through the 26th low to mid-60s, sunshine, dry and above average. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] get your taste of the season, at raley's, bel air, and nob hill. ♪ listening to mariah carey and watching the video by her. "all i want for christmas is you." one of the most popular christmas songs ever. and many people playing that this time of year. but the pop star is getting slammed right now for a recent performance. we'll get into that just ahead. that's quite a switch. >> it is friday. >> it's deejay friday. not just any friday. but deejay friday. >> are we clubbing? >> d.j. skribble. that's old-school. when you do that. no one does that anymore. d.j. skribble. we have questions about "duck dynasty," whether the show is going to go on as planned. the cast is rallying behind phil robertson, as a new video has come to light. that could draw a little fire for him. >> could just be beginning. we'll hear -- you remember the story -- the o.r. doctor. she is here in the gown. she was going in for a double-mastectomy of her own. you can see here, she wanted the power of positivity. cue beyonce. cue the dance party. and after being viewed by more than 7 million folks and counting, guess who is here, live to talk about it all. cannot wait to meet the good doctor. >> she has some great moves. >> she sure does. hey, is your home ready for the holidays? we have last-minute tips you need to make over your home instantly, before your friends and family arrive. we're running out of time, but we got you. >> sara haines to the rescue. right now, the latest on "duck dynasty" patriarch, phil robertson, who is making headlines for the comments he made that led to him being suspended indefinitely by a&e. now, his family is rallying behind him. the future of the show is in question. abc's matt gutman has their story. >> reporter: overnight, the stars of the a&e hit show "duck dynasty," said the duck stops here. >> in jesus i pray, amen. >> amen. >> reporter: the robertson family, threatening to walk away from the show, saying, as a family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm. weir in discussions with a&e to see what that means for the future of "duck dynasty." robertson has discussed controversial views before. here he is preaching in 2010. >> they are god-haters. >> reporter: a&e has no comment. but others across america are fighting for phil robertson, the patriarch of the most-watched unscripted cable show in history. the network suspended robertson indefinitely after his controversial comments to "gq." associating homosexuality with sin and gays into terrorists. robertson, who grew up in jim crow, louisiana discussed his view views on race. pre-entitlement, prewelfare, were you saying they were happy? they were godly. they were happy. no one was singing the blues. you might think his duck is cooked. but not so fast. on facebook, a fan page calling for the boycott of a&e until phil is reinstated, surged to over a million likes in just a day. and the supporters are big shots. sarah palin seen here with the "duck dynasty" guys, blasting his critics thursday as intolerants. and home state's governor, bobby jindal -- >> the left is tolerant of every viewpoint except for those that disagree with them. >> reporter: and the show's biggest sponsor, underarmour, is not cutting ties. when i visited, the family talked about the gospel of guns, family and faith. >> amen. >> reporter: the family that prays together, stays together on tv. >> amen. >> reporter: for "good morning america," matt gutman, abc news, new york. >> thanks to matt for that. we're going to turn to the stunning reversal of a murder case in wisconsin, where a federal judge has thrown out the conviction of a husband found guilty of murdering his wife. days before her death, she wrote a letter saying she feared her husband was planning to kill her. but the judge is ruling that the jury should have never seen that letter. linsey davis has the story. >> reporter: this morning, mark jensen could be one step closer to being a free man, after being sentenced to life in prison, for killing his 40-year-old wife with antifreeze back in 1998. earlier this week, a federal judge in wisconsin overturned his 2008 conviction, finding that jensen's constitutional rights were violated because he says a letter, written by jensen's deceased wife, julie jensen, before she died, shouldn't have been part of the trial. it's been described as a voice from the grave. a letter that julie jensen wrote and gave to her neighbors, telling them, if anything should ever happen to her, they should give it to police. less than one week later, julie was dead. but in the federal judge's 33-page order, he wrote that the letter had a substantial and injurious effect on the verdict. and that a reasonable jury could perhaps reach the same verdict in a trial free of constitutional error. from the beginning, jensen's attorneys argued the letter should not be admissible. that jensen's depressed wife took her own life and used the letter to frame him. >> the maker of the allegations was not able to be cross-examined. and that's where the trial went awry. >> reporter: the trial judge argued the letter should be presented to the jury, because it did not violate jensen's sixth amendment right to confront witnesses against him. the trial judge went on to explain that jensen forfeited that right because he was responsible for why the witness could not appear. >> without the words from the grave, this trial and the strength of the government's case, is dramatically different and dramatically lesser. >> reporter: the state now has 90 days to appeal this federal ruling. if it does not, jensen will be released. until then, he remains behind bars with his sentence to life in prison now uncertain. for "good morning america," linsey davis, abc news, new york. >> let's sort through this with abc's chief legal affairs anchor, dan abrams. dan, it may be maddening. but the idea this case could get overturn has some legal merit. >> this is the sort of ruling that makes people crazy. it makes people hate lawyers. this woman goes to friends, goes to the police and says, i'm warning you, my husband's going to kill me. she writes a letter where she details it. and now, we're saying that that letter can't be admitted into evidence? except the answer is that there may have been a mistake here in letting it in. why? because as the lawyer in that piece mentioned, you do have a right to confront your accuser. and she made an accusation here. this was effectively testimony. and as a result, the defense argues, we should have a right to cross-examine her. if we can't, it's classic, what we call hearsay. and as a result, not admissible. >> if you believe the prosecutor, she can't testify because the husband killed her. >> and that's what the prosecution argued in this case. there is an exception to the hearsay rule. if you're responsible. that's the ultimate question. was he responsible? if they'd been involved in some sort of litigation and suddenly, she couldn't show up in court, then that statement would be admissible. but here, the question is, was he responsible? and as a result, in particular because of a newer supreme court case, this federal judge is stepping in. this has gone all the way through the wisconsin state courts. now, a federal court is saying, the wisconsin courts got this all wrong. this never should have come in. it's a crucial piece of evidence because i think if this does not come in and he is retried, there's a chance he could get acquitted. >> wow. we have a lot more -- >> fascinating legal case. >> dan abrams, thanks very much. let's go to ginger with the weather. >> it is snowing in seattle. in the pacific northwest. that storm we've been talking about. let me show you the pictures. we got a live look from everett, just north of seattle, up on i-5. and the temperature, i'm telling you, has been a little cool. it's going to watch the storm come through. it's going to change to rain quickly. anything you get is going to change over to rain. you have a mix in portland. to the south, a little warmer. los angeles, san diego, both have flooding problems in some of the mountains. a little drier today. slightly warmer. but not warm. i wouldn't call it, certainly compared to the beginning of the week. and here it is, louisville, 59. very mild. >> and this weather report brought to you by walgreen's. i was going to point out the spring-like. and josh -- it needs a hyphen. >> i can't handle it. i can't do it. it drops me to my knee, i'm sorry. >> every time. >> hyphenate. mariah carey, under fire. why she's getting slammed for a recent concert. and a picasso worth $1 million. how a 25-year-old pennsylvanian got it by paying just $140. i wonder if they brake for yard sales? come on back. sales? come on back. >> i hope so. 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[ male announcer ] don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. i've got three important reasons to up my game with eliquis. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor today if eliquis is right for you. today we honor an email sent by rachel. unsubscribe! [ male announcer ] in honor of the important things you do this holiday season trouble understanding others on the phone due to a hearing loss? save up to $100 on any new phone visit sprintcaptel.com or call 877-805-5845. when you switch to sprint. back, now, at 7:43. we continue with mariah carey in the wrong kind of spotlight, taking money from a dictator that's allegedly ordered the deaths of journalists and activists. and this isn't the first time. abc's paul la farris has the story. >> reporter: for christmas this year, mariah carey is getting a stocking full of cash and a side of controversy. ♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> reporter: the pop sensation, on thin ice this morning after allegedly banking $1 million for a live performance in angola earlier this week. performing for angolan president jose eduardo dos santos, a man the human rights foundation called a corrupt tyrant. ed the human rights foundation now slamming the songstress for supporting one of africa's chief human rights violators. even circulating this pic, showing mariah with the dictator and his family. >> to anyone else, it would seem, why take that money? but then, to anyone else, you're not being offered a million dollars. >> reporter: it's not the diva's first brush with the dictator. five years ago, she performed for the family of libyan dictator moammar gadhafi. later apologizing saying, i feel horrible and embarrassed to have participated in this mess. in the past, other musicians, including 50 cent, usher and even beyonce, have also reportedly accepted lucrative gigs, performing for members of the gadhafi family. but later donated that money. ♪ happy birthday, mr. president ♪ >> reporter: that's jennifer lopez, back in july, singing directly to the president of turkmenistan, a country human rights watch calls one of the world's most repressed. she later apologized. this morning, critics are calling mariah's performance anything but heroic. now, when this all happened with the gadhafi family back in 2008, mariah said, quote, going forward, this is a lesson for all artists to learn from, end quote. we reached out to mariah's camp. and so far, lara, they are not commenting. ♪ and the "play of the day." somehow snoopy is spicing up christmas. peanuts! ♪ this is levian chocolate diamond jewelry. ♪ levian, masters of jewelry design for centuries is the only company on earth to make jewelry with chocolate diamonds. ♪ and jared is the only place where you'll find such an amazing levian selection. with styles you won't find anywhere else. ♪ levian. that's why he went to jared. ♪ and irresistible aroma of nescafe clasico stir what's inside of you. ♪ [ engine revving ] [ tires screech ] ♪ [ male announcer ] that was bold. real bold. ♪ before redeeming their bank of america travel rewards points on more than just flights for their recent trip to paradise. before they went to paradise and paid for the car rental, snorkeling, lava tour, and hulu lessons. the clarkes got the bankamericard travel rewards credit card -- the card that allows you to redeem points on just about anything travel related. that's the le'ale'a of travel rewards. apply online or visit a bank of america near you. ♪ i picked it out in a snap ♪ what made it genius ♪ was the camouflage wrap ♪ that's my kind of holiday ♪ last minute deals on toys and gifts. ♪ ♪ that's my holiday, ♪ that's my kind of holiday. ♪ wrap it up, pop, lock and shop, ♪ ♪ buyin' presents that i forgot. ♪ ♪ that's my holiday. right then. here's "the play of the day." >> normally this is a flash mob-free zone. >> normally. >> and a hard and fast one. "charlie brown christmas," the very-first primetime special ever produced about the beloved peanuts gang. take a look. >> all right. let's have quiet. places, everybody. schroeder, set the mood for the first scene. >> i love this. ♪ ♪ >> there he is. >> i love it. love it, love it, love it. thank you, thank you, thank you. >> i like the one in the middle. >> i like the one in the middle. the energy in one gallon of gas is also enough to keep your smartphone running for how long? 30 days? 300 days? 3,000 days? the answer is... 3,000 days. because of gasoline's high energy density, your car doesn't have to carry as much fuel compared to other energy sources. take the energy quiz. energy lives here. ♪ [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [do more than ever before with, all-new intuitit.ickbooks.doctor make any place your place of business with it. get paid faster with it. run payroll with it. sync this stuff with that stuff with it. make more time for what you love with it. turn on only what you need with it. sample from our smorgasbord of apps with it. take in the big picture with it. see your finances in a whole new way with it. this is your business on the all-new quickbooks. run with it. give me a second, pete. go. man's second best friend. brew the love. keurig. [ male announcer ] they are a glowing example of what it means to be the best. and at this special time of year, they shine even brighter. come to the winter event and get the mercedes-benz you've always wished for, now for an exceptional price. [ santa ] ho, ho, ho, ho! [ male announcer ] lease the 2014 e350 for $579 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. ...club...things... r cat foodt sending me coupons for cat food. i'm just not a coupon clipper. i buy what i want to buy. can i get a reward for that? [ brina ] something extra from raley's, bel air, yo. an you get something extra rewards... for buying the things i like. instant offers, points balance, right here on my smart phone. [ brina ] join today at raley's dotcom, or at your store. ...it rewards you... for being you. [ brina ] something extra -- now rewarding over 1 million members. good morning. i'm eric thomas. new this morning target is facing its first lawsuit for the security breach that may have left millions of customers exposed. the case was filed in san francisco yesterday just hours after a hack attack was revealed. many customers are complaining this morning about not being able to reach target's call centers or customer service. here's mike with the forecast. >> it took several hours yesterday. good morning everybody. winds are light and variable this morning. indicative of high pressure. check out the sunshine and warmer than average temperatures today. upper 50s to low 60s. we'll be in the low to mid-60s just about every day of your accuweather seven-day forecast. leyla. >> a fully engulfed truck fire at the tolls eastbound side of 580, richmond-san rafael bridge. a couple lanes blocked, chp headed out there as well as fire department. that could cause some slowing. but at the toll it is starting good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. five days until christmas. and we reveal the hottest gifts right now. what everyone is searching for. and how you can find them, too. and minutes before this doctor went in for her own surgery, she danced her heart out to beyonce. and now, more than 7 million people have joined with her. she's here, live, this morning with a very personal message about surviving. and thriving. and hello, oscar. the first look at your sizzle and the shenanigans ahead when ellen hosts the biggest night in the movies. as we say -- >> good morning, america. what a friday morning it is. we have our friend, buddy valastro. and here inside, the dance party is on. >> oh, yeah. i'll say. >> d.j. skribble because it is deejay friday. we'll explain why buddy is here. buddy has a very special surprise for a sweet, little girl later on. >> it was such a nice bunch. see all those guys light up just before we came on. breaking story, the nigella lawson trial. the verdict is in. all of the details about that. that just came in moments ago. also, so many shoppers scrambling for last-minute gifts. we track down the five most popular presents of the season. and how you can get them at the very best price until everybody else figures it out that they're the five most popular and then, you can't. >> everyone finished? >> no. >> by finished, if you mean -- >> i usually am. it's wrapped in october. but this year, not. >> you're usually really good about that. >> there's so many great deals to be had. that's what we're going to help you with. >> i have the world's best wife. she does all of it. my tradition, christmas eve day, i go out and get all of the kids' stuff. >> my dad used to do that. >> grabbing gifts. >> making procrastination a tradition. >> i love that idea. where is our secret santa today? now, and also on monday -- are we supposed to show it to you? >> no. that's a clue. >> okay. now, we're going to move it somewhere else. i thought that's where it was hiding. now, we're going to move it. everybody, watch. thank you. it's a group effort, right? you're going to have to look around, really quickly. if you look hard enough, though, you'll find him. and then on monday, we'll ask you to do a quick quiz about where santa was each day of our secret santa search. and you can win a gift card up to $500. >> going to get all of the rules on goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! first, let's get some news from josh. >> we're going to begin with breaking news you were discussing in a trial we have been following. the verdict in from the trial involving celebrity chef nigella lawson. two of her former assistants who were accused of stealing $1 million from her have just been acquitted. dan abrams has been watching closely. and your reaction to the verdict. >> not guilty is a surprising verdict for two former assistants of nigella lawson and her husband. accused of using the chef's credit cards to spend over $1 million on extravagant trips and personal expenses. the defense, that lawson had given them permission to use the credit cards, part of an effort to cover up her drug use. and whether she was just an occasional user of drugs or a regular user, became a crucial issue in this case. now, the sisters will be able to walk free. but nigella lawson will likely continue to feel the impact of this trial. josh? >> certainly. thank you for that, dan abrams. new details about the massive credit card data breach at target. up to 40 million credit and debit cards affected. the company has now hired a forensics firm to investigate the breach, concentrating on the processing centers that handles such data. among the questions that target wants answered, was this an inside job? the company reached out to customers in an e-mail overnight, meanwhile. many have complained about having trouble contacting the company for information. the white house, offering relief, now, for people who lost their health insurance because it didn't meet standards required by the new health care law. those people will now be allowed to buy simple, catastrophic coverage and won't have to pay a penalty. monday is the deadline to buy insurance that kicks in by january 1st. officials are now bracing for a surge of traffic on the obamacare website. even as the site still has security weaknesses. and a near disaster at the airport in tampa, florida. the pilot of the small aircraft you see here reported he was low on oil just before crashing next to a small pond. he just missed crashing into a nearby gas station. that obviously could have been catastrophic. police, though, managed to pull him from the flaming wreckage of the plane. and he is expected to be okay. and finally, a mysterious secret santa has been showing his generosity on the internet. this morning, he's been revealed. a woman on the social media site redit, got a card, signed bill. her jaw hit the floor. she got a travel book, a stuffed cow and learned a donation was made in her name to charity because the secret santa was bill gates. it's for a charity that gives cows, globally, to poor families who are in need. bill gates. >> how wonderful. >> can you imagine seeing his name? as secret santa? let's get weather from ginger zee. >> we have a birthday girl from florida. has those little things in her gloves. i love it. jazz hands with the lights. very nice. here i am, jacketless. it is a little too cool for this. we're going to be in the 60s in new york city by the end of the weekend. and look what starts tomorrow. winter. winter starts. officially. astronomically it begins tomorrow, just after noon eastern time. but you wouldn't know it on the east coast. what you would know is you have severe weather coming with the cold front. this is the threat of damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, northeastern texas to louisiana and arkansas. tomorrow, is the one i'm more concerned about. deep south, parts of mississippi. [ cheers and applause ] >> we have so many birthdays. this is harrison. it's his 8th birthday from indiana. what do you have to say? >> lara. >> thanks, guys. here's what's coming up on your "gma morning menu" -- in "pop news" ahead, how about a million-dollar picasso for $140. it really happened. we'll explain. also, where to get the best deals on the five hottest gifts this holiday season. and then, the wonderful video of the doctor dancing before her own operation. she's here with us live. and i do mean, alive. and celebrating. all that and so much more on "good morning america," here in times square. for realsies, ryan is a total hottie mchotterson. totesies. trouble understanding others on the phone [ male announcer ] in honor of the important things you do, due to a hearing loss? save up to $100 on any new phone visit sprintcaptel.com or call 877-805-5845. when you switch to sprint. at famous footwear, we believe ? victory is save up to $100 on any new phone more time loving the reaction and less time shopping for it. madden girl, nike and more at famous footwear. victory is yours. [ male announcer ] this holiday, don't get stuck at the corner of "oh! you got me something" and "oh...this is awkward." remember, walgreens has a great assortment of little somethings, and we're always nearby, so it's easy to get in and out. see you on your lunch break. swing by walgreens for lindt lindor truffles, hallmark cards, and more. plus most stores are open 'til midnight. here at the corner of happy and healthy. okay. out here busting some clusters. we're going to tell you exactly how to make over your home. one lucky family gets help from sara haines. go nowhere. ♪ our plan is in place. ♪ we've rigged up a trap to catch sight of his face. ♪ ♪ if only we could, just stay awake... ♪ ♪ could there be another way? and conventions, la vie est belle. la vie est belle, the new eau de parfum, lancôme. now at macy's, your fragrance destination. ♪ ♪ who cares what they say about me ♪ ♪ ain't gonna stop 'cause they tell me so ♪ how much do we love that woman right there? ellen degeneres and 1,000 tuxedo dancers. the first look at the road to oscar. she is going to be the host again. it looks like all kinds of fun, is headed our way with that woman at the helm. the oscars will be broadcast live on abc, sunday, march 2nd. >> she's so game. >> always into it. whatever she is doing, she's -- >> how fun would it be to have dancers behind you everywhere you go? >> i think it's fun for ellen to have dancers. everyone else -- >> i love when you see her show and everybody's dancing. >> oh, yeah. "pop news," everybody. good morning to you all. you guys remember a few months ago i told you about an online raffle. a charity raffle. $140, roughly was the ticket. and gives you the chance to win an original picasso from 1940 called "man with opera hat." we have a winner. he's 25 years old. pennsylvania resident jeffrey ganano. entered after reading about it online. just something to spruce up his living room. and it was his name that was called when the winner was announced in paris this week. the painting worth $1 million will spruce up his living room. he may lend it to a museum so others may enjoy it. 50,000 people entered to raise money for the ancient city george of tyre in lebanon. >> i'll use that on set. chuck norris -- remember jean-claude van damme did the truck spread. >> did the spread with the legs, yeah. >> chuck tried to top it. >> why? >> well, why not? you can try to raise the bar and the height. this is van damme. and this is chuck norris. on a jet, balancing 11 soldiers on his head. >> that's pretty funny. >> you win, chuck. >> advantage, chuck. >> lit up like christmas. >> very merry christmas. happy new year to you all. >> used, obviously, a little cgi help there. a hungarian animation firm spreading a little christmas cheer. >> cgi'd the lights. they just added the lights. >> the soldiers were on his head. >> clearly. finally, now's your chance to maybe purchase some amazing hollywood memorabilia. george, christmas idea? the auction house is selling, among other things, the lifeboat from "titanic," used to rescue rose. expected to go around $40,000. indy's whip from "indiana jones and the last crusade." $12,000 to $15,000. the dress worn by judy garland during wardrobe tests for "the wizard of oz." that's going to be $200,000. and how about this? michael keaton's batman clothes, from "batman returns" if you have around $60,000. that's all tomorrow. you last-minute gift buyers. >> or go to hard rock cafe and walk around. >> that's true. >> just an idea. >> always thinking. >> that's "pop news," everybody. it's a huge shopping weekend ahead. and everyone out for the last-minute christmas gifts don't have an idea what they're going to be looking for. becky worley's been running down the most popular gifts this holiday season. and she has some good tips on how to get the best deals. >> reporter: i analyzed the search data, the twitter trends. and what's gotten your attention at the mall. so, here's my hot list. gadgets are number one. the iphone 5c is normally $99. starting sunday, it's $30 at target and you get a $30 gift card. for tablets, the android nexus 7 is $179 at office depot. that's 50 bucks off. any deals out there on the ipad? the best deal is on the ipad mini at radio shack. you pay $299, regular price. but you get $100 gift card. we have two, new gaming consoles that just hit the market. the ps4 and the x-box one. but they're really hard to find. as of right this second, amazon and best buy have the x-box one. and the folks at walmart say they're getting a new shipment of ps4s this weekend. our hot gift number three, ugg boots. it was the most-searched fashion item over black friday. and no deals. i have researched for hours. zip. zero. zilch. even worse, the discounts i did find seem to be counterfeit. so, if the deal's too good to be true, don't trust it. now, puffer jackets are number four on my gift list. at american eagle, this one is just $35, down from $79. smokin' hot. let's talk about the kids. right now is the best time to get a deal on toys. hot gift number five, toys. walmart has lego deals like this helicopter rescue thing, just 47 bucks, 20% off. and toys "r" us has a singing, talking supergrover for $9.98 marked down 70%. final push this weekend, shoppers. get it done. for "good morning america," becky worley, abc news, san francisco. >> get it done. we have viewers and their go-to christmas gifts. mary holland tweeted, movie theater gift cards. everybody loves the movie. and julian bray, an iou. buy a present in new year's sales at 50% off. thinking there, julian bray. >> of course, it came from a guy. >> gift cards are great. sort of like a little empowering. >> i agree. all of my kids love getting them. gives them the power to choose what they want. moving on right now, christmas coming early for one lucky family. we are turning their home from instagram to instaglam. so many people posted photos on instagram, hoping their house would get picked for an instant makeover. abc's sara haines surprised the henrys and shows how you can get a makeover for your home in time for the holidays. >> reporter: meet the henry family from new jersey. ic holiday schedule, their home could use a little christmas cheer. >> unfortunately, we haven't been able to do it the way that we wanted to over the years. >> reporter: mom answered our call on instagram and posted some pictures in hopes of a magical makeover. we're going to go back inside. they have no idea we're still here. you ready? we're actually back and brought some friends because you're getting the instagram decoration makeover. come on in, guys. >> merry christmas. >> reporter: we have bob and courtney. and they're great interior designers. with the help of lowe's, you see this guy back here, they're going to makeover your house, inside and out. bye. the team got straight down to business, taking this home from a total holi-daze, to the holi-yays. you get salt. pour it in the glass jar. and you're going to take fake snow and spray it around the jar. then, we light the candle. and a little snow scene. popcorn garland. >> reporter: i love how you did the red and the green. >> this is our line from macy's. it's a gift to the family from robert and i. since these two kids are so amazing here, we took their artwork, sent it in to shutter fly and they send in photographs that you can use as wrapping paper. >> reporter: after a few final touches, the instaglam santa squad is done. >> oh, gosh. >> oh, my gosh. >> look at the pictures. >> look at the tree. >> i know. >> what are you feeling? >> christmas. >> a loss for words right now, actually. >> reporter: from instagram to instaglam. for "good morning america," sara haines, abc news, new jersey. >> well done. and so well deserved. we want to thank our sponsor, lowe's, for providing most of the decorations. and the team members for helping us decorate the family's home. >> that looks great. they were happy. not too much. perfect. perfect. we have been looking forward to sharing this with you because it captured the hearts of millions after this extraordinary video went viral. diagnosed with breast cancer, dr. deborah cohan decided she was going to face the surgery she needed to survive in her own very special way. go, girl. i just love to see her dance there. we're going to meet her in a moment. but first, who else, but amy robach, with her story. >> reporter: it was the unlikely dance party that took the internet by storm. ♪ the woman in the middle of it all, dr. deborah cohan, an ob-gyn mom of two, and now breast cancer patient. joyously shimmying to beyonce in the most unlikely of circumstances. just moments before her double-mastectomy. giving inspiration and hope to me, and so many women in the same situation. it had such an impact on me. it freed me in a way you can't imagine. >> i made the video for myself so i that would be able to watch myself dancing after surgery, when i wasn't able to dance. >> reporter: she asked her friends and family to dance, as well. so a virtual flash mob was born. why did you pick the song? >> it has an incredible beat and it's just great to dance to. >> reporter: deborah's video got millions of hits on youtube and even caught the eye of queen b. herself. saying deborah, you are awesome. and she sent a little something, too. we have a gift for you. >> oh, my goodness. >> reporter: two tickets to beyonce. i heard any woman who about to walk into that o.r., to watch your video first. >> i would love the message to be we don't have to let fear dictate and that we do have the power to take control over cancer. >> reporter: for "good morning america," amy robach, abc news, new york. >> everybody, let's welcome dr. deborah cohan, live with us. oh, my goodness. we've been looking forward to -- how are you doing? how do you feel? >> i feel great. yeah. i'm healing very quickly. dance helps. dance is my medicine. and i got up and started dancing right after surgery. and have not stopped dancing since. and that's helped me recover. >> tell us how it all got started. i love when people were talking to you, and you watched "soul train" like i did as a kid. >> yeah. that's how i learned to dance, watching "soul train." >> well, "soul train" worked out for you. >> this is something you wanted to do this before surgery. >> dance is my medicine. it's how i release tension. it's how i express my emotions. before going into surgery, i wanted to bring my full self. i knew i wanted to dance. i knew i wanted to connect with my surgeons before surgery. and have them understand me. and before i entrusted my body in their hands. and i wanted to connect with my community. and dance is the way that i connect. >> i were they? how were your colleagues? how were they in the o.r. with that? >> they were amazing. only a few of them knew that it was going to happen. and they went for it. i was more nervous about the dance than i was about my surgery. i had this vision that it was just going to be me dancing alone and kind of looking like a fool dancing around the operating room. but they got into it. >> there's a huge smile on your face. did you have any anesthesia yet? >> i didn't. that was one of the issues. when i asked permission. the anesthesiologist said we can't premedicate you if you do this. this is my premedication. i don't need any medicine. >> we have some medicine for you now. it's your birthday. >> yes. >> and we have a cake that we'd like to give you for your 45th birthday. happy birthday. [ applause ] >> thank you. >> there might be somebody who is facing surgery today. what's your message to them? >> my message, if you have breast cancer, any health condition, really, try to be positive. allow the fear to come in. but try not to let the fear dictate how you act, how you are. that's just one emotion. and you can allow joy to come in through your body, as well. >> and above all, dance. >> and dance. >> above all, dance. >> let's dance, everybody. >> let's go, robin. >> there we go. >> dancing with you. yeah. >> when in doubt, dance. now, you have george going. >> oh, yes. >> george, come on. >> everybody can dance. come on. good morning. i'm kristen sze. the lawyer for the family of an eighth grader declared brain dead will file for an injunction today to keep the girl on life support. her family wants to know why she went into cardiac arrest after a routine tonsillectomy at children's hospital oakland. the family met with childrens hospital administrators yesterday to ask for her medical records. an update on your morning commute this friday with leyla gulen. >> sorry to tell you we have a sigalert on the richmond-san rafael bridge on the tolls where we have the parkway offramp shut down due to a big truck fire there. all lanes are open but you can use castro street instead. we have backups extending from the north bay. we have a big-rig accident southbound 880 at high street starting to cause a bit of a delay. most of the traffic north ...club...things... r cat foodt sending me coupons for cat food. i'm just not a coupon clipper. i buy what i want to buy. can i get a reward for that? [ brina ] something extra from raley's, bel air, yo. an you get something extra rewards... for buying the things i like. instant offers, points balance, right here on my smart phone. [ brina ] join today at raley's dotcom, or at your store. ...it rewards you... for being you. [ brina ] something extra -- now rewarding over 1 million members. good morning. still freezing in concord at 32. everybody else in the mid to upper 30s until we get to san francisco at around 49 and 45 in fairfield. definitely cooler this morning, but as we head into the afternoon hours check out these temperatures. we're going to be at average, san francisco 58, redwood city 59d. but the upper 50s to low 60s for san jose, oakland, liver m, one to four degrees warmer and napa the warm spot, six degrees warmer than average. winter solstice tomorrow 9:11 in the morning. look at the ♪ there's the secret santa. and d.j. skribble in the studio this morning. i love that back there. >> great how they jumped in and danced. we need to say also that beyonce, she on her own, her team sent those tickets to them. so she could be there at the concert yet. also coming up, we have big star power ahead. the one, the only meryl streep on her new movie, "august: osage county." and david o. russell takes us behind the scenes of his new film, "american hustle." and leonardo dicaprio joins us on tuesday, about "the wolf of wall street." >> one great movie to another. be on the lookout, special "gma" secret santa. on monday, this coming monday, a quiz about where santa was each day. and the winner gets $500. to find out all of the information, go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! >> what did you say? >> goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! >> d.j. skribble helping us get in the holiday season. and now, working with the macy's believe campaign. write a letter and drop it into a believe mailbox at macy's around the country. for every stamped letter, macy's will donate 1 to make-a-wish. >> reporter: in march, katie began experiencing neurological symptoms, including a paralyzed tongue. her doctor's diagnose, cancer. >> it's surreal to hear that your kid has cancer. >> reporter: katie underwent nine rounds of painful chemotherapy. >> the chemo really tore her up. just a shock to see your daughter like that. >> reporter: friends, family and her fellow cheerleaders helped katie stay positive. along with one of her favorite activities, rainbow looms. >> it would keep her mind off of all of it. >> reporter: for her wish, katie dreamed of baking a cake with bud buddy. >> i want to invite you and your family to come and spend the day with me and my family. >> reporter: katie is overjoyed. days later, katie is at buddy's shop. together, they bake a cake. >> good girl. doing good. >> reporter: and katie plays a prank. >> that's really nice. what's up? katie, what did you do? >> reporter: just like on the show. >> high-five. >> reporter: and one special surprise for her family. >> katie, i got one surprise for your brother and sister. we have some sculptures of you guys, right? with her chemo completed, katie is cancer-free. looking forward to a future at sweet, as her special wish. >> thank you, chris. here is buddy right now. how are you? >> how are you doing? how are you? big hugs. i love it. well, you know we had a little surprise for your family yesterday. so, why don't we unveil it. what do you think? come check it out. >> come look at it. come on, guys. >> come check it out. >> so, we wanted to sculpt your brother and sister on a cake with you. and we wanted to just -- i had such an amazing time with katie. and i mean, look at the job she did, george. she's like a professional over there. >> perfect. was it fun? yeah. >> and working with make-a-wish touches my heart. they do so many great things for so many great families, like katie and her family. it's an honor and a privilege for me to be here. >> it touches all of us. and it touched one man over there, dad. what do you think? >> unbelievable. >> do you like it? >> it's fantastic. >> can barely speak. what do you guys think? how does it look? >> amazing. >> katie, i have a gift for you in the back. i told you i was going to give you all of the cake decorating stuff. you wanted your own little basket so you can do cake boss at home. all of the good that make-a-wish does, until you really see it, until you're there and you experience with the families, that money goes to such a good place because these kids deserve it so much. >> they do. and so much happiness. to see that smile. >> thank to everybody for their support. we love katie. and merry christmas to everyone. >> thank you, buddy. we want everybody at home to learn how they can send a letter to santa, as well at home. go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! and 900,000 has come in so far. there it is right. 897,858. let's get a final check of the weather with ginger. >> yeah. we're out here. a map that you guys brought me. what's your name? >> j.j. >> all of them came from dallas. >> texas. >> all of the places they have been. they're here in new york city, enjoying it. why didn't you go to west michigan this morning? west michigan having a tough time. they have freezing rain that happened. and it is like a skating rink. i'm seeing so many tweets about people, school closures from there to wisconsin, parts of illinois this morning, with all of that freezing rain. that's independent and different from the storm we were talking about. cars on the side of the road. saw real ice skates on roads. this low travels up the u.s. look at the ice in the center. a mix of snow and ice in the center. all snow in the area above that. and severe weather to the south of that. here's the record warmth. you came to the warm place on the map. baltimore gets to 70 by sunday. and look at jacksonville, florida, right there in the low 80s. >> you can tell it is holiday time out here, josh. everyone's very fired up to be in new york city. let's get in to you. it's opened up nationwide today. but "american hustle" has seven golden globe nominations, including two for the man to my left, david o. russell. the man who wrote and directed. we were talking about my trip with robin to rome when we met the pope. and what a magical thing it was to do. >> extremely magical. you were just telling me about -- we were just in rome, releasing -- introducing the film there. and i got to meet a great italian director who worked for fellini. and i felt right at home there. it felt electric. >> and the billboards are splashed all over the city. it's nice. >> yeah. >> interestingly, a golden globe nomination for the picture for best comedy. i wanted your take on the nomination. >> i make films about people. i would say i try for what duke ellington called, beyond category. i would never call "the fighter" a boxing movie. or "silver linings" a comedy. it's funny. it's heartbreaking. it's emotional. it's all those things. they can put it wherever they need to put it for people to come to see it. >> one called it a relationship comedy, a period piece and a satire. >> "it's a wonderful life" one of my favorite films, has a huge noir section. and romance. >> you came here this summer and we talked about the theme of reinvention. and this continues, you just mentioned, "the fighter" and "silver linings playbook" a trilogy. what's important to you? >> it's important for anybody who faced struggles. you have to reinvent yourself and faith and passion, in romance. that was the romance in "silver linings" and "the fighter." this has that with christian bale and amy adams and jennifer lawrence with bradley cooper, as well. >> i want to look at a bunch of them. take a look. >> he got the bureau to front $2 million for two days. we have the account. >> we meaning you and him? >> yeah, we did it. >> him? >> yeah, me and that guy. >> she showed me. >> you showed him? our thing? you did that without me? >> what are you going to do? >> do you blame me? >> you just mentioned, as you were watching, strong woman characters are everything to you. amy was here. what about her character? >> jennifer, as well. she's smart. i think she's smarter. i always say her character is the smartest person in the room. i don't mean to betray my sex. but i think women are smarter in men. they think in ways that men don't think. i love the way women mystify men and are ahead of them in many scenes. it started with melissa leo and the sisters in "the fighter." and continued with "silver lining." >> we talked with the actors. jennifer, amy, christian and bradley. they all talk about variations of what it is to work with you. and they use ideas like collaborate. there's a collective effort. that it's athletic. what is it to you to work with these actors? >> the trust of my actors is everything to me. we kind of have the all-star team from "the fighter," minus -- you can't have everybody. i wish we had mark wallburg from "the fighter" and "silver linings." their trust is everything. i go to their homes and i write for them. i aspire to create a role that's worthy of them. i have to deliver a role that has a huge heart. i want to see amy as raw as she's ever been and as glamorous as she's ever been. and as romantic. i want to see jennifer the same way. i want to give them every opportunity to show every emotion. we see a little bit of that in opera. there's a little opera that's very emotional. >> defying description makes a movie hard to describe. but, boy, does it make a great, great film. "american hustle" is it. >> i brought you the soundtrack. >> david o. russell. and again, "american hustle" opens nationwide today. don't miss it. coming up, another one not to miss. meryl streep. go nowhere. [ cheers and applause ] "august: osage county," the family drama that took broadway by storm when it opened in 2008. netting a pulitzer prize, five tony awards, including best play, is coming to the big screen this christmas. its cast includes oscar-winner meryl streep, julia roberts, who play a mother and daughter at odds over, well, just about everything. we're going to talk to meryl streep in just a moment. but first, let's take a look. >> you want her here? >> i have an indian in my house. >> you have a problem with indians, violet? >> don't want what to say to an indian. >> they're called native americans, mom. >> who decided that? >> why can't you call them what they want to be called? >> let's call the dinosaurs native americans while we're at it. >> please welcome meryl streep. i watched this the other night. >> yeah. >> whoa. it is so incredibly intense. that had to be just emotionally and physically taxing to do a role like this. >> it's a great, great play, made into a wonderful, wonderful screenplay. fantastic parts for everyone. but i wasn't sure i really wanted to enter that -- the house of pain that this -- my character lives in. >> how was that to take on that kind of role? >> there are aspects of it that were just really painful to imagine and to put myself in. and through. but i'm glad i did it, ultimately. >> well, you're getting rave reviews. and julia roberts talks about the fact that it's such an honor, as she put it, to work with you. and she had been looking forward to it. >> i had the amazing group of people around me. julia roberts, julianne and juliet. i had my family jewels. >> never thought of it like that. i see you year in and year out on the red carpet, the oscars. and you're a nervous wreck. how many times you've been here and you always say that it's very difficult for you to enjoy the moment, as many times as you have been nominated and you won. what is it about the oscars? >> i'm not a glamour puss. i will say that. i don't know how to be on the red carpet. i don't know how to be that thing. to fill the shoes and the whole thing. you know? >> and any holiday plans? any special family traditions that you can share before we go away? family sitting down? >> the family tradition is that i do all of the work. that's one that will probably continue. >> 35 years. you're doing something right, dear. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. >> "august: osage county" opens in new york and los angeles on december 27th. and nationwide january 5th. coming up, the cast of "a christmas story" the i have to change my outfit. change from my outfit with meryl streep. back, now, with a very special performance as we count down to christmas. we're thrilled to have the cast of "a christmas story" the musical, here with us. if you're in new york city you must see this. it runs through december 29th, at the theater at madison square garden. >> triple-dog dare you. >> well put, josh. now, performing a medley, here's the cast of "a christmas story" the musical. >> i can't believe it's almost here. >> santa's coming, boys. we got stuff and it's only 12 days away ♪ ♪ away we have to hurry up ♪ ♪ counting down to christmas day ♪ ♪ i tried real hard to be good this year ♪ ♪ but i made a mistake or two ♪ right, i lost my hat when i killed my cat ♪ ♪ far from the naughty list i would be fine with something ♪ ♪ something better than just a sweater for me ♪ ♪ we'll see somewhere hovering over indiana ♪ ♪ it's covered in wrap ♪ and can see ♪ somewhere hovering over indiana ♪ ♪ across the whole state straight to me ♪ ♪ it's coming around the hill curve around the mill ♪ ♪ through the branches on the tree ♪ ♪ in the field ♪ and can see it hope he hurries ♪ ♪ through the flurries ♪ santa get her pretty please ♪ he's somewhere hovering over indiana ♪ ♪ across the whole state across the whole state ♪ ♪ and straight to me ♪ ♪ hovering over indiana to me ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> merry christmas. new business owner, it would be one thing i've learned is my philosophy is real simple american express open forum is an on-line community, that helps our members connect and share ideas to make smart business decisions. if you mess up, fess up. be your partners best partner. we built it for our members, but it's open for everyone. there's not one way to do something. no details too small. american express open forum. this is what membership is. this is what membership does. everybody outside there. right here, we want to thank the cast and the crew of "a christmas story." >> and everyone with make-a-wish, as well. and do you have something you want to say, katie? >> have a great weekend, everyone. >> perfect. >> thanks to d.j. skribble, as well, for giving us a great deejay friday this weekend. there you go. >> perfect. have a good weekend. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] get your taste of the season, at raley's, bel air, and nob hill. we have breaking news in san francisco. streets are closed around jones in the tenderloin due to a fatal accident. police say a recology garbage truck struck and killed a pedestrian. >> this is where it's located. jones street at antonio street. so be aware of that. you might want to avoid the area. now for a look at our forecast, here's mike nicco. >> we'll talk temperatures near average here in san francisco, redwood city, 58, 59. everybody else above average. this is just the beginning of the cycle of warm weather. we'll have upper 50s to low 60s until you get to napa at 63. accuweather seven-day forecast sunshine, not a drop of rain and temperatures in the low to mid-60s well above average. leyla -- announcer: it's "live with kelly and michael." today, from the new film "american hustle," jeremy renner. plus, "catching fire" star lenny kravitz. and chef marc forgione completes our all-star chef's holiday home cooking week. all next on "live." [captioning made possible by isney-abc domestic television] announcer: now here are kelly ripa and michael strahan! [cheers and applause] ♪