Sue nammy, but that was canc cancelled. Shinzo abe visits pearl harbor, the first leader to visit the site of the astack. Those are our top stories on this monday, december 26th. From abc news, this is world news now. Good morning, everybody, on this monday morning. We are going to start with the shocking news, 2016 has taken another legend. This time, George Michael dead at the age of 53. Dyi dying of Heart Failure in his home in new england. Michael rose to fame as part of the duo what happens in the 80s before a solo career selling more than 100 million albums. Well look back with the bbc. Reporter burst into the scene in the early 1980. The duo had number one singles around the world and conquered china, and they were the first pop band to perform there. He loved fame, but never became used to it. Hip hop artist, thats what i dreamed of, what im still grateful for. But my god, i wished i coped with the other stuff the way other people do. I wish i was born with a suit of armor because i wasnt. Reporter hit the headlines for other reasons, stopped for a series of traffic offenses rs leading to a spell in jail, cautioned and fined for drugs possession and received treatment for drug addiction. In 2011, he suffered a life threatening bout of pneumonia while on tour in australia. It was unexplained, but not suspicious. The family said he died piecefully at home, called him a beloved son, brother, and friend. Of course, much more on George Michaels death ahead on Good Morning America. Carrie fisher treated in a los angeles hospital after suffering cardiac arrest during a flight from london friday. The mother tweeted yesterday that her dour is in stable condition, and shes thanking everyone for their prayers. Harrison ford and mark hammel send fisher well wishes. Donald trumps plans to shut down his Charitable Foundation hit a legal hurdle. Hes deinvolve solving the foundation to devoid appearance of don flikt, but new yorks attorney general says he cannot legally desolve. The foundation is under investigation in new york state. Hes accused of using Foundation Money to purchase a selfportrait. Overseas now, and the search for answers following the crash of a Russian Military jet. All 92 people on board are presumed dead after the plane krarked in the black sea. Abc has the latest. Reporter as mourners placed flowers in memory of the lost, recovery ships plucked fregment fragments from the black sea. A Russian Military plane took off sunday morning from the airport in sochi. Two minutes later, it crashed, taking 84 passengers and eight crew members into the wavings. By air, and by sea, more than 3,000 responders around the scene, recovering some bodies and fragments of the plane. The aircrafts flight recorders have no radio beacons making recovery difficult. Theres been no problems reported before the disaster, and the planes wreckage scattered over an area raising a factor of terrorism. Among the victims, 64 members of the ensemble, choir of the Russian Military. Putin declared monday a national day of mourning. Well conduct a thorough investigation, he said, doing everything to support the victims families. In sochi monday night, they paid respect, candles part of the darkness, but not the mystery of the doomed flight. Abc news, new york. North Carolina Police search for two suspects who allegedly shot seven people during a christmas party. Authorities say a fight started during the party attended by at least 250 people at a lodge. Witnesses say the gunmen wore ski masks opening fire and leaving the scene. None of the victims suffered life threatening injuries. The rocker in fair condition after being shot on christmas night in new york. The rapper whose name is Rollin Collins struck twice and crashed the vehicle into a parked car. Police are investigating the shooting. Collins made headlines this year after being charged with attempted murder for shooting at a new york concert in may. Persons in the midwest hit by Severe Weather on Christmas Day. Strong winds, a tornado hit the area near kearney. Gusty winds are expected to last through the morning. Heres a scene further north. Blizzard conditions making for dangerous driving in south and north dakota as well as montana. 15 inches of snow possible in the areas, and some parts of minnesota, freezing rain makes the roads slippery. Two interstates are closed because of Hazardous Conditions and flights delayed or cancelled over the weekend. Icy roads are a challenge in the northeast as the temperatures plunge overnight. Justin is tracking it all for us. Justin, good morning. Kendis, marcy, good morning to you. Theres ice throughout the morning time frame into the northeast, snow into the upper midwest, and another storm system into the northwest. South is quiet, but the Northern Tier of the states we have our hands full. Not talking about blizzard conditions, per se, more so into the afternoon, but some potential for wind and snow. Its slippery in northern, eastern narkorth dakota. Warmer temperatures will kick in, but no sun in the northwest. Its wet on the 5 with snow and higher terrains into the cascades. Thanks to justin. Whether its cold or not, the next story might send a chill up your spine. Observing the annual Christmas Day plunge into a lake. Wearing santa hats. Christmas themeded bathing suits. In the past years, they had to chip eye away in order to make the plunge, but this year was balmy, 8 degrees celsius. Thats not balmy. Improvement over having to chip through ice together. Absolutely. The translation, it was, you know, in the 40s or so. It was not that bad at all. Yeah. Still not looking good. Yeah. Exactly. Icy plunge. Coming up, ambitious 9yearold shows how to get help to those who are less fortunate. Hes leading the way on Good Morning America coat drive. Looking back at a fun assignment. Fun . Really . A python hunt in florida. Martha gets to see me squirm and run like a child. Thats just a normal day. Watching world news now. But its a really tight shirt. World news now weather brought to you by mucinex dm. Easy booger man. Take mucinex dm. Itll take care of your cough. Fine ill text you in 4 hours when your cough returns. One pill lasts 12 hours, so. Looks like im good all night ah david, please, listen. Still not coughing. Not fair you guys waffles are my favorite ah some cough medicines only last 4 hours. But just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. Start the relief. Ditch the misery. Lets end this. You fine but your passengers in your carsmell this. T smells eliminate odors youve gone noseblind to for up to 30 days with the febreze car vent clip break out the febreze, and [inhale exhale mnemonic] breathe happy. Take delsym, the 1 12hour uncontrolcough medicine. 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Fine ill text you in 4 hours when your cough returns. One pill lasts 12 hours, so. Looks like im good all night ah david, please, listen. Still not coughing. Not fair you guys waffles are my favorite ah some cough medicines only last 4 hours. But just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. Start the relief. Ditch the misery. Lets end this. Dancing the last christmas over the week. We were at my party. Absolutely. Yeah. One of the best christmas songs. It is. It is. Well, the pop music, of course, is reeling this morning, untimely death of George Michael, 53 years old. After rocking to the top of the charts, he continues as a successful solo artist, and in 2008 rkts chris interviewed michael for Good Morning America america. Reporter this day comes where you decide im going back to the u. S. Why . Because i was happy enough to. Its just a much more relaxed burden, and i think people have the ability to get happier as you get older. You told me to go up the back and when i got dr reporter idea of being back stage, whats it do for you . Being with them, warming up, but its more than that. My relationship with music has changed so much. You dont really appreciate where you are or what youve got until you get older and your friends and how tough life is, and then suddenly, you see the spirituality, not just the good fortune of being able to play music. None of this, even though i think the most important thing i do, even though they have one fantastic night concert, you give people music to use years when you write. You tie yourself more than one night. You tie yourself to big events in their lives. You tie yourself to their childhood, and their growing up, and its a real privilege, but from day one, i always knew not to take home with me. Such a good singer. Well be right back. World news now continues after this f march to the new year is on, but not without looking back at favorite moments of the pars year. Not my favorite moments, like that time i ran away from snakes, a lot of them. So lets go deep into the everglades to witness the complete destruction of, well, here you go. Point of no return. Reporter they grow more than 20 feet long and have been known to eat alligators whole. A possibility theres a snake around here . Yes, there is a good possibility. All right, then. Were on the hunt for the python, one the biggest, baddest snakes in the world, danger with every step. I really have no idea why i signed up for this. Jumped from a butterfly. Put your hand in there knowing there could be a snake down there . Could it bite you . It might. But ill be able to pull it out of there. All right. Tens of thousands of ser pants took over the florida everglades, terrorizing the would wild. Used to be millions of birds here, wading birds, but the snakes sit here quietly and wait on them. The birds going to lose every time. Firefighters say the woman found a seven foot python hiding underneath stacks of clothing. Well, we know theres a lot of missing cats in the neighborhood. Thats why bill booth, tampa firefighter, and snake hunter is here, one of over 800 people who come from across the country to compete in the python challenge. People are effect ily removing pythons. Reporter a month long contest to grab and trade in wild pythons for cold hard cash, dead or alive. They will be measured. Reporter the fish and Wildlife ConservationCommission Holds classes to show you how to do it. The cop test is open to anybody, and, i mean, anybody. How old is the kid thats out on the golf course . Hes 8. 8 years old looking for a python . Yeah. This is not his first rodeo. The crack team of python hunters are confident they can slither away with enough of the snakes to win the competition. Im riding shotgun at todays competition, but i have a confession, im terrified of snakes. Do you think they can sense fear . They probably do and probably be waiting for you. Funny. See him laying in the water. Heads up out of the water. To my luck, we didnt wait long. Got one. All right. Hold on. Oh, yeah. Oh, my god. There he is. Thats our python. These pros catch snakes alive with their bare hands. That was quick. No, no, no, no. This first time hunter armed with a pillow case and golf clubs. Like steve irwin back there as if you know what youre doing with the pythons. Right. A lot of people are doing this, never been python hunting before, i guess people, they want the challenge. They they, oh, a python in florida . Thats crazy. Lets find one. Is it dangerous . Could be, yeah. You dont have the experience to handle a big snake, youre going to be in a world of hurt. And by hurt, we mean, wrapped around and choked out, wrapped up, bitten. Shaking off the First Encounter with the new friend, bills team hey haha holy [ bleep ] haha two more. And another makes four. Oh, so excited. Still shaking. Very calm. Miley would probably like it too. You dont want to touch one . Not even the back end . Not at all. Every snake goes to the university of florida where they study them for environmental impact. Python is eating our wildlife. Without a healthy food chape, its not a healthy environment. They admit the number of snakes caught barely makes a difference, the competition brings attention todd problem. This is a serious issue. It brings the awareness to everyone in florida, the United States, and world of an invasive snake. . Much many toy surprise, theres not as much backlash to this. Even pita is okay with it as long as hunting is done by experts like bill and they are killed humanly. The Research Team all day long. Not moving much. Go down and open that up. Take them all up for a class picture now. Reach in the bag to get them out . No. Ooem not touching it. They bag 33 out of 106 total pythons caught including this 15 footer, putting them 8,000 in prize money. Not worth it. 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Most beautiful hair ever, with our strongest prov formula ever. Strong is beautiful. What was in front of you . My past. Its not supposed to happen in beverly hills. One kid all right. You know theres kwuf coat drives this time of year. Yes. One by Good Morning America. Yes. The big star on the gma coat drive is a fourth grader from new jersey. Our world news now coanchor diane macedo took a break from the coast, or maybe belize, to tell us. Amazing. About this kid. Heres the story. Reporter meet 9yearold max. Lets check the ones we should take today to the store. The new jersey 40 grader is on a mission for warm coats warm hearts drive, joining amy adams and among others. Theres some kids that dont even have coats, so i wanted to help people get more. He started making his boxes, designing them himself. I just put all of his photos on instagram and facebook and got so many responses. Its amazing. Reporter last holiday season, he created 170. This year, hes already beat that, making boxes for the local hair salon and his class at school. They have already wrangled 40 coats and counting. Bierington donations filled two carts. Donating is so seieasy. Bring it into our store, drop it in the box, and we care for the rest. Reporter they are gifting max another 100 coat r fizz his goal this year. So proud. Reporter perhaps the bigger gift, he got to meet a family who benefitted from the donations last year. Seeing that it actually came from a boy that a year older than my son, thats great. A young man. Reporter showing one act of kindness goes a long way. Merry christmas. Warms the heart, so does this. Youre shaping all the presents. I am. Nothing good in them. Seeing whats inside the stockings. I dont diane she gets gifts. Nice. Dont get to morning on world news now, the loss of George Michael. Iconic british singer died at age 53. Looking back at his rocketing rise to superstardom, and how he managed to push the envelope and how he dealt with the pressure of fame. Dangerous travel conditions as millions get set to return home. Blizzard conditions across the northern states. It spells disaster on the roadways. Many nismichigan, state of emergency as a staink hole threatens to swallow a neighborhoods. Its not the first time they faced this crisis. Christmas now in the rearview mirror, its time to change all those thoughts, but lets be honest, gifts received are going to have a round up of this seasons weirdest presents. Better have the gift receipts on this monday, december 26th. Its boxing day. From abc news, this is world news now. Good monday morning to you, everybody. On this boxes day, day after christmas. Hope you had a nice holiday. We begin the half hour with shocking death of George Michael, the grammy Award Winning britter singer who shot to fame in the 80s, passing away at just 53 years old. Received the word from michaels manager saying he died of Heart Failure in england on Christmas Day at home. The publicist adding he had not been ill. Michael started off as part of the duo wham before launching solo career like i want your sex, and he sold 100 million albums and made headlines for high profile runins with the law. Our insider joining us now by phone with the look back on his remarkable career. Br bruno, good morning, thank you for joining us this morning. Caller good morning, kendis. A stunning loss. You met him several times. Was it a shock to you . Caller a bookend e to a sad year in music, kendis. I met him several times, worked for the record label in the 80s and 90s, and mtv, and his successful comeback in 1996. A talented man. Its a sad day for the Music Indust