day before thanksgiving. garth

brooks is back with us with a special performacción de gracia special performance. here he is >> ♪ looking back on the memory of the dance we shared 'neath the stars above for a moment all the world was right yeah but how could i have known that you'd ever say good-bye? and now i'm glad i didn't know the way it all would end the way it all would go

our lives are better left to chance i could have missed the pain but i'd have had to miss the dance [cheering] holding you i held everything and for a moment wasn't i a king? but if i'd only known how the king would fall hey, who's to say? you know, i might have changed it all and now i'm glad i didn't know

the way it all would end the way it all would go our lives are better left to chance i could have missed the pain but i'd have had to miss the dance yes, my life it's better left to chance i could have missed the pain but i'd have had to miss the dance ♪ [cheering]

oprah: he's something. he's the go see garth at the encore theater at the wynn hotel in las by

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sleep well, on the wings of lunesta. females can be tough. >> there we go, we know that. rob, as you know -- love you, honey -- cooking thanksgiving dinner can be quite the adventure. some of you, fact is, probably will get burned doing it. >> quite literally. what is the best way to stay safe around the stove today? our elisabeth leamy went to the washington, d.c. fire training academy to get some very important answers. >> reporter: with engines standing by, a fully charged hose at the ready, and a firefighter in full protective gear, we prepared to cook.

>> we try to have absolutely everything in place, knowing that there's a potential for injury or even worse. >> reporter: first, we deliberately left some garlic bread under the broiler. with the oven door closed, smoke enough to set the alarm off. many people make the mistake of opening their oven and that's when there was enough oxygen to support actual flames. flames that licked at the potholders above. >> people let stuff hangover top. once they open it, they expose other combustibles to fire and spread the fire. >> reporter: combustibles can be your own clothes. our pajama tops burst into flames in 13 seconds. right there. here's what a grease fire did to a firefighter's own home in north carolina. and we saw firsthand how fast they burn when the one we started got a little out of hand. experts have tried for decades to stamp out dangerous ways of fighting them. >> don't throw flour on it.

flour is combustible and will explode. >> reporter: this michigan mother of five was preparing to throw flour on a grease fire when one of her sons did something even more dangerous, threw water on it. here's what happened. you see, water is heavier than oil. so it rushes to the bottom and sends the oil shooting up. a british public service announcement found a dramatic way to get the message across. >> whatever you do, don't throw water over the fire. the effects can be devastating. >> reporter: and there's one final hazard that most people haven't heard of. throwing frozen food in burning oil. you saw the don'ts. now the dos. if you have a small, and it has to be a small, grease fire, have oven mitts on hand but not too close to the stove. have a lid waiting.

all you do is slide that lid right over the fire, switch the burner off, and that should take care of it. but anything bigger, authorities urge you to get out, call 911, and let the fire department do their job. in washington, elisabeth leamy, abc news. >> some more visual evidence online, rob. you can just check it out online. >> those of you like me that like to deep fry turkey, go to youtube and type in deep fry turkey disaster. there's a really serious situation. those videos can point out how bad things can get. check that out and cook safely today, folks, for sure. we'll be right back with "the skinny." cccccccccccccccccccccccc

juicy stuff in this thanksgiving version. >> carve it up here, if you will. >> all right. >> heidi montag, the "hills" star, former "hills" star, says she's done going under the

knife. she doesn't want to deal with it anymore. during abc's primetime special that aired last night she said she would actually reduce her breast size if she could. not do any more injections. she just doesn't want to have surgery any more. let's listen to exactly what she had to say. >> sometimes i've wanted -- i wish i could just go back to the original heidi with nothing. i do not feel like i was prepared enough for this. i think that doctors should really walk you through all aspects of it. surgery's not glamorous. it almost risks everything. all my relationships. and myself. for -- for vanity. >> the heidi blames her plastic surgeon, dr. frank ryan, and actually accuses him of wanting to almost become a celebrity through all these surgeries that he performed on her. at one point, in one day, she had ten plastic surgeries. and she has some e-mails that they went back and forth with. and in some of them, the doctor apparently writes, "not sure if

you are following me on twitter but could you mention to your followers that they may want to follow me? my web guy keeps hounding me." he goes on to say, "can you wear some of my sporting gear?" on and on and on. >> he was wanting to get famous off her. >> that's what she says. she also says he kept offering her more injectables. botox and stuff like that. so she's the one that says that he's the one that was forcing her into all the plastic surgery. >> he has since passed away. that controversy will certainly live on. interesting. i feel bad for her now knowing that it was hollywood pressure against her through the doctor and all that. if you thought the kanye west/taylor swift debacle was over, apparently it's not. kanye was back doing a show on the lower east side and apparently got worked up again and decided to kind of spout off some more attacks -- apparently he apologized and atoned and all this, well, that's apparently gone. he now says that taylor never came to my defense in any interview and rode the waves and

rode -- take a listen to what he said. >> if you're a real audience, have no fear. say what the [ muted ] you want, do what you want, make what you want. >> all right, kanye. he goes on to say, again, taylor never came to my defense during an interview, basically saying she rode the wave of all the host of the stuff. also took a dig from matt lauer saying he felt exploited during that controversial interview. they played the vma video over him. he went on another rant here in new york opening up old wounds, not only with matt lauer, but also young taylor swift again. the drama does not end. >> he's got a new album he's push don't go. billy joel. of course, the author of "the piano man," "uptown girl," famous songs, "new york state of mind." he had two hip replacement surgeries. he's apparently doing well.

but he's 61 years old and his hips needed something. >> piano man getting up there. he's a little bit up. [ female announcer ] swiffer sweeper is 2 in 1. it sweeps and it mops. your old broom just can't compare. [ funny voice ] hey, broom! wanna sweep and mop like swiffer sweeper? then try the mop club for brooms! designed to look natural, even when wet. ♪ [ female announcer ] sorry, broom, but swiffer sweeper's electrostatic dry cloths attract and lock more dirt than a broom.

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sleep well, on the wings of lunesta. >>tailers wi today on abc news, retailers will try to get a jump start on black friday by opening their doors today. stores like old navy and banana republic will be open for business on this thanksgiving and offer something huge discounts to shoppers. and when the tryptophan from all that turkey makes you sleepy there's plenty of football on tv to watch. the nfl features three games today including the defending super bowl champion new orleans saints taking on the cowgirls in dallas. and it wouldn't be thanksgiving, of course, without the macy's thanksgiving day parade. more than 60 balloons will march in this year's event, including a few new characters. fire it up. >> oh, man. black and gold. oh, man, whatever. for those interested in the parade the question is how do

they get all those giant balloons ready to fly? >> it all happens up the street from our studio up here. our new york affiliate wabc watched it all happen. >> the parade is going to start at 9:00 a.m. i think you should get there a little earlier than 9:00 a.m. to get a seat. >> reporter: tens of thousands of spectators young and old are getting a look at the balloons as they begin to take shape. this is the annual inflation, where snoopy, ronnie -- >> ronald mcdonald, this is his second year. >> reporter: and friends attract people of all ages. >> i like sponge bob. >> my favorite is like the energizer bunny. >> reporter: many see this as the unofficial start of the holidays. >> happy thanksgiving. >> reporter: this year the parade will include a lot of the old favorites. there are a few new balloons as well. kung fu panda, diary of a wimpy kid. even with the new additions parade organizers say they stick with what's worked for decades. >> people like to see things

they're familiar with, they like to see things they're comfortable with. >> reporter: getting these characters airborne takes a lot of work. >> beautiful. >> reporter: and everything has to be just right. >> it's a feel and a touch. it's not something you can learn in any class, it's something that we teach on the job. >> reporter: by now the job is done. so in a matter of hours, the balloons will begin to march through the streets of the city. >> happy thanksgiving, new york city! >> reporter: organizers expect about 3 million people to line the parade route. abc news, new york. >> my wife and i went up there, we saw the balloons being blown up. tons of kids. so many people. and it was so much fun. the barricades, it took about an hour just to get into the little line that you needed -- >> hello. those are two new floats this year, looking good in new york city.

>> i can't wait for those puppies to try to make it down seventh aa flight to hawaiiaqaqk

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homeward bound. as millions head home for thanksgiving, are delays slowing down theirrney? homeward bound. as millions head home for thanksgiving, are delays slowing down their journey? then, home for the holidays with the obamas. the first lady confides to our barbara walters how she really feels about life in the spotlight. >> is there ever a moment when you say to yourself, one term is enough? >> hah. >> "insomniac kitchen." >> they're going to end up with wonderfully cooked breasts and wonderfully cooked legs which everyone wants on thanksgiving. >> we turn up the heat on the traditional thanksgiving turkey. it's thursday, november 25th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> are you a breast man or a leg man?

>> it's all succulent on this day. it's thanksgiving. tasty treats abound. >> that's a very good answer, very nice. >> it is a festive atmosphere. >> it is, always. >> for your thanksgiving. good thanksgiving morning to all of you. i'm mike marusarz in for vinita nair. >> i'm rob nelson. it as soggy and slippery mess across much of the country this morning. >> if you need to drive to get to your thanksgiving meal, we'll have to tell you to take ate little bit slow. whether you're on the east coast or the west. we're joined now by acuweather's ava dinges. >> good morning, mike and rob. it is chilly across the western two-thirds of the nation, but at least in the northwest things can't get any worse. we're up to 13 degrees in helena by the afternoon. 20 in billings and cheyenne. up to 28 for their high temp. cold weather continues to overtake the western half and high pressure dominating. we'll see an icy mix move into seattle as we head later into the day. the concern in the southwest for

travelers is going to be the santa ana winds. anywhere in the passes outside of los angeles, even san diego, some gusts could be as high as 60 miles per hour. and for the northeast we also have problems. across the i-80 corridor we're going to see icy conditions early in the day, even into upstate new york. then turning into rain as we progress throughout the day, the rain moving into new york city by the afternoon. cold air plunging in behind this. this is going to turn back into an icy mix anywhere from missouri into even ohio, causing headaches into black friday for any early birds out there in the morning hours. now back to you, mike and rob. >> ava, thank you. here's the rest of your holiday forecast. windy with snow and sleet across northern minnesota and north dakota. flash flooding, gusty winds and isolated tornados in parts of tennessee, arkansas, and east texas. record lows from san francisco to l.a. >> 54 in sacramento. 24 in boise. a wet 40 in seattle. fargo only gets up to 11 degrees. 15 in minneapolis. 35 in kansas city. mostly 40s in the northeast. 69 in atlanta.

79 in the big easy. well, there was little turbulence for the millions who traveled by air this holiday. that planned opt-out protest never got off the ground. sharyn alfonsi reports from new york. >> reporter: across the country, millions of passengers didn't let this stand in the way of this. those fiery calls for passengers to opt out of the new full-body scans fizzled. >> this is one of the easiest, quickest travel days i've ever had. >> i'm not in agreement with the pat-downs but i don't think this is the day before the holidays when everybody's traveling that we need to make our stance. >> reporter: opt-out organizers encouraged passengers to refuse to go through those new scanners because they're too intrusive and demand a more time-consuming pat-down. for the more than 2 million passengers who flew today, only a few opted out. in l.a. this woman wore a bikini through security. in d.c., this protester's placard set off an argument. >> we still have the right to

fly or not fly. >> reporter: in phoenix and atlanta, other protesters showed up with signs. but in a few cities, passengers delivered their own messages of support. >> it's not the time or the place to stop people from enjoying the holidays. >> reporter: it didn't seem to stop anyone. >> compared to thanksgivings of years past, this year's actually going really well. security wait times are usually between 10 and 20 minutes, which is pretty standard on average and pretty good for thanksgiving. >> reporter: high winds caused some delays around new york, and now the storm that blanketed seattle earlier in the week is making its way through the midwest. and then there were the delays no one saw coming. on the busiest travel day of the year, spirit airlines reservation system crashed. >> an hour and 40 minutes. and it is what it is. welcome to thanksgiving travel. >> reporter: some travelers just tried to avoid it all and drive instead. but it wasn't exactly easy going for everyone. outside of boston, there was a backup that stretched 30 miles.

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. the head of the tsa says there is no specific intelligence indicating a terror threat to the u.s. during the thanksgiving holiday. john pistole says intelligence in the past suggested al qaeda and affiliated groups are attracted to uniquely american holidays, but again, there is no specific threat this week. north korea is threatening more retaliation this morning if south korea goes through with what the north calls reckless military provocations. south korea's president is vowing to boost security around the island near the site of the north's artillery attack on tuesday. alex marquardt reports. >> reporter: south korean rescuers found the burned bodies of two islanders killed in the north korean shelling attacks. the tiny island of yo

the shelling also killed two south korean marines and wounded nearly 20 people. the bombs fell right behind me, this man said. words cannot describe what happened. the island's evacuees streamed into the port city of incheon after spending the night in underground shelters. embracing family members and telling harrowing tales of chaos. i knew it was not another exercise, this evacuee said. i decided to run, and i did. yeonpyeong island looked like a war zone with destroyed buildings. smoldering structures and smashed windows. as south korean troops remain on high alert, president obama says he's watching the latest fighting between north and south korea carefully, telling abc's barbara walters in an exclusive interview that the u.s. is urging the north koreans to stop their attacks. >> this is a -- just one more provocative incident in the series that we've seen over the last several months. >> reporter: helping to build up pressure, the u.s. is sending the carrier "uss george washington" with its 75 fighter jets to war exercises with south korea late this weekend. the exercises have been described as defensive.

meant to highlight what president obama has called standing shoulder to shoulder with south korea. the exercises will take place behind me out in the yellow sea. north korea says military exercises by the south are driving the peninsula to the brink of war. alex marquardt, abc news, incheon, south korea. staying with the news overseas, thousands of angry british students swarmed the streets of london and other major cities furious over the government's plans to triple university tuition fees. the protest was loud but mostly peaceful. police say they arrested more than a dozen people for vandalism and violence disorders. former house majority leader tom delay, nicknamed "the hammer," has been nailed. a texas jury has convicted delay of money laundering and he's facing life in prison. reporter kevin quinn of ktrk in houston has the details. >> reporter: tom delay and his attorney left the courtroom stunned. >> i don't blame anybody. this is an abuse of power.

it's a miscarriage of justice. and i still maintain that i am innocent. >> reporter: the former house majority leader and sugarland congressman calls this the criminalization of politics. his attorney vows an appeal. >> to say i'm shocked would be an understatement. this is a terrible miscarriage of justice. >> reporter: the verdict comes eight years after the crime. prosecutors said he funneled nearly $200,000 of corporate contributions through his political action committee to texas legislative candidates. >> swaps, end runs around contributions are prohibited, that's all there is to it. >> reporter: prosecutors admitted their case was circumstantial, but in the end, it was the entirety of the evidence against tom delay that

said where there's smoke, there's fire. >> by the time the trial ended, they could see more than smoke. there was a lot of fire involved in this evidence. >> reporter: now "the hammer" as he was known in congress for his tenacity and ability to make people see things his way promises the fight isn't over. >> it is what it and is we will carry on. and maybe we can get it before people that understand the law. >> reporter: delay pledges an appeal. technically he could be sent to prison for the rest of his life. prosecutors though won't say if they will seek prison time. sentencing now set for december 20th. in austin, kevin quinn for abc news. well, it has already laid claim to 500 million users. it's now a step of way of taking ownership of a word we use just about every day. >> facebook has moved closer to trade marking the word "face." it doesn't mean the social networking giant will be able to stop anyone from using the word. >> if the trademark is approved it would only apply to online chatting, electronic bulletin boards and other communication services. facebook literally wants to own

the word. >> next up, capture the universe! mark zuckerberg will take over the world! >> more after this, everybody. keep your "face" right here. [ male announcer ] if you think you can only charge your things

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while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, ininuding risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a $0 co-pay at lunesta.com. sleep well, on the wings of lunesta.

[ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol to advil. to learn more and get your special offer, go to takeadvil.com. take action. take advil. when she's done with her thanksgiving dinner, f lady when she's done with her thanksgiving dinner, first lady michelle obama can get ready to receive the white house christmas tree tomorrow. >> nearly two years into her husband's first term, we're hearing what mrs. obama thinks about a possible second term. barbara walters sat down with the first family. >> after your husband lost the democratic primary campaign for congress in 2000, you wanted him to give up politics. >> oh, yes. >> you talked about it openly. it affected your marriage. you wanted him to get out of it. is there ever a moment when you say to yourself, one term is enough?

>> hn mm. you know, i think that it's important for him to finish what he started. any ambivalence that i felt was all personal. it was all the sacrifice that this life requires of one's family. but if i had to pick the man i'd want to be in politics, the kind of person that we seek out in this country, somebody who's honest and sincere and smart as a whip, he would be the person that i would pick. and that's always been why i followed him into these escapades is because i would feel guilty to think that because of me, that somebody like him didn't do what this country needed. and i still feel that way. and i'll feel that way until the job is done. but that's up to the american people. >> you're reminded so often of

the sacrifices any family in the white house makes. it's never a vacation, never a real holiday for them at all. >> personally very difficult. the barbara walters special, "a thanksgiving visit with president and mrs. obama," airs here on abc tomorrow night at 10:00 eastern. >> we'll be right back.

welcome back to welcome back to "insomniac kitchen" where this year on thanksgiving we are showing you how to make the perfect thanksgiving bird. this way you end up with perfect breasts and you end up with perfect legs. >> that's right. >> executive chef john chassis, thank you for letting us be here. absolutely gorgeous location. >> thank you very much, vinita. we're glad to have you. we're here at rockefeller center and we have the christmas tree coming. have a wonderful ice skating rink outside. just a really great oasis for

someone to come and enjoy a lunch at the bar or bring a group of friends and enjoy dinner or lunch any time. >> let's start off. you got this one. this is a huge bird. >> this is an 18-pound bird. i could say you could easily feed 10 people off this bird for a couple of days. i removed the bottom part of the bird. the legs and the tail bone from the carcass itself. which allows us to cook our legs a bit longer than we would the breast. the breast may take about 45 more additional minutes. >> let's get going. i guess we start off with seasoning i'm guessing? >> i think the biggest mistake, or the difference i should say from home-cooked and professional restaurateur grade, is the amount of salt you actually put on something. >> that's a lot. >> a fair amount of salt. it's a big bird, we've got 18 pounds here, to soak in and season up. again with the pepper, the same way. we'll get a good couple of shakes of pepper on there. >> should i flip these over and

season the back of them? >> lots and lots of pepper. we'll do the same thing for the breast here. >> okay. >> we'll get some good pepper inside. again with the salt. don't be afraid of the salt inside. >> i want to show folks at home so they can see, you're basically pouring it into the carcass. >> a good amount of salt in the carcass. we'll drop our veggies in there too which is nice. and a touch of thyme. i'll put the thyme in on the other side. >> it would seem between the carcass and this we've probably gone through one-quarter of a cup of salt? >> by the time we're done we'll probably get through one-quarter of a cup. the last thing we do is drop the butter, nice massage of butter on. putting you to work today. >> god forbid we use ground pepper, right? go ahead and grab a spoon of butter. >> is there any technique for this? or just sort of get it on there? >> just kind of spread it out evenly. put it on the sides. >> getting a nice massage, this bird.

>> there's the little space here. >> this is where the neck was, obviously. >> yes, the neck comes out. in between the breasts there's a cavity where the wish bone is. we'll throw a little thyme in there. i've got some wonderful carrots and parsnips. a little best onion and celery. basic root vegetables. i have the turkey indian style here. the legs and prop this guy on top. >> all one pot? >> all one pot, nice and ready to go. then when the turkey is cooked, we'll pull the breast out and leave the legs in. >> so now it's time for the oven. >> that's it. we can put it in the oven. i like to cook the bird about 375 degrees about the first 40 minutes, then down to 325 until it's finished, about 2 1/2 hours. it's been about an hour and a half so far. >> i'm ready to see, i'm excited. i'm ready to see the butter all golden. >> we based it halfway through.

put a little more butter on there, got it nice and crispy. we'll check the temperature to make sure we're at 165. yeah, we're just there. we let the bird rest. while it's resting we'll continue to cook these legs. because i know the legs are going to need a little bit more time. so very carefully, because the bird is hot, we'll get our fork in there. and just transfer it to a plate. we won't mess with it at all, we'll just let it sit there and relax. in the meantime, we'll drop these legs back in there. >> the legs take about how much time left to go? >> we've got about 45 more minutes on the legs themselves. make sure nothing's sticking and we're good to go. our legs are popping, crispy -- we don't want to overcook them but they're done. let's take them out. there we go. beautiful. >> the smell, yeah.

you can see the juices dripped down onto the vegetables too. >> save that just, put it in our gravy, and we are ready for thanksgiving. >> now we have our beautiful bird out. >> yes, our bird is rested, ready to go. i think we should taste a few. >> how long is the resting period? >> it took about 45 minutes for the legs to continue to cook. so the breast is well-rested. and i let the legs rest about 15 minutes. after we pulled this out of the often. everything is pretty warm. >> that looks great. mm! all that salt, you can really actually taste it. >> did we get enough salt? normally you never taste it on the bird. this is absolutely a wonderful recipe. i think like you said the benefit of this one is you're going to end up with wonderfully cooked breasts and wonderfully cooked legs, which everyone wants, a succulent taste on thanksgiving. >> thanks if your racing thoughts keep you awake...

sleep is here, on the wings of lunesta. and if you wake up often in the middle of the night... rest is here, on the wings of lunesta. lunesta helps you fall asleep and stay asleep, so you can wake up feeling rested. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a $0 co-pay at lunesta.com.

sleep well, on the wings of lunesta.

"world news now" delivers "world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> you'll be able to detect the theme very early here. the thanksgiving edition of "morning papers." >> we're talking turkey. and a couple lived in new york for a while and decided to move outside of the city to a farm, two acres. marstens mills. they decided they were going to raise everything they ate. so basically they only eat what they raise. and that includes turkeys. so they raise these turkeys from birth, and then they kill them for thanksgiving. and it was a little bit emotional is what the wife said there for a while. but they did it. still, within a half hour they took the feathers off, plucked it, gutted it, cleaned it, and it looked like something you'd find on the shelf. >> all done out of love.

>> or hunger. they also eat road kill. >> oh! oh, all right. >> two secrets to eating road kill. first, only eat animals that are struck, not run over. >> oh, all right. picky, huh? >> second of all, you've got to eat it quickly. they said bacteria -- not skunks, though. >> charming couple. come and get it! yummy, yummy. sometimes on the show we have college crowd watching. they're on break this week. it is possible to cook. in the "washington post," this is the story. it is possible to cook a thanksgiving meal in your dorm room, including microwaving a turkey. you can actually microwave a turkey. there's an interesting blog and article in the "washington post." they made a full, what you'd expect, like a traditional thanksgiving meal, all in the dorm, all through the microwave. all you needed was a $10 meat thermometer from target to make sure the meat was cooked. >> what year is that microwave? >> that was the first microwave ever made. apparently it was effective for their meal.

if you're out there watching the college crowd and you can't get home for whatever reason, go to ""the washington post"," check out that story for what you can do in your tiny dorm room. >> you know things are bound to go bad sometimes when you have a holiday feast and you're trying to put everything together. the "new sentinel," five readers share their favorite horrific stories about what happened on their thanksgiving meal. this couple was cooking. they heard the 3-year-old son say, hot, mommy! she says, yes, this is hot. not turning around. still tending to the dinner. and she finally turned around to realize that the candle had fallen on the table and started a fire on the table. and the 3-year-old child was saying, mommy, hot. >> this is my favorite one too. as the hour came to take the pie out of the oven i gathered my mitts, opened the oven door, and lo and behold directly on top of my beautiful smelling pecan pie was a baked mouse. >> was that in new york? >> most likely, too. have a good one, everybody. be safsapphire preferred from ce

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heading home. what millions of americans are saying about the tightened security at the nation's airports. >> i'm not in agreement with the pat-downs but i don't think this is the day to make our stand. >> but is it slowing down holiday travel? then, talking turkey. our butterball expert is back, answering some of your last-minute turkey questions. and, thanksgiving miracle. the baby boy who touched millions and is giving a family so much to be thankful for today. it's thursday, november 25th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> you're back doing gobble impressions? just like that? >> i'm going to save it for a little bit later. it is thanksgiving, turkey day. >> happy thanksgiving, turkey day is finally here. that's why we're going casual today. no jackets, we're chilling for

the holiday. >> a little bit relaxed. probably will ditch the tie before we head into the kitchen at some point later today. to cook the big feast. >> all that cooking, yes indeed. good morning, everybody. happy thanksgiving, of course. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm mike marusarz. vinita nair is off for a couple of days. for millions of americans now safely at their destinations, it is truly a day to give thanks. >> air travel on this busiest travel day of the year actually went pretty smoothly. that big opt-out protest we've been talking about for the last few days, that was pretty much a bust. john hendren is joining us from reagan national with the latest details. hi, john. >> reporter: good morning, rob and mike. you can call it the protest that wasn't. in the end, few americans decided to opt in to national opt-out day. the campaign to get americans to opt out of those full-body scanners some people say are too invasive, and opt in for pat-downs. >> i'm not in agreement with the pat-downs but i don't think this is the day before the holidays when everybody's traveling that we need to make our stand. >> reporter: the idea was to

cause delays and make a point to the tsa. but across the nation those scanners were humming. >> compared to thanksgivings of years past, this year's actually gone really well. security wait times are usually between 10 and 20 minutes, which is pretty standard on an average day and pretty good for thanksgiving. >> i didn't know what those body scanners were. but i chose to do it because i didn't want to opt out. i didn't want to really cause a fuss. >> reporter: in detroit travelers left a thank you note. demonstrators drew looks but not delays. at l.a.x., one woman wore a bikini to protest the searches. >> if they want to try and see what i've got hidden in my bikini, they're welcome to. >> reporter: some passengers who tried to avoid delays by driving ran into bigger problems. outside washington, there was a 20-mile backup on i-95. near boston, it was even worse. this doesn't mean everybody's okay with those new tsa procedures. but travel experts say americans who travel on holidays buy their tickets well in advance and few are willing to jeopardize their travel plans to make a point.

rob and mike? >> all right, john, thanks. say good-bye to those orange, yellow and red terror alerts. homeland security is looking to get rid of the color-coded warnings in favor of something a little bit simpler. one option now in consideration is to go to two threat levels instead of five. those levels would be elevated and imminent. critics say the color codes were simply a little too vague to be useful. the eastern part of the country is now bearing the brunt of the deadly storm that buried parts of the west. >> it's not coming in the form of heavy snow, but it's a nasty mix that could make your ride to thanksgiving dinner a pretty treacherous one. accuweather's ava dinges joins us with more. hi, ava. >> good morning, mike and rob. it's been a wild start to this holiday across much of the nation. now it's the turn for the northeast. we are going to see wet weather build in throughout thanksgiving. the temperatures are actually below freezing to start off the day across central pennsylvania, even into upstate new york. as this rain moves in, it's going to come in as a wintry mix, making for some slippery travels along i-80, even the new york state thruway.

fortunately as we go throughout the rest of the day this will change over to all rain. a very chilly rain moving into new york city by the afternoon and eventually into boston as we head into the overnight. it's still quite warm in the southeast. and we're going to see at least a little bit of sunshine across some of the gulf coast states. much colder air is pulling in behind this and we'll see a general area of rain from ohio into arkansas. some of that very heavy across the mississippi river valley. flash flooding may be even a concern as we go throughout the day. then temperatures continue to drop down behind this front and icy mix building back into st. louis, cleveland, as we head into thursday night, making for slippery travel on black friday morning. now back to you, mike and rob. >> thanks, ava. here's the rest of your thanksgiving day forecast. windy with blowing snow across northern minnesota and north dakota. showers from seattle to portland. record lows from san francisco to southern california. >> meanwhile, 54 in sacramento. 21 in salt lake city. just 19 in billings. a bitter 15 degrees in the twin cities. 28 in omaha. 36 in the windy city. 40s in boston, new york and

baltimore. and a nice-sounding 82 in miami. president obama may well spend part of his holiday on the phone with the chinese president. the u.s. wants china to put pressure on north korea after its attack on a south korean island earlier this week. tensions between the north and the south continue to escalate. the south korean president has ordered security around the island beefed up, and north korea is warning of more retaliation if provoked. there is some news to be thankful for today. new signals that the economy is showing some signs of recovery. the number of americans filing first-time jobless claims dropped to 407,000 last week, far fewer than predicted. that's the lowest level since july of 2008. analysts are not yet ready to declare a trend, but claims for unemployment benefits have fallen in four of the last six weeks. it's not all good news this thanksgiving. many americans are still struggling to make ends meet. looking at yet another lean holiday season. but as ron claiborne reports,

plenty of others are wallowing in wealth, living at prerecession levels. he takes a look at the haves and have nots. >> reporter: on wall street the party is back. corporate profits broke records in the third quarter this year and with the whiff of mega-million bonuses in the air top executives celebrated like they did before the recession. like the american banker in hong kong throwing a lavish party with women dressed like playboy playmates. then there's fred clark. when we first met him clark had lost his job with united technologies. he is still unemployed. what are your expectations for 2011? >> get a job. >> do you think you will? >> i have to. >> reporter: but while millions are still reeling and out of work with the fed predicting no relief any time soon, for the richest americans the good times are once again rolling. posh restaurants are crowded. christie's auction house has bids for expensive items pouring in again.

>> that's what we've been told since jfk, that a rising tide lifts all boats. in this current economic period it looks like a rising tide only lifts yachts. >> reporter: fred clark's old company, united technologies, posted a $1.2 billion profit in the third quarter, up 13% from the year before. united technologies has $5.7 billion in cash. >> corporate america is sitting on piles of cash and not hiring, basically because it's concerned about the future. it's concerned about whether or not there's going to be sustained consumer demand. >> reporter: hosea feed the hungry in atlanta served 8,000 people last year. this year expects to serve twice as many. >> i still have a lot to be thankful for. family, friends. are the most important things. >> reporter: for these americans, reasons still to be grateful. ron claiborne, abc news, new york. the obama administration is designating a huge chunk of alaska as a critical habitat to protect polar bears.

the area is 187,000 square miles, larger than the state of california. most of it sea ice. the move is meant to help polar bears withstand extinction. alaska's oil and gas industry though opposes the action, saying it could severely restrict future offshore drilling. rob, a couple of lucky birds have a whole lot to be thankful for this thanksgiving day. >> the national turkey named apple will steer clear of the oven this year thanks to president obama. he issued the traditional presidential pardon in the rose garden with daughters sasha and malia at his side. the president joked about stopping at least one shellacking this november. >> apple and his alternative, cider, gets to spend the rest of their lives at a nearby farm in virginia. that's always weird because you get attached to these birds. it's sort of, aww, the fact they get saved. >> but they have no friends left. >> what i'm eating later today didn't get saved. >> congrats to apple and cider. lucky dogs. >> look at that.

we'll be right back. ♪

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football is so much a part of thanksgiving. so it's a good time for to us bring you the redemption story of the nfl season so far. >> the story of eagles qb michael vick, who's gone from pariah to possibly the league's best player. bob woodruff reports. >> reporter: michael vick is having the best football season of his life. perhaps the next mvp. maybe a super bowl ring. but it's a long way from where he was just three years ago. a convicted felon. >> i'm a totally different person now. in 2007, i didn't believe in things that i was doing was wrong. >> you didn't at all? >> not at all. >> michael, how you feeling? >> reporter: what vick was doing in 2007 was running a dog-fighting ring. he was convicted for training dogs in death matches and then killing those who underperformed. he was imprisoned for 19 months. >> sack number 7! >> reporter: one of the most-reviled individuals in america. you said, my life was a lie.

what does that mean? >> i mean, you know, i just wasn't honest with a lot of people. i was blessed with so much, i took it all for granted. you don't realize what you've done wrong until you actually enter prison. i learned my lesson after an hour being in there. i wanted out. >> did you assume your nfl career was over? >> at the time, my nfl career was over. >> reporter: but it is not over. viewed as toxic but still just as talented. the philadelphia eagles decided to take the risk. and it has paid off. >> i've never seen this guy play better. >> reporter: it was not just the eagles. vick was also unexpectedly accepted by the humane society. forgiven but only if he agreed to talk to students and convince them not to be dogfighters. >> my daughters come to me every day asking, can we get a dog? and i can't get a dog for my kids. because of my bad actions. >> when i talked with him, i senses that he could become

quite a remarkable ambassador for the end dogfighting campaign. >> it still haunts me. >> reporter: vick says he will do these speeches twice a month for the rest of his life. there are those who think you're doing this not because you really believe that this was wrong, what you did, but to save your reputation. >> i'm doing this because i want to do it. i can help myself, help more animals than i hurt, and try to be a model citizen. >> reporter: he's already convinced many of his fans. now he needs to convince the rest of the world. bob woodruff, abc news, new haven, connecticut. >> there is that redemption side of his story, obviously. but the question will be, how long will that last? and, will he be that marketable next year when he's trying to find a big contract? >> he did -- he admitted the crime, he paid his debt, now we see what happens next. we'll be right back. rlrlrlrlrlrl

maybe it's still in the fridge or it's sitting on the counter. it, of course, is that thanksgiving turkey. >> and let's face it, cooking a turkey is not a foolproof endeavor at all. you may need a little troubleshooting later today. that's why vinita and i recently spoke with marge, one of the butterball turkey talkers. take a look. >> this is kind of a lightning round of questions from our staff here. they have questions, they've messed up their fair share of birds over the years. let's clarify a few things. what happens if you mistakenly cook the innards in the turkey, still inside that bird? >> right. it's not going to hurt you. the giblets are packed in a food-safe bag. i don't know that they'll be terribly edible. they'll probably be overcooked. but it's not going to hurt the turkey, so just take them out. and discard them.

>> what's the easiest way to know if the turkey's done? >> use a meat thermometer. that's the easiest and best way. put it into the thigh. and when it registers 180, your turkey's done. >> if you don't have a thermometer, i've heard some chefs say you can cut the thigh and if the juices run clear. that is true? >> that's also true. >> and breast side up or breast side down, which is the best way to cook it? >> we found there really isn't any difference in the meat. and why not put it breast side up, then you don't have to turn that hot turkey over when you're ready to carve it. >> very true. can you put the stuffing in the turkey or is that not hygienic? >> i always put stuffing in my turkey. just don't stuff it ahead of time. put the stuffing in shortly before you're going to roast it. and test the temperature of the stuffing when it's done. it needs to be 165 for it to be safe. >> here's a close question here. how long should you cook and it at what temperature?

>> 325 is a nice, gentle cooking temperature. and depending upon the size of the bird. a 10 to 18-pound bird takes 3 to 3 1/2 hours, unstuffed. if you stuff it, you'll have to add about an additional 45 minutes. >> speaking of, how do you know what is the best size turkey to get? >> well, it depends upon how many folks you're trying to feed. if you want generous servings plus some leftovers, we recommend purchasing about 1 1/2 pounds per person. then you'll be set. >> 1 1/2 pounds, good to know. i think everyone's who's going to cook this once wants lots of turkey left. you you could have covered this, but what's the best way to keep it moist? >> simply don't overcook it. that's really the best way. that's why the meat thermometer is a good idea. if you still have a little time, go out and get a meat thermometer. they don't cost a whole lot. then you'll be sure your turkey's done properly.

>> what about a drunken turkey? can you cook the bird with a little bit of beer? >> of course. you can cook the turkey probably with most anything you like. whether you like the flavor of that, then try that. >> yes! >> how long should you let it sit before you carve it? >> in order for the juices to set and not run out, don't carve immediately. wait about 20 to 30 minutes. and then carve. and then that gives you a little time to get some of the other dishes ready. and so it really works as a nice cushion for you. >> do you need to tent while it's sitting? or can you just pull the bird out and leave it on the counter? >> i would cover it. it will stay warm longer if you cover it with foil at that point. >> what is your favorite thing to do with all those turkey leftovers? >> well, there are so many wonderful things. lots of people like to do turkey soup. one of the things i really like is turkey barbecue. i make a barbecue sauce with my turkey.

you can use commercial barbecue sauce with the turkey and have wonderful barbecue turkey sandwiches. >> is there anything we didn't ask you that you think is important or a question you guys get often that our staff didn't think of? >> the turkey is probably one of the easier parts of the meal that you're preparing. if you just follow a few simple guidelines. you know, cook it carefully, don't let it sit out too long. once it's cooked, you have about a two-hour cushion before you need to get it back into the refrigerator. some people leave it out on the counter all day and that's a real no-no. so enjoy the day. it's a day to enjoy your family. and that's what thanksgiving is all about. >> very true, marge. if you have any questions for thanksgiving, butterball.com is a website you can check out. or 800-butterball. >> easy to remember. >> easy to remember. all right. we'll head into break with another fun fact for thanksgiving. we'll head into break with another fun fact for

thanksgiving.

finally this morning, a christian rocker and his family have a very special reason this year to give thanks. >> matt hammett and his wife sarah welcomed their third child into the world in september. little bowen had a heart defect and they worried he wouldn't survive. >> matt did what he does best, sang about it. >> hi, honey. ♪ ♪ something that would break ♪ could i move on if you were torn away ♪

>> i had all kinds of questions and emotions. the way for me to deal with that was writing music. ♪ i can't give you half my heart and praying makes you whole ♪ >> 2:13 a.m., september 14th. i'll never forget the time we got the call his heart stopped beating. they were doing compressions. after 40 minutes of that, they took us into another room. we thought for sure he was gone. >> we were waiting for them to call out the time. looking at the clock, when are they going to say it? just say it. then they pulled us aside and said they had one last attempt. >> we found out his heart was beating and his lungs were working. vitals were back. >> here's your brother. hold his hand. >> i had no clue the amount of people that would latch on to bowen's story. the day of his surgery, i think we got like 200,000 hits on.

website. hundreds and hundreds of people that all talk with each other and pray for one another. >> we also wrote the blog to kind of give bowen purpose because we didn't know how long he was going to survive. we were immediately giving him a place and a purpose for as long as he's here, or as short as he's here. >> bowen's taking a big nap. getting ready for a big day tomorrow, right, sarah? >> yep, big day. >> what's happening tomorrow? >> going home. >> i'm happy and i praise god that he's home. i didn't know what would happen. and i'm scared too. really scared. ♪ what you are to me is where i'll start ♪ >> no matter what holiday stresses you have that story puts it all into perspective. >> absolutely, no doubt.

healthy family, healthy baby,

weather woes. from coast to coast, mother nature shows her force. but will it interrupt your thanksgiving travels? then, holiday hazards. the dos and don'ts you need to know today in the kitchen to avoid a visit from the fire department. and, sneak peek. >> my favorite is the energizer bunny. >> a look at all the balloons in today's macy's thanksgiving day parade. it's thursday, november 25th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> having a little fun on this holiday morning. >> that's right. got to lighten up on thanksgiving morning. just living here in new york the

last four months this is my first big macy's day thanksgiving parade. hoping to check it out once the show wraps up. you already have a little glimpse, though. >> my wife and i went out to the upper west side here where they blow up the balloons, the giant iconic balloons. it was a lot of fun. a lot of kids and all in preparation for today's big parade. >> should be fun. my first time out. worth going to, right? >> yeah. it will be my first parade as well. it will be fun to see. >> good morning, everybody. happy thanksgiving. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm mike marusarz sitting in for vinita nair. so far air travel for millions of thanksgiving travelers has gone smoothly this year. >> and that planned protest against airport security measures was practically nonexistent. john hendren joins from us reagan national airport with more. hi, john. >> reporter: good morning, rob and mike. this thanksgiving holiday, 24 million americans are traveling through the nation's airports. many of them arrived yesterday early and waited for lengthy delays that never happened. those dire predictions, the fear of cancelations and chaos at the security line, all were part of the protest that fizzled.

>> compared to thanksgivings of years past, this year's actually going really well. security wait times are usually between 10 and 20 minutes, which is pretty standard on average day, and pretty good on thanksgiving. >> reporter: few holiday travelers seemed to opt in to national opt-out day. the campaign urging americans to opt out of those full-body scans critics call too invasive and take pat-downs instead, causing delays and making a point to the tsa. >> i'm not in agreement with the pat-downs but i don't think this is the day before the holidays that everybody's traveling that we need to make our stance. >> reporter: the difference, body scans take about 20 seconds. pat-downs, two minutes. in detroit, two little travelers even left a thank you note to the tsa. demonstrators drew looks but not delays. this woman wore her protest and little else. >> if they want to try and see what i've got hidden in my bikini, they're welcome to. >> reporter: the biggest delays were in detroit where computer problems at spirit airlines briefly left long lines. >> it happens. that's all i can say.

>> reporter: some passengers who tried to avoid delays and drive ran into bigger problems. outside washington, a 20-mile backup. near boston, 30 miles. here in washington, there were short lines at security. shorter lines at ticketing. not even much of a line at starbucks. rob and mike? >> the big drink there. >> yeah, stay caffeinated there, john, nice move. to give you a better idea how busy airports have been, take a look at this time lapse video from the website called flight aware. >> this was about 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. yesterday as millions of passengers were traveling the nation's busy skies. >> incredible, huh? see, how tough to work on thanksgiving morning but i'd rather this than that. >> well, across the nation, anyone trying to get around on the roads on this turkey day could be in for a pretty slick ride. >> that stormy weather that menaced the west is zeroing in on the eastern third of the country. accuweather's ava dinges has much more this morning. >> good morning, mike and rob.

travelers in the northeast may run into messy weather on this thanksgiving. we're mostly talking about central pennsylvania to start off the day as temperatures are below the freezing mark. as our storm moves in, rain is going to start off more as a wintry mix. not a lot of accumulation but some roadways including i-80 and the new york state thruway through upstate new york, could be running into slick spots. as we warm up throughout the day this is actually turning to all rain. that rain pushes into new england as we get into the night. new york city reaching the rain by the afternoon. it's warm in the southeast but colder air is plunging in behind this latest storm. chilly rain from arkansas all the way up towards ohio. heavy downpours expected at times. even the slow-downs, travel along the i-70 corridor into the midwest and behind this, temperatures are plummeting as we could see an icy mix into st. louis. as we head into thursday night. for early birds heading out for black friday, watch out for slippery conditions. even across the mid-atlantic. now back to you, mike and rob. >> ava, thanks a lot. now for the rest of your thanksgiving forecast.

those thunderstorms in the south could bring 70-mile-an-hour winds and isolated tornados near dallas, little rock, and memphis. blowing snow across minnesota and north dakota. showers in the pacific northwest. >> 40 in seattle. 37 in portland. 24 in boise. teens in billings and minneapolis. 44 here in new york. 69 in atlanta. and 79 in new orleans. in other news, investors are heading into the holiday shopping season on a high note. stocks soared on wednesday, the dow closing 150 points higher. the rebound came thanks to a slew of reports showing that overall, americans are earning more and spending more too. now that the economic picture is a little rosier, the question this morning is, will americans beef up their spending enough to put retailers back in the black? diana alvear has the details. >> reporter: when it comes to consumer spending are happy holidays really back? early shopping statistics say yes. in the first two weeks of this month, total apparel sales were up nearly 10%.

high-end restaurants and luxury brands were up 6.7%. even more impressive considering this time last year, they were down by 9%. >> that's an indication i think that over the holiday weekend, we'll see a lot more feet coming into the nation's malls and likely a lot more credit cards going out of wallets. >> reporter: so what's behind this retail rebound? one factor, more americans are working again. the labor department announced the number of people filing for unemployment benefits dropped last week to 407,000, the lowest level in more than two years. >> the fact is if you're less worried about your job, you're a lot more likely to spend more when you go out for the holiday shopping this weekend. >> reporter: part of this uptick in hiring is due to retailers feeling optimistic about the holidays. 29,000 new jobs at best buy. 45,000 at toys "r" us. 30,000 at jcpenney. analysts say not all of these new jobs will disappear by the new year.

>> it's likely we're going to see slow, steady increases in the number of people working in this country. >> reporter: after such tough economic times, that may be the best gift of all. retail experts say the major must have items this season are mostly technology related which may make it more tempting for americans to stay home and shop online. diana alvear, abc news, los angeles. tensions between the north and south continue to escalate. the south korean president has now ordered security around the island beefed up and the north is warning of more retaliation if provoked. the worsening tension between north and south korea is likely to occupy at least part of the president's holiday today. mr. obama is expected to phone the chinese president over the crisis. the u.s. wants china to rein in north korea after an attack of a south korean island tuesday. south korea's president says security around that island again is being beefed up. former house majority leader tom delay could spend the next

couple of decades in prison. a texas jury found delay guilty of money laundering. he was charged with illegally funneling corporate money to texas political candidates in 2002. delay calls his conviction a miscarriage of justice and says he'll appeal. the first family is spending thanksgiving at the white house, but they passed on a juicy bird that could have made quite a main course today. keeping with a long-standing white house tradition, president obama spared the national turkey named apple along with his backup named cider. >> today i have the awesome responsibility of granting a presidential pardon to a pair of turkeys. now, for the record, let me say that it feels pretty good to stop at least one shellacking this november. >> apple and cider were selected out of about two dozen birds. the president joked that it was like a turkey version of "dancing with the stars" with much higher stakes.

as we get ready to saddle up to the table for our big thanksgiving feasts later today, we were wondering just how many calories are we talking about here? >> you may not want to know this. brace yourself. caloric control council says the average american will consume 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat just on this thanksgiving day alone. >> here's how it breaks down on your plate. the turkey is the best thing you're going to eat all day. the white meat is better than the dark. a cup of mashed potatoes will run you 250 calories before the gravy. >> oh, man. get this too, a cup of stuffing will run you 350 calories. and don't let the fact that cranberries are fruit fool you. one cup of those is 400 calories. you're better off going for the pumpkin pie, 323 calories. they make no mention of the alcohol calories too. that could be 6,000, 7,000 calories. >> portions, a cup? people are getting more than that. >> we know that. more after this.

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sleep well, on the wings of lunesta. females can be tough. >> there we go, we know that. rob, as you know -- love you, honey -- cooking thanksgiving dinner can be quite the adventure. some of you, fact is, probably will get burned doing it. >> quite literally. what is the best way to stay safe around the stove today? our elisabeth leamy went to the washington, d.c. fire training academy to get some very important answers. >> reporter: with engines standing by, a fully charged hose at the ready, and a firefighter in full protective gear, we prepared to cook. >> we try to have absolutely

everything in place, knowing that there's a potential for injury or even worse. >> reporter: first, we deliberately left some garlic bread under the broiler. with the oven door closed, smoke enough to set the alarm off. many people make the mistake of opening their oven and that's when there was enough oxygen to support actual flames. flames that licked at the potholders above. >> people let stuff hangover top. once they open it, they expose other combustibles to fire and spread the fire. >> reporter: combustibles can be your own clothes. our pajama tops burst into flames in 13 seconds. right there. here's what a grease fire did to a firefighter's own home in north carolina. and we saw firsthand how fast they burn when the one we started got a little out of hand. experts have tried for decades to stamp out dangerous ways of fighting them. >> don't throw flour on it.

flour is combustible and will explode. >> reporter: this michigan mother of five was preparing to throw flour on a grease fire when one of her sons did something even more dangerous, threw water on it. here's what happened. you see, water is heavier than oil. so it rushes to the bottom and sends the oil shooting up. a british public service announcement found a dramatic way to get the message across. >> whatever you do, don't throw water over the fire. the effects can be devastating. >> reporter: and there's one final hazard that most people haven't heard of. throwing frozen food in burning oil. you saw the don'ts. now the dos. if you have a small, and it has to be a small, grease fire, have oven mitts on hand but not too close to the stove. have a lid waiting.

all you do is slide that lid right over the fire, switch the burner off, and that should take care of it. but anything bigger, authorities urge you to get out, call 911, and let the fire department do their job. in washington, elisabeth leamy, abc news. >> some more visual evidence online, rob. you can just check it out online. >> those of you like me that like to deep fry turkey, go to youtube and type in deep fry turkey disaster. there's a really serious situation. those videos can point out how bad things can get. check that out and cook safely today, folks, for sure. we'll be right back with "the skinny." folks, for sure. we'll be right back with "the skinny."

juicy stuff in this thanksgiving version. >> carve it up here, if you will. >> all right. >> heidi montag, the "hills" star, former "hills" star, says

she's done going under the knife. she doesn't want to deal with it anymore. during abc's primetime special that aired last night she said she would actually reduce her breast size if she could. not do any more injections. she just doesn't want to have surgery any more. let's listen to exactly what she had to say. >> sometimes i've wanted -- i wish i could just go back to the original heidi with nothing. i do not feel like i was prepared enough for this. i think that doctors should really walk you through all aspects of it. surgery's not glamorous. it almost risks everything. all my relationships. and myself. for -- for vanity. >> the heidi blames her plastic surgeon, dr. frank ryan, and actually accuses him of wanting to almost become a celebrity through all these surgeries that he performed on her. at one point, in one day, she had ten plastic surgeries. and she has some e-mails that they went back and forth with. and in some of them, the doctor apparently writes, "not sure if

you are following me on twitter but could you mention to your followers that they may want to follow me? my web guy keeps hounding me." he goes on to say, "can you wear some of my sporting gear?" on and on and on. >> he was wanting to get famous off her. >> that's what she says. she also says he kept offering her more injectables. botox and stuff like that. so she's the one that says that he's the one that was forcing her into all the plastic surgery. >> he has since passed away. that controversy will certainly live on. interesting. i feel bad for her now knowing that it was hollywood pressure against her through the doctor and all that. if you thought the kanye west/taylor swift debacle was over, apparently it's not. kanye was back doing a show on the lower east side and apparently got worked up again and decided to kind of spout off some more attacks -- apparently he apologized and atoned and all this, well, that's apparently gone. he now says that taylor never came to my defense in any interview and rode the waves and

rode -- take a listen to what he said. >> if you're a real audience, have no fear. say what the [ muted ] you want, do what you want, make what you want. >> all right, kanye. he goes on to say, again, taylor never came to my defense during an interview, basically saying she rode the wave of all the host of the stuff. also took a dig from matt lauer saying he felt exploited during that controversial interview. they played the vma video over him. he went on another rant here in new york opening up old wounds, not only with matt lauer, but also young taylor swift again. the drama does not end. >> he's got a new album he's pushing too. billy joel. of course, the author of "the piano man," "uptown girl," famous songs, "new york state of mind." he had two hip replacement surgeries. he had double hip replacement surgeries. he's apparently doing well. but he's 61 years old and his hips needed something.

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sleep is here, on the wings of lunesta. and if you wake up often in the middle of the night... rest is here, on the wings of lunesta. lunesta helps you fall asleep and stay asleep, so you can wake up feeling rested. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a $0 co-pay at lunesta.com.

sleep well, on the wings of lunesta. today on abc news, retailers will try to get a jump start on black friday by opening their doors today. stores like old navy and banana republic will be open for business on this thanksgiving and offer something huge discounts to shoppers. and when the tryptophan from all that turkey makes you sleepy there's plenty of football on tv to watch. the nfl features three games today including the defending super bowl champion new orleans saints taking on the cowgirls in dallas. and it wouldn't be thanksgiving, of course, without the macy's thanksgiving day parade. more than 60 balloons will march in this year's event, including a few new characters. fire it up. >> oh, man. black and gold. right? oh, man, whatever. for those interested in the parade the question is how do

they get all those giant balloons ready to fly? >> it all happens up the street from our studio up here. our new york affiliate wabc watched it all happen. >> the parade is going to start at 9:00 a.m. i think you should get there a little earlier than 9:00 a.m. to get a seat. >> reporter: tens of thousands of spectators young and old are getting a look at the balloons as they begin to take shape. this is the annual inflation, where snoopy, ronnie -- >> ronald mcdonald, this is his second year. >> reporter: and friends attract people of all ages. >> i like sponge bob. >> my favorite is like the energizer bunny. >> reporter: many see this as the unofficial start of the holidays. >> happy thanksgiving. >> reporter: this year the parade will include a lot of the old favorites. there are a few new balloons as well. kung fu panda, diary of a wimpy kid. even with the new additions parade organizers say they stick with what's worked for decades. >> people like to see things

they're familiar with, they like to see things they're comfortable with. >> reporter: getting these characters airborne takes a lot of work. >> beautiful. >> reporter: and everything has to be just right. >> it's a feel and a touch. it's not something you can learn in any class, it's something that we teach on the job. >> reporter: by now the job is done. so in a matter of hours, the balloons will begin to march through the streets of the city. >> happy thanksgiving, new york city! >> reporter: organizers expect about 3 million people to line the parade route. abc news, new york. >> my wife and i went up there, we saw the balloons being blown up. tons of kids. so many people. and it was so much fun. the barricades, it took about an hour just to get into the little line that you needed -- >> hello. those are two new floats this year, looking good in new york city. >> i can't wait for those puppies to try to make it down

seventh avenue, huh?