good morning, america. i'm robin roberts. and i'm george stephanopoulos. it's monday, november 29th. this morning, open secrets. hundreds of thousands classified documents revealed by wikileaks. french president sarkozy called an emperor with no clothes. and the russian leader called flabby with no chest. and missing. michigan boys missing after their father attempts suicide. we're live on the scene. we'll talk to the boys' grandmother. shoppers stampede at stores this weekend. we'll show you the best deals online on this cyber monday and just how easy it to get them. also, good-bye to a very

funny man. >> i am serious. and don't call me shirley. >> oh, how he made us laugh. leslie nielsen died at the age of 84. and good morning, everyone. we coach everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. george, it was sad to wake up to the news of leslie nielsen. >> it sure was. he made that "airplane" franchise. we'll get into that. also, we're taking a closer look at that wikileaks release. secretary of clinton set to address the situation earlier this morning. there's an argument going on here. the white house says this release has put american lives at risk. the head of wikileaks said

he's -- >> and also the man accused of trying to bomb the christmas tree lighting in portland, oregon. he's due in court. the accusation may have been this, a suspicious fire damage i ed a mosque where he worked. and we'll get white house reaction in a minute. jim sciutto is in london with more on the secrets uncovered and what it means for u.s. diplomacy and security. >> reporter: good morning, george. it's the largest release of diplomatics ever. seven times. wikileaks saying it's largely directed at the u.s. wikileaks founder julienne assange telling us what reflects the persona. the private cables detail

everything from security threats to diplomatic dirty laundry. there are unflattering views of key allies, russian prime minister vladimir putin mockingly called the alpha dog. french president sarkozy the emperor with no clothes. and world leaders are found in compromising positions. afghanistan's vice president caught leaving the country with $52 million in cash. libya's leader kadafi, inseparate able from a voluptuous blond referred to as his nurse. >> you only can have diplomatic relations at certain times when there's trust and now no one is going to trust the u.s. >> reporter: many believe that

they have missiles capable of striking. saudi arabia's king abdullah repeatedly urges american leaders to, quote, cut off the head of the stink. and mahmoud ahmadinejad is hitler. but american diplomats are in the spotlight as well. the cable suggests they were instructed to collect personal details of foreign leaders from dna to frequent flier numbers. speaking to journalists in jordan by video conference wikileaks founder julienne assange accused the u.s. government trying to block the release. >> trying to make it as hard for us as possible to publish responsibly in the hope that it can get us to not publish anything at all. >> this is just the first phase. wikileaks says it will release thousands more documents over the next several months and

we're already getting hints of what those documents will contain, assange telling us back door deals. and here in london, talk of embarrassing behavior by prince andrew. robin, more to come. >> thank you. for the political fallout and the reaction to obama administration, let's go to jake tapper live at the white house. >> reporter: good morning, robin. administration officials say the leaks will have far-reached implications when it comes to foreign policy and national security policy. and what was said in jim sciutto's piece, how much will the world be able to trust the u.s. yemen, in these leaks, the president of yemen is heard saying things that he's not being forthcoming with the yemeni people about the u.s. cooperation against terrorist entities in that country. the u.s. needs to rely on yemen's president to work with

him on counterterrorism. you might remember the al qaeda presence in yemen just sent mail bombs to the u.s. just last month. so that say big concern to the white house. >> absolutely. the main ramifications for the obama administration, talk about that. >> well, the big concern right now that the pendulum that swung so far after the 9/11 commission urged all government entities to share information. the concern is the pendulum will swing back and not enough information will be shared between the pentagon and cia and other intelligence organizations, as well as, of course, those other countries not telling things to the united states, robin. >> it's going to be a busy day at the white house. thank you. for more on potential damage to u.s. security and what can do about it, congressman pete

huckabee on the commission. what assange said this morning, he said the cables show that the u.s. spying on its allies. if citizens in democracy want their governments to reflect their wishes they should see what's going on behind the scenes. he says he's performing a public service. >> i couldn't disagree more. you know, it's not his duty or his responsibility to provide this service to the american people. these are functions that need to be done by government. they need to be done by congress and the executive branch. you know, this guy really is putting into danger our foreign policy and perhaps the lives of certain americans around the world. we'll have to see what else comes out. but those are the consequences of this. go ahead. >> can you elaborate on that a little more? what is the greatest harm you see in this release? >> well, i think the greatest harm was highlighted in your initial introduction to this

piece. it is the loss of trust with the -- that other governments will have in dealing with the united states of america. you know, what many of these leaks talk about, they talk about the politics of getting to an agreement, whether it's moving gitmo detainees, when it is, you know, a strategy for confronting terrorism. sometimes, politics gets to be pretty ugly. these releases show they are getting to an agreement in moving a policy forward. these folks that we now deal with now may don't have the trust when they're dealing with the united states, what's done in secret will actually stay in secret. >> that is a good point. but they also show instances where governments are not cooperating with us. a release that showed that for years we've been trying to get the pakistanis to secure their nuclear material. now we know they haven't done that. isn't that important information for the public to have

>> i think it's important information. i'm not sure it needs to go in the public hand. the bottom line, george, we want to work with the pakistanis on the proliferation, with the agreement and disagreement that we have with our allies, putting them in the spotlight is going to make it more difficult to get to the ultimate objective. wikileaks is not providing a service. at the same time, i think we have to look at our own intel community and realize this is a massive failure. this database should never have been created. this is a failure by our department of defense to keep classified information secret. >> i know you'll be holding hearings on that. finally, before we go, mr. assange just said more documents are going to be dumped in the comes days and weeks. can anything be done about that?

>> well, i'm sure we can take a very aggressive approach on the internet. but the bottom line is he has the documents. he will get them out one way or another. i don't think there's any way that we can stop it from happening. >> okay. congressman, thank you very much for your time this morning. >> great. thank you. police say arsonists set fire sunday to an oregon mosque where the alleged christmas tree attended services. mohamed osman mohamud was arrested. neal karlinsky has more on the 19-year-old due in court. >> reporter: robin good morning. this was the park filled with thousands of families all here to is see the lighting of the christmas tree. the fbi said all of them, men, women and children, all of them would actually be the target of a would-be terrorist to wage war in his backyard.

according to the undercover agents who spent time with him, 19 neerld mohamed osman mohamud was going operational. he also considered a mumbai-style. a far cry from the happy young boy neighbors knew growing up outside of portland. >> wonderful family. this is a shock for everybody. >> reporter: mohamud was the watch when told he might see body parts and blood, agents reportedly mohamud saying, i want to see that. that's what i want for these people. i want whoever is attending that event to leave, to leave either dead or injured. the bomb wasn't real and his alleged associates who were actually fbi agents arrested

mohamud after he dialed a cell phone number he believed would trigger the blast. >> fbi took great caution to ensure public safety. >> reporter: mohamud is a somali-born u.s. citizen who recently attended the university. he attended this in corvallis, oregon. and a fire that was here was in retaliation for the attempted terrorist strike. >> he seemed like the average kid at eye university. >> reporter: in an e-mail, mohamud allegedly writes of earlier intentions to travel to the middle east to join our jihadists but says, i've been betrayed by my family. in just a couple of hours, the suspect will be back here in downtown portland, just a couple blocks from here, to make his first appearance in federal court on charge of attempting to

use a weapon of mass destruction. if convicted, he could get life behind bars. >> it's far and away, homeland security says it's the number one threat right now. the situation on the korean peninsula remains tense. the south korean president has vowed retaliation for any future aggression by north korea. alex marquardt is there. >> reporter: that's right. you can see north korea right behind me. lee moon-bak blasted them. the attack killed four people, including two civilians. the president solemnly apologized for not doing more to protect the people and vowed retaliation if north korea attacks them again.

today is the first day of the exercises. in the characteristic luster, today the north led they're not afraid of wore if the war maniacs provoke them. >> time for the weather. sam champion. good morning, george. a big system puts itself in the middle of the country. there's a couple of components, from shreveport to jackson to new orleans, 80-mile-per-hour wind gusts. tornadoes are possible here that seem late in the season. it's got heavy rain as well. rain will fall anywhere if the twin cities to new orleans. nashville, cincinnati, you'll see rain that's more than 3 inches of rain in total. also nair the new orleans area. it's a big area of rain. it will slide east over the next 24 hours. so probably new england, northeast and east coast gets it during date tomorrow. that's the way it looks. heavy rain, kick back of snow there.

>> when we come back, we're going to talk a little bit about snow. believe it or not, robin, buffalo picked up a little snow over the weekend. it seems normal, but 271 days without snow. the second snowless streak on record. >> say it again. >> on record. we're going to turn now to a "gma" investigation. why the federal government is using your tax dollars to change street signs all across the country. jonathan karl is in washington with more on this growing controversy. good morning, jon. >> reporter: good morning, robin. well, the federal government is at thing towns and cities around the country that street signs like this one are no good anymore and need to be replaced. the new rules are contained in this hefty 800-page book and it will cost local cities and towns millions of dollars. the federal government says this is easier to read than this. got that? all caps, bad.

lower case, good. that's just one reason localities everywhere from the biggest city, to the tiniest towns, are being ordered to spend money they don't have to get new street signs. it's all pat of a tangle of regulations included in something called "the manual of uniform traffic control devices." it says by 2012 the letters on street signs must go from the current four inches high to six inches on all roads with speed limits over 25 miles per hour. by 2018, all signs must have new reflective letters, easier to see at night. whenever the signs are changed, they can't be in all caps. in milwaukee, all of this will cost the cash-strapped city, nearly $2 million, double the city's entire budget for traffic control. in virginia.

>> money is better spent on education or sheriff's department or public safety than on something like this. >> out here on a country road like this in rural virginia, there aren't that many cars to begin with. those that do live out here and drive out here tell us that the old signs work just fine. >> i've never heard anybody complain about the letters on the signs. >> there's a lot of people out there that are hungry. why spend that on a street sign when everybody can read a street sign. if you don't know where you're going get a gps. >> reporter: the federal highway administration says it's all about safety. how can a street sign be a safety issue? >> well, if you can't read or see it or comprehend, it could be a distraction to you. >> reporter: abc news has learned one landmark study used to push for the changes was funded by 3m, one of the few companies that makes the reflective material now required on all street signs.

cash-strapped governments are so outraged by this george at that federal highway administration is set to announce later today that it's opening up a period of public comments on the rule which could be, could be a first step towards easing some of them. meanwhile, cities and towns that we spoke to are spending a lot of money changing out their street signs. >> jon karl, thanks for that investigation. we're going to turn now to actor leslie nielsen. the star of "make gun" movies died this weekend. >> reporter: he was helpless. careless. and utterly clueless. >> nice work. >> reporter: leslie nielsen could make inspector clousseau

look like sherlock homes. and nielsen could do no right. >> i'm lieutenant frank drebin, police squad. >> reporter: his eyes bright with befuddlement. he first showed a spoof in "airplane." >> the life of everyone on board depends on one thing that someone back there can fly this plane but who didn't have fish for dinner. >> reporter: later with the police squad. it all marked a delightful six-sec dade career that saw the canadian-born star earn his reputation playing bad guys and tycoons. from the golden age of tv drama to that '70s show -- ♪ -- the love boat >> reporter: he even played the heavy opposite barbra streisand

in 1977. >> stop it you creep. >> reporter: leslie nielsen died at the age of 84. >> surely, you can't be serious? >> i am serious. and don't call me serious. >> i crack up every time i hear that line. >> we just showed the scene. nothing to see here. all that destruction going on. i'm glad he took that delightful detour. coming up, the hunt intensifies for the three little boys missing since thanksgiving. brothers. police say they're in extreme danger. can their father cause them harm? it's cyber monday. become becky worley is live in arizona. hey, becky. >> good morning, george, i'm here with hundreds of thousands going out to you. we've got deals, deals deals.

including this hot holiday item. >> she's always right smack dab in the middle of it. back to you after local news and weather. [ male announcer ] introducing listerine® zero™. we removed the alcohol and made it less intense. ♪ it still kills bad breath germs for a whole-mouth clean. and it's never felt so good. new less intense listerine® zero™.

hi. chili's tonight? do i know you? yeah. your mother's brother went to summer camp with my uncle's friend's accountant. we're practically family. jason? who? my mom's brother's accountant. yeah. that guy is a maniac. okay. i love jason. isn't he a riot? chili's $20 dinner for two. all you need is somebody to go with. share one appetizer, choose two entrees. now with crispy fried shrimp. just $20 for two at chili's.

a firefighter is one of two people hospitalized in connection with a san rafael apartment fire. a woman inside the lincoln avenue complex suffered burns when the fire broke out after midnight. firefighters kept the fire

contained to just one apartment. let's get an update on the post holiday commute. >> back to work, back to school, we're seeing all the typical delays out there this morning, including one at the bay bridge toll plaza which is backed up to the maze. san mateo bridge is fine, there is new injury accident westbound 580 on greenville. it's on the shoulder but traffic is sluggish as you make your way out of tracy into pleasanton. out of tracy into pleasanton. >> when we come back switching to progressive could mean hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today.

hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. oprah: all new. megastar keith urban. his first time here. he's rockin' our boots off. [keith urban performs] oprah: heres the girl in the song. then, keith's oscar-winning wife, ninininininininininininini welcome back. 7:27. some of the haze developing as

we look down from mount tamalpais. temperatures are still pretty frosty, concord, santa rosa and to an extent redwood city around 33 degrees. high temperatures in the mid to upper 50s. maybe a little cooler and 51 around clearlake. frosty again tonight in the east bay and north bay valleys. with upper 60s to upper 40s around the bay shoreline and coast. seven-day forecast, slightly warmer afternoon until rain rolls into the forecast and showers on saturday. the

hey, you got groceries! yeah! i thought we'd eat at home. save some money. $200 bucks? that's not saving! [jacks voice] at my place i'm bringing back the bonus jack. two patties, melting cheese and my secret sauce plus fries and a drink for only $3.99. i get it. you can eat lot cheaper atouar acthan y c]n at home. but do have this? i have dessert. what about this? ohhh. ohhhhhh. jack. that's for max.

and they're off! that is just some of the shopping madness in buffalo, new york, over the holiday weekend. >> oh! >> people early in the morning rushing in trying to get the best deal. >> oh, my. >> a little calmer there. people at their desks behind their computers. it is cyber monday. we've got becky worley out at amazon shipping center. >> you aren't doing any shopping during the commercial break or anything? oh, that's cyber monday because people are back at work at the computer. we do say good morning, america. we appreciate you starting the week with us and hope had you a great holiday weekend. we have the ex-producer for the reality show "survive" suspected of killing his wife. we'll have the latest on that

case. also, so many parents struggle with what is the popular weight of their baby? we hear of parents putting their baby on a diet. why would someone do that. and an alert to pediatricians about the crisis in a child's eating crisis. police say three young michigan brothers missing since last thursday are in extreme danger. the boy's father said he turned them over to a friend because he was planning on committing suicide. but police say there is no sign of the children or the friend and they're not sure that the friend exists. good morning, abby. >> reporter: good morning, robin. investigators are hoping for a big break in this case today. they're urging anyone with any kind of information or clues to come forward. they are desperate to find these three missing brothers. members of a small town in southern michigan gathered to light candles and pray for the safe return of three missing

boys who police fear are in extreme danger. >> they lived across the street from me. i used to watch them playing outside. being little boys. having fun. >> reporter: the young brothers are 9-year-old andrew, 7-year-old alexander. and 5-year-old tanner skelton. they've been missing now for nearly four day. >> i have no further information specific to the investigation to offer you, other than we continue to have contact with all parties involved in this case. >> reporter: the young boys were last seen on thanksgiving evening at their father's home, 39-year-old john skelton. skelton said he handed over his children to a friend named joanne taylor. he told police he wanted taylor to take the children so they wouldn't be home when he committed suicide. his attempts failed. joanne taylor was supposed to bring the boys to their mother, skelton's estranged wife but that never happened. at this point, police have not confirmed joanne taylor even

exists. >> we haven't had anything remotely close to this happen and now to have something like this happen, yeah, it hits home. >> a lot of people didn't sleep the last couple nights, that's for sure. >> reporter: all weekend, search crews and hundreds of volunteers have looked for the boys, focusing much of their efforts in wooded areas surrounding skelton's hometown. so far, no sign of the three young brothers or joanne taylor, the mystery woman. the search for the three boys and the woman will continue today. and police are hoping to get more information from the boy's father who remains hospitalized. robin. >> all right, abby. thank you. for more now, we turn to the grandmother of the three boys, roxanne skelton who joins from us jacqksonville, florida. you know that the police could be in extreme danger. but you said as a grandmother, you know something differently.

that you know in your heart that they're okay? >> exactly. i guess a grandmother instinct or mother instinct, i just know that the white caucasian woman that is reported to have my grandchildren have them. she needs to put herself in the mother's position for five seconds and multiply it by a thousand and she'd realize the pain and the hurt and the terrible agony that the whole family is going through for these boys. >> the woman that you're referring to is joanne taylor. and your son said that he gave his three sons to her. the police have been unable to confirm even if she exists. how do you know for sure that your son is telling the truth here, ma'am? >> because i know my son. whether her name's joanne taylor

or mary poppins, it doesn't matter to me. all i know is this -- is that these children are with her. i know this. and if she can't bring them home, if she feels for some reason she can't do it, drop them off at a safety house, a fire department, a police department. a mcdonald's for heaven's sake. a hospital. leave a note say i'm a missing child, dial 911. >> and everyone wants that, roxanne, everyone wants those three adorable boys, your grandsons to come home. you know there's been a lot of attention, of course, placed on your son who tried to take his own life. has he been able to give you any other additional information? >> i can't speak about my son. i can only speak of the children and getting them home.

i'm sorry. >> when's the last time that you saw your son and your grandsons? >> i saw my grandsons in about -- september. and my son also. he loves his boys. his boys is his life. >> and you're convinced that he is telling the truth, that he gave them to someone else. and your plea is for that person to turn them over? >> yes, yes. 100%. those boys are out there, terrified, but they are out there. they need to come home. >> we all want to see that. but thank you so much, roxanne. >> thank you. >> a grandmother's plea. now, for the other top stories of the morning, let's go to juju chang who's at the news desk. good morning. good morning, robin and george. we'll turn now to haiti were the

political crisis continuing brews overnight after the presidential election ended in turmoil. protesters filled the streets of port-au-prince saying they were turned away from polling places. most the candidates accused the government of fraud and said the vote should be voided. in tehran, a prominent nuclear scientist was killed and another wounded in two separate car bomb blasts. iran yang officials are blaming the taxis on the u.s. and israel. chicago police are looking into a fatal fall at soldieriers field during the bears/eagles game. witnesses say they saw a man run to an upper tier and jump over it. he fell 50 feet to a neighboring rooftop. now, whipped cream with a kick coming to a college campus near you. whipped lightning isment for cocktails and desserts but it contains 18% alcohol. three times as much in beers.

and that's the news at 7:37. >> huh? >> huh? >> give me a break. >> i know. it comes in nine different flavors like caramel pecan. it's all the rage. >> you know, guys how they spray it in their mouth like that. >> three times that of beer. much more than a bottle of 59. >> let's go to sam now. good morning. we're going to start with pictures, well, call it upstate new york. welcome to your knsnow season. two weeks. you're going to see your snow. north of buffalo, west of buffalo get anywhere from 160 to 200 inches of snow in a season. one season. here comes that cold front moving to the middle of the country. it's got a lot of effects with it. chicagoland, you'll see that severe weather. the stronger storms will go probably into the deep south we're thinking about that for later on in the afternoon to the evening. a lot of this will be tuesday

night into wednesday morn >> and all that weather was brought to you by big lots. robin. >> okay. sam, thanks. coming up next, cyber monday madness. how to find the best online deals. becky worley is going to help you. cull on back. lucy, i missed you.

♪ [ gasps ] this is for you. thanks. ♪ cool. ♪ [ chuckles ] whoa! ♪ [ chuckles ] i love this part. yeah. me, too. [ lucy gasps ] [ female announcer ] this year, hallmark has all new ways to say it. i love it. not wash. power wash. ok. whoa. [ female announcer ] life comes with headaches and excedrin starts relieving headaches faster than extra strength tylenol and advil. excedrin. for life's headaches. than extra strength tylenol and advil. it's time to get real about what happens in the bathroom. and start talking about what you really want from your toilet paper. it's time to talk about clean. feeling clean is so important.

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really far. ♪ verizon 4g lte. rule the air on the most advanced 4g network in the world. we are back at 7:42. first there was black friday, now cyber monday. that's today, with everyone back at their computers after thanksgiving weekend. almost 20% of americans are expected to go online and do

some holiday shopping today. retailers are rolling out the best deals of the year to capture the online dialers. becky worley joins us from the amazon shipping center in phoenix. becky, they're going to have their hands full shipping today. >> they are, robin. amazon.com was the number one site visited black friday. it wasn't just amazon happy with black friday purchases. online and in the malls, now on the phones, the numbers were good as we made our holiday purchases. black friday, the day known for shopping bedlam like this scene in a target in buffalo, new york. most shoppers showed more restraint, they did come out in force looking for bargains. 212 million shoppers visited stores and websites over the black friday weekend. that's up 6% from last year. and they spent more, too.

the average shopper spent $365. that's 20 bucks more than last year. >> consumers are starting to feel better. they're spending on discretionary items such as jewelry and themselves. >> reporter: these youtube videos show, in fact, the editor of "popular mechanics" conducted an unscientific test, wrapping up motion detectors and sending them across the country. the safest way to ship your gifts, the good old post office. fedex had drops of 3.1. u.p.s., 2. the post office, 0.5. analysts predict 106 million shoppers will be scouring the web for bargains, many buying on the go. 59% of cell phone users said they'll use their phones to shop this season. we're not talking about making calls. they're checking inventory. reading reviews and comparing prices. an app from ebay lets you

compare in-store prices to discounted prices on the auction site. >> as we walk around with the mall, i've got prices in my hand, i've got apgs in my hand as i'm in a particular retailer's store. that's different. >> reporter: in the end, your cell phone may offer the fun of window shopping combined with the satisfaction of getting the best deal. you may think those purchases are made by 20-somethings. they put out a map of where the mobile sites are. by zip code, it was rural. south carolina, pennsylvania, texas, utah, it's definitely something that's empowering rural buyers. i did promise you an ipad deal. here it is, ebay is having a very time-specific sale, 8:00 a.m. pacific. we've got the link to that on our website.

abcnews.com/gma. >> again, what time is that? >> 8:00 a.m. pacific, 10% off. >> thank you, becky. we'll hook them up on our website. next, who the "gma" top candidates. [ female announcer ] you won't believe your eyes.

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i went tohe dentist. he was poking around, he found the spots, and he said, "are those spots sensitive?" he recommended that i use sensodyne. i ticed it was working when i was drinking cold things and i wasn't ev thinking about it. i never thought a toothpaste could fix that problem.

okay. it is getting close now. we're narrowing down our search to find a "gma" advice guru to answer your tough questions about love, work, family, even

dance. 15,000 entries total. it's narrowed down to the 20 best candidates. which one has what it takes. we want to help you to decide. take a close look with bianna golodryga. >> reporter: we started with 15,000 amazing applicants. >> over 15,000 applications. >> reporter: and now, it's down to just 20. the "gma's" guru top 20. >> hi. >> reporter: they are ready. >> bring it on. >> reporter: and they get it. >> it would be really hard for america these days -- >> do what we need to do. >> people are walking around all day with stuff in their heads. >> people are in this together. >> all that we do. >> we'd love to you know you're not alone. >> reporter: no matter what the issue is -- >> it's often politics. >> been there, done that. >> reporter: some add pizzazz. >> every year, it's just the same thing. it's shocking. >> let them know what it is

they're doing that gets on your nerves. >> reporter: or humor. >> i'm a wife, a mom, a blogger, a writer and a rock star -- not a rock star. yes. >> reporter: but all of them come armed with advice. >> people want to connect. >> reporter: take a deep breath. >> take time for yourself. >> you don't have to be perfect. to be perfect. >> remember what you do that's important. >> reporter: search la fi. >> choice. >> reporter: and they want results. >> and you get moving. >> do it. >> hang in there. >> problem solved. >> reporter: one of them will be the new "gma" advice guru. >> wouldn't that be great? >> i hope the 20 are watching this morning. they just found out. >> they didn't know until they saw that? >> huh-uh. >> it's so fun to see the various backgrounds of ail 20 finalists. >> yes. >> we've got several ahmadinejads. a ph.d. a ball room dancer. >> a wnba champion.

>> you can go to abc news/"gma" to read the entries. if you want to submit a question send us one on our website or the "good morning america" facebook page. all the 20. we're sorry about everybody else but only a few could make it to the end. yeah, sometimes i worry. sometimes i worry. what if something bad happens? so what happens if someone gets my credit or debit card and buys a ton of stuff? that would be... really, really bad. [ male announcer ] with bank of america's zero liability guarantee, you're not responsible

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a lot of us returning to work this morning following the thanksgiving holiday weekend. let's check in with frances so see what kind of traffic we're facing. >> a look of folks back to school and typical delays all around the bay area. no major hot spots. bay bridge is past the overcrossing. >> mike has the weather. >> its chilly look outside. temperatures are still in the 30s and 40s in most areas, still frost to be found. temperatures under mostly sunny sky and mid to upper 50s.

dry and warmer weather tuesday and wednesday and then rain thursday and friday. >> news continues now with "good morning america."♪

♪ thank you, india.arie. beautiful day, as we say good morning, america, on this crisp monday morning. there's an alert going out to pediatricians about the growing eating disorder in children under the age of 12. >> more and more children are being diagnosed with it right now. >> we're going to tell you about that and the latest, parents who are -- oh, come on -- putting their babies on diets. >> we're going to get into that. also, if you wished you had more money to spend on holiday gifts this morning, stay tuned. we have tips to help you stretch your holiday budget. and a real special treat coming up in the last half hour. natalie portman is here. she has amazing performance in the new movie called "the black swan."

that's the dark natalie portman but you see every side of her. she really pushes herself in this role. a lot of people talking about the possibility of an oscar. >> and she does a lot of her own dancing. >> a lot of her own dancing. trained for more than a year. we're going to begin with the latest on the case of the ex-producer of "survivor" accused of killing his wife. he's due in court. mike von fremd is in los angeles has the very latest for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, robin. mexican police say bruce beresford-redman is the only one suspect in the death of his wife. while on vacation in cancun. what the police are deciding whether the reality show producer can be released on bail while he waits to see if he can be sent back from mexico. the tv producer says this was supposed to be a healing vacation to give the family time to resolve troubling issues.

instead, wife monica's nude body was discovered floating in a hotel septic tank. and mexican police say they've uncovered incriminating information about the husband. >> it puts us in a very stressful and difficult position because it's very sad. >> reporter: mexican court documents reveal concerned guests reported hearing screams, crying for help and extremely loud banging. it sounded like a woman in extreme distress. investigators say bruce had scratches on both hands, behind his ear and on his left shin. traces of bruce's blood were found in the room. during the hours bruce reported his wife missing, hotel records show his electronic key was used to open their door nine times between midnight and 7:00 a.m. bruce redman's lawyer said his client is innocent and objects that he's being held in a california jail. >> there were two other homicides at that same hotel. we think the police certainly

should have looked for other suspects before they arrested our client. >> the mexican authorities really did a very good job putting a case against bruce together. the fact that he is in custody is really where we think he should be. >> reporter: her husband, the producer, has been a slippery character. the mexican police ordered him not to leave the country, but he managed to sneak back to his california home anyway. there are reports that before the vacation, he took out a $500,000 life insurance policy on his wife. the hearing to send him back to mexico could take more than a year. and redman is telling the court he deserves to be free in california until that decision is made. robin. >> we'll see what happens. all right, mike. thank you. let's go back to juju at the news desk with more of the morning's news. good morning, juju. good morning again, robin and george. good morning, everyone. we have breaking news from kabul

where six coalition troops were killed this morning by a gunman wearing an afghan police uniform. the gunman was also killed. the attack happened in the eastern province where most of the troops are americans. the latest explosive expose from wikileaks has u.s. officials red-faced and in full-damage control mode. it involves nearly 125,000 confidential documents, many of them unflattering comments about powerful world leaders. our jim sciutto has details. from london. jim, good morning. >> reporter: juju, good morning. the reaction today from the u.s. and foreign governments mentioned in those documents is outrage and certainly embarrassment as well. there are unflattering views of key american allies. russian president dmitry medvedev is called the robin to prime minister vladimir putin's batman. and other world leaders mentioned as well. afghanistan's vice president caught leaves the country with $52 million in cash. and north korea's leader is called, quote, a flabby old chap. many of the most sensitive deal with the imminent threat from iran. the u.s. believes iran now has

missiles obtained from north korea capable of striking western europe. and arab leaders are pleading with the u.s. to do something. saudi arabia's king abdullah urges the americans leaders to cut off the head of the snake. wikileaks said it will release thousands of documents over the next several months and we're getting hints of what the documents will contain, including the u.s. government turning a blind eye to corruption and rights by allies. juju, certainly more to come. the oregon teenager charged with plotting to set off a car bomb in portland is due in federal court today. mohamed osman mohamud was arrested in an fbi sting operation on friday after parking what he thought was a bomb-filled van near a tree lighting ceremony. the alleged leader of a violent mexican drug gang is behind bars this morning. arturo gallegos castrellon is suspected in the shocking murders of 15 people at a party,

five agents and a worker. he was arrested in juarez which is considered the most violent city in mexico. well, what started as a war of words on the football field erupted to an all-out hockey-style blow. it was it wases the texans' andre johnson and finnegan trading nasty punches. they both got tossed. and both can expect fines or suspensions from the league. and finally, tributes are pouring in for leslie nielsen. the canadian-born actor got his start in serious films and television roles until 1980's "airplane." >> surely, you can't be serious. >> i am serious. and don't call me shirley. >> the iconic line from leslie nielsen. he died from complications of pneumonia in florida. he was 84 years old. that's the news at 8:07. time for the weather with sam champion. >> sam, a lot of headlines were saying, "shirley, a fine actor." >> exactly.

juju, the first thing i thought about that this morning is that line "i am serious. don't call me shirley." i loved those movies. good morning everybody, again. 25th anniversary, right? somewhere in jackson, somebody's having a birthday. >> whoo-hoo! benton moseley. 22 years old today. >> by the way, there's a lot of you that are here. isn't this a back-to-work day and back-to-school day? we'll talk about that in a second while you're roaming around new york. we start with new orleans with a live shot there. there's some rain in the area there today. it's likely this place will light up with strong to severe storms later on this afternoon to tonight. that goes all the way from little rock to memphis, by the way. a milder shot of cold air goes tuesday night into wednesday in new york city and stays there. when that rain goes, in comes cold air later on this week. we've got a brand-new system working into the northwest. should also say there's wind advisories in the l.a. area today. near san bernardino, those winds could be 60 miles an hour.

>> we'll have more weather from times square in the next half hour. george? >> okay, thanks, sam. this morning an alert is being issued to pediatricians around the country about children with eating disorders. the number of children under the age of 12 with disorders is exploding. the american academy of pediatrics just updated their guidelines for young patients that all doctors should be aware of.

dr. richard besser is here to brief us on those guidelines. how big a problem is this? >> it's one of those unrecognized problems, from 1999 to 2006, the number of children under 12 hospitalized more than double ed from 500 to 1,000. very few children with eating disorders ever end up in the hospital. what they're saying, doctors need to screen for this and be aware of it. >> what exactly do they want doctors to do? >> a lot of it is looking at a child and asking basic questions. one thing i always ask a child is whether they feel they're too heavy, too thin or just right. and that could be a way to open conversation about body image and body size. once you identify a child with an eating problem, you need to look to refer that child to someone who's a specialist in that area. >> of course, there's also important information for parents? >> that's right. parents are key. parents will see what's going on at home, whether there are issues around food and how children are dealing with the food and can bring those questions and concerns to their

pediatrician's attention. >> rich, stand by here. andrea canning is going to join us. she's got a look at parents who are concerned about their baby's weight. babies are expected to pack on pounds as they grow. the rising trend in obesity across the country has sometimes wondering is my baby too fat? >> george, a lot of parents are worried about weight. like adults, babies and children are also getting children. 1 in 10 children under the age of 2 is overweight. experts say there's even a new category of overweight kids called superobese. we'll take a look at what parents are doing to control their baby's weight. >> look her her rolly-polly arms. >> look at her chubby tummy. >> reporter: it's hard to resist, pinching those adorable pudgy cheeks. coo chubby be on its way out. "snl" poked fun at parents. who will stop at nothing to give their baby a perfect body. >> do you have a fat baby? that's why you need baby spanx. in no time, your baby will go from flab to fab. >> reporter: but in real life,

doctors say with obesity rates among children doubling over the past two decades, more and more moms and dads are actually putting their babies on diet s. >> there are some parents who are very pleased when their children are thin. a lot of fathers, they are like, yes, my daughter's thin. >> should we take some fruit? >> reporter: jodie admits it's a fear she lives with every day. she struggled with weight her whole life and doesn't want to see her 1 1/2-year-old daughter maya experience the same heartache. >> do you ever feel you're obsessent about her weight? >> yes. sure. i don't want her to have any problems that i had, the self-consciousness. i want her to have a good self-esteem. >> reporter: jodie carefully designs each meal to include fruits and vegetables. maya is in the 25th percentile for weight and jodie admits she wasn't concerned when she didn't

gain any weight at her last check up. >> i guess i didn't need to scoop out your bagel the other day. >> no, you don't need to scoop out her bagel. >> reporter: during this visit, maya has gained a pound. and her pediatrician, dr. blair hammond said she's healthy. her biggest concern is when a child drops between the fifth and tenth percentile for weight. an extreme example recently made headlines in washington state. prosecutors say brittainy and sam labberton starved their baby out of vanity. they feared their daughter would grow up you to be an overweight adult like her father. >> i wish i would have known better. >> reporter: but court documents show that brittainy labberton told child services that "oh, my god, she's fat." labberton claimed she said that only because she thought the weight gain was happening too fast. the big baby discussion was also a big debate on the website mom logic where one mom blogged on a play group who put water in her baby's bottle to keep his weight down at just 7 months.

readers were outraged. one wrote, this mother is setting her child up for development disorders and eating disorders. that, my friend, is abuse, plain and simple." >> you don't want to project a lot of anxiety and stress about eating to your kids. how many mothers are stressing dieting all the time and their kids get that as a role model of how to eat? >> you've never had a lollipop before. >> do you ever worry that by worrying about her weight from such a young age that she may have psychological issues in the future about weight? >> i do worry about that, as she gets older. i have to control myself from telling her what to do when she has to make her own decisions. it's important to live long and be healthy. but hopefully, it won't be important for her to think about it every day the way that i think about it every day. >> and andrea and rich join us now. now, it's a very personal story for you as well.

your daughter charli is 6 months old. >> she is, she's in 96 percentile for her weight. which is pretty high. the doctors say try feeding her less. but you try taking a bottle away from a 6-month-old, it doesn't work. she stops when she's done. >> also, rich, a chubby baby is a healthy baby. i've got to believe that. >> it can be, but it isn't always. it's about learning how to respond to cues. baby have an internal set point. so if they're hungry, they'll eat. when they're not hungry, they'll stop. if parents respond to that and feed their babies when they're hungry and stop when they're not, that's great. new parents, though, and you're not a new parent, you have experience. new parents will use a bottle or feeding to deal with crying or any other reason. if the child has been fed and they're crying, you want to make sure, well, are they wet, are they tired or do they just want to be hug. you realize every time a child cries isn't necessarily a call for food. and it's chubby and growing on

the curve like charli is, that's great. >> i think that's terrible when the parents inflict their anxiety about food on to the child. because i just think you're setting yourself up for disaster. my personal opinion. >> very important. rich, andrea, thanks very much. coming up, making the most of your christmas cash. how to stretch your money. dinner! [ garth ] we get double miles every time we use our card. and since double miles add up fast, we can bring the whole gang! it's hard to beat double miles! i want a maze, a sword, a... oww! [ male announcer ] get the venture card from capital one and earn double miles on every purchase, every day. go to capitalone.com. i wonder what it could be?! what's in your wallet? that can take so much out of you. i feel like i have to wind myself up just to get out of bed.

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contributor and "wall street journal" columnist wendy bound. good to see you, wendy. >> you say, i know, i've got my budget. i know what i'm going to spend on gifts. it is not just gifts. you have your christmas tree, you have the lights. your lights burned out last year. you got to replace them. electricity for the lights. the gas to spend to get to grandma jeanne's house. and to get a bottle of bourbon to spice up the eggnog. make a list of your expenses i want to you set a spending limit. circle that in red at the top, put is it at the bottom of your spreadsheet, stick to that limit. you can use tools yoth to help due that. keep your receipts, right. make sure you pay cash when you can. i think this helps you you. if you can, shop with a credit card online. look for a free shipping day where thousands of merchants

guarantee you'll get your package before christmas. freeshipping.com. >> it's not just the gifts, it's everything around it? >> absolutely. you're going to pay for that annually. >> that's right. >> and think about the reward points you're racking up, airlines, hotels, grocery card. look at your gift list and look at what you can redeem the points for. one thing you can do is get gift cards with your points. you might want to get gifts for people. and or if you want to give gift cards. speaking of gift cards, look for discounted gift cards. can you buy these cards at a discount. yesterday, i saw an apple card for $500 reduced to $480. restaurant.com, can you get a restaurant card for $15. >> what about the pre-paid debit

cards that seem to be the rage? >> and your kids are going to ask you about these. we've seen a lot of these marketed to teens. they have images of cultural pop are stars like the characters in the "twilight" movies or the kardashians. this is a way to use your credit card like credit, you're not going to get yourself into trouble. the connecticut attorney general was warning about the fees with these kardashian sisters cards. all of these cards have fees of some sort. compare them on credit.com. look and see what the fees are and get the best that you can for your money. >> you're going to be a big hit with the next one. >> think of dating for your future. you're going to thank me. we've been through two years of a rough economy. i cannot think of a better holiday season where you can teach your kids about savings. who wants to have college debt

racked up when they graduate? this is the way you can hurt yourself. you can make contributions, grandma can make contributions. give christians for good grades. roth i.r.a., if your kid is a tween and they have one, you can do that. and stocks. it's not too late to give your kids stocks. >> thanks, wendy. >> we've got natalie portman coming up in the next half hour. for those of us who have lactose intolerance,

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two people were injured clawing fire in an apartment middle. it shapd shortly before midnight on lincoln avenue. it appears the fire smoldered before taking hold. the woman that lived in the apartment is in the hospital suffered suffering from burns. a firefighter was injured when equipment fell on his face in the aftermath of place. >> city officials in san francisco credit last years law for getting more apartment buildings to use come posting bins. let's see how traffic is moving this morning. back to work, here is frances. >> back to work and back to school. it's better at the bay bridge

toll plaza. very heavy approaching the toll plaza on northbound 8980 into oakland. and traffic also recovering nicely through san rafael. it was a bit sluggish as you made your way toward 580. typical delays in the south bay. >> we'll checks owl

welcome back. temperatures around the freezing mark. the rest of us is starting to jump up. 44 in san francisco. sunny sky and how about mid to upper 50s. tonight could be frosty once again in the inland valleys with toss and 30s.

the rest of us near 40 degrees. slight warming trend through thursday. rain is on the way for friday ♪ where will i be tomorrow night yeah ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ the album american dance performing a moment from the ballet. oh, yes. thank you. thank you so much. and we have some other members

from alvin ailey, they have a special presentation in a moment. >> that is one way to work off the thanksgiving turkey, huh? >> that's the way to do it, but it's fitting. >> natalie plays a prima ballerina. some calling incredible. there's natalie right there smiling. but this is -- she acts in this the way you've never seen her before. >> really. you are just glowing about this. >> is that her laughing about it? >> very good. also, our countdown to christmas. it is on. becky is at the amazon shipping center in phoenix. to make the shipping fun and fast, that's our girl. cool cyber monday gifts and deals. she's a kid at heart. >> sure is. remember, story of "the new york times," pulitzer prize

winner david rodhe got kidnapped. spent seven months. now, he and his wife tell the kidnapping from both sides. he was kidnapped two months after they were married. what a stress on their marriage. we'll talk about that. we're joined by the members of the alvin ailey dance theater. hello. >> good morning. >> so many milestones to celebrate. and the 50th anniversary of the great ballet. "revelations." >> 50th anniversary. >> and you have the honor you that have danced in this more than any other dancer in history. >> you know, i've heard that. i am not sure that is true. it is a ballet that has continued to inspire people all over the world. it should be delivered back to the people and this ballet never fails to do that.

i'm happy to be starting with the company. my 29th season in celebrating this great ballet's birthday. >> and another milestone, the great judith jamison. miss jamison she can't be leaving as artistic director for so many years. what a legacy she leaves behind. >> well, miss jamison teaches to us hold on to the past, live in the present and live fearlessly into the future. she continues to do that every day. and our new director robert battle who has a generous spirit. it's a promising time to celebrate her. to welcome him. so we're honored to have this season happen. >> i love how michelle obama celebrated her, too, at the white house. i'm looking forward to the gala on wednesday. i'm going to be there. >> yes, thank you. hosting. i hope you're excited.

>> oh, very excited. 55th and 9th. that's where the theater is. but you're also very giving and you're going to dough nature to the coat drive. >> i have dotes here. this is a coat from one of the dancers. >> look at that, the 50th anniversary. >> you already collected like 30 coats. >> yes. >> wonderful, thank you. more warm hearts, warm coats. we'll give you a tally in just a little bit. my goodness, how everybody comes out and contributes and wed appreciate how you have done the same thing. we'll see you wednesday. >> thank you. >> sam champion is a big champion, too. because they're in the hood, we have a lot of personal friends with the alvin ailey company. you can stand on the street corner and watch them in the downstairs windows or the upstairs windows and watch the practice. >> just give us a little something. >> come and see us. come and see us.

>> or you could pay for the show. hey, shouldn't you guys be in school somewhere? is there something that -- no? yes? >> no? you're saying no. someone beside is you nodding yes. >> let's get to the boards. one or two things we want to talk about. as you step out the door, think about this, this was somebody's view, jekyll island, georgia. i love the pictures. the more tropical the better. brand-new system is quiet this morning. as our friends in seattle all all over the twitter and as they talk about the rain that will mo

>> and all that weather was brought toy by jared, the galleria of jewelry. george. >> thanks very much. in her new movie "black swan" natalie portman has pushed herself to the limit. she plays a ballerina who seems to be crumbling as she pursues the role of a lifetime. and critics are saying it is a role of a lifetime. thank you for coming in this morning. >> thank you. >> there was a whole group of people at our hughes at thanksgiving. we were mesmerized and couldn't figure it out until the final few minutes. >> it's a real conversation piece, i think. i think it's definitely something that will leave you with a lot to talk about after you see it. >> and it's something you that pursued with real intensity. ten years in the making. what was it about this film and this role? >> well, i really wanted to work

with darin ornosky, the director of the film. and i also love dance. i thought it would be sort of a dream come true to get to -- >> you danced as a young girl, right? >> i danced until i was 12 but then i stopped. >> you trained for this. i know your coach said you decided in order to play a ballerina, had you to train like a ballerina. >> we were doing five to eight hours a day. crosstrainers, swimming, toning, basically working out. it gave me a complete new respect for ballet dancers. >> you lost 20 pounds. >> one of the things you see in the film is how -- i guess it's respect for darin orlosky how physically punishing. >> today, i was reading in "the new york times," the review of the "the nutcracker" and the reviewer said the ballerinas

looked fat. i thought in what other field is it acceptable to judge them by how big they are? >> the physical pressure and the psychological pressure. your character is under great psychological pressure from herself from her mother, from the ballet master. i want to show a clip here that gets it, the kind of manipulation, i guess that your character was facing. >> in four years, every time you dance, i see you obsessed getting each and every mover perfectly right. but i never see you loose yourself ever. all that discipline, for what? >> i want to be perfect. >> you what? >> i want to be perfect. >> perfection is not just about control. it's also about letting go. surprise yourself so can you surprise the audience.

transce transcendence, and very few have it in them. >> i think i do. >> ahh! you bit me. >> first of many surprises. coming up. but he's on to something there, isn't he? trying to be perfect comes at the cost of beauty. >> absolutely. and then human creation always has to do with imperfection. imperfection, what makes each one of us unique. and he just wants her to find her own pleasure rather than trying to please everyone around her to become a woman and artist. >> you said become a woman. i guess that's universal. it's about dance but it's also a story about a young woman growing up from a very cloistered environment. >> exactly. she has to figure out how to make herself happy.

absolutely what everyone goes through maturing. >> but it could be one of the hardest things to do. >> absolutely. >> well, it is just a brilliant performance. congratulations. good luck with everything. come back soon. >> i will. >> "black swan" opens this friday. when we come ]k]k]k]k]k]k]kk

hey, you got groceries! yeah! i thought we'd eat at home. save some money. $200 bucks? that's not saving! [jacks voice] at my place i'm bringing back the bonus jack. two patties, melting cheese and my secret sauce plus fries and a drink for only $3.99. i get it. you can eat lot cheaper atouar placthan y c]n at home.

but do have this? i have dessert. what about this? ohhh. ohhhhhh. jack. that's for max.

all this week, we're counting down to christmas with a look at great holiday gift ideas that help stretch your cash this week. cyber monday, we're looking at the best deals online. becky joins us again from the amazon shipping center in phoenix. online retailers like amazon, they're really slashing those prices, aren't they, becky? >> today's the day. they're taking advantage of any excuse to throw a sale. a good example, today's deal of the day at amazon is this 47-inch l.e.d. backlit lcd. that's the newest technology. normally about $1,000. today, $599. that say heck of a deal on a tv. we're seeing deals like this on amazon and retailers. they really want to move their

inventory. >> it looks that way. that's quite a savings. all right. tech gadgets because you're a techie and the iphone, there must be an app on that somewhere. >> yeah, i'm big on accessories. it's a case for the iphone but it's also a keyboard so i can type on it. this is from saint geek. we actually have a code on our website to get you discount if you go and want to get that for one of your geeky friends. >> all right. sometimes for gifts, people like to give things that are a bit more practical like small appliances, things like that. do you have any good deals there? >> i've got you covered. home depot has $19.99 on their website. plus free shipping. you there go. >> nice and practical, but toys! toys! it's all about the toys. give us good deals there.

>> i've got two deals from amazon. this one is playskool. the playskool promotion today. you buy $50 worth of playskool toys, they'll give you $15 off. that's a good deal. blanket across all of the playskool products. then, finally, i really love the remote-controlled toys. this is the air hog. they are $29 today. that's 25% off. and i'm going to send it on its way, robin. i think i'm going to try and land it on a package so it goes to somebody's house in, i don't know, peoria. >> where's it going to land? >> where does it go? oh! >> see there. >> it's on its way somewhere. >> okay, becky. you're buying it. you broke it, you're buy can go. it's there. thanks, becky. to get more information on these products plus learn where you can find the best online

shopping deals go to abcnews.com/"gma." tomorrow, the countdown continues with the presents that gifts back. gifts people on your list will love to get and you'll feel great about getting them. >> coming up next "a rope and a prayer." a husband with a heart-stopping story of faith and courage. the camera phone?

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way to brew. [ female announcer ] so with keurig, every cup tastes like it's brewed just forou. ♪ because it is. choose. brew. enjoy. keurig. in 2008, "the new york times" correspondent david rodhe

was doing final research for a book for afghanistan when he was kidnapped by the taliban. he was held for seven months. back home, kristen mulvihill was sent into a brand-new world. the couple has written a book called "a rope and a prayer, a kidnapping from two sides." we've never heard your side of the story. that is where i want to begin. you were just two months married. >> yes. >> a big part of what you all talked about, i understand from reading the book before this, david was going to settle down, giving up his life as a foreign correspondent. >> right, exactly. >> you find out, even though he didn't tell you that he was kidnapped. there's a kreeng with your mom i'd like to you tell us about. you're dealing with real anger. you said to your mom, we just

took a wedding vow. and your mom says -- >> and now it's your chance to live up to it. get past feeling angry, it's a job to bring him home. i really appreciate she did that. she could have knit picked at david. instead, she just rallied behind both ever us. >> we'll put you on the hot seat. you go into the marriage. you promised not to do this. yet, you almost can't help yourself. >> i wanted to understand in afghanistan why the taliban was so strong. it was obviously a mistake not to tell kristen, she's an incredibly strong woman. if i told her not to do the interview, she would have said do not go. and i would have abided by her wishes. >> you thought it was an afternoon stride outside of kabul, you'll be back by evening. no one would ever know. >> he did three other interviews with western journalists.

i spoke with a journalist who had met with him, she said, she felt she he was trying to use the taliban to get out the message. instead, it was trap. >> yet in those seven months -- was there ever a moment where you became convinced you weren't going to get killed? >> when we were dane into the tribal area of pakistan, this san area where al qaeda and osama bin laden are thought to be hiding. i thought we were doomed. it's a taliban mini state where they can hold prisoners as long as they want. >> this is brand new to everybody. especially during day day, you're a photo editor at "cosmo." you can't tell anyone that you're actually negotiating with the taliban? >> exactly. it was quite an ordeal. in some ways, my daily job gave me some sense of normalcy, actually comic relief at times. between negotiating with the taliban, i was planning shoots of bachelors in her boxer

shorts. it was a bit of release. over time, it became too much to keep the secret. i did take a leave of absence to work fully on his case. >> the book is called a rope and a prayer." david, did you not grow up religious. you did not go into this experience as religious, yet, you write about a prayer. >> it helped me to say a set of prayers to myself every day. my experience with religion at its best and at its worst. extreme religion is what led the taliban extremists to kidnap here. i've seen that in afghanistan and balkans as well. moderate religion say force in the world, it did help me to keep going but religion can be used for political purposes. that's what the taliban and al qaeda are doing. >> you actually found the will and really the courage to escape? >> it did. it sort of centered me every day. in the end, we decided to

escape, we decide they had were playing games and we felt we would never be released. i was furious the captors wanted nothing from us. >> in the end, you said, this experience dotting me how to let go without giving up. >> exactly. prayer was a big part for me. i worried about david, i worried about his peace of mind that he'd be able to pull on innerstrength to get through this. >> it is a fascinating book. your "the new york times" colleague silva was recently injured in afghanistan, lost both of his legs. we want to make sure we let the nxnxnxbúbúbúbúgs

tomorrow on "good morning america"? >> yes, "good morning america." oh, the gifts that keep on giving. >> that's right, tomorrow! ]k]k]k

san francisco police are investigating a drive-by shooting on van ness avenue. they say the victims were driving around yesterday morning when another vehicle pulled up alongside and opened fire. three men were taken to the hospital. check in with mike and see if it is still frosty out there. >> that will soon be melting as our temperatures will jump into the upper to mid-50s. inland valleys, frost and slightly warmer weather and rain returns on friday and showers on saturday. >> new hot spot, northbound 178 at 880. a motorcycle is blocking the lane.