good morning, america. and breaking news, right now. this morning, the war is over. we are live in baghdad, as the flag is folded and the last combat troops fly out of iraq. at this hour, our cameras are there to see history being made, as our brave troops finally come home. mansion murder mystery. the wealthy boston couple gunned down in cold blood in their house last night. police found the front door unlocked. the family dog waiting inside. were they murdered by the mob? elevator nightmare. a young woman killed at work. crushed to death, as she boards an out-of-control elevator in her office building. what went so wrong so fast? brilliant disguise? the new clues about the masked geezer bandit, linked to a string of armed bank robberies.

could he really be a she? so appropriate to see the flag, as we come on and say good morning, america. the final american soldiers, packing up right now in iraq. departing the country by plane and track. apache helicopters providing air cover as the troops leave. >> our reporters hearing signs in iraq that they haven't heard in nine years. this lasted longer than world war ii. nearly 1.5 million americans served. 4,500 died. the cost, $800 billion. defense secretary leon panetta is in iraq for the ceremonies today. along with martha raddatz. this is your 21st trip to iraq. you've been there for all the ups and downs.

what's it feel like on the ground today? >> reporter: i heard words like momentous, historic. this marks, truly, the end of mission. and there was so much reflection here today, george, by everyone. i flew over here in a helicopter, probably one of his lloyd austin. he's the commanding general of u.s. forces today. and he just looked out of the window of that helicopter and looked around. he said, we made so much progress. on the initial invasion, and now closing the door on the mission. and about 4,000 troops who remain here, they will go out in the next few days. start going out, leaving iraq, for good. >> and the defense secretary, leon panetta, said the military should be proud of what they accomplished. even though the mission is ending today, the war is not completely over. >> reporter: it certainly isn't completely over. the state department will remain here. there will be about 15,000 civilians and contractors here to continue the job.

to try to make it better here. but there are so many, many challenges that remain, george. we've been around the last few days. we've been to fallujah. there's still very strong anti-american feeling here. and there's fears of sectarian violence. al qaeda is still operating here. so, so many challenges. i want to tell you one quick story. i talked to the wife of general martin dempsey, the general of the joint chiefs of staff. i met him in 2003. he had cards for the 130 or so soldiers he lost there. i asked his wife where the cards were. and she said, they're on his desk, in a box that says make it better. that's what they try to do here, george. >> that's a wonderful story. you know, martha, this war deeply divided our country. most americans still believe it wasn't worth it. when you talk to those military officers, soldiers, everyone who served, and their families, how do they answer that question? was it worth it?

>> i think everyone answers it in a different way. actually, general austin said to me when i said was it worth it? he said, for those families who lost service members here, it will never be worth it. they will never be able to say it was worth it. but to him and the senior officers, they say, it was worth it. they've given iraqis an opportunity. but i'll tell you, few other people i talked to don't think it but. >> martha, you've been so much for this effort, as well. 21 trips to iraq over the last 9 years. thank you for all you've done. extraordinary job in iraq. now, we turn to josh elliott, and the rest of the morning headlines. >> good morning to all of you. we're going to begin with an accident overnight at a silver mine in idaho. seven men were working more than a mile underground, when seismic activity apparently caused a rock to burst apart. early reports said that the men were trapped. but they were able to be extricated. only one of the seven had to be hospitalized. and he's expected to be okay.

earlier this year, two men were killed in accidents at this same mine. the owner was fined nearly $1 million for safety violations. and take a look. dramatic scene on a california freeway. tanker truck carrying some 8,000 gallons of gasoline. bursting into flames and burning for hours. forcing other drivers to abandon their cars. the fire so intense, it caused major structural damage to the overpass above it. and that freeway remains closed. new evidence that the middle-class is shrinking and fast. census figures show a record number of americans, nearly half, are now classified as either poor or low-income. in many cases, housing or child care costs are consuming half of a family's income. a u.s. satellite company got surprised when sifting through its images over asia. take a look. it's a very unexpected glimpse at china's highly-secret first aircraft carrier, parked in the

yellow sea. china has spent years rebuilding it. the pentagon expects it to become operational next year. and finally today, was the day that melinda guido was supposed to be born. she arrived 16 weeks ago, on august 30th. no bigger than her own mother's hand. doctors gave her no more than a 2% chance of surviving. but now, take a look at little melinda. beating significant odds. growing, thriving. doctors now say she could go home by new year's day, the happiest holiday treat. >> 9 1/2 ounces at birth. >> said to be the third-smallest baby ever born. >> you caught me up there. we're going to turn to politics now. your voice, your vote. mitt romney holding nothing back. now, he's calling newt gingrich zany, just hours before the next high-stakes debate in iowa. that's tonight.

and john berman is here with a cheat sheet on what to expect. good morning, john. >> reporter: you can tell it's a big day because the attacks are getting better. this is the last debate before the iowa caucuses. and therefore, maybe the last best chance to impress voters in this crucial state. call it mission impressible. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: gingrich, romney, paul, and friends. all on their final iowa mission. mission mitt, nag newt. >> he's a wealthy man. a very wealthy man. when you have a $500,000 purchase from tiffanies, you're not a middle-class american. >> reporter: it's personal and maybe working. romney sources tell abc news, they see signs in iowa polls that newt's support is softening. the $3.1 million in negative ads from supporters, making a difference. especially the notion romney is pushing, that gingrich doesn't have the temperament to lead. >> zany is great in a campaign.

it's great on talk radio. but in terms of a president, we need a leader. and a leader needs to be someone who can bring americans together. >> reporter: mission newt, keep cool. try to stay above the fray, like he did with these protesters in iowa. >> i'm going to try to talk over them. and hope that all of you who would like to hear -- >> reporter: don't let attacks get under his skin. he told sean hannity -- >> for a day or two, romney and his consultants were successfully baiting me in exactly the wrong direction. >> reporter: also, keep an eye on ron paul, who has been up in polls. and up in newt's grille. >> it's about serial hypocrisy. >> reporter: as for mission paul, stay smiling. especially when mitt romney gushes about you. >> the thing that amazes me, the only signs i see are the ron paul people. >> reporter: as for the others, mission remember me. michele bachmann, rick santorum and rick perry were at an anti-abortion event overnight. and perry has launched a huge

iowa bus tour, hammering the values theme. >> i happen to believe that america is ready for someone who has the values that iowans share. >> reporter: the conservative national view has an anti-endorsement of newt gingrich. citing his ideas. today, political reports, in all the attacks from mitt romney, newt will launch a new positive ad in iowa. he'll note, others seem to be focussed on attacks, rather than moving the country forward. >> are the attacks weighing him down? we'll find out in the coming days. thank you very much. now, to the shocking murder mystery outside of boston. a well-known developer and his wife gunned down in their mansion, in a wealthy suburb. big questions about this morning about who could have been behind it. abc's linsey davis here this morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, robin. for most of the day yesterday, the exclusive neighborhood in andover, massachusetts, was locked down. and can you imagine this?

the husband and wife's bodies were discovered by their daughter. overnight, police combed through this million-dollar mansion, probing for clues in the double-murder of john magee, a prominent real estate developer and his wife. early wednesday, the wealthy couple's bodies were discovered. gunned down on the first floor of their sprawling estate. >> the incident appears to be isolated. an isolated act. and the circumstances lead us to believe that there is no further threat to the andover community. >> reporter: a smaller community in the boston suburbs. and a safe one, which makes this murder all the more shocking. police are revealing few details in the mysterious case. the front door was found unlocked. the family dog, still inside. and the couple's lexus suv found torched 25 miles away, in an area known for mob activity. this morning, police are still searching it for clues. >> i don't want to give out

specifics that may compromise our investigation. >> reporter: investigators won't say if there's signs of a robbery or a struggle inside the home. police did say, however, there was no signs of trouble at the residence. >> the house i grew up from. he still owns a lot in the neighborhood. only heard great things about him. >> reporter: 69-year-old magee was known for his 40-plus years in the construction business, where he ran one of the most lucrative development companies in andover. >> he was a pillar here from the '70s through, maybe the late '90s. police say it's too early to say if this is a double-murder or a murder/suicide. this was the first murder of an andover resident in almost a decade. >> thank you, linsey, very much. we're going to bring in abc news consultant, fbi former agent, brad garrett, about this. police don't want to give away too much on this. it's an ongoing investigation.

but they say there's no immediate threat to the community. what do you read into that? >> i believe they believe the couple was targeted. in other words, someone went there to specifically kill them. or they went there to commit some type of robbery, to steal a particular item. and the secondary aspect would be to kill them, which would be more like a home invasion, versus a directed hit, maybe by organized crime. >> we heard -- speaking of that, we heard in linsey's report, and police are verifying this, that their car was found 25 miles away, in north boston. an area that has mob connections. what do you make of that? >> i don't know that i want to draw a lot to that because typically organized crime won't steal a vehicle because why bother to do that? home invaders will. and then, they torched the car, obviously, to destroy fingerprints and dna to link it back to them. so, i don't know. that seems to take me in maybe a

different direction than organized crime. we'll just have to see. another key component, robin, will be how they were killed. i'd like to know where they were shot. how many times they were shot. were they shot in bed? were they brought into a room and shot? that tells you a lot about the people who committed this crime. >> all right, brad. of course, we're thinking of their children this morning. thank you, brad. now, to the shocking accident here in manhattan. just as an ad executive was stepping into her office elevator, it lurched up and crushed her to death. the others standing by could only watch in horror. ron claiborne has the latest on this story. >> george, riding in an elevator, is said to be safer than riding in a plane, or walking on the street. minor accidents are rare. but wednesday, something did go wrong, horribly wrong, with one elevator. this 12-story office building on new york city's famed madison avenue was bustling wednesday morning, when the horrific

accident took place. suzanne hart, a 41-year-old executive, was entering 1 of the lobby's 13 elevators, when the door closed on her trailing leg, pinning her as the elevator shot upward, trapping her. over the next hour, two people who were inside the same elevator, watched in horror. >> just like a loud, really loud explosion or crash or something. >> reporter: the building's nearly 3,000 workers were immediately evacuated. many gathering outside, stunned and distraught. >> as you can imagine, this is a great emotional shock to all of us. >> reporter: americans take an estimated 12 billion elevator rides a year. almost all of them uneventful. so, whenever there's a mishap, like these 12-year-old girls trapped under an elevator three weeks ago. or this man who was struck in an elevator for 41 hours, they make news. experts say elevator accidents are extremely rare. and injuries even rarer.

how could hart have died during something millions of american consider so routine. >> that senses the presence of an object. and won't allow the doors to close. >> reporter: we asked patrick who spent 50 years in the elevator business. >> the possibilities are human error. there was a technician in the machine room. the other possibility is it could have had a short or a fault on the elevator controller. so, the elevator controller believed the doors were closed. >> reporter: the doors had been inspected just last june and passed. and we left e-mail and phone messages for the company that services the elevators there. but i've not heard back from them. the building where the accident occurred had 55 elevator violations in recent years. but apparently, none for anything serious. and ironically, george and robin, the company that suzanne hart worked for, just announced recently they were leaving that building. >> gosh. what will the focus of the

investigation be right now? >> first, they're going to see if there was a mechanic on duty. a technician that may have accidentally done something. next, they'll look at computer records to see if there but some kind of malfunction and exactly what kind there was. very rare. but tragically, it happened. >> ron, thanks very much. now, let's go out to sam with the weather. >> good morning, everybody. that elevator story is one of the things that shook you up as soon as you heard it. let's talk about rainfall. so much of the country is getting rainfall today. who gets a lot? and who gets a little? in the northeast, we knew there would be rain. but it's scattered showers. nashville to memphis, four to five inches above normal rainfall. and you're getting more today. and look at texas. here's some interesting news. dallas is two inches above their normal rainfall for the month of december. but remember, they're ten inches below normal for the year. they've got a lot of room to make up. most of the state of texas was in extreme drought right now. that drops down to eastern texas. western texas does not get rain today. and they desperately need it.

here comes strong santa ana winds. for the system that brings some rain. you'll get the backside of powerful wind. ventura county, oxnard through l.a. ocean side, san diego, palm springs. you're getting the whipping wind of 60 miles per hour-plus, in some locations today.

>> oh, that brutal december weather. atlanta hits a record 70 degrees today. robin? george? >> they're loving it. sam, thank you. now, to a possible break in the case of the so-called geezer bandit, the masked robber breaking into banks on the west coast. police tracking an important lead in tracking the elusive suspect. abc's david wright has the story. >> reporter: they call him the geezer bandit. over the past 2 years, he's believed to have robbed 16 banks in southern and central california. surveillance photos suggest he's

an older, white male, in his late 60s or 70s. a geriatric john dillinger. and something of a folk hero. they even sell geezer mid. now, the fbi is working on the theory the geezer might actually be a man or a woman in a mask. the geezer bandit, literally could be anybody. but authorities now have an important break in the case. they know where he got the mask. the company, spfx in van nuys, made the mask freddy krueger wears for the "nightmare on elm street" movies. authorities served the company with search warrants, to find out who purchased this mask, believed to be the disguise warn by the geezer. >> this is the wall of shame. >> reporter: not the first time the company's received attention from law enforcement. >> people have used our masks for illegal purposes.

>> reporter: a dallas bank robber favored the handsome man mask. and a young chinese defector used the elder mask to board a plane in hong kong and demand asylum in canada. giving new meaning to the phrase, who was that masked man? david wright, abc news, van nuys, california. >> a masked man, can you imag know. coming up on "gma," the surprising twist for selena gomez and her stalking ordeal. why the stalker is asking for a restraining order. and a critical surgery for the former model injured by a spinning airplane propeller. why her family is calling it miraculous. right now, she continues to make an amazing recovery. and two, big interviews ahead. robert downey jr. is here live. also, janet jackson. she talks about her childhood with michael, battling her weight. and her brand-new role. plus, we have the golden

globe nominations. we'll have chris connelly here to talk about all that. a lot coming up on "good morning america."

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our headline for today, wet weather into the afternoon, scattered showers possible. it will be windy for tomorrow and more sunshine in the forecast for the weekend. as we check out maryland's most

powerful doppler radar as of now though we're dry. we'll stay that way until maybe 2:00 and then the wet weather trying to move in here but right now temperature-wise 46 degrees in pasadena, 40 woodbine. ellicott city 43. and by this afternoon the temperature will soar to about 57 degrees. it will be in a very mild day but don't forget the umbrella, we could see showers as we go into the afternoon. angela has traffic. >> good morning. on the roadways now we've got an alternate route already carved out. a major road closure in harwood. route 2 shut down at polling house road with an accident. pole down, wires down. take route 468. in the meantime, starting to see heavy volume on u.s. 29 at maryland 1018. a -- 108. a live look at maryland 43, where traffic begins to back down in the southbound direction, that delay doctor whitemarsh boulevard to the boulevard and to the beltway as you make your way to the fort

mchenry tunnel. baltimore parents are now taking action after they say their son was bullied and taunted by children and baltimore city educators did nothing to help. the sullivan family filed a lawsuit against the school board and principal of hazelwood middle school. they say their son, a special needs student, was bullied and taunted by classmates at hayswood elementary school -- hazelwood elementary school and then again at glenmount. they say he was choked until he passed out and the school did nothing to help. we'll be right back in 25 minutes. óñ @

there they are, justin bieber and selena gomez. it looks like she's having the time of her life right there. but she's still facing a dangerous stalker who has threatened her life repeatedly. that stalker has asked the judge for a restraining order himself. we're going to get to that in a moment. also in a moment, paris jackson, growing up so fast, as you know. starring in a new series of movies. and talking about the career advice her father, michael, gave her. says she remembers everything her dad ever told her. and sat down with ellen degeneres. the most revealing interview yet. talks about the veils. >> a beautiful girl. a lot of star power here this morning. robert downey jr. will be here

live talking about "sherlock holmes" with jude law. he also has a baby coming up. we're going to start with the twist in the selena gomez stalking case. andrea canning has that with us here this morning. >> reporter: it starts out in a story we've heard before with celebrities. police say selena gomez's alleged stalker flew from chicago to l.a. to find her. but his story has a twist. gomez was having trouble getting a permanent restraining order against him. so, he stepped in and is now trying to help her. but does the alleged stalker's act make things more terrifying for the star? >> will you stay away from selena now? >> we are the holy trinity. >> reporter: selena gomez's alleged stalker, seen in this tmz video, says he is hearing voices from god, ordering him to kill the teen sensation. but the judge handling the case

wouldn't grant the request for the permanent restraining order, until thomas brodnicki has a chance to defend himself in court. now, gomez has an unlikely supporter, brodnicki himself. he's actually siding with the star. quote, i believe a restraining order should be issued against me, to prevent me from trying to contact selena gomez because i know it is the only thing i know that will make me stay away from selena. >> even though he's admitting he has a problem, doesn't make him more safe. >> reporter: selena gomez has seen her status elevate to new heights this year, as she goes around the globe with her boyfriend, justin bieber. the police who had brodnicki on a psychiatric hold acted out of desperation. he said he had over 50 conversations with god a day about killing ms. goepz. it also reveals that brodnicki made multiple trips to gomez's studio.

insisted he would not leave los angeles until meeting her. and has a history of stalking. he talks about what he believes could be their future together. >> one of my favorite scenarios is she flies out here on march 23rd, 2016. and we start seeing each other. >> stalkers change the victim's life. it makes them give up any feeling of security because the stalker can show up at any time. >> reporter: selena's next court date is january 6th. she is seeking that permanent restraining order. in the meantime, the judge issued a temporary one. the criminal charges were dropped against thomas brodnicki because the judge ruled prosecutors could not prove that he was specifically trying to scare her. >> thank you very much. let's get more from our legal analyst, dan abrams. we see this as a dangerous guy. but they're so delusional and it's so odd him saying i need a restraining order. >> right. and a permanent restraining order. he is saying, in essence, you

need to issue this permanent restraining order to keep me away from her. that's bizarre. there's already a temporary restraining order in place. the question is, should it be permanent? there's going to be a hearing on the 6th of january. it's somewhat technical because the judge is saying, he deserves a chance to defend himself. and he's saying, i don't need a chance to defend himself. >> isn't it game over? >> i think they will. a hearing will take place. there's still a restraining order in place. and so, the question is, should it last for three years? and on the 6th of january, i would expect that the judge will come forward and say, as a result of everything that i've seen, as a result of the defendant's own comments, i'm going to issue a permanent restraining order. >> the guy, so clearly, was posing a threat, from everything we're seeing right now to selena. how do you compare that with dropping -- >> now, california has the toughest stalking law in the country, as a result of the 1990 change in the law.

it's now tougher than anywhere else. and you can imagine why, because of hollywood stars, et cetera. and so, what the judge in this case -- a different judge, by the way -- ruled was, that because there wasn't specific intent to scare her, he dropped the charges. he was delusional and thought he was in love with her. in all these cases, the stalkers -- not all of them. in a lot of them. the reason they're doing is because they're not wanting to hurt them. >> they want to be with them. >> right. it's hard to understand that the fact he's talking about killing her all these times why the -- >> odds are now, the restraining order will be put in place eventually. >> absolutely. particularly now because he's saying, you need to do it. >> okay. dan abrams, thank you very much. now, to a major turning point for lauren scruggs, the former model injured by that spinning plane propeller. she just came out of a critical surgery. and josh has the details on the

outcome. >> she's been through a number of surgeries. this one, the most difficult. the most intricate. it was an operation on that left eye that was injured in that horrific accident. >> hi. i'm lauren scruggs. >> reporter: 23-year-old model and fashion editor, lauren scruggs, who barely survived that terrible plane propeller accident, just ten days ago, is recovering, after yet another delicate surgery. in a statement, her family says, quote, we are thankful for all the strong and powerful prayers for this and the surgery today, end quote. >> she really shouldn't be alive. so, we feel blessed in that. and although she has challenges ahead, and we do, too, we're lucky to have her. >> reporter: wednesday, doctors successfully removed her left eye, implanting a prosthetic in its place. overnight, friends and family called it for lo, as she's known to them. and saying, quote, the doctors

were excited about the surgery. and said everything went as well as planned, end quote. hopefully praying that the many surgeries are behind her. lauren's parents say she made incredible progress this week. >> she has her spunk back. her personality. >> reporter: she's alert. she's talking. and walking down the hospital hallway three times all by herself. >> come on. >> come on, baby. >> come on. >> reporter: and that does qualify as progress. however, we -- >> they'll take it. good for her to be here. they are a deeply religious family. and prayer how she has recovered. >> the word miracle. it's used a lot. it applies here. let's get over to sam champion. happy friday eve. >> happy friday eve. we've been on twitter looking for the most beautiful spot this morning. we think we've found it. a lot of activity coming out of orlando. look at the live shot. wftv. if this is out off orlando. the skies are blue and gorgeous.

near 80 degrees. wouldn't be surprised to see you get there. 77 is the forecast temperatures there. atlanta is another beautiful spot. rally -- raleigh -- really? rally. raleigh, that is another beautiful spot today. all that going on in the southeast. here's that cooler air. chicagoland, you're dropping down, finally getting into the cooler temperatures, one more time. 36 on saturday. new york city goes down to 34 on saturday. this is a chilly weekend. and the front that moves through from the mid-atlantic north into new england, doesn't really bring as much rain as it will in more southern location. light and showery and mild today. but for the weekend, in comes cooler temperatures. >> all of that weather was brought to you by folger's.

oh, robin? oh, josh? >> can we get a -- >> all that weather was brought to you. >> if you're not going to put your heart into it. >> it's only thursday. >> thank you. >> what was i thinking? coming up, paris jackson, as you have never seen her before, revealing the real story of her childhood with her father, michael. ♪ i must have the wrong house. sister? we missed you. they waited up all night for you, you know. it's a long way from west africa. ahh...coffee. [ inhales deeply ] he's here. i brought you something. [ chuckles ] really? ♪ [ chuckles ] what are you doing? you're my present this year. ♪ the best part of wakin' up ♪ is folgers in your cup no exclusions. with jcpcash get $10 off when you spend just $25. storewide. unlike other stores, we don't make you come back to save.

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to paris jackson, speaking out, in a candid interview on what it was really like growing up as the daughter of the king of pop. and the advice from michael that she carries with her to this day. our weekend anchor, bianna golodryga, has much more on this. i like this young woman. >> she opened up, robin. paris jackson was a last-minute replacement after lindsay lohan dropped out of her scheduled taping on "the ellen degeneres show." it likely will be her last interview as anyone's fill-in. paris is already being called a star. sporting a fedora and purple streak in her hair, paris opened up in her first interview, with poise and charm beyond her years. >> is this something you've known you wanted to do for a while? >> i love acting. >> reporter: paris is making her big-screen debut, starring in the film "lundon's bridge and the three keys."

she says her father inspired her to start acting. >> i was little. and my father was in the movie "moonwalker." i saw that and was, wow. i want to be just like him. >> reporter: michael also taught his only daughter some tricks of the trade. >> we would do improves together. he would give me scenarios. in this scene, you are crying. and i would cry on the spot. >> reporter: and she revealed the frustration that her dad would go through to shield them from the glare of the public eye. remember the masks they hid behind when they were in public? >> i'm like, this is stupid. why am i wearing a mask? i realized the older i got, he only tried to protect us. and he explained that to us, too. >> reporter: today, life with their grandmother has given the three siblings a chance to be normal kids. paris was delighted that students at her new school didn't know who she was. >> i'm treated the same. yes, i have a chance to be normal. >> reporter: but she also

acknowledges that life as the king of pop's daughter will never be completely normal. and that's okay. today, paris carries with her the most important memory she has of her late father. his advice. >> he said, if i die tomorrow, always remember what i told you. and i took his advice. and i remembered everything he told me. >> reporter: she took his advice. and paris says, she was able to persuade her grandmother to let her star in the film because it had a message close to her father's heart. and he always encouraged her acting aspirations. >> had to get the okay with mrs. jackson. >> there was a funny exchange with ellen. mrik o like, i knew he wrote a couple of songs. but i thought he was like everyone else. >> she was a -- wow. not anymore. thank you very much. coming up, josh's "play of the day." and two, big interviews ahead. robert downey jr. here live. and paris' auntie, janet jackson, on battling her weight and taking control of her life now. [ sniffs ] i have a cold. [ sniffs ] i took dayquil

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here's "the play of the day." >> or was, as it turns out. we want you to check this out. we couldn't take our eyes off of it. it's from down under, australia, that is. it's a bearded dragon. and take a look. cue my game, daddy-o. >> oh. >> she'll ask questions i can't answer, george. >> oh, my gosh. >> this is almost cruel. >> he thinks they're ants. he's very good, though. very good. >> he got the high score. >> he really does. >> hundreds, and we're still into the games. >> really, running every last drop out of this. what do you say we see some

karate kid? >> yay. >> oh, oh. hi-ya. hi-ya. oh. >> hi-ya. >> ha. janet jackson. i can't wait for you to open this. i can't wait to open it.

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good morning. right now temperatures not feeling so bad outside. 45 degrees in baltimore. we can see more of the same in cincinnati. des moines though around 36 degrees. where that cold front passed through. nashville 62. we're going to get in on some of that colder air as that cold front moves through later on this evening. we're looking at the satellite and radar now. the showers will be moving in. i say maybe around 4:00 this evening. all in ahead of that and once again that cold front moving through behind it.

we'll get in on the colder air. future trend picking up what is going on as it goes into motion. i don't believe we're getting a lot of rain with this system this afternoon, i think there will be scattered showers in our forecast. as you head out, do grab the umbrella. temperaturewise, we're around 57 degrees for today. mostly cloudy skies, mild temperatures once again with the showers popping up in the afternoon. by tonight that temperature will be around 42 degrees. showers possible. cool, not cold. let's check traffic with angela. good morning. it's been a tough ride this thursday morning in harwood, route 2 still shut down at polling house road. use route 468, your best alternate for that situation. in the meantime, a lot of heavy traffic, especially for those of you making the drive on 29, heavy between i-70 and route 32. a live look at the jfx, i-83 heavy from the beltway all the way to 28th street in the southbound lanes.

and traveling on the west side of 695, outer loop lanes heavy at wilkens avenue. back to new york now for more "good morning america."

♪ what have you don't for me lately ♪ [ cheers and applause ] ♪ what have you done for me lately ♪ >> perfect. yeah. i'm not going to -- >> i'm singing. i'm looking at george. like, come on, george. keep going, robin. that, my friends, janet jackson, global superstar, for so long. now, she's speaking out about her childhood with michael, her hopes for her niece, paris. and how she's taking control of her own life right now. want to do a little shoulders. >> janet, coming up. also, what will you remember most about 2011 in maybe it's dressing up like lady gaga, on "good morning america." but katie couric is here with the real memorable moments of

2011. and she kicked up her heels. >> with j.r. martinez. >> nice moves there. and robert downey jr. in the house today. has two, big productions in the works. sherlock holmes movie. and a new baby on the way. and he'll be here to talk with you, robin. >> jude law yesterday. a rough week. let's turn to josh and the developing stories. >> hi. we're going to begin with the moving ceremony at baghdad airport, marking the noformal e to the war in iraq. a time-honored tradition, at the end of a mission, the flag of the u.s. forces in iraq, officially retired. 1 million troops served there during the nine-year war. some 32,000 were injured. defense secretary leon panetta said it was not in vain. >> the sacrifice will help the iraqi people begin a new chapter

in history. free from tyranny. and full of hope or prosperity and peace. >> 4,000 troops remain in iraq. but they will be gone by month's end. we're following another breaking story overseas. powerful images of what appears to be a massive burning inside two skyscrapers in hanoi, vietnam. heavy smoke, you can see billowing from the towers. the fire broke out at 4:30 in the afternoon, raising obvious concerns that there could be many people trapped inside. and we'll have more information as it comes available. and the republican presidential candidates will debate tonight for the final time before the crucial vote in iowa early next month. and newt gingrich will likely be playing defense. polls show the front-runner losing support in iowa. mitt romney questioned gingrich's temperament wednesday, calling him, and i quote, zany. meantime, it's ron paul who continues to pack in those loyal crowds across the state. and take a look at

surveillance video from suburban philadelphia. it's sparking a lawsuit this morning. a police officer seen tasering a 14-year-old honor student, who was unarmed. he claims that she attacked him. but the girl's family says you can see her raise her arms before being tasered in the groin. about a minute and a half of surveillance video has now gone missing, raising even more questions. and in medical news, st statins, the drug millions take for high cholesterol, may be the key to fighting the flu. people on statins are 40% less likely to die from the flu. and there was an accident in the skies over utah. not involving planes. but rather, thousands of migrating birds that crash-landed. take a look. these are the ones who survived. thousands of others died when the birds mistook a walmart parking lot and a nearby football field for water. the clouds above and the snow

below made the asphalt and the grass shimmer like a lake. here's diane sawyer, with a preview of tonight's "world news." diane? >> good morning to you, josh. for four generations, under one roof. great grandparents, grandparents, parents and kids, all living together. why are they doing it? and how? millions of them, are the real, new, modern american family. and we'll show it to you tonight on "world news." and finally, george, we're in trouble. sam, we're in real trouble. listen up out there, you men, and me. this is news we can all use. a new study finds that men typically overestimate a woman's interest in them. what do you think? apparently, they're not that into us. researchers surveyed 200 college kids after a speed dating event, and found that the men were consistently overconfident, judging their attractiveness. and in related news, orange juice comes from oranges.

>> all right. >> you know that's true. it's totally true. >> yeah. that is -- that is a bit -- >> sometimes he'll take the mirror in the morning. >> oh. >> he'll do that and go, it's just not fair. true story. true story. it's just not fair. >> that's not fair. >> and he's talking about the political climate in many states around the world. aren't you, josh? >> thank you. >> go away, wingman. >> speaking up for the 99%. all right. let's get to some pop news. let me save you. we know george clooney has a way with the ladies. but he also knows how to win over a dog. so, in the new "esquire" magazine, clooney says it was love at first sight when he spotted his rescue pooch, einstein. however, the shelter requires a home visit, before letting any animal get adopted, even if

you're george clooney. clooney wanted him to like him. he rubbed leftover meatballs on his shoes. proving that einstein may not be as smart as his name sake. but he is lucky. and look for david beckham to make a transition from soccer to the silver screen. if tom cruise has anything to say about it. tom tells reporters he is actively looking for a script for them to work together. and he believes that becks will make an incredible baddy in an action flick. will he score with moviegoers? it can't hurt to have cruise in control of your first film. and the last person that we ever thought we would be saying this about. the last person to do a reality show, at least in my opinion, is doing one. clint eastwood is allowing cameras to follow his wife and two daughters for a reality show that will air on e! the show will focus mainly on the women of his family. however, the 81-year-old says he

will agree to make our day with a couple of cameos. thanks very much. but he will not be a main character on the show. dirty harry has nothing on "housewives of beverly hills." can he handle the drama of a reality show? isn't that interesting? who knows? we'll see. a couple of months. >> okay. >> and maybe he wants to give a platform for this -- the actresses in his family. >> a beautiful family. finally, this is a really cute one. earlier this week, downtown vancouver, a garbage truck, making its daily rounds. and suddenly, from the top of the truck, a little black bear pops up, stopping traffic and winning the hearts of bystanders. >> pretty big black bear. >> yeah. little is relative, george. police think he unknowingly hitched a ride. that's an officer or a conservationist. police say he hitched a ride from a dump on the outskirts of town and got a ride into the concrete jungle. well, con vagsists were able to

safely tranquilize him and get him back into the wild, a little bit further away from town. he's fine. but can you imagine, in the middle of a city, how are you doing? >> the garbage truck has to be bear heaven. >> as happy as can be. let's take it outside to sam champion. hey, sam. >> we are enjoying every moment out here with the gang in times square. go ahead, pronounce it. it's not what it looks like. what is it? >> sequim. >> it's sequim, washington. across from victoria, in that area. >> in b.c. >> it's a lovely area. i'm leaning over you as you text. where would we rather be? >> miami. >> yeah. let's get to the boards. one or two things going on this morning we want to show you as we walk out the doors. in the west coast, in comes this low. this is not the big, pounding rainmaker. but it's going to make an awful lot of wind for southern california in the deserts. it will drop the temperatures. be prepared for that.

it's not a rainmaker. as we look towards the eastern seaboard, this isn't one for us, either. there will be widely >> who is lily? >> lily is our 3-year-old granddaughter. >> but you left her at home? >> we left her at home. and she's watching. >> watching in morning. pressed up against the television set. how are you? >> hi, lily. >> that's nice. lara?

>> hi, lily. here's a look at what's coming up on our "gma" morning men you. janet jackson opening up about her struggles with her weight, her surprising, new move. and her niece, paris. and robert downey jr. is here live, talking with robin about baby onboard. and what it's like playing sherlock holmes. and we're counting down christmas with guy fieri. all that and so much more coming up on "gma." - [spoken in chinese] will you marry me? - [spoken in spanish] will you marry me? - will you marry me? male announcer: before saying those words, there's one word every man should know. - leo. - leo. - leo. announcer: the leo diamond at kay jewelers, a fire, sparkle, and brilliance so intense, it is the first diamond ever certified to be visibly brighter, one more reason kay is the number one jewelry store in america. - [spoken in chinese] yes. - [spoken in spanish] yes. - yes.

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this holiday, select hallmark cards come postage-paid. still to come here on "good morning america," janet jackson, on her latest role. plus, robert downey jr. here, talking about his new movie. it's is all straight ahead, right here on "good morning america." glad that one's over. yeah, i know what you mean.

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shop preview friday. sears open 'til midnight select stores. earlier, we told you about the new challenges ahead for michael jackson's daughter, paris. now, we're going to turn to her aunt, janet. the superstar has lived life in the public eye since she was a child. this year has been no different. now, the singer and actress is speaking out for the first time since the trial of conrad murray. she talked to juju chang. good to see you, juju. >> good to see you, george. janet said it's been a year of great sadness, with everything the trial churned up emotionally. but she also talks about great joy, reconnecting with fans on a world tour. but what really shocked me, is even with at the height of her fame, with those rock-hard abs we all remember, janet jackson felt bad about her body. janet jackson is a study in

contrast. a brash performer. edgy, sexy. ♪ >> i love the rain. >> reporter: but offstage, intensely private, even shy. having spent her whole life in the spotlight. here, she belts out a tune on "the carol burnett show," holding her own with her brothers. ♪ good times >> reporter: as the youngest child in a wildly successful show business family, she seems like the typical child star. and yet, she was deeply self-conscious about her body. where did that come from? >> it stemmed from being a kid. being the baby of the family, you get teased. >> reporter: you wrote in your book, michael would tease you. >> yes. about my butt being too big. and i carried that through as an adult. but i was 10 years old when i did "good times." >> hi.

>> i remember my very first show, the wardrobe woman said, we're going the bind your chest because your chest is too big. i was developing at a very young age. and the following season, they said i needed to lose weight. and i just kept it inside, for years. >> reporter: and while her anthem came, i'm in control, she felt anything but. ♪ i want to be in control >> reporter: when you were fluctuating, what were your comfort foods? >> ice cream. sometimes chips, cookies. sometimes healthy food, but too much. >> reporter: while the world saw this, in the "love will never do," video, she saw a different picture. ♪ love will never do without you ♪ >> reporter: it boggles my mind, that in the midst of looking as great as you did in those music videos, where you have your bare midriff and everything showing, what were you thinking in your head about your body image?

>> i didn't like it. >> reporter: you didn't like it? >> we always find something wrong with us, somewhere. if it's not our arms, it's our thighs. so, i could very easily pick myself apart. and that's what i would do. that's what i did. >> reporter: as her weight did fluctuate in 2005, this paparazzi shot showed a much heavier janet. in her newly released paperbacks, she talks about the highs and lows, in her love/hate relationship with food. and her life-long struggle with self-acceptance made her want to help others. and in her newest move, her new role. >> you need a plan that works for you. >> reporter: she's the new face and body of nutrisystem. some would say, i can't believe janet jackson is doing nutrisystem. as the one who has yo-yoed back and forth, what makes this one different? >> it's to keep it off. that's maintenance. and they have a program for

that. my success plan is to feel good about me. all of us, we have that one pair of jeans that we have a relationship with. >> reporter: i think every woman in america does. for janet jackson, 2011 has been the year of blank? >> agreed to live happiness. there's been some sadness. it's been difficult at times. >> reporter: like reliving the death of her brother, through the trial of dr. conrad murray, who is now serving a four-year jail sentence. when it came to the trial, you tweeted out, justice has been served. what did you mean by that? >> exactly that. even though it doesn't bring any brother back, that would be the ultimate. but the justice was done at that moment. >> reporter: it's also been a year of new beginnings. ♪ control >> reporter: an international tour. and time to cherish her family. just this week, there was news that your niece, paris, has signed to do a movie. that's so exciting.

>> i'm happy for her because this is what she wants to do. >> reporter: but you, at 12, had a very interesting experience. do you share that kind of advice with her? >> i told her. i said you should really take this time to enjoy your youth, to the fullest. you lose so much of your childhood in this industry. >> reporter: janet still sees herself as the baby of the family. but she says, she's all grown up. >> i am able to look in the mirror. i couldn't do that before. i am able to do what i love most, what i think i'm here to do. that's to help others. >> janet tells me, not a day goes by that she doesn't think about her brother. they were so close. when she got personal about her struggles with weight, she refused to talk about any numbers. like the number of pounds she plans to stay off. more than anything, she doesn't want people to be fixated on that number.

>> i couldn't get over that sigh when you asked her about paris. >> it was clear, i said what kind of auntly advice did you have for her? and she's trying to steer her away from the pitfalls that marked her upbringing. >> we'll look forward to more tonight on "nightline." thank you very much. robin? >> george, thank you. as 2011 draws to a close, it's time to reflect on the last year. so many world-changing events on the political scene. and major happenings in pop culture, too. in her special, "the year with katie couric," katie will cover it all. including the moments we wish we'd forget. but we haven't. >> it's a two-hour year-ender on steroids. we're covering it all. and we're going to give you a little taste of what's to come tonight, with a segment -- a piece of a segment, called the hall of shame. these are big names who took big falls in 2011. >> let's look. ♪

>> reporter: it was the year of weinergate. arnoldgate. >> schwarzenegger has been keeping this for years. >> reporter: and dominique strauss-kahn allegedly forced himself on the woman. there were a lot of sex scandals this year. >> those are my favorite. >> democratic congressman, anthony weiner, expected to resign. >> reporter: 2011 was the year social media took on a whole new meaning. >> anthony weiner does not know the difference between twitter and a direct message on twitter. >> what were you thinking? >> that's called death wish. >> today, i'm announcing my resignation from congress. >> all gone. for what? for what? >> reporter: unseated by a tweet. or a series of tweets, rather.

lewd photos weiner sent to six different women. >> that's the fastest anyone has ruined their political career, in a click. >> reporter: from one disgraced politician to another, there was enough scandal to go around. >> arnold schwarzenegger took infidelity to a cosmic level. i'm going to sleep with the maid. i'm going to have a kid with her. and i'm going to have a secret for 15 years. >> it's a heartbreaking tale, seeing maria. someone who has been standing by her husband's side all these years. >> reporter: from divorce, to defiance, sex scandals went international. >> dominique strauss-kahn. >> reporter: as french politico, dominique strauss-kahn, faced charges of sexually assaulting a maid in a new york city hotel. >> the thing i couldn't get out of my head was his wife was victoriously walking out of that courtroom like, yes. my husband may have had sex with someone. but at least it wasn't rape. >> reporter: the charges were later dropped. but not before it made everyone

feel like they needed to take a shower. >> it's just very dirty. tawdry. and it's cheap. >> reporter: of course, in 2011, the hall of shame wasn't just about sex. >> you worry about your moment having passed? >> reporter: it was about dramatic stormouts. >> right now, it's about whether you support gay marriage? >> you're borderline being a little bit rude. are we done? >> are you leaving? >> reporter: and freakouts. >> aren't you the one that screwed me last time? >> i have one speed. i have one gear. go. >> reporter: and the mother of all meltdowns, charlie sheen. >> insane. >> winning. >> amazing. >> high. >> interesting. >> a mess. >> you don't worry you're going to die when you take that many drugs? >> dying is for fools. >> celebrities lose it every year. but seldom do they lose it to the extent that charlie sheen lost it. >> i mean, what's not to love? >> how did i know you were going

to go there with charlie sheen. that's just a sneak peek. >> that's right. it's really wide-ranging, robin. we talk about serious news stories because it was such a huge year in news. whether we're talking about the death of osama bin laden, the tsunami in japan, the arab spring. and of course, we're going to be talking politics, all those gop debates and some of the winners and losers there. so, we're also going to be talking about things that people couldn't stop talking about. like casey anthony, for example. and the royal wedding. things that were really talked about around the watercooler, time and time again. i think it will be a fun show. >> a potpourri, if you will. and you have something devoted to the heroes. >> this is one of my favorite pieces in the special. we talk about s.e.a.l. team 6, g gabby giffords. and someone i know you like,

j.r. martinez. he was so inspiring. he was my favorite -- "dancing with the stars" freak. he was my favorite. he was so phenomenal, the fact that he inspired so many people. and had gone from the terrible injuries in iraq to winning the disco mirrorball, whatever they call it. i actually interviewed him recently in l.a. and we hit the dance floor a little, j.r. and i. >> we're going to see you dancing with j.r. martinez? >> see me cut the rug a little bit. and with the cha cha cha move. >> that's a great way to end the year. and it's been great having you join us, katie. >> thank you, robin. >> more to come. all of the year with katie couric tonight, 9:00, 8:00 central, on abc. coming up, sherlock holmes himself, robert downey jr., going to join us live.

good morning. happy thursday to you. satellite and radar picking up on clouds moving in across the area now. we do see showers back off towards the west. this is going to be pushing into our area possibly as we go into the afternoon. maryland's most powerful doppler radar is dry around the area. as of now. temperature-wise we're on the mild side. temperatures in the 40s and we're really going to boost up the temperatures as we go into the afternoon timeframe. hour by hour, 47 degrees. 53. then by 4:00 we're going to be mild. that temperature around 57. take the rain gear though us a head out today. as you head out today. angela has traffic. good morning.

we continue to have the road closure in harwood, route 2 at polling house, again, route is 468, that's your alternate route. in the meantime, a lot of heavy traffic as you make the drive on 29 at maryland 108. and 95 heavy. around beltway, 695 around the baltimore national pike. west side delays in the outer loop direction. follow us on twitter at maryland traffic. tomorrow an army intelligence analyst will be in a military courtroom in fort meade. bradley manning is suspected of passing government secrets to wikileaks. the hearing is to determine whether manning should be court court shalled. we'll remind you that abc2 has an app for its i-pad two. a governor makes an announcement today about a proposed merger between excolon

and constellation.

♪ outside times square in morning, thursday morning. a lot of people here, inside, as well, because robert downey jr. is right across the studio. always a lot of fun to have him here. >> absolutely. it's a really big day in hollywood today. the golden globe nominations. can't wait to see who gets one and doesn't get one. we have all that news coming up for you. >> chris connelly standing by. also standing by, he's a little busy. great holiday appetizers, guy fieri. with pizza, and hungry. and let's send it back to robin. i get more compliments on

this watch. thank you. >> tying it together -- >> i love when you toss over to me and i'm sitting with someone because everyone's so kind. and we're just chit-chatting. and we look to the camera saying, it's the season for sequels for robert downey jr. he's about to be a daddy again. welcome back, robert downey jr. >> thank you, kindly. >> we love it when you're here. >> i love it when i'm here. >> you have your little peanut gallery. loved it. jude was here yesterday. and told him the same thing. you picked up right where you left off with the first one. >> that was the idea. we were pleased it was successful. but you know, it worked, based on our chemistry. and guy's great direction. and the action and all that stuff. we really wanted to bump it up. and not disappoint the audience. >> you didn't disappoint at all. how is it for you -- there's been a number of actors who played sherlock holmes. you're getting another

opportunity. what was the best part about that? having another chance? >> looking back at the books and seeing, is there anything that hasn't been exploited yet? and luckily for me, there was. >> and you really -- you took your own take on it. that is what i like about it. we've seen it played. and it was like you put your own, and guy ritchie, and the whole cast. and you made us think of him in a different way. >> which is great. i mean, the books can take it. there were some descriptions that were kind of inaccurate that were taken as facts. he wears a deer stocker cap that was never in the books. i think more than anything is, if i'm going to go to a movie, and it's a holiday movie, as it happens, i want to be entertained. i don't want to feel i have to pretend i'm being entertained because i've got to do something to get out of the house. so, we are pleased that this is

actually you know -- we took a stab at something that was really funny and exciting and are adventurous the whole deal. >> it was funny. and you alluded to the chemistry between you and jude law. we're going to play a little bit of a clip, to see the banter between sherlock holmes and dr. watson. >> you still read the official statements and believe it. >> it's a game. a shadowy game. cloak and dagger. >> spider and fly. >> i'm a fly? you cat. >> not a mouse, but a dagger. you're drinking embalming fluid. >> yes. care for it? >> you seem a bit manic. >> i am? >> verging on psychotic. >> i should have brought you a sedative. >> you two make it seem so effortless.

>> well, you know, i think good writing helps. and jude is an incredibly gifted guy. so, you know, between the two of us, it's a little bit of a british invasion. half british invasion. >> you like going back and shooting it there. i won't bore you with the clip of jude going on and on what a great actor you are. >> it's so tiring. >> shameless. and one thing he said was your character dressing up as a woman was your idea. >> it would give us something to talk about during the press tour. >> a lot of people have asked about that. you don't think of him as dressing up like that. like he said, it's not really improv. but kind of rewrite some things as you go. that's how it was on set. >> yeah. i mean, kind of like today. if every question and answer was stock, you kind of feel it at home. >> right. >> i watched the show yesterday

and i was like, they keep cutting around. just someone who loves movies, i like it when you feel like you're seeing the puppies being born, as opposed to the family photo. >> same old, same old. not the same old, in the other sequel. congratulations. you and susan are pregnant. >> yeah. >> is she speaking to you again? you kind of revealed that it's a son on another program. and she wasn't quite sure -- >> she knows i have a problem with impulse control. although, i practically mastered it. she said, as long as you don't say his name, you will retain your head. >> that much, you are not going to reveal. >> no. not yet. >> but your first son is what? 18? >> indio's 18. >> been some years since you changed diapers, my friend. you ready? >> why not? i love that stuff. as long as you're going to be sleep-deprived, you might as well have something really cute,

motivating you, smelling like feces, all day long. >> it's never boring when you're around. congratulations to you and susan. we have a viewer question. i was hoping we were going to be able -- you were with diane sawyer some years ago, your music. and someone asked -- ebony asked this question. we know you have a lot on your hands, especially with a son on the way. but is there any chance we'll hear you put out new songs? >> it's funny. i don't think about it much. and i had a great time making that album. i've been interested in music. hans zimmer, who did the score to "sherlock holmes and i," he asked if i would be interested in seeing organically if some musical project would happen. hans, i just said it on tv. i think we can get a record deal. >> there it is. that impulse control. putting it out there to the universe. it has to be true. robert, thank you. >> thank you. >> continued success in all that

you do. and thank you for sharing your talents with us. and you brought a few more cameras with you, when you come along. >> hi, there. they don't seem all that interested. is that a one-way mirror? >> no. yes, exactly. "sherlock holmes: game of shadows" opens this friday. sam? >> we see you. robert downey jr., we can actually see you. josh? >> hey, sam. >> it's time to make a big splash out of our my lights are better than your lights. this is the final day. two families have faced off every day this week. here are the finalists, the schmidts of georgetown, texas, won monday's showdown. >> scratching christmas. >> that's the way we subtitled it. >> you can find it on the radio in your car as you drive by. >> then, we had the ziemkowskis from sherman oaks, california. >> two worthy winners in their days.

>> and the animatronics. >> and the whitis family. 100,000 l.e.d. lights, a tribute to the troops. and the lights are synced to "god bless the usa." >> you see the tree with the waving flag. >> we're not playing favorites. but you can vote as many times as you want. let them how to vote, josh. >> go to your "gma" app on your smartphone. let it on there, no pressure. millions of people. >> what's the code again? right there. that's exactly what it looks like. that's not what it looks like. we're going to cancel that. or go to "gma's" facebook page and vote there. i have a feeling you have one or two things to talk about. >> outside our doors, twitter and facebook pictures have been jumping this morning. i love this picture out of louisiana. this is turning into a photo contest, folks. look at the mist and the fog underneath the trees. and a little snow in colorado.

here's where the rain is forming. there's heavy rain from east texas. dallas, from memphis, and nashville. you had all the rain you need. but east texas can use a lot more. in the west, a blustery day. not a >> all that weather was brought to you by sears. oh, robin roberts? >> alert the masses. mr. downey is on his way out of the building. coming up, guy fieri here with tasty [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone

for our best price online -- just $79.99 a month for two years with a 2 year agreement. it's an amazing holiday deal. but don't wait. it's only available for a limited time. so go to verizon.com/superoffer to sign up. act now and we'll add a special bonus -- $300 back. fios delivers the best picture quality, plus america's fastest, most consistent most reliable internet. spend the holidays saving money. switch to fios and get our best price online -- just $79.99 a month for two years with a 2 year agreement when you order online. save $840 in your first two years. and don't forget your special bonus -- $300 back. hurry, offer ends soon. go to verizon.com/superoffer. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/superoffer. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead.

all right. so, we are counting down to christmas with chefs. and author, guy fieri. he is here with a few recipes

that will spice up your holiday party. he's a host of a new show. it's called "rachael versus guy" on food network. it kicks off new year's day. hello, my friend. >> good morning. and somebody's over there eating. >> we're down. >> if we're doing this the right way, everybody's into the appetizers. that's what we were saying. your party will want to be into. >> everybody's coming to your house. it's holiday time. what do you do? you can't just give them the nut and cheese log. it only goes so far. so, we're going to brine some chicken wings. what's so great about this? when you brine, you're creating osmosis. you're fortifying the flavor of the chicken yourself. you can roast them, you can barbecue them, you can fry them. my recommendation, is it's cold winter months. put them in the oven. now, you have cooked wings. somebody comes and says, i'm hungry. we're going to show you what we

can do. this is some garlic and a little honey and salt. and six cups of water. and take this mixture. >> boil for a couple of hours? >> 8 to 12 hours. take this, and pour it over the top. this is the exciting part. bathing the chicken. >> these are called firecracker wings for a reason. >> the recipe's in my cookbook. or you can eat them on-set here. we marinaded them here. brine them here. we step over. now, we make a basic sauce. and this is one of the problems you have, on the show, these are the techniques we're teaching the celebs. don't overcook the wings. don't put it directly over the flame. and baste them after they cook. >> why after? >> you have honey. a bunch of sugar. that honey will burn. if you put it in direct heat right now, while you try to cook the chicken, by the time the

chicken's cooked, this is burned up. sirachia sauce. >> and this is -- >> it smells so good. >> a little sweet soy. we're going to get a little sesame oil. there we go. and a little bit -- watch out for the hot ones. and a little bit of ginger. this sauce can be held for a couple weeks. you make it ahead of time. a really nice savory sauce. it could be a wok sauce for you. we take this, the sauce is done. the wings have been brined. we pat them dry. we don't want a bunch of moisture on them. >> it's hot. >> nice, little crust. we proceed along. >> these do not look like the wings we all think of. these are a little cleaner. they're not as drippy. >> rendering down the fat. that's the key word today. i go to the gym and render down the fat. when you're done on this stage,

you have both sides, a little bit of crisp. the skin is nice and crispy now. and this, is when we come in and hit it with the glaze. this is like a rock concert. people are going nuts. people are storming the stage. let me show you a couple other things that will make you successful during this holiday time. this, right here. lemongrass. we're doing something nice and healthy. a lemongrass skewer chicken here. >> recipes from the book. or go to our website, goodmorningamerica.com for more. >> lemongrass chicken. i need you guys in ♪

[ male announcer ] it's easy to see what subaru owners care about. ♪ that's why we created the share the love event. get a great deal on a new subaru and 250 dollars goes to your choice of five charities. ♪ with your help, we can reach 20 million dollars by the end of this, our fourth year. [ female announcer ] get 0 percent apr financing on select models for thirty-six months and we'll donate two-hundred and fifty dollars to your choice of five charities. now through january 3rd. golden globes time. hollywood's award season kicked off just moments ago. nominations for the 69th year of the globes. there's a lot of hot races.

and our hollywood handicapper, chris connelly, here to break it all down. >> i'm going crazy. it's nuts. a lot of these movies people have not seen yet. it's strange to hear they're the best movie of the year. but they are. we'll soon see because the hollywood press just told us. chaotic award season so far. a lot of movies. we'll see what the audience decides. "slumdog millionaire," or "king's speech" was top movie. this is like watching the cast -- who makes the varsity and who doesn't. we'll see what happens. >> i'm looking at best drama right now. you have george clooney, steven spielberg, "war horse," brad pitt, "moneyball," martin scorsese," hugo." and a big day for clooney. >> you can count on the hollywood foreign press to find the big stars and give them the acknowledgment they deserve. in best actor, three of the a-list actors in hollywood.

george clooney, "the descendants," leo dicaprio, for "j. edgar." and brad pitt, for "moneyball." >> we have shailene woodley on the phone. she is in "the descendants." she was on "good morning america" just a few weeks ago. her first film. now, you have the nomination. >> thank you. it's crazy. >> good morning, shailene. >> what were you wearing when you heard you got nominated? >> my pajamas. >> being on the set with george obviously gives you a chance to study one of hollywood's most talented actors. what do you think you learned from him while watching him work during "the descendants"? >> oh, my gosh. not only did i get to know him as a human being.

but he's such a good actor. never in his trailer. always on-set. i'm so lucky. >> and shailene, it's been an incredible ride for you to get this on your first, first film. is it something you were expecting to get, this nomination? or is it still coming in as an absolute thrill? >> not at all. it still hasn't hit me. i'm so grateful to the hollywood foreign press. and everyone involved. it's been a magical ride. and the last few months have been life-changing. the months in hawaii were life-altering, as well. i'm like a giddy girl on christmas day. >> enjoy it all. and i'm sure it's just the beginning. chris what else have we got here? >> we have quite a war in the actress cad categories. we have glenn close for "albert nobbs." you haven't seen that movie yet. but you will. viola davis, for "the help." she was tremendous.

meryl streep is back again. this time, playing margaret thatcher in "the iron lady." tilda swinton. and rooney mara for "the girl with the dragon tattoo." >> we want to bring in octavia spencer, from "the help." congratulations, octavia. >> thank you. it's exciting. >> we only have a couple of seconds left. what was your first reaction when you got that call? >> i literally just got the call about 30 seconds ago. so, i'm still -- i'm still basically coming down. she woke me up out of my sleep, my publicist. i'm overwhelmed. and now, i want to know who's been nominated. all she told me was me, viola and jessica. >> you slept in past nominations

octavia? you didn't set your wake-up call. up against jessica chastain. >> looking at your notes. it's going to be such star power. >> who is the first person you're going to call and tell about your nomination? who is the first person you want to let know? >> i am -- well, my family, they're all on the east coast. so, they've already gone to work. so, i think i'm just going to have a little coffee and wake up and kind of tell myself that i'm nominated. >> enjoy that coffee, octavia. thank you very much. congratulations. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable

and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $79.99 a month for two years with a 2 year agreement. it's an amazing holiday deal. but don't wait. it's only available for a limited time. so go to verizon.com/superoffer to sign up. act now and we'll add a special bonus -- $300 back. fios delivers the best picture quality, plus america's fastest, most consistent most reliable internet. spend the holidays saving money. switch to fios and get our best price online -- just $79.99 a month for two years with a 2 year agreement when you order online. save $840 in your first two years. and don't forget your special bonus -- $300 back. hurry, offer ends soon.

go to verizon.com/superoffer. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/superoffer. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead.

jazz hands. our big finale, tomorrow. >> you've been voting all week long. can't wait to see who won. thanks for joining abc news. have a good day.

good morning. happy thursday. we'll have the wet weather moving in as we go into the afternoon. maybe scattered showers possible. it will become windy as we go into tomorrow. then more sunshine set up for the weekend. in the meantime check out the temperatures. yes, we're quite mild coming in the mid-40s around baltimore and back into the middle of the nation. 62 around nashville and 64 memphis. satellite and radar picking up on the fact this is a line of showers that will be poised to move in as we request g into the afternoon. it's ahead of a cold front. that will move in as well. the mild air though will be moving in before that cold front gets here and then we'll start to see and feel the colder air moving in, i say tomorrow, trickling into the weekend. in the meantime future trend picking up on what is going on for the rest of today. that line of showers looks like it will break up a little. i'll call it scattered in nature as we go into 4:00 this afternoon. your commute home could be a little wet, cooler with snow showers back into western

pennsylvania. once that front passes. we won't be getting snow here. quite mild today with that temperature coming in around 57 degrees. by tonight showers will start to end a little but there's still the possibility for maybe lingering showers. by tomorrow that temperature around 49 degrees so that cold front doing its thing. very windy behind the cold front as well. here's a check of the 7-day forecast. once again very breezy friday, much cooler than today. then by saturday and sunday the weekend will definitely usher in cooler temperatures, in the mid-40s with plenty of sunshine in the forecast. that sunshine will stick around as we go into monday. by tuesday, a few more showers moving into the forecast. óñ