good morning, america. i'm robin roberts. >> and i'm george stephanopoulos. it's tuesday, september 14th. and this morning, breaking news. american hiker sarah shourd is released from an iranian prison. her two friends still held. we'll have the breaking news ahead. political showdown. today, the last primary day before midterm elections. and tea party candidates are charging hard. what will that mean for control of congress? a father's fight for justice. the dad at the center of that stunning home invasion case takes the stand and faces the man accused of killing his family for the first time. and personal foul? an nfl team accused of harassing

a woman reporter on the sidelines and in the locker room. were they out of bounds? we talk to the reporter at the center of the controversy. hello, everyone. welcome back. >> good to be back. >> we want to welcome the western viewers for the breaking news. one of the three american hikers has been freed. >> finally. officials say she was probably released because of severe medical problems. she found a lump in her breast while in jail. her friends are still being held. jim scuitto has the latest. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning. sarah shourd released from prison. the $500,000 in bail was paid. not sure it was in cash. but it was paid. the family tweeting they were

profoundly grateful. she's leaving her two good friends behind, josh fattal, and shane bauer who is her fiance. they got engaged in prison in tehran. the prosecutor said they'll go ahead with the trial on all tree hikers on charges of illegally entering the country. it's not clear whether shourd will return or not for the trial. >> based on similar cases in the past, the official pronouncement will happen. i don't know of any other cases where the person comes back for trial. >> reporter: her release was announced last thursday, due to health reasons. she discovered a lump in her breast. she had a pre-existing condition

related to cancer. her release was canceled on friday. it was reen stated on sunday, but with the demand of $500,000 on bail. we heard that inside iran, it's not getting attention. they're paying more attention to the treatment of american muslims here. here's more from jason, our reporter on the ground. he said not have much attention given to the case there. we're waiting for first words from shourd. her family certainly eerg to see her. george? >> thanks, jim. now to politics. seven weeks until election day the primaries in seven states and the district of columbia, all eyes are on three state in particular, new hampshire, delaware, and here in new york, the tea party challengers are

making strides. jon karl is covering it all. >> reporter: good morning, george. as you said, there's seven primaries today. but the eyes of the political world are all on tiny delaware. it's here that the tea party movement is trying to score its biggest upset yet. meet christine o'donnell, the tea party candidate most feared by the republican establishment. >> there is a tidal wave coming to delaware. and we -- we are riding it. and he is drowning in it. >> reporter: she has twice run for the senate. and twice lost. but this time, she has sarah palin. >> hi. this is governor sarah palin. vote for christine o'donnell for u.s. senate this tuesday. >> reporter: o'donnell is up against one of delaware's most popular political figures, congressman mike castle. republican leaders think he is their only chance of winning joe

biden's old senate seat. >> if she were, by some miracle to be our nominee, we would lose this seat and lose it by unprecedented numbers. >> reporter: castle has won 11 state-wide elections in heavily democratic delaware. in part because he is a pro-abortion rights, pro-gun control moderate who works with democrats. that's exactly why tea party activists don't like him. >> the republican party has lost its way. they get behind candidates like my opponent, who don't even support the republican platform. who continue to support the democrats' agenda, lock, step and barrel. >> very high stakes in a very small state. we're here at the smart screen to look at the state of the overall race. let's begin with the senate right now. the magic number for republicans in the senate. they now hold 41 senate seats. they need to pick up ten to take control. this is the universe of senate races right now. those shaded red or pink,

leaning republican. those shaded blue, leaning democrat. but we'll keep an eye on the all-important ten tossup states right here. >> if republicans are going to capture the senate, they need to run the table. on these states, george. starting with those they already control. florida, where marco rubio is up against charlie crist. arlen specter's seat in pennsylvania. the president's old senate seat in illinois. then, they have to win six out of seven of those now controlled by democrats. in kentucky, rand paul, tea party candidate needs to win. missouri, wisconsin, colorado. sharron angle has to topple the senate majority leader. if they can pull off california, they have control of the senate. and they can afford to lose. >> some of the seats in play that previously people didn't think was close. like california or wisconsin, russ feingold, holds a seat. let's take a look at the house as well. here, republicans, according to

a lot of observers, have a better chance to take control. their magic number is 39 seats they need to win to take control. we're looking at a universe of 50 seats that are most in play. >> here's why you can see the republicans more easily taking control of the house, even though it's still a reach. of all these seats, these are the tossup seats, as you mentioned. almost all of them, all but three, are currently held by democrats. and what's more, george, is these -- two-thirds of these are democrats who won in '06 and '08. many of them taking seats that were long held by republicans. those are the democrats that made nancy pelosi speaker of the house. if republicans can win enough of them, they'll make john boehner the speaker of the house. >> they won seats that john mccain in the presidential race. jon karl, thank you very much. let's go to robin. >> thanks, george. as you know, there's a major showdown shaping up between president obama and the gop over tax cuts.

senate republicans say they now have enough votes to block the president's plan to let tax cuts expire for the wealthiest americans. jake tapper has the details for us. and joins us, of course, from the white house. good morning, jake. >> reporter: good morning, robin. that's president oeads pennsylvania today to g back-to-school addrs,th but he leaves behind him a ranges debate over the bush tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year. and there's harsh divisions in this town. it's not clear what, if anything, will pass. after some mixed messages, republicans now seem to be on the same page. previously, republican house leader john boehner had indicated hws g t support extending the cuts for those earni $200,000 a year, and not for the wealthiesric >> if the only option i have is to vote for some of those tax reductions, i'll vote for them. >> reporter: but other republicans remain in steadfast oppositions. >> now, they want to drive

another nail in the coffin. a massive tax hike on the very people who will dig us out of this recession, by expanding their businesses and creating jobs. >> reporter: white house press secretary robert gibbs prodded republicans, taking to twitter saying, they were in disarray. why hold middle-class tax cuts hostage to these disagreements, gibbs tweeted. boehner tweeted back, republicans are unified. and to prove the point, kantor and other republicans retweeted what boehner wrote. president obama said congress should focus on what they all agree on, tax cut extensions for the middle class. >> we could get that done this week. >> reporter: but his more immediate hurdle would be convincing senate democrats. >> to me, it seems to me to be the last moment we should raise anybody's taxes and taking money out of anybody's pocket. >> reporter: and there are at least five other senate democrats who seem inclined to pass all of the bush tax cuts, which means president obama is well short of the 60 votes he needs to prevail.

george? >> jake, thanks. for more now, we're joined live by the host of "the o'reilly factor" bill o'reilly. >> how are you? >> i'm fine. >> george never looks tired in the morning. can you get a closeup? >> not too close. you're my bedtime tv watching. i go to bed early. >> i appreciate that. >> let's get into the tax fight first. i was struck by "the wall street journal" this morning. they think that john boehner, the republican leader, made a big bungle on sunday when he said he would vote for the extension of middle-class tax cuts, if all the tax cuts weren't extended. >> i think he was caught in the tanning bed and didn't hear what was going on. look. the whole thing is class warfare. would you agree with that? >> not necessarily. but go ahead. >> but really, what the president is selling, the upper tier are going to have to be

responsible for the tax revenue, primarily. he's saying, look. don't care about these people, who earn a lot of money. but i want to help you. i think that's a class -- >> there's cost there's that we can't afford. >> and who imposed those costs? >> who did? >> who? george? he did. look. i think 35% to the government is a fair deal. i think it is. and then, if you get over 40%, which is where he wants to put it, that's kind of punishing people. i don't buy the tax cuts for the rich. >> that was the war under reagan, and people did pretty well. >> i don't care if it was under reagan or george washington. i work hard for my money. do i want to fork 40% over to the feds and pay all the taxes in the world? come on. >> what do you think will happen? >> i don't know. look. it's going to be another brawl. republicans will stretch it out. just because they want to create -- the republicans do, an image

of chaos for november. they want to say president obama can't govern. that's what the end game is. >> how about the midterm elections? we're seeing the tea party on the rise, on offense again. you write about the tea party in your book. you say -- i hope we can put it up right now. unfortunately, some tea party people play into the bogus far-right stereotype, by demonizing president obama in crude ways. i admire what the president has acco in please, don't tel limbaugh. and how he overcame a childhood that could have ruined him. do you think the tea party has been a plus or a minus? >> i say that the tea party are primarily patriots because they go out and tell people what they believe and get involved. that's patriotic. i don't really care what your ideology is. if you're out there, and you're sincere and telling people this is the way i'm seeing my country and i want to improve it, you're a patriot. however, if the tea party people basically attack president obama personally, that diminishes

their movement. >> you say stick to policy? >> if they say he's a muslim. if they say he was born, where? in indonesia. this hurts their overall message of get off our back. the tea party message is get off our back. that's a good message. i mean, i don't want the feds on my back. i don't want them in my living room, george. >> that's toppled some establishment candidates. bob bennett. >> who were deemed wishy-washy on that. they want control. they want the feds not to have as much power. president obama wants a huge federal apparatus. that's a good debate. >> bottom line, do you think republicans will take control of congress? and if they do, is that a blessing in disguise for president obama? >> i have no idea. i don't do the party politics thing. morris over -- he thinks they will. dick morris. he thinks they will. but he's got, you know, he's rooting for them. but i'll tell you what. president obama has a leadership

problem right now. he's at a leadership problem. if he gets whacked, if he loses the house, that's goge ts a ctio he has a leadership problem. >> so, you think if he loses, that spells trouble for him in 2012? >> of course. >> not the opposite, as bill clinton lost in '94, the congress, it helped him. >> it's a different world. bill clinton was like martin van buren, as far as a media concern. everything is blown up, the second it happens on the internet and cable. it's no longer those rules. and the perception gets out there much quicker than it did. >> you've been weighing in on the controversy over the islamic center at ground zero. i was struck yesterday that the imam rauf, went to the council of foreign relations, seemed to back said that all options are open. saying he may even consider moving it. >> did you see "the factor" last night? >> i did. >> rauf is now tied in with this khan. >> there's no evidence that rauf believes anything like that. >> it doesn't matter.

it's his pal. his pal. he's reforming the muslim organization with him. and the guy, khan, has been talking down at the burlington coat factory building. i don't know whether he got a free suit. this guy, khan, says that al qaeda didn't do it. rauf goes in and says, i'm a man of peace. he may be. but who are you hanging around with? and then when we ask rauf for a comment, he runs and hides. >> we're going to talk to him today, we hope. that's all we have time for. "pinheads and patriots." check it out. robin? >> all right, george. pacific gas and electric says it will start writing checks this week for as much as $50,000 for people whose homes were destroyed by that massive pipeline explosion near san but residents say that is not enough they do not wthy. ty wa go they want to know what ned. neal karlinsky is there for us. good morning, neal. >> reporter: good morning. home owners have begun to return home here.

many of them say it doesn't feel like home. it's not guilty hard to imagine why. this is a wasteland. more than 80 home owners are still in the allowed to return to their homes. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: no single video captures the homeowner's-eye view of the terror in san bruno better than walter mccaffrey's. he shot this off the deck off his kitchen. >> to be honest, i was not thinking. i was making sure -- i could see my neighbors running up the hill. i was running around the house, making sure everybody was out. >> reporter: today, he's back home. but like so many here, he is not staying. in fact, homeowners may be outnumbered by the small army of utility workers and investigators. meanwhile, owners of more than 80 damaged or destroyed homes are stil

they were given a tor, d, this surveillance localrcere sh the blast affected not just the neighborhood, but was felt by the local community. the pipe that caused so much damage is being shipped to a lab in washington for testin. was it corrosion? damage from construction? or just the pipe's age? >> this one, when we looked at it, historically, we did not anticipate any issues with it. >> this is a night of information. >> reporter: at a packed community meeting overnight, frustrated residents were looking for answers. >> the kids are traumatized. the wife's a nervous wreck. and i'm just, you know, taking it day by day. you're very big-time inconvenienced. never mind rebuilding the neighborhood. it's not something that's going to happen overnight. >> reporter: right now the ntsb is asking residents to report whether they noticed any dead or dying grass or trees in the area at the time leading up to the leak. that could indicate that the leak started earlier.

so far, they still haven't been able to determine that. robin? >> neal, thank you. time to say good morning to sam. >> we're talking about a monster storm. it's been a year of huge storms. thankfully, they have not been land-falling storms. here's the map today. a category 4 storm. we think it will continue to move toward bermuda and then curve back out. julia behind it will curve as well. we're in pretty good shape, as far as the u.s. coast goes. gorgeous day in the northeast. the rest of the weather in the next half hour.

>> in t >> in the next-half hour, plenty of severe weather and lightning strikes. robin? >> all right, sam. there's a new survey that may, well, may gross you out a little bit this morning. who washes their hands more in a public restroom, men or women? like we need to ask.

and what cities have the worst offenders. the answers may surprise you. here's yunji de nies. >> it's particularly important for you to wash your hands after going to the toilet. >> reporter: we all know we're supposed to do it. do you always wash your hands when you leave the ladies room? >> always. >> reporter: do you wash your hands? >> yes. >> reporter: do you see guys that don't? >> yes. >> reporter: observers went undercover and found that 85% of adults washed their hands. that's up from 77% just three years ago. but separate men and women. and the numbers change. here at atlanta's turner field, the gender differences were the most extreme. 98% of women were seen washing their hands. but one out of every three men left the bathroom without hitting the sinks. >> nasty. >> it's a lazy thing. >> hopefully you were not. >> i'm the one that does. >> multitasking. we're always in a hurry. get done and go.

>> reporter: doctors say, wash up. 80% of infectious diseases like pneumonia, salmonella and the common cold, are passed through human contact. >> the good news is, we're doing more and more of it. and we're doing it better and more thoroughly. let's keep on that track. >> reporter: are you listening, guys? >> wash your hands. >> reporter: for "good morning america," yunji de nies, abc news, atlanta. >> why don't you guys wash your hands? really? why? why is it so difficult? >> we vow to do better. >> okay. that's all we ask. coming up, let's move on. the new york jets, accused of inappropriate behavior with a female reporter. did the team go too far? was she too provocative? we'll talk with the reporter at the center of the controversy. she's in our studios.

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water. other people on the vessel pulled out of the water. pictures from sky 7 obviously. the person in the water is reported to be in serious condition. coast guard rescuers got all four boaters safely to shore. they're being taken to local hospitals to be treated. an update on the tuesday morning commute. frances. >> an earlier motorcycle injury accident cleared to the center divide but it's made traffic heavier out of antioch westbound 4 from lone tree to summersville. we'll check the bay bridge toll plaza for you. backed up past the 880 overcrossing. about a 15 minute wait. you may want to carpool or take bart. south bay a live shot at the 880 interchange. here you'll find pockets of slowing from capital expressway to actually and 880. >> frances, thanknknknknknknknkk

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maybe 2 or 3 degrees today with maybe 2 or 3 degrees today with mid-70s south bay and barbara boxer. she fought to get our veterans the first full combat care center in california. her after school law's keeping a million kids off the street and out of gangs. and she's fighting every day to create new jobs. boxer: i'm working to make california the leader in clean energy, to jump-start our small businesses with tax credits and loans, to create thousands more california jobs. i'm barbara boxer and i approve this message because

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maybe i should take all of you with me to the other side of the world. we're going to australia. >> she said she wanted to do something big. and, boy, did she deliver. oprah kicking off her final season by announcing she is taking 300 of her loyal audience members to australia, on qantas airlines. guess who the pilot is going to be? there he is. john travolta. >> oh, nice touch. >> lots of surprises from oprah yesterday. we're going to look at all of it coming up. as we say good morning, america. i'm george stephanopoulos. >> it's all about the moments in

her final season. that was one of them. i'm robin roberts. also this morning, a father's quest for justice. he was the sole survivor of the horrible home invasion that shocked the country. today, dr. william petit will take the stand facing one of the mem accused of killing his family. we'll have that ahead. first, the new york jets are under allegations that players and coaches sexually harassed a female reporter in the team's locker room. the team's owner has apologized. but the controversy is not over yet. the nfl is investigating. and andrea canning was at last night's game. >> reporter: they were talking about her exposed cleavage. this has ignited a debate. everyone seemed to have an opinion about ines sainz. from football fans to the media. spoke to one player that was in the locker room, he said it absolutely happened. now, people are debating whether her style may have landed her this unwanted attention. >> touchdown, baltimore.

>> reporter: the baltimore ravens beat the new york jets in a nail-biter on "monday night football." but it was ines sainz, the woman who calls herself the hottest sports reporter in mexico, grabbing the spotlight. >> if a pair of jeans, a white blouse, with bottoms, is provocative, all the womans are provocative because it's very common to dress like this. >> reporter: reportedly, several jets players cat-called and taunted on saturday. and coaches threw passes on the field so they would land near her. sainz tweeted she was dying of embarrassment. calling the atmosphere uncomfortable. for a woman to be in the locker room is not nice. >> she's a credentialed reporter, she could expect only the most professionally, courteous behavior that you would find in the workplace. >> reporter: woody johnson, the team's owner, apologized to her personally. >> the jets have already taken steps to address with the team,

proper conduct in the workplace. >> reporter: but the reporter's plunging neckline has brought into questions her professionalism. sainz defended this photo of what she was wearing that day. what do you think of how she dresses sometimes for games? >> absolutely unnecessary. >> she can dress any way she wants. and that's okay, too. but then what happens, is she has to be able to tell them to shut up then. >> sounds like she was a little too provocative and maybe dressed improperly to be in a men's locker room. >> reporter: the jets confirmed the association for women in sports media will be holding a seminar in the near future to educate players and staff on appropriate behavior around female reporters. and we're joined now by ines sainz. thank you for coming in. >> no, thank you for the invitation. >> take us back to practice. what made you feel uncomfortable?

>> well, actually, the situation was uncomfortable in the field when they practice. when i get into the locker room, is embarrassing moment. >> in the field, you weren't bothered by it? >> i understand all the time, it was only a joke. and they are playing. i'm perfectly safe. they never hit me. they never threw me the ball to catch or something like this. so at this moment i assumed that everything is fine they are only joking and it's not a big deal. >> then, you go in the locker room to interview mark sanchez. >> yes. the minute i walk in. i start to hear a lot of nows and voices talking about me evidently. but i pretend not to -- >> what did you hear? >> it's like, oh, my goodness. she's here. okay. i want to be mexican. that kind of things that, in the moment, i really didn't notice i have all the attention of the locker room. so, i decide to go straight to

the mark sanchez locker. and not to turn around. that's the moment when i started to twitter. okay. it's an embarrassing moment. but i am perfectly in control. i didn't say that i didn't feel i was in danger before. >> you've been in locker rooms before, right? >> yes. >> and nothing like this happened before? >> nothing like this, as strong as this. but i wasn't concerned. and i must say that i'm not the one who make the charge. who say i'm feel uncomfortable and please do something. i'm not the one. the problem begins with a colleague of mine came with me and told me, i'm so sorry for you. it must have happened. she's very nice. and she's very concerned about the subject. but in this precise moment, i don't even care about it. i was focused on my job. >> you told a mexican tv station you thought the guys were just kidding around. and you never felt offended. >> yes. actually i don't -- i really

don't pay attention about it. i was on focus on my job. you know you need to do sometimes what you need to do. >> they may have heard things that you didn't hear. >> yes be, exactly. exactly. so, the minute i wait for mark and made interview. go out. and on sunday, i wake up with the news, with a call from nfl, they are talking about the incident. the security department want to approach me. and say, we need to talk about what happened with the jets. so, i say, okay. what happened? because i didn't even think about it. so, they say, no, no. it's a very serious subject that we need to investigate. so, i say okay. you need me like a witness. yes. in this case, i'm the witness. probably a little bit victim but i'm the witness also because i'm not the one who made the charge.

>> you didn't make the charge. >> yes. >> and then, at some point after that, the owner of the jets called you to apologize. how did that go? >> yes. mr. johnson called me and said he's concerned about things that are happening in the team. they asked me if i feel bad or something. so, i say, don't worry. i'm fine. i'm a professional. i do my job. i fine with the interview. and he told me that he can't allow that kind of things happening his team. >> meanwhile, you've kicked up all this controversy. you may have seen our reporter, andrea canning, was at the game last night. she talked to a lot of people who say, wait a second. i know you saw these pieces. some saying you were dressed a little improperly. a little too provocative. what do you make of that? >> actually, i have nine years in this profession. i have over 250 interview with the best players in the world for different sports, the main, the important one us. that is my style for all my life, in doing my job. and never have any problems. >> what do you think should

happen now? you've gotten this apology from the jets' owner. is that enough? >> i believe in what nfl decide. they are taking very seriously. so, i know that if they need to punish someone, they are going to do it. >> do you think there should be punishment? or you don't? what do you personally believe? >> i personally believe if they find they are very aggressive in the way they speak about me, yes. they deserve a punish. but i'm not sure that it happened. so, if in the end of the day, they decided that it happened, of course, they deserve a punish. >> okay. ines sainz, thank you. >> thank you. >> we want to know what you think about this story. go to abcnews.com/gma and weigh in on our shoutout board. it's time for the weather and sam champion. >> hey, george. we're going to start with extreme weather and lightning shots hitting the empire building.

this shot over from the jersey side. you can see the lightning over the top. the empire gets hit 100 times a year an average. and it's built as a lightning rod for the neighborhood to take the lightning. and kind of disperse it into the ground. we have more severe weather rapid city, to north platte, to grand island, to wichita. we'll see gusty winds in the neighborhood of 80 miles an hour. they were strong storms yesterday, they will be again today. toward the west, it is dry in the denver area. the winds will continue to stir up fire in that area. on the west coast, it's nice. 80 in portland. 70 in san francisco. >> and all that weather was brought to you by burlington coat factory. george? >> thank you, sam.

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it was a home invasion that stunned the country. now, today, the father at the center of the case, is getting his first chance to tell, under oath, what happened the night his family was attacked. david muir has the details. >> reporter: he was the only survivor. and later today, dr. william petit is expected to take the stand in the trial of steven hayes, one of two men authorities say killed every member of dr. petit's family, his wife, jennifer and two daughters. >> the families are ready for this process to begin. and our hope is for justice to prevail. >> reporter: petit is supposed to describe for the first time,

the home invasion. the sexual assaults. and the fire set to the home. and for the first time, we saw the surveillance image of mrs. petit at the bank. the bank teller that day was among the first to testify. telling the court that mrs. petit's hands were a little shaky. and that the wife said she had to withdraw $15,000 because her family was being held hostage. the bank teller said she alerted the bank manager, who also testified. telling the court that mrs. petit showed pictures of her daughters in her wallet. the court heard the 911 call from the bank manager who described the wife this way. she is petrified. then, dr. petit's neighbor took the stand. he heard someone calling his name. he opened his garage and saw a man lying in the driveway. i did not recognize him at first. his face was banged up. it just didn't look like dr. petit. he testified that inside the home, the girls. a neighbor then told the court he saw flames and smoke coming

from the petit home. though the police would arrive, it was too late. dr. petit's sister outside of the court. >> it's been a long and painful process as you know, to get to this day. while the pain will never end. and we think of jennifer, hayley, and michaela every day. joining us, is leslie crocker-snyder who presided as a judge on new york's state supreme court. thank you for being with us. dr. petit will take the stand in connecticut. as a former prosecutor, can you think of any testimony that would be more powerful? >> i really can't. in all of the brutal cases that we've seen and i've seen, i've never seen a case like this. i can't imagine what he's going to go through. >> and his legal team, can you be prepared for a day like today? >> i don't think you can.

legally, they probably got over what happened. and they told him, you have shown remarkable courage. keep it up, if you can, if you do break down in this set of horrific facts, the jury is going to understand. >> and speaking of the jury, jurors have already been dismissed. they won. >> that's right. >> how does that bode for the trial? >> it's a judge's nightmare. if you lose, they lost about four people, three alternates. and they're down to four alternates. that was day one of what i'm certain is going to be a lengthy trial. it is a judge's nightmare. now, they're going to have to be very, very careful about not losing jurors. >> it is a death penalty case. and a governor there vetoed a bill to abolish the death penalty. it's been 34 years since somebody was put to death in connecticut. >> the death penalty is not realistic, even if it's imposed,

which is likely in this horrible case, the person convicted and sentenced to death will be on death row for an incredible length of time. so, it may almost amount to a life sentence. >> so, what do you see going forward? we say dr. petit will be on the stand today. it is going to take quite some time for this trial to be decided. >> i think that we've already seen that the defense attorney in -- as to this particular defendant, has conceded most of the facts. or many of the facts. i think his trial strategy is to distinguish his client from the co-defendant whose trial will be later on, to show that his client was less culpable, which is almost inconceivable if this set of factses, to make him look slightly more human. and the panel, who -- during the penalty phase, i assume that we'll hear what will be viewed as mitigating factors. and even if someone in his

client's positions was shown to be abused for many years, which could make a difference in many cases, i don't think it's going to make a difference when you have this set of facts and someone's entire family is not only wiped out but assaulted, burned alive. horrible. >> it is horrible. we appreciate you coming in and giving us your insight. we're thinking of dr. petit today as he takes the stand. we'll be right back. but when you call... let me check. oh fudge, nothing without a big miles upcharge. it's either pay their miles upcharges or connect through mooseneck! [ freezing ] i can't feel my feet. we switched to the venture card from capital one -- so no more games. let's go see those grandkids. [ male announcer ] don't pay miles upcharges. don't play games. get the flight you want with the venture card at capitalone.com. [ loving it ] help! what's in your wallet? as a va pharmacist, with the venture card at capitalone.com. i have technology, like computerized patient records,

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a beautiful day, indeed, because we have breaking news this morning. american hiker sarah shourd has been released, after more than a year in an iranian prison. she is out. but her two companions are still being held in iran. we'll have details coming up in a moment with juju. >> she, of course, had some health problems. a lump discovered in her breast. this is good news that she will be able to come home and get some medical treatment. also this morning, medical alert for parents of teenagers. how can you tell if your child is going through teenaged angst? or if they're suffering with a more serious problem of depression? dr. richard besser points out signs of trouble in your teen.

>> so vital, george. in our series "america's favorite restaurants," we go in search of some of the secrets that make popular chains successful. so this morning, we go behind the scenes at dq, dairy queen, to see what's made ate dessert royalty for more than half a century. we're going to be eating some ice cream. first, the news with juju. >> we have breaking news this morning. word that american hiker sarah shourd, who has been detained in iran for more than a year, has been released from prison. our jim sciutto has been monitoring all morning and is standing by. jim, what do we know? >> reporter: good morning. after 14 months, finally the welcome news that sarah shourd is freed from an iranian prison. the money was paid, not sure if it was cash or a bank guarantee. she's on the way to the airport to leave tehran for the persian

country. she leaves behind her two friends, josh fattal and shane bauer. ba bauer is her fe yan say. they got engaged while in prison. the fate of fat tall and bauer, the legal fate very much up in the air. the release follows a series of false starts. announced on thursday, canceled on friday, reinstated on sunday with a new condition of $500,000 in bail. we're awaiting the first words from shourd. we're told she gave an interview to state television before leaving the country. it's fairly certain she's been warned not say anything after she leaves the country that might affect the cases. >> you're right, jim.

the story is far from over. the other breaking story, this hour, hillary clinton is in egypt, as middle east peace talks enter a critical phase. the big issue, a settlement freeze in the west bank. palestinians want it renewed. but israel has refused. this morning, u.s. officials pressed the israelis on the issue, saying talks have been encouraging. and primary elections are being held in seven states and washington, d.c. today. on many voters' minds? taxes. on a hint of a compromise, the gop has closed ranks. mitch mcconnell says every republican senator will hold out to extend the bush era tax cuts to everyone, even the rich. and some democrats are standing with them. president obama wants to extend tax cuts just for the middle class. an fda panel meets today to discuss restricting certain cough medicines. perhaps placing them behind the counter or even requiring a

prescription. it comes amid a rise in the number of people, especially teenagers, getting high off of an active ingredient called dextromethorphan. another sign of the times. for the first time, more women than men received advanced doctoral degrees last year. and new figures show the pay gap between men and women in the workplace is the smallest on record. and finally, president obama is coming out with a new book for children. "of thee i sing." a letter to my daughters. it features sasha and malia with their dog, bo, on the cover. you can see there. the book profiles 13 american pioneers, including jackie robinson and painter georgia o'keeffe. now, for a look at what's coming up on "world news." here's diane sawyer. diane? >> juju, great to talk to you this tuesday morning. tonight on "world news," popular osteoporosis drugs. is there a link to a broken leg? you may remember, it was first investigated by dr. richard besser. he's back again tonight. brand-new information.

an important health warning on "world news." see you tonight. >> we look forward to rich's reporting. time now for the weather and sam champion. sam, i can't wait to eat ice cream with you. >> i know. that's coming up, juju. a whole ice cream segment. we also have pictures we want to start out with this morning from the usgs. these are walruses on the alaskan shoreline. we talked to the biologist, the usgs biologist. tony fishbach. this is the disturbing point. walrus at this time of year is supposed to be on sea ice. they feed their calfs mother's milk for the first six months of life. because there's no sea ice, they were forced by tens of thousands this year, to the coast of alaska. and because they're not land animals, they are crushing their young. the calves are getting cruc

>> >> it is a beautiful morning in times square. we'll have more weather next half hour. george? >> okay, sam. you have to hurry back to get your blizzard. in our series, "america's favorite restaurants," we're going behind the scenes of the country's most popular chains to see what makes them so successful. this morning, we unlock the secrets of dairy queen. the average american eats six gallons of ice cream every year. but what makes us choose dq over everyone else? bianna golodryga has the scoop. you brought us some ice cream. i don't know how you can do the series on a diet.

it's a good thing you don't need one. >> reporter: we're about to have a bonding moment. i just found out oreo blizzards are your favorite. they're mine, as well. newfound respect for you. there's 5,700 dairy queens. and the busiest one, you'll never guess. is in anchorage, alaska. one of the many surprises and secrets i learned about the queen. ♪ everything's delicious at your dairy queen ♪ >> reporter: for over half a century, no restaurant has catered to the needs of americans craving something comforting and sweet quite like dairy queen. ♪ let's all go to the dairy queen ♪ >> reporter: for millions, the invention of frozen dairy queen novelties, from the malted milkshake to banana splits and the dilly bar, conjure up a time line of priceless memories. but what most americans don't know, is the process to create that yesteryear nostalgia, takes place in a futuristic lab run by researchers in white coats. mary joyce is head of product

development. she introduced us to a team of researchers. we tested new, frozen menu items. >> premium fruit smoothie. >> reporter: that's very good. to perfecting the art of pouring the 6.5 million pounds of strawberries dq goes through each year. there's a science to this. >> there's a science to this. >> so you don't just pour it like many people would assume at home. >> no, you don't. for this test, we're looking for how it drapes on the soft serve. it looks inviting. >> reporter: but it's the soft serve ice cream underneath that sauce that is the core to dairy queen's success. it all dates back to 1938 in illinois, when a man known as grandpa mccullough believed that ice dream was enjoyed at 23 degrees, not zero, which is how all other ice cream was sold. >> that's a temperature to taste

all of the flavors in the product. so, they set about to create a unique freezer. never done before, where you can actually dispense semi-frozen ice cream. >> reporter: a highly-guarded system, at that. you can't tell us what's in the formula? >> there's no way i can tell you what's in that formula. it's kept in a safety deposit box. there's only a few keys for it. >> it's the newest treat from dairy queen. >> reporter: dairy queen's most popular and profi serve product is the blizzard. first introduced in 1985, this half-malt, half-milkshake concoction, quickly became dairy queen's best-selling item. there are currently 100 unique blizzard flavors available. but trying to compete in a $175 billion fast food industry forced the company to expand just beyond dessert. dq's menu includes burgers, to chicken strips, and hot dogs. each year, dq sells enough hot dogs to stretch from los angeles to new york city. no menu item is introduced without a lengthy taste process. >> thanks to everyone for coming

to this taste test. >> reporter: it's one reason that more than 35 million customers choose to eat at dq each month. customers like warren buffett. >> okay. >> reporter: and like every customer, waits patiently in line, deliberating what to order. >> which would you recommend? >> i would recommend the strawberry cheesecake. >> okay. you sold one. >> reporter: but buffett's not only a customer, he's also dq's owner. his company, berkshire hathaway, bought the company in 1998. you bought the company 12 years ago. >> uh-huh. >> reporter: what inspired you? >> this inspired me. i've been running a quality check for decades. i like to buy things i understand. and i understand why people come to dairy queen. why i come to dairy queen. when i buy them, i'm making the bet that 10, 20, 100 years from now, people will be doing the same thing. >> reporter: even though warren buffett is the owner, one thing

he didn't know and the thing that dg doesn't want most people to know is that the soft serve is actually low calorie. the reason they don't advertise that -- >> dig in, guys. >> they want people to have the full experience of indulgence when they eat a dq product. instead of thinking it's something to eat on a diet -- there you go. >> special "gma" blizzard for you. >> yes. because we wake up early. and we need coffee. this is a mocha chip and banana. "gma" special. >> bananas are healthy. >> sugar and caffeine. >> i'm old-school. dip cone for me. >> i love the dip cone. >> i like cherry dip. >> do you? this is a favorite restaurant series. this is my favorite series ever. >> i can keep going and going and going. >> keep going. we have to go to a commercial. you can get the recipe on our website, abcnews.com/gma. and tomorrow is chipotle. mom, new shoes?

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depression. our dr. richard besser had a no holds bar talked with five teens whose lives were altered by depression. what they revealed because both heartbreaking and hopeful. >> i didn't wake up that day knowing i was going to try to take my own life. >> i just would spend hours crying and having suicidal thoughts. >> i ended up cutting to the point i needed stitches. >> i don't want anyone to be in my shoes. >> reporter: teens have a reputation. moody and angst-ridden. but it may surprise you that 20% of teens experience real depression. that's about 2 million teenag teenagers. what is it like to be depressed during one of the most tumultuous times of your life? i sat down with five teenagers for a frank discussion about their experiences.

francesca, when did you realize you were depressed? >> my demeanor changed. i was irritable. >> reporter: a teen's depression is not the same as an adults. teens often feel irritable, not sad. dr. harold koplewicz is a child psychologist. >> the teen depression losts more than two weeks. it's a change in appetite, a change in sleep, a change in concentration, a change in mood and the change in the ability to enjoy things. >> i was really tired. it took twice as much energy to get out of bed and brush my teeth. do the thing is love. >> reporter: how long did it take for someone to say something's different here? >> towards the ind of eighth grade. my sister noticed i was wearing long sleeves. and we didn't have a cat. >> reporter: casey was cutting. cutting her skin with sharp

objects. it's a sign of depression. >> many times, people do it because they feel the desire to feel alive. they feel so numb from the depression, that cutting themselves makes them feel alive. >> i ended up cutting to the point that i needed stitches. i didn't want to feel that way. i didn't want to die. but i wanted to feel something, other than what i was feeling, even if it was pain. >> reporter: like many teens, casey suffered in silence. the shame in admitting she needed help was too powerful. there's so many conditions, mental health conditions, certainly stigma has been a big barrier for people getting help. >> this here is probably the most honest talk i've been a part of for a long time. it's a shame because stigma's so strong. >> i guess i haven't had the courage to completely come out and say that i have depression, i guess. it scares me. >> reporter: there was a lot of resistance to medication. that taking an antidepressant is

somehow cheating. >> you're not depending on it to make you happy. your brain works differently. and for me, it is difficult to do things that people take for granted. that pill makes sure i can do the things that jump-start my day. >> reporter: studies show that early treatment, whether with medication or talk therapy, may prevent further episodes. remember, depression isn't an attitude a teen is choosing. it's a serious and real brain disorder. >> you broke your arm, you go to the doctor. so, if you're depressed, which is an illness, shouldn't you go to the doctor? shouldn't you get help? why is it any different? it should be treated the same bay because it is an illness. >> reporter: maggie isn't depressed. but her brother was. she was 12 when he took his own life in 2003. >> every day, i have to wake up. and i don't have my brother. and maybe things could have been differently. so, it's not something to be taken lightly. just pushed under the carpet.

>> won't go away if you ignore it? >> no. >> reporter: depression can be hidden, like it was for maggie's brother. unrecognized depression can lead to suicide. in fact, it's the third-leading cause of death for people age 14 to 24. over 600,000 teens make an attempt every year. i don't think there's anything that is more difficult for people to talk about than suicide. suicidal thoughts. is it something that you've experienced with your depression? you all have. >> the way my emotions used to work is like a rubber band. i could extend for a long period of time. when i let go, i snapped. >> reporter: that's what happened the day his parents found the stash of alcohol he had been hiding. >> that was the night i tried to take my own life, by going out of my nine-story bedroom window. >> reporter: it's a miracle that jordan survived. he shattered his leg. and still uses a cane today. are you glad you survived? >> i feel extremely fortunate to

be alive. that was the first thought in my mind when i woke up. i am so happy to survive that. >> reporter: there is hope. if there's one thing that you want people to take away, in terms of teenage depression? >> if you're having a hard time, you're not alone. life's hard. you know? i mean, it is what it is. but you may not know about it. but there's so many resources out there. things that can help you out. >> don't be afraid to talk to somebody. you might think it will be scary and there might be bad consequences. but it's so much better to talk about it. getting help is incredibly important. you might be able to get through it yourself. but having the extra support system can save your life. >> the good news about depression, it can be treated. >> i used to think you can only suffer from depression. that's what we always say. but i learned you can still be successful with depression. you can help other people, touch other people, with depression. and still make a difference and

have depression. that's something i carry with me every day. >> such a powerful message. and we want to thank families for depression awareness for their help on this vital topic. rich is here now to tell us more about it. there's so many ways you can go with this. sometimes you think you've gotten it beaten, the depression. and it comes back. >> if your child has a major depression, they're at risk. 20% to 40% will have a relapse within two years. you don't want to ignore that. >> the five people that you interviewed, wow. those young people. and maggie, talking on behalf of her brother. as you said, there is hope. >> the reason maggie was on, is so other children don't have to feel her pain. she's active in her school's depression and suicide awareness club. and they came up with t-shirts. they came up with a word aevidum. it means, i've got your back. >> we have some great questions

from viewers. you're going to come back in our next half hour and answer those. and we have a special section on our website devoted to this 207ic, abcnews.com. now what are the hottest dvds hitting stores today? here's "entertainment weekly's" must-see list -- hi, mom. how was school today? [ girls ] good. ♪ ♪ thank you! ♪ phew! [ ernie ] we make our cookies the way only keebler elves can: with a little something extra.

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♪ a 25-foot pleasure boat carrying four people overturned in 9 water at richmond marina. one person was thrown into the bay after a boat hit a rock wall jetty. coast guard rescuers got them safely to shore. the injured victim is in critical condition. the san mateo city council is expected to decide today whether the proposed california high speed rail will run through the city aboveground or underground. trains on aerial tracks would be noisier in a tunnel but would take less time to build and cost five times less. frances, san rafael the trouble spot? >> yes. that's where we had earlier injury accidents.

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>> good morning. some fog out there. in fact, looking at low clouds and fog at you're beaches with a pretty good onshore flow. not as strong as yesterday. 54 menlo park, sunshine and concord 51. one area of low pressure heads

east and we'll see temperatures anywhere from 3 to 5 degrees warmer in our east maybe i should take all of you with me to the other side of the world. [ cheers and applause ] we're going to australia. >> there she is. the surprise to top all surprises. that was only the beginning. we'll talk to one of the people in oprah's studio audience, who found out she's going on the trip of a lifetime. you're going to australia. you're going to australia. we say good morning, america. what did you ask us this morning? >> are we going to australia? >> no. >> we have some blizzards and

ice cream. we'll work something out. you can, if you write an essay, we can work with you. "work with me." we're asking people from all walks of life, to send in their ideas. so we can find out what their work life is like. we've heard from teachers. we've heard from parents. >> yes, we have. we have heard from something called a ferrier. >> what's that? >> four ferriers have written in. they shoe horses. >> as opposed to a furrier. >> didn't we hear about a comedian on a cruise ship? >> i don't know about that. >> that would be good. >> she would be a shoo-in. there's time for everyone else to apply. you can check out our website. or send us a letter the old-fashioned way. tell us why you want us to work with me, "gma." there's the address right there. >> you have to do a little work.

send us a 250-word or less essay. tell us why your job is different, unusual. we'll spend the day with you. get to work. why don't you get to work and give us the weather. >> seems like a lot of work to talk about that. over here. are you all right if i come over here? good morning. let's get to the boards. one or two things we want to talk about this morning. we thought we would start with hail pictures that were in pennsylvania. scranton, pennsylvania. a line of storms developed yesterday. they were good-sized hailstorms. these are the same storms that created that lightning. if you want to know or about lightning and the empire state building. we have some of our abcnews.com/gma. there's where the severe storms line up. it looks like it's from rapid city, to waichita. the west is looking dry and warm. that dry is a little problem in the mown fans colorado, strong,

dry wind there's. severe storms could be more problematic. if they're dry, the lightning ignites things. you'll get fires in that area. it is gorgeous for you guys today, right here in new york city. we're not taking you on a trip. thank you, kind audience. all that weather was brought to you by the amazon kindle. robin? >> oh, there, sam. earlier in the show, we started our conversation about teen depression. we asked you for your questions. joining us on suggestions on how to help any adolescence grabbling with this issue, is dr. richard besser. and dr. melissa inuwalla of nyu

child development center. i know talking in the last half hour, the reaction we've gotten already. there's one from a viewer named karen, rich. and she asks, how can you tell when teens are just being teens? and when they are actually depressed? >> that's a tough question, as a general pediatrician. it's one that i face. depression is a departure from normal childhood development. it's normal to want to spend more time with your friends. to separate from your parents. when you have a loss of enjoyment in activities, difficulty functioning, that's when you have to think about depression. you may see changes. a loss of appetite. you may see dropping grades. feelings of worthlessness. changes in sleep. too much or difficulty sleep. and the loss of interest in activities that used to give

them enjoyment. if you're seeing those things, that's time to talk to their doctor and get help. >> there's many reasons why depression, and bullying. there's a study that came out recently from the gay, lesbian and strait education network. and it dealt with gay students. it says nearly nine out of ten are experiencing harassment in school. what can parents do about this? >> i think it's important for parents to be aware. most parents think if they're not judgmental and they approach their child, if they notice something. their child seems sad. maybe the child is missing items they used to have because people are taking things from them. if they are open, sometimes it's best for a parent to say less. we use active listening in child psychiatry. it's saying a little bit.

like, wow. you seem kind of down lately. anything going on? he may not answer you. but keep it up. approaching the times when he's maybe quieter. like late at night. 2:00 in the morning is often good for teenagers to open up and talk. >> less is more, in many regards. >> on that, for gay/lesbian teens, you have to be careful. that risk of depression is higher than in the straight population. if your child is gay, lesbian or transgender, you want to key in on that for sure. >> you should know more about the study that was released overnight. it is an eye-opener. another question. this one comes from doug. he asks, how do you know whether to give your child antidepressants? or whether to send them to talk therapy? >> i think that any child who is depressed needs to be in a talk therapy relationship. someone they can confide in. can open up with and talk. many children will benefit from

medication, as well. and so, you can have the talk without medication. but i don't think that you should really be in a situation where you're getting medication without talking. i don't know how you feel about that, melissa? >> i would agree. the talk therapy relationship, with kids to mild to moderate depression, that may be all they need. >> with no meds. >> along those lines, there's a question that says. i'd like my teenager to try antidepressants. but the ads say they may cause suicidal thoughts. >> the thing to target there is despregs the most likely cause of suicide in a teenager. better to treat depression. we may find that a child develops suicidal thoughts while taking antidepressants. then, we're monitoring them. >> rich, i know you wanted to have the final word on this. if you hear your child or any child having these kinds of thoughts or discussion, to act. >> that's right. you don't ignore it. you want to see, do they have a

plan to commit suicide? is it something they're thinking about? if so, you want to get them to medical care. if there's none available, you want to get them to the emergency room. don't ignore that. >> very good discussion. hopefully, kids will see this and have the discussion with them if they're think they're at-risk. thank you, both. next, a rare conversation checking account. really? yea, check this out. there's no deposit slips or envelopes. you just take the check and--psshht--right in there.

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the national and international debate over that florida pastor threatened to burn the koran hit a boiling point last week. and for now, the issue is being batted around the court of public opinion. but it could end up in a court of law. perhaps, even, the supreme court. that's one of the topics i discussed with supreme court justice stephen breyer, when he stopped by to discuss his new book, "making our democracy work." i love the title of this new book. "making our democracy work." that's not only the title of the book, but your mission. and you believe for that to happen, people need to understand our institutions and be engaged with them. >> yes. >> how do they do it? >> the first step is to know what it is we do. how your legislature works. how your governor works. how your mayors work. >> you also said something of a mystery. that we built up in our

tradition, the norm that when the supreme court decides something, the public tends to follow. >> there's a history in this country, of bad events and marvelous events. and over time, it's led to a general acceptance of the court, of having the last word on most constitutional issues, even when they are wrong. >> that was really tested on the idea. when you were sitting on bush v. gore, the 2000 election, you wrote at the time, you were against it. it was a self-inflicted wound that hurt the court. you also point out, and you're right about this in your book, that one of the most remarkable things of this election decision, is that the people accepted it. >> i heard senator reid say that. he said one of the most remarkable about that case, is

one of the things least remarked. nobody remarks. here is a case that's very unpopular. in my opinion, as a decenter, was wrong. and yet, the public did not start shooting each other. >> how do you explain that? >> i explain that. that's a really good question. you have to learn about history in the united states. we had a civil war. we've had 80 years of legal segregation. we've had many ups and downs. but over time, public has come to accept the need to have an institution that will protect minority rights. >> one of the tangible symbols that expresses the idea that the institutions have to work together, is that every year, you all, members of the court, go to the president's state of the union address. it became a remarkable moment, when the president criticized the citizens united case. it criticized the case. and justice alito got visibly

upset. it provoked this reaction from chief justice roberts. i want to show you this. >> the image of having the members of one branch of government, standing up, literally surrounding the supreme court, cheering and hollering, why the court, according to the requirements of protocol, have to sit there expressionless, i find troubling. >> did you find it troubling? >> i've been there for a while. as you have in your job, people say all kinds of things about someone in public life. sometimes they agree. sometimes they disagree. but my job is not to say things that criticize me or others on our court. my job is to do it as best i can. >> he's walked away from that saying, perhaps he won't go in the future. justice o'connor when i talked to her about it in the future says she would rethink her attendance. does it make you rethink -- >> no. i think the reason that i want

to go and i think that the reason we should be there, is because, particularly today, where for better or for worse, people get lots of their information visually. it shows in that room, this is your federal government. the president is there. the cabinet is there. the congress is there. the joint chiefs are there. and i'd like some of the judges to be there, too, because the judges have a role in this government. >> even if you're the only one there. >> if i'm the only one, i'll be the only one. i'll do that because i believe very, very strongly in this. >> we spoke several years ago. you talked about how the process of globalization was changing our thought of the world. when you think about the internet. and you think of the possibility of a pastor in florida with a flock of 30, can threaten to burn the koran. and that leads to riots and killings in afghanistan, does

that pose a challenge to the first amendment? to how you interpret it? does it change the nature of what we can allow and protect? >> in a sense, yes. in a sense, no. people can express their views in debate. no matter how awful those views are, in debate. a conversation. people exchanging ideas. that's the mod. so that, in fact, we are better informed when we cast that ballot. those core values remain. how they apply can -- >> the conversation is now global. >> indeed. and you can say, with the internet, you can say this. it doesn't mean you can shout fire in a crowded theater. what is it? why? well people will be trampled to death. what is the crowded theater today? >> that's exactly my question. >> yes.

well, perhaps that will be answered by -- if it's answered, by our court. it will be answered over time, in a series of cases, which force people to think carefully. that's the virtue of cases. >> when we last spoke, when you wrote your last book, you had been on the court for ten years. you were still the junior justice. >> i was. >> that's no longer true. you have justice sotomayor. soon, justice kagan will be joining you. you talk about how before your first session of court, you were nervous. i wonder if you have advice for justice kagan for that. >> she will be nervous. don't worry about it. there's no way not to be nervous. for quite a while, the cases -- now, they will be final. there's no one to appeal to. and there is an instinct of everyone to be a little uncertain. be a little unsure about whether my views, in my case, will i be able to answer these decently?

will i make some terrible mistake? i surely hope not. and that lasts for a while. >> justice breyer, thank you very much. >> thank you. rid of the mansion and the limo budgets were balanced. $4 billion in tax cuts. world class schools and universities. clean energy promoted. 1.9 million new jobs created. california was working. i'm jerry brown. california needs major changes. we have to live within our means; we have to return power and decision making to the local level-closer to the people and no new taxes without voter approval. jerry brown the knowledge and know-how to get california working again.

well, did you see it? just when you think she can't outdo herself, she outdoes herself. oprah winfrey's jaw-dropping spry for her audience. it was the first show of the last season. you probably know by now. she shocked 300 people in the audience with this announcement. check it out. >> maybe i should take all of you with me to the other side of the world. we're going australia. >> the classic use of, wait for

it. wait for it. and guess who is flying them there? none other than john travolta. >> wait for it. wait for it. >> wait until he comes out of the cockpit. >> there he is. >> and the 300 people in the audience were shocked. they had no idea they were even in the audience of the first show of the last season. they were ultimate fans. and one of the lucky winners who is now going to australia is on the phone with us right now. alecia murkerson. are you there? >> yes. just watching it on tv. it was great all over again. >> what went through your mind when you heard her say, wait for it, australia? >> oh, my god. it was like we were on pins and needles. we were jumping up for joy. we were holding on to our feet. it was really exciting. just to expect any surprise. we were not even sure if we were

going to be in the country. out of the country. we were just excited. >> and to be piloted by john travolta. are you going on your own? or are you taking somebody? >> i'm taking my husband, anderson merkerson. >> alicia, i know you were the ultimate fans. what did you say in your letter to her? >> there were many questions. but one of the things i remember, is her being a consistent role model in my life since i was like 5 years old. and she has been always, a consistent, like a celebrity mentor. you can always look to oprah to give you advice. love what you've got. love where you are. give back to your community. anything that you live life long. and you can watch oprah. and she'll help you. >> live your best life. >> yes. help in general.

>> john travolta is the ultimate oprah guest. who is your ultimate oprah guest? >> my ultimate oprah guest is suze orman. >> there it is. a big vote for suze orman. >> have fun down under. congratulations. >> thank you. >> we'll be back. thanks.

it was wonderful to have you with us today. wonderful to have our studio audience. tomorrow, we have patricia heaton, to dish about the new season of "the middle." also, jennifer hudson will be here, as well. she has great, new recipes. we'll talk with her about that tomorrow. we'll see you then. have a great day.

barbara boxer. she fought to get our veterans the first full combat care center in california. her after school law's keeping a million kids off the street and out of gangs. and she's fighting every day to create new jobs. boxer: i'm working to make california the leader in clean energy, to jump-start our small businesses with tax credits and loans, to create thousands more california jobs. i'm barbara boxer and i approve this message because i want to see the words "made in america" again.

♪ an american hiker who spent more than a year in an iranian prison is on a plane. sarah short was released three hours ago after someone paid a half million dollars in bail money. the two companions remain in jail. >> it's already sunny warming up in concoraled. low 60s san francisco. noontime clearing there, the warm-up through thursday and a chance of rain over the weekend. >> starting to improve in the bay area but a lot of slow traffic including 101 in san rafael southbound novato bought of an earlier crash. toll plaza backed up to the end of the