charlie's father and brother breaks their silence. and prince harry's plans for his brother's last laugh as a single man. hello, everyone. robin, on assignment this morning. juju slid over from the newsdesk. >> glad to be here. >> we have a lot of news this morning. >> absolutely. >> in addition to the stories out of new zealand and libya, we're learning more about the four americans captured by somali pirates. most situations end with ransom paid. this time, negotiations to secure the release had been going smoothly until one of the pirates fired a rocket at the u.s. warship. then, gunfire began. by the time forces reached the ship, it was too late. >> a tragic end. also this morning, insurance scams caught on tape.

and look at these falls. they may look really painful. but authorities say these folks are faking them. we'll tell you why the schemes are on the rise. and big health news about your cell phone. new research reveals they may have an impact on your brain. we start with the hunt for survivors in new zealand. search and rescue teams from the u.s. and around the world have rushed to the scene of that deadly earthquake in christchurch, new zealand. officials are warning people to stay away from the rubble. 75 are dead. and ron claiborne has been tracking this overnight. >> christchurch is under a nighttime curfew. so many people are helping in the search to survivors, the government has began transferring prisoners out of the christchurch jail so it can begin to house them. christchurch continues to be rocked by aftershocks. >> oh, my god.

>> reporter: and these images surfaced of those terrifying moments. inside, building structures collapsed. and outside, smoke and dust filled the streets. >> oh, my gosh. oh, my -- >> reporter: one man, so shocked, he rushed out of his house to check on his neighbors, his voice, filled with panic and fear. >> oh, my gosh. oh, my gosh. were there people in here? >> i don't know. >> people in here? >> reporter: happy to be alive, others recounteded their stories. >> managed to get out. and didn't look behind me. >> felt like it dropped. >> reporter: it wasn't just buildings that were shattered. cars were trapped in rubble. streets soaked in sewage. an estimated 300 people are still unaccounted for. former u.s. senator, evan bayh

and his wife, susan, were attending an international counsel in christchurch, when the quake struck. >> things started falling down. windows started shattering. finally, everyone under the table. >> reporter: rescue wokkers are still searching for victims, trapped in the debris. >> can you call out, please? hello? >> reporter: today, one woman was rescued after being buried in rubble for 24 hours. across the city, humanity prevails. the injured helping each other to safety. bloodied, but alive. survivors collapsed into the arms of loved ones. one of the leaders of the rescue teams said they are getting text messages from trapped people. and they're getting tapping sounds from collapsed buildings. want to give you more context on why this quake was so destructive. it was only about a 6.3 magnitude quake. we've seen others that have been far stronger than that.

but it was so destructive because it was -- it happened so close to the middle of the city. and was only three miles deep. that is relatively shallow. in fact, this was an aftershock of the 7.0 earthquake back in september. that one, though, was 30 miles outside of the city. and twice as deep. six miles underground. it was much less destructive. new zealand turns out to have about 14,000 earthquakes a year because it's in this ring of fire. it stretches all the way from new zealand, up here to indonesia, around japan, alaska, all the way over to chile. about 90% of the world's earthquake and 80% of the largest ones are actually in this ring of fire. juju? >> okay, george. we're going to turn, now, to the crisis in libya. the state department has chartered a ferry to malta, to evacuate americans out of the country. this, after moammar gadhafi

vowed to track down and kill protesters, by going house-to-house. jeffrey kofman starts us off at tunisia's border. good morning, jeffrey. >> reporter: good morning to you, juju. that's libya, 150 miles from here to tripoli. the border, only open one way, for people coming out. the reports we are hearing, what is happening is not just a revolution. it is a reign of terror. overnight, retaliation on areas that have rebelled. reports of an attack on bengh i benghazi, which is no longer under government control. the capital, tripoli, mercenaries hired soldiers from neighboring countries, are said to be shooting anyone in sight. it is ruthless, random and bloody. >> a woman was looking out of the balcony of her house. they shot her dead. >> reporter: with the country sealed off, the toll of the dead and injured is impossible to know. with information leaked out over

the internet, the terror is unmistakable. at the center of it all, moammar gadhafi, libya's leader for four decades. appeared on state tv, behaving more bizarrely than he normally does. angered, heckling, rambling, he called the protesters rats, and accused them of taking hallucinogenic drugs. there were reports that two libyan warships were given orders to fire on their own people and defected to malta. libya's interior minister resigned in disgust yesterday and sided with the revolution. he also confirmed that gadhafi has lost control of the eastern part of his country. but here in the west, a desperate scramble by foreigners to leave. with gadhafi's vow to hunt down

and crush the revolutionaries, there's too much to turn back. how long will he hold on? and how many people will die when he does? we're hearing how horrific the violence has become from gadhafi, from those fleeing libya as fast as they can. alex marquardt is at salloum, on the border. >> reporter: as thousands come across the border, they come with whatever they can. and stories of narrowly escaping that deadly violence. it can only be described as a mass exodus. a nonstop flow of men, women and children crossing into egypt, clinging to their most valuable possessions. >> we were going to kill us. i had to kiss their feet to pass. these are egyptians, fleeing from libya where they work. coming from benghazi, the scene of the most violence. this man reports that gadhafi is

using foreign mercenaries to kill his own people. they're killing everyone they meet. it's a slaughter house, he says. the shooting is everywhere. as they stream across the border, they're packing the vans as high as possible with their belongings. but there's so much people, with so much stuff, and so many cars, it's proving impossible to get away from the border. this father of six was waiting for a ride with his family. he told us about fighter jets firing on people and criminals released into the streets. it's a war, he said. and every person crossing here has stories to tell. and, of course, there's also a lot of anger with gadhafi, a man many here call a war criminal. juju? >> alex marquardt, with those fleeing the violence. we have more on the high-seas hostage drama that came to a tragic end. four american hostages were shot and killed by the somali pirates

that held them captive. they were in talks for their release. what went wrong? jim sciutto is here. >> reporter: what set off the pirates to begin firing their weapons? the fbi that was involved in the negotiations, is beginning the process of how they will prosecute the 15 captured pirates. and where? most likely the u.s. also investigating what happened onboard the yacht "quest." for three, harrowing days, the hijacked yacht was sailing towards the somali coast. with four hijacked hostages and 17 pirates packed onboard. presidents obama had authorized the navy warships in pursuit to use deadly force -- >> it's difficult to pull off a successful operation like this, when you have so many people on a tight, confined ship. >> reporter: the u.s. was negotiating with two pirates onboard the destroyer "uss sterett." until, without warning, the pirates fired a rocket-propelled

grenade at "the sterett." >> gunfire erupted on "the quest." >> it doesn't take long for something to go off. >> reporter: the navy launched two ships and assault craft. some pirates appeared to surrender. >> there were no gunshots fired from the boarding team, as they boarded. >> reporter: but it was too late for the hostages. as they searched below deck, s.e.a.l.s encountered more pirates. they found 15 in all. but could not save the americans. >> we are heartbroken. >> reporter: hearing the devastating news back in the u.s., family and friends of jean and scott adam, and phyllis macay and bob riggle, spoke of their sense of adventure. >> my aunt is a smart and avid sailor. she was living her dream, sailing around the world. >> reporter: a dream that ended in tragedy. piracy off somalia is only

getting more violent. in addition to accounts of torture and murder of hostages by pirates, international forces have killed pirates in recent weeks. and piracy becoming a deadlier business for both sides. >> jim, thanks for all your reporting on that. time, now, for the weather with sam champion. hey, sam. >> good morning, everyone. we're going to start with the milder temperatures coming in the northeast. i know it's a cold start this morning. but the numbers do rebound. 42 in new york. 35 in boston. inland numbers nice, as well. pittsburgh, comes in with about 38 degrees. eyes focused on the northwest. portland's been trying to time it out. it could be six inches of snow in that area. we start out with rain. and this will become a heavier band of snow. some cases, six to ten inches of snow. that will drop down. and one of the big headlines will be friday into saturday. does san francisco get snow for

the first time since 1976? and i mean big, holdible, snowballmaking snow. there's an area that will be flooding from little rock to memphis to nashville to cincinnati. the rain is in the next 48 hours. we'll be watching that closely. a

we'll be watching two things for the rest of the week, george. that's the big snow in the northwest. and also, potential for flooding in america's heartland. >> sam, thanks very much. we're going to look at the spreading state battles over budget and union rights. they're all across the midwest right now. in ohio, officials locked protesters out of the statehouse, as battles continued in wisconsin and began to gather in michigan. democrats walked out tuesday in a deadline path to restrict collective bargains. and this comes as washington is

a week away from a possible government shutdown. funding runs out next friday. here to talk about all that this morning, rand paul of kentucky. he has a new book out called "the tea party goes to washington." thanks for coming in this morning, senator. >> thank you. >> the tea party has inspired a lot of the budget battles in states and the efforts to restrict the collective bargaining rights of public employees in unions. there's a new poll out in "usa today" this morning, showing by a 2-1 margin, americans favor keeping the collective bargaining rights. and you see the protests all across the midwest. do you think you may have sparked a backlash here? >> i don't think the tea party started this. circumstances did. the circumstances are that we're in a recession. there's less money coming in to state treasuries. less money coming into washington. i don't think we started the battle. we're the ones pointing it out that we have a real debt crisis. and i think it gets worse before it gets better. because there really is a problem. states don't have the money to spend things the way they used

to. >> but i think a lot of people look at this. in wisconsin, we've seen the public employees say we'll pay more for our health care and pensions. >> when the governor decided to get involved in his state, he said, when you take care of your budget te budgetary problems. i'm not going to tell him how to run his budget or what he needs to do. but i do understand the problem. and people also have to recognize, that the teachers who are leaving the schools are making $89,000 a year. their benefits exceed the private sector. really, it's not that we should be saying the poor teachers are not being paid. they're being paid very well. i would expect them to be teaching my kids and not protesting at the capitol. >> let's talk about something you do have responsibility for. the federal budget.

operating funds run out next friday, march 4th. the democratic leader in the senate, has now proposed, harry reid, extending the current funding levels for another month so negotiations can continue. i know that's not acceptable to you. but how much of a cut are you going to demand in order to keep the government running after march 4th? >> i think what's important and what the tea party's all about, if we do what the president says, if we freeze things at 2010 levels, we'll add $13 trillion to the debt over ten years. if we do what republicans want and cut $100 billion, we'll add $11 trillion in debt. neither plan is sustainable. what i'm about and what the tea party is about, is keeping both democrats and republicans honest on this. you have to cut enormous amounts. you have to do much more than anybody has proposed. but the alternative is, we'll bankrupt the country. >> unless they go further, even for a temporary extension, you would vote against it? >> we have to do much more. we're not even close. they're talking about freezing

this much of the budget. nonmilitary, discretionary spending. they're not looking at military. they will have to look at military spending, if they're serious about the budget. and they have to look at entitlements. in the next week or two, i will present a plan that will reform social security that will make it solvent in perpetuity. you have to raise the age for longevity. you have to gradually do that. that's the only way to fix the entitlement programs. >> and will you be willing to hold your own state to the standards? "the daily beast" yesterday, paul begala, pointed out, that kentucky gets more from the federal government than they give out. they get $1.51 for every $1 in federal taxes paid. are you committed to bring that ratio down? >> if we could spend ourselves into prosperity, if spending in each state was making us richer, think about how much better we would be. we've been getting money in

kentucky for years and years. but we still have a poverty problem. think of washington, d.c. we spend $20,000 on each student in education there. >> you will bring them down? >> i'll bring all of them -- it has to. we don't have a choice as a country. the alternative is we destroy our currency for a massive debt. you can tax people. or borrow. or print the money to pay for the debt. we're at a point as we accelerate the printing of money to pay for the debt, you can destroy your currency. it's happened in other countries. >> you have some tough words for your own party. you say republicans treat war like democrats treat welfare. i know you want to restrict defense spending and foreign aid. but what would you provide with what we're seeing now, in libya? you have gadhafi unleashing a massacre of his own people. would you go in and set up a no-fly zone so he couldn't do that with his war planes? >> i think when we go to war, as americans, we should go to war

reluctantly. it should be the most important vote we ever make. and we shouldn't do it on the spur of the moment. if i would go to war, it would be because i think my children need to go to war. you have to be deliberative in this. it's a very important vote. too often, we've gone to war without thinking ahead. and i won't vote to go to war unless i would send my kids there or go myself. there are wars around the world. we have to be careful for financial reasons. and also, you shouldn't send kids into war without careful thought. >> rand paul, thank you very much. the book is called "the tea party goes to washington." >> thank you, george. from washington, we turn to chicago. and for rahm emanuel, it's a sweet day. president obama called to congratulate his former friend and chief of staff, who had just been elected mayor. he won by 51%, avoiding a runoff. and chris bury has what's next for the victory and the windy city. >> reporter: the long-time

washington insider and chicago native, fulfilled his life-long ambition. >> you know how to make a guy feel at home. >> reporter: easily winning an outright majority, emanuel avoided a runoff in the hotly contested race. he led by the moment he left the white house. helped by the backing of one president. and the support of another. >> if you want the windy city to have a gale force of leadership, rahm emanuel is your mayor. >> reporter: for this one-time congressman and former house chief of staff, to be elected mayor is a step up. >> there is no better job than mayor if you're a chicagoan. >> reporter: emanuel has big shoes to fill, succeeding richard daley. he attracted global business. built world-class parks and improved schools. he also leaves behind a crippling budget crisis. >> i am more convinced than ever

that we can meet the great challenges before us. >> reporter: for "good morning america," chris bury, abc news, in chicago. >> big job ahead for rahm. and who is this mystery >> big job ahead for rahm. and who is this mystery woman i'm sam chernin, owner of sammy's fish box. i opened the first sammy's back in 1966. my employees are like family, and i want people that work for me to feel that they're sharing in my success. we purchase as much as we can on the american express open gold card so we can accumulate as many points as possible. i pass on these points to my employees to go on trips with their families. when my employees are happy, my customers are happy. how can the gold card help serve your business? booming is taking care of your business by taking care of your employees. the best device for everything you love to read editors' choice. best dedicated ereader. magazines look spectacular. fantastic device. touch the future of reading at barnes and noble. nookcolor.

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year. the board voted earlier this month to shut down an emt school and middle school at the end of the school year. last night the board decided to pursue other cost-saving measures first. board members warn the closure issue could come up again if voters fail to approve tax ex extensions proposed by governor brown. let's get an update on the wednesday morning commute. >> some traffic a little lighter than normal. a live shot of the oakland maze flowing well on westbound 80. the drive time 24 minutes from the carquinez bridge. look out for thick fog on i-80 reported near the davis area. bay bridge toll plaza is backed up past the 880 overcrossing now. about a 10 to 15 minute wait. eric? >> franc >> all new. people are still talking about our reunion last week. now, iyanla vanzant is back. oprah: your husband is gone, the money is gone. >> am i going to take these pills, or am i gonna shoot

myself?

>> welcome back. partly to mostly cloudy southeast downtown san francisco. temperatures mid to upper 30s, low to mid-40s mountain view, fremont, oakland and san francisco. today breezy, gusts up to 30 mph, partly cloudy and low to mid-50s. we have the change in the forecast starting tomorrow afternoon through friday. accumulating snow down to 1,000 feet in the north bay hills. the rest of us see snow down to

has charlie sheen found love? he says, yes. that's him kissing the mystery woman who he says really gets him. this all comes as his father, martin sheen, speaks out for the first time. he has some strong words about his son's addiction. good morning, america. i'm george stephanopoulos, here with juju. >> here i am. robin roberts is on assignment. also ahead this morning, prince william's farewell blast to the single life. what is his party-loving brother planning for the bachelor party? and what has harry been told not to do? >> we'll find out in a little bit. also, justin bieber. he's cut the hair. >> say it ain't so.

>> the trademark do is gone. we'll check out the look and what his fans think about it. we begin with the latest on charlie sheen. his father, martin sheen, is speaking out for the first time about his son's struggles with substance abuse. and we're seeing pictures of the woman charlie sheen says is the new love of his life. andrea canning is here. and you've spoken with the mystery woman. >> reporter: i spoke with her. she seemed really nice. he told me he was in love with her. and i'll tell you more about who this mystery woman is in a moment. first, charlie sheen's father, clearly supporting his son through all of this. calling him, an extraordinary man. at this london movie premiere, charlie sheen's father, martin sheen, and his brother, emilio estevez, broke their silence about the troubled actor. >> with prayer. >> we lift him up. we ask everyone who cares about him to lift him up and lift up all of those in the grip of drug and alcohol abuse. >> reporter: it's the first time sheen's family has spoken out since the star was hospitalized

with stomach pains after a night of heavy partying last month. >> if we had cancer, how would we treat him, you know? the disease of addiction is a form of cancer. and you have to have equal measure of concern and love. and lift them up. and so, that's what we do for him. >> reporter: back in l.a., charlie called in again to "the dan patrick radio show." >> are you in love? >> 100%. what's not to love? you got to see this one. >> you won't tell me who she is. >> the world will know soon enough. >> reporter: we didn't have to wait too long. sheen was caught kissing his new woman. >> how are you doing? everybody is wondering how good you're doing. >> winning. >> reporter: and last night, seen with her again. partying with her on a yacht. >> charlie, are you ready to go back to work? >> i've been ready for like a year. >> reporter: his hit show "two and a half men" on cbs, is still on hiatus. but the show's ratings are strong. even reruns continue to bring in millions of viewers. and despite all the offscreen

drama, his father says he hopes to one day share the screen again with his son. >> that would be another miracle. and we look forward to that, very much so. >> reporter: charlie sheen asked me not to reveal his new girlfriend's name. so, i will honor that. as he said, it will come out soon enough. i can tell you, she is not a porn star. she is not an actress. she told me she was a graphic designer. she was in a bad place. and he seems to have rescued her from something. he seems to really trust her. and says that she's the only one who gets him. and i asked him if he was sober? he said we don't use the word sober in our house. we use the word clean. and he is clean. >> that means about the same thing. >> take it as you will. i don't know. she says she is helping him stay clean. >> okay. you have to bring them both in. >> let's hope. >> thanks, andrea. in our royal diary this morning, the wild weekend before the wedding. we're getting all kinds of details this morning about just what prince harry has in store

for his brother at the bachelor party. royal contributor, duncan larcombe, joins us this morning. good morning, duncan. >> reporter: good morning. >> i know you have uncovered a lot of the top-secret details. all being planned by prince harry. i know you can't tell us where the location is. we understand it involves extreme water sports. >> reporter: that's right. he made a secret plan with the guys that run one of the country's sort of best water sports companies. and they're going to be out with speedboats, wakeboards, water skiing. spend the whole day, basically, on the english channel, having fun. >> half the intent of a bachelor party is to get the groom to be liquored up. i know there's a pub crawl for the 20 or so onboard. >> reporter: they put a lot of thought into the stag. and one of the concerns they have is being too public. what harry has hatched is a plan where they can go on a speedboat at the end of the day, when they're fed up with jumping on

the waves and everything. and actually go up the estuary, up the river, to a couple of little pubs. they're only accessible by boat or on foot. >> away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi, no doubt. but there's also this setting the tone of discretion, that they didn't go to south africa. they're staying in the u.k. >> reporter: that's right. and i understand one of the other plans they looked into was to rent or stay at a friend's ski chalet in the french alps. i think william has made it quite clear, that while harry's doing the plans in secret and it's a surprise for william, he's set the ground rules at nothing too lavish. nothing that's going to get him criticism for spending too much money at a time when, let's face it, the economy in britain is not that rosy. >> we know the guest list involves about 20 guys. these are obviously close friends of the future king of england. >> reporter: the people going on the stag weekend are absolutely the inner circle, william's

closest friends. a couple of guys from the military. his colleagues. and then, guys, essentially, he's known since growing up. >> and how much of the discretionary tone will be set for, not just the wedding, but for the honeymoon, too? i know you're getting details about that. >> reporter: i've been told that wherever william goes, his plan is to go somewhere where the local laws in that country make it illegal for people to take pictures and publish the pictures without the permission of the people involved. that will allow william, hopefully, as far as he's concerned, william and kate total privacy, when they go away. >> and avoid the paparazzi, which was such a plague to his mother, diana. thank you, duncan, for joining us with all of the fresh details on the royal wedding festivities. >> reporter: pleasure. thank you. now, a look at this morning's top news headlines in at the newsdesk. >> good morning, everyone. the crisis in libya is sending oil prices soaring. the price of crude oil is now the highest it's been in two and

a half years. it's at $96 per barrel. as for gas prices, they're up 6 cents in just the last week. now averaging $3.17 per gallon. they could reach $3.50 by summer. and the push to recover money by bernie madoff's ponzi scheme is now raising new conflict of interest questions. this time, involving the top lawyer at the securities and exchange commission. david becker is being sued after he and his brothers inherited over 1 million bucks. he never published ties to madoff. but insists he had no idea about the fraud. and scientists are studying the recent deaths of dozens of baby dolphins that watched ashore in mississippi and alabama, ten times the usual number. it's too early to blame the bp oil spill. but that's one cause under consideration. and finally, one of college basketball's most notorious records has been broken. the cal tech beavers snapped their 310-game losing streak in conference play, last night, by winning by one point.

it's their first conference win since 1985, if you can imagine that. they also set the record for most losses. 20 7 losses consecutive. but cal tech has more to their glory. >> they make your cavaliers look like they have a chance. >> yeah. sam, you're a champ. >> good morning, everybody. we're going to start with pictures out of washington. it's a new pocket of cold air coming out of alaska. with that, there's been a lot of snow. there's been accidents along i-90. all this is near the north bend area. komo, our friends who sent us the pictures and talk about the snow. more than a foot of snow has fallen in that region. and there's more to come. into the cold air comes two wet systems. the area of low pressure will drop snow from seattle to portland. also getting into the northern california area we think in the next 24 hours. here's the real question. in the san francisco area that hasn't seen good, playable snow since about 1976. is it possible that by friday night into saturday, this will

be a good snowmaker even to the ground levels of san francisco? and it's really possible. we've got flood watches and warnings out, from memphis, to nashville, lexington, to louisville. this is a separate area where the rivers are already flooding. this is brand-new rain and heavy rain, three to five inches in some places. like nashville, over a 48-hour period. elsewhere, it's gorgeous. ringing right along that florida area. about 81 degrees in miami. a and here's what's ahead on the "gma morning menu." is this a real slip and fall? or someone's payday? staging their own slip and fall accidents. are stores really falling for it? we'll go inside on the new trend on the get rich quick idea. and it's always been bothering you. your cell phone.

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if you slip and hurt yourself when you're out shopping, it may be harder than ever to get compensated. that's because you're competing with scammers trying to cash in on fake accidents. new stats out this morning from the national insurance crime bureau show claims are up 24% from 2008. and elisabeth leamy has more. hey, eli. >> reporter: good morning, george. there are some legitimate accidents. but this story is about scammers who slip and sue. that's why more and more stores

are installing sneaky, little cameras like this, so it's all caught on tape. these falls may seem painful. but authorities say they're all preplanned charades, made to look like the real thing. check out this one by lisa bonilla. police say she had a little help. her accomplices, tommy masterson and a hot dog. watch. another surveillance camera shows masterson buying the hot dog. switch back. and soon, you see masterson placing the wiener on the floor and quickly checking for other shoppers. then, bonilla comes along, and conveniently slips and falls. both were convicted of insurance fraud. >> some people fake slip and falls for a living. they're expert at making the falls. they make their injuries believable. and they're hoping for a large insurance score for not a lot of work. >> reporter: investigators say most of the fraudsters work in teams.

like janella howard and susan snow. that's howard falling down. she fluffs her hair before lying down all the way. snow, howard's real life caregiver is the woman with the cart and the witness to the scheme. later in this letter to the store, howard demanded $300,000, asking, quote, how can you place a price tag on pain and suffering? both women were found guilty of preparing a false insurance claim. >> these slip and falls are carried out in many cases by individuals looking for a quick get rich scheme. >> reporter: jim says the recent spike in claims could be much higher because businesses pay off the claims to make them go away. police say the camera caught this man using the juice in that bottle to create a slippery scene. the man pled guilty to shoplifting the bottle. but has yet to plead to the charge of attempting to obtain money by false pretenses. >> i think the camera serves as

a deterrent. in many cases, the camera produces evidence. >> reporter: the cameras do help. but we still found case after case, caught on tape. and when the cases like you saw are caught on cameras like this one, they still have the effect of driving prices up for all of us. and in addition to individuals and the two-person teams like you saw, authorities say crime rings are now getting into the act and targeting specific chains. george? >> this is actually a big business. eli, thanks very much. when we come back, justin bieber's new look. why did he cut off his locks?

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for strong muscles, vital energy, a healthy immune system, and a real difference in your dog. purina one with smartblend. discover what one can do. "around the watercooler" this morning. it's bieber fever. but it might have been clipped a little bit. pop star, justin bieber, may be about as famous for his hair cut, let's face it, as his songs. you can imagine the reaction when he trimmed his trademark locks. >> what? as jeremy hubbard found out. >> news flash. >> i want to shave your whole head, if that's possible. >> reporter: it was a joke about cutting justin bieber's hair. but did this tmz picture show his locks lopped off? believers went ballistic. 80,000 people reportedly stopped following on twitter. it's been a hot topic on tv. >> barbara must be in the witness protection program.

>> reporter: and bieber movie fans we talked to were largely unanimous. what do you think? >> i don't like it. >> i like his old hair better. >> i like his old hair better. >> reporter: hair stylist to the stars, luca blandi, said stars careers can suffer when they change their head. remember when britney went bald? or when carrie russell cropped her hair? as for bieber's new look, this stylist is relieved. >> the hair cut, i would think of cutting it. it was fun at first. when you do it too many, it gets a little tiring. >> reporter: those of us who looked the bold cut with the blinding bangs are out of luck. ♪ baby >> reporter: unless a middle-aged guy like me, can keep the hair swoosh alive. it can happen. never say never. for "good morning america," jeremy hubbard, abc news, new york. >> i was schooling sam it was

the hottest haircut in high school. >> all of the kids have been wearing the hair. i guess they're going to change it. >> they're going to give his locks to charity. >> to charity? >> isn't that nice? can you imagine all the girls who would want a piece of that hair? >> you can't change your hair at 17, when can you change it? jeremy, i think you ought to stick with your current hair cut. >> it's nice, though. it's nice. it's fresh. he has the little thing. the tousled look up at the front. it's nice. >> it's updated. >> comments from sam. we'll come back and teach you more about your cell phone. dr. richard besser will be here. you more about your cell phone. dr. richard besser will be here. . a single serving has 46 grams of whole grains. . are you kidding me? they fuel you up to start your day right... and they taste great. ♪ amazing mornings start with quaker oatmeal squares. so come on, get up and get going. ♪

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♪ apple investors are taking on the company's board of directors today over who would lead the company if steve jobs does not return. he went on medical leave last month for an undisclosed reason. this video of jobs looking frail was released yesterday. he's been treated for pancreatic cancer and had a liver transplant in the past few years. forecast now, mike. >> good morning, everybody.

a partly cloudy sky today, temperatures low to mid-50s. breezes could jump to 30 mph. snow starts tomorrow afternoon in the north bay mountains, accumulations down to 5,000 people. >> a crash in the tracy area westbound 580 that may be blocking the left lane. bay bridge toll plaza backed up to the 880 overcrorororororororo

♪ call me, call me, my love call me, call me anytime ♪ not a cell phone in sight down in that crowd on times square. you probably see a lot of people walking around with one, as they talk. walk and talk as the same time. we thought for a long time it might be affecting your brain waves. now, we have the proof. the new study out this morning. dr. richard besser will be here to tell us about that. >> and he will weigh in on the new data. plus, the story about a 3-year-old who was asked to stay home from school, because, get this. too many potty accidents. it's raising questions about when to potty train. can training your child too early do more harm than good?

elisabeth hasselbeck goes inside the potty wars. >> it started outside of washington, d.c. she kept the kid out of school until he or she was potty trained. my favorite picture of the morning. there he is. the doggy on the treadmill. >> go, doggy, go. >> he is there, because of the surprising new research that says more than half of our pets are overweight. even obese. we come up with ways to help your pet drop the pounds. >> i know that 50% of your dogs are fat. ahead -- also ahead this morning, it's the hottest trend in fast food. it's called breakfast. but which will put you on the healthier track? we'll let you know that this morning. >> that is coming up. first, how is your cell phone affecting your brain? new research is out looking at that now. and dr. richard besser is here to break it all down. we thought about this and heard about this for a long time. now, there's actual proof that using your cell phone does change brain activity in some ways. >> that's right.

the big question, do the radio frequencies that come out of that cell phone have any impact on your brain? really well-done study. they took 47 people and strapped a cell phone on to each year. one was off. one was on but muted. so the person didn't know whether was on. after 50 minutes, they put them through a scanner that measures brain activity. here's what they found. the side of the brain that had the cell phone on, showed more activity. you see the arrow. the red activity, that's the brain using glucose. and glucose is brain fuel. this was the first time they were able to say definitively that it does change your brain activity. >> the fuel rushes over to that side of the brain. this doesn't necessarily answer the question that so many have been concerned about, and some studies have been done, which says that using a cell phone increases your chance of getting a brain tumor. >> that's the big question. another study out yesterday. this is looking at nine-year data out of the united kingdom, found no connection between the use of cell phones -- >> no connection?

>> well, you know, they said some were up, some were down. very slight. they couldn't say definitively there was a connection. but the data has been all over the place there. the bodies that have looked at this say no. but children are using cell phones at a younger age. they're using them for a much longer period of time. no one is convinced that you can say definitively there's no connection. >> when you put this all together, what should people do with this information? >> it's interesting. we don't know if it's good, bad or indifferent, the use of the glucose. if you're concerned, you can decrease the amount of time that you're on your cell phone. and you can remove it from your ear. you can use a speakerphone or an ear bud. and that will decrease the frequencies of the radio waves to your brain. >> that seems like common sense. >> i think that does make common sense. you don't know long-term. especially for children, the less time they have that glued to their ear, the better. >> richard besser, thanks very much. now, to ron claiborne at the newsdesk. >> good morning, everyone. american citizens in libya are fleeing the chaos there this

morning, sailing to malta on u.s.-chartered ferries. streets in several libyan cities have been turned into killing fields this morning. security forces, including foreign mercenaries, are attacking opponents to long-time dictator moammar gadhafi. gadhafi's grip on power seems to be sleeping. the eastern half of the country is being claimed by anti-government protesters. and more military units are defecting to the opposition. a rare bright spot this morning in the aftermath of the new zealand earthquake. rescuers freed a woman from a twisted wreckage of a collapsed office building. f and as she emerged, rays of sun came across the sky. aftershocks are threatening to break down weakened buildings. 75 are known dead. at least 300 more are missing. and parents hoping to sue drug companies over the side effects from childhood vaccines have been shut out by the supreme court. a special vaccine court protects drug companies from the lawsuits. the vaccine court awards

compensation to victims by a drug industry fund. and lindsay lohan may be willing to cut a deal, but it may be too little too late, as she heads back to court, as she is accused of stealing a pricey necklace. abc's mike von fremd has more. >> reporter: this necklace that lindsay lohan is accused of stealing, while still on probation for dui, is becoming a noose that keeps getting tighter. >> lindsay lohan will have to do some type of jail time. the defense will consider it a win, if they're able to keep her on probation for only one case. that case, be only a misdemeanor. and doing something less than 180 days in county jail. >> reporter: if the value is truly $2,500 and lohan is charged and convicted with felony theft, she could remain on probation for five years. >> who is going to hire her with a felony hanging over her head? >> reporter: the charges now come, as the family says, the talented and troubled movie star is making real progress. >> it's about where she is

personally in her sobriety and her growth. she's matured considerably. >> reporter: and her fan appeal remains off the charts. >> lindsay lohan's dress, coming off -- flying off the shelves after the last court appearance, doesn't surprise me. i would be surprised how many people who have ordered the dresses are choosing to wear it to court. >> reporter: legal experts say lohan will soon be turning in her designer digs for a jailhouse jump suit. for "good morning america," mike von fremd, abc news, los angeles. and now, let's go to diane sawyer with a preview of tonight's "world news." >> tonight, on "world news," the unrest racing across the middle east. oil prices at record highs. we ask the question -- how high could the gasoline at your pump go? how high could it be? tonight on "world news," we'll tell you. >> that is the news at 8:06. we go to sam champion with the weather. >> good morning, ron. how are you? we're outside on the corner of times square.

on this side, my blondes are from -- >> san antonio, texas. >> and on this side, you're from -- >> new jersey. >> you're a figure skater, where do you skate? >> new jersey. i'm from canada. >> good luck, because you're absolutely lovely. i actually saw a picture. you showed me a picture. >> let's get to the boards. orlando, our picture just cleared up. look at that. marcus, the studio producer. we couldn't see that building before in the fog. i was getting ready to say, we can't hear your complaints orlando. you're going to 79 degrees today. and we're in times square, about 23 or 24 degrees right now. there's a little bit of morning fog in central florida. but you're getting good numbers. new orleans is about 75. there may be scattered afternoon -- are you from new orleans? all right. from baton rouge, louisiana. there's going to be stronger storms kicking up this afternoon, as the low moves in. we're watching for flooding in the next 48 hours, all the way

from memphis, towards central kentucky. nashville, you're a part of that. keep an eye on your abc stations. and a very happy -- can i steal it? that's an awesome hat. a little panda bear with i don't know, like legs or something on the side of it. back up to the studio. george? juju? >> hey, sam. we're going to dig into a new front on the mommy wars this morning. it's called maybe the potty wars. many parents are under

increasing pressure from schools and other parents to get their kids potty trained earlier and earlier. sometimes they're going to extremes to achieve their goal. "gma" contributor liz elisabeth hasselbeck joins us with more on this. >> reporter: good morning. the average family spends $75 a month on diaper. that's almost a thousand dollars a year. one solution, get the little ones out of diapers sooner and faster. our research indicated that when and how to potty train is a very touchy matter. preschool is synonymous with 3-year-olds learning to take on letters, numbers and color. not school administrators. but in december, a 3-year-old girl and her mother found themselves at odds with the nursery school principal in the arlington, virginia, school district. the principal ordered the toddler to stay home for a month, for having what the school called one too many potty accidents. the incident set off a firestorm. i agree with the school. i should think by 3, a child should be fully potty trained,

said one mother. it's wrong to emotionally abuse the child for wetting their pants, wrote another. leslie, co--founder of big city moms, one of the biggest support groups in the nation, says it's part of a growing potty war. the mounting pressure that moms are feeling to potty train their children earlier and faster. the trend is part of the rollercoaster ride potty training has been on since the dawn of disposable diapers. in 1962, an estimated 90% of kids were out of diapers by 2 1/2. by 1998, the number plummeted. to just 22%. >> who's that? >> she, joined by five other moms of toddlers, told me modern day moms are stealing the heat to ditch the diapers.

do you feel it's a topic of discussion that's looming over? >> whether it's my friends or family. you see a lot of kids that aren't potty trained at 2 1/2, not really 3 to 4 age. we have a pressure because of that. >> it's a pressure-filled society. that's one more thing we're expected to have our children do earlier and earlier. >> reporter: the evidence of potty pressures, everywhere. particularly on the store shelves, where there's chairs of all shapes and sizes. there are even potty training iphone aps. it may explain the growing interest of moms in teaching babies under the age of 1 to use the toilet. called elimination communication, the method has thousands of mommy followers, including gisele bundchen. who reportedly used the system on her little boy. and jessica, mother of 4-month-old jackson. the baby who cannot sit up on his own, showed our cameras, he's a pro when it comes to the toilet. >> i don't think it's too young at all. it's natural for the baby not to

want to go to the bathroom on themselves. >> you can certainly get a little potty seat and put it in a child's room. >> reporter: also growing in popularity, potty training seminars. led by potty training coaches like tammy gold. she says she has seen a steady rise in the number of moms desperate to potty train their children in just 24 hours. >> i think parents make potty training about them. they're in a great deal of rush to get this done. >> reporter: one rapid potty training method, called fast track, involves moms encouraging their children to drink excessive amounts of fluid, in an attempt to get them to urinate with greater frequency, hopefully on the toilet. but child psychiatrists say the so-called boot camp method can do more harm than good. >> by pressuring a child, you're certainly setting that child to be at risk for becoming it's tantamount to child abuse.

you set them at risk for becoming oppositional, for becoming stubborn, for digging in. and it's completely avoidable by simply allowing the child to train at his or her own pace. >> are you decorating your potty? >> reporter: for better or worse, leslie said she gave in to the pressure she was feeling. she trained samantha last month. it's meant more stickers for samantha. and one less source of stress for her as a mom. and meant more stickers for samantha. >> go potty. >> so cute. a fascinating piece. give us an update on the girl in virginia. >> reporter: sure. we spoke with the school. they stand by the fact it wasn't a formal suspension. they asked her to stay home. little zoe, until it was resolved. their primary focus is educating children. their teacher-student ratio was low and they wanted to be able to do that. zoe's parents moved her to a different school. and he's been happy. she hasn't had anymore potty accidents. >> good news for her, too.

full disclosurdisclosure, i hav 3-year-old still in diapers, who seems in no rush. and you have three little ones. you had different experiences with them. >> with grace, at 18 months, she expressed interest. and it was an 18-month process. she was over 3. by the time i would say she was completely trained. with my middle guy, we waited until he was 3. and it took probably a week. and my third, he's not even allowed to potty train until he's maybe 4. >> how do you compare the programs who say we can do it in a day or two, versus elimination communication? >> since elimination communication sounds extreme. it's a lengthy process. where the toilet becomes a part of the everyday routine of the child. but then again, it's not a rushed system. as in the one in three programs, expert concern was that that may have long-term effects psychologically on the child. to take the diapers away and put them in a boot camp. though it may work for some, it's a cause to look at concern there. >> elisabeth hasselbeck, always with a hot topic.

thank you so much. is it emotional abuse? what do you think? check it out own our message boards. abcnews.com/gma. when we come back, fat pets. what to do about them? smart ways to fight the overweight pets. we'll be back. overweight pets. we'll be back. thanks to the venture card from capital one, we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a trip to new orleans twice as fast! bebebebebebaaa! we get double miles every time we use our card, no matter what we're buying. i'll take it. and since double miles add up fast, we can bring the whole gang. fire! [ garth ] it's hard to beat double miles! have you seen garth? oh! [ male announcer ] get the venture card from capital one. money magazine's best rewards card if you aim to rack up airline miles. what's in your wallet? bebebebebebaaa! if you aim to rack up airline miles. how are you getting o a happier place? running there? dancing there? how about eating soup to get there? campbell's soups ill you with good nutrition, farm-grown ingredients, and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's., and it's amazing keepwhat soup can do..

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check out cocoa. she is born to run. no weight problem for her. she may be unusual. according to a recent study, more than half of america's 70 million cats and dogs are overweight. it's a serious problem that can cut years from a pet's lifetime. and andrea canning has more. >> reporter: new research shows one in five cats and dogs are now actually obese. from overfeeding and lack of exercise. is this the worst it's ever been for pets? >> right now, the pets are getting more treats than ever. >> reporter: the treats are like

the fast food for the pets. >> they're the fast food. high in calories. >> go say hi. >> reporter: lexie, a pit bull mix was over 20 pounds overweight. her owner admits she took the backseat after the new child came. >> we would open up the door to play outside. and give her treats to satisfy her when she got jealous. >> reporter: smaller portions, replacing treats with carrots and longer walks has helped lexie shed eight pounds. use a pet-to-human weight translator, she's comparable to a 5'4", 280-pound woman. >> i feel guilty that she's starving. >> that's normal. it's going to be hard on them because they're hungry. but it's going to be better for them. >> reporter: concerned, i brought along my own chubby pet, cameron. he's almost obese? >> he's not almost obese. he's obese. >> reporter: he's the equivalent of a 5'9", 295-pound man.

i'm shocked to hear that he's considered obese. >> you have to remember, when you see cats in the wild, they're pretty thin. >> reporter: those extra pounds can lead to diabetes, arthritis, kidney failure and heart problems. that's exactly what happened to prince chunk, the famous 44-pound cat we first introduced you to in 2008. in november, he died of heart disease. >> you want the lifetime of your debt phet to be 12 to 15 years, i'm talking about 8 to 10 years. >> reporter: for cammy and lexie, the days of the all-you-can-eat buffet are over. now, for more, what you need to do to help your pet stay in shape, we're joined by wendy bounds of "the wall street journa journal". i know daisy's okay. charlie's getting up there. and he may be overweight. but how can i know for sure? >> right. people have a hard time telling. we're looking at magnum.

magnum is in very good shape. >> he is a figure here. >> you can feel the ribs. you shouldn't have to dig around a lot of fat. and his abdomen is tucked up. cats with bellies that hang down are called swishers. and you see he has a nice, tapered -- >> almost like a "v." >> he doesn't have a waistline. magnum's doing good. you can check with your vet. is my pet within the weight range they should be. >> and if they're not? >> then, we need to move on. i'm going to have magnum go over here. >> good boy. >> we're looking at the industry. a pet industry. they've come up with all sorts of items to help pets lose weight. this is a pet treadmill. if you can't exercise yourself because you have physical limitations -- >> whoa. >> how do you get the dog to stay on? >> yeah. the dog has the slats here.

and the dog will walk straightforward, usually. if i'm in front of him, he will. the way this goes, it's protected from pet hair drool. and cocoa's doing a very good job. she has workout this morning. >> she's in good shape. >> about $600, this runs. if you look at the cost of diseases like diabetes and arthritis for pets, this can help save them on that call. a few cheaper items here. now, dogs traditionally need -- the big dogs need 30 to 60 minutes of exercise, each day. >> a dog like magnum. >> a dog, a little smaller, 15 to 30 minutes. your dogs might need 15 to 30 minutes of active play. you can get the cheaper items and move them around with those. don't have to have the big items. >> and we have to work on diet, as well. >> you do. people look at food labels and get confused. we're seeing systems like this, with prepackaged food so people can actually know how much. this is from hill's science

diet. >> even with the dry food, the dogs won't regulate it themselves. >> automatic feeders, this is from pet mate. this gives them portions throughout the day. you want to count the calories. talk to your vet about calories. go to the website petobesityprevention.com. >> and the number of calories is a lot less than you think. >> actually, the dogs don't need it dumped in. i guess that's way people need to think about it. talk to your vet. how much do they need? and regulate that amount. >> it's so important because they can get so many diseases. >> right. they can be costly. and you want your pet to be around with you for a long time. and studies show, the less they eat, the longer they're around. and studies show, the less they eat, the longer they're around. >> thanks very much. on the 2011 dodge journey the uconnem controls the radio, media player, heated seats, climate control, navigation, phone and more. this means that if you call shotgun on a dodge journey, you've just inherited a lot of responsibility.

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he want cash! want better rewards? peggy? switch to discover. america's number 1 cash rewards program. it pays to discover. ♪ the mount diablo school board in concord announced it will not close anymore schools this year. the board voted to shut down glenbrook middle and holebrook elementary next year. they were going to decide last night on closing a third school but they decided to pursue other cost-saving measures first. the san francisco police commission will take up the debate on tasers again when it meets tonight. it was a year ago when the commission rejected the chief's proposal to arm the police department with the weapon. the outcome could be different this time with three new commissioners on the panel. let's see how your morning

commute is looking. >> some schools offer ski week. traffic a little lighter than normal. bay bridge toll plaza now is backed up towards west grand and check out lie it is in san rafael. southbound traffic flows well down to the golden gate bridge. you will find some of the usual slow spots on westbound 80 but not as heavy as yesterday. kristen? >> frances, thanks a lot. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist.

>> hi. welcome back. partly cloudy, temperatures 30s and 40s still this morning. good morning by the way. breezy today, about 20 mph winds gusting to 30.

partly cloudy, a little cooler low to mid-50s. the story tomorrow, the north bay hills a thousand feet tomorrow afternoon to friday. the rest of us see snow friday into friday afternoon as the snow level drops down to 500 feet. ♪ hi. >> why did you hide a secret? >> this building's full of rats. didn't want my old man to find out. i've got enough problems. >> okay. can you guess who that is? just 12 years old, making her debut as a professional actress in "the professional." >> a beautiful child. a beautiful adult. that's natalie portman. amazing, right? >> oscar nominee this year for "black swan." right there. we're counting down to the oscars this morning. we say good morning, america.

i'm george stephanopoulos, here with juju chang. robin is on assignment. >> heading out to the oscars. it's fascinating to see how the actors got their starts. we're counting down to the oscars this morning with a look at how they started, and what they were doing before they were stars. also, the latest on bedbugs. anyone can get them. now, we have new ways to get rid of them this morning. how to keep the pests from setting up house where you live. that's coming up. it's the fastest way to start your day. but is it the healthiest? we're checking out the best fast food breakfasts. before we get to that, we'll check in for the weather with sam champion. hey, sam. >> i'm sorry, juju. tell me your name again. >> rachel. >> rachel. okay. i know you're cold. show us the duct tape dress. you made this out of duct tape? >> yeah. it was really hard. i made it out of duct tape. my cousin actually came up with the idea of making things out of duct tape. >> you're like a fashion designer. how old are you? >> 11. >> 11.

rachel, that's gorgeous. i like it a lot. do you have a website, mom, for where they can order these? i think we need to get one going. good morning, everybody. let it out. how are you doing? good? thanks for stopping by on our corner at the crossroads of the world. let's get to the board and show you what's going on this morning. one or two things going on that we have to show you. unlocking this colder air. i'm sorry, robin roberts. i know i'm going to hear this. l.a. weekend, oscar weekend this, is not going to be a warm weekend. it is very cold. that beautiful oscar gown, you'll have to pick a warm coat to go over it. i think the high is on saturday and sunday. what are they? in the 50s on sunday. and the 40s on saturday. yeah. i'm going to hear it all next week. and then, here comes the rain, right in the middle of the country. from st. louis, to cincinnati, to nashville, memphis and little rock. in the next 48 hours, we're looking at what could be 3 inches-plus, in the red target area. keep up with your local abc station. it's warm and beautiful in the

all that weather was brought to you by discover. george? juju? >> thanks, sam. we're counting down to the oscars all week long. it's time, now, for one of our favorite features. looking at all of the oscar nominees before they were big stars. chris connelly has the plum assignment this morning. and he joins us from l.a. with a big smile on his face. hey, chris. >> reporter: good morning, george. they're all academy award nominees. but they had to start somewhere. and you'll see, the work they did back in the day was pretty darn good, even before oscar took an interesting. >> why have you been pursuing janie? >> reporter: before tackling

"true grit's" lofty language, supporting actress nominee hailee steinfeld did a kmart ad. featuring another word, blingatude. from judi dench's queen elizabeth, to helen mirren's qe-2, actresses have found oscar gold beneath a golden tiara. but who could be more regal an natalie portman? as "star wars" queen amidala. only 12, as he debuted in "the professional." he was an luminary teen with timothy hutton. >> wait? >> in five years. i'll be 18. we can grow old together. >> reporter: it was john hughes' comedy, "the great outdoors." >> i'm a phony. i'm a fraud.

>> reporter: with dan aykroyd and john candy that brought annette bening to the screen. jesse eisenberg's character in 2002's "roger dodger," is uncannily likened to his role in "the social network." and check on his career aspirations. >> that's right. you are the computer wiz. >> reporter: other nominees looked different. colin firth had a mustache in "a month in the country." and helena bonham carter with don johnson, in the '80s. >> i felt someone was measuring my finger. >> what an imagination. >> reporter: and this used to be christian bale. >> get off the roof. yeah. >> reporter: all of 13 years old, in steven spielberg's 1987 film "empire of the sun."

>> mom, don't leave. >> jimmy? >> no. >> i have five down in the yard. >> reporter: jeff bridges can beat that. "true grit's" marshal was just a toddler, when he appeared in father lloyd bridges' tv series "sea hunt." >> don't worry. >> reporter: supporting actress nominee amy adams was a wannabe beauty queen in 1999's "drop dead gorgeous." and really showed off her attributes in the horror spoof "horror beach party." >> this is a man hunt. >> reporter: james franco hunked it up in 1999's "never been kissed." and well before "dawson's creek," best actress nominee, michelle william, hits the beach in another tv series, "baywatch."

>> oh, yeah. you're the boy that always has issues. >> i think that's cool. >> reporter: at 15, brought a goat to show and tell. >> this is charlotte. 6-month-old tottenberg goat. >> reporter: why not? in this "lassie" film. how about an oscar two-for. best actress rivals? no way. back in '86, "mars attacks" featured natalie portman and annette bening. let's drink to that. and finally, when oscars can feel like a soap opera, one nominee's first acting job was on a soap. recognize her yet? it's "the fighter's" melissa leo. >> i don't know who you are. why are you talking? >> reporter: on "all my children," way back in 1985. >> i can be pretty sweet when i want to. >> reporter: those old jobs should make for some pretty sweet memories for the winners on sunday, guys. >> i'm so glad you went through all that. you showed natalie portman in

"beautiful girls." that's such a fantastic movie. >> i couldn't agree more. that was a luminous performance. we should have been able to know that she would be an oscar nominee, based on her work in that movie. >> you picking her on sunday? >> you flipped the coin, said she was going to win. i'm voting on your ticket. i think natalie has a chance. how about christian bale back in the day? >> i know. a naturally gifted actor. i think george has a fixation on natalie. but christian bale was amazing, too, as a young boy. >> it's amazing to see those two make the transformation from child actor to adult. you know, that used to be a really rough transition for actors. to have gotten nominations like they've had, shows they've made the transition well. >> they could be double-winners on sunday night. we're going to have it all sunday night, 8:00 p.m. eastern. starting out on abc. robin will be there monday morning live with the oscar winners and highlights. when we come back, how to win the battle of the bedbugs. go

♪

going to the bank without going to the bank... that's a step forward. with chase quickdeposit on your smartphone, you just snap a picture, hit send and done. chase quickdeposit. take a step forward and ♪ we just keep ons.e jun keepin' on ♪ ♪ keep on me create my oasis. marcy: ok, romantic garden? bree: oh, is there a castle nearby? marcy: no, but there's a charming farmhouse. bree: right next to my posh castle! i'm sensing a theme here. well, i am the queen, dear sister.

let's face it. bedbugs gives everyone the creeps. and we're all vulnerable to the pests invading our homes.

the new book "the bedbug book" is a guide with everything, you want to know, including family-friendly ways to find the bedbugs and get rid of them. the author is ralph maestre. not bad, huh? the stats are amazing. 25% had seen bedbugs. now, ten years later, 95% of them say they've been dealing with bedbugs. what explains this huge infestation? >> a lot of it has to do with the way we like to deal with our environment. and we're very concerned about the use of pesticides. and in combination with that, the amount of traveling around the world, the opening of markets, europe, south america, south africa, all of those things, have allowed the pockets of bedbugs that existed for aeons, to come into the united

states. >> and we're not using ddt. >> we're not using ddt or the gamma phosphates. >> what's our best weapon in the war against bedbugs? >> education. to identify what they are. to identify the message to prevent getting them. and what are the treatment options. >> and when do you call in the dogs, so to speak? >> it's not really the dog or the dog's fault. the dogs are well-trained. they're independently certified in many cases. that's what you want to make sure. the dog has a certification with a reputable authority. and in that case, the handler should be trained, as well. dogs are going to have good days and bad days. but they're a useful tool. >> there are nontoxic ways to

detect bedbugs, right? >> one would be an example of what we have on the table. three different sizes of the climate. it's smooth pastic in the reservoir here. and once the bedbugs are here, they can't get out. >> and the bed post is here. if they climb up. >> or off the bed, they can't go anywhere. they will get caught in the reservoir. hopefully they'll make them in different sizes. >> what about the co2 trap? how does that work? >> it's a device similar to this. on top of it, there's a jug or a holding device for the carbon dioxide dry ice. it has to be enough dry ice. and it has to flow out, and fall into the reservoir, simulating our breathing at night. >> that's how they capture them.

that's detecting them. if freezing them doesn't work, i understand that steaming them at high heat can be effective. >> heat is the number one enemy of the bedbug. once the temperature reaches 118 to 120 degrees, their bodies become denatured. their cells break apart and they start dying off. heat is the key. actually be in consultation with a professional. we don't want anybody bringing in a barbecue into their bedroom and lighting the house on fire. >> you also have to launder everything. we know that bedbugs can spread on the clothes and everything else. >> they love cracks and crevasses. i've been in apartment where's the only place you found a bedbug was under the lapel of a jacket. nowhere else. >> and is there a bottom line of protection to keep them out of the house to begin with? >> you have to be individual lent. before coming into your house, since you travel on the train, the bus, your car, and you have your bags and coats and coat hangers and coat racks, you want

to make sure that you inspect your items before coming into the house, creating a little safe zone. >> no what to look for and know how to get rid of them. ralph maestre. thanks for the information. if you want more, go to abcnews.com/gma and read a chapter of "the bedbug book." and to see our guide for avoiding and getting rid of the pests for good. thank you. and the healthiest food for breakfast.

[ male announcer ] eakfast for breakfast. breakfast for lunch. breakfast for dinner. with three new breakfast lovers dishes, who needs a break from breakfast? denny's. america's diner is always open.

for millions of americans, literally eating on the run,

finding healthy fast food, especially at breakfast time, can be a imagine. "health" magazine contributor, samantha heller, takes a look at some of the healthy options. this is something that fast food restaurants have been putting a lot of effort into. >> they have been. and thankfully. there are a lot of healthy options. and you can order foods the way you want them to make them healthier that you initially find on the menu. >> customize it? >> they will customize it. that's great. >> that's good to know. what do we have here? this egg wrap. >> this egg wrap from cosi. protein with every meal and snack. love that it has the eggs. for me as a dietitian, you throw a vegetable in there and i'm going to get happy. i love that there's spinach in there. and it's high in fiber. >> it looks filling.

and it's 300-something calories. >> if you have to get breakfast out, instead of the home, manage that sodium with the rest of your day. >> this is something you see at starbucks all the time, right? >> i like it. it's kind of european. it's their protein plate. it has the protein from the egg and the cheese. it has some fruit. and i love the peanut butter. people are surprised when i say great to eat peanut butter. we're used to seeing the huge portions. >> peanut butter's great. but you need a portion about this size. >> even a little more, maybe. >> this big one is what i want. this is jamba juice. what do they call it? >> the berry topper ideal jamba juice. they have great antioxidants. pumpkin. the potassium in the bananas. the yogurt. i think this is my favorite of all these. and it's filling. the 12 ounce one is only about 300 calories. you add more to it. >> how big is this one?

>> about 32 ounces. that one's pretty big. >> this is going to be a lot more. >> yeah. >> what do we have here? >> here we have the -- this is the subway. the cheese melt. and more vegetables, making me happy. it's a little high in sodium. i might consider taking the ham out. ham tends to be high in sodium. add a slice of tomato. that would be fabulous. only 100-some calories. not high in calories. >> you can ask them to keep the ham out and they will? >> yeah. they're pretty good. as long as it's not prepackaged. in the cellophane, you're ready to go. this is the dunkin' donuts. it's turkey sausage. egg whites. and vegetables. no whole grain. it's a small size. that will get you good to go in

the morning. >> spinach again. >> if you can throw in a vegetable, it's a great idea. we're not getting the fruits and vegetables we need in this country. >> and one more. panera? >> this is their power breakfast sandwich. it's a little high in sodium and the cheese. if you wanted to lower the sodium, take out the ham. i would add some spinach or shredded carrot. they will do that for you. this is a whole-grain bread here. >> you can go to the fast food restaurants. and if you stick to the right side of the menu, you can have a healthy breakfast. >> a healthy breakfast. >> samantha heller, thanks very much. we have details about this and other healthy breakfast options on our website, abcnews.com/gma. other healthy breakfast options on our website, abcnews.com/gma. and we'll be

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one day closer to oscars. robin will be live from los angeles tomorrow morning. and get this. we'll have the 10-year-old girl who brought lady gaga to tears. that's coming up tomorrow. have a good day. >> have a good one.

♪ construction crews are about to do something on the golden gate bridge that could impact bicycling on the span the next three years. this morning crews begin a massive project to clean, renovate and paint the massive main cables. crews will be setting up scaffolding to complete the work that would force cyclists to walk their bikes on part of the span. if you're walking about this morning, make sure you bundle up. mike? >> still the 30s and 40s, partly cloudy with the breezes kickel in this afternoon. still a little cooler than these low to mid-50s. a winter storm watch north bay hills 1,000 feet tomorrow afternoon through friday. frances?

>> southbound 880 is slow into fremont where we have an injury accident so traffic is slow from hayward and there's another injury crash north bound 280 at foothill plus westbound announcer: it's "live with regis and kelly." today, from the comedy "parks and recreation," amy poehler. and "jersey shore" reality star nicole "snooki" polizzi. plus, let's get to know our super runner dean karnazes as he prepares for regis and kelly's super big run across america. all next on "live." [captioning made possible by disney-abc domestic television] announcer: now, here are regis philbi