good morning, america. i'm robin roberts. >> and i'm george stephanopoulos. it's friday, january 21st. and this morning, snow blast. the northeast walloped again. just in time for the morning rush hour. we're live in some of the hardest-hit cities. the remarkable recovery. gabby giffords feels some sunshine on her face for the first time since the shooting. her husband's bold predictions. >> i am extremely confident that she's going to be back here and back at work soon. baby snatcher. who kidnapped carlina white when she was just 19 days old? the hunt for the woman who stole her from her mom 23 years ago.

hot water. the texting tumbler threatening to sue the mall where she fell in the fountain. well, new revelations about her own legal problems. and good morning, everyone. the texting tumbler has some explaining to do. >> another twist. it turns out, right after she left here yesterday, she had to go to court to face charges on identity theft and other charges. we're going to get into that this morning. something we didn't know about when she came on. >> and funny she didn't bring it up. and here we go again. much of the northeast, waking up again. snow all over the place, covering streets. here in new york, it's been snowing all night. up to five more inches expected on top of the 32 inches the city has already received. and in boston, the snow has forced the city there to close schools again. so, we'll have the latest from some of the hardest-hit cities here in the northeast.

before the snow came in, the fbi had a sweep throughout the northeast. new york, rhode island, new jersey, as far down as florida. the biggest mob bust ever. 127 people arrested. you have to love the nicknames. you have the claw. my personal favorite, junior lollipop. but these guys are up for very serious charges. i mean, for murder, extortion, drug abuse. the fbi thinks they've dealt a serious blow to the mafia here. >> let's hope so. also, we're going to go behind the scenes, george, to a scandalous, new show that millions of teens are watching. sex, violence, drugs. do you want your children watching this? we'll take a closer look later. >> even executives inside mtv worry that the show has gone too far. we're going to get to all of that. we begin with the arctic invasion sweeping through the northeast. we have a team of reporters braving the weather, starting with john berman in central park. hi, john.

>> reporter: good morning, george. it's pretty out here this morning. but it was a lot prettier a month ago, when winter started. we've had about a year's worth of snow in a month. with this storm, it's bringing what some of the others did, bringing the coldest air yet in much of the country. in the northeast, the fifth storm in less than a month. a rapid burst of snow dumps two inches an hour in some places. look at these time lapse videos from these storm spotters. in new york city, three to six inches fell. and in boston, five to nine inches. even before this dumping, new york city had been hit by 32 inches of snow, more than the yearly average. and there's still two months of winter left. if it continues at this rate, it could break the all-time record. the snow has already plowed over the city's annual snowplow budget. not to mention our patience. >> honestly, enough is enough. >> reporter: and this snow is

just the appetizer for cold. epic cold. nine states were under windchill advisories in the midwest and great lakes. and that arresting air is moving east. some places seeing temperatures below zero. some slivering dispatches from our abc affiliates. >> the roads out here. you have to be very, very careful. >> some of the trickiest spots were the exit ramps. this driver said, he just couldn't keep control of his car. >> reporter: the consequences of this cold, in memphis, i-240 is shut down, after 14 cars and a semi truck slammed into each other. in oklahoma and indianapolis, cars are spinning off roads. and in western new york, a school bus collided with a snowplow, leaving two people, including the driver, in serious condition. >> the bus driver is, basically, trapped and hurt. and carrying little kids. i'm sure they're rather shook up over the incident. >> reporter: the snow that's

falling right now, get used to it. it's not going anywhere for a while. temperatures are expected to get above freezing until the middle of next week. robin? >> john, i agree with you. it's definitely losing its charm. thanks so much. for more on just how bad the latest winter wallop will be, let's go to linsey davis, who is in boston for us this morning. good morning, linsey. >> reporter: good morning, robin. it's starting to feel like groundhog's day, over and over and over for new england. this snowbank tells the story. this is the third snowstorm in boston in three weeks. now, the area is bracing for another half-foot of snow on the ground by noon. schools in the area have been closed. they've reduced the speed limit on many of the highways by about 20 miles per hour. all to accommodate the snow, which is currently falling at about an inch an hour. and that pace is only expected to pick up. and as you said, more snow's expected to hit this area next week. robin? >> unfortunately so. linsey, thank you. now, for a check on

conditions in connecticut, we're joined by kent pierce, with our abc station, wtnh. good morning, kent. how is it going there? >> good morning, robin. yes. we've been driving around for several hours. connecticut is white yet again. we had snow like this last week, earlier this week and another storm this week. the roads are white, not black. and we're getting used to seeing that in connecticut, certainly. a lot of traffic out here today. but people are taking it easy on i-84 here in southington. we've gotten used to driving in winter weather, unfortunately. another storm. we're out to show people it's not as bad as it's been. but it's still slippery out today. live in the mobile weather lab. for "good morning america." kent pierce. robin, back to you. >> drive carefully, kent. 23 states affected by the storm and cold blast. for more, let's go to sam, who is in port canaveral, florida, for more. good morning, sam. >> good morning, robin. here's the headline on this storm.

every major city in the northeast, philadelphia, new york, hartford, up to boston now, has exceeded their average snowfall for this season, the winter season. and we've got two months left in the season. let's show you the warnings and watches. the storm was much bigger when it moved through the midwest. 6 to 12 inches of snow for kansas city to st. louis. the snow is done this morning in philadelphia. your totals will be one to two inches of snow. that's it. the snow quits in new york city around 9:00 a.m. 4 1/2 inches on the ground so far. boston gets snow until noon today. six to eight inches of snow expected in boston in that pink shaded area, 6 to 12 inches, where it will continue up the coast of maine. we'll be back with all of america's weather in a moment. george? robin? >> sam, thanks. we have a big milestone today for congresswoman gabrielle giffords. almost two weeks after being shot in the head, she's being transferred from her hospital in tucson, to a rehabilitation facility in houston. ryan owens is in tucson this

morning with the latest on her remarkable recovery. ryan? >> reporter: george, good morning to you. that transfer will begin in just a few hours. moving a patient who is in serious condition is always risk in. but her doctors are confident she can handle it. congresswoman gabby giffords felt the son on her face for the first time since the shooting, nearly two weeks ago. leaving the hospital, but not her bed. her husband, mark, by her side always. he says she's trying to talk to him. mouthing words that she can't get out because of the tube in her throat. mark kelly is talking. and making a bold prediction. >> i am extremely confident that she's going to be back here and back at work soon. i've been telling the hospital staff they should expect to see her walking in the halls in a couple months. >> reporter: her husband and her mom will be making the trip to houston with her. it will be a bit of an ordeal. first, a trip to an air force

base. then, a specially-equipped private plane will fly them to houston. there, a life flight medical helicopter will met them, and take giffords to the rehabilitation hospital where she will likely be for the next few months. >> i want to caution everyone, that she has a tough road ahead of her. >> reporter: on the day after she was shot in the head, giffords husband held her hand. and she squeezed back. two days later, she was breathing on her own. the next day, just after president obama visited her, she opened her eyes. giffords made steady progress over the next week. on wednesday, she stood up and looked out of the hospital window. and then, yesterday, the first trip outside since the morning of the shooting. and we're getting a new look at the young man police say did it. this is home video of jared loughner playing the saxophone in his high school band.

♪ the 22-year-old is due in court monday morning. while gabby giffords' husband looks to make the prediction a reality. her husband promises she will not forget the remarkable support she's gotten here. look at the candles behind me. mark says he keeps reminding her how many thank you notes she has to write. george? >> thank you very much, ryan. we're going to turn to dr. john holcome, trauma surgeon. gabrielle giffords has long way ahead. what's the first thing you're going to check for when she arrives at your hospital? >> good morning. we'll have a handoff for the team that's bringing her. the two life-flight nurses that have flown out from houston to pick her up and bring her back. we'll make sure she makes the transfer safely with no problems. that's the very first thing we'll do. >> you served in the army for

many years, including treating soldiers who were injured in iraq. there's so many head traumas. you learn so much over the past several years about head trauma. how remarkable is it that we're seeing gabrielle giffords beginning this rehab just two weeks after she was shot? >> one thing we learn in military trauma, starting in my career in somalia, and going to iraq and other places, is that rapid intervention is really the key to survival. whether that's a gunshot wound to the head, chest, abdomen or anywhere else. getting into the operating room quickly and intervening quickly is the key to the outcome. >> how about that bold prediction we heard yesterday from commander mark kelly, that gabby could be up and walking within two months. is that realistic? >> you know, captain kelly's an astronaut and a space shuttle commander. you never want to say no to what

he says. he has great hope. they have great support from family. you know, the individual outcomes, the eventual patients are always a little unclear. but she's done remarkably well with great care in tucson. we expect that to continue. >> he also says he believes she's trying to mouth words. we heard ryan say that. as a surgeon and the others who will be helping her, what do you do to encourage more of that? and determine what kind of cognitive function she has? >> once patients get over that first, little hump of the immediate post-operative period, you wait to see what they're doing as they're progressing. you allow them to progress as rapidly as possible. and the next step, really in this evolution, is going to be looking for any complications that occur. and also, get her back on the rehab pathway the guys in tucson started as quickly as possible. that's the key. get her into intensive rehabilitation. >> what does that involve? >> bringing in lots of different people from different specialties to work as a coordinated team. speech, cognitive, physical,

rehabilitation. all working together under the direction of a rehab specialist. >> and what are the major signs you're going to be looking for in these next days and weeks? >> as a trauma surgeon, what we'll do is make sure she's taken the transfer okay. has no other complications that developed that need other operations or interventions. and then, help coordinate the team that's caring for her. anticipating problems, intervening early so the problems don't develop and keeping her recovery on that smooth glide path she's on right now. >> you talk about the smooth glide path. for everyone just two weeks out of a shooting. she's avoided brain swelling. she's avoided infection. so far, everything we've seen is good news, right? >> it's -- you know, i kind of know what you guys know right now. we'll know a lot more this afternoon when she gets here. sounds fantastic so far. >> okay, dr. holcomb, thank you for your time. >> thank you. >> i like commander kelly's

prediction. >> i hope so. >> i do, too. this morning, over 100 suspected members of the mob are behind bars. this after federal authorities made the biggest one-day raid in organized crime in history. over 100 people were arrested on charges of racketeering, extortion, to murder. dan harris is here with this. >> reporter: just today, down at the justice department in washington, they're going to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of bobby kennedy being sworn in as the u.s. attorney general. as you may remember, kennedy ran a famous war against the mafia. and it's clear from these new arrests that war lives on. as you're about to see, the mafia of today is very different from the one kennedy confronted. just a quick glance at the alleged mobsters in this latest roundup, with their sweat pants and ill-fitting jeans, their cheap sneakers and big pot bellies, tell you we have come a long way from the days of the dapper don, john gotti. today's mob looks less like the

flashy made men of "goodfellas," than it does "donnie brasco," which featured small-time hustlers. look at the ages of the top suspects in the fbi's own press release. 83, 76, 73, 74, 69 and 61. last time the feds engineered one of these big mob takedowns, some of the suspects were literally using walkers. one of the major reasons for the decay of the once-mighty mafia is the death of omerta, the code of silence. snitches like sammie "the bull" gravano, helped bring down big mob figures like john gotti himself. but after several big victories in the 1990s, federal investigators worried the mob was coming back. it is true that the mafia, while diminished is still dangerous, preying on working people, like

union dockworkers, who were, according to the new indictment, muscled for their christmas bonuses. >> we're committed. and we are determined to eradicate these criminal enterprises once and for all. and to bring their members to justice. >> you're talking about the biggest families in america. each with 120 to 220 guys. you take off 10, 20 guys from each family, you still have a lot of guys out there. >> reporter: not dead yet. so many wise guys were arrested yesterday, that they had to book them all in an army fort in brooklyn. the speculation now is many of the guys arrested will become snitches, which could further weaken the mafia. a real potential problem. >> these nicknames. tony bagel. meetball. burger. >> reporter: don't you love these? >> yeah. >> reporter: we're going to call you robby noodles from now on. are you good with that? >> how about hot chocolate? >> reporter: i'm not even going to play with that one. not going to touch it.

you know what? i think since i had a bar mitzvah, i could go with danny bagels. we have some of the names on the streen. tony bagel, meatball, burger, fat dennis, baby fat larry, vinny carwash, johnny bandanna, junior lollipops, pooch, jimmy gooch, and my personal favorite, the fang. i named one of my cats that. >> thank you, dan. there is a new twist this morning in the story of the woman we have been following all week. she became an internet sensation, after video gam ras caught her falling into a fountain while texting. on "gma" yesterday, cathy cruz told me that she was looking for legal action for posting the images on youtube. but we learned that she has legal troubles of her own. and juju is looking into that. >> absolutely, george. when word of her run-ins with the law have come back to surface, we retraced the steps.

we combed court records, all the uncover the unexpected twists and turns in the story behind that viral video. she earned internet fame as the poster girl for the perils of texting and walking, with that now-infamous tumble into a mall fountain. >> oh, my god. play it back. play it back. do it again. >> reporter: then, cathy cruz marrero came on "gma," to tell her story and complain that security was too busy laughing to tend to her. >> not one, single person went to my aid. it could have been anybody's mother. it could have been a senior citizen falling. >> reporter: but it turns out marrero has bigger problems than wet clothes and a bruised ego, after her appearance, she was in a pennsylvania court for a hearing on charges of identity theft. court documents show in 2009, she used a co-worker's credit card without permission, to purchase more than $5,000 in merchandise at a target and zales jewelry store.

>> we're not 100% certain show she got ahold of that credit card. but she did acknowledge she stole the card. >> reporter: also on her record, four previous convictions for retail theft in the '90s. and a hit-and-run. and while she was happy to talk to us on thursday morning. >> you did learn a big lesson, huh? >> absolutely. absolutely, george. do not text and walk. >> reporter: when we later raised questions about her criminal record and whether this caught-on-tape was real or a hoax, her lawyer stepped in. telling us, there's absolutely no indication that it was staged. that's nonsense. >> in april, marrero is expected to be sentenced for her fraud and theft convictions. and we're told she'll likely face house arrest and electronic monitoring. the security guard was reportedly fired after the incident. her lawyer says she has no plans to raise a lawsuit against the mall. >> juju, thanks very much. back to sam for more on the weather.

>> good morning, george. george, i just want to take a second to say that the "gma" team built this weather center here on "the disney dream." we're in touch with every weather system moving around the country, just like we would be at tss. right here. let's get to the stories we're following. the bitter cold in the midwest and great lakes. so cold, the weather service has issued a rare, new warning for them. we're looking at amp temperatures in international falls. real temperatures at 46 below zero. that's a record. in the pacific northwest, the wet weather continues with flood warnings out. the rain will end tonight and be drier on saturday. of course, into the southwest, those santa ana winds continue to kick up today, 60 miles per hour to 90 miles per hour.

we have some clouds moving in in the western suburbs, leesburg and westward. we could have a few snow flurries underneath those clouds that that would be it. otherwise, it is just cold and windy. temperatures right now are in the 30's and upper 20's. we will be in the 30's this afternoon with windy conditions. >> we'll have more from sam later. also coming up, a family reunited. now, the hunt is on for the kidnapper of carlina white.

who stole her 23 years ago? and foreclosure furry. why some angry homeowners are leaving behind a trail of destruction. they're just trashing the houses they left. we'll get into that coming up, after your local news and weather. for pain? oh, bayer aspirin? i'm not having a heart attack. it's my back. it works great for pain. [ male announcer ] nothing's proven to relieve pain better than extra strength bayer aspirin. it rushes relief to the site of pain. feel better? yeah. thanks for the tip.

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>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> and the time is 7:26 on this friday, january 21. good morning, i am alison starling with a local news of

state. let's check on the morning commute with lisa baden. we had a major issue for traffic coming out of auburn marlboro to bowie this morning. this is a crash northbound after central ave. there were several vehicles involved. allow yourself an extra few minutes out of upper marlboro to bowie heading onto 301. let's go to some live pictures. 270 southbound has delays that began close to falls road. this truck lost some of these steel beams onto 70 before the lane to divide. you will slow to the lane divide after 495. we will go to 395 with a brief delay through landmark to the pentagon. it is cold and windy today. the wind is in conjunction with the cold. the afternoon wind chill will be in the teens.

the sun is coming up over the horizon as we speak. look at the federal city, that is a beautiful shot. temperatures will be in the 30's. the highs should be in the lower 30's for most of us with gusty winds. it will feel like the teens and we will be in the teens tonight, 20's 4 highs this weekend. investigators looking for a driver that hit and killed a man in alexandria. the man was crossing king street when he was struck by a car similar to a lincoln town car. the car drove away and the man was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. we will win back with another news update at 7:56.

again here in new york, up to five inches of snow falling overnight. arctic blast storming into new england. already blanking boston with snow. there's more snow and cold weather in the forecast. as sam told us in the last half hour, a lot of cities in the northeast already have more snow than they normally get all winter long. >> and your girls thought they were getting a snow day. >> they're a little upset about that this morning. it's okay. they're going to school. good morning, america. i'm george stephanopoulos. >> and i'm robin roberts. and we're going to look at $250,000 damage done to a foreclosed home. that's the home right there.

the bank accusing the former owners of the crime. >> it's happening all over the place. we're going to look at a controversial, new tv show. your kids may be watching it. there's drug use in it, sex scenes so graphic. it has many parents up in arms. and critics question whether the young actors are being explo exploited. we begin with the kidnapping cold case solved by the victim herself. carlina white was reunited with the biological parents who say they never gave up hope, after their newborn daughter was snatched from a new york area hospital all those years ago. andrea canning joins us with more on this. good morning, andrea. >> reporter: good morning, robin. this morning, we're learning more about the woman who is accused of taking carlina. she reportedly has a number of aliases. and a criminal history that includes drugs, embezzlement, forgery and theft. these are the first images of

carlina white and her biological parents, reunited after 23, long years. >> i can't believe this is real. >> when i saw her, it was like oh, my god. a big part of my heart was ripped apart. >> i always believed we would find her. that was something i always believed myself. >> reporter: at just 19 days add, carlina was abducted from this hospital by a woman disguised as a nurse. >> to wander around in the hospital. >> reporter: the woman had reportedly just lost her own baby. and today, the mystery deepens about just who raised carlina. carlina identified ann petway, seen here in a mug shot given to "the new york post." and says she often abused her. >> we get to hear her side of the story now. >> reporter: a story that raises big questions about how someone raising a child that wasn't their own could go undetected for so long.

even petway's brother said he had no idea that carlina wasn't her real daughter. >> why should i think twice about it? she just was a baby. >> unless there's some clue, some hint, some member of the public who is suspicious, unfortunately these people do blend in. >> reporter: but while no one suspected anything was wrong, carlina did. when the woman she thought was her mother couldn't provide her with a birth certificate. >> i just, you know, started typing in on google. like different articles. like anything that showed up in 1987, of child missing. >> reporter: she is talk about this photo she found on a missing children's website. along with a composite of what that baby might look like today. it was like looking in a mirror. it was her. >> we can probably count the number of cases in which a missing child has found themselves on one hand. >> reporter: and ann petway, who has not been named a suspect,

defended herself saying, she was a good mom. police still haven't officially confirmed the abductor's identity. only to say a criminal investigation is under way. an investigation that has the justice department and the fbi now involved. we're going to talk, now, to abc news consultant and former fbi agent, brad garrett. we're going to pick up on what andrea was discussing. first, brad. 23 years, cold case. the victim solves it. have you ever seen anything like this? >> no. and i've worked a loft cold cases. and this is a great example of a case that would probably still be cold, if she didn't have the perseverance to figure out, this is not right. i'm going to look. she touched the right people. she touched the national center, who obviously had a photo of her. >> and when you saw the age progression. she said, these guys are good at what they do. >> they're excellent. they've been doing that for years. they take photographs from family members. bone structure, et cetera, and they build great pictures.

>> wow. there's a difference, now, in how hospitals handle infants. a big difference between now and the protocol in 1987, isn't there? >> absolutely. for example, today, most hospitals have security apparatuses around. even the infants have bracelets, if you break them, an alarm goes off. if you move them too far, an alarm goes off. other things like only nurses that have special type badges are allowed to move the child. the parents have an i.d. number that has to match the child's i.d. number. so, they keep the circle small. and they typically do not put the newborns close to an entrance or an exit. in fact, if somebody does grab them, they can shut down the hospital hopefully. >> and do it quickly. where does the investigation stand right now, brad? >> the key is going to be finding the abductor. and i would guess, if i were doing this, there are tons of leads. first of all, if they have not identified the person, and i

think maybe they have, you would go to bridgeport, connecticut, because that's where the child was originally taken, initially. talk to neighbors. they're going to have information about the child. then, go to georgia. this will take a while to solve. and maybe to find the abductor. she may not want to be found. >> and there's a difference between someone who takes an infant and someone who takes a child. >> clearly. if you look at the profile of infant abductors, they tend to be women, late 20s, early 30s. maybe they lost a child, can't have a child. even faked pregnancies. women have gained weight and pretended to husbands or boyfriends they were pregnant. then, all of a sudden, my goodness. and they go out and steal a child. a child abductor is somebody that just wants some narcissistic, erotic gain from stealing a child, using a child, and disposing of a child. they don't want to have a

relationship with a child. infant abductors want a child and want to raise the child. they may not do it very well. >> which was in this case. according to carlina's biological parents, she was not treated well. she was abused. and that just shocked many people. if you're going to take a child, why do the things that apparently were done to her? >> you bring all your baggage with you when you steal a child. if you have dysfunction going on in your life, substance abuse, mental issues, all this goes on when you have a child. that doesn't make you a good parent because you want the child and you go and take one. >> i talked to carlina's biological parents yesterday, joy and carl. and they were just adamant. they knew that she was alive. and that they were going to find her. and the family played a big role in that. >> absolutely. >> all right, brad. thank you very much. have a good weekend. >> thank you. let's get another check of some of the other developing stories right now. let's go to juju at the newsdesk. >> good morning, everyone. the coast guard is searching for

five, missing americans last seen sailing to the philippines. the four men and one woman were on a 38-foot long catamaran. and were due to arrive last sunday. officials fear the boat may have tipped over in rough seas. a surprise shakeup at google. ceo eric schmidt is stepping down after ten years. he'll be replaced by original co-founder, larry page, who famously built an ink jet printer out of legos in college. page is hoping to recapture googing's start-up spirit. and this is the largest rocket ever blasted off from the west coast. it launches thursday, carrying a spy satellite in its payload, right into space. it was so powerful, it could be heard 50 miles away. and in these days of texting and twittering, is teaching cursive to kids a waste of time? the state of georgia has dropped cursive from the curriculum next

year. many officials feel the time would be better spent teaching computer skills. that's the news at 7:38. >> come on. thank you, juju, so much. let's get another check of the weather and back to sam who is far away from what we have here in times square. he's on "the disney dream" cruise ship. good morning, sam. >> look at that command center. >> good morning. good morning, george and robin. we have our hand on all of the storm cells. the memphis area. they got this snow yesterday. two inches of snow in memphis. about five inches of snow in the cincinnati area. and now, we'll go to a live shot of norwood, massachusetts, this morning. the accumulating snow has shut down in new york. it's done. but in the massachusetts area, and norwood's just southwest of boston, they'll see snow for a while longer. we think their total, because we've been looking at the radar, a real heavy burst of snow, could be ten inches before they're done. boston will get the heaviest hit

out of this. let's show you the big, cold air that moves in right behind this. and this is brutal cold air. we're seeing windchills behind this at zero or below in a lot of the northeast. and the real temperatures are colder than normal. boston by sunday is 18 degrees. washington is 28. new york is 19 o sunshine locally but we cannot rule out a few snow flurries out in the western early this morning. otherwise, windy and cold today with highs in the lower 30's and the teens tonight and here's a look awhat at what's ahead in the "gma" morning menu. did the old owners of a house trash it? and it's a hot teen show. but what do we need to know about what's on the air on mtv?

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we have some good news this morning about the nation's housing market. the national association of realtors says sales of existing homes rose by more than 12% in december. but despite that uptick, experts predict that foreclosures will actually rise this year. and now, we're seeing bad behavior by the former

homeowners in their homes. here's mike von fremd. >> reporter: this gated community boasts multimillion-dollar homes. but inside -- >> this is the worst i've seen. >> reporter: the bank foreclosed on the home last august. and tried to auction it at $1.7 million. with no takers, it's been vacant ever since, until the bank suspects the former owners came back and trashed it. >> they heaped piles of clothes. they took a hose and weighted the clothes down. >> reporter: there is no proof the owners were involved. but experts predict we may see more foreclosed properties falling victim to desperate actions. nationwide, 6 million to 7 million homes are in foreclosure or the owners are behind in payments. now, foreclosures are expected to rise a staggering 20% this year. >> the pipeline is full of

people on the verge of foreclosure. it's almost a dead certainty that we're going to see the numbers go up. >> reporter: this family hired a lock smith and broke back into their california home. illegally squatting and trying to protect it from vandalism. >> we are excited to bring my family back. and keep dreaming. >> reporter: banks are accused of going to extreme measures also. bank of america was sued and now settling with this pittsburgh woman for wrongfully repossessing her home. they even took her parrot in the process. >> if you or i had done to bank of america what bank of america did to my client, we'd be in prison for ten years. >> reporter: the american dream of owning a home has been tarnished. it's bad right now. but experts do not know if we've yet to hit bottom. for "good morning america," mike von fremd, abc news, los angeles. >> a lot more trouble ahead. coming up, shovels are so

old-school. throw them away. we'll show you the newest gadgets that make clearing the ice and snow a snap.

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look so cute. it is one of our favorite features. it's when we get to hear from you. now, set to the song, "hang with me," by the band robin, "your three words." ♪ daytime dawns again how are we going to be just friends ♪ ♪ you're for real and not pretend ♪ ♪ and i guess you can hang with me ♪ ♪ hang with me 'cause it's gonna be ♪ ♪ a high break

wistfully painful insanity ♪ >> always so creative. it's a big success, especially on our website. >> i want to pitch something else for our website. we have a different "three words" project. if you have three words you would use to describe the state of the union, what america's going through right now, we'd love to hear that, as well. >> cool. >> go to our website, abcnews.com/gma. playing my song now. we'll be back.

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>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> and good morning everybody. 7:56 on this friday, january 21. i am alison starling with your local update. let's check on the roads with lisa baden. adam caskey has all kinds of things to tell you so i will be brief. if you are heading into northwest d.c., a crash on new york avenue before the third street tunnel will be gone by the time to get there but allow yourself extra time.

270 delays at shady grove road and the next camera takes it to the lane divide with activity on the shoulder but the lanes are open and that's where it improves. we will move to the beltway at connecticut ave. everything is open now on the beltway and at colesville road we had an earlier crash. no delay on 395 at the pentagon. we have a few snowflakes west of the metro area. we have a few pockets of very light and brief snow toward charlestown. it is moving out of leesburg and it will not last long. 34 degrees at reagan national airport. the highs today with sunshine in the lower 30's and it will be windy. it will feel like the teens through this afternoon and the wind will subside to night and

temperatures will be in the teens tonight and 20's for the weekend and alexandria teenager who was stuck in kuwait is now back in the united states. he arrived at dulles airport this morning. authorities tried to send him home last week in but his name was on the no-fly less. a federal judge ruled that barring him violated his rights. a federal judge ruled that barring him violated his rights. we'll be back with gecko: caller steve, go right ahead. steve: yeah, um, i just got a free rate quote on geico.com,

saved a ton, and it only took me 5 minutes and 12 seconds! steve: i was wondering, is that some sort of record? gecko: that's a good question. let's have a look. curtis: mmmm, not quite. someone's got you beat by 8 seconds. gecko: still, i mean, that's... that's quite fast! steve: well, what if i told you i only used one hand? anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.

♪ i really can't stay but baby it's cold outside ♪ as josie would say, it's deja vu all over again. more snow and ice and cold today. the entire country has been slammed. and there's still weeks to go of winter. >> they did good at cleaning it up in times square. practice this winter. >> they have. we're going to look at the hardest-hit spots in the northeast corridor. we're expecting a 19 over the weekend. thank you, angie, for reminding us about the temperatures. we have wendy bounds out

there. she's going to show us the latest cold weather gadgets. whoa. had some power behind that toss. i want that shovel now. >> oh, my goodness. i want her shoveling my snow. that's what it is. also this morning, too hot for tv? a racy, new show about teenage life that may be too graphic for your children to watch. we'll look at the scenes we can show you. we'll clean it up as best we can and find out what family therapist, terry real, has to say about this. >> a controversy for mtv. also, emeril's back. he has healthy family dinners. a turkey bolognese, a lighter caesar salad, and a new version of eggplant parmesan. for the latest on the arctic storm hitting the northeast, john berman joins us now, from central park. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning, robin. it's finally through snowing here. we got four fresh inches of snow.

that's on top of the snow from last week that we saw on top of the snow, from the week before that. five storms in less than a month. usually in new york city, we see 27 inches of snow for a year. we're well over that already with two months of winter left. by the way, up in boston right now, it's still snowing. they could see up to ten inches of fresh snow up there. now, this storm is not just about the snow. it comes after the snow, comes with frigid cold weather. out in the midwest, places like minnesota, wisconsin, iowa, actual temperatures, 20 below zero overnight. that's really cold. here in new york city, philadelphia, boston, we'll see single digits over the weekend. we have that to look forward to. good times, robin. >> good times. have a great weekend, john. thank you very much. a lot of snow in kansas city. six or seven inches. let's look at the other top stories and back to juju. >> i'm cold just watching john berman. good morning, everyone. we're going to begin with another medical triumph for

gabby giffords. she's leaving arizona today. her husband took her outside for some sunshine and the last look at the tucson mountains thursday evening. today, giffords travels on a medical flight to houston, where she'll check into one of the country's best rehabilitation hospitals. it was two weeks ago tomorrow, that a gunman's bullet passed through her brain. president obama is changing up his economic advisers. he is posting jeffrey immelt to head up a new advisory board. the previous board had focused on stabilizing the economy in the wake of the financial crisis. an update of a story we brought you last week, about a man who was accused of impersonating a police officer. he represented himself in the first part of the trial. and faced off with his victim in court, during more than two hours of cross-examination. sentencing is next month.

and images of a risky rescue on the high seas. the south korean military had stormed a freighter. the commandos rescued all 21 of the ship's crew members, after killing eight pirates and capturing five others. in sports news, venus williams was forced to withdraw from the australian open today, after apparently straining a muscle during a serve. it's the first time she's dropped out of a grand slam singles match. finally, what's being caused a groundbreaking study on education and what helps kids learn best. you're more likely to remember a material when you're quizzed on it. it's the act of retrieving the material from your memory that's the key function for learning. this cancels out learning methods that de-emphasized sticking. like making diagrams or rereading the same information.

time for the weather with sam champion, who is having all sorts of fun on disney's newest, biggest cruise ship. hey, sam. >> good morning, juju. we met some great families on this trip. we want to introduce you to some of them. didn't we? so, the bronco family is first. by the way, it's joel, jennifer, noah, and caitlin. and you guys, we gave you a flip cam. we're going to show part of your adventure. caitlin, you gave donald duck a big kiss, right? do you remember kissing donald? all right. roll the tape. we'll show you what's going on. right there. noah, golf for you, man. how did you do? were you all right? are you medium-good or really good? >> really good. >> i would have to say you're really good, too. the murphy family, debbie, tori, amanda. she wore the hat the entire time, which i love, by the way. i'm going to try to buy it off you. >> no.

>> no go? >> let's show you the pictures from their trip. how does the teen experience on the ship? >> it was better than i thought it would be. i think that a disney ship would be more pointed towards little kids. but when we got in there, i was like, wow. i mean, just for our aged kids. >> agree? >> yeah. >> then, there's a lady on the edge here. come on over, young lady. i took a little video of my own. this is my mom, who is also a murphy, by the way. let's roll our tape and see what mrs. champion was up to on the excursion. that's right. mom did the water coaster. mom did the water coaster. how did you feel about it, mom? >> it was the most wonderful ride i've had in a very long time. everyone has to do it. >> you had a professional guide, of course. i would like to think that i made her feel more secure. let's get to the boards.

one or two things going on we want you to know as you walk out the door. the snow is over in philadelphia. it's over in new york city. but it's not over for hartford and boston, and up the coast of maine, which will get bigger totals during the day today. want to do a fly-by on the west coast. on the west coast, we have the winds. they're kicking 60-mile-per-hour to 90-mile-per-hour winds in l.a. county yesterday. it's likely that kind of bright sunshine of the metro area but not far to the north and west, a few pockets of snow flurries and snow showers. some of these are coming off the mountains and it does not last long. it is just a few snow flurries. 33 degrees at reagan national and temperatures are holding steady the rest of the day and very windy. it will feel in the teens and we will be in the teens later

and here's a secret. sometimes you have to make tv look fun. but you guys, this was really fun. thank you very much. mom, i love you. thank you very much. george and robin? >> that looks like so much fun. silvia, i have a question for you. sam was the one who was really scared on the rollercoaster, right? >> george wants to know if i'm the one that was scared on the water coaster. >> i don't divulge secrets. >> very good. see there, george? >> okay. thanks very much. that was great. we're going to switch gears now. mtv's new hit show is getting tons of attention from viewers and lawyers because of its vivid depiction of teen sex and drug use. some say it's sensational. others, realistic. it has some saying the network could be breaking the laws by airing it. tanya rivero looks at the show and the controversy it's creating. >> reporter: what do you get

when you combine scantily-clad teenagers, gra tu us the sex and violence? "skins." the show premieres monday night before an audience of 3 million viewers. next week's numbers are expected to be even higher. >> the bar keeps getting higher for what gets provocative on television. this time, they decided to take a chance at it. >> reporter: among the concerns and scandals surrounding the show, the age of the actors. some cast members are as young as 15. and their role in upcoming episodes, which includes nudity, have prompted some to wonder whether mtv is doing a delicate dance that could be considered child pornography. in a written statement, mtv said, we are confident that the episodes of "skins" will not only come play with all applicable legal requirements but also to our viewers.

we have taken steps to alert viewers to the strong subject matter so they can choose for themselveses if it's appropriate. >> there's reports that mtv is going to tone the show down. if there's any pressure that mtv is going to submit to, it would be from advertisers. >> reporter: the "skins" scandal has resulted in one advertiser, taco bell, pulling commercials from future shows. while this scandal surrounding "skins" is certainly new, scandals around tv dramas targeting teens are not. "skins" joins a list of tv shows that have teens talking and parents worrying. just last year, "gossip girl," a cw series about manhattan teens caused a scandal when three of its characters took part in three-way sex. the high school students we spoke with say what they saw on "skins" is true to life, whether parents like it or not. >> that's really how life is. except not to their extreme. >> i can't say, i shouldn't do it. she may be doing it.

you can't say it's just on television. >> reporter: for "good morning america," tanya rivero, abc news. >> we invited mtv on to talk about "skins." they declined. but you saw the statement they put in the piece. they're going to live up to legal requirements and fulfill responsibilities to viewers, as well. for more on this now, we're joined by therapist terry real in boston. is mtv living up to responsibilities to the young viewers? >> you know, i'm a little concerned, frankly. they made a big deal about playing the show at 10:00 at night. but i think most 16-year-olds or 17-year-olds are still up. this is a show about teenagers. and it's pretty clear it's for teenagers. and it does go pretty far. >> it goes pretty far. but there's a debate whether it's realistic or hyping everything, sensational. >> i think it's terribly important that we let our kids know that this is, in fact, not the norm. i think one of the things that's dangerous about this show and

other shows like it is, the sex and the drugs is almost secondary. like any other show, it's about the kids and their relationships. but they set a norm that drinking and drugging and having this kind of sexuality is really what everybody's doing. and i think it's important for parents to let the kids know, it's what some kids are doing. but it's really not the norm. >> but it doesn't seem like these kind of images, these stories are only on mtv at 10:00 at night. they seem to be everywhere. how do you protect your kids from it? >> i think they are everywhere. i think that, you have to raise kids to be what i call media literal and sexually literal. it's kind of like peer pressure on steroids. you, my dear daughter, or my dear son, have the right to stand up for what you're comfortable with and to set your own pace. you don't have to go along with this. >> and there's different challenges for boys and girls. start out with the boys first.

>> well, the concern for the boys is the idea here is very clearly that even very young boys, 14, 15, 16, are up for sex, anywhere, anytime, with anyone. you know, i any that's a lot of pressure for our sons to have to deal with. there could be a sensitive 15-year-old or 16-year-old that really feels he's not quite ready for this. and we have to have room for support for that child, as well. >> and the girls may face similar pressures? >> the girls actually concern me even more because if you look at the kind of sexuality that's portrayed, it's often not, in fact, mutual. it's really about girls feeling the need to service boys in order to keep them. i think this is a direct and some ways backlash to empowerment of girls. i think the sexualization of young girls is disempowering to them. and i think we need to stand up to it and have our daughters

stand up to it and do what they're feel comfortable with. >> what do you say to parents who have kids who come to them and say, mom, dad, i want to watch "skins"? >> i think we can't protect kids from that kind of exposure. i think they're going to see it. if it's not in our house, it will be in someone else's house. i think it's about empowering our kids to stand up for what they feel comfortable with. and to be able to declare that without feeling the pressure to buckle under, to what tv says is the new normal. >> okay, terry real. thanks very much. we want to know what you think about all this. is "skins" too graphic or harmless fun? you can weigh in on our shoutout gourd at abcnews.com/gma. when we come back, wendy bounds is here with the newest when we come back, wendy bounds is here with the newest and coolest snow and ice tools. it's kinda scary. ] a little intimidated, but i'm down. joy! [ laughs ] courage. that sounds like me. satisfaction.

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and take part in the world's first twitter-fueled race. and take part in the world's discover customersl are getting five percent cashback bonus at restaurants. it pays to switch, it pays to discover. you can see. so many people out shoveling snow this morning. digging out from the latest winter storm. according to a new study in "the american journal of emergency medicine," shoveling snow can raise heart rates to dangerous levels after just two minutes. joining us now with new tools to make managing snow easier and

safer, "wall street journal" columnist and our dear friend, wendy bounds. you really had an arm on you out there. >> i don't know about you. but i feel like i have been shoveling since christmas, right? and the key is, i want to do it the easiest way possible and the easiest on my body. your holding one of the tools that can help you do that. this is the snoboss. most have never seen a shovel with two handles. you're gripping it like this. you're not flipping your wrist like with most shovels. you can push it. you can shovel it. or you can step on it. it's a multipurpose shovel. better for your back. >> not your grandpa's shovel. >> this is the sno wovel. this is for somebody that really has back problems that does not want to be bending over. this wheel acts as a fulcrum. you push the snow and flip it off, just like that. >> whoa. >> and you can do small scoops, little scoops. and it works like a sleigh, as well. that's about $120.

>> good catch there. >> nice. >> really. >> you look at this and say, that's not a shovel. but this is a shovel for your roof. i do not want you doing what i did this week, which is getting on the roof to rake the snow off. people worry about ice dams when we have snow accumulations like this. this one has an extension. you can pull it on and off on your roof. >> the snow's really heavy. >> you have to get it off, at least on the edges. >> how about the car? >> how many times do people not have a shovel in the car? this is the auto boss. most of the products are less than 20 bucks. a scoop that folds to 13 inches. you adjust the handle. and pop it in the trunk. >> very easy. >> this, you're going to like. when you brush off your car, it has an extension on it. you never are able to get the middle part of the car. i can see we have some takers over here.

this has a head to pull the snow off, too. these are under 20 bucks for your car. >> we were talking about how strenuous it can be. >> right. >> when you're trying to remove snow. this makes it easier for folks. >> this is electric units. people that don't want to deal with gasoline, or oil in the morning. this is the toro power shovel. it shows the snow straight out like that. it can throw it 20 feet or so. i want you to try this one. this is the an electric snowblow snowblower. when you let it go, it will come right off. >> that's very easy to do. >> you can help the mayor out with that. now, for the real -- >> he did better the last time. >> for the lazy man's roof, these are self-heating mats. they daisy chain together. you put them on before the snow

comes. they will melt. >> especially on the steps. >> these run about 40 bucks for the steps. and about 100 bucks for the mats. >> good investment right here. >> and people seeking alternatives to the rock salt they throw down. this is a product called keep it green. it has fertilizer in it. when the runoff goes to your plants, hopefully nourishing them come springtime. people looking for alternatives like that. this one is called bare ground. this acts like teflon coating. it penetrates the surface. it says it does not stain. >> looking for that. >> i read your mind. and when you go to shovel, it peels off. you know how the ice sticks? >> i do. >> you don't want to be doing that. >> and snowflakes -- this was a nice, fluffy snow. that determines how you should shovel, too? >> you want to move the most snow when you're the least tired. and move the least amount of snow when you're exhausted. start in the middle of the driveway and work outward.

if you're shoveling off to the side. again, go to the middle outward. when you're tired, you need to rest. you need to take the rest. shoveling's hard. >> or hire you. thanks, wendy. have a great weekend. full details on these products. go to our website abcnews.com/gma. and we have a health tip, now. >> so, a great cup of coffee in the morning might help you kick-start your day. but behair of caffeine addiction, which can make you feel tired and sluggish when you're not caffeinated. here's my advice. try to break up your normal 12 ounces in the morning. have 6 in the morning and 6 at lunchtime. go to abcnews.com/gma and i'll tell you exactly which coffee drinks has the highest calorie counts. [ female announcer ] alli works when you work. if you skip this latte and opt for the smaller low-fat one, you'll cut about 12 grams of fat. then take alli with it to help boost your weight loss. so for every 2 pounds you work to lose, alli can help you lose 1 more. alli. how healthy works.

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>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning everyone. i am greta kreusz at 8:27 and time to look at traffic and weather. any problems out there? known major problems. i-395 had a minor crash. let's go northbound on 395 between edsall road and seminary road. it is a little bit windy and adam caskey will tell you about that. no delay at edsall road but let's go to one more camera. the car wreck is supposed to be in the center lane but we can't see it. keep that in mind. 270 southbound, we have fits and

starts and the delays but only between shady grove road and falls road. we have a little bit of snow flurries northwest of the metro area hitting frederick and the northwest area. we have seen a steady banned throughout the morning but it is very light and the atmosphere is very dry. locally, we just have sunshine. 33 degrees at reagan national and 28 in gaithersburg. for the most part, this afternoon we will be in the low 30's. it will be very windy with gusts up to 40 miles per hour and it will feel like we are in the teens. we will be in the teens by tomorrow morning and in the 20's 4 the highs this weekend. some dogs rescued from deplorable conditions at a missouri puppy mill will need new homes and our area.

13 poppies were taken to the humane society shelter in gaithersburg. officials hope they can be put up for adoption stone. we will have another update at 8:56. we will have another update at 8:56. have a great day.

♪ you in the cabaret there he is. louis van amstel, with some fansy footwork and kelly osbourne on "dancing with the stars." all of them, including kelly have gotten very fit, thanks to his workouts. louis is here today to share the workouts with everyone. that's coming up ahead. >> did you hear the buzzing in the ladies? i heard you. they are very, very excited. dancing maybe later. >> you will. >> okay. this is great.

you always hear about dropping all the weight, the stars on "dancing with the stars." and louis's come up with a great class. he's going to share it with us. if i dance with maks, anything is possible. >> anything is possible, yes. >> all right, louis. thank you. we're going to have that coming up. what am i smelling over there? the turkey bolognase. emeril's here with seafood salad. also, we have anthony hopkins here. he has a new movie out called "the rite." he's an oscar winner. a tremendous man. looking forward to talking to him. let's get out to sam. is your mom still with you, sam, on the disney ship? >> look who i found now, robin, george. this man is probably familiar. bob iger, the ceo of the disney company. who says hello. i'm hating myself because the big boss is here.

when you were on the ship yesterday, and had a look around, and the bridge, which is amazing. there's a lot of personal pride in you in this ship. how does it feel when you see it filled with people making its trip? >> i have enormous pride, not just in the ship, but in watching people, as you said, who are enjoying, not only what we built. but the experiences that are available to all them on a ship as beautiful as this. and i have great pride in the people who helped build it. the designers. the ship builders in germany. all of our disney imagineeers. >> this ship is different than a lot of ships we've been on. and it seems you're saying something to family travelers. what are you saying to them? >> we went into the cruise business 12 years ago. we said, it's okay for a family to cruise on a great ship. and have a wonderful experience. not just for the young ones, but for the parents and grandparents. we have a lot of multi-generational families that travel. this takes it one step beyond that. there's something for everybody

on a ship like this. and more than anything, it speaks about quality and the value of quality for people when they vacation. >> it's true. this is that level, that next level up. and you haven't said much about this, the company hasn't. but on the next cruise, you're doing something i think is really great. that is, you're giving a big chunk of the money that comes in to charity. will you say who that's for? >> yes, we're donating $750,000 to the boys and girls club of america. we've had a long relationship with that organization. we love this walt disney company being involved with organizations that are doing right for children around the world. that's what that organization does. >> thank you, sir, for the trip. we had a great time. i'm not supposed to tell you that. we worked really hard. let's get to the boards. one or two things we want to tell you on your weekend fly-by. in california, there's gusty winds with the santa anas. but they calm down over the weekend. in the deep south, some rain in

the middle of the country. the snow that's fallen, from the great lakes, into the ohio river valley, into new england, who has fallen on the ground stays on the ground. get ready, new england, a very good friday morning to you. it is cold outside. we have some areas of wight off to the northwest which indicates snow flurries and light patchy snow flurries and sunshine locally. in the low all that weather was brought to you by 21st century auto insurance. george? >> thank you, sam. on screen, he can charm you. he can chill you. he can convince you he's in control, even when his character is completely out of it. anthony hopkins is here to talk about his supernatural thriller

"the rite." this is about -- based on a true story. inspired by a story of people being possessed by the devil and exorcists. is this something you believe in? >> i'm not sure i believe in it. i keep a very open mind. but we had them out on the set. father gary thomas. he's an exorcist. and we had long talks, you know, during the scenes. i think for many source. i said, do you believe in the devil? he said, without a doubt. he said, what do you believe? i said, i'm not sure. but the young actor with me, colin o'donoghue, a wonderful, young actor. he plays the other priest. he actually sat in an on exorcism. >> he sat through one? >> he did. >> what kind of effect did it have on him? >> it was very strange. and there was extraordinary. there was a nunn being

exorcised. >> in this one, you are -- >> i play a priest. >> you play a priest. and you end up being possessed by the devil yourself. i want to show a little bit of when that's starting to happen. >> okay. >> shall we begin? i told you, he's not here. >> who are you? >> just an old friend. >> friend? >> yeah. >> i'm not sure i follow you. >> oh, you'll follow me, michael. you've always followed me. you are following me now. >> oh, no. >> we don't want to be distant, do we? >> you do evil and eerie so well. where does that come from? >> i don't know. i'm not like that.

i play a priest, who is a good man, and suddenly becomes possessed. i don't know. i know how to do the look. and it's a return to hannibal lecter. there he is. i don't know. i have no idea. being an actor, i just do what i do. >> you say you just do what you do. but you do do an awful lot of research. i first met you many years ago back in the white house, when you were researching richard nixon, that story for oliver stone. i'm just wondering, out of all of the characters you've done, do they stay with you? or do you just finish the job and move on? >> i finish the job and move on. when i'm on the set, i don't become the character. maybe i'm a shallow actor. i know how to do certain things. at the end of the shoot, i go home. >> you're not a method actor? >> well, i was trained in the method many years ago as a young actor. you work and it becomes easier. i think acting becomes easier. i think so. and i switch on and switch off. i don't actually become -- it's not about thinking.

it's about relaxation. it's not about concentration. it's about relaxing. and i do learn the text so well, that i know exactly what i'm doing. like an accent with an italian man. i do any homework. i enjoy that. it's not hard work. but i enjoy doing it. i go obsessively over and over it. and i know how to play these parts. i feel comfortable in them. but playing the good or the bad, it's a trick. >> i read somewhere that your guilty pleasure is "american idol"? >> i love "american idol." yeah. actually, i watch them showing up -- the new team. >> what do you think of the new team? >> i think they're fantastic. what i like about "american idol," it's the american dream. young kids can come from all over. they have the courage to get up there and do it. and my wife loves it. i have to watch it. i've become hooked. but she makes me watch it. you think, all these kids coming out. and they do it.

that takes courage. and some of them go on and have great careers. that's the american dream. that's what's happening here. >> i would love to see you as a judge on "american idol." maybe one day. >> maybe one day. but the new team's terrific. >> anthony hopkins, thanks for coming in. "the rite" opens friday, january 28th. wh it should be green. okay. hi, i'm joe kennedy, and i want you to meet a friend of mine, courtney. courtney's mom, elaine, had to quit work to care for her sick daughter,

who's been fighting leukemia for half of her short life. there are millions of families like courtney's, who are having a tough time making it these days. folks can't pay their bills, and staying warm just isn't possible. let us remember, at this particular time, that kindness counts and that there's still room for a gentle response to those in need. so i want to thank the people of venezuela and citgo petroleum for their generosity. we'll have our differences, but they were the only country, and the only oil company, to answer our call to provide heating assistance to the poor. if you need help staying warm, give me a call at citizens energy, at 1-877-joe-4-oil. because no one should be left out in the cold.

in "america's health" this morning, you know louis van amstel, we all do, from "dancing with the stars." and some of the celebrities he's danced with like kelly osbourne, niecy nash, margaret cho, they lost major pounds and got into amazing shape. and louis is helping others lose weight. you were dancing with bethany. i wanted to dance with you. but i wanted her to have that feeling. she is still beaming, the way you dipped her. >> she was great. ready to go on the show now. >> there's something about dance, louis, that's exhilarating and good for us. kelly has continued to maintain what you did. >> she looks awesome. >> she does.

>> and dance just does that for moment. and not just in the moment. it makes you want to do more. and what is so great is all of the workout benefits are part of dance. but you're not realizing that you're doing everything that you do in a gym or on the treadmill. it's more fun. >> you see that with kelly. she's a different person. >> there's so many different dances. that's why i wanted to create it. there's so many different dances. different music genres. and all in one hour, you get it all. you do the cha-cha, the salsa, the lindy hop, the disco. all the different dances. so, you have to get involved. it becomes an addiction. it's a lifestyle. >> you're bringing classes here. there's places in the u.s. >> in four states. and it's growing so fast, i don't want to lose control. i want to make sure it's accessible for everybody. especially people who think they can't dance.

>> with two left feet. for us, too? >> yes. i'm so proud of kelly. people could see that she started off with two left feet. and look how she ended. i mean, it's just amazing. that's what i want for everybody. >> how does it target certain areas, louis? >> the twist. it's the one movement that gets your entire midsection, your abs, your obliques, your sides. the love handles on the side. they are there by choice now because you can tighten them up and loosen them up a little bit. >> i can tell you -- >> are you? >> in this chair, i can dance. but in this chair -- i'm one of the best chair dancers. >> why not? dance happens from within. you can sit down and still do it. >> we're going to show the dances. we have audience members that are eager to get out on the dance floor. first, "dancing with the stars." any rumors who may be on next season? >> i just did "access hollywood." they gave me rumors.

i heard lor renzo lamas. maybe kendra, who has a reality show. and i also heard a lady called robin roberts. >> oh, please. >> oh, yes. i would love that. you could never be my partner because you're tall. i'm too short. >> you would be perfect. >> i would love to be on the show. >> let's dance. >> let's twist. >> show what we can do, louis. >> the twist gets you into a great waistline. so, just turn those hips. >> that's it? just turn it? >> we have five people here. but we have a lot of people here. everybody can twist. you want your heart rate up, put the arms up. twist. and put the arms up. you can go down. >> what does that work? >> quads, tush. yeah. just twist. twist. oh, yeah. >> just twist. >> kelly knows this. every day, three minutes. then, twist.

you can lift your legs up. oh, yeah. do this five minutes a day. arms up. twist. you have hips. you can turn them, yeah? hips. thank you. yeah. twist. you must be cold. in two minutes, we're sweating. >> that's it. >> so many different ways. we have 30 seconds to teach you. we have to keep it simple. you can do one leg. >> this is a good workout. louis, everyone, thank you very, very, very much. this is a great idea. you're going to put out a dvd, i hope. >> working on it. >> the twist is back. for more on this, go to abcnews.com. and you can follow louis on twitter. emeril, you're twisting over there. emeril's three, healthy dinners. >> oh, yeah. >> i can't breathe. i can't breathe.

today in "america's recipes," the lighter side of emeril lagasse. as we try to stay healthy in 2011, emeril is committed to giving us smart food. healthy food that tastes great. >> absolutely. this is a bolognese, which is a ragu. but we're doing it with turkey. very popular in all of the grocery stores now. >> you don't have to give up the bacon. >> this is bacon. extremely lean. we're browning this, george, for three or four minutes. extracting that flavor. then, we're going to add onions. sometimes what i'll do is put a little chopped fennel in here, as well. carrots and celery. and then, here, george. you're going to stir that. i'm going to add fresh ground pepper, black pepper. >> and let this cook down for a while. >> add a little bit of salt.

all right. and then, six to eight minutes, it's going to start looking like this, right here. what we've got is we have the vegetables now, that are cooked. we got the flavor extracted from them. now, we're going to take about a pound and a half of really lean ground turkey. we're going to chunk it up and start browning this. >> you don't brown in a separate pot. you put it all in the same pot? >> put it all in the same pot. you want all of the flavor. keep breaking it up like this, george. and it starting browning. now, you can put the heat up to medium-high heat. and this is the stage here. the turkey, about six minutes later. it's cooked. and the vegetables are cooked. we're going to add another layer. we're going to add garlic. and this is optional. we're going to add a little bit of white wine. >> in the pan a little bit. >> here's what we're going to

do, george. most people don't know why they're using tomato paste. it's like the glue, a foundation. we're going to use tomato paste. this is a 22-ounce can of tomatoes. i like them whole. i like to break them up myself. we're going to break that up. add a little bit of chicken broth to the liquid. that's going to evaporate. now, i like to add cracked pepper, crushed red pepper. reseason it with a little bit of salt. you want rosemary, basil, bay leaves. >> you can put stuff in all day long. >> we're going to add more chopped basil. add just a quarter of a cup of whipping cream or half and half. okay? and the whole key, george, is to get it creamy like this. see that? i hope you got a shot of that. >> i want to get -- wow. >> what we're using today is -- here. this one is right here. we're using a whole wheat pasta.

good in fiber. a little bit -- try that. you know what i'd recommend? a little parmesan cheese. >> there you go. >> check that out. robin, you need a shot there? are you okay? >> i'm good. >> beside that, what we have is a healthier caesar salad. it's eggless. we use the dijon mustard. a little an kovy to emulsify it. >> chop the anchovy? >> yeah. i chop it up. and besides the winter greens, eggplant is at its prime right now. we did a healthy eggplant parmesan. we don't bread it. we saute it in ol vif oil. it's simple. get the recipes on our website. on abcnews.com/gma. and wait. >> you can't tell it's turkey. it's fabulous. >> wait. let me give you a shot of this now.

>> the hot stuff. is it good? >> let me give you a hot shot here. it's really -- it doesn't have to be -- you can lighten it up. check that out. >> that's fantastic. what a great breakfast, emeril. >> i'm telling you. what a great breakfast, emeril. >> i'm telling you. the breakfast of champions. more bold flavor!onds! more variety! more value! more of what you want... not what you don't. blue diamond almonds. (play-by-play announcer) it's up and it is... good! more than a snack.

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"my three words" today, love emeril's food. >> you don't know it's whole wheat pasta, right? >> not even. >> the ragu is fantastic. >> oscar nominations coming up on tuesday morning. >> have a great weekend. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update.

>> and good morning everyone at 8:56. i am greta kreusz with your local update. let's get one more check of the roads. it could have been but it is not. it is much easier this morning and then we have anticipated and the road has completely dried out. we see some sunshine but a little bit of wind gust will not you around. there is a light volume of traffic in virginia where it has been a beautiful ride on i-395 across the 14th street bridge. in maryland, more of the same. 270 settled down a while ago. the beltway is good in and out of baltimore and no problems across the potomac river at the american legion bridge. the main headline for today is windy and cold. that is the same story into the weekend but the wind will subside to night. when we have a strong cold front

and a strong northwesterly wind, we get these cloud bands coming off the mountains and they give us light snow north of leesburg and down towards charlestown. it happens, just a few snow flurries and that's it, maybe a dusting here and there. windy and cold in the low 30's but it will feel in the teens and the weekend, highs in the upper 20's on saturday. near 30 on sunday. maryland governor martin o'malley unveils a tough new budget proposal today. the plan calls for reducing aid to counties, closing some state facilities, and offering buyouts to state workers. maryland faces a $1.6 billion deficit. >> thanks for watching and we will be back at noon. "live with regis and kelly" is up next. up next.