there is heartbreak in hollywood this morning after a stunning news of an actor's stunning death. much more ahead on paul walker and the fiery crash that killed him. >> and an 85-year-old war vet being detained in pyongyang, now a plea from the family to release him immediately. today is the day that the obama care website goes from flawed to fixed. that's the plan. but is it working? we'll put it to the test.

good morning. i'm alison kosik. >> i'm george howell. thanks for waking up with us. we go to breaking news, after paul walker is dead. >> we learn of the car crash that killed him. we have footage of the crash. >> he died. >> police say speed was a factor. the star of "fast and furious" franchise was only 40 years old. friends, family and co-workers are shocked. many stay his death came way too soon. >> reporter: one of hollywood's stars, made a name for himself. in the "fast and furious" franchise died in a fiery crash

in california. a second person died in that accident. both were attending a charity event. the crash happened just north of los angeles, saturday afternoon. according to his representative, the star was not behind the wheel of the 2005 porsche. when deputies arrived, the car was on fire. both occupants pronounced dead at the scene. all that remained was the burnt, mangled metal and the light policy that got knocked down. walker, off the screen, he compete\ed in the redline time attack racing series. he had been filming the seventh installment of "fast and furious." hollywood has been reacting with condolences coming from jack osbourne, will smith, alyssa

milano. walker appeared in the '80s comedy "who's the boss." cnn shot these images of figure 8 images at the crash. we asked if they are related to the crash but authorities don't know. michelle, we're hearing that speed could have been a factor in the stunning crash. what details are you hearing was involved in it? >> you're right. that's what the authorities in l.a. are saying, they believe speed could have been a factor in this crash. they are not saying much beyond that but are saying this is an ongoing representative. but paul walker's representative said he was not driving the car at the time of the crash. they said he was a passenger. they confirmed that he was attending a charity event for his charity, reach out, worldwide, and this event was going to help the victims of

typhoon hayien before the crash. you guys are right. this has definitely been sending shock waves through hollywood this morning. 40 years old. he is one of the most bankable stars in hollywood. there have been several reports he was in los angeles over the holiday visiting family and friends but was headed back to atlanta later on this week to continue shooting fast and furious 7. that's where they were shooting the latest installment of the franchise. >> it's still early. people are connecting walker's character, "fast and furious" to real life events. is there any connection? >> you can make some connections. you hate to say they're directly related. in the fast and furious franchise, he plays an undercover police officer who

infiltrates this racing gang and becomes who he is. he did an interview on monday which is really eerie from the set of "fast & furious" 7 from atlanta. what he talked about was how his life paralleled brian walker. early on he was a guy who was wild and free and lose. early on, you saw he was a man who would do anything far his family. he was a guy with a big heart. that's who he became. he had a 15-year-old daughter and talked about how i was the love of her life. in some ways their lives started to parallel. he said he almost became brian o'connor, he would hear people say, hey, brian, he would respond. but when someone would say, hey, paul walker, he thought it was

odd and people didn't know they were talking to him. sometimes you become so much a part of a franchise, you become identified with the character that you play. he does have another film coming out in a couple of weeks, an independent film called "hours." this is a film he plays a father of a child who has complications after birth and this is in the hours after hurricane katrina. it's a departure to see him do what was one of his last roles. >> we've seen a lot of reaction from social media. >> his co-stars have been tweeth. vin diesel put on instagram, i'm absolutely speech you. heaven gain aid new angel.

>> and ludicrous said your humble spirit was felt from the start, wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark. >> and others said, i can't believe i'm writing this, no, no, no. everybody said paul walker was just this good spirit. like this calm guy. very laid back. very down toering. but he also loved what he did. he loved acting. he also loved that adrenaline rush. he loved cars. called himself a muscle head. called himself an adrenaline junkie. talked about how he loved to do stunts on sets of his movies. so, it is very ironic it was a car crash that killed him, because we do know him from being this high octane street racer in the movies. >> okay, michelle turner, thank

you. we'll go ahead and check back with you a bit. we have much more to come on paul walker's death. stay with cnn throughout the morning as we get more information on his passing. we'll bring it back to you. now switching gears to north korea. the u.s. is trying to free an 85-year-old american. meryl newman was held in that country since pulled off a plane in october. they are releasing video showing him apologizing for the korean war. he's a korean war veteran. they're also holding an american, kenneth bey. all of this happening as vice president joe biden heads to asia. karl, good morning. newman is 85 years old. what do we know about his health at this point and how he's doing? >> george, there is some good news here. meryl newman was been able to

send a message to his family. he said i'm well and the food is good. that was brought out over the weekend by swedish diplomats. u.s. does not have diplomats with this state. and they're saying newman is receiving his heart medication. we're worried about that and also receiving doctor visits several times a day to ensure his health stays well. >> what are the koreans accuse him of doing and how serious is this? >> that's the worrying bit, because the north korean authorities, are accusing newman of crimes of war crimes against them, because they are accusing him of training and advising an anticommunist guerrilla group deep pe hind enemy lines. during the war and a few months after the end of the war. they say when he came back to

north korea in october. that he was trying to renew ties with his old comrades and families. the north koreans are sensitive about this, although that war is over for 60 years. there's no treaty to end. the north koreans consider the war goes on. they are very sensitive about this. >> thank you so much for your reporting. and in scotland a grim search for bodies are continuing. at least eight people were kill whed a police helicopter slammed through a crowded pup. it happened in an instant. >> people were jumping up and down dancing to music. we thought because of that the roof came down. but in five seconds the whole place engulfed in dust. people couldn't breathe. couldn't see. i covered my mouth and nose. i said to people. hold on and follow me out the

door. >> and the search for bodies is expected to take many days. authorities say they have to make sure the damaged building which has the helicopter partly on top of it they have to make sure it's secure as emergency crews work inside. it's not new but supposed to be improved. we are talking about health care.gov. >> and cnn is about to take the website for a test drive to see if it's waking smoothly as promised. thank you for waking up early with us. this is "new day sunday." ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] own your obsession with the exceptional values during the season of audi. visit audioffers.com today. ♪

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all right good sunday morning. today is expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the year as people return home from thanksgiving. that could be bad news for

anyone headed out to the northwest. that region will see rain and snowstorms threatening to shut down many roads today and bring headaches to travelers. we'll have much more on that at half past the hour. later this morning we'll hear from the president's web fix-it guy. he'll tell us how healthcare.gov is performing. this should be the day that the website should work for most americans. the site was down last night for hardware upgrades to improve the speed. we have this story from washington. >> reporter: is it working? that's the big question this weekend as president obama's deadline to fix healthcare.gov arri arrived. >> he took his family shopping at a washington book store. but the official said the site is performing well. with low overall error rates and response times despite heavier

than usual weekend traffic. >> signing on right away you saw a distinct change? >> absolutely. just going to the site. you can tell it looks much smoother. it looks more like what you see high capacity websites look like. >> the administration said the website should be able to handle 50,000 users at the same time. double what it could. overall 800,000 users per day. >> this website is going to get fixed and we are going to be signing people up. >> reporter: front page headlines drew sharper conclusions about the politically important outcome. a cnn producer tried logging on and failed after getting through earlier in the day. we'll have to rely on anecdotal stories like this. >> without having the internal metrix and status reports of what is going on. we, on the outside will not be able to tell. >> reporter: looking ahead.

they're planning a conference call with reporters. the man president obama brought in to lead the charge and turn things around is going to be on the call. we know white house has ways to measure the site's success or failure. no word if they are going to share that information. but it's an opportunity to discuss the progress they've been able to make through the month of november. >> thank you so much for that. we wanted to see for ourselves exactly how this site is working this morning. let's go over to alison with matt sloan. we know the first thing you have to do is select your state. is that working? >> what's funny, i was talking with matt. that seemed to work, right, when you logged on. then came the road blocks. tell me what happened. we're getting another error message. it's supposed to be running smoothly. >> we're trying to get into the

site on and off. i put in all of my information and got through the process in eight minutes but then said my status was in progress. i went to refresh it and got the error message. >> at this point, what are you refreshing again. are you seeing change? >> i don't know. let's give it a shot. >> as you do this. the administration said this is supposed to be working smoothly but it's not. how do people sign up for this now that the fixes are in place. >> if it works you have until december 15th to sign up. if you don't need it to start by january 31 s you have until if you want coverage you have two weeks left. >> bottom line, george, not smooth sailing just yet. over you to. >> alison. matt, thank you so much. still to come. did you see this? this is one of the greatest football games ever.

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on the way. no, return by chris davis. davis goes left. games gets a block. davis has another block. davis! no flags. touchdown! >> regardless whether you're a fan or not, the stunning end of this game, 100-yard return, to break the tie. this was incredible to watch. >> it was amazing, i would say, guys, i'll recreate this. it was like -- yeah. >> rivalry led up to the hype.

>> alabama and auburn, the iron bowl, is arguably the best rival in all of football. it was the greatest ever between these two schools. auburn shocked everyone with 32 seconds left. tying. 1 second left. 'bama try aid field goal to win it. chris davis catches it in the back of the end zone. he starts running, he kept running. and he kept running, touchdown with no time left. the number one team loses in one of the greatest endings over. nick saban, stunned. the auburn players were stunned. they couldn't believe they have done it. there's the reaction. that's a winner right there. i just can't believe what we just did. auburn fans, look, the entire field covered with auburn fans. the celebration did not end there.

they toilet papered the massive oak trees. it also came down to the final seconds. wolverines scored with 32 seconds left. brady hoke left his seniors vote and decided to go for a two-point con versions. okay. that didn't turn out well. interception. ohio state saves its season. trending on bleacher report.com. there's the arrow. he wants a time-out. somebody give him a time-out. anderson saw one of the penn state players uncovered. he ran to the end zone begging for a time-out. request, denied. you'll get nothing and like it. they would upset the badgers by a touchdown.

it hurt the badgers. they had dreams of a bcs bowl. >> that game was live blogged all night. >> it was the number one discussion topic after the game is over. alabama fans need a long time to recover. >> jeff fischel, thank you so much. and we continue on the death of paul walker and what we know about the crash that killed the "fast & furious" star. more details coming up ahead. because with power ports... and wi-fi... and in-seat entertainment, for everyone on board, now when you fly, time flies too. (flight attendant) sir, we're about to land. (vo) we're adding a brand new plane, with all this, every week. it's just one way we're building the new american.

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bottom of the hour. welcome back. i'm alison kosik. >> i'm george howell. let's start your day. the u.s. said it's deeply concerned about a american veteran held in north korea for more than a month. it the media shows him apologizing for the korean war. washington is urging pyongyang to release him. today is the day that health care.gov should be working smoothly for users. that's the day. officials say the site is,

quote, on track to meet performance goals but warning glitches are still possible. >> number three, an infant was reportedly among people killed when a single engine plane crashed in southeastern alaska. this happened near the remote village of st. mary's. six people survived including the baby's mother. tv creature. paul crouch died. its programs are seen on thousands of tv, satellite and cable channels around the world. >> number five, a new survey says shoppers spent $12 billion at traditional mortar schools on black friday. that's a jump more than 2% compared to last year's sales. sales were higher all over the country except in the northeast which has been battered by strong winds and brutally cold

temperatures there. this is cnn breaking news. as you know, we have been following this breaking news this morning. actor paul walker is dead. >> and we're learning more about the fiery crash that killed him. we have footage of the inferno that happened after the crash. we'll play seconds of it right here. >> he died. >> police say speed was a factor. the star of fast and furious, of that franchise was only 40 years old. friends, family, co-workers, around the world are shocked this morning. many say his death came too soon. >> michelle turn ever joins us on the phone. what are you hearing about may have caused this crash? >> good morning. first of all, when you see the images of what is left of that 2005 porsche that he was in,

gives you kills when you see the mangled mess of metal. the information we're getting. it's still an ongoing investigation. is what we're being told. a spokesperson tells cnn that they believe speed was a factor in this crash. and we also had one of our correspondents. able to make his way to the scene of the crash last night. and around the vas ini sinity o accident was skid marks. 150 feet from where the car crashed. alan took pictures of the tire marks. we spoke to the sheriff's department. if they were related to the investigation. all they can say, they're not sure they're related to the

crash. right now, we know it's a single vehicle crash. looks like it took a pole and light. but as far as what happened in the machines leading up to the crash, that's still leading looked aat. >> people are connecting th th his character in "fast & furious." >> if you're a fan of the franchise, there are so many, that last installmentment "fast & furious" that hoped last summer, $238 million, that was above expectations but lead to the fact they were going shoot "fast & furious" 7.

his agent. brian o'connor was wild and free and loose, had a bit of a tem r temper. didn't think much about the character involved in the franchise. he t ended up he was this big guy. that's kind of who he game. he also believed in just trying to live a good life. we're looking at the video here of the "fast & furious" franchise. you see him behind the wheel of cars. he's a self-described adrenaline junkie. he called himself a metal head. he loved cars. he was affiliated with some kind of car clubs outside of the industry. and it was just something that he loved to do so it was his life on screen and off screen. >> thanks for reporting this morning. we'll check back with you in a

bit. we'll have much more on the death of paul walker. >> the roads and skies will be packed as millions head home. it will be the busiest travel date year. $2.5 million people expected to fly today. brewing storms is a bit of a headache. >> especially northwest, i believe. >> absolute limit $30,000 flights. i want to show you the data. in the the last couple of days that tapered to 35 or 40 cancellations. already this morning, 6:30 in the morning, cancellations, 33. we expect that to be greatly increased. if you take a look, the culprit is in the alaska. temperatures cooling off on the

order of 40 to 50 degrees. denver you go from the mid 60s to 17 degrees. and all of that cold air comes with rain showers in the lower elevations. it's so serious the national weather service issuing people to give them an advisory to leave early on saturday, if they could, if not as early as possible sunday. because mountain passes could see 18 inches. travel is slowed quite a bit here and visibility reduced as well. besides that. generally quiet conditions. southwest. mostly sunny skies across the southern portion of the country. showers, minimal delays but volume is the main concern. all in all, it looks like the northwest, flights are coming out of that region, they'll be impacted. >> you know they're lining up nose live shots. >> yeah. >> thank you so much. still to come on "new day." a controversial new teaching

message is gaining steam. >> believe it or not, it lets students decide what they learn and when. >> that's right. no curriculum and tests. i'm explain after this. ♪ my insurance company told me not to talk to people like you. you always do what they tell you? no... try it, and see what your good driving can save you. you don't even have to switch. unless you're scared. i'm not scared, it's... you know we can still see you. no, you can't. pretty sure we can... try snapshot today -- no pressure. ...are the hands that do good things for the whole community: the environment, seniors, kids, and animals. that's why we created the share the love event. by the end of this year, the total donated by subaru

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♪ easy like sunday morning >> if you're not looking at four tv screen. focus your eyes on what we're seeing. a picture-perfect sunrise over the capitol. a high of 48 degrees later

today. that's gorgeous. >> i don't think it gets better than that. >> imagine this, as you know. imagine a school where the kids make all of the rules. it sounds like a movie plot or a dream come true if you're a kid. believe it or not it's real. it's called unschooling. >> this is a story that jennifer whalen worked on extensively. there's no set curriculum. there are no tests. students set their own goals and they learn at their own pace. it's actually catching on. >> what looks like another day at the park for these school kids is actually a real life learning lesson. on this day they choose the playground as their classroom and tomorrow it's wherever else they want to go. >> it's called unschooling where children lead the way with no curriculum or tests and adults watch on as kids decide what they want to learn and when.

>> there's some students at the school, they want to draw a comic book. okay, how do i spell these words. you see how they come into it, based on what they have to do when they have an interest. >> a co-founder of atlanta's school, lauren snow doe scribes unschooling as untraditional path to success from primary school to college. >> colleges start to realize the students are like, is this going to be on the test, when am i going to get graded. they are not engaged in learning and they want to learn. >> kelly was a teacher for seven years but even thinks unschooling is a perfect fit for her kids. >> i just have a lost confidence in talking things over with my kids and my kids exploring. >> reporter: so the confident. she's optimistic her 5-year-old

will learn how to read on her own. as of now, she can't. >> we learn written language the same as spoken language. when we're babies, no one teaches us. we need to remember it happens naturally in that when a young person wants to and understands that he or she needs to, then he or she will. >> reporter: but some aren't so certain. parenting expert tells cnn, quote, the risk of unschooling is that children may not gain the range of skills necessary to succeed. still it's a risk like parents like limes-taylor is worth taking. >> the they are exploring one way of change. while this may not be' defilmive answer, it's a way to try it out. >> reporter: because sudden burr i have a prime program. it's not held to all of the same requirements as public schools. an unconventional aproven catching on for many parents who believe the world is the best

classroom for their kids to learn. i said at the start it's a different way of learning. >> i have to chime in here. to me it's ridiculous, i have an 8-year-old and 11-year-old. i have independent thinking. if i told my 8-year-old to do what you want at school, he wouldn't learn anything. how does a child at that age really learn. >> according to the founders, there are no real benchmarks to the process. the concept is learn it organically. whether it's 5 or 10 or 15. you would expect the kid to learn to read, things like that. >> how do they gauge if the kid is learning or not? >> again it's an organic process. when the kid is able to read the book. they know it works. >> i'm skeptical. leave it at that. still to come op "new day" -- >> a new film about nelson

mandela's life hits theaters this weekend. >> find out about what they thought about see their family story on this film. >> the people are angry. >> they are all angry. ing precin and some of the best offers of the year [ ding! ] at the lexus december to remember sales event. this is the pursuit of perfection. ♪ [ male announcer ] laura's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day

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the first black social worker i've ever had. >> you're the first beautiful girl i've ever seen. >> i'm different. that's a clip from mandela. "long walk to freedom." the movie is based on the

president's own autobiography. >> it puts the spotlight on him as a leader and shows the complicated relationship with his wife. first of all, what are their thought on this movie? >> as you said, last weekend i was with winny mandela. and their grand daughters. they particularly like the portrayal of withinny. it highlights her role in the struggle. it captured her mannerisms. let look at winnie mandela and the young nelson. >> just before the girls come back to school to take me away. so the girls will find an empty

room. i think were these things, you know. they think about. >> yesterday, i spoke to mandela's daughter, and said what do you think? again, she said, this is the first thing that highlighted my mother's role in the struggle. . what has winnie said about the casting. >> winnie thought she was superb. and particularly, this movie, they tried to capture the real nelson. he was somewhat of a womanizer, very complicated and sometimes messy relationships with women. he was not unecotisty cal. in this movie it's much more, who is the real man, the passionate man. his humanity revealed. he spends a night on robin

island in a cell the size of mandela's, he woke up the next day and was so angry. he wonders how he spent 18 years on this tiny cell this. is a more human look at nelson men della and his relationship with winnie mandela and the role she played in the struggle to end apartheid. >> it's interesting. nelson has seen the movie and liked it. winnie said he's not in a situation to see it. he's still very ill. he's not talking. he has tubes down his throat to drain the fluid in his lungs but winnie said he's not in a vegetative state. she's sure if he saw it he would like the movie. >> very interesting. nad yacht thank you. >> still to come, the old man wore tattered clothes and rode

the bus. >> but he made history by giving a huge gift to a children's hospital. we'll tell you how big this donation was after the break. but first as we enter the season of giving we here at cnn are preparing for a special holiday tradition. >> cnn's all-star tribute is a tribute to an event voted on you. this ires tonight at 8:00 p.m. nischell turner has the story. >> reporter: this year's annual here rows event is packed with emotion. and unforgettable moments. a night when hollywood's brightest stars come together -- >> it kind of makes your jaw drop. >> reporter: to shine the spotlight on ten remarkable people changing the world.

like a great grand mother who used her babies to turn a bus into a classroom. and a woman who started a drill team to keep kids off the streets. turning the tables on traditional awards show. cnn heroes puts these every day people center stage. it's a star-studded event with a few surprises. and a heroic ending that you don't want to miss. >> 2013 cnn hero of the year. >> reporter: a night to gather together to celebrate the human spirit. cnn heros is premiering tonight at 8:00 p.m. you don't want to miss it. i know i'm going to watch it.

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to produce american energy and refine it more efficiently than exxonmobil. because using energy responsibly has never been more important. energy lives here. ♪ ...are the hands that do good things for the whole community: the environment, seniors, kids, and animals. that's why we created the share the love event. by the end of this year, the total donated by subaru could reach 35 million dollars. you get a great deal on a new subaru. we'll donate 250 dollars to a choice of charities that benefit your community. it feels good to be a helping hand.

for the 25th year, people around the world are marking world aids day on this 1st of december. >> it's a day to show support for the 35 million people living with hiv or aids and remember the millions of others who have died from it. since the epidemic emerged, 75 million people around the globe have become infected. what has become a nasty virus has sickened people at a youth football event in las vegas. 90 people have gotten stick. 18 people staying at the rio hotel and casino had to be taken to the hospital. the head of the group running the tournament said nine teams have reported players, and coaches who are sick. >> i called the hotel to make a report. and they sent the security and started sending in people with masks. next thing we know.

we had 20 fireman in our hallway. they were asking all of the sick kids to come down to our room to test them for their vitals. . what is going on? what is really going on? sway it our team and eventually other teams? it's a lot of people from the third and sixth floor and throughout the hotel. >> it's a mystery. the cause of the illness is under investigation. >> the sad news for the little pup who earned his fame for all of the wrong reasons. >> elwood who gained notoriety for 2007 for winning the ugliest dog contest. passed away on thanksgiving. >> the owner doesn't know the cause of his death but tell us us he didn't suffer and died in her arms. and now the biggest donor ever to seattle research. this man, left $188 million when he died at the able of 98. but get this. mcdonald was known for being extremely frugal, wearing

tattered clothes even taking the bus. he also had secretly donated thousands of dollars to other charities during his lifetime. he apparently made most of his money in the stock market. a big announcement in washington. we're expected to learn the name of the new giant panda cub. >> the cub is now 100 days old. follow i following chinese tradition. it's time to learn her name. more than $123,000 online voters. >> the naming ceremony is set for 1:00 eastern tile. >> very cool. very cool. >> thanks for starting your morning ahead. >> a lot more ahead "new day sunday" begins right now. ♪ good morning i'm alison kosik. >> i'm george howell. it's 7:00 on the east, 4:00 on the west. you're watching "new day sunday." >> this is cnn breaking news.

all morning we've been following this breaking new actor paul walker has died. >> we're learning more about the fiery car crash that killed him. we have new footage of the inferno taken after the crash. we'll show you a few seconds of it here. look at this. >> police say speed was a factor. the star of "fast and furious" franchise was only 40 years old. friends, family and co-workers are shocked. many stay his death came way too soon. >> reporter: nischelle, good forming to you. what are you hearing may have caused this crash? >> that's a good question. we are not getting a lost answers right now. police say this investigation is ongoing. you're right when you talk about the shock, shadness and complete surprise at the news paul walker

was killed in this fiery car crash. let's take a look at what happened yesterday. >> reporter: one of hollywood's stars made a name for himself died in a fiery car crash in california. a second person died in that accident. both were attending a charity event for walker's organization reach out world wide. the event was intended to benefit victims of typhoon ha heyien. the crash happened just north of los angeles, saturday afternoon. according to his representative, the star was not behind the wheel of the 2005 porsche. when deputies arrived, the car was on fire. both occupants pronounced dead at the scene. all that remained was the burnt, mangled metal and the light policy that got knocked down. walker, off the screen, he compete\ed in the redline time attack racing series.

he had been filming the seventh installment of "fast and furious." hollywood has been reacting with condolences coming from jack osbourne, will smith, alyssa milano. quote, no, no, no. tweeted alyssa milano. walker appeared in the '80s comedy "who's the boss." rest with angels, you sweet boy. >> you know, it's interesting, because a lot of other co-stars and friends are reacting as well from alyssa milano. ludicrous said you always left a mark. vin diesel put on instagram. brother i will miss you very much. i'm absolutely speechless. heaven has gained a new angel. rest in twice. we're hearing from dwayne

johnson. we find our strength in his light. love you, brother. . we're hearing from some of his friends and cohorts in hollywood. paul walker had a 15-year-old daughter named meadow. a lot of celebrities tweeted last night giving condolences to her talking that that was the love of his life and sending out condolences to her. they were shooting the seventh installment of the franchise. they were shooting that in atlanta. set to wrap filming. we're told paul walker was in los angeles visiting friends and family for the thanks giving holiday, was headed back to atlanta to finish filming the movie. >> well, you know, it's still very early, we know. but there are already comparisons being made to his hollywood character, fast and furious and the real life event

her here. >> i'm a fan of a franchise so i have been watching it. in the beginning of the franchise we see paul walker's character. he's a little bit of a loose canon at times. a wild child. paul walker said that was kind of me back in the day. i evolved as my character brian o'connor evolved. now we see him as this guy who would do anything for his family. that's who he said he is. it's interesting, he said he started identifying with brian. when people on the street would say hey brian. they knew he was talking to him but when they said hey paul walker it took a second to compute. offscreen he was a car enthusiast, he called himself a metal head. he loved cars. he loved the body of the car. it kind of made him happy.

guys, by the way, we talk about the popularity of this franchise, "fast & furious," and he was a bankable star in hollywood. here's something to leave you with. "fast & furious" 6 made $200 million. worldwide this movie made $788 million. he was a bona fide movie star. . he clearly was. especially seeing the outpouring on social media. everybody is stunned about this. thank you. we have much more to come on paul walker's death. stay with us as we get more information on his passing. we'll bring it you to. now, candles will be lit in glasgow for the victims of a helicopter crash. >> they're looking for bodies still in the debris. eight people were killed when the police helicopter smashed through the pub's roof. 14 people are hospitalized with serious injuries. the search for victims could

take many days. because the building is unstable and crews have to work perfectly. p the u.s. is urging north korea to release an 85-year-old veteran of the korean war. now the north korean government is releasing video showing the korean war veteran apologizing. he said he went back to north korea to meet with surviving soldiers to put them in touch with others who escaped south korea. >> the document with their addresses, e-mail addresses. and the korean people again. on this trip, i can understand that in the u.s. and western countries, there is misleading information and propaganda about pprk. and gordon chang is an author of

the book. and he's joining us now from new york. good morning to you. >> you know, we heard merril newman speaking there. why would north korea have him make this alleged confession/apology. and why now? >> i think it's upon for north korea. they are still fighting the korean war. one of their founding myths is that south korea and the united states invaded the north in 1950. pyongyang wants to replay this theme for the korean people. the regime is probably not as stable as people think. they need to do this to bolster their legitimacy. >> he sent a message to his family saying he's well. how much c credence could we take in that? >> it wot no do them will to

have him die in custody of pyongyang. they are treating him well. from the video it looks he's in good condition. i think that's probably drew tr true. >> newman is the second american who was in custody. is there any information that either of them could be freed soon? >> newman is the seventh american detained in north korea since 2009. eventually newman and kenneth bay will be freed. what the regime wants are benefits from the united states. we sent presidents clinton and carter in 2010. that was helpful for kim jong-il who was the ruler at the time. they want something from the united states. the u.s. has given nothing for kenneth bay's release. that's why they grabbed newman.

>> do you think the north korean government is trying to use them with leverage with the obama administration and if so, why? >> i think there's a number of things the north korean regime wants. one of them, they want to have that leverage over the united states. you know, we have a number of issues with the north koreans right now. including the denuclearization. talks that have about stalled for more than a half decade. they always want aid. they are going into winter which is a difficult time for the government. all sorts of things happening here. of course they want leverage. what better leverage than to take an individual. >> okay. gordon chang, thanks so much for your time. >> thank you. >> another big day of holy day travel. this time in reverse. >> everybody is trying to get back home from thanksgiving. but the weather, it may not help you especially in the pacific northwest. we'll get you up to speed right here on "new day sunday."

a new subaru. we'll donate 250 dollars to a choice of charities that benefit your community. it feels good to be a helping hand.

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♪ [ woman ] i'd be a writer. [ man ] i'd be a baker. [ woman ] i wanna be a pie maker. [ man ] i wanna be a pilot. [ woman ] i'd be an architect. what if i told you someone could pay you and what if that person were you? ♪ when you think about it, isn't that what retirement should be, paying ourselves to do what we love? ♪ because you can't beat zero heartburn. woo hoo! [ male announcer ] prilosec otc is the number one doctor recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 8 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. welcome back to "new day sunday"? 2 hours the leading man that updates health care.gov will brief reporters how things going. today is the day the website is

supposed to work for most americans smoothly. >> it's supposed to work smoothly. from what we can tell, how is the site working this morning? >> we're doing a test run and weren't too impressed with the results. >> well, i think that's a big question everyone wants answered. it's kind of a complicated one-two answer. we're hearing different takes this morning as you mentioned. one cnn producer got through quickly and hit an error message. another producer got through once and hit a road block later. it's these types of stories we're really relying on. until we get hard numbers. we won't know. he's been following this closely. i asked him if he's already seeing changes and this is has answer. >> i think it looks a little better. looking at the site recently, what i've noticed, there's been a lot of changes

his-to-usability that will make it more robust. the question is what happened on the back end. can we fix the problems that allowed people to sign up to get health care? >> here's some of the benchmarks that have been set by the administration. the goal is for $50,000 people to be on the site at the same time. we're told if there's more users at any given time. people put in what is call aid virtual line. they get an e-mail that tells them of a better time to come back and try. in total some $800,000 users will be able to go through successfully each day. those are the numbers weave answer been given. we also heard the term it will be working for the vast majority of users. we'll get the big question answered, is it working or not. >> have we heard anything from the obama administration about the upgrades? >> no word yet this morning but last night they seemed pretty optimistic about everything.

an administration official said the website is on track to meet the goal for the sight to work for the vast majority of users. we don't really expect them to necessarily release those numbers right away. again we've mentioned time and time again. all eyes are on that conference call to get the questions answered. we know the man the president really tapped to turned things around will be on that call. you really framed it. some people can get on, some can't. >> it's interesting to see if any deadlines are pushed back further. there's still the head lines. >> there are a few. >> today is expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the year as people return home from thanksgiving. >> alexandra joins us this morning. good morning.

>> reporter: aaa estimated 43 million people would travel. if you're hitting the road today, you'll have a lot of compan company. >> here we go again, rush is back on. this time the race back to reality. >> monday and sunday will be two busiest days. if you can stay the extra day tuesday, and come back when everybody is back at work. that will certainly provide a little bit of relief. >> reporter: the traffic report could be difficult as millions hit the highways. fortunately the forecast calls for clear skies for most of the country. >> we do have a strong system in the pacific northwest. be careful if you're traveling in the cascades. 4 to 6 inches there. as know and rain moving into new england. but the rest of the nation is looking much dryer and much calmer. >> all together much better than

the day before thanksgiving. winter weather on the eastern seaboard caused trouble with a ripple effect. >> did you have concerns with the weather delays? >> it's a holiday. you just expect it. >> three, two, one. way to go. >> reporter: on wednesday, cnn's great race home pitted three correspondents against each other in a mad dash from new york to washington, d.c. one by train, one by plane and one braving the traffic by car. >> the best i've had in a long time. nick robinson paid the price along with plenty travelers this holiday season. >> if you're still deciding when to head home. maybe the numbers will sway you. aaa said one in three travelers will head home today. one in four will head home tomorrow. george, allisi alison? >> if you have to travel.

wait a day. >> i have to work tomorrow. i can't wait a day. can you tell my boss that? >> i don't think it will fly. >> coming up, the thrill of the bargain hunt. ever wonder why we go bananas for the deals? >> one expert has an interesting take. we'll tell you what he says. that's coming up. ♪ it's beginning to look a lot like christmas ♪ ♪ everywhere you go with the r.

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♪ pretty day in washington, yay? >> and a red bethere. >> all dressed up for the holiday. >> it's world day there. >> very nice. >> thank you so much for joining us on "new day sunday."

>> let's talk about the holidays. thanksgiving was about the dinner and an even bigger deal. a new survey shows that for the first time ever. americans spent a billion dollars online. >> this more than last year. shoppers throwing elbows, fighting for flat screen tvs, tablets, whatever they can grab. what a mess. >> what's with people. >> why do they behave like lunatics to save a few baches. to discuss this, we're joined my mike elwood. he's the author of "bargain fever." good morning to you. >> good morning. how are you? >> why is it some of us are willing to behave this way to get just a deal? >> you know, it's chemical. we can't help ourselves. we are pre programmed in our brains to respond to bargains. there's a hormone that i think

everyone heard of called dope mean. i called dope me called dopamin >> i call it biagra? >> viagra or biagra? >> with a "b." >> are you linking it to a sexual desire, but they're channeling to the retail level? >> you have to think. dopamine is a chemical a lot of people heard of. we misunderstand what it does. it's a feel-good juice but it's a bonus juice. the difference between when you order a slice of cake or the owner sends you a slice of cake. hey, happy birthday. you're getting more than you expect. that's a dopamine moment. when you see a sale sign the same thing happens.

>> you talk about people being hopped up on biagra. are people getting deals or are they getting duped? >> they are getting both. more and more. it's like an outlet mall. 80 to 70% is made for that outlet mall. that's happening more. where the products are not necessarily bargains, they are cheap. once in a while you get a good deal. i wouldn't apply for that $200 laptop. >> how much is this is desperation. the economy is moving forward. it's recovering. it's a relatively anemic recovery. is this desperation where you see people coming to blows in the middle of stores? >> i think it's about the dopamine reaction on our brain. one in four people have a variant that turbo charges

dopamine. those in fisticuffs is those with dopimine. >> where should we get a good deal? cybermonday is tomorrow. >> i use two sides. one is flick deals and the other is deal news. tomorrow i would focus on clothing. clothe something one of the best things to by on cybermonday. since this winter will be the coldest since 1962 i would buy a coat when you can while it's cheap. >> your opinion on this. when you see these scenes like yesterday. we saw the image of a woman being tasered on the ground, what do you think about all of this? >> i do think, thank goodness. more and more online shopping is happening. because it's much harder to punch someone when you're shopping online. >> you got a good point. thanks for joining us. >> thank you. sad news for a poor pup that

earned his fame for all of the wrong reasons. >> this is elwood. he gained notoriety for winning the world's ugliest dog contest. >> only a mother could love. >> the owner doesn't know the cause of his death. she tells us, he didn't suffer and he died in her arms. >> there's a record to the biggest ever pediatric research. >> cnn times report this man, jack mcdonald left $188 million to a children's hospital when he died this week. get this, he's phone for being extremely frugal. wearing tattered clothes and taking the bus. he donated thousand of dollars to other charities during his lifetime. he made most of his money in the stock market. >> it's interesting, when you hear a story like that, those are the quiet heroes. he's not looking for recognition, he just does that. >> you find a lot of people secretly doing great things. >> they don't have to be

gratuitous and put it on twitter. love it. >> we'll see you at the top of the hour for 8:00 sunday. >> we have more come up after paul walker's tragic death. but up next, sanjay gupta m.d. where i work, over 400 people are promoted every day. healthcare starting under $40 a month. i got education benefits. i work at walmart. i'm a pharmacist. sales associate. i manage produce. i work in logistics. there's more to walmart than you think. vo: opportunity. that's the real walmart. [ car beeps ] ♪ ♪

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welcome. we're sure to keep you kwlet this weekend. including family, food, and football. the question is, can football be a safer game? also there's an amazing medical mystery. this young jock not into music at all. then he had a concussion. now he plays 13 instruments. somehow that possible? first, is it real? >> i could see the river bank. i could see them pull my body