people a good morning, america. record-breaking floods swallowing the heartland. in this is supposed to be two major highways. >> hundreds of roads drowning underwater as rescuers race to find survivors overnight. saving a man and his dog from a rooftop. now new concerns as rivers are on the rise. bill cosby charged for the first time. the superstar comedian taken into court with a cane in his hand facing a judge in the andrea constand case now on a million dollars bail. his attorney, the woman by his side, will be joining us live this morning. breaking overnight, the mom of the so-called affluenza teen deported to the u.s. after helping her son go on the run in mexico, handcuffed and taken son remains behind bars. and we're counting down to two huge bowl games on the way. four college football teams about to go head-to-head on the

and it's time to rock new year's eve, celebrations already starting around the world. a big bash right here in times square tonight. ryan seacrest live with us, jenny mccarthy taking you behind the scenes. it's "gma's" new year's rockin' morning as we say -- >> good morning, america. i'm not going to say it as well as jenny mccarthy just said but good morning, america. >> a little more bounce, amy. >> "gma" weekend anchor dan harris is here, sara haines and tom llamas, as well. all ready to spend new year's eve with you. we are counting down to tonight's big celebration right here in times square. take a look at the ball getting ready to drop just hours from now and the first new year's celebrations have already kicked off, fireworks welcoming in 2016 in auckland, new zealand. >> it blows my mind that they're so far ahead of us.

hangovers sitting down to dinner when our ball drops here. >> i'm glad you put some thought into that. >> i'm not great at math but able to get there. the college football playoff. two big bowl games kicking off on espn, the team mascots from clemson and michigan state right there on an astroturf carpet. i don't know if you can see it. hoping to get all four but two of them got stuck. their planes didn't take off so we got two of them. >> we got sparty, though. go green, go white, that was from my dad. all right, but first we want to get to that record-breaking flooding devastating the midwest. mississippi river overflowing and more than 12 million people are under flood warnings this morning. rob marciano is in valley park, missouri, this morning and, rob, i know you have the latest for us. >> reporter: good morning, amy. it's been an anxious night along the merrimac river. here's the deal, this is not the

interstate 44 now turned into a raging river getting around this city, nearly impossible. but traffic really the least of their worries. this morning, a record-breaking flood drowning the midwest. swallowing up neighborhoods, homes uprooted, some floating downstream. bridges submerged littered with debris. rising rivers making at least 200 roads impassable. >> the whole entire highway is shut down. it's unbelievable. >> reporter: interstate 44 and route 141 shut down tuesday. these traffic lights the only below. >> there's supposed to be two major highways and a couple days ago it was full of cars and truck, now nothing but water. >> reporter: overnight a third major highway, interstate 55, parts of it closed backing traffic up for miles. >> a flood in the winter is dangerous. everybody, keep a good attitude it's going to be a while. >> reporter: urging residents to

rescues like these. firefighters using a ladder truck to save this man on his pickup. another man and his dog trapped on a roof overnight until they could be rescued by raft. in high ridge, missouri, a water plant engulfed closing down tuesday and cutting off water to 20,000 residents. >> it's pretty scary right now. >> reporter: this levee in valley park dangerously close to collapse. hastily patched with plywood and missouri, not the only flooded state. >> i've never seen it like this. >> reporter: parts of north carolina, florida and georgia also hit with winter flooding. a surreal sight, no doubt about this is where the river is cresting. it will be slowly receding but, you know, the levees are having a hard time holding up here. this is not the only river that is still rising so we've got issues going forward. multiple flood warnings out. take a look at this map. all the mississippi river drainage has to feed into that mighty river so it's going to take several days, if not a couple of weeks into the new

meanwhile, flash flood watches still posted for the southeast from the panhandle up through the carolinas, they'll be slowly dropped from north to south but heavy rain across the gulf coast for new year's eve. mostly dry, i think, for tonight and chilly, seasonably cold and the good news here, dan, is that there is no forecast rain for at least a week here. back to you. >> a silver lining, indeed. let's turn to new year's eve and the security precautions around the world as we head into tonight's big celebrations. the nypd deploying thousands of officers to protect times square amidst an overseas threat warning of possible attacks on three major cities including new york. abc's phillip mena is on the story. >> reporter: dan, good morning. people are already lining up out here in times square trying to snag a spot to see the ball drop at midnight and when it does there will be 6,000 police officers rooftop snipers and helicopters in this area keeping

anyone suspicious. authorities say while there are no credible threats specifically aimed at new york, the nypd is reminding their personnel that the city does remain a top spot for -- target for terrorists and security will be heightened in washington, d.c. and los angeles ahead of events there. concern over a potential terrorist attack prompted officials in paris and brussels to cancel holiday events, but here in times square the show will go on and we are expecting a million people down here to celebrate and authorities believe that these extra precautions will help keep everyone here safe. >> yeah, police said times square will be one of the safest places on earth tonight. phillip mena, thank you. >> dan, thank you. now to breaking news in the so-called affluenza teen. ethan couch, his mother tonya back on american soil arriving in los angeles just hours ago. abc's matt gutman has the latest from guadalajara, mexico. >> reporter: good morning, amy. a very stone-faced looking tonya

questions. her son ethan bundled out of that facility and taken to mexico city. it was another legal reprieve for the affluenza teen whose lawyers helped him avoid a single day in prison after he pled guilty to killing four people in that drunk driving crash. just hours ago tonya couch hauled back to the u.s. grim-faced as u.s. marshals escorted her in handcuffs through los angeles international airport. she faces a possible two to ten year sentence for hindering the apprehension of 18-year-old son ethan. abc news spotted ethan in guadalajara, mexico, escorted into this van at this immigration detention center. the van speeding out of the garage. >> we believe ethan couch is in that van that just rushed out of here. we saw him moments ago being moved from one side of this detention center to the other side. and mexican authorities confirming overnight to abc news he was sent to mexico city, his third city since his arrest monday.

immigration proceedings. but his first two nights in a mexican detention center spent behind those locked gates. so you've been inside. what's it like? >> we got two holding cells to hold detainees until they figure out the situation. >> reporter: tonya couch's lawyer speaking out for the first time. >> put yourself in tonya's shoes. what would you do if you were a parent with a son who is the most hated boy in america. what would you do to protect him? >> reporter: texas authorities called it something else, hindering the apprehension of a fugitive. with the couches now in custody we're learning more about their time as fugitives here in mexico. in this exclusive video you can see tonya couch saunter into this butcher shop trying to pay in dollars. and ethan just two hours before his capture seemingly at ease in his life as a fugitive. with the backwards hat and freshly dyed jet black hair.

>> reporter: for people who tried very hard to avoid lockup in a u.s. jail the couches will spend a lot of time in detention. tonya couch will probably be in a u.s. marshals facility until sunday or monday and ethan could spend weeks here as his immigration process plays out. amy. >> all right, matt gutman with the latest and you can find out much more about the ethan couch tomorrow on a special "20/20," end of the road, right here on abc. >> a big show tomorrow night. we turn now to donald trump ramping up the rhetoric this morning. it's "your voice, your vote," and the latest twists in the race for the white house yet again involves the republican front-runner. trump now declaring war, that's a direct quote, on opponents hillary clinton and jeb bush even calling them enemies, abc's cecilia vega has the latest on that. cecilia, good morning. >> reporter: yet again is right. happy new year, this may be the 2016 race for the white house but this morning there is just one word to describe it, an

it is donald trump rapid-fire. >> hillary is a disaster. she's horrible. she's horrible. women don't like hillary. i just have to turn off the television so many types. she just gives me a headache. >> reporter: this morning hillary clinton in the bull's-eye once again. >> she said he's got a -- he's demonstrated a penchant, i demonstrated a penchant for sexism. can you believe it? me. nobody respects women more than donald trump. that i can tell you. >> reporter: trump even pulling out that famous line he's used on jeb bush and recycling it for her. >> low energy can be applied to hillary. i just don't like to use the same thing twice on one of my enemies, right, because i consider them enemies. >> reporter: but the gop front-runner now has his sights set on another target. >> she wants to accuse me of things and the husband is one of the great abusers of the world. give me a break. >> reporter: he made tabloid headlines himself and now hurling his harshest words at

supporters showing up to this rally in south carolina by the thousands are eating it up. one-time friends, now in a heated battle reaching fever pitch. so far, no comment from the clintons on this war of words, not likely to cool down they time soon. >> we view this as war. don't we view this as war? >> reporter: war is the word he is using. we will not see trump or clinton again until 2016, not that far away but bill and donald will come close to being face-to-face when they campaign a few miles apart. 2016, finally here. it will be a huge year. >> we do get a little bit of a breather before then. >> we do? >> 24 hours. >> because i got to go to new hampshire. i don't know about you. >> thanks, cecilia. now to a midair scare. an air canada flight ran into violent turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing. more than 20 passengers injured. several taken off on stretchers.

on that, good morning, david. >> reporter: good morning am that hit so quickly and so many passengers were injured. the pilots decided to put the plane on the ground so they could get medical help. overnight they were forced to divert because of turbulence. >> we're being told there are four serious injuries. will require assistance. >> reporter: passenger pictures showing oxygen masks deployed, trash and belongings littering the floor all a result of the sudden turbulence which tossed the plane around. >> it was just like the roller coaster, the plane would just go down very straight and go down and lots of screaming. >> we're just helping one person. >> reporter: some of the passengers removed on stretchers with neck braces, in all 21 passengers including three children were hurt and taken to local hospitals. the boeing 777 was carrying 351 passengers and crew on a flight

that turbulence hit and the passengers complaining of neck, back and rib injuries. >> we don't have patients that have greater injury or none are life-threatening. >> reporter: as crews were treating passengers canada's transportation safety board none of the injuries were the good news most of the passengers were released overnight. >> that is good news, indeed. david kerley, thanks so much. turn to abc's tom llamas with the other top developing stories starting with breaking news out of france. >> that's right. good morning. authorities make a tenth arrest in connection to last month's paris attacks. the 22-year-old man was picked up this morning in the same house in brussels where it's thought one of the paris terrorists hid after the attacks. police seized ten cell phones but found no weapons or explosives. bp is evacuating hundreds of workers from one of its oil fields in the north sea.

threatened by an unmanned barge which broke free from its tug and that's heading right towards it in rough seas. caitlin jenner reached a settlement in the crash and territories to be paid by jenner's insurance company were not disclosed. no winning ticket drawn in last night's powerball so the jackpot for saturday's drawing, at least $334 million, a nice belated holl day present if you win, five tickets sold in california and pennsylvania have five correct numbers. that only gets you a million bucks. so not fair. finally one grandmother's reaction to her christmas present goes viral. mary anne davis unwrapped a christmas gift from her family. it was a calendar featuring local firemen in her town. >> i don't think i can stand this.

ooh. >> she got a big kick out of it. the 80-year-old is a great grandmother to 12. the idea was maybe send some firefighters over to visit but that may induce a heart attack she was so excited. >> grandchildren were like, what's grandma doing? >> they'll be even more surprised when she starts lighting fires. >> calling 911. >> dan! >> did i say that out loud? sorry. sports fans are getting excited not only is it new year's eve it is also game day, the college football playoff semifinals kick off with oklahoma taking on clemson and michigan state facing off against alabama. espn's sage steele is here breaking it all down. >> you may recall a year ago there was tons of excitement because it was the first year of the long awaited four-team playoff format in college football so this year even more excitement because these two playoff games are being played

day of the year, new year's eve but what's better than that? nothing. here's a preview. 128 teams. >> touchdown. >> 14 weeks of football and it all comes down to this, four teams hoping to ring in 2016 with a trip to the college football playoff national championship game. >> he's in, touchdown. >> reporter: oklahoma which didn't even crack the top 25 last season has blazed into the semifinals behind baker mayfield. >> mayfield. scrambling. fires into the end zone for a touchdown. >> reporter: he went from a walk-on at texas tech, transferred and now leads one of college football's most high-powered offenses. >> the sooners make this a bidlamb beatdown. >> reporter: but to start the new year with a shot at the trophy they have to make it past number one clemson. >> across the 10, 5, into the end zone. touchdown. >> tonight it was our turn and we're division champs.

to watch the number two crimson tide armed with derrick henry take on the 12-1 michigan state spartans. michigan state which hadn't won at all in 50 years have turned shocking upsets into an art form ending ohio state's streak. >> the ball is free. >> reporter: and stunning their rivals from ann arbor and the entire world with this blocked punt turned touchdown. >> and he scores. >> love that. keep this in mind it's actually a rematch of last year's russell athletic bowl when clemson beat oklahoma by 36 points and killed them so that revenge word just may play a role in tonight's game for the sooners not that any of us would know anything about revenge, right, you guys? >> i just know those games are going to be on in my house because everyone is rooting for michigan state. i'm a lancing girl. my dad went to michigan state. my grandpa went to michigan state. go green, go white! nobody is with me. i'm all alone here.

little later. college football playoffs semifinals are on espn today. oklahoma against clemson, 4:00 p.m. eastern and michigan state tackling alabama -- i like how i said tackling, and we'll talk to you in a bit. rob in missouri. rob. >> hey, amy. i hope the sparties do well for you. i have never seen anything like this. i've seen water over interstates but not when it's rushing like this and like class one or two rapids. this is cresting but heavy rain out across parts of the southeast from the florida

of texas.after some overnight snow shower activity, the sky will rapidly clear. given temperatures in the upper teens to lower 20s and a good portion of the day turning sunny, most of the overnight snow should melt itself away. plan on a chilly evening if you are heading out to ring in the new year with midnight temperatures around 10 degrees. wind chills will likely be near zero during the evening as well. plan on a nice new years day, with a decent weekend also still on track. have a great day! >> and there's so much more ahead this morning. bill cosby charged with indecent assault now out on a million dollar bail and possibly facing ten years in prison. we will talk to his lawyer about the high-profile case coming up live. the big freeze is on the

potentially sending your heating bill through the roof. how to keep that number down as the temperatures hit new lows. keep it right here on "gma." it's the walmart clearance event. starting now, you'll find all kinds of low prices... ...on select apparel, christmas d\cor, and toys. but hurry before these low clearance prices float away.

i don't have like a pair of jeans i'm trying to get into; i've been down that road honey child. and i don't have like a dress or some big red carpet thing i have to do. im really just looking at 2016, as the year of my best body; that's what i want for you too.

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chantix made it possible for me to quit smoking. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix definitely helped reduce my urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. some had seizures while taking chantix. if you have any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse or of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you have these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have heart or blood vessel problems, or develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. most common side effect is nausea. man, i love being a non-smoker.

it's the walmart clearance event. starting now, you'll find all kinds of low prices... ...on select apparel, christmas d\cor, and toys. but hurry before these low clearance prices float away.

a cedar rapids agency that helps domestic abuse victims is launching a new "safe at home" program tomorrow. this year, state lawmakers passed legislation that allows domestic abuse and sexual assault victims set up a legal post office box address for government records. the program will provide more anonymity for victims who are trying to hide their information from abusers. the iowa secretary of state's office started accepting applications for the "safe at home" program

temperatures feel more like they should this time of year. that means homeless shelters will be enacting their emergency plans more often. shelters initiated emergency plans during monday's winter storm. the three shelters in cedar rapids and one emergency location provided places to stay for a half dozen people. willis dady executive director phoebe trepp says everything went as planned. and now here's your first alert forecast. after some overnight snow shower activity, the sky will rapidly clear. given temperatures in the upper teens to lower 20s and a good portion of the day turning sunny, most of the overnight snow should melt itself away. plan on a chilly evening if you are heading out to ring in the new year with midnight temperatures around 10 degrees. wind chills will likely be near zero during the evening as well. plan on a nice new years day, with a decent weekend also still on track. have a great day! hawkeye fans are flooding los

hey welcome back to "gma." you are looking live at times square where dick clark's new year's rockin' eve with ryan seacrest is just hours away. all the fun on abc starting at 8 p.m. eastern and ryan will be here joining us live in just a bit. >> we're excited about that. also happening, the midwest facing record-breaking flooding. hundreds of roads under water as rescuers race to find survivors overnight and the so-called affluenza teen's mom is back in the united states and in custody after fleeing with her son to mexico where he is now behind bars. also this morning, we are getting ready for new year's eve and the college football playoffs, guess who's here with us? here they come. clemson tiger and from the cotton bowl michigan state sparty. >> we know amy has a special place in her heart for sparty. >> we should say -- thank you,

eastern. on espn. we'll have much more on what you need to know about the games coming up. it is a huge day in sports in america but amy, we start here with a big headline. >> that's right. bill cosby bombshell. the disgraced comedian once known as america's dad arrested and charged for the first time with indecent assault. we will talk to his attorney in just a moment. after we get the latest from abc's ryan smith outside the courthouse in philadelphia. good morning, ryan. >> reporter: good morning, amy. he walked into this courthouse slowly cane in hand guided by his lawyers accused of aggravated indecent assault. that charge causing some of the dozens of women accusing him of drugging or sexual assault to claim vindication while his lawyers vowed to fight the charge. it's a day many thought would never come, bill cosby walking into criminal court. this morning, cosby is out on $1 million bail. facing a charge he sexually assaulted andrea constand in 2004 after giving her pills and

philadelphia home. >> mr. cosby urged her to take pills that he provided to her and to drink wine. the effect of which rendered her unable to move and he committed aggravated indecent assault upon her. >> reporter: mr. cosby, how do you respond to the charges? appearing frail as he walked in, cane in hand, his lawyers guiding him to court. cosby answered yes when asked if he understood the charge against him. aggravated indecent assault. punishable if convicted by up to ten years in prison. he hasn't yet entered a plea. but cosby's lawyers released a statement saying, make no mistake, we intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge and we expect that mr. cosby will be exonerated by a court of law. over 50 women have come out accusing the superstar comedian of sexual assault, drugging or rape. earlier this year, more than a dozen of those women spoke out

the women speak." produced by lincoln square productions. barbara bowman came forward after learning about constand's allegations. >> i said that's enough. i will not sit in silence any longer and no one believed this woman and i did because i -- her story was my story. >> reporter: cosby addressing the allegations for the first time in this may interview with abc news' linsey davis. >> i have been in this business for 52 years and i will -- i've never seen anything like this. >> reporter: the charge filed just weeks before the statute of limitations was set to run out and as cosby's court appearance ended yesterday the judge said to him good luck, sir to which he replayed thank you. his next court appearance, january 14th. amy. >> ryan smith with the latest for us. we are now joined by bill cosby's attorney monique pressley. in washington. good morning. monique.

>> it was a stunning cover of "the new york daily news" we all woke up to, the headline, he said/she said with 55 she saids following. part of the defense on the bill cosby case was he had never been charged with a crime. now he has been charged with a crime. do you expect this to bring about more criminal charges for your client? >> well, first of all, i didn't i just saw it a few minutes before we went on and it's coming from that bastion of journalistic integrity so i'm not putting much stock into what any of their covers espouse to say about this case or any of the other cases, but as for my expectation, i expect that because the d.a.'s office after 12 years has chosen to reignite and to charge my client for a crime and an unjustified charge

for this very office said publicly and privately that it should not be done and then led my client into a civil process where he testified because he believed that there was no thought whatsoever, no possibility of him being charged criminally since that's what they said, but i expect now that all of those things will get ferreted out in a court of law and i have faith in the justice system. >> well, let's talk about that deposition. it was from back in 2005, a 10-year-old deposition that bill cosby gave where he admitted that he gave drugs to women to have sex and that he knew andrea constand. with those words on the record, what will your defense strategy be? >> so, you just conflated about four decades' worth of the testimony from that deposition, i can't talk specifically about anything that's in the deposition but your network and every other network in america right now has that deposition so you know that those two things don't go together and he was very specific about what he said about this particular case and

available to him 40 years earlier the drug quaaludes which was at the time a legal drug and that he offered it to two women who took it consensually, did not sneak and give it to them, did not hide it and use it intentionally in order to incapacitate them. the two have nothing to do with each other and our defense where this is concerned will be clear but first before we even have to mount a defense we'll have to look at the game of political football that this montgomery county d.a.'s office has played with my client's life. if you look at the political campaigns that led to the former d.a. and the about to be d.a. going head-to-head and choosing to make this issue a focal point, what we have now is not the effectuation of justice but the fulfillment of a campaign promise from a prosecutor who used this case and used the

order to get into office and had to make good before the statute of limitations completely ran out on what he promised in order to get in that office. >> all right, miss presley, quickly, i wanted to ask about how mr. cosby is doing. he looked very frail walking into that courtroom. was he expecting these charges? >> everyone says he looked frail. i don't really understand it. he is a tall man of sufficient girth. he is 78 years old and blind so he does use a cane so he can know what's coming in front of him and does require assistance because of that and that's who the d.a.'s office has chosen to charge in this case. that's his status now 12 years later but he is in good spirits and he has confidence in his legal team's ability to bring about justice for him in this case. >> monique pressley, we appreciate your time this morning. thanks for joining us. >> thank you for having me. coming up next teresa giudice speaking out for the first time since leaving prison. what is next for her and her family. your winter heating bills

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back now with "gma on the money" and simple ways to save big while heating your home. families using heating oil are expected to spend $1400 this year, down almost 500 bucks in the past year and natural gas is lower too. abc's gio benitez has great ways to cut your costs even more. >> reporter: meet the vaughn family of rhode island. parents brian and amanda love their new home. but say the frigid new england winters are putting a freeze on their savings. >> the heating last year was quite a surprise. >> reporter: a surprise indeed. their yearly gas and electric bills totaling more than $3700. >> a lot of money. wow. >> reporter: to dial down some of those costs we brought in energy expert ben bixby. >> are you ready to save money?

>> he says hunt for hidden cracks and holes in your house. that's where 25% to 40% of the average home's warmth leaks out. >> some are harder to find. others are easier to find when you have a big hole in the floor there. >> reporter: pay special attention to the windows in your laundry room where we find a hole. every time you turn your dryer on you're creating negative pressure which is pulling more cold air into the house. >> reporter: seal it up with $10 foam sealant. if you have an ac vent don't forget to close them. >> the hot air can just escape straight up there. >> reporter: plugging those holes saving them $160 each year. next up, don't overlook hidden weak spot, those thin areas you might not be able to see. but that are still costing you money. like behind radiators, using a thermal camera you can see the dark area where valuable heat is getting out. we install reflective backing to direct some of the heat back into the room. >> the whole house, this is going to save you probably $48

>> reporter: buy a smarpt ben's company, nest, in addition to controlling it with your family's heating habits and needed even if you forget. >> just this winter alone we expect that you're going to see over $80 in savings. now we're in winter mode. >> reporter: the up front cost of all these improvements about 275 bucks but over five years ben says the vaughn family could be snuggling up to more than $1400 in savings. it's a lot of money. we have a thermal camera here and point it at the studio windows. they're a little thicker than your home. take a look. we're going to the corner here and you see the blue area. that's where the cold weather is coming in. really what you need to do is get winter drapes. inexpensive, you can put them on your windows at your home and you'll be fine and some good tips for the new year's, guys. >> let's use it on hainesy. cold as ice.

>> i'm kidding. >> nobody warmer than sara haines just for the record. coming up here the beauty queen bombshell faking cancer stripped of her crown. she allegedly took thousands in fund-raising and went shopping. new year's is likeliest to be the busiest at the gym. what about the day after? we have one of the top ways to

up next. to the couple wondering what a good deal looks like... no. seriously? we'll give it a 6 for composition. scary. wow, what about just putting a fair,

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it's that time of year. we make them and most of us break them talking new year's resolutions and while diet and exercise always make the list you might find the top resolution surprising and abc's sara haines is here with that. >> i was surprised and encouraged by this. quit smoking, stop drinking, lose weight they always rank high in the list but this year a new goal tops the list. the survey conducted by go banking rate asked 5,000 about their resolutions, top five starting at the bottom of the list, save more, spend less, number four is spend more time with family and friend, always a good one, three, lose weight, two, live a healthier lifestyle and topping the list is number one resolution for 2016, enjoy

which i think is awesome. now we know deciding on a resolution is the easy part, though. it's sticking to it that's tricky. research shows one of the best ways to follow through is actually to make your resolution public. researchers found that sharing goals can make us more successful in reaching them so go ahead and post it on social media. maybe your friends will help out. >> you should make one right now. publicly. >> mine every year is always to be more present. >> bingo. >> maybe i'll meditate a little. >> that helps. >> guess what mine was last year. >> i just spaced out to are a second. i'm back. >> what was yours last year? >> to vacation more but look where i am right now. >> it's a great resolution. >> ryan and jenny mccarthy are kicking off the countdown. ryan is here live. stay with us.countdown. ryan is here live. stay with us. simple trip to the grocery store anything but simple. so finally, i had an important conversation with my dermatologist about humira. he explained that humira works inside my body to target and help block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to my symptoms.

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angeles with the rose bowl just one day away. 15 to 20 thousand fans decked out in their black and gold rallied together yesterday at the hawkeye huddle at the los angeles convention center. lots of former hawkeyes took the stage and hyped up the crowd. ottumwa native and proud hawkeye fan, tom arnold got the most applause at the rally. the hype continues today with a pep rally at the battleship u-s-s iowa. you can almost feel the excitement in the air, hawkeye fans are ready to see a win during the rose bowl. " 4:53:40 i don't really care about any other sports team. i'm not huge into any other sports. but iowa football is just like religion. " some are watching with family or friends while others are still making last-minute trips to california. stores in iowa city say they've been packed with people looking for rose bowl merchandise. a pair of sisters visiting iowa city say it's pretty quiet near the university. " 4:46:40 iowa fans travel well, so they are all out in pasadena. and we would have been there if the tickets were

the rose bowl game is tomorrow with kick off shortly after four p-m iowa time. the 12-and-1 hawkeyes face the 11-and-2 stanford cardinal. you can see the game on e-s-p-n. and now here's your first alert forecast. after some overnight snow shower activity, the sky will rapidly clear. given temperatures in the upper teens to lower 20s and a good portion of the day turning sunny, most of the overnight snow should melt itself away. plan on a chilly to ring in the new year with midnight temperatures around 10 degrees. wind chills will likely be near zero during the evening as well. plan on a nice new years day, with a decent weekend also still on track. have a great day! heath officials in iowa say flu

good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. and teresa giudice speaking out for the first time since getting her freedom. >> hi, everyone. i'm back. >> thanking fans for their support in a personal video from her new jersey mansion where she will celebrate new year's eve. what she's been doing since being released from prison. do you know a mean mom? overprotective parents now bullying their children's schoolmates to make their kids more popular. what experts say children can do to protect themselves. superstar secrets to shape up for the new year. gabrielle union, taraji p. henson and j. lo dishing about how they stay fit. >> all that and we're couping down to new year's rockin' eve, jenny mccarthy taking us behind the scenes of the biggest party of the year. america's favorite new year's eve host ryan seacrest live on

countdown to the ball drop as we say -- >> good morning, america. happy new year's eve. >> good morning, america. good morning, america. and happy new year. >> in case you didn't hear, good morning. >> ryan sitting on the set with us. times square getting ready for tonight's big party. you'll dish some of the secret behind the scenes but how will you stay up? >> i'll be right here. hanging out with a few hours. we will have till 8 p.m. tonight. >> a long day for ryan. a trouper. great to be with you. many more questions coming up but we'll start and counting down to tonight's big games with school spirit. two mascots missing this morning for alabama and oklahoma got stranded at the airport. but, yeah, look at that guy. he's a little bummed but two did make it. michigan state's sparty and

comfortable at our anchor's desk. >> now, however, we booted them and they're none too happy. don't be bummed, guys. you got a big game coming up. >> your day, not as long as ryan seacrest's however. >> also this morning. we have a lot of girls at home excite for this. we are revealing the brand-new american girl doll. she is right there in silhouette. we'll have the big reveal just moments away. stay tuned for that. >> the intrigue that that silhouette creates. but let's start here with tom llamas who's over on the other side with the morning rundown. >> good morning. the big story the massive flooding in missouri, officials have now closed a second major interstate in the state because they are under water. at least 21 people have died in missouri and illinois. the mississippi river is expected to crest in st. louis tonight. the mother of the so-called affluenza teen is back in this country. new video of her arriving in los angeles this morning, tonya couch could face up to ten years in prison for helping her son

her son ethan himself is still in mexico awaiting a hearing on his return to the u.s. texas christian university may not have its starting quarterback in the alamo bowl. trevone boykin is arrested accused of striking a police officer after a bar fight in san antonio. tcu says they're valuating the situation. and now to the beauty queen in trouble. the former miss pennsylvania is accused of faking cancer and scamming hundreds out of money and abc's mara schiavocampo has more. >> reporter: this morning, a former beauty queen goes from holding court to appearing in one. 23-year-old brandi weavers-gate formally arraigned wednesday for allegedly faking cancer to benefit from fund-raisers. >> i think it's a new low even for people who engage in fraud. >> reporter: according to prosecutors gates raised almost $30,000 for more than 160 people during several charity events

with leukemia in 2013. even going so far as to shave her head, have family members drive her to fake doctor's appointments and create phony med cal bills but officials say she faked it all for the money allegedly using the cash for online shopping. >> some of the individual people that gave the money it was a great deal of upon for them. we didn't learn that she was impoverished or needed it for any compelling reason. >> reporter: now gates who pleaded not guilty is being held on $150,000 bail and has been stripped of her crown and sash. pageant organizers telling abc news we will not tolerate these actions. our hearts go out to those affected by cancer and to those who were taken advantage of. for "good morning america," mara schiavocampo, abc news, new york. >> and we thank mara for that story. a health alert. out of hospital births on the rise appear to be riskier for the baby. more women are opting to give birth at home or birthing

the risk of death for the baby appears to be twice as high when mothers planned out of hospital births. finally, canada's answer to new york's pizza rat, check out this video. here is a doughnut raccoon with a sweet tooth that could not stop. he moves in sniffing out the doughnuts, finally he goes in and he grabs something, dan harris, i need your help. is that a doughnut, a doughnut stick or was it possibly a crawler. >> it looks like a crawler. i'll diagnose that as a cruller. the raccoon looks like a thief. >> sneaking in there. >> what would you have done if you were working there at the time? >> what would i have done exactly what those employees did, take a video of it and put it on youtube. employee of the month. >> that's what you do in head out to sara now. >> a look at what's ahead on the "gma morning menu." teresa giudice speaking out for the first time, her message to fans and what's next for the reality star and superstar

the inside track on how the hottest celebs stay in shape. plus, we're counting down to our rockin' new year's eve with the one, the only, you know him, ryan seacrest. we can't wait. >> 500, 499 -- >> he'll do this all morning long. >> 497. >> are you ready for some football. >> oh, yes i am. >> don't answer that. these mascots are pumping up tooilz. let's go, let's go. bring it in. bring it in. >> right here on "gma." 32 pop on two, hut, hut. >> i'm popping. "gma's morning menu" is brought to you by new centrum vitamints, a multivitamin you enjoy like a mint. abreva can heal it in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. without it the virus spreads from cell to cell. only abreva penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. you could heal your cold sore, fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. learn how abreva starts to work

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i am never getting married. we're never having kids. mmm-mmm. we are never moving to the suburbs. we are never having another kid. i'm pregnant. i am never letting go. for all the nevers in life, state farm is there. it's the walmart clearance event. starting now, you'll find all kinds of low prices... ...on select apparel, christmas d\cor, and toys. but hurry before these low clearance prices float away. walmart.

ryan, jenny mccarthy told us what her new year's resolution is. what about you? >> after seeing the mascots i've got to learn to be good at a sport. i think i've got to pick a sport many football probably not the one. maybe tennis. >> 2016. physical documentation of. >> dunking. i don't know?

with ryan next on "gma." i've smoked a lot and quit a lot, but ended up nowhere. now i use this. the nicoderm cq patch, with unique extended release technology, helps prevent the urge to smoke all day. i want this time to be my last time. that's why i choose nicoderm cq. feel a cold coming on? new zicam cold remedy nasal swabs shorten colds with a snap, and reduce symptom severity by 45%. shorten your cold with a snap, with zicam. it's the walmart clearance event. starting now, you'll find all kinds of low prices... ...on select apparel, christmas d\cor, and toys.

walmart. come on, wake up!!! come on,why ya sleepin'? come on! what time is it? it's go time. come on. let's go, let's go, let's go. woooo hoooo!! yeah!! i feel like i went to bed an hour ago. yeah!! i'll make the cocoa. get a great offer on the car of your grown-up dreams at the mercedes-benz winter event. it's the look on their faces that make it all worthwhile. hurry, these offers end january 4th. thank you santa!!! this has been an especially meaningful holiday season for the reality star teresa giudice known for her role in the "real housewives" released from prison at home with her family and now sharing a new year's message with her fans. abc's david wright has the latest. >> reporter: here she is back

a real housewife again. >> i'm like crying. >> reporter: out shopping for groceries, settling back into the routine, teresa giudice even posted a video message to the fans that stood by her during what had to be a very difficult year. >> hi, everyone. i'm back. i just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year. it's going to be a gait 2016. >> reporter: for the past year orange was the new black for this reality show superstar. inmate number 65703-050 at the federal correctional toutant in dan 7 danbury. teresa giudice served 11 months behind bars. >> she's coming back home to her family but she has just a few months with her husband and at that point joe will then have to go to prison to serve his sentence. >> reporter: joe giudice is facing 41 months in prison. >> we heard from teresa and joe's lawyer this has brought them closer. >> reporter: the couple's money

foreclosure proceedings on their new jersey mansion they still have to pay $414,000 in restitution to wells fargo, plus, the irs recently hit them with a $551,000 lien for unpaid taxes. but teresa still came home to an early christmas present, a brand-new lexus suv tied with a bow. presumably nobody flipped the table at this year's christmas dinner. >> this one had lots of group hugs, documenting the whole scene. harsh reality can wait. no public appearances planned. >> love, love, love you all. >> reporter: for now she's just glad to be home. for "good morning america," david wright, abc news, new york. >> all right, it's a new year's resolution time of year and that means new diets for a lot of people. some of the biggest stars are revealing their favorite get trim tips in the latest issue of

details. >> reporter: looking to get toned like taraji, khloe and bend like jen, well, now you can as the stars dish on everything from their diet secrets to fitness routines in the latest issue of "us weekly." >> every year, of course, after the holidays getting into the new year everyone is ready to get their diets and exercise routine into high gear. all of these stars each of them have some little tip that anyone can pick up at home. >> reporter: for gabrielle union balance is the name of the game. >> i ate a whole serving of apple cake. i needed it so i ate it. >> reporter: her top tips. >> eliminating all sugary drinks and replace with water and make your plate as colorful as possible, lean meat, sleep and regulating your schedule so i try to get to bed early. >> boo boo kitty. >> reporter: "empire" actress

sizes in a year with two a day workouts. she revealed. "i tell myself just show up and your body will change." white hot j. lo loves her greens. i eat asparagus, brussels sprout, kale everything you think of the 46-year-old superstar says. >> she feels better than when she was in her 20s. >> reporter: for "good morning america," aditi roy, abc news, san francisco. >> another dose of i'll have what she's having. >> obviously. now to what some say is the new face of bullying. parent, that's right, children targeted not by other kids but by adults. a disturbing new trend making headlines and genevieve brown is here with more. >> it's every parent's nightmare. their child being the victim of bullying but what if the bully is someone you never suspected? it's more common than you think and let's just say it's not a fair fight. >> is butter a carb.

they may not always be who you think. >> you're wearing sweatpants. it's monday. >> so? >> so that's against the rules. and you can't sit with us. >> reporter: the real bullies may actually be moms. jamie says her daughter rachel was bullied by a classmate's mother when she went to sleepaway camp in seventh grade. >> the mother reached out and called the director of the camp to tell him not to put my daughter into the cabin with her daughter's friends and their friends. they didn't want anything to do with her. it was a terrible experience and it was really the mom leading the charge. >> reporter: rachel was a victim of social engineering. a term coined by writer lisa barr in an article viewed online more than 2 million times. >> everyone's heard of the helicopter mom. this is taking it one step further. what they try to do is elevate their own child's social status at the expense of other kids.

to write the article after hearing hundreds of stories of kidding being bullied by dulls. >> what is their agenda. >> if their kids are in the group, then their kids will be happy and their kids will be, you know, the forefront of facebook and the photos and these moms really have no pity for how it affects another child. >> reporter: what should a parent do? >> if you are going to say something it's important to be calm and stay positive and kind. now, oftentimes these people won't change because they like themselves just the way they are. >> reporter: as for rachel, she found a new camp that she loved and learned and important lesson supply think we have to teach our children that life goes on and how to be strong and that bad stuff happens and there's good stuff around the corner. >> and parenting experts say this behavior among moms is not at all uncommon. whether it's handing out birthday party invitations to all but a few kids in plain

looking the other way when chairtheir child is being cruel to another. by getting it in the open this mean girl mom behavior will stop. >> interesting. seems like they're acting out the pathology from their own high school experience. >> their own insecurities. >> fascinating story, thank you. >> over to amy now. >> in less than 12 hours we will be kicking off 9 biggest party of the year and with us this morning at the start of a very long day, ryan seacrest, the host of dick clark's new year's rockin' eve 2016. thanks for getting up er8ly. >> my pleasure. longest title. >> is it your pleasure actually. >> this is fun for me. when you talk about it being 12 hours i'm so excited i wanted to start early. >> something that has started early, more so than ever is security. i had a tough time getting into the studio this morning at 4 a.m. >> it's tight but they do such a great job. we be very safe and excited all

out, over a million should come out. >> the weather is holding out. >> yes, supposed to be -- i didn't watch the weather -- >> 40, dry. >> it's been bone-chilling cold before to the point where i can't speak outside so it should be comfortable. >> that will help with all the live performs sances you have. what, did you have 38? >> almost 40. it's 38 this year. we've got everyone from one direction to carrie underwood and luke bryan, demi lovato. >> 38 of them. >> i wanted to write them down but would go up to my elbow. >> jimmy buffett. >> it's going to be great. right after midnight we're going to go live to the barclays center where 'standing by at his concert and he'll do "margaritaville" for us. >> yahoo! is bringing her husband donnie wahlberg and 13-year-old son evan. do you think she'll be on her best behavior. >> she's so good.

with but she'll have donny do a little live wrap i saw in our rehearsal. i think people will enjoy. >> recently tweeted a photo of yourself and asked what your resolution was, you said trying to come up with a sport but you're a runner too so you're trying to get rid of the holiday pounds. >> i had a lot of cheese fondue on christmas eve so i really did. >> what's that look. >> that is, oh, my god, this is painful. this hurts. i didn't run. i just made it look like -- >> it was a balmy day. >> so comfortable the last couple of days, i felt obligated to. people in shorts and t-shirts. >> no excuse not to run. you'll be saying good-bye to "american idol" in 2016. the new season kicks off. what do you look forward to doing most with that in your past? >> probably just bree tending i'm still doing it in my bedroom. i'll play host of "idol" as i used to do before i got the show. i can't believe it's the final season. it's bittersweet. i think it will be emotional when we crown the final winner

>> that's me singing richard marx, the most embarrassing thing i've done. >> the favorite moment of mine is "imagine." isn't that a special moment at the night right before the ball drops. do you have a special part of the night as you go through this year after year? >> i think i get chills during "imagine," also, you know, right at midnight and when they play frank sfrat tra "new york new york" it is that moment where every year i almost forget i'm still on television because you become a part of the crowd and you really just enjoy being there. so for me, you know, for dick to pass the baton to me on the bucket list for a lot of people and i get to do it every year. >> new york's finest out there cleaning everything up. >> it's amazing. it's a little -- pizza box and catheters or whatever are out there from earlier. >> tmi. tmi. >> they get in there at noon. >> penned. >> that's the trick. >> you're there to entertain them. that's the good news for everyone out there.

being with us. new year's rockin' eve starts at 8:00 before ryan takes off to rest up. you have a little business to do. >> put a couple of coats in here. >> the warm coats and warm hearts coat drive with burlington, fashion delivers, collection. >> from my line so i got a deal on those so -- >> you know someone. >> so far collecting more than $112,000 coats. goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! thanks, ryan. >> happy new year. >> happy new year. making you a little jealous. i got ryan. >> should be a fun time. pile on the coats, just about everywhere we'll finally start to see seasonable temperatures except for florida. look at the unseasonable warmth there. winter just hasn't cop. temperatures in the upper 80s maybe near record-breaking but north of that it will sag to the south and see temperatures that will be more -- closer to where they should be for this time of

all right, at midnight 39 degrees in happy camp. 50 in new orleans on bourbon street and 40 across parts of the northeast.after some overnight snow shower activity, the sky will rapidly clear. given temperatures in the upper teens to lower 20s and a good portion of the day turning sunny, most of the overnight snow should melt itself away. plan on a chilly evening if you are heading out to ring in the new year with midnight temperatures around 10 degrees. wind chills will likely be near zero during the evening as well. plan on a nice new years day, with a decent weekend also still on track. have a great day! >> it's been a great 2015, guys. back to you in new york. >> thanks, rob. we have some very special guests sitting in for our new year's eve edition of "pop news." not dan harris or amy. our college football team

here. whoo! we're going to be putting them to work in a couple of minutes so start stretching but let's start with the hottest video trending on facebook. so many people are talking about aretha franklin's performance at the kennedy center honors. the queen of soul sang "you make me feel like a natural woman" in a tribute to the co-writer and honoree, carole king. check it out. i feel like a natural woman you make me feel you make me ah ah >> that's exactly how i sound when i sing at karaoke. that never happens. >> that rendition brought sparty to tears. >> i know. oh, wait, that's sparty. >> the one that's not a tiger is sparty. >> clemson, michigan state. >> okay, okay, okay wait. that's amy's. i got it and the ka the is dan's.

job title this morning. comedian. mr. obama took a spin with jerry seinfeld to kick off the season opener of "comedians in cars getting coffee" and began with seinfeld creeping around in the bushes outside the oval office. you can get in trouble for that then knocking on the window to get the president's attention. here's a sneak peek. >> grow up loving the president. >> would be the eight demographic. >> oh, really. >> they love me partly because i think my ears are big and so i look a little like a cartoon character. >> right. >> and then little kids love saying my name. >> right. >> but it's all one big name, it's barack obama. >> we've been waiting for this. time to make them work. we're talking dancing. our college football team mascots have been getting us hyped up all morning. sparty and tiger or cat and amy's person and here to show us their moves. you'll give it all you got,

set, boop. everybody >> that was a whip and nae nae. i saw it coming. move your feet >> oh, that was the gap. yeah. >> see, we can all get along there. >> make sure you tune in to espn for the playoffs oklahoma taking on clemson in the orange bowl 4 p.m. and michigan state facing off against alabama in the cotton bowl at 8 p.m. next we have jenny mccarthy. she is dishing on new year's rockin' eve.

>> get a hammy, everybody.heath officials in iowa say flu levels are relatively low throughout the state, compared to recent years. so far this flu season, roughly 20 people have been hospitalized, and two people have died. officials at the state hygienic lab in coralville say this flu season could be milder for a number of reasons. one is the milder winter. cold weather forces people indoors, where the virus can thrive. the state epidemiologist told a local official a lot of iowans have been hospitalized with "flu-like" symptoms. but many of those cases were not the flu. it's too early to tell if the low number is partially due to this season's vaccine. more than 500 people across the state have reported having shigella this year. and at least half of those cases were in linn county. shigella is a bacterial disease that spreads from person to person, typically lasting four to seven days. symptoms include diarrhea, fever, nausea, and abdominal cramps. and now here's your first alert forecast. after some overnight snow shower activity, the sky will rapidly clear. given temperatures

portion of the day turning sunny, most of the overnight snow should melt itself away. plan on a chilly evening if you are heading out to ring in the new year with midnight temperatures around 10 degrees. wind chills will likely be near zero during the evening as well. plan on a nice new years day, with a decent weekend also still on track. have a great day! cedar rapids police are investigating an armed robbery at a gas station on the northeast side. they say someone with a gun

welcome back to "gma" and happy new year's eve. we have our mascots here, pumping us up this morning for the big college playoff games on espn. >> a lot coming up including a big reveal of the new american girl doll but first there she is hiding behind that mysterious scrim but for sara hours away from the famous dropping of the ball in times square. you have an up close look with jenny mccarthy. >> i sure did just a couple of blocks away the big times square ball will drop as we count down to 2016 and spent a little time up there with jenny mccarthy who is a handful. i love her and she's co-hosting dick clark's rockin' new year's eve with ryan seacrest. had to do it. we had a ball. >> nice. [ cheers and applause ] >> i'm here right now with one of the dynamic duo. >> you mean the ball. >> the ball. >> oh, and you're here, jenny, are you ready? >> i am. this is no doubt like one of my

i've been doing it six year, ryan has been doing it for 11. has a little more on me. it's the one time that i get to be around 1 million people who are unified and happy, collectively and it literally i get the chills and cry. i wish the world could be like this all the time. >> the weather has never been in your favor. i think in years past it was like 20 degrees. >> it's so cold, ryan. i can't hear you. >> now this year it's supposed >> yes. >> how are you going to stay away. >> dick clark would say pray to mother nature and i think actually dick is looking down on better. i usually use that cold weather to kind of stay alert but now i have my 13-year-old son with me so that will help me. >> exactly. >> as well. >> what do you think the fans are most excited about. >> a good question. i think it depends on age group, but i think the country fans might have beat everybody out. >> they always do. >> they do.

luke bryan and carrie underwood will get the loudest screams. >> you kiss your husband on new year's but brought two strangers together in the past for a stranger kiss. >> correct. >> can we expect something as exciting this year. >> we're working on something just as exciting. i try to up the ante. >> ryan wants to find someone to kiss at midnight. will you help him. >> i tried. i almost got him to kiss taylor swift then i almost got him to kiss miley cyrus so hopefully this year maybe carrie underwood wouldn't mind cheating on her husband. >> well, i like her style. come on, jenny did, people. >> thank you. >> what's your new year's resolution? can you share? >> mine is odd, i must say. i'm kind of -- i borrowed this off carrie fisher. not her resolution but in her recent kind of talk back to social media about her weight and her age, i thought, you know, i'm tired of taking the high road sometimes. i feel like i want to be a

year and would like to speak my mind a little bit more instead of taking the publicist's high road. >> good luck tonight. >> you too. >> happy new year. >> tune in. >> dick clark's rockin' new year's eve with ryan seacrest kicks off on abc the 58 p.m. and spot if i play list featuring songs from our performers. listen to it on goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! i'll send it back to amy. >> sara, two of the nicest people in the business, hosting that and sara, you're included on that one. another big event kicking off this afternoon, the college football playoff whether you're a die-hard fan or a newbie, who doesn't want to look clueless watching the games we've got you covered. i pause because that would maybe be dan. >> i thought that's what you were saying. sage steele is here with a guide to all things gridiron with a helpful thought for dan for people who might not know what's going on. >> you're not clueless, are you?

>> according to amy. >> what does he need to know. >> second year of the playoff form. we're having them on new year's eve. football, partying, like you don't have to leave your couch. we got you covered on espn and abc with the ball drop but these matchups are actually really fun and very different programs. alabama has won ten national championships, oklahoma has won seven. michigan state, two. clemson, one so it's the haves and have-nots and they're facing off and there's actually a lot of good drama coming into this. we like drama. >> always fun to root for the underdog. >> oklahoma/clemson matchup. what should we know there. >> drill down on -- i like the lingo. >> i memorized that. >> clemson, it's interesting because three players were actually sent home. only one was a starter but disciplinary reasons and dabo sweeney, it's called accountability. they screwed up. they're out.

if they win look for dancing. also, baker may feel the oklahoma quarterback great story went to texas tech, hurt himself, transferred. he went there as a walk-on. transferred and then went to oklahoma as a walk-on. that doesn't happen so that means no scholarship. he walks in and now look at him. in the national semifinal game. but this is a rematch because last season these two played in a bowl and clemson blew them out like 40-6 so again revenge is the little theme here. >> underdog, michigan state. i mean, tell me what their chances are. >> you know, i think it depends all on their quarterback connor cook. >> is my dad going to have a good new year's eve. >> all about your dad. not anything else. i don't think it will be horrible but a really good game and he's a stud. connor cook, their quarterback is an absolute stud breaking all the records at that school. do you know the head coach at michigan state, mark dan known joe used to coach under nick saban at michigan state, the alabama head coach so a very small circle and all comes back.

winner with derekrick henry from alabama. saban is tight. a competitor. doesn't smile much. he might smile if he beats your michigan state spartans? we'll try to wipe that smile off his face, stage 1, thanks for being here. >> enjoy, dan. >> thank you, i will. and the college football playoff semifinals kick off this afternoon on espn. oklahoma taking on clemson, the orange bowl at 4 p.m. eastern and michigan state and alabama in the cotton bowl at 8:00. sara. >> well, now it's the moment that these american girl fans and all of us have been waiting for including dan harris this morning. we're about to exclusively reveal the 2016 girl of the year, are you guys excited? >> all: yes. >> well, let me tell you first a little bit about her. she loves photography and animals and she discovered a whole new world of adventure when she and her family took a trip to brazil. we'll me her.

ready, three, two, one. [ cheers and applause ] >> yeah. >> are you guys excited? >> all: yes! >> so, i actually want to hear what many so of our fans, you guys are all american girl fans, correct. i'll ask you a few questions. first, skye, what do you think of lea? >> i think she's gorgeous. i'm excited and can't wait to add her to my collection. she loves photography and animals. >> now, alessandra, what is your favorite thing about american girl. >> my favorite thing about american girl is when i like to get their hair done and when i get new clothes and dolls. >> you should always practice on a doll before you practice on a sibling. i learned the hard way. okay, and sofia, would you like to add lea to your american girl collection. >> yes. >> what about you guys? >> yes. >> well, maybe you'll be super psyched to hear you guys all get an american girl doll. >> yes.

>> come on. >> drop the card, this is so exciting. who is excited? >> all: me! >> i really hope there's none left over for me. the 2016 girl of the year will be available in american girl stores online tomorrow and to show girls they can make a difference protecting animals an their happenbitats they're launching a year long campaign to protect wildlife. how excited are you? [ cheers and applause ] lea now so we'll send it to rob in missouri. >> who is equally excited about the new american girl, hey, sara, thanks so much. i know nothing about it but as my daughter gets older i think maybe next year she's going to want one. when you're not watching football are you going to be flipping over to abc, new year's rockin' eve or in new york city itself here's what the temperature will be like when the ball drop, 39 degrees, cloudy right now, low visibility but clearing out, should be a good time had.

for the gulf coast. that's a quick check. shower activity, the sky will rapidly clear. given temperatures in the upper teens to lower 20s and a good portion of the day turning sunny, most of the overnight snow should melt itself away. plan on a chilly evening if you are heading out to ring in the new year with midnight temperatures around 10 degre >> this weathercast brought to you by macy's. now to tom llamas at the center of the party tonight, tom, what do you got? >> rob, thank you very much. that's right. we are here at the center of the times square celebration just behind me, the famous ball, 12 feet in diameter, 12,000 pounds, the price, well, it's priceless. they don't put a value on it because it's so expend i have. tom brennan from waterford crystal responsible for this ball and jeff straus, who is co-producer of the new york times square celebration in new york. first to you. the crystal, the way it was designed reminds you of waterford ireland where you're from and sunsets there, sunrises.

brings you right back to waterford. great company. waterford crystal, irish heritage company where it began. when you look at this beautiful design, the gift of wonder. this reminds me of an irish sunrise and brings you right back to waterford city. >> a beautiful ball. we can't wait till itdoctors. jeff, you are one of the busiest guys in the world. co-producer of the event in times square. what's different. >> every year people propose. we're having a wedding thanks to george and jen and announce the first couple of 2016 and you can vote up until 8:35 on who will get married. >> how about this weather? have you ever felt a times square event that was so warm. >> i've been doing it for 21 years, the best weather we've ever had so people are going to be here celebrating and have warmth. it's going to be a great night. >> look forward to it. my last question, can i hit it? >> don't touch it. >> don't. >> tom and jeff, thank you very much. coming up on "gma," the hairstyles of 2016. i'm really excited about that

different about my hair and sneak peek at supersuperfeaturing shakira with a single called "try everything." good advice for the new year written by cia and stargate on the soundtrack. let's listen. >> supersuperwhere animals of all breeds live together in peace and harmony. >> zpd's first rabbit officer judy hops. >> what can you tell us? are we safe. >> you are a key witness. >> no, he is. >> hey. >> i need you to run a plate. >> all right. i know a guy. >> they're all sloths. r >> your buddy is so emotional. >> i'm going to let go. >> the most feared crime boss, mr. big. >> is that mr. big? sgl>> i had one at my wedding.

in theaters everywhere.tt2watz'@f4 bt@q6]h tt2watz'@f4 "a@q&q, tt2watz'@f4 bm@q-z tt4watz'@f4 " dztq ajl tt4watz'@f4 " entq 1n, tt4watz'@f4 " gzt& (it tt4watz'@f4 " hnt& 8g8 tt4watz'@f4 " iztq r.@ tt4watz'@f4 " jntq @^ tt4watz'@f4 " lzt& x3\ it's time to share the warmth with families and children in need. >> our theme is kids helping kids. >> let's keep people warm. >> donating coats. >> go to any burlington store to donate a coat and join our annual coat drive. >> as we get ready to ring in the new year a lot of women are wondering how to wear their

a look at what will be trending in 2016. thanks for being with us. >> thanks for having me. >> you style a lot of celebrities including kerry washington. what is her go to look? >> she likes to have a lot of texture, likes it messy and fun. >> you teed up the first look. we're starting with some messy waves here. >> yes. >> and our model brandy and see jessica biel, jessica alba rocking this look, kerry washington, so how do you get it. >> very easy to do. you start off with a good foundation of a good shampoo and conditioner which gives her hair nice shine. i love to use newt tra gina anti-residue shampoo and then i like to use their intense moisturizing deep conditioner which is their recovery. asque and take a curling iron and wrap it around loosely and a flat iron to do had if sounds

next up is the lob. i had to ask what it is, a long bob. we know kerry wore it beautifully at the emmys this year and saw it on kate middleton. looks difficult. >> she has long hair actually so what i did was i took her hair and teased it and really good teasing brush and it gives the hair volume so i took large bobby pins and pinned it in places and let some fall in the front and on the sides. this is it like a bob is a longer version of a lob. >> a lob, okay. yes, i learned something new today. the third trend is about the braids, there's kerry washington with the crown braid and then emma stone and hayden panettiere all sporting braids. marcia is wearing a textured braid. can you tell us how you did it. >> i gave marci aa in one, lupita is wearing braids and viola is

her a headbrand brain and took a small curling iron and added texture to her hair andiced it out. here it is. >> you mentioned viola and lupita all sporting natural looks. is that going to be a trend going into 2016. >> oh, yes, a very bold statement and great trend for 2016. lots and lots of texture. >> people are applauding for that, as well. okay, i'm stuck behind a model so i'm just going to go. thank you so much and coming up next here on "good morning america," we go above and beyond again remember, take a look at this unbelievable moment. we'll take it to the next level with david copperfield all next right here on "gma."

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our above and beyond series celebrating people who give their all to help others brought us some of the best moments of 2015, one of the honorees was magician chad. he got a car to help him work his magic cheering up kids in the local hospital. he also got to make one of his dreams come true helping him meet his idol david copperfield and the fun was just getting started. nick watt has more. >> reporter: now we've taken it a step further. flying chad and his girlfriend to vegas lauren. david's invitation closed to the public warehouse home to the greatest magic memorabilia collection on earth. and look who's here. >> welcome. it's my secret lair and the secret disguised location. >> reporter: exact replica of

>> grab hole and pull down slowly. nice. welcome. >> all the sets from his famous shows over the years and a multimillion dollar menagerie. >> if houdini was alive, tell me what you recognize. what's that? >> the metamorphosis. >> reporter: they say some of this stuff still works. >> nice. i love it. >> great. >> she's been wanting to do that to me all day. >> reporter: they have a bond greater than magic because they both use it for good. >> my program is a collaboration with doctors and therapists and he goes right to the patients and lifts their spirits. >> so far so good. >> i never thought in a million years i'd be sitting in houdini's chair in the middle of david's warehouse getting a private tour by david. just layers of unbelievable. >> time for one more layer.

and a little bit of tv magic. all right, guys, we got good seats. you figure out what he's doing and how he's doing it don't tell us. table bang in the center not too shabby for his main attraction, even chad got in on the act. turns out david copperfield's actually not my favorite magician. chad is. for "good morning america," nick watt, abc news, las vegas. >> very cool. we'll do a disappearing act and

commercial. "good morning america" is brought to you by mercedes-benz. experience truly great engineering today at your authorized dealer. >> we want to thank our mascots who made it here. helping us kicking off new year's eve in times square. don't forget to watch the college football playoff oklahoma facing clemson in the orange bowl, michigan state, go green, go white takes on alabama starting at 4:00. the show with the longest name, dick clark's new year's

kicks off at 8 p.m. on abc. have a great new year's."dick clark's new year's rockin' eve with ryan seacrest kicks off at 8 p.m. on abc. have a great new year's.cedar rapids police are investigating an armed robbery at a gas station on the northeast side. they say someone with a gun robbed the b-p station on first avenue shortly before 9 o'clock last night. the robber then ran away before police arrived. no one was hurt. a man is in custody this morning

charges of burglary and theft of a vehicle. cedar falls police responded to an alarm at wheels unlimited auto sales around one this morning. officers found damage to the entrance. police then found curt douglas widen inside the shop. they also found a new green ford garbage truck nearby. police believe widen stole the truck and used it to damage the building. a state engineer who was fired two years ago for giving sexually inappropriate homemade buttons to a co-worker is getting his job back. bruce flippin start again with the iowa d-n-r on monday. an administrative law judge decided flippin did violate d-n-r rules, but his firing wasn't justified. he will also get about two years of back pay, which totals 173-thousand dollars. and now here's your first alert forecast. after some overnight snow shower activity, the sky will rapidly clear. given temperatures

and a good portion of the day turning sunny, most of the overnight snow should melt itself away. plan on a chilly evening if you are heading out to ring in the new year with midnight temperatures around 10 degrees. wind chills will likely be near zero during the evening as well. plan on a nice new years day, with a decent weekend also still on track.

announcer: it's "live with kelly and michael." today, mega