making news in america this morning. >> after the storm. california communities covered in mud. stadiums, filled with water. and the danger is not over yet. on alert. new military actions by south korea overnight. will the north respond? and the spirit of giving. how a 9-year-old inspired an entire community. good morning, everyone. thanks for being with us. today, california is expecting to return to something it hasn't seen in quite a while. sunshine. >> in many cities, the cleanup from the eight-day deluge is under way. the final storm did the most damage. inland and coastal communities now buried in mud.

some canyon roads completely washed out. >> residents doing all they could to battle those rising waters. brad wheelis has the story from l.a. >> reporter: san diego is submerged. stranded guests had to be rescued at this inn, surrounded by water. >> you don't really know what to do in a situation like that. but you just cooperate with the firefighters. >> reporter: qualcomm ig, dirty looked more like a big, dirty pool. but offor thursdy 's collebe ready for thursday's college bowl game. nearly four feet of water raced through the streets of laguna beach, leaving a mess for residents and businesses to clean up. in silverado canyon, rain loosened boulders. rushing water blocked access to mountain homes. >> what sounds like thunder is a loft rocks coming down in that creek. and they're hitting these trees. it's cutting away all the embankment on the side. >> reporter: a devastating mudslide in highland, california, devastating everything in its path. 20 homes destroyed. >> i had it in my living room, all downstairs. i've got nothing left. nothing.

>> reporter: dove canyon was hit just as hard. a state of emergency has been declared in six counties. in some areas, hundreds were forced to evacuate. many in la canada refused to leave. >> are you guys going to stay? >> yeah. we're going to stay. >> reporter: this monster storm is moving across the country. >> by early next week, you'll be seeing it on the east coast. it will be wild and wooly. >> reporter: brad wheelis, abc news, los angeles. northwestern arizona is one area that's not out of the woods just yet. that's where six homes literally were washed away. >> a handful of houses are still in danger, as the raging floodwaters won't peak until later today. rain is expected through the morning. most residents have now voluntarily evacuated. as the storm moved out, though, it left this rainbow behind, over los angeles. a hint at the calmer weather to come. >> much nicer than the photos we showed at the beginning of the show. >> they deserve it. as the storm shifts to the middle of the country, we take a look now at what we can expect throughout the day. >> accuweather's

amy aaronson joins us, with a look at today's forecast. hi, amy. >> thank you, rob and vinita. things are finally looking up for the golden state. sunshine is making a return from san francisco all the way down to los angeles today. although flooding will still be a concern, travel conditions greatly improving across the state today. but where is that storm going? out into the midsection of the nation. but weakening as it does so. still some light rain today for the four corners. and some light snow to the north here. do expect some slippery travel right along i-90, traveling through south dakota. as we continue to head eastward here, snow will be winding down through new england today. still talking lake-effect snow in syracuse, rochester and also erie, pennsylvania. our main concern across the northeast will be very gusty winds, especially in cities like boston. as for the southeast, a picture-perfect travel day on deck, with high pressure in control, making it cool and dry. my advice would be to travel early on, in the south and the midwest because some snow is on the way. already, we're talking snow by christmas eve, from chicago down through st. louis. back to you, rob and vinita.

>> all right. thanks a lot, amy. we'll have much more about the storm's aftermath later today on "good morning america." overseas, now, we are following some breaking news on the korean peninsula. as south korea carries out its largest-ever set of wintertime military drills. they're taking place about 20 miles from the border with north korea. korea. hundreds of troops, along with tanks and fighter jets, are involved. drills are in response to last month's bombardment of a south korean island by the communist north. tensions between north and south korea will top the agenda when the chinese president visits the white house next month. the white house has announced an official visit by hu jintao. president obama visited china last year. and the president begins his hawaiian vacation today. and he's doing it on a high note. nearly all of his top legislative priorities were approved during the lame duck session of congress. lawmakers were passing bills even in the final hours. here, now, is jonathan karl. >> reporter: supporters call it a christmas miracle. >> this christmas will be the

best christmas that i've ever known. >> reporter: it didn't happen until congress' time had almost run out. a new fund now established for 9/11 rescue workers who became sick because of what they inhaled in the days following the attack. for days, oklahoma's tom coburn stood in the way. he was concerned about cost. and he was vilified. >> he shouldn't be a senator and shouldn't be a doctor, if he's going to go out there and attack this bill. >> reporter: the way you've been hammered on this. >> i'm used to being hammered. >> reporter: you're standing up against the heroes of 9/11. >> no. i'm standing up -- i'm not standing against them at all. i'm standing for us, as america, the realization that we have to do things efficiently and economically. >> reporter: the bill appeared to be on the verge of dying. we found majority leader, harry reid, coming out of coburn's office. do we have a deal on the 9/11 bill? >> i don't do deals. >> reporter: but the deal was struck. coburn dropped his objections after the bill's cost was reduced. the victory capped what may be the most productive lame duck

congress ever. passing the extension of the bush tax cuts, the repeal of the military's don't ask, don't tell policy, a major overhaul of the way the government protects the food supply, and the ratification of the s.t.a.r.t. nuclear arms treaty with russia. don't expect the flurry of activity to continue. after the holidays, a new congress will be sworn in. republicans will control the house. a narrower democratic majority in the senate. the forecast ahead, conflict and gridlock. jonathan karl, abc news, washington. before he left town, mr. obama, of course, signed that bill allowing gays to serve openly in the military. the new law ends the 17-year-old don't ask, don't tell policy, which forced gay, military members to hide their sexual orientation or face dismissal. the historic change fulfilled one of the president's campaign promises. >> for we are not a nation that says, don't ask, don't tell. we are a nation that says, out of many, we are one.

>> mr. obama praised lawmakers for what he called the most successful post-election period in decades. the administration is now defending the nation's intelligence chief, james clapper, who appeared uninformed about a major terrorism bust in britain, just hours after a dozen arrests were made. it all started tuesday with an interview with our diane sawyer. >> london. how serious is it? any indication that it was coming here? any of the things that they have seen were coming here? >> london? >> i was a little surprised you didn't know about london, director clapper. >> i'm sorry. i didn't. >> you referenced london. but you didn't talk about the arrests. >> yesterday, the president's homeland security adviser conceded that clapper wasn't up to speed. >> his not being briefed yesterday afternoon.

this is something we've acknowledged he should have been briefed on. we've taken steps to correct that now. and if that happens again, i'm sure that he is going to be going to be aware of the takedown over seas. >> he went on to say that clapper had been preoccupied with the tensions on the korean peninsula, as well as some other issues. and when we come back this morning, experts say car buyers are finding the best deals of the year. we'll tell you which two days over the next week can allow you to save even more. and why dallas police were called to george bush's front yard. a

wall street is heading back to the future. the dow and s&p 500 closed yesterday at levels they'd last seen in july 2008. the nasdaq had its highest close since 2007. one, big factor was a report showing that the economy grew more than was thought last quarter. wall street starts the day with the dow jones industrial at 11,559, after gaining 26 points yesterday. the nasdaq index gained three points. overseas, tokyo's nikkei average is closed for the emperor's birthday. hong kong's hang seng is down in late trading. in london, the ftse opened higher. sales of existing homes were up 5.6% last month. however, economists say the housing market's improvement is not consistent. and they expect slow growth in 2011. online retailers have reason to break out the eggnog. online sales are up 23% compared

to this time last year. online retailers are going all-out. some are even offering free shipping on orders placed today. and if you are in the market for a new car, you might want to act soon. some of the best days to buy a new car fall in the final two weeks of the year. truecar.com says the least expensive deals could be found on christmas eve and new year's day. >> not bad. get those deals. when we come back this morning, a 9-year-old little girl who inspired her community to give. plus, a weakness in airport security nationwide. one pilot posted these videos on youtube. and the feds came knocking. and the most famous purse in america, now is also one of the priciest. in a month,be in a batht and i figured i would take these... "dietary supplement weight-loss pills." ooh, "consult a physician if you experience rapid heartbeat, "dizziness, shortness of breath...

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soaked hillsides that literally started sliding into homes and yards in southern california. muck has already covered nearly two dozen homes and many cars in highland. the neighborhoods most at risk were where wildfires burned this year. the rain is over. but mud and flooding could be a problem on the roads, especially i-40, from l.a. to arizona. and on i-15, from san diego to las vegas. still wet on i-5, in southern california and in the pacific northwest. icy on i-70, from utah to denver. and on i-90, from the dakotas to minnesota. >> and if you're flying today, you can expect some airport delays in seattle, salt lake city, denver and minneapolis. well, during this week, when many americans are flying, an airline pilot has taken to youtube to highlight a double-standard in airport security. that flight crews are forced to go through security but those loading and servicing the planes are not. >> he found out that even the government was watching his videos. here, now, is george warren from our sacramento affiliate, kxtv. >> anybody recognizes this

terminal, this is obviously san francisco. >> reporter: a veteran airline pilot offered a video tour of san francisco international airport, using his cell phone camera to point out what he believes are serious flaws in airport security. >> it's only smoke and mirrors. >> reporter: the pilot, who asked that we not identify him or his airline, was authorized by the tsa to carry a handgun in the cockpit. the pilot is asking the question, why are you and i and even he and other members of his flight crew, forced to go through a security checkpoint? while the people who service the aircraft, are free to come and go as they please? >> this is their screening. se card slide and one door. >> reporter: three days after the pilot posted his airport security tour on youtube, four federal air marshals and two sheriff's deputies arrived at his house, which he also recorded. >> what's up? >> reporter: they were here to

confiscate his federally-issued handgun. >> why am i on suspension? >> reporter: a letter later arrived informing the pilot his status as a federal deputy was being reviewed because tsa had seen that video on youtube. the pilot's attorney believes the feds sent six people to his house to send a message. >> and the message was, you've angered us by telling the truth. and by showing america that there are major security problems, despite the fact that we've spent billions of dollars, allegedly, to improve airline safety. >> reporter: the pilot is not in trouble with his airline, although a supervisor asked him to remove the video from youtube. but he does face possible civil penalties for what the tsa called disclosure of sensitive security information. >> i don't think there's much security here. >> reporter: in sacramento, george warren, news 10. two of chicago's bravest are being remembered this morning. the firefighters were killed yesterday when a roof in an

abandoned building caved in on them. officials say the men entered the building looking for any squatters who may have been trapped inside. the fire broke out just as the city marked th anniversary of a historic fire there back in 1910. investigators in dallas are still piecing together an incident last night at the home of former president george w. bush. a suspect was detained after he apparently accidentally drove right on to the bush's lawn. the secret service says there was never any danger to the former president. the purse that played a key role in that florida school board meeting shoot-out has been now auctioned for charity. ginger littleton used that big bag to try to disarm the gunman during last week's incident. it has now sold, though, for more than 13,000 bucks on ebay. and the company that made the purse is giving a matching donation. >> superman's cape. kind of. now, some sports. week 16 of the nfl kicks off tonight with the carolina panthers visiting the pittsburgh steelers. as for last night's college

footballat espn nednan virk over at espn news. >> good morning. boise state was poised for a run at the national championship before a heartbreak befell them. however, they were still in a bowl contest. just not the one they were anticipating. facing utah, instead. the utes. what is a ute? oh, i get it. check out boise choate, holding back allen moody. don't you do this to me. boise state could not score in the first quarter. second quarter, they would score. doug martin on the left side. into the open field. and away he goes. 84-yard touchdown. longest play of the season for the broncos. they are up 7-3. final seconds, second quarter. kellen moore, tyler shoemaker. tap-dancing his way in. a 25-yard major. fourth quarter, moore. heisman trophy finalist, finding austin pettis. pettis takes the hit but holds on for the touchdown. boise state, getting some

redemption. they win, 26-3. in the meantime, missouri taking on illinois. michael dixon jr. returning from a two-game suspension. with the illini trailing by two. that's demetri mccamey, hitting the straightaway three-pointer. ties things up at 50-50. later on, from the outside. illinois, up by one. under two minutes left. tied at 58-58. michael dixon, driving. tough lay-in. off the glass. and the tigers up by two. things are getting interesting. dixon, tripped by mike davis. davis finds d.j. richardson for the open three-pointer. tigers, quickly, the other way. marcus denmon, ahead to laurence bowers for the lay-in. and he's fouled by mike tisdale. tisdale, hit with the intentional foul. take another look. that counts. missouri converting. and they go on to win. take it 75-64. you're up to date for now. back to you in new york. well, this is the season for giving.

a 9-year-old, abigail taylor of wichita, kansas, has become a poster child. >> she recently found $68 outside of her church. and she turned it in. when no one claimed it, the church gave it back to abigail. so, she went shopping for toys. only, they weren't for her. they were for kids at a local hospital. >> word got out. and others then matched her donation. at the end, $900 worth of toys was purchased. well done, abigail. we'll be right back. sleep is here, on the wings of lunesta. and if you wake up often in the middle of the night... rest is here, on the wings of lunesta. lunesta helps you fall asleep and stay asleep, so you can wake up feeling rested. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation,

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and now, a look ahead to the stories we'll be watching on this thursday. in a response to north korea's bombardment of a south korean island last month, the south, today, is carrying out some major military drills. they're taking place about 20 miles from the north korean border. with congress now adjourned, today, president obama joins the first family in hawaii, where he will be vacationing until the first of the year. it's a day to clean up and dry out in southern california, now that seven-straight days of rain are finally over. dozens of homes were damaged, as mud and debris swept down from the hillside. and they say they will have san diego's qualcomm stadium dried out and ready to go for tonight's poinsettia bowl. the field was covered with several inches of water, thanks to six-straight days of rain. bowl officials say the game between san diego state and navy will go ahead as scheduled. and coming up today on "good morning america," a sign of the season. the christmas morning freakout. we'll have a round up of adorable videos that have gone viral. >> love it.

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well, we all know the tsa has been getting a pretty bad rap lately, accused of being a

little too touchy-feely. >> now, they're touching passengers in a different way. and this time, no one is complaining. >> ooh. >> here are the tsa carollers at l.a.x. ♪ f ♪ frosty the snowman, was a jolly happy soul ♪ >> there's a lot of stress. when the singers start singing, maybe it will relieve some of the stress. ♪ he was made of snow but the children know ♪ ♪ how he came to life one day >> it's something we do to show a different face, you know, of the tsa. a more human side. ♪ rudolph the red-red-nosed reindeer ♪ ♪ had a very shiny nose >> the tsa people, are bringing everybody together with the christmas spirit. ♪ then one foggy christmas eve santa came to say ♪ >> it's fun. and the spirit of christmas.

♪ it's christmastime in the city ♪ >> american airlines flight leaving at 12:05 to miami, denver, chicago, san francisco -- ♪ away it's a blue bird here to stay is a new bird ♪ ♪ singing along as we go along ♪ ♪ walking in a winter wonder land ♪ >> yeah. love it. and finally this morning, an odd twist for a traditional holiday treat. a way to spread christmas cheer and mow the lawn at the same time. >> bet you've never seen this before. instead of displaying a gingerbread house on a table, a man has plopped a giant ginger red house on his giant lawn mower. it cruises around the house, a