good morning, america. breaking right now. brand-new wildfires erupt overnight. towering flames reach the top of trees near a popular tourist destination. another fire shuts down this major interstate. this burning rv sparking the blaze. mandatory evacuations ordered at this hour. also breaking out west the deadly bus accident on the arizona-california border. big rigs, spilling pipes. forced the bus of the road. details just coming in. prince charles takes aim. comparing vladimir putin to hitler. saying his actions in ukraine are like the nazi dictator during world war ii. the palace issuing a statement this morning about his private conversations. ♪ i got a feeling meryl and maks. >> meryl and maks are dancing's new champions. the ballroom's hottest couple

tangos off with the mirrorball trophy. after the final's perfect performance. >> you are marvelous. >> reporte the couple flying all night on the "gma" express to be here live. get ready for our epic "dancing with the stars" after-party, only right here on "gma." >> good morning, america. and we want to take a look because all four of the finals -- all four couples from the final, boarding the "gma" express. what point is that? we don't fly like that. after that big show last night. they have touched down in new york city, after traveling all night. and they're on their way, right now, for the big after-party. >> we're going to have a lot of fun all morning long. and let's look at the winners. there they are. maks and meryl.

what an emotional win for both of them. she said it was all for him. and i was surprised. this is maks' first win in 14 seasons of competing. >> he was so emotional. you should have seen his brother, val, and tony, the way they jumped for joy when it was announced. it was something to see. >> that's coming up. we have a lot of news to get to, starting with the fast-moving wildfires in arizona. scorching hundreds of acres overnight. evacuations have been ordered. and ginger is tracking it all. >> good morning, guys. >> flames went to 100 feet high. we had 40-mile-per-hour gusts. and most of arizona is in severe drought. arizona erupting in flames. more than 450 acres of wildfire encroaching on slide rock canyon state park, a popular tourist destination. more than 60 miles away, this burning r.v. started a 100-acre brush fire, closing interstate 17 in both directions for more than four hours.

as the traffic stood still, helicopters rushed in with buckets to try to douse the flames. wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour, combined with dry conditions, caused a wildfire to rage in slide rock. >> it's burning hot. it's throwing 100-foot flames off the top of these ponderosa pines. we're doing what we can to corral it and get ahead of it. >> reporter: as of this hour, zero percent is contained. evacuations of homes and stretching for two miles. 100 firefighters battling at this hour. coping with not only the intense flames, but large plumes of smoke. unfortunately, even though a cold front -- we'd have to call it a cool front, is sweeping through, that's going to kick winds up again today. winds will be higher, even though the temperatures will be dropping behind it. sedona, today, just behind 80 degrees. not only do we have wildfires, you guys, but big-time severe weather to talk about. almost three-inch hail in parts of chicago. >> oh, wow. that's ahead in the nation's weather. >> ginger, thank you. now, to the bombshell

lawsuit against the nfl. hundreds of players alleging they were given pain killing drugs illegally. and that the league put profits ahead of their health. abc's jim avila has that story for us. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning. this morning, 500 former football players, including super bowl winning bears quarterback, jim mcmahon, and hall of fame defensive end, richard dent, lead those big names suing the nfl. the players claimed the nfl created a culture of drug misuse, substituting players' health for profits. supplying them with risky painkillers to numb their injuries so they could return to the playing field. leading to life-long medical problems. jim mcmahon now suffers from dementia. according to the suit, nfl doctors didn't tell him he suffered a broken neck from plays like this. and he played on for years without proper treatment and lots of drugs. the players claim the league encourages a drug culture, frequently portrayed in the movies like "north dallas 40." and more recently, "any given sunday."

richard dent is in the hall of fame for his speed and sacking the quarterback on the fathersome 1985 super bowl winning chicago bears. today, he only moves fast in his customized golf cart. his foot destroyed, he says, by the nfl drug policy. dent claims the team used a steady stream of always available prescription painkillers. >> a lot of the stuff used to be just in a bowl. you know? then it became to, you know, you asking or a trainer giving you stuff. >> reporter: j.d. hill, a former buffalo bill, is suing, too. he says the rampant and random use of drugs in the nfl got him addicted. >> we would never know what we really were taking at times. and i could stand by that on oath. >> reporter: the nfl says it's too early to comment. >> was only just made aware of it just briefly. but i don't believe any of our attorneys have had an opportunity to look at. and as you know, i've been in meetings all day. >> reporter: this is the second

big legal hit for the nfl coming from its own former players. the league has agreed to pay more than $760 million to settle that concussion suit. robin? >> thank you, jim. and abc's chief legal affairs anchor, dan abrams, joins us now. picking up on what jim just said there, what is the difference between that lawsuit involving concussions, and this one? >> this one is theoretically more dangerous to the league than the concussion case, because it could encompass a lot more retired players. you're talking about anybody prescribed as little as an aspirin, being part of this class of people. that's what makes this a tough case. this is a compelling argument that they put forward. meaning, they talk about individuals and their suffering, et cetera. but that's a public policy argument. it's going to be a lot tougher legally, i think, in this case. >> what are the major hurdles for the players? >> they have a lot of problems. they have a problem with making them one class of people so they can effectively sue together. they have statute of limitations

problems. they have assumption of risk. they have can you prove what they did caused certain injuries, caused causation? there's a lot of legal defenses here that could be big problems for the players. >> what would be their strongest argument? >> that they were lied to. that's going to involve individual players. the idea of fraud and concealment. you have a problem of putting all of the players under that, as opposed to just a few. >> 500 players right now. >> that's right. >> and could grow. >> that would be the big question. can you have all of them together? >> all right. dan. thank you. we're going to turn to politics, now. and the primaries held across the country on tuesday. they set the stage for this year's high stakes election, that could switch senate control from democrats to the gop. jon karl is tracking from washington. we're going to get to the senate race in a second. but first, the house race in pennsylvania that was a big loss for both clintons. >> reporter: that's right. marjorie margotlies. she was running for a house seat

outside of pennsylvania. she lost. she is chelsea clinton's mother-in-law. she lost despite the strong support from bill and hillary clinton. bill clinton did an ad for her, recorded prerecorded phone calls that went out to voters in the district before the election. and hillary clinton did a fund-raiser for marjorie margolis. it was hillary clinton's only political event of the year. and despite all of that, she lost. brandon boyle, who was just 15 when clinton was elected president, won quite decisively. >> and the senate up for grabs in november. there was a big win for mitch mcconnell. he beat back the tea party. >> reporter: yes. and mcconnell was the number one republican target for tea party groups around the country. and he easily beat back matt bevin, the self-styled tea partier. this was the story of the night. in georgia, tea party candidates lost huge. this is happening in race after race. primary after primary. the republican establishment has fought back. and they have in every key election, key battleground

state, beat back tea party challengers. >> that gives them a leg up in taking back the senate in november. let's get the other top stories from amy. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with a deadly tour bass crash on the california-nevada border. david wright is tracking it right now. good morning. >> good morning. they say the accident happened at 2:00 in blythe near the arizona border. when a big rig jack knifed, spilling a load of pipes. the bus swerved to avoid the pipes or struck them. flipping over, sliding down an embankment 50 feet. four people are dead. 17 others taken to a local hospital some of them with critical injuries. this is the second fatal bus crash on california freeways in a number of months. >> thank you very much.

and back in this country, frightening moments in minnesota when a school bus burst into truck. firefighters had to back away just in time. moments earlier, the driver smelled smoke and jumped out. and thankfully, no children were inside that school bus. and the number of v.a. facilities has grown to 26. that's more than double the number since the first allegations about veterans dying while waiting for appointments. president obama is meeting with eric sinseki. he will have that shortly. andage alleged child porn bust. including firefighters, nurses, police officers. and user passwords were

compromised on ebay. and controversy for prince charles from his trip to canada. he compared russian president putin to hitler. it was a private conversation. and finally, taking it like a champ. cleveland indians pitcher, cory kluger was being interviewed when his teammates decided to have fun with him. they began to shower him with sunflower seeds. but watch his reaction. >> he's a tough guy to face, isn't he? >> yeah. the middle of the lineup with him and victor is really probably not a better back-to-back hitters, especially with how hot they are right now. and there's going to be times when you make your pitches to them and they get their hits. but you have to try your best not to let that affect you. >> he's not even flinching. you have to love that. this is just the beginning. the sunflower seeds didn't work. so then they went with water. he grabs the raincoat. and they ended it with baby powder. and not even a flinch. he doesn't even change his facial expression. the announcer said he looked like a powdered doughnut.

i think he looks great. he's as cool as a cucumber. >> focus. >> he's like, whatever. >> amy, thank you. now, to new concerns about the treats you may be giving your pets. petco announcing it will stop selling treats made in china, hoping to end the mystery illness that has sickened so many cats and dogs. and now a second company joining petco overnight. david kerley has the story. >> reporter: this morning, one of the largest pet supply retailers in america says no more. it will no longer sell certain pet treats. petco announcing it will all stop carrying china-made dog and cat treats at its store locations. tuesday's move comes days after an fda report that it received about 1,800 new cases of pet treat-related illnesses since october. >> none of our consumable dog or cat treats will be coming from china. everything will be coming from domestically or other safe parts of the world. >> reporter: dogs and cats have been getting sick since 2007. 6,000 dogs in all.

the fda says pet treat jerkky treats may have contributed to the deaths of more than 1,000 of the dogs. it launched an investigation into the treats and teamed up with the cdc. but so far, they've not figured out what is causing the illnesses. >> we've been following the reports. and our pet parents have, as well. they hear that dogs are getting sick and dogs are dying. even though there's been no official link or no definitive proof, they're scared and we're addressing that fear. >> reporter: petco plans to phase out the chinese-made jerky. and this may be the start. another big box retailer, petsmart, joined in overnight. telling abc news, by march 2015, petsmart will no longer sell dog and cat treats manufactured in china. this is something we've been working towards for some time. that's because this has been going on for seven years. it's been a perplexing problem for scientists. they can't figure out what ingredient, what chemical in the treats is causing all of the illnesses in these pets. robin?

>> it's been the talk of the dog parks here. >> sure has. we're going to turn to the stunningly harsh sentence for a texas teen arrested for selling brownies laced with pot. he faces a potential life sentence. ryan owens has more on the punishment that doesn't seem to fit the crime. >> reporter: this morning, 19-year-old jacob lavoro from just north of austin, could be facing up to life in prison for allegedly baking and selling pot brownies. >> i don't understand it. >> reporter: joe lavoro can't believe prosecutors have charged his son with a first-degree felony. if convicted, this former high school football player with a clean record, facing five years to life behind bars. >> i'm a law-abiding citizen. i'm a conservative. but i'll be damned. this is wrong. >> i've been doing this 22 years as a lawyer. i have ten years as a police officer. and i have never seen anything like this before. >> reporter: prosecutors say the

charge is so severe because of lavoro's brownie recipe. you see, he didn't use regular pot. he allegedly mixed in hash oil. under texas law, that thc oil can be treated like a far more serious narcotic, ecstasy. what's more, because a few drops of oil were cooked in, police weighed the entire brownie batch, sugar, flour, butter, and charged him with possessing a pound and a half of drugs. >> if he did something wrong, he should be punished. but to the extent that makes sense. this is illogical. i'm really upset. >> reporter: lavoro has pleaded not guilty. prosecutors are not backing down. the teen is due back in court next month. for "good morning america," ryan owens, abc news, dallas. >> a lot of people keeping a close eye on that case. >> maybe they can work something out. we need to switch gears, george. well, sometimes it pays to be a little dirty. at least when it comes to your jeans. here's why.

>> you want to know what comes between me and my calvins. nothing. >> reporter: brooke shields may not have had anything come between her and her calvins. but this morning, the head of levis in a q&a says you should never let a washing machine come between you and your jeans. >> these jeans are maybe a year old. and these have yet to see a washing machine. i know that sounds disgusting. i know it does. >> reporter: he's not just airing his dirty laundry. he says it's about keeping your denim's perfect color and shape. >> how often should you wash your blue jeans, chip? >> not very often. if you talk to real denim aficionados, they tell you not to wash your blue jeans. >> reporter: it's true. just ask fashion mogul tommy hilfiger. >> i never wash my levis. >> for like a week, or never? >> no, no, no. no, months. >> reporter: so, how do you keep them smelling dandy? experts suggest eliminating odor by spritzing jeans with white vinegar or

involved h vodka, then hanging them out to dry. they said the odor of alcohol will fizzle away. they also recommend freezing your jeans once a month to kill off the smell caused by bacteria. the process can be seen here in this demo video from the gap. >> turn them inside-out. and i freeze them overnight or for two days. >> reporter: it's a genius idea to keep you looking fly. >> oh, my. i did not know they were adding that sound effect. we asked you on twitter, how long have you gone without washing your jeans. and a lot of people have gotten back to us, including the lead singer of paramore who says she hasn't washed hers all tour long. and we did, because we like to get active here in central square. we froze a pair of jeans, guys, overnight. you obviously want to thaw them before putting them on. well -- i don't know. i don't know. hold on. let me do this. >> i didn't realize this was a thing. but i wash my jeans probably every other wear. oh, well. i guess mine are faded. >> the jury's still out on that.

>> i don't know. >> i like the idea of the vodka thing. i don't know. >> you would like that one, lara. do you hear that noise? do you hear the cheering? let's go outside to ginger. a very special arrival. >> robin, i can hardly hear you because of the excitement here on the street, as the "dancing with the stars" finalists come our way. it's so hyped. look at that. we have a police escort. all of the couples showing up. times square erupting. in a "dancing with the stars" "gma" after-party. they're almost here. wow. the screams are deafening. many for derek hough and amy purdy. but for the champions, maks and meryl, showing up. candace is here. they're all here. james maslow, looking good. all right. hey, guys. hey, guys. we're going to get so much more,

as they get off the float, coming through times square. and get down through this crowd and into the studio. my friend, derek hough. amy purdy. all right. we're going to come on. we'll get them in a couple minutes. let's get to the weather forecast so you can get an idea of what is happening here. it really is so exciting. but let's talk about --

good morning, i am meteorologist mike nicco. starting off with patchy fog and low clouds hanging around and we will have sunshine this afternoon and the warming trend begins. we have clouds and possible drizzle tonight and the warmth kicks in, in time for the holiday week. here is the temperatures, low 60's along the coast and the clouds are more stubborn and mid-60's at san francisco but low-to-mid 70's throughout the bay shore and low 80's inland. the seven-day forecast shows ten degrees warmer by saturday. >> we did say epic. we did say epic. coming up here still, also, new details about "the shield" actor behind bars for the shooting death of his wife. what police are investigating as possible motives. and "gma" investigates. flight attendant confidential. the dirty, little secrets you need to know before you get on a plane again. and angelina jolie will talk about life after surgery, her wedding plans and her wicked new role. and did we mention it's our "dancing with the stars" after-party.

there they are, the final four couples, walking into "gma" studios. stay with us. ♪ what's next, a pancake enchilada? it's a slippery slope, i tell you. it's a gateway breakfast! today they are eating waffle tacos, tomorrow they are loitering. and then they grow a ponytail. hey, isn't that your grandson over there? daniel! you better not grow a ponytail! [ male announcer ] the next generation of breakfast is here.

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when you buy a samsung galaxy centura. straight talk wireless. only at walmart. good morning. i'm kristen sze. let's get a quick check on the morning commute with leyla gulen. >> thanks, kristen. good morning, everyone. at 7:24, we have a couple problems, the first of which is in san jose, involving a vehicle that lost a wheel northbound side of highway 85 right at sayre go towe ga avenue. that is leave us with

bumper-to-bumper traffic coming away from 101. also involving a motorcycle westbound side of 88, gillman street also blocking a lane. heavy bumper-to-bumper traffic coming out of hercules. kristen? >> thanks a lot. a south bay vocational school is back open this morning two days after suddenly closing down. students at brandon college in san jose returned to class earlier this morning. the school says the closure was an issue over unpaid rent, which the school's principal says has been resolved. mike nicco checks out your fo

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tracking low clouds and even fog with live doppler 7-hd. low visibility right now 2 1/2 miles at half moon bay. flight delays at sfo nearly 62 minutes. pretty mild this morning. most of us in the mid to upper 50s. 52 in san francisco, los gatos and half moon bay. one of the areas that will be warmer today, look at that, inland east bay and the south bay all going to warm about 5 to 8 degrees. the rest of us about 1 to 4. here's your accuweather seven-day forecast. and check out the holiday weekend. going to feel like summer just going to feel like summer just about everywhere.hat stayin that's why they've got lear. that's why they've got lots of ways to save. real big club card deals, the safeway app and gas rewards. te of summer with fresh sweet corn, 8 for just $2. grill up rancher's reserve ribeye steaks, only $6.99 a pound. and arrowhead water is just $3.33 a case.

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♪ there they are. the new champs of "dancing with the stars." meryl and maks, just arriving at our studio right now. the crowd's been gathering all morning long. and let's take one more look at that winning moment last night. >> val, his brother, in the back, and tony. >> val and tony. maks wanted it so badly. got some tears from maks last night, after their dance. their names were trending on twitter for the entire broadcast. so many people rooting for them to win, giving maks his first win on "dancing with the stars." >> and the other finalists, they are joining us, as well. they flew all night long so they could be here. and we're so glad they're going to be joining us live for our huge after-party. d.j. kiss.

that's when you know it's big. d.j. kiss is here, pumping us up all morning long. >> funky this morning. >> very excited. and also ahead, the billionaire breakup being called the most expensive divorce settlement in history. wait until you hear some of the properties involved in this one. >> billions of dollars. first, we brought you dirty jeans. and now, more dirt to air. "gma" investigates flight attendant confessional revealing the dirty secrets of flying. what you need to know before the next time on a plane. bring some sanitizer. >> a lot of good information. >> not sure you want to know. but you have to know. >> you want to know. no question about that. we begin with new details in the shocking hollywood murder. "the shield" star, /* michael jace behind bars this morning, after he admits to killing his wife. >> reporter: this killing, shocking so many. neighbors left stunned. and police have no record of domestic violence between the couple. nor does jace have a criminal

record. but as police begin to peel back the layers of jace's life, his past possibly giving clues to the question, why. for six years, michael jace portrayed a cop on the fx drama, "the shield." but this morning, jace is held on $1 million bail, after he reportedly called 911 to say he had shot his wife, april. >> he was interviewed. after he was interviewed, he was placed under arrest. for the murder of his wife, april jace. >> reporter: jace has yet to be formally charged at the case. now, police looking at the financial and marital difficulties as possible motives. the 51-year-old actor who had parts in tv's "southland," and in the film, "forrest gump," declared bankruptcy in 2011, citing debts. over $500,000. and he's been accused of domestic violence in the past.

a friend of his ex-wife says he assaulted her in front of their 6-month-old son, saying he quote, choked and slammed her against the wall. jace denied the allegations. stating, i vigorously dispute her recollections of events that happened during that time. and it turned out april, who he'd marry six years later, was even a character witness for jace during that dispute. neighbors say they seemed like a happy couple. >> the mystery woman. >> i never heard an argument from them, from that house. nothing like that. if anything, i've seen nothing but good things happening. >> reporter: but monday night, april would be found dead, shot multiple times and found in a hallway of jace's modest l.a. home. police say she and jace got into an argument just minutes after she picked up the two young sons from baseball practice. the boys were in the home at the time of the shooting. >> knowing their mom is deceased and their father is probably responsible for the murder, is just really unfortunate. >> reporter: jace's young

children, both under the ages of 10, are reportedly staying with family members, while the community comes to terms with the loss of april, who friends say, will be remembered for her smile and generous spirit. now, to what may well be the biggest divorce settlement in history. a russian billionaire separated from his wife, is now about to pay her half of his entire fortune. abc's reena ninan has more. >> reporter: this morning, one couple's cold war is now earning them what appears to be the biggest billionaire breakup in history. >> it is, by far, the largest that we've ever tracked. >> reporter: russian tycoon dmitry rybolovlev has to split his estimated $8.8 billion fortune with his now ex-wife, elena. he plowed his riches out of a fertilizer company. using those riches to grow his

lavish livestyle here in the states, snapping up donald trump's mansion for $95 million. ant this penthouse at $88 million. and reportedly shelled out some $20 million for a hawaiian estate once owned by will smith. >> i make this look good. >> reporter: elena has been battling the billionaire for five years, over assets she claims he's trying to hide in trust funds for their daughters. >> he has done a masterful job of making sure that a lot of these assets are not in his name. >> reporter: but monday, a swiss judge sided with her, saying she's due almost $4.5 billion. some of his property, and close to $129,000 a month in child support. the rybolovlevs' pricey split probably tops that of multi billionaire media tycoon, rupert murdoch and wendi deng. murdoch's second ex-wife landed $1.7 billion. >> where are you going? >> i'm going to pick a fight.

>> reporter: it pummeled mel gibson's divorce from his ex-wife in 2011. while her attorney tells abc news, the judge's order is exactly what she wanted. her husband's attorney says he plans to appeal. for "good morning america," reena ninan, abc news, new york. >> really. it was exactly what she wanted. >> $4.5 billion? >> yes, i would think so. coming up, angelina jolie's one-on-one with you, george. you had a chance to sit down with her. >> we did. we sat down in l.a. she opened up about life after surgery, her wedding plans and possibly future in politics. first, let's get the weather from ginger. >> that was a good tease. i want to see that. all right. let's talk about the weather, because in chicago, it was a stormy night. we had some airplanes that were grounded at times. you see the willis tower in the ground. but in sugar grove, illinois, there are hail pictures. it wasn't just the chicago area. it was out west in even denver. denver had it. iowa had it. and today, we have pockets of severe weather again. the threat does slip to the

south and east. along that cold front. anywhere from missouri up through parts of ohio and over to virginia. washington, d.c.'s included. and back here, an isolated tornado is possible in parts of wyoming, northeastern colorado and western kansas. >> all that weather, brought to you by claritin. hopefully it's working for you. we have good news in the allergy department. over the last week, we've seen almost all of the very high pollen concentrations drop off the map. but there's bad news, of course. i have that for you. we're getting into grass pollen season. and those levels are high, especially across parts of texas, oklahoma and arkansas. i can tell you from experience, that's what's happening there yesterday in oklahoma. absolutely. we do this every week.

so, join us. >> indeed, thanks. coming up, "gma" investigates. flight attendant confidential. the dirty secrets of flying you need to know before getting on another plane. and a terrifying ordeal for one mother. her car stolen with her baby girl inside. the remarkable moment caught on tape when the car thief returned her child. come on back. i've been claritin clear for 7 days. woohoo! at the first sign of my allergies, my doctor recommended taking one claritin every day of my allergy season for continuous relief. 16 days! 26 days of continous relief. live claritin clear. every day.

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welcome back. exactly 7:42. and it's time for our series, "gma" investigates. and today, the dirty secrets of flying. inside confessions from a flight attendant about the nasty germs that could be flying with you. abc's mara schiavocampo has more. good morning to you, mara. >> reporter: good morning, lara. this summer, air travel will be sizzling. an estimated 210 million passengers are expected to fly from june to september. those are the highest levels in six years. so, just what do you really need to know before flying off into the sunset? on this "gma" confessions, a veteran flight attendant shares all of her secrets. air travel. an estimated 2 million of us fly each day. and after the release of auburn university's study this week that suggests that bacteria that

can cause infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, and even death, can survive on planes for up to a week, many were left wondering, are there other secrets of the skies? enter heather poole, author of "cruising attitude." she's a veteran flight attendant for 20 years. this morning, at the world's biggest aviation theme studios, air hollywood, she shares with "gma" investigates, all of the little-known things you need to know before taking off. >> our job is so unlike any other job. >> reporter: first up, cabin chills. while many passengers get cold onboard, one particular spot is worse than the rest. >> exit row's always the coldest row, because the window, the seal, makes it colder. >> reporter: poole shares if you opt for an airline blanket, it might not be clean. they're not washed after every flight? >> no. >> reporter: if it's in that plastic that means it's clean? >> yes. >> reporter: those blankets might not be the only things that are dirty. >> i've seen passengers change

their dirty diapers on the table. or they get their feet up here. >> their bare feet? >> this tray table gets abused. >> reporter: we reached out to several major carriers who say the planes are cleaned regularly. though the schedule varies by airline. third, if your seat is all of the way in the back, you might not get the best service. >> we do run out of thing. we might run out of food. >> reporter: if you're in the back, you might get very little? >> right. >> reporter: or if you get trapped in the bathroom, they can come to their rescue. you just opened that from the outside. >> i can. >> reporter: but poole says the most important secret of all is this one. >> if someone says hello and makes eye contact, i want to give them water and extra -- whatever i can give them, i'll give them. >> reporter: make sure you're a friendly flier. and if sitting in the back weren't bad enough, that's also where you'll feel the most turbulence. poole says, when she's a

passenger, she treats camping like flying. she brings everything she needs on board with her. and she never puts her food directly on the tray tables, which is probably good advice. >> i would pack a portable table or eat on your lap. great advice. and coming up here, george's one-on-one with angelina jolie. great topics covered. the superstar is opening up about life after surgery, wedding plans, a possible political situation and why she relates to her blockbuster role. plus, our huge "dancing with the stars" after-party is about to get started. the final four couples are here live, answering your questions. live, answering your questions. what does it mean to have an unlimited mileage warranty on a certified pre-owned mercedes-benz? what does it mean to drive as far as you want... for up to three years and be covered? it means your odometer... is there to record the memories. during the mercedes-benz

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pitched as a hero. because she's a cat throwing the ceremonial first pitch. >> without opposable thumbs? >> i don't know how she's going to do it. but she will. at the baseball game tuesday night. paula faris at the social square, with the play-by-play. paula? >> reporter: a round of apaws, get it, for this story? you remember the video that went incredibly viral last week. tara the cat rushing in to take on a dog several times her size, and saving 4-year-old jeremy from a dog attack. that has been viewed more than 21 million times on youtube. well, as you mentioned, tara and her human family were honored by the bakersfield blaze last night. they're a minor league baseball team in california. we have some video to show you. we have 4-year-old jeremy stepping up to the plate. this is where it gets interesting. our research team, we're pretty sure that a cat has never attempted to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. it's going to take a couple of tries. and that ball is attached to a

fishing line. but we're eventually going to have success on that. poor tara. and tara taking to her own twitter account. tara hero cat saying, meowww. and we found out, she was a southpaw. >> nice. >> we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] at the corner of "where you need us most" and "where you least expect us," walgreens is more than just a drugstore. some pharmacy staff deliver medications right to your hospital bedside. and whenever, wherever you have questions, walgreens experts are there for you 24/7 with online pharmacy chat. we even bring immunizations to seniors right where they need us. because life doesn't stand still, and neither do we.

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good morning. i'm eric thomas. concord police are asking for the public's help in identifying a teenager who has assaulted three women in separate incidents on a popular walking trail. this is a sketch of the suspect released by investigators. police say he sneaks up behind them on the green belt walking path, groped them, then took off running. meteorologist mike nicco has the forecast. >> eric, thank you very much. good morning, everybody. we have some clouds, but by noon just about nerve total sunshine except at the coast. low to mid-60s there in into san francisco, low to midseflts around the bay, 70s to 80s inland, and this is just the first day of warming. leyla? live a couple of accidents

both in san jose, and this one is involving a motorcycle. it's northbound along 87 at capitol . good morning, we are interrupting your program. for many of you in the west, that is "gma," because president obama is about to speak about the growing controversy at the veterans administration. allegations of mistreatment and misconduct in two dozen facilities across the country. enduring extremely long waits for care and falsified records. at the v.a. hospital in phoenix, arizona, it is alleged at least 40 veterans died waiting for appointments. the president met with eric shinseki who's under fire calling for his resignation. white house officials say not to expect that in this announcement. >> reporter: that's right. there will be no personnel announcements here.

nothing from the president suggesting a leadership shakeup at the veterans affairs department. excuse me, george. >> i'll take it right back. as you say, no resignations expected right now. the president dispatched one of his aids, rob anyway bonabors, e this, and the inspector general is reviewing this. the director of the fbi was on capitol hill saying that no one asked the fbi to get involved in any kind of a criminal investigation yet. the president is coming into the briefing room right now. >> good morning, everybody. i just met with secretary shinseki and rob nabors who i temporarily assigned to work with secretary shin sand the v.. we looked at the misconduct at the veterans affairs facility and the broader mission of caring for our veterans and their families.

as commander in chief, i have the honor of standing with our men and women in uniform at every step of their service. from the moment they take their oath to when our troops to prepare to deploy to afghanis n afghanistan, where they put their lives on the line for security, and to their bedside, fighting to recover from terrible juris. the most searing moments of my presidency have been going to walter reed or bethesda, or bagram, and meeting troops who have left a part of the themselves on the battle field. and their spirit and their determination to recover and often to serve again is always an inspiration. so these men and women and their families are the best that our country has to offer. they've done their duty. and they ask nothing more than that this country does ours.

that we uphold our sacred trust to all who have served. so when i hear allegations of misconduct, any misconduct, whether it's allegations of v.a. staff covering up long wait times, or cooking the books, i will not stand for it. not as commander in chief, but also not as an american. none of us should. so if these allegations prove to be true, it is dishonorable, it is disgraceful, and i will not tolerate it, period. here's what i discussed with secretary shinseki this morning. first, anybody found to have manipulated or falsified records at v.a. facilities has to be held accountable. the inspector general at the v.a. launched investigations

into the phoenix v.a. and other facilities. and some individuals have already been put on administrative leave. i know that people are angry and want swift reckoning. i sympathize with that. but we have to let the investigators do their job and get to the bottom of what happened. our veterans deserve to know the facts, their families deserve to know the facts. once we know the facts, i assure you, if there is misconduct, it will be punished. second, i want to know the full scope of this problem. and that's why i ordered secretary shinseki to investigate. today he updated me on his review, which is looking not just at the phoenix facility, but also v.a. facilities across the nation. and i expect preliminary results from that review next week. third, i directed rob nabors to conduct a broader review of the

veterans health investigation. the part of the v.a. that delivers health care to our veterans. and rob is going to phoenix today. keep in mind, though, even if we had not heard reports out of this phoenix facility or other facilities, we all know that it often takes too long for veterans to get the care that they need. that's not a new development. it's been a problem for decades. and it's been compounded by more than a decade of war. that's why when i came into office, i said we would systemically work to fix these problems, and we have been working really hard to address them. my attitude is, for folks who have been fighting on the battle field, they should not have to fight a bureaucracy at home to get the care that they've earned. so the presumption has always been, we have to do better. and rob's review will be a compromise look at the veteran's

health administration's approach currently to access to care. i want to know what's working. i want to know what is not working. and i want specific recommendations on how v.a. can up their game. and i expect that full report from rob next month. number four, i said that i expect everyone involved to work with congress, which has an important oversight role to play. and i welcome congress as a partner in our efforts. not just to address the current controversies, but to make sure we're doing right by our veterans across the board. i served on the veteran's affairs committee when i was in the senate, and it was one of the proudest pieces of business that i did in the legislature. and i know the folks over there care deeply bout our veterans. it is important that our veterans don't become another political football. especially when so many of them are receiving care right now. this is an area where democrats and republicans should always be working together.

which brings me to my final point. even as we get to the bottom of what happened at phoenix and other facilities, all of us, whether here in washington or all across the country, have to stay focused on the larger mission, which is upholding our sacred trust to all of our veterans. bringing the v.a. system into the 21st century, which is not an easy task. we had made progress over the last five years. we've made historic investments in our veterans. we've boosted v.a. funding to record levels. and we created consistency through advanced appropriations so that veterans organizations knew their money would be there regardless of political wrangling in washington. we made v.a. benefits available to more than 2 million veterans who did not have it before. delivering disability pay to more vietnam vets exposed to agent orange.

making it easier for veterans are post-traumatic stress and brain injury to get treatment. and improving care for women veterans. because of these step and the influx of new veterans requiring services, added in many cases to wait times, we launched an all-out war on the disability claims backlog. and in just the past year alone, we've slashed that backlog by half. of course, we're not going to let up. because it's still too high. we're going to keep at it until we eliminate the backlog once and for all. meanwhile, we're all reducing homelessness among our veterans. we're helping veterans and their families, more than a million so far, pursue their education under the post-9/11 gi bill. and we are stepping up efforts to get skills and training to find jobs when they get home. and along with michelle and jill

biden joining forces, we have helped hundreds of thousands find a job. more are finding work, and veterans unemployment, although still way too high, is coming down. the point is caring for our veterans is not an issue that popped up in recent weeks. some of the problems with respect to how veterans are able to access the benefits that they've earned, that's not a new issue, that's an issue that i was working on when i was running for the united states senate. taking care of our veterans and their families has been one of the causes of my presidency, and it is something that all of us have to be involved with and have to be paying attention to. we ended the war in iraq, and as our war in afghanistan ends, and as our newest veterans are coming home, the demands on the v.a. are going to grow. so we're going to have to redouble our efforts to get it right as a nation.

and we have to be honest that there are and will continue to be areas where we have to do a lot better. so today i want every veteran to know, we are going to fix whatever is wrong and so long as i have the privilege of serving as commander in chief, i am going to keep on fighting to deliver the care and the benefits and the opportunities that your families deserve. now, and for kadecades to come. that is a commitment to which i feel a sacred duty to maintain. so with that, i'm going to take two questions. i'm going to take jim cuban at a.p. first of all. >> thank you, mr. president. as you said, this is a cause of your presidency. you ran on this issue, you mentioned it, why was it allowed to get to this stage where you actually had potentially 40 veterans who died while waiting

for treatment? that's an extreme circumstance. why could it get to that point? >> we have to find out what exactly happened. i don't want to get ahead of the report or the other investigations that are being done. and i think it is important to recognize that the wait times, generally, what they indicated so far, was the wait times were for folks with chronic conditions seeking the next appointment, already seeking service. it was not necessarily a situation where they were calling for emergency services. and the i.g. indicated he didn't see a length between the wait and them actually dying. that does not excuse the fact that the wait times in general are too long in some facilities. so what we have to do is find out what exactly happened. we have to find out how can we

realistically cut some of these wait times. there has been a large influx of new veterans comiing in. we have a population that is ageing as part of the baby boom population. and we have to make sure that the scheduling system, the access to the system, that all those things are in sync. there are parts of the v.a. health care system that have performed well. and what we've seen is, for example, satisfaction rates in many facilities and with respect to many providers, has been high. but what you -- what we're seeing is that in terms of how folks get scheduled, how they get in the system, there's still too many problems. i'm going to get a complete report. it is not, as a consequence of people not caring about the problem. but there are 85 million appointments scheduled among veterans during the course of a year.

that's a lot of appointments. and that means that we have to have a system that is built in order to be able to take thofol in in a smooth fashion. they know what to expect. it's reliable. and it means that the v.a. has to set standards it can meet. if it can't meet them right now, then it's going to have to set realistic goals about how they improve the system overall. >> is it the responsibility of secretary general eric shinseki? >> the responsibility is ultimately with me as the commander in chief. shinseki has been a great soldier. he himself is a disabled veteran. nobody cares more about the veterans than eric shinseki. if you ask me how do i think he

has performed overall, i would say that homelessness, on 9/11 g.i. bill, on working with us to reduce the backlog across the board, he has put his heart and soul into this thing and taken it seriously. but i said it to rick, and i said it to him today. i want to see what the results of these reports are, and there is going to be accountability. and i'm going to expect even before the reports are done that we are seeing significant improvement in terms of how the admissions process takes place in all of our v.a. health care facilities. so i know he cares about it deeply, and, you know, he has been a great publicer servant a great warrior on behalf of the united states of america. we're going to work with him to solve the problem. but i am going to make sure that there is accountability throughout the system after i get the full report.

steve, reuters. >> thank you, sir. has secretary shinseki offered to resigned? if he's not to blame, who is? and were you caught by surprise by these allegations? >> rick shinseki, i think, serves this country because he cares deeply about veterans and he cares deeply about the mission. and i know that rick's attitude is that if he does not think he can do a good job on this, and he thinks he has let our veterans down, i'm sure he's not going to be interested in continuing to serve. at this stage, he is committed to solving the problem and working with us to do it. and i am going to do everything in my power, using the resources of the white house, to help that process of getting to the bottom of what happened and fixing it. but i'm also going to be waiting to see what the results of all

this review process yields. i don't yet know how systemic this is. i don't yet know, are there a lot of other facilities that have been cooking the books? or is this just an episodic problem? we know that, you know, essentially wait times have been a problem for decades in all kinds of circumstances with respect to the v.a. getting benefits, getting health care, et cetera. some facilities do better than others. a couple of years ago, the veterans affairs set a goal of 14 days for wait times. what's not yet clear to me is whether enough tools were given to make sure that those goals were actually met. and i won't know until the full

report is put forward as to whether there was enough management followup to ensure that those folks on the front lines who were doing scheduling had the capacity to meet those goals, if they were being evaluates for meeting goals that were unrealistic and couldn't because there weren't enough doctors or the systems weren't in place. see who was responsible for setting up those guidelines. there are a lot of questions to answer. in the meantime, i said today, let's not wait for the report, let's respectively take -- reach out immediately to veterans who are currently waiting for appointments to make sure that they are getting better service. that's something that we can initiate right now. we don't have to wait to find out if there was misconduct to dig in and make sure that we're upping our game in all of our various facilities.

you know, i do think it is important, not just with respect to shinseki, but with respect to the v.a. generally, to say that every single day there are people working in the v.a. who do outstanding work and put everything they have into making sure that our veterans get the care, benefits and services that they need. and so i do want to close by sending a message out there that there are millions of veterans who are getting really good service from the v.a. who are getting really good treatment from the v.a. i know because i get letters and veterans sometimes asking me to write letters of commendation or praise to a doctor or a nurse or a facility that couldn't have given them better treatment. and so this is a big system with

a lot of really good people in it who care about our veterans deeply. we have seen the improvements on a whole range of issues like homelessness, like starting to clear the backlog up, like making sure that folks who previously weren't even eligible for disability because it was a mental health issue or an agent orange issue are finally able to get those services. i don't want us to lose sight of the fact there are a lot of fo s -- folks in the v.a. who are doing a good job and working hard at it. that doesn't excuse the possibility that number one, we were not doing a good enough job in terms of providing access to folks who need unemployment for chronic conditions. number two, it never excuses the possibility that somebody was trying to manipulate the data in order to look better, or make

their facility look better. it is critical to make sure that we have good information in order to make good decisions. i want people on the front line to tell me or tell shinseki, or whoever is their superior that this is a problem. don't cover up the problem. don't pretend the problem doesn't exist. if you can't get wait times down to 14 days right now, let folks up the chain know so that we can solve the problem. do we need more doctors? do we need a new system in order to make sure that scheduling and coordination is more effective and more smooth? is there more followup? and that's -- that's the thing that right now most disturbs me about the report. the possibility that folks intentionally withheld information that could have

helped us fix a problem. there's not a problem out there that's not fixable. it can't always be fixed as quickly as everybody would like. we can chip away at problems. we have seen it with the backlog, veterans homelessness, the post 9/11 g.i. bill. they fixed it, now it's operating fairly smoothly. problems can be fixed, but folks have to let the people they're reporting to know that there is a problem in order for us to fix it. we're going to find out. my attitude is -- listen, if somebody's mismanaged or engaged in misconduct, not only do i not want them getting bonuses, i want them punished. so that's what we're going to hopefully find out from the i.g. report as well as the audits that are taking place. thank you very much. >> president obama with his most

forceful saying yet on the growing controversy at the v.a. health centers. he says the allegations are dishonorable, disgraceful, not to be tolerated. he denied the link between the waiting facilities in arizona and the deaths. a whistle blower said 40 deaths were. the president denying the link today. return now to the regular progmedalist. and now, you bring that home. >> i know. >> that is not bad at all. >> not bad at all. i'll take it. it's pretty exciting for a i'll take it. it's pretty exciting for a couple months. >> and can you believe it's over after all these weeks? these months of working with that man right there? >> charlie and i went right from the olympics, basically, into this show. and so, the journey from the olympic games to the season has

been so amazing, i can't even describe it. >> wow. you tried to describe it. i love how you can't take your eyes off of maks, looking at the video, looking at that. >> she did great. >> you weren't half-bad yourself. >> that's all right. >> there was a reason why it took so long for you to win, because of that woman. this was the right time. what did you mean when you said that? >> it felt great. it felt perfect. like, you always -- you walk away thinking, maybe i could have done this different or not. there's nothing i could have done different or would have want to. so, it was brilliant. >> it was brilliant to watch. and so consistent on top. a lot was made about charlie, your partner at the olympics. you had a message for him. now, he has a message for you. here's charlie white. >> i just want to say congratulations, meryl. no one knows better than me how much you have deserved this. through all of the traveling, the sleepless nights.

coming in so early in the morning. you did everything with a smile on your face and inspired all of us. so, thank you, and congratulations. [ cheers and applause ] >> nothing but love. >> absolutely. >> amy, first of all, you can dance. you can flatout dance. >> thank you. >> we know what an inspiration you are and have been for so many of us. we've learned so much from you. you said that you learned a little about yourself. what did you learn? >> yeah. >> gosh, so much. i learned to appreciate the strength of my body. i wouldn't be able to do this if i wasn't as strong as i was and training for the paralympics. gosh. i learned that we can overcome so many obstacles. i already have overcome so many. but on top of my legs, i was dealing with a back injury and a lot of pain with that. and it's amazing, if you really focus on something how you can push through it.

>> you showed that. you showed that in so many ways. derek, you know, it was -- you're like the choreographer of this generation. and to work with amy as you did, what was it like when you first heard that you were going to be working with her? >> that was one of the reasons i wanted to do this season. up until this point, i wasn't really sure what else to do. i feel like i've done everything. and i'm happy with what i've done. and i heard she was going to be on the show. and i jumped onboard. i was really excited about it. just to be a part of something that for me, felt more than a competition and more than a dance show. i was really -- i felt really privileged to have that opportunity to do that with her. >> shining through. >> and discovered things. >> i'm glad you're feeling better. you were hauled off to the hospital at one time. mark, how's the shoulder? >> it's doing okay. it's a little sore. i'm going to get it properly checked out again when i get home. we made it through. just glad i could get out there for the last couple dances with

candace. >> candace, you get better and better as the season wore on. you seemed so appreciative. your fans are loyal. >> i have great fans. very loyal fans. this is such an incredible experience. it was kind of a rollercoaster. my nerves had the best of me. i never had to go through the mental strength that these olympians have prepared their whole life. this was new for me. and you know, the fans encouraged me so much, pushing me through. and it just -- like, i'm sitting here and the final four, top three, it was amazing. >> it's great to see your appreciation. >> thank you. >> boy, james, people appreciate you. you and peta were given the encore dance of the freestyle. that had to be great for you. >> it absolutely was. i was lucky to have peta take me through it.

this dance was one of the coolest things i've ever done. so, for the fans to vote on us to do it, even though we didn't go on to tuesday, we got to do this dance again. and that was special for us. >> a lot of the fans are weighing in -- peta, stop staring at each other. i look good. the little smooch you all shared. and a little talk -- >> it went with the tango. >> it did. >> a tango peck. a new move. it's definitive. none of that almost kissing anymore. >> there was no mystery left there. >> it's a professional dance move. >> don't look down, maks. that is the number one question asked of you and meryl. that you are just -- even the judges said it. there is something special about you guys on the dance floor. and people are interested to know if it carries elsewhere. >> we never really got the tango peck right. so, we decided not to. especially following them. you say it better than me. so, you go.

>> how do i say it? >> i don't know. you just weasel out of this question a lot better than i do. >> this is me weaseling out of a question. >> it was an incredible connection, right away. i don't know why. we come from completely different planets. and you know, she comes off of this roller coaster win at the olympics. and i come in quietly, trying to, you know, get whoever i'm given, last three weeks, be as silent as i can and bow out and go home. and so, and then, i get this. and she's so inspiring, that, you know, it just sucked me in. and we talked about this week one. we blink and it's over. and we were here yesterday, just meeting for the first time. >> amazing. and you all had that chemistry. and everyone wanted to know about the professional dancers. you all coming back next season? maks, mark?

>> we don't know until we get close to the season. >> not committing. goodness gracious. >> thank you very much. we're going to have you dance, right? you're going to dance. you at home, you have so many questions. and we're going to go to the social square and answer those, too, and have a dance-off here in times square. just getting started at the after-party. come on back. on back.

good morning. i'm eric thomas. ebay is urging customers to change their pass words after hackers slipped into one of its databases. they said a cyberattack compromised a database containing encrypted pass words but said it doesn't have any evidence that financial data was compromised. let's check the wednesday morning commute with leyla gulen. >> it's been busy. we'll head into santa rosa southbound 101 at river road where we have this accident blocking one lane and heavy backup behind it. back into san jose, another accident southbound 880 leaving a lean tied up there and causing delays approaching 101. 101 is solid traffic heading away from 85 into mountain view. >> when we come back, meteorologist mike n

good morning opinion clouds starting to break up over most of our land areas. you can see on live doppler 7-hd. but still clinging to the coast at half moon bay with three miles' visibility. check out our current temperatures. still in the mid to upper 50s in many areas but the sunshine in antioch, 62 in mountain view 60. check out the sun breaking through the clouds at least over the bay water right now. san francisco about 1 degree warmer today, oakland,. but look at that petaluma, 4, san jose, 5, antioch, 8.

inland areas the biggest jump today. accuweather seven-day forecast, [ cheers and applause ] meryl and maks, a flawless performance last night, helping them lock up the mirrorball trophy. they were so emotional afterwards. and then, they jumped on the redeye, the "gma" express, as we call it. all of the finalists joining us here in times square for the fabulous after-party. and there's a party going on right here with this group. >> and we have d.j. kiss. she is jamming, keeping everybody's feet going this morning. spinning our tunes for us. look at them go. george? look who else is here, hugh jackman. here live. there he is right there. he wants to dance, as well.

he can do it all, as well. he has a big role in the new "x men" movie coming out. we're headed for a milestone on the "gma" facebook page. if we cross 3 million fans by the end of the week, we'll have a celebrity surprise. can you help us, please. i don't know how many more we need. but just a suggestion. time to put a little social spin on our "dancing with the stars" after-party. social media exploding with all kinds of questions for everyone here this morning, who have flown all night long to be here. let's start out, i have a question from facebook. this one is for candace. stephanie clemens wants to know, what did you learn from the experience and what kept you going? >> what have i learned? i learned that i have more perseverance than i ever imagined. and what kept me going was just, i wanted to cross that finish line, no matter how tough it

was. and my family was there rooting me on. and i wanted to be just a good example to my kids to do that. >> and they seemed so in awe, shocked sometimes. >> yes. >> they were so right there for you. great, great job. >> thank you. >> it was really, really fun. i have a twitter question. will james maslow be in "magic mike 2." >> i want to say, great question. >> that's from dan? >> aden. >> haven't had the offer yet. but who knows? >> i would imagine that this will open doors in a way. >> yeah. this show has been a wonderful platform for me. it's been the first time i think people are able to see me for how i am, at my age, versus the kids show i did for so many years. it's been fantastic. >> we have a special message to amy from her parents. let's look at that. >> amy, you have been a breath

of fresh air throughout this entire season. thank you for showing the world what desire and perseverance can do for you. and we're very proud of you. >> amy, we are very, very proud of you. you inspire so many people on this journey with "dancing with the stars." and to me, sweetheart, you'll always be a winner. >> it was so great for all of us to see you -- see that connection queen to you and your parents. and also, to see you tap into your emotional side. what did you learn about yourself? >> yeah. i know. i was quite emotional throughout the entire season. i went through so many emotions. i was thinking about that this morning. i had a lot of tears. i had tears of joy and tears of frustration and tears of pain. and i went through the whole range of all of it. and i just learned so much about myself. i learned how strong i am. and how much perseverance i have, as well. i've obviously gone through a lot with my legs in the past. but to be able to learn these dances, as quickly as we learn them. people, i don't think realize

how challenging just that is, to memorize the dances in such a short amount of time. and then, to go out in front of a live audience. that's not my experience, either. >> you did it so well. really. >> and so, for me, just the mental side of it. being able to overcome nerves. just -- you learn to use what you have and to push through so much. and it's so much more amazing than i ever could have imagined. >> amazing to watch, as well. >> indeed. facebook is asking, all the pros. just jump in. maks, you will. how did you feel about having guest judges every week? was it more stressful? you know who i'm talking about. was it more stressful than it normally would be? >> i liked having different dynamics in there. there were certain people i didn't care for. >> no idea who you're talking about. >> i thought it was nice to have just a different energy in the room sometimes.

it was fun. >> it was great having someone like kenny ortega, as well. >> even ricky martin. >> yeah. he was great. >> i think pretty much everybody did an amazing job, except for somebody we don't care for. red foo was amazing. >> i couldn't get past the tiger print paddle. >> we loved watching robin as a guest judge. >> she set the tone. >> she did. she was the first. and we loved it. we really loved having a fresh presence each week. she was amazing. >> we have a special message for candace, as well. >> candace, we're so proud of you. and the work ethic you had and how hard you work, i think you had fun. even you didn't win the trophy, we're really proud of you. >> we love you, mom. >> oh. >> you showed them a lot. you showed your kids a lot.

>> yeah. my daughter, i just -- and my boys. but, man, they were just my biggest cheerleaders. and my daughter was, like, social networking and up for me at all times. and just the reaction shots to each of our dances. you know, they were hysterical and amazing. and i love them. >> can't wait to see you all dance. let's get some weather from ginger. >> 75 years young is what we're celebrating out here. your name? >> jane. >> from wisconsin. this is so exciting out here. right, everybody? maks, north carolina loves you. let's get to the forecast because we have a couple of things to share, including some dance cities. fox trot, new mexico, 90 degrees. and dance, wisconsin, will be 74. did you know there was a dance,

>> all that weather, brought to you by bank of america. i just stepped over the dance floor, george. >> thank you, ginger. ithe part of us that a littwants to play,on. wants to be mischievous, wants to run free, all you have to do is let it out. find your inner minion only at the despicable me minion mayhem ride

at universal studios hollywood.

it's hard to believe that 40 years ago, the world was introduced to a new comic book hero named wolverine. 14 years ago, hugh jackman clawed his way to the top of the box office playing wolverine in the original "x men" film. he's back, seventh time, for "x men sc men: days of future fast." we have you and the cast of "dancing with the stars." >> i thought you were going to say, 40 years ago, hugh jackman wasn't even born. >> i thought about that. i thought about that. when you think about how you came to this role, hugh, to begin with, it was supposed to go to another actor. but -- >> it did go. >> but he was too busy. >> he was on "mission impossible

2." and something went with the schedule. actually, my first audition to the last one was about nine months. i auditioned. got a fair way up the chain. and it was the producer who grabbed my tape out of one of those bins somewhere and said, remember this guy? i got lucky. >> and now, you're playing it for a seventh time. and when you think about where you were there. where you are now. and what you bring to the role. and people had to remember, this was a bit of a gamble. comic books, they're hot now in movies. but it wasn't that way back then. >> we had finished filming. and i came to l.a. my agent said you should come to l.a. and go auditions. another friend in the business said, i would book another job, i don't think this is going anywhere. there was no comic book genre. i can't believe that 14 years later, this one feels fresher than ever. >> it is fresher than ever. it's beautiful how you bring

back the cast from the original trilogy, with the new cast members and blend them together like this. let's take a look. >> pretty strong for a scrawny kid. are you sure there's not a little beast in you? come on, beasty. >> hey. i said the school's closed. you need to leave. >> not until i see the professor. >> there's no professor here. i told you that. >> look, kid, you and i are going to be good friends. you just don't know it yet. >> the beast going down like that. when you were here last time, you were talking about the young whippersnappers. you're keeping up with them. that's proof you can keep up with them. >> you and me. >> what do you want me to do? >> i'm doing my best. i do complain, 3:30 in the morning, when i get up to -- i can still hang with them. >> you really had to go into training for this. we see a lot of you. >> that's a good point. >> we see a lot of you. >> people say, had you trained

for 2 1/2 hours a day, if you know on may 23rd, you're going to be in a 3d cinema 40 foot high naked, great incentive. >> that was the motivation. >> 3:30, i'm up. >> you're not going to move that date at all. you put that on the calendar and peaked at the right time. >> you have to be scientific about it. i not you would get ready in three weeks for a role like this. it takes more like six months. particularly, at my age now. i prepare. and i'm very, very scientific about the dates. >> they talk about the jackman effect. you make everybody just really bring something extra to the table. but we love so many things about you. you are a renaissance man. a song and dance man. on film and on broadway. and so happy you're coming back. >> me, too. >> for the tonys. >> june 8th. going to be there at the tonys. i'm very excited about that. i had hosted them before. but it's been a little while.

it's the greatest celebration i know. that night is just a party from beginning to end. and the great thing about it, if you don't see the broadway shows, you get to see the best that night. >> how do you prep for something like that? you have to be on. you are bringing all of those shows to us. >> i started two or three months ago. the thing about the shows is a lot of it happens once the nominations come out. i was there that morning. we were there. and just making sure. now, i'm in full mode. >> and you never know -- >> there's another way to prep. during press. make sure you're always dancing. >> we're going to be dancing here. you should stick around. sometimes we even pull george into dancing. >> i hear he's a wonderful dancer. >> he's an excellent dancer. >> and i hear he's going to do a little solo today. 20 seconds, george? >> you're going to pay for that so many times over. >> he says you're going to pay for that. >> it is always great. you are a dear, dear friend of ours. we appreciate that. "x men: days of future past"

opens nationwide on friday. coming up, the final four couples from "dancing with the stars," back for one final

all right. we are here in times square. and it is time to dance. we are about to see all of the finalists do some of the hottest dances of the season. meryl and maks, amy and derek, candace and mark and james and peta, are ready for one last spin on the dance floor. let's get the party started. james maslow, and his partner, peta. ♪

♪ ♪ >> all right. >> up next, dancing the quick

step/samba fusion, candace cameron bure, and her partner, mark ballas. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

[ cheers and applause ] >> now, dancing the salsa, amy purdy and her partner, derek hough. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> and now, our champions, dancing the fox trot/cha-cha fusion, meryl and maks. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> so great. >> so, so good. we'll be right back. it is

thanks to d.j. kiss. and the "dancing with the stars" final couples. and that happened just moments ago, ladies and gentlemen. just moments ago, peta, you did it. i don't know how you did it.

but you got him out there. congratulations to you guys. thank you. >> have a great day, everyone.

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good morning. i'm thomas tom. a south bay voe kaegs nal school is open again two days after suddenly shutting down. students in san jose returned to class this morning being. school says the closure was an issue over unpaid rent which the school's administration says has been resolved. here's mike with the forecast. >> eric, thank you very much. good morning, everybody. temperatures back to average today, some 80s inland, a lot of 70s around the bay, low e to mid-60s along the coast in san francisco, where it will be hard to see sunshine at times today. leyla? we have a possible fire here involving a truck. and this is going to be in oakland, westbound along 24 right at telegraph avenue. with a partial lane blockage you could start to see some jam-up approaching 980.

eric? >> join us for our midday newsca announcer: it's "live! with kelly & michael." today, star of "x-men: days of future past," hugh jackman. and the big winners of "dancing with the stars" meryl davis and maksim chmerkovskiy. plus, the "dancing" runner-up couple amy purdy and derek hough. all next on "live." now, here are kelly ripa and michael strahan! [cheers and applause] ♪