have a great boxing day. s morning. making news in america this morning -- ♪ dance forever >> the untimely passing of singer george michael. details of his death this morning. reaction to his passing and george michael in his own words. what he told abc news about his demons. also, tough travel on this day after christmas. snowy conditions forcing the closure of interstate highways. rain and storms elsewhere making a mess across the middle of the nation. your forecast just ahead. a developing story in michigan, a state of emergency declared because of a sinkhole. families out of their homes, forced to evacuate with no word on when they'll be back. and kansas city's hefty quarterback throwing a late touchdown pass for the chiefs as they end the playoff hopes of

the defending super bowl champs. and we do say good morning to you on this holiday monday. i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm marci gonzalez in for diane macedo. we begin with the passing of george michael. the grammy award winning singer who shot to fame in the 1980s passing away at the age of 53. >> we got the word overnight from his manager, who said he died of heart failure at his home in england on christmas day. michael had not been ill. we have more on the pop icon's life and career. ♪ >> reporter: the stunning death of george michael brings a sudden end to one of pop music's most brilliant careers. the superstar was just 53, his publicist said he died pear

peacefully at home. he was one half of wham! with andrew ridgeley. his first solo album, 1987's "faith" sold more than 21 million copies and he enjoyed several hit singles. including the raunchy "i want your sex." >> my music is only ever reflected parts of the music that i listen to and some of my favorite albums would not be things that anyone expected. i know who i am and what i'm capable of and what my limitations are. ♪ >> reporter: his career included brushes with the law, overdangerous driving, drug use and public sexual behavior. >> i don't inhale any of that. it's dangerous. i don't inhale any of that. you give people music for years and years when you write.

you tie yourself to more than one night. you tie yourself to big events in their lives, their childhood, and it's a real privilege. coming up later, the worldwide reaction to michael's death and the revealing interview he did recently with abc when he explained how he battled his own demons. but first, we want to move on to the other story that we're following, the dangerous weather for million of americans who are heading home today. looking at the radar right now, you can see the blizzard conditions slowly moving east. and the new storm in the west. >> already hundreds of flights have been cancelled and drivers have been warned to stay off the roads. >> reporter: it's the gift that keeps on giving. >> i love this white christmas. >> reporter: winter weather making for a white christmas and tough travel the day after. >> we're happy and we're making silly faces and we're singing christmas songs to get the time going.

>> reporter: in arizona, snow brought two major highways to a standstill. cars, trucks and drivers stranded along interstate 40 outside of flagstaff. >> i don't know. i'm just waiting. all i can do, right. >> reporter: getting home or to the mall could be tricky today across the country. in the northern plains it's a slippery mess where freezing rain turned to snow. transportation officials in the dakotas shutting down more than 600 miles of roadway along i-94 and u.s. highway 83 because of drifting snow and near-zero visibility. some of those same areas under blizzard warning. rain and possible storms could move through nebraska, kansas, missouri, oklahoma and texas. >> i hope i can get home. so here's a silver lining it's a holiday, a major one, many workers can stay home. and school is out. >> with a look at what's ahead,

we're joined by accuweather's justin povick. >> good morning to you. we're looking at improvement throughout the northern tier of states. poor traveling conditions due to snow and also some wind. not as heavy as yesterday. it's winding down. but, again, like i said, we're not completely finished. another storm system rolling into the northwest. and this is going to have some problems as well due to rain and some mountain snow along the 5 and over the cascade when it comes to snow. and new this morning, a possible cause for the crash of a russian military jet. the russian transport minister said pilot error or technical failure is likely blame, but terrorism has not been ruled out. all 92 people onboard have been killed. the plane crashed two minutes after taking off in clear weather. it was headed to a russian base in syria. a typhoon that killed at least four people in the philippines has weakened

slightly. tense of thousands of villagers who were forced to evacuated have started returning home. the storm headed toward a heavily populated area. and a powerful earthquake hit southern chile, thousands of people were evacuated over fears of a tsunami, but that alert was lifted about an hour and half after the quake. back in this country, new details about carrie fisher's condition, she's in a los angeles hospital after suffering cardiac arrest. >> she's receiving well wishes including harrison ford and mark hamill. as abc's eva pilgrim tell us we're hearing from her mother. >> reporter: carrie fisher in the hospital after an in-flight medical emergency. carrie's famous mother debbie reynolds at her bedside.

tweeting this update, carrie is in stable condition. if there's a change, we will share it. for all her fans and friends i thank you for your prayers. the 60-year-old reportedly stopped breathing friday on a flight from london to l.a. just 15 minutes before landing. the l.a. fire department rushing to the tarmac finding fisher in cardiac arrest. fisher taken to hospital. where her daughter seen in this tmz video, arrived later that evening. fisher's brother telling abc news she's obviously a very tough girl who survived many things. i encourage everyone to pray for her. eva pilgrim, abc news, new york. coming up, a sinkhole emergency in michigan. and some angry words from israel's leader as he makes some charges against the united states. an issue dividing the white house and the president-elect donald trump. >> that controversy is raging as president obama spends his last holiday vacation in hawaii. we'll have the details straight ahead.

(boy) grandpa, look what i got! (woman) oh dad, wait 'till you see the bike we got for jake. (narrator) hearing loss happens gradually with age... making it easy to ignore. yet most older americans aren't getting their hearing tested. untreated hearing loss can keep your loved ones from enjoying what they cherish most. (woman) dad, can you hear me? (narrator) don't let that happen. speak up about hearing loss. you'll be glad you did. [music] jess: hey look, it's those guys. jess: are you good to drive? shawn: i'm fine. jess: how many did you have? shawn: i should be fine. jess: you should be? officer: go on and step out of the vehicle for me. bud: see ya, buddy. good luck! so, it turns out buzzed driving and drunk driving, they're the same thing and it costs around $10,000.

so not worth it. the apartment building where the fire was. when things like this happen, i think you find a new perspective on life. hi. red cross put us in a hotel so we were able to stay together. we're strong and, if we overcame that or if we can overcome that, we can overcome anything, so. [ sniffle ]

a state of emergency declared near detroit. because of a sinkhole that's threatening to swallow several homes. so far the hole has opened up beneath one home. the homeowner was able to evacuate over the weekend and that massive sinkhole opened up in the same area in 2004. president obama is on his eighth and last christmas break in hawaii. >> just like in the past, the president's stay is mixed with time spent with family and official duties. abc's stephanie ramos is in hawaii this morning. >> reporter: visiting u.s. troops on christmas day is a

holiday tradition for president obama and this was his last visit as commander-in-chief. >> it's impossible for us to fully repay what you've done and the sacrifices that you make. but at least it's important to hear from us that what you do matters. >> reporter: president obama thanking u.s. troops and their families for their service at a marine corps base hawaii. on christmas eve, the president personally called u.s. service members from each branch of the military stationed overseas to thank them, too, and on twitter -- a picture and this message -- best part of the holidays is the time we share with those we love. on behalf of michelle, malia and sasha, merry christmas, everyone. it's a series of lasts. the president teaming up with michelle to poke fun at their first weekly address during the holidays in 2009. >> given how our first christmas weekly address went i realized that barack needed all the help he could get.

>> reporter: the first couple reflecting. >> the greatest gift we have received over the last eight years has been the honor of serving as your president and first lady. >> reporter: this year, a historic stop for president obama. the japan these prime minister will join him at pearl harbor tuesday, first time a japanese leader has visited the site since the attack. stephanie ramos, abc news, honolulu, hawaii. >> our thanks to stephanie there. there's been increasing tension between the obama administration and israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu over the u.n. vote of settlements. netanyahu summoned the u.s. ambassador to jerusalem to protest the white house failure to block the resolution condemning israeli settlement activity in the west bank. >> the u.s. abstained from the vote. but the prime minister blames the white house for arranging it. >> we agreed that the security council was not the place to resolve this issue. we knew that going there would make negotiations harder and drive peace further away.

and as i told john kerry on thursday friends don't take friends to the security council. >> president-elect donald trump had urged the u.s. to veto the resolution. ten diplomats from other countries who supported the measure have also been summoned to jerusalem. in the meantime, trump's plan to shut down his charitable foundation has apparently hit a little bit of a legal hurdle. the president-elect said he's dissolving the foundation to avoid even the appearance of conflict. >> but new york's attorney general said trump can't legally dissolve it while the foundation is under investigation. among other things he's accused using foundation money to buy a self-portrait. when we come back -- late drama in pittsburgh decided by a stretch. at the goal line with only seconds to spare. and more about the life and death of singer george michael, a revealing interview with abc from several years ago. stay with us. go. stay with us. sh really cleans... ...better than a manual, and my hygienist says it does. but... ...they're not all the same. turns out, they're really...

...different. who knew? i had no idea. so, she said look for... ...one that's shaped like a dental tool with a round... ...brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's rounded brush head surrounds each tooth to... ...gently remove more plaque and... ...oral-b crossaction is clinically proven to... ...remove more plaque than sonicare diamondclean. my mouth feels so clean. i'll only use an oral-b! the #1 brand used by dentists worldwide. oral-b. brush like a pro. i even accept i have a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. but no matter what path i take, i go for my best. so if there's something better than warfarin, i'll go for that too. eliquis. eliquis reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin, plus had less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis had both. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve

or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. i'm still going for my best. and for eliquis. ask your doctor about eliquis. try theraflu expressmax,nd flu hold you back now in new caplets. it's the only cold & flu caplet that has a maximum strength formula with a unique warming sensation you instantly feel. theraflu. for a powerful comeback. new expressmax caplets. on this day after christmas, you can expect dangerous travel

in parts of the upper midwest with blizzard conditions in some areas, even freezing rain in others. hundreds of flights have already been cancelled and drivers have been warned to stay off some roads. 15 inches of snow possible in parts of the dakotas. looking at morning road conditions across the country, expect rain in seattle and portland. heavy snow in the cascades and the northern rockies. freezing rain could make it dangerous in the northeast. and the weather could cause some delays at airports in memphis, chicago, minneapolis and detroit. many of us are heading back to the stores today hoping to find the best deals after christmas and many of them are in electronics because the latest models are about to go on sale. experts say the hottest deals will be on cameras, smartphones and video games. >> yeah, and speaking of video games, gamestop has a buy two, get one free sale on used video games and on all electronics, you can expect deep discounts on

returned merchandise and last year's models. retailers will be trying to move products that didn't sell well this year. walmart is opening up at 6:00 a.m. to a jump on the post-holiday rush. a colorado mom and dad, got a two for one deal. son benjamin was born on december 25th. >> when mom was found out she was expecting another baby on december 23rd. they held out hope for a christmas encore. sure enough, little caroline was welcomed into the world. two kids born on the same day and on christmas, no less. >> that's pretty cool. >> congrats. a giant fur seal had a wild run in tasmania before getting captured. he climbed on a car, smashed the windshield, dented the roof, took a lot of energy. at one point, there he is taking a nap. >> they were warned to keep a distance as this creature

wandered the streets. he's now heading back to the wild. but a lot of damage done. some christmas sports starting with the nfl. the defending super bowl champions, the denver broncos aren't going back to the playoffs. >> that's because of last night's 33-10 defeat in kansas city, by the chiefs. tyreke hill taking this handoff 70 yards for the touchdown. this is the play that i love. the final score came when nose tackle dontari poe, he threw the short pass to harris there. first time denver will miss the playoffs in some six years. earlier it was pittsburgh stunning baltimore with a last-minute touchdown to clinch the afc north. with nine seconds to go, antonio brown -- look at that -- reaches across the goal line. that gave the steelers the win. and up next, in the pulse, george michael in his own words, opening up about his own demons. >> the singer's untimely death.

the latest, stay with us. untimely death. the latest, stay with us. you'farewell, cookie betdough ice cream.e! what's that you're drinking? it's trop50. it's fine. it tastes delicious and has 50% fewer calories with this taste? no way. give me fifty squats. but... it can't taste this good ... read the label. ...and have 50% fewer calories? exactly, now you drop... ...and give me the 50. trop50. tastes so good you won't believe it has 50% fewer calories. rightabreva can heal itold sore, in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. without it the virus spreads from cell to cell. only abreva penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. you could heal your cold sore, fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. learn how abreva starts to work

immediately at abreva.com don't tough it out, knock it out, fast. with abreva. to live a life that's full.want full of a happiness found in living the life i want. full of the energy that comes with good health. full of the great foods i love. and at weight watchers, i don't have to choose between weight loss and living well. i live well, while losing weight. it is easier than it's ever been, and not one day have i felt deprived. most important, it works! join for free now and lose 10 pounds on us. only new alka-seltzer plus justfree of artificial dyes and preservatives liquid gels

delivers the powerful cold symptom relief you need without the unnecessary additives you don't. store manager: clean up, aisle 4. alka-seltzer plus liquid gels. ♪ checking "the pulse," and tributes are pouring in for is george michael who died at the age of 53, his manager said the cause was heart failure. >> you may recall "good morning america's" chris cuomo sat down with george michael in 2008 and the singer talked about surviving some of his most personal struggles. >> it was a terribly depressing time. i had my very first relationship at 27. because i really had not actually come to terms with my sexuality until i was 24. my first live-in relationship,

six months into it, discovered that my partner, in six months love and i lost my partner to hiv and then took about three years to grieve and after that i lost my mother. i felt almost like i was cursed. >> how did you survive what you went through, the loss of the most important man and the most important woman of your life. >> depression and shock that went on for years. then of course i got myself arrested. so it was a very eventful and bizarre -- bizarrely dark period for me. i actually thought was going to go on forever. >> michael was widely praised for his vocal range and his overall talent. >> earlier we spoke with bruno del granado about that and other aspects of michael's career. >> the great thing about it is, people are talking about his

music not the controversies, not the run-ins with the law. one of the greatest songwriters we saw in the late 20th century, early 21st century. the man was tremendously talented. wrote all his songs. produced them himself. you can't find too many artists nowadays who do what george michael did for so many years. >> he took ownership of his music in so many different ways. >> in so my different ways. even went through legal fights with record companies like sony to get his masters back, but he took a long time in the studio between albums because he was such a perfectionist. it was something that he said he never really wanted to release music unless he was fully confident that it was the best possible work that he could possibly do. >> and as you might imagine those who knew and worked with

michael have been weighing in reactions. andrew ridgeley tweeted last night he was heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend. >> elton john posting a photo of himself with michael. saying, here i am in deep and i have lost a best friend. >> and madonna, farewell my friend, another great artist leaves us. >> more on "good morning america" on george michael. we'll be right back. "good morning america" on george michael. we'll be right back. is. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. tylenol® when you have a cold, pain from chest congestion can make this... feel like this. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand.

tylenol® the spare, no, i don't want to put anybody out. nonsense! we lend it to everybody. some people we hardly know. as after a dvt blood clot,ital i sure had a lot to think about. what about the people i care about? ...including this little girl. and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital, but wondered, was this the best treatment for me?

so i asked my doctor. and he recommended eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. yes, eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. both made me turn around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily ...and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. plus had less major bleeding. both made eliquis the right treatment for me. ask your doctor if switching to eliquis is right for you.

...until we found a connection. you have the power to change your child's life. the boys town national hline can help. (tdd# 1-800-448-1433) to stay off the roads. >> other areas being impacted the pacific northwest, rain over there. expect showers and storms from tennessee into arkansas and texas and record-high temperatures are possible in chicago and detroit. a cold 39 in denver.

finally this morning, with kids off from school this week and many adults not working, at least today, you may be looking for something to do other than going to the mall. >> plenty of alternatives at the box office and abc's chris connelly takes a look at the choices. >> reporter: celebrating with a trip to the movie theater? head for space. not only "rogue one" taking audiences into the deep beyond. >> it's rogue. rogue one. >> reporter: maybe you heard, jennifer lawrence and chris pratt are in a movie together. >> you woke up too soon. 90 years too soon. >> reporter: when their in-flight hibernation ends way too early, there's trouble in passengers. >> we're on our way to work. >> reporter: "hidden figure" tells based on actual story. academy voters may be taking notice as denzel washington directs.

directs. while he and viola davis their roles in "fences." annett benning could be looking at her fifth oscar nomination. in "20th century women." >> don't you need a man to raise a man. >> no, i don't think so. >> reporter: yes, that's a balding matthew mcconaughey front and center in "gold." and ben affleck in "live by night." meanwhile, the emotionally calibrated moonlight, the heartfelt "manchester by the sea" and the made for big screen miracle, la la land. remain in theaters. making you part of the who will win the discussion and giving you a night out. chris connelly, abc news, los angeles. >> lots of choices today. a big day to go to the movies. >> sure is. that's what's making news in

america this morning. ♪ 'tis the season for great viral videos as we wish you a very happy holidays "right this minute." the families gather for christmas dinner when mom spies a big present. >> what could it be? >> the moment she realizes this gift is alive. >> oh, oh! >> look who used a plane to reach an italian village where he -- >> brought gifts to the children of the area. >> find out why this is no ordinary santa stop. >> ho-ho! >> that's awesome. >> a man spots a dog stuck in the ice. >> no time to wait for emergency services. >> the rescue that seems impossible until he finds an ingenious solution. and a pranker it becomes a christmas cop. >> wearing the v