>> the shoulder thing. >> i wasn't on camera, but i was doing it. >> i guess it is exciting every time. >> very cool. >> good morning america starts right now. good morning, america. celebrating president george h.w. bush. the tributes this morning as the former president makes his final journey back to washington. new details about the ultimate patriot and patriarch's final days, surrounded by his loved ones. his last words to his son, president george w. bush, and the newly released diaries and letters he wrote to his wife, barbara and their children. >> if you need me, i'm here, devotedly, dad. >> his family and beloved dog sully by his side as he travels back to the nation's capital this morning, and his grandchildren here on "gma," as we honor the life of our former president.

also this morning, tornado threat. the new warning after dozens of reported twisters strike the midwest and south, directly hitting an illinois town and a naval base. now the system moving east this morning. hall of famer duped. nfl great brett favre claiming he was tricked into recording an anti-semitic video for a hate group, and he is not the only one. desperate search. the florida woman vanishing from her airbnb on a costa rica vacation, last seen leaving in a mystery car. her family now desperate for help. could her smartphone devices hold clues? ♪ i think i want to marry you and the yes that turned into an oh, no. a newly engaged couple's ring falling right down a grate here in times square. how the nypd and twitter came to the rescue for the ultimate happily ever after. ♪ i think i want to marry you and we do say good morning, america. hope everybody had a great

weekend. it's wonderful to have cecilia here with us. >> it's great to be here on such an important morning. thank you. >> we're going to begin by honoring george h.w. bush. the nation honoring our 41st president all week long beginning this morning at the funeral home in houston where the president will be escorted there, and you see it right there, by his family to washington for the state funeral, and he will be transported by air force one. you see it land, sent by president trump last night to bring president bush back to the capitol one last time. >> the plane will depart just hours from now and the president will lie in state at the u.s. capitol until wednesday morning when a state funeral will be held there at the national cathedral. >> president bush will then be taken back to houston for a funeral service at st. martin's episcopal church on thursday. after the service, a train named "bush 4141" will take him to his final resting place at the george h.w. bush presidential library. let's go to amy robach starting us off in ellington air force

base in texas where air force one will depart this morning. good morning, amy. >> reporter: robin, good morning. george h.w. bush was america's longest living president, and he led a virtually unparalleled life of service. he faced the end of that life with dignity, courage, and grace, qualities he was known for throughout his 94 years. this morning, we're learning more about the last hours of george herbert walker bush, the 41st president surrounded by family and close friends friday, including his former secretary of state, james baker. >> he perked up. he opened his eyes. he looked at me and he said, hey, bake, where are we going? he kept his spirit and he kept his sense of humor right until the very end, but his passing, george, was very gentle and very peaceful. >> reporter: the 43rd president, george w. bush on a speakerphone told his father, he was a, quote, wonderful dad and that he loved him. the 94-year-old telling his son one final time, quote, i love you, too. amid the outpouring of

condolences, words of praise from the current president. >> he was a very fine man. i met him on numerous occasions. he was just a high quality man who truly loved his family. one thing that came through loud and clear, he was proud of his family, terrific guy. he will be missed. >> reporter: and several former commanders in chief, including his own son. >> i think he's going to go down as one of the best one-term presidents ever. >> he was a good reminder that as fiercely as we may fight on policy and on issues, that ultimately we're americans first. >> i come before you and assume the presidency at a moment rich with promise. >> reporter: when george h.w. bush became the 41st president in 1988, it capped a remarkable lifetime of service. >> we have been given a lot of material things, been very blessed and you look around and compare your life to others, how lucky we have been, and you must feel responsibility to others, you must believe in serving

others, and that's a fundamental tenant of my life. >> reporter: he had been a navy pilot, served as ambassador to china, director of the cia and vice president under ronald reagan. >> i, george herbert walker bush, do solemnly swear -- >> reporter: then, as commander-in-chief guiding the nation through the end of the cold war and operation desert storm. >> kuwait is liberated. iraq's army is defeated. our military objectives are met. >> reporter: but perhaps his greatest legacy, his commitment to family. he married barbara, his teenage sweetheart, in 1945. the couple had six children, future president george w. bush, future florida governor, jeb, sons marvin and neil, daughter dorothy, and a little girl named robin who died of leukemia at the age of 3 in 1953. >> but he was very close. >> i was very close to her. >> she adored him. >> what was it that pulled you back up on your feet afterwards?

>> he was very strong then. he was wonderful. >> reporter: after a national day of mourning and a state funeral wednesday, 41 will be laid to rest at the george h.w. bush presidential library in college station friday alongside his young daughter and his late wife. >> i do think that you go to heaven, there is a heaven, but i don't fear it though. when i was a little guy, i would fear death. i would be worried about it, be scared. not anymore. >> reporter: in addition to his children, president bush leaves behind 17 grandchildren and much of that family will be with him on air force one as president bush makes his final trip back to washington, d.c., robin. >> we'll talk to members of his family in just a moment, some of his grandchildren, but many of us saw the photos of the late president's service dog, sully, saying good-bye. that photo captured our hearts. he had been with the president since june and he made a special provision for his beloved

labrador? >> reporter: at the late president's request, yes, sully will be heading back east. he is going to rejoin the america's vet dogs at walter reed medical center. he will be helping wounded vets and that photo released by 43 and he also added this, as much as our family is going to miss this dog, we're comforted to know he'll bring the same joy to his new home, walter reed, that he brought to 41. that, of course, coming from president george w. bush. >> amy, thank you. >> the picture of devotion right there. and earlier this morning, i spoke to two of the presidents' grandchildren, marshall and ashley bush. >> marsha and ashley, thank you so much for joining us this morning. let me begin with you. i spoke to secretary baker yesterday about your grandfather's final hours, and i know you were there as well.

what can you share? >> oh, you know, it was just really peaceful. i was so happy that i could be there for him and with my family and our close family friends and just be able to make sure that he knew we were there, he knew we loved him, you know, just comfort him as much as we can and try and make the very last part of his life as comfortable and loving as he made ours. >> you know, he expressed so much of that love in his letters to so many people, including you, ashley. i know he wrote you a letter the day you were born. also, a little bit later in your life. i love this letter and i want to read a little bit for our audience. dear ashley, darn it. when your class is having that play on november 25th, your old grandfather is going to be in frankfurt, germany, but he said he loved watching you through his binoculars and he was so very, very proud of you. that must have been so special. >> it really was, and i was thinking about how, i mean, our grandfather belonged of course, to us, but also to the world,

but yet, he would have these moments and come to our plays and even make cameos in our high school musicals. like, i mean, it's very grounded, while he was apart of the whole world. he was very grounded, and certainly made us all feel very loved and made us feel very special. >> and marshall, you were old enough to be around during those days in the white house. what was that like? >> you know, as crazy as it sounds, it was very normal for me because when i was born, he was in the vice president's house, and then from about 3 to 7, he was in the white house. so really to me, and again, it's completely bizarre, but the white house was just my grandfather's house, my grandparents' house and where they lived and where i went and hung out with them and went swimming in their pool and played with their dogs, and, you know, it was -- it was normal life to me, which again, i know is completely crazy, but it's just how it was. it was like anyone going to see

their grandparents with a little extra security. >> ashley, what's the big lesson you take away from your grandfather's life? >> i think the biggest for me is humility. one second. yes. i just -- a couple of years ago, i sat down and asked him a few questions. i was just so struck by his humility. one question in particular, i asked him what had impacted him the most in his life and he talked about when he was a 20-year-old pilot, and he teared up, and how that has sort of motivated and inspired him for the rest of his life to have this humility that he -- he continues to live with and share with everybody. >> marshall, you must feel lucky he was your grandfather.

>> unbelievably. unbelievably. could not have had a better influence or really partner in life. i mean, he supported us as ashley mentioned in every single thing we did, as silly as it was from, you know, our school plays to just, you know, having a tough day at wherever. he was always there to listen, always there to love, and to me, that's the most important thing he taught me is, you know, family always comes first, and you do what you can to help the world. >> he always tried to make us laugh. >> oh, yeah, and he did like to make us laugh. >> there was never a moment -- i mean, i feel like till the very end he was cracking jokes. >> he had a goofy side, didn't he? >> he did. incredibly goofy side, yeah. he certainly did, and he did a lot of silly, completely ridiculous things just to make sure that we were all smiling

and laughing and having fun. >> it's good to hear you smile and laugh this morning. thank you both very much. >> yeah. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> just charming there. they will both be there to say farewell to their grandfather later this morning. we're going to cover all the tributes this week, including the state funeral on wednesday. >> we certainly will be. and president trump will be there attending wednesday's funeral in washington. he has designated it a national day of mourning. terry moran is at the white house with more. terry, no word yet on whether president trump will be among those delivering a eulogy? >> reporter: that's right, cecilia. good morning. no word on a eulogy, but he will be there. the 45th president paying tribute to the 41st president, part of that tradition, and despite the history of the long-running feud between president trump and the bush family, it's a nice moment. that will be put on hold, as will politics in washington for a moment. the feud on the budget, there was a government shutdown being

set for the end of this week, the lawmakers have agreed to extend the deadline so the country can remember george herbert walker bush. >> over the weekend, there was news about a new deal reached with china, a possible truce in this bitter trade war, but it sounds like it could be a temporary one? >> reporter: that's right. another chapter in what is a real trade war going on right now, hammering china and many sectors of the u.s. economy. although president trump and president xi did agree to a truce saying they will try to get this deal done in the next 90 days but stay tuned, this is not over yet. >> thanks, terry. robin? we'll move on now to that deadly tornado outbreak in the midwest. this twister right here, one of nearly two dozen reported in the region. one person was killed and at least 30 others injured as those twisters tore through the midwest and south. ginger is here with those details. good morning, ginger. >> good morning, robin. 15 of those confirmed tornadoes

were in illinois and that will end up their second largest outbreak in the month of december, but it's not over this morning. tornado warnings happening now in north florida. a violent weekend. >> for the love of god, please miss that farm. >> reporter: 27 reported tornadoes from oklahoma to illinois, to georgia, just last night. a tornado injured four people at the king's bay submarine base on the florida/georgia state line. high water rescues. look at the destruction in taylorville, illinois. 25 people were injured when an ef-2 tornado, winds up to 130 miles per hour, swept through. this home collapsed. that's just one of more than a hundred homes destroyed. >> it's on the ground. >> reporter: in havana, this twister swallowing the daylight. >> we're really close to this. >> reporter: in bluff city, the tornado violently whipping up debris less than 100 yards from the road. >> you can actually see debris going up through the air. >> reporter: and in oklahoma, an ef-2 tornado flipping boats, mangling buildings, pieces of homes dangling in trees. in missouri, this storm was

deadly. one man was killed when an ef-1 with winds more than 100 miles per hour struck this aurora motel. we have those severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado warnings from georgia through north florida and that's all along that same front. those strong storms should continue today and with them come the potential for flash flooding early on and eventually it will die out and be gone tomorrow. george? >> okay, ginger, thanks. we move to the recovery efforts under way from that massive earthquake in alaska. more than 1,000 aftershocks rocking buildings and buckling roads. abc's will carr has the latest. >> reporter: a 7.0 earthquake rocking anchorage, alaska, creating chaos, forcing parents to grab their kids and hold on for 60 violent seconds. >> within three minutes of that 7.0 earthquake going off, and a 6.0 aftershock hit us and just, our nerves are frayed.

>> reporter: nearly 1,400 aftershocks have ripped through the state since friday morning. when roads crumbled, homes and buildings cracked, equipment scattered inside the control tower at this airport. >> what was the condition of the tower when you got here? >> it was just a disaster. when we got up here, everything was a complete mess. >> reporter: the recovery starting immediately. this is one of the only roads that still has significant damage here. you can see that it has become something of a local attraction. families bringing their kids and they are all walking throughout the rubble. amazingly, nobody killed by the quake. residents rattled, but their strength unwavering. and that has been the mentality that we have heard from so many alaskans. this off-ramp was an island of rubble right after the earthquake hit. this morning, it's almost drivable again, cecilia. >> a remarkable recovery there. will, thank you. we do want to turn now to the tragic death of the top u.s. navy admiral in the middle east. scott stearney was found dead in his home in bahrain. martha raddatz has more from washington. martha, you've spoken to people who knew him. this is coming as a complete

shock. >> reporter: really shocking, cecilia. admiral stearney had commanded some 20,000 forces in one of the most important and potentially volatile regions in the world. this is where our american navy has confronted iran's revolutionary guard vessels. weapons smugglers. admiral stearney was a decorated pilot, a top gun instructor with more than 1,000 carrier landings. he had also served in afghanistan and central command. sources who know stearney tell abc his death is a suspected suicide which is why this came as such a shock to all who knew him and those men and women he commanded. a real tragedy. robin? >> so tragic. all right, martha, thank you. we're going to turn now to the college football playoffs. the stage is now officially set for the two big showdowns, clemson -- and we have a clemson fan in our studio with his hat

on over there. and they will take on notre dame, and oklahoma will face alabama who secured their spot in that big comeback saturday night. 'bama down against georgia, 28-21, in the fourth quarter. the alabama starting quarterback injured his ankle, so the backup, jalen hurts, jumped in, and shall we say the tide changed for the crimson tide? jalen leading the team to two touchdowns, huge victory, a comeback not just for alabama, but hurts himself. remember, he was actually the one that was replaced in a similar situation last year. >> that's right. >> so the final four, college football. >> looking forward to that. let's go back to ginger. >> we showed you the top or the bottom part of the storm was tornadoes, and then you have the snow in columbus and nebraska. they had up to 14 inches. we'll get to your local weather in 30 seconds. first, though, we have select cities sponsored by amazon echo.

coming up, the urgent search for that florida woman who vanished in costa rica, last seen leaving her airbnb. and why nfl hall of famer brett favre says he was duped into recording something anti-semitic. brett favre says he was duped into recording something anti-semitic. nto recording. get their day back...

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an instant pot... and beats headphones! plus get kohl's cash! and - snap a free picture with santa this weekend at kohl's! "thanks!" give joy, get joy - at kohl's. good morning, east bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is abc 7 mornings. >> hi there. good morning. i'm jessica castro from abc 7 mornings. we're following breaking news out of san francisco this morning, where firefighters are investigating a string of intentionally set fires in the marina district. two of the fires were set in separate areas of the recreation area on chestnut street. it's unclear if the flames caused any significant damage or if anyone was hurt. alexis? >> good morning, jessica. after a quiet start, things have certainly gotten quite a bit busier. we did just have all lanes stopped westbound 80 before hercules. sounds like everything is back open aside from the far right lane. you're heavy. that backup to about highway 4.

once you get past that, getting to the maze, another 33. 20 across the bay bridge. southbound 101, san francisco to sfo, 17 minutes. >> t ♪ introducing fresh step clean paws, with low-tracking litter, your vacuum becomes a cat toy. let's make litter less of a mess. let's start fresh.

a pretty chilly start this morning with mid-30s to mid-40s. a little warmer in hayward, 47. san francisco and half moon bay about 50. let's talk about your commute. green, green, and green whether you're roads, mass transit, or ferry. tomorrow that's all going to be orange and yellow. a two, updated from a one. the morning is going to be pretty light, but in the afternoon hours, there's a chance of thunderstorms developing over the ocean and rolling our way. that could bring us downpours and gusty breezes during the evening commute tomorrow. the storm's back down to a one for wednesday and thursday. then our next chance is sunday. >> thank you, mike. and we'll have another abc 7

news update in about 30 minutes and always on our news app and abc7news.com. and remember, we're always here weekdays 4:30 to 7:00.

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kevin, i hav♪ your caramel brulee lattes ready! oh, that is beautiful. welcoming you back to "gma," and that is a live look at air force one as the sun rises this morning there in houston. it will depart later this morning with president george h.w. bush and members of his beloved family, and head to the nation's capital where the president will lie in state today. there is his service dog, sully. the world remembering the 41st president this morning. and we're going to hear from the president's private diaries and letters coming up in this half hour, and we're also following these storms and possible tornadoes in the east. it brought dozens of reported twisters in the south and is on the move. and out west, some good news.

thousands of kids are returning to school three weeks after those deadly wildfires in california. also, an urgent manhunt is under way. a convicted murderer got out of jail by posing as his cell mate. he is serving a life sentence, but police say he stole his look-alike's i.d. and he is on bail. police describe him as a violent individual. and something else making some lighter headlines this morning. beyonce and jay-z taking the stage in south africa last night honored nelson mandela. they weren't the only ones there. oprah, ed sheeran and pharrell were there just to name a few. just oprah. >> just a few people. wonderful what they're doing. now to that frantic search for missing american woman who vanished during her trip to costa rica. eva pilgrim is here with the latest and, eva, she was last seen getting into a car the morning she was supposed to go home? >> reporter: that's right, robin. this trip was supposed to be a

celebration, a fun trip for her birthday, but this morning a florida family is now begging for help to find a woman missing for days. >> hi. >> reporter: this morning, local authorities and the u.s. embassy leading a desperate search for a missing florida woman who vanished seemingly without a trace on the last day of her vacation in costa rica. >> it doesn't make sense. she wouldn't do that. >> reporter: carla stefaniak made the trip to celebrate her 36th birthday with her sister-in-law, april burton. >> hi, welcome me to my birthday. >> reporter: burton sharing these videos showing stefaniak enjoining her trip. >> do you want some of this? >> okay, sure. okay. >> reporter: burton went home last tuesday. stefaniak staying an extra day on her own to celebrate her birthday, expected to fly out the the next day. according to burton, stefaniak dropped her at the airport, returned the rental car, then took an uber to an airbnb 30 minutes from the airport. she spent the day sightseeing and shopping in the same uber car she took home from the airport. she was last heard from that night at 8:00 p.m. on the whatsapp app.

stefaniak allegedly messaged that it was raining heavily, the power had gone out and that it was pretty sketchy here. the next morning, according to security at the airbnb, stefaniak left in a mystery car around 5:00 a.m. with her bags, but her family says her flight didn't leave until 1:00 p.m. >> i want to try to stay positive, but there is just -- there is no explanation for why she wouldn't reach out to someone. >> reporter: her brother became concerned when he noticed she hadn't responded to any birthday texts or well-wishes on social media. >> it's weird that she didn't message anybody. it was her birthday, you know what i mean? >> reporter: the family in touch with florida senator marco rubio trying to find the missing woman. her brother traveling to costa rica saying he is determined to find his sister himself if needed. >> i didn't have a chance to tell her that i love her and i guess i can say that right now. >> reporter: her brother telling

us that airbnb had cameras on the home. he went there. he is hopeful those cameras were rolling and that will give information about what that car was. they've also reached out to apple. she had four devices with her. they are hopeful. they're just looking for any kind of information about where she can be. >> hopefully that can help. >> such a mystery. we want to turn to that apology from hall of fame quarterback brett favre after he says he was tricked by a anti-semitic hate group. he is apparently not the only celebrity to fall for it. abc's paula faris is here with more, and paula, favre says he is sickened by this. >> reporter: he feels awful about this, and it happened on a new app called cameo. this is where users can connect directly to celebrities to get a personalized message without managers. and they review what they want them to say. news special report. celebrating president george h.w. bush.

now reporting, george stephanopoul stephanopoulos. good morning and welcome to our celebration of president george h.w. bush, four days of tributes and honors for our 41st president. that is the scene in houston, texas this morning, the george h. lewis funeral home, the bush family gathering now to escort their father, their grandfather to the motorcade that will take him to ellington air force base outside of houston, flying to the u.s. capitol for the last time. and there we see the casket carrying president bush. draped of course in the american flag, a fighter pilot, shot down at the age of 20 during world war ii, the defining experience of his life. now beginning a journey to the u.s. capitol where he will lie in state. a national day of mourning on wednesday and the funeral at the national cathedral.

the president will be accompanied as well not only by his family but also by his service dog, sully. we want to show you the scene inside that funeral home this weekend. there you see the service dog named after of course that famous pilot, with the man he served for so long. service will continue for sully. he's going to go on to washington d.c. and serve at the walter reed medical center. neil bush right there, the president's son. cokie roberts, you're here with me right now. he and his wife and family serving their father right up until the end. >> right. and mother. they were really at his side throughout this time of sickness of both of the bushes and right up to the end. in the summer of course president bush was at kennebunkport. all of the family was there but especially his daughter doro.

so having these five children have made a big difference in their ability to be surrounded by loved ones. >> that motorcade will set out on a 45-minute drive to ellington air force base in texas. amy robach is there. >> reporter: that's right, george. final security preparations are under way right here at ellington air force base as guests have starting to line up, go through security sweeps, to pay their respects to the bush family and to the late president bush. preparations have been going on here for several days actually. there have been rehearsals throughout the morning and they began yesterday when air force one landed here at ellington air force base from washington to carry the casket of george h.w. bush who was outfitted especially for this occasion, several rows of seats taken out to make room for the casket of h.w., and his family members will be accompanying him, along with george and laura bush on the plane back to washington, that final trip to washington. and we know that there will be

several things that will be happening here. during the departure ceremony there will be -- "hail to the chief" will be played with a simultaneous 21-gun salute at the casket. it will be placed into the aircraft and then the family escorted onto the plane which has been specially named. it's technically not air force one because president trump is not on board. this one has been called air mission 41, special air mission 41 in honor of president george h.w. bush making that final trip to d.c., george. >> the motorcade is rolling now, about a 45-minute drive to ellington air force base. and then of course on to washington d.c. for lying in state at the capitol and a ceremony with the leaders of congress later this afternoon, all ahead of the national cathedral funeral on wednesday morning. we are going to be covering all of that here at abc news starting later this afternoon

around 11:30 and later at 4:45 eastern at the u.s. capitol ceremony. for now we're signing off as we celebrate the life of president george h.w. bush. ♪ >> announcer: this has been a >> announcer: this has been a spec pop that in for a coffee or brew a shot and froth fresh milk for a latte or cappuccino. easy peasy. now she's a barista! we've got the best coffee in the world being made by an under-skilled staff! excellent. it's so frothy. a little piece of heaven. thank you. but how's the coffee? latte for no one!? nelson. sorry? that's for nelson. latte for nelson. that's not what it says here. latte for nelson. yeah right. iand the earth is flat. ahhh!!

treat your cough seriously with robitussin cf max. nothing lasts longer and treats more symptoms for your cough, cold and flu. robitussin. because it's never just a cough. back now with more on president bush. late at night in his study he dictated private thoughts to his diary for his lifelong connections with the letters he penned. we're seeing some of those words for the first time. david wright here with that. good morning, david. >> reporter: good morning, george.

poppy bush as he was known has become an analog figure in the digital age. not much for twitter, the ex-president, but he was a prolific letter-writer, and the 41st president never compiled his memoirs and he is the only modern president not to do so. instead he preferred to compose them one individually at a time. >> dear kids, this letter is about aging. >> reporter: this weekend, the bush foundation released the first of many excerpts of president bush's diary, a journal he started when he enlisted in the navy fresh out of andover and kept up until age 75. >> i want to put this aging on hold for awhile now. >> reporter: much of it addressed to his family. >> i don't expect to be on the a-team anymore, but i want to play golf with you and i want to fish or throw shoes, and i want to rejoice in your victories and i want to be there for you if you get a bad bounce in life. >> reporter: even during his busiest years at the white house, bush was a devoted letter-writer.

he wrote thousands of them, to friends, family, foes and total strangers. perhaps his most famous letter is the note he left on the resolute desk in the oval office for the man who beat him in the bruising '92 election. bill clinton later said, it revealed the heart of who he was. >> your success is our country's success. i'm rooting hard for you. >> reporter: when he was 19 years old, newly engaged and deployed overseas for world war ii, he wrote home to his fiancee, barb, full of hope. >> how lucky our children will be to have a mother like you. >> reporter: he wrote to ease people's suffering too. here, barbara bush reads from a later letter he wrote her, remembering robin, the daughter they lost to leukemia. >> but she is still with us. we need her and yet we have her. we can't touch her and yet we can feel her. we hope she'll stay in our house for a long, long time. >> reporter: the couple would go

on to have another daughter and a total of four sons. at barbara bush's funeral, jeb bush explained that george bush wrote her on their anniversary every year of their marriage, 73 of them. >> here's one of them written on january 6, 1994. will you marry me? oops. i forgot we did that 49 years ago. i was very happy on that day in 1945, but i'm even happier today. i have climbed perhaps the highest mountain in the world, but even that cannot hold a candle to being barbara's husband. >> reporter: flying home from pope john paul's funeral, bush wrote he was struck by the pope's casket. no plush handles or rails to hold. it was plain brown wood, just like i hope to have for my own casket. >> remember the old song, i'll be there, ready when you are? i'll be there ready, when you are, for there is so much

excitement ahead, so many grandkids to watch grow. if you need me, i'm here. devotedly, dad. >> there is an elegance to bush's letters that seem from a bygone era. here is a guy who believed in the power of the handwritten note, and part of the power comes from the fact that it's handwritten personally. >> it can also be so awkward in public speaking but all the grace is there when you write it down. >> composed. >> he didn't just write them down the way you hear from his family how he was so free in letting them know exactly how he felt about them. a lesson for us. it really is. >> grounded in his family for sure. >> thank you, david. coming up, the woman whose yes turned quickly into an oh, no. oh, no. her engagement ring falling down a grate right here in times square. the huge search to find the ring and the couple when we come back. her engagement ring falling down a grate right here in times square. the huge search to find the ring and the couple when we come back. dvanced

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♪ 'cause you've found what you've been dreaming of ♪ ♪ yeah you know that this is really love ♪ we are back now with that newly engaged couple's ring falling down a grate right here in times square. t.j. holmes, well, thankfully it has a happy ending and he has their story. >> reporter: this is not how you want your happily ever after to begin, with you facedown, a drain in one of the busiest intersections in the world. times square security cameras captured the moment of panic for a man who had just proposed to his girlfriend in central park, but during a times square stroll, the ring slid right off her finger, through a grate, dropping eight feet into the underbelly of new york city. >> we got a phone call from a precinct that was on scene around midnight that a couple had dropped a ring down the sewer grate.

>> reporter: the man did everything he could to try to reach it himself. they even called police themselves, but they had to give up. their new york city trip over, the couple returned to england, but two nypd detectives stayed on the case and returned to the scene the next day. >> the detective and i came up here during the daylight hours at about 9:00 a.m. or so. we figured with daylight, we would have better luck finding the ring down there. >> reporter: after only about ten minutes, they fished out that delicate diamond, but they had another challenge, identifying the couple. they went to social media, the nypd tweeted out that they would like to reunite the couple with the ring, but needed the public's assistance to help us find them. that's when friends and family identified the couple as john drennan and daniella anthony. >> it's like finding a needle in a haystack and we have been on plenty of these searches and come up with nothing.

>> reporter: the nypd had the final word on this case. thank you, twitter. case closed. love, john, daniella, and the nypd. okay, so, he actually went ahead and bought a second ring for her. so she has two now, and before you saw aw, isn't that so sweet, get this, guys, they've been married -- or rather, dating for ten years. he took ten years to put a ring on it and it was the wrong size. >> come on, t.j. give the couple a break now. don't be too hard on the man. >> reporter: i'm not giving the man a break. two things every guy knows. every guy knows you ask her friends what style she likes. you ask her friends what size she is. you cannot blow it on one of those two things. >> and there you have it. t.j. says. t.j., you are dismissed. coming up, an alert as you do your holiday shopping.

the new report just out about toys. which are best for your child's development? which are best for your child's development? 1850 coffee. ♪ ♪ inspired by the year the folger coffee company began. with a bold yet smooth taste. ♪ ♪ 1850 coffee. begin boldly.

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we do have breaking news. we've confirmed a tentative agreement has been reached in the san francisco marriott hotel strike. we're working on bringing you more details. for now, here's meteorologist mike nicco. >> thank you very much, jessica. let's talk about your activity planner. it's going to be good and dry with temperatures in the mid to upper 50s. i did increase the storm impact scale for tomorrow. it'll be light in the morning but heavier showers, even thunderstorms with downpours and gusty winds tomorrow afternoon and evening. >> all right. taking a look at walnut creek southbound 680. very heavy here north of 24. no incidents in the area. 30 on the board right now, including westbound 80 near highway 4 and then just past that at san pablo. 23 across the bay bridge. san francisco to sfo, 22

minutes. >> we'll have another update in about 30 minutes and always on our news app and abc7news.com. get the latest on the breaking news that we're working on. and of course, the news continues now with "good morning america."

♪ ♪ connecting people... ...uniting the world. ♪♪

good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. celebrating president george h.w. bush. the tributes this morning as he makes his final journey to the nation's capital. new details about his last hour surrounded by family and friends. that image of his dog, sully, lying next to the casket, as we hear from former presidents and also his own grandchildren and celebrate the love story of george and barbara bush. all this morning on "gma." also this morning, tornado threat. dozens of reported twisters slam the midwest and south. the direct hit on an illinois town. ginger tracking the latest on the deadly outbreak and where the storm system is moving now. which toys are best to help your kids develop their brains, language skills and learn to problem solve? toys like blocks and puzzles or

the newer apps created just for them? a new report overnight. our expert is here to break it down. light it up. so many decorating for the holidays. trees, homes, so which lights are really best? we've got the test results for indoor and outdoor, and what's this? the moment so many were taken by the clark griswold tribute. the holiday lights in texas. blockbuster wedding. nick jonas and priyanka saying i do this weekend in two ceremonies, surrounded by family and friends. this video showing the fierce dance-off between both families and now the new "vogue" cover celebrating their love this morning. thank you, next. ariana grande's brand-new music video breaks records, filled with tributes to movies from "mean girls" to "legally blonde." jennifer garner and reese

witherspoon both weighing in. and are you ready for "aquaman"? superstar jason momoa is here live. >> and he is here to say -- >> good morning, america. [ cheers and applause ] he is certainly playing the part. >> yes, he is. >> can't wait for that later this morning. thank you for being with us, sharing a portion of your monday morning with us as we continue to pay tribute to president bush. you know there is a lot he said that we are celebrating and there was something that really -- that he said that i shared on my instagram page this morning, about what he said about the american dream and how it means giving it your all and saying that no definition, no definition of a successful life can do anything but include serving others, and we know he did that. >> he lived that. i was talking to general colin powell yesterday and he said that dedication to service is what made him the perfect american. >> genuine. >> so genuine.

the whole nation is honoring our 41st president all week long. it's going to begin in houston this morning, and amy is there. good morning, amy. >> reporter: good morning to you, george. just moments ago, members of the bush family gathered at a funeral home. it will make its way on air force one on that final trip back to d.c. of course, today, the late president being remembered for his decades of public service. he was a congressman, diplomat, he was the vice president of course, director of cia and the 41st president of the united states. he's also being remembered as a loving father, husband and grandfather. this morning, we're learning more about the last hours of george herbert walker bush. the 41st president surrounded by family and close friends friday, including his former secretary of state james baker. >> he perked up, opened his eyes and he looked at me and says,

hey, bake. he said, where are we going? he kept his spirit and sense of humor right until the very end, but his passing, george, was very gentle and very peaceful. >> reporter: family friends say his last words to his son, george w. bush told his father he was a, quote, wonderful dad and he loved him. the 94-year-old telling his son one final time, quote, i love you, too. amid the outpouring of condolences, words of praise from the current president. >> i met him on numerous occasions. he was just a high-quality man. who truly loved his family. one thing that came through very loud and clear, he was very proud of his family. he was a terrific guy. he will be missed. >> reporter: and several former commanders in chief including his own son. >> i think he is going to go down as one of the greatest one-term presidents ever. >> he was a good reminder that as fiercely as we may fight on policy and on issues, that ultimately we're americans first. >> reporter: george spoke with two of bush's grandchildren who remembered the special place his

family held in his heart. >> our grandfather belonged of course, to us, but also the world, but yet, he would have these moments and come to our plays and even make cameos our high school musicals. he was very grounded and while he was a part of the whole world, he was very grounded and made us all feel very loved. >> reporter: abc news will have special live coverage of the memorials and tributes pouring in for george h.w. bush today and throughout the week, robin. now we move to the latest on the deadly weather in the midwest. nearly two dozen tornados reported in the region and more tornados in the forecast to hit the southeast today. back to ginger with more on that. good morning again, ginger. >> violent weather happening right now. you can see in north florida, just north and west of gainesville, severe thunderstorm warning there, 60-mile-per-hour winds, and boy was it a wild

weekend. in illinois, this image, where you can see that upward motion in a tornado, that was 1 of 15 confirmed tornadoes on december 1st in illinois. you say, is that weird? is that not normal? they have them, but not that many. this will likely end up being the second most they have ever had in the month of december. taylorville, illinois, where 25 people were injured and you can see why. the path of the tornado there, an ef-2 with winds of 120 to 130 miles per hour. several tornadoes in other states in that line to oklahoma and right along the florida/georgia state line, and that front sinks south. you will see flash flooding and you can also still see damaging winds. everybody? >> all right, ginger, thanks. how about we switch gears? >> let's do it. >> you remember that scene in "christmas vacation." clark griswold slipping and dangling from the roof, that one right there, while hanging his christmas lights. check this out, a family in texas recreated that scene. for a neighborhood decorating

contest. it caught the attention of a man who happened to be passing by. he thinks the dummy is a real person in serious trouble. this is now -- this is all caught on home surveillance. you can see the man -- there he is -- rushing in to try to save this guy. he even calls 911. >> bless his heart. >> i know, doing a good deed. the family ends up giving him a gift card for his good deed, but, you know, they had to put up a sign after it was over telling people, this is just a christmas display. don't call 911. it's not really a man in danger. >> it was that realistic. >> it was that good of a job. >> i guess that ruins the vibe a little bit. >> a little bit. when we come back, the love story of george h.w. and barbara bush. their secret to making a more than 70-year marriage last. and as you're doing your holiday shopping we're breaking down the best toys for your children. the new recommendations just out from pediatricians this morning. and lara, what do you have upstairs? >> what do i have? who do i have, robin. [music playing]

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♪ [ cheers and applause ] we welcome you back to "good morning america." we have a great audience, and we have many members. [ applause ] from hartsville, south carolina, being represented strong this morning. [ applause ] i'm taking them all out to breakfast a little bit later. >> that's fun. >> i can't wait to do that. i met them at a sweet wedding, bb. three-strike love. got to love it. it's just an inside thing.

>> come on. >> it's a good thing. it's a great thing. also, we have a great actress joining us tomorrow. margot robbie is going to be here. [ cheers and applause ] but right now, you have the floor, lara spencer. "pop news." >> thank you, my dear friend. good morning to you guys. we're going to begin with ariana grande who nearly broke the internet this weekend with her new music video. here's a look at "thank u, next." it was released friday at noon and by saturday it had the record for the most youtube views in 24 hours, 46 million views. 45 million of them from our daughters. one reason it's connecting in a huge way, we hear, is the video is an homage to some beloved female-driven movies like "mean girls," "legally blonde," "bring it on" and "13

going on 30." stars from those movies sharing their love right back. reese witherspoon writing, thank u, next. and this one from jennifer garner who starred in "13 going on 30". she wrote, every now and then something comes along and just brightens your day. thank you, pretty girl. >> she's not kidding. my daughters go around singing this at the top of their lungs for three days straight. >> she is on fire. she is on fire. ariana is so overwhelmed by jen's note. she posted, i watched your movie every night before bed growing up. thank you for all the inspiration and joy you've brought to my life. i'm screaming, bye. really sweet. love to share the love. also "pop news" on this monday, ellen degeneres sharing the love. she was hoping to, to mark her 15th anniversary with wife portia de rossi, hiring a plane to carry a banner, carrying a

special message, but see while it didn't go as planned -- here's a video ellen posted of the moment. there's the plane pulling the banner. unless you have binoculars, and i mean strong ones, it's a little hard to read. >> what does it say? >> you can hear ellen and portia laughing in the background saying, i cannot see it, honey. ellen writing at the bottom of her instagram post, i guess i should have specified size. portia agreed, posting, i agree, honey, but sometimes bigger is better. robin -- to answer your question, i'm going to write it. it was a heart and it had a 15 in it for 15 years. so that's what it should have said. ellen, consider this your banner flying by. >> well done, lara. finally, here's a man that we first met this time last year. look at this. ♪ otherwise known as gilly, well, he was back at russo's market in

watertown, connecticut, singing christmas carols again this year. things have changed for gilly just a little bit, after he was discovered singing at the market last year, he was sponsored to go to the berkeley college of music. this year, he went back to the market to say thank you to his fans, sign autographs on his first album of christmas music. [ cheers and applause ] the gift of baritone came to the u.s. just three years ago, hoping the money he raises will be enough to pay for a second year of music school, saying that experience has changed his life. >> what a great kid. >> love it. >> thank you for that update. [ applause ] we're going to move on now to our "gma" cover story. president george h.w. bush not only had an extraordinary life, but also an incredible love story. his wife, barbara, by his side for more than 70 years. she was the love of his life and

his fiercest defender. it was a love story that spanned seven decades. george herbert walker bush and barbara pierce, teenage sweethearts, married in january, 1945, and over the years became parents to six children. future president george w. bush, future florida governor jeb, sons marvin and neil and daughter dorothy, and a little girl named robin who died of leukemia at the age of 3 in 1953. >> he was very close. >> i was very close to her. >> she adored him. >> what was it that pulled you back up on your feet afterwards? >> he was very strong. he was wonderful. >> reporter: together, they were strong under the glaring spotlight of political light in times of great triumph and agonizing defeat. >> and we have fought the good fight, and we have kept the faith, and i believe i have

upheld the honor of the presidency of the united states. [ cheers and applause ] >> is it very painful to you when he's criticized? >> yes. i'm not going to lie to you. >> you're used to it by now. >> i am not. i just fake and let you think i like it. i don't like it at all, and i really don't like it when our children are brought into it all. >> how has the president changed in the past 20 years? >> well, i don't think he has changed at all, but my opinion of him has changed a little bit. i always thought he hung the moon. everybody knows that, but i'm embarrassed to say this in front of you, but it's true. george has remained so extraordinarily stable and steady through some very difficult times. >> reporter: among the difficult times, mrs. bush's open heart surgery in 2009. >> i have been a nervous wreck about it. today, we heard from four presidents of the united states.

obama, clinton, jimmy carter and george bush. george w. bush and me, five, and i think there is a lot of interest because of who she is. >> after 67 years, what have you learned about mrs. bush? >> oh, boy. i have learned a lot about her, but she is just so kind and the leader of our family, and she is an amazing spirit. amazing, unselfish spirit. i just sit there now and watch her interact with the family. she is just wonderful, and every night there she is. we say our prayers and go to sleep. never go to bed angry and stay angry. never stay angry. that's good advice for married

folks. you're going to fight and you're going to have fights i'm sure, but don't -- don't go to sleep being angry. >> just so much -- so much of their story -- >> it's all very, very real. >> oh gosh. i just -- he was such a patriarch and a patriot and such a remarkable -- i love how one of his grandsons said he wasn't just a great man. he was a good man and that's all you can ask for at the end. >> a deep love story. >> it really was. >> let's go to ginger. and let's do your "gma" moment. that was a beautiful tribute, but it looks like we have had maybe our first snow here in the studio. do you remember your first snow a lot of kids get very excited when they see it. not gunner. >> is it snowing? you got snow in your hair, bro. you better hurry. >> we'll see you later. gunner, i think a lot of people will feel the same way. he is from topeka, kansas. he is almost 2 years old. he'll be 2 in january.

[ cheers and applause ] a new report out about which toys are best for young children, and we'll do a test with our audience. do you have your clickers? everybody has their clickers. which do the pediatricians say is better for development? educational apps and video games or traditional games and toys?

go ahead and click and let's see what you guys think. pretty overwhelming right now. 70/30 about. traditional games and toys over educational apps. here with jen ashton and ericka souter. they know what they are talking about. >> they do, and they can see what we have in front of us and this was an interesting report that came out in "the journal of pediatrics" by the country's leading pediatricians because we are at the time of the year where a lot of adults are buying toys and they're trying to make the right decision. they remind us in this report that playtime is not just supposed to be educational. it's just supposed to be fun. it's supposed to help foster warm relationships and interactions. they caution us that a lot of the things that are marketed out there are really not substantiated with evidence-based proof, and they remind us that low tech is often better. we don't have to spend a lot of money for these high-tech screen items. they do remember basic safety

tips here with choking hazards and they remind us again, screen time limits for children over the age of 2, no more than one hour a day. >> you are nodding away right there. so let's get specific. what should parents look for? >> well, you know, there are so many options out there that don't involve technology. you have dolls, you have puzzle pieces. these are my son aidan's little puzzle pieces here. we have drawing paper. these are the kind of things that we grew up using. they teach skills. it keeps them entertained and are very interactive. they worked for us, and they will work for our kids. >> and this is when the young mind is so elastic and growing. >> that was what was so interesting, and i thought, maybe this is more a consumer piece, but child development that every pediatrician and health care provider has to learn, really, this is the reminder. if you go through these things and you look at dolls, that fosters pretend imaginary development. blocks, good old building blocks, problem-solving, fine motor skills, and then you go to letters, social interaction and language skills.

and finally, crayons, paint, magic markers, this builds creativity and also works fine motor skills. we're getting a lot of bang for the buck here. >> all parents have been here where it's easier to hand over that ipad. >> people are being snowed by a lot of these apps and games they get out. there is no proof there is an educational benefit to any of these toys. so, a lot of parents keep in mind that it's for entertainment, and they do. parents tell me that they use them for entertainment value. they want to get through a dinner, you know, with your kids. >> that's okay within limits. >> that is okay within limits. they want to get extra work done or, in my case during thanksgiving travel, i did not want to be the most hated woman on the plane. >> that would never happen. >> i downloaded an app and video and i had him watch, but if we're going to let our kids use this technology, we have to do it sparingly and keep in mind the risks. >> great advice. thank you both very much. let's go to cecilia. now to the wedding for one of hollywood's hottest couples.

nick jonas and priyanka chopra tied the knot over the weekend, they had two ceremonies and honored both cultures. this felt like the wedding of the century. >> you know what? it did. it rivaled a lot of weddings and priyanka, arguably, globally one of india's first global stars. marrying nick jonas and nuptials as over the top as a royal wedding. for nick jonas and priyanka chopra, to say i do once was not enough. the couple's blockbuster wedding celebration began this weekend first with the christian service on saturday. the officiant, nick jonas' father, and then sunday, a hindu ceremony. there's been an outpouring of the joyous photos leading up to the lavish ceremony including priyanka welcoming nick jonas to her home country. the pre-party leading up to a dance battle between the two families. ♪ ♪ deep into the wild >> reporter: this exuberant video shows what is called a

musical evening, a traditional part of indian weddings that nick said was an amazing start to a lifetime. jonas and chopra say this about their union, one of the most special things our relationship has given us is a merging of family who love and respect each other's faiths and cultures. the couple surrounded by family and friends this weekend. jonas, seen in this photo with his brothers, kevin, joe and youngest brother, frankie, and sophie turner. priyanka shares these two "vogue" covers with the caption, just us. >> so romantic, right? from reports this morning in newspapers in india, there is word that celebrations have continued. they were seen at the airport traveling to dehli and may have a reception on tuesday. i can't wait to see their epic wedding video. >> they are not stopping. this is a party. coming up, "aquaman" himself, jason momoa is here live. [ cheers and applause ] ping. coming up, "aquaman" star, jason momoa is here live. [ cheers and applause ]

good morning, north bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is abc 7 mornings. >> good morning. it's 8:27. i'm reggie aqui. we have breaking news out of san francisco, where as you can see, striking marriott hotel employees are rejoicing after reaching a tentative agreement a little more than an hour ago. that means housekeepers, dish washers, bellmen, and cooks who have been on the picket lines for nearly two months will go back to work soon. they've been calling for better wages, affordable health care, and safe workloads. san francisco's supervisor tells abc 7 news this was a really important fight for the future of san francisco. all right. alexis, how is traffic? >> i want to take you to the north bay, where we just had a problem clear a few minutes ago. southbound 101 near lucas valley

road, we had lane number two blocked. sounds like chp has moved that off to the shoulder. you're heavy north of state route 37. westbound 80 heavy approaching the maze. you're slow through the

am i saying it well, l'chaim? l'chaim. maybe you're making merry. l'chaim! or maybe you're making cocoa. don't spill it. maybe you're with the family you got. (all) ooh! or maybe the one you've chosen. it's culture salad. maybe there's lights... there's definitely lights. maybe there's one less this year. or maybe one more. (singing) our holidays don't all look the same. and maybe that's what makes us great. make the dream yours. ikea. let's talk about what's going on outside. still a few 30s out there up in the north bay valleys. the rest of us in the 40s, even a 50 around san francisco and

half moon bay. as far as your commute, no worries today. everything's going to be good. tomorrow it all changes. i've upgraded the storm to a two, moderate. it'll be light in the morning, [ cheers and applause ] ♪ rocking around the christmas tree ♪ welcome back to "gma." such a wonderful audience with us this monday morning, and of course, we're counting down to christmas with a different christmas cookie recipe every day. this morning, we have the buttery candy cane sandwiches. >> do you have them here? >> please, do we have them? please tell us we have them. take a close look. enjoy. we really don't, but here's the recipe. they look incredible. you can get the recipe and the video showing you how to make them on our website. we will have more cookie recipes every single day until christmas. [ applause ] >> that looks so good. we have a treat for you right now. a great guest to bring out. you know him from "game of

thrones," now he's making waves on the big screen in "aquaman." jason momoa. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> how you guys doing? >> welcome. welcome. good to see you. oh my gosh. come on down. >> thank you. >> you allow him to take away the trident? >> that's tom. tom's cool. >> that's sweet you know him like that. you're a good man like that. you brought that out to times square, the trident, how did that go over? >> like a big kid, i felt like i needed to do it. i was stoked. >> how was that? >> it was hard to get out there. i'm a 6'4" hawaiian. it's pretty hard to cover me up. my buddy is a 6'5" egyptian carrying a trident through times

square was pretty challenging. >> you're hard to miss these days, and it's only getting bigger and bigger, isn't it? >> yep. >> are you okay with it? >> sure. i'm getting used to it. >> tell me about seeing yourself in wax at madame tussauds. >> that was surreal. >> was it? >> yeah. because it looked -- i mean, i kind of want to have a twin now. make him do all the things i don't want to do. >> that is really good. >> it's very surreal. >> was there anything about it that you would have tweaked? >> i maybe made my forehead less like a caveman. just push it -- in a little bit more. >> so is it true you have not seen the final cut of "aquaman" yet? >> no, i haven't. it's not that i don't want to, but my babies were with me when we shot it and they are 10 and 11 and i can't think of anything

cooler than just being with them and all feeling it together. >> absolutely. that's sweet. [ applause ] >> oh, how gorgeous. >> yeah. they can't really watch a lot of things i'm in. >> it's a first. >> it's a first. what was that? >> they're in the movie, too? >> they were, but i think james cut them out. >> oh, no. >> yeah. >> would you want them to follow in your footsteps? >> no. no, no, no. they're not allowed to do that, but we were in sicily and it was cute and it's in a market and lola wanted to run around and i was, like, okay. fine. >> beautiful. you like doing a lot of your own stunts. [ applause ] i watched -- you do. you haven't seen this film yet. how many were you able to do actually in this film? >> i, you know, we had to -- i needed help. i needed help. i'm almost 40, and it's starting to hurt.

so there is just so much stuff. i have never done this many stunts in my life, so i actually found two beautiful stuntmen down in australia and they helped me and it's hard to find someone to care to move like you or the character that you are portraying. >> that's very important to you. >> it is, yeah. i don't normally say a lot of things, so i have to speak with my actions. >> and a few words. >> a man of few words. so, you know, i found two -- two amazing guys with the same foreheads as i, and -- >> the rest is history. >> something about your forehead. [ applause ] you said you are a man of few words. let's listen to a few words right now. >> how many times do i have to tell you? i don't want to be king. >> once he is named ocean master, it will be too late. the power at his disposal will be unlike anything you have ever seen. >> i'm from the surface. nobody is going to take me seriously. okay? i don't even know where to begin. >> you have to prove to them

that you are worthy at retrieving this. >> i already got one of those. >> not like this one, you don't. [ cheers and applause ] >> i just loved "aquaman" and the justice league, am i right? he is just the coolest. >> yeah. thank you. thank you. >> i want to hear about the costume, though, because it had to be difficult to get in and out of? >> it is if you have to go potty. you have to get out, and you have to be quick. i can get out five minutes. >> i am just looking at a close-up of it. it's, like, a skin with some metallic. is there a zipper? >> you know what? right where that little waistband, it goes around and

connects to the pants and there is one right up the spine. >> there you have it. the secrets of hollywood. >> you said you really respond or can connect with aquaman's story. can you explain that? >> you know, as an actor, i mean, we don't necessarily need to have -- i have no relation whatsoever, but playing aquaman, i come from the west side of hawaii which is, you know, hawaiian and you come from iowa, which is basically where the bridges of madison county was made, a very small town, and those were two worlds that don't know much about each other and i can understand going from two different places. [ applause ] >> you mentioned iowa. there is a picture of you here in your junior year of high school i believe. >> oh, my gosh. >> whoa. they're liking it. what would you say to that guy? >> i would say, buckle up, buddy. [ applause ]

>> and we should tell everybody that he's going to be hosts "snl" for the first time. you have got a wicked sense of humor. it really comes through in the film. >> that's my ultimate -- marry my wife, have some babies and then "snl." i'm literally -- >> you're good. >> yeah, i'm living the dream. >> and we can feel that. having you back here today, the energy that you give off is really contagious. thank you so much. >> thank you. thank you. >> "aquaman" is in theaters on december 21st, and thanks to our friends at imax, everyone here is getting two tickets, imax. [ cheers and applause ]

thanks for coming. coming up, the best holiday lights to deck the halls this year, so come on back. holiday california phones offers free specialized phones... like cordless phones, - (phone ringing) - big button, and volume-enhanced phones. get details on this state program. call or visit

♪ ♪ connecting people... ...uniting the world. ♪♪ and accessoriesphones for your mobile phone. like this device to increase volume on your cell phone.

- ( phone ringing ) - get details on this state program call or visit welcome back to "gma," and we are so excited to share with you some holiday country news. this is country news for all you fans. legend reba mcentire will be

hosting the country christmas featuring performances by brad paisley, diana krall, and tony bennett. also dan + shay, and we have a sneak peek of their performance. ♪ i'll be home for christmas ♪ if only in my dreams [ applause ] >> oh, yeah. if you haven't had enough there, you can see the cma country christmas special right here on abc.

all right, you are getting in the holiday spirit over there. >> thank you, ginger. the holidays are here, and it's time to get into the decorating spirit if you haven't already, starting with lights. paula is back to tell us everything we need to know. >> and santa's elves said, let there be lights, right? how do you set the holiday mood with lights whether inside your home, on the lawn. you want to make it easy and affordable. so look at this season's best picks. if the great christmas light fight is taking some of the shine out of your holiday decorating, there is help in sight. out now, the top picks for holiday lights and tree stands from wirecutter, a product review site. its editors testing the products and their favorites are the same ones we checked out in seasons past. their top pick for indoor lights, ge energy smart colorite

l.e.d.s. check out the millimeter wide angle lights as their favorite outdoor light. >> you really put these to the test. >> we did, we dropped them into water and let them sit and they were totally fine. >> reporter: let's give it a go. i like that. they are off. >> still working. >> reporter: wirecutter says when it comes to lights, look for color quality and ease of winding. >> sometimes you get loose wires and they get really hard to string onto your tree, so what you want are wires that are nice and tightly twisted and that stay that way while you pull them out. >> reporter: as for tree stands, setting them up could be brutal. often requiring two people tightening those bolts. the top-rated tree stand is the krinner tree genie xxl which costs around 100 bucks. your top pick is expensive. >> it's so easy to put up.

just put your foot down and pump it and you want to press the red button down so it locks it in place. locked and loaded. we did it. >> announcer: this is an abc news special report. celebrating president george herbert walker bush. now reporting, george stephanopoulos. good morning and welcome back as we continue to honor america's 41st president, george h.w. bush. there you see the motorcade, the hearse carrying his casket which was just pulled into ellington air force field in houston texas, about a 45-minute drive from his home, accompanied by family members, met by a military honor guard at ellington air force base in front of air force one which has been sent by president trump, retitled special air mission 41 in honor of our 41st president for his final journey to the u.s. capitol where later today he will lie in state at the u.s.

capitol in celebration with the leadership of congress, vice president mike pence and his family ahead of a state funeral at washington's national cathedral on wednesday. of course, all of these honors meticulously planned with the participation of president bush himself. he will be met there by general michael howard who's the commanding general of washington d.c., in charge of all funeral preparations, and an honor guard that you see there representing every branch of the military service. also there to escort his father, america's 43st president, george w. bush. cokie roberts, every moment of these rituals meticulously planned. >> by the military. that's what happens with a presidential funeral and they're planned often. what happened to president bush for instance is that some of the

people he originally planned to eulogize him have died and he's had to re-do his plans. but you know, george, thinking about these days of respect and remembrance which we'll be having this week, i'm struck with the tributes that have come in over the weekend by the thousands, how specific they are. it's not we mourn your loss. it's from the nih, he did the human genome project. from the cia, he reconstituted the agency and brought back its reputation. from individuals one after another, acts of personal kindness. it's really something to see. >> and there we see the honor guard going to meet the casket. not only institutional remembrance, cokie roberts, but also such a personal remembrance for president george bush. it's been said so many times that he represents another era, an era when people used to write letters and he wrote them by the thousands. >> and they're quite personal. his letters to his mother for

instance really say things that you don't expect a young man to tell their stories, but he did. if you had any interaction with him, you would get a note. he wrote to me when my mother died, for instance, a very lovely note. he just -- he was very well brought up.

the president's family, president george w. bush, neil bush, their children and grandchildren. major general michael howard of

the military district of washington d.c. ♪

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♪ "hail to the chief", the u.s., him and a 21-gun salute for america's 41st president now on special air mission 41 for that flight from houston, texas, ellington air force field to washington d.c. and the u.s. capitol where president george h.w. bush will lie in state later today. you see his family there, president george w. bush, his son neil bush, children and grandchildren. they'll go onto the plane now as well. terry moran, so appropriate that the president ushered out with a naval hymn. i want to also show a tweet sent out by his office earlier today. with his final rest he will wear

some socks, some special socks, which pay onliage oh homage to as a naval pilot. >> he was asked of all the high positions that he held in public service, vice president, head of the cia, envoy to china, congressman, what prepared him the best to be president of the united states. he said that day in september 1945 when he was shot out of the sky. he had been tested, and he also had come to understand in a way very few people do the value of human life. he would say sometimes in talking about that, i'm no hero. one can't help but see what the passing of george herbert walker bush, the passing of a certain ideal of american manhood, the strong, silent type, brave, even lethal in necessary but not a

bragard or not any kind of person -- certainly not this person, george h.w. bush, to brag on an act of heroism like that. >> that was not the man he was. there you see his son climbing onto special air force mission 41 there. his service dog sully by his side for so many years will now be returning to washington d.c. and stay in service for other veterans of the war. cokie roberts. >> at walter reed hospital, walter reed the original hospital and navy have combined one facility called walter reed. it's filled with military wounded warriors, and so to have sully go on to be helpful to them is so incredibly appropriate and so typical of the bush family to do this, to say -- because i've met the dog. he's a very sweet dog, so it's hard to say good-bye. but the dog should be a service dog. >> and will be. there you see this weekend

laying before the casket. the president got a farewell just moments ago from the u.s. navy. fair winds and following sea, sir. we have the watch. approximately a three-hour flight from houston, texas on to washington d.c. later this afternoon as we said, the president will lie in state at the u.s. capitol. there will be a ceremony at the capitol rotunda. mary bruce, our congressional correspondent, is there. >> members of the armed services are starting to line up here in front of the capitol for the ceremony to come here this afternoon, the capitol preparing to honor president bush, welcome him back to the capitol for the final time. this of course is the place where his political career began. he served two terms here in the house of representatives and today he will be celebrated and honored by members of his former cabinet, his former colleagues, of course his vice president, dan quayle will be present, his dear friend, former secretary of state james baker as well. we will hear directly from

members of congress, the senate majority leader, mitch mcconnell, the house speaker, paul ryan, and the vice president, mike pence, the only member of the white house to speak out here today. the president of course is not present here for this ceremony, though he is slated to attend the funeral on wednesday at the national cathedral. and george, president bush is being remembered on both sides of the aisle as a leader who was dignified, gracious, restrained and resolute. and you get a sense from leaders on both sides of the aisle that they are mourning not just the loss of this tremendous statesman but the loss of a real political era, that he is being remembered as someone who embodied bipartisanship, something that is in such short supply up here, george. >> no question about that. we'll see what lessons washington takes away as we honor the president in his final days. of course, cokie roberts, the president began his political career in the congress. >> in the house of representatives representing this district that he's leaving right now. so he's made this trip many

times. but it was only two terms but it propelled him into other elective office and public service. and really, his entire life dedicated to public service, but the congress remained a place that even though it frustrated him when he was president, he liked the congress. he respected the institution. he went to the hill and met with members of both sides and had a good time with them. he enjoyed the give and take with members of congress. >> the honor guard now leaving the field at ellington air force base. amy, quite a moment there. >> reporter: it certainly was, george. we've been watching from the risers here, so many members of the media gathered to watch those who loved president george h.w. bush make this final departure to d.c. we, out of respect, were quiet during the entire departure ceremony which had been very rehearsed for many, many weeks, especially in the days leading up to this final departure to

make sure everything was just as planned. you saw there the joint honor military guard as the pal bearers taking the casket of george h.w. bush onto the plane of air force one which has been aptly renamed for today special air mission 41. and so now you saw members of the bush family getting on that plane as well. so many other friends and guests invited here on the tarmac on this windy, brisk day here in houston also to pay their respects to the hearse and to the casket as it makes its way to the nation's capitol. of course, you hear there the honor guard beating the drum as they walk off tarmac, but it really was a very poignant moment here. the 21-gun salute, "hail to the chief" and you could see the deep respect among everyone here as they kacwatched the casket o george h.w. bush. of course president trump allowing air force one to come here