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know what turns me on? my better half, hors d oeuvres and bubbly. and when i really want to take it up a notch we use k-y yours & mine. tingling for me, warming for him. wow! this holiday season get what you want ♪ ♪ >> the fountain in a small arkansas town is still in pieces after this. the semi slammed into the structure in amity, about 70 miles outside little rock. the crash wiped out a rock wall around the fountain. the driver was cited for careless driving. fortunately no one was hurt. a suspected bay area burglar couldn't slip out of trouble after getting himself trapped in a grease vent.

>> police say the man was wedged in the tight space for two days. >> wow. >> the vent led to what used to be a chinese restaurant in san lorenzo, california. the owner of a neighboring business heard the grease-covered man's muffled calls for help. >> i kept hearing this -- but then i'm like, well, i'm like, who could it be? then i start asking questions. like what's your name. it's like, oh, just please help me. get me out of here. okay. what is your name? what are you doing there? please, don't hurt me. i'm not trying to hurt you, i'm trying to help you. >> so for like a day he thought he had some freaky neighbors. finally by day two he's like, oh, there's no way anybody could go that long. firefighters took the vent apart to get the guy free. the grease kept him from escaping on his own. because he kept trying to get out. >> look at him. >> police haven't said what charges he'll face, but they say he was very happy to see them. >> i bet he was. >> poor guy. well, also this from

california. the state may soon be taxing your texting. >> state regulators may impose a fee for text messaging on mobile phones. the money raised would help support programs that make phone service accessible to the poor. the surcharge is likely to be a flat monthly fee, not a fee for every text. >> all right. both the wireless industry and california business groups oppose it and an fcc ruling yesterday may not allow california to add the fee. now, on the other hand, you may not care about a tax on texting if you take vitamin water's challenge. >> yeah, the health beverage company says it will pay $100,000 to a contestant who can go an entire year without using a smartphone. six months will only earn $10,000. >> now, of course, to enter the contest you have to post a photo to either instagram or twitter by january 8th. >> on your smartphone. >> right. >> from your smartphone. i guess.

the winner will be determined base on creativity, brand relevance and humor and submission quality. good luck. >> i'm not up to it. >> hard pass. when we come back, why james bond may have a drinking problem. >> "the skinny's" next. james bond may have a drinking problem.

♪ time now for "the skinny." starting with a startling revelation about james bond. >> a new study says that he has a drinking problem. would you have guessed it? >> he's a drunk. >> the fact that 007 is a fictional character not withstanding, researchers writing in "the medical journal of australia" examined bond's drinking habits in his movies dating back to 1962 and found that he has, quote, problematic alcohol consumption. >> it's all that peer pressure from the people around him. >> they were making him drink. >> the study pointed to, quote, frequently drinking before

fights, check. driving in dangerous places. high-stakes gambles, check. and operating complex machinery. james bond is a drunk. >> yeah. they also point to his, quote, contact with dangerous animals, extreme athletic performance and sex with enemies, often with weapons in the bed -- i don't understand how those are linked with alcohol. >> like the sex with enemies? >> right. or, like, contact with dangerous animals. >> yeah. all right. >> look, i don't know. i don't know. >> they're frenemies as well. >> he makes don draper seem like a teetotaler, right? don's like amateur. reminds me of my favorite frank sinatra quote. he feels bad for people who are sober. >> that's hilarious. >> because when they wake up, that's as good as they'll feel all day long. >> interesting. next to a sweet surprise for a daytime television legend. >> bob barker, the longtime host

of "the price is right," was presented with an appropriately '70s colorful birthday cake for his 95th birthday. >> it wasn't in person but by skype. barker hosted "the price is right" on cbs for 35 years starting in 1972. >> despite a couple of health scares this year, barker is said to be doing just fine. 95. happy birthday. next to the holiday for emily blunt. >> the jolly holiday. >> yes, it is. >> the actress in london for the premier of our parent company disney's "mary poppins returns" found out she's up for two possible trophies at next month's screen actors guild awards. >> and on the royal blue carpet she said she needed a bit of help to take it all in. >> today was a very, very cool day to hear about the s.a.g. for "a quiet place" as well as this. it was just -- i was very shaky. i had to have some whisky before i came here. >> wow.

what did she drink before the golden globe nominations that "a quiet place" got and "mary poppins" got? >> "mary poppins returns" hits theaters next week on wednesday. go see it. >> it's getting some good reviews. "new york post" giving it 3 1/2 stars this morning, so not bad. a friend of "world news now" william shatner, is weighing in on the whole "baby it's cold outside" controversy that's been gripping the nation in the last few years. >> gripping the nation. the 87-year-old actor has been duking it out on twitter with critics of the classic christmas song, telling one critic, quote, you must clutch your pearls over rap music. >> in a separate tweet, william shatner pointed out the context of the time when the lyrics were composed saying, quote, if 2018 prudes want to interpret the lyrics as something else, the problem obviously lies in their own minds, not in the original lyrics. >> that's fair.

>> that is very fair. as you know, there are some tv stations in the meantime -- radio stations, including one in cleveland, that is saying no more. no more. stations, including one in cleveland, that is saying no more.

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wow! this holiday season get what you want ♪ don't be fooled by th ♪ don't be fooled by the rocks that i got ♪ ♪ i'm still, i'm still jenny from the block ♪ so look at that. this was at the premier for j. lo's new movie "second act." that gown -- >> dress. >> or dress is incredible. >> the color. the shape. >> it is a yang bautista. high-low gown there. not bad. she also screened the movie -- but jenny from the block had quite a bit -- quite a bit to say yesterday as she visited "gma." >> she talked about motherhood, her latest movie, "second act," and that thanksgiving prank pulled on her. >> we saw for thanksgiving your boyfriend alex rodriguez, he kind of pranked you a little bit. >> he did. he did. >> what?

>> i was like, you guys really punked me. he had the master mentalist. his name is lior suchard. come and entertain. he's just like touching everybody on the back, touching everybody on the back. i'm like what's going on. he's like, shh. then he goes -- and they're all like -- i'm like, what the? oh, my -- it was 20 people, like 25 people that were at the dinner table. they just all fell out. >> they were all in on it. >> it was genius. >> wake up. who's the champ. >> when leah was here -- >> the scene with my and leah's relationship. the characters, maya and june, i have a relationship like this with someone in my life and that's leah. when we were doing this scene she says to me, okay, i'm going to do who's the champ thing before we go on stage when i'm pumping you up. i'm like, okay, yeah, let's do it. said nothing about the slapping. said nothing about hitting me in the face and she starts hitting me in the face and i'm like

okay. yeah. fine. but the last one i had to crack her. the bronx in me came out. i had to crack her on the last one. >> we saw your new music video "limitless." showed a little bit earlier. >> yes. >> now you directed your daughter for the first time? >> i did. i directed for the first time so it was a big deal for me. she comes right now. where -- there she is. it's too much for me. it's too much for me. as a mom seeing it. when i was on the set i was like all business. she was like a mini me. she was just like focused and just tell me what to do. i was so scared to put her in it. when i tell you everybody asks what's your favorite thing about the video? emmy. emmy is my favorite thing about the video. when you see it, it is so empowering. the song is written by sia, "limitless." the theme for "second act." she's the little girl in all of us that is always fighting and it's awesome.

good mor good morning. i'm janai norman. >> and i'm kendis gibson. here are some of the top headlines we're following this thursday morning on "world news now." president trump's former lawyer michael cohen is expected to continue cooperating in the russia investigation after being sentenced to three years in prison. and the president may face more legal jeopardy now that a major publisher has confessed to making illegal hush money payments on his behalf. their faces were dirty but a man and two women are safe after spending nearly five days in a west virginia coal mine. their families say they went into the abandoned mine seeking copper wire that they intended to sell. more details on how they survived coming up. a civilian pilot is in serious condition after his cold war era jet crashed during a training exercise in hawaii.

he bailed out and was picked up by a sailboat there in oahu. the military hires civilians to simulate enemy aircraft during training missions. and how is this for a job listing? the queen is hiring a new housekeeping assistant. the position offers a pension and nearly seven weeks off each year and the option of living at the palace. >> of course we're going to live at the palace. >> those are some of our top stories this thursday, december 13th. from abc news, this is "world news now." i'm putting in my two weeks' notice. >> i'm applying -- i have -- >> one of us. >> i have responded to that craigslist ad. >> living at the palace. all right. let's begin this half hour, though, with what is really still a big deal, the cloud of legal trouble that is hovering dangerously close to the president and his former fixer heads to jail. >> a new revelation surfaced the same day michael cohen learned his fate for violating campaign finance laws.

the parent company of "the national enquirer" is now admitting it shelled out hush money to silence stories that were damaging to president trump before the election. cecilia vega has the details. >> reporter: just two hours after michael cohen was sentenced, another bombshell. the u.s. attorney's office announcing a cooperation agreement with the company that publishes "the national enquirer" a.m.i. a.m.i.'s ceo david pecker a close friend of president trump. prosecutors say just two months after trump descended that escalator and announced he was running, trump then met with david pecker and michael cohen. according to court documents released, "the enquirer" publisher offered to help deal with negative stories related to the presidential candidate's relationships with women and they did. in fact, just three months before the election, a.m.i. tells prosecutors they bought the story of "playboy" playmate karen mcdougal. >> there were real feelings between the two of us. >> reporter: a.m.i. acknowledges

they bought her story in order to bury it, a practice known as catch and kill. they say they worked in cooperation with and at the request and suggestion of one or more people on the campaign to make sure mcdougal did not publicize damaging allegations about trump before the election and thereby influence that election. in the deal, which was signed in september, a.m.i. admits they knew this would break campaign finance laws but they did it anyway. at the same time americans in supermarkets across the country were seeing these images on a.m.i.'s tabloid covers. "hillary's failed secret lie detector test." "hillary's two secret strokes." "hillary, six months to live." well, democrats may be talking about impeachment, but president trump says he is not at all concerned by that. in a new interview by reuters he said people would revolt if he was impeached and it's hard to impeach somebody who hasn't done anything wrong.

cecilia vega, abc news, the white house. >> our thanks to cecilia there. another big day in washington. michael cohen is now facing three years in prison as he continues to cooperate with investigators from special counsel robert mueller's office. cohen says he arranged the hush money payments at the direction of president trump and he told the judge that he agreed time and again to cover up what he called trump's dirty deeds out of loyalty. but the judge who also sentenced cohen for lying to congress said he was motivated by personal greed and ambition. and back to washington where the secretaries of state and defense will brief house lawmakers today about the murder of "washington post" columnist jamal khashoggi. mike pompeo and jim mattis, you'll recall, previously told senators there is no smoking gun linking the saudi crown prince to his death. >> but the cia director has told senators there is zero chance the crown prince wasn't involved. brad mielke has more. >> we've seen a lot of outrage over the death of jamal khashoggi. in the two months since his murder, one thing we have not

seen is any action. well, yesterday the senate actually advanced a bill that would potentially withdraw the u.s. support of the saudi war in yemen. i go to abc's miriam khan, she covers the senate for us. i go, whoa, stuff is happening, right? she goes not so fast. >> mitch mcconnell himself made it explicitly clear he doesn't support this resolution. he doesn't think it's the proper response to the saudis. and the house of representatives also made it clear they're not going to address this resolution before the end of the year. even if it made it to the president's desk, it's unlikely he would even sign it. >> she said it's a risky move to punish the saudis who have been a key ally in the region, but critics say if your ally is flouting international law, how do you tell your rivals to obey it.

we'll have more later this morning on "start here." listen on apple podcasts or your favorite podcasting app. kendis? janai? a second canadian has been detained. the canadian government says it's not been able to make contact with the businessman who said he was being questioned by the chinese. china says the two canadians were engaged in activities that endanger china's national security. the arrests appear to be in retaliation for canada's detention of the chief financial officer of the chinese telecommunications firm. the united states has requested her extradition for violating the sanctions against iran. two women who survived nearly five days in a west virginia coal mine say they prayed a lot during their ordeal. they've already been released from the hospital after being found and brought to safety last night. see the relief on their face there. a young man was in the mine as well. his face covered in dirt as he was reunited with loved ones they say they had no food and drank from a stream in the mine hoping it wasn't contaminated. their families say they went into the mine seeking old copper wiring.

they could face charges for illegally entering that mine. well, a series of major winter storms are marching across the country. >> utah highway patrol says it handled more than 250 accidents and crashes one day alone, including this large pile-up on highway 40 just as the evening commute began last night. now, this morning's commute will be rough along the gulf coast. accuweather's melissa constanzer has the details. melissa? >> kendis, janai, there is a big storm system here brewing up over texas, and as it strengthens, it's really going to fire up, bringing the rain in the gulf of mexico, 1 to 3 inches of rain possible and we'll see some heavy snow on the backside. some places will pick up 1 to 3 inches of snow. as the storm system then treks east, here's going to be the problem, picks up more gulf moisture here, and we are talking about more heavy rain. another problem will be where we already have snow on the ground. this could up the risk of

flooding here for these places. kendis? janai? >> those areas just a had storm, a big storm last week. you'll remember yesterday we told you about one man's fight to get the port authority of new york and new jersey to move this tree on the holland tunnel sign. he has a petition to get to placed over the "a" where it belongs instead of the "n," calling the current spot an ocd nightmare. >> which it is. now the port authority now has an online poll for the public to weigh in. options include moving the tree or leaving it where it is. results will be announced on sunday. that's great. a shocking revelation about america's commander in chief. the president is reportedly a re-gifter. >> donald trump jr. tells "extra" that the president is a notorious re-gifter and he himself has gotten some of his own gifts back from his father.

>> yeah, don jr. says because he and his father have the same initials, he's even been re-gifted stuff that was monogrammed for his dad, including a gift that he himself monogrammed that ended up getting back the next year. but he got back -- >> wow. no official word from the white house. we'll see how christmas at the trumps goes. >> yeah. it's weird when you've got tiffany's gift that was monogrammed for her. >> i always forget about that one. well, coming up, dr. christine blasey ford makes her first public appearance since testifying against brett kavanaugh. and later, using technology to redecorate on a budget. our own diane macedo takes us inside her own home to show us how it's done. remember her? she's back! you're watching "world news now." o tell you about the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85,

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apparently the grinc somenfla snowman outside a home near indianapolis. the snowman's -- >> so intentional. >> i know. the snowman's owner was inside

watching a christmas movie of all things when it happened. the suspect actually got out of the suv and checked out the scene, making sure that snowman wouldn't be snitching. so far no arrests have been made. >> wow. well, we are seeing dr. christine blasey ford for the first time since she testified against then supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh. blasey ford appearing on video at "sports illustrated's" annual award show. >> she presented the inspiration of the year award to former gymnast rachel denhollander. she was the first woman to accuse disgraced dr. larry nassar of assault. >> in stepping forward you took a huge risk and you galvanized future generations to come forward.

even when the odds are seemingly stacked against them. and we cannot allow ourselves to be defined by the acts of others. >> ford told denhollander that she's in awe and inspired by her. rachel denhollander was the last of more than 150 women to confront nassar in court during a sentencing hearing for criminal sexual misconduct. nassar will spend the rest of his life in prison. a consumer alert. kotex is recalling some of its tampons because they say they may come apart inside the body. >> a small number of women needed medical attention. the recall is for the regular absorbancy u by kotex sleep tampons manufactured between october 2016 and this past october. all right. to thailand right now there where is a big change for the miss universe pageant. for the first time, all of its

judges will be women. >> how about that. the all-female panel will be surprised of business leaders, entrepreneurs and industry experts. >> one thing that is not changing is the host. steve harvey is back again. >> all right. >> yeah. steve will make it fun. >> steve harvey. all-female panel. good for them. yes. all girl everything. >> yes, beauty pageants, that's -- greg our producer gets in my ear and is just like, just let it go. move on. coming up, going online instead of hiring a decorator. >> diane shows us how easy and affordable it can be to make your home look hgtv perfect. you're watching "world news now." so, we save by using tide. which means we use less. three generations of clothes cleaned in one wash. those are moms. anybody seen my pants? nothing cleans better. put those on dad! it's got to be tide.

with so many fixer upper home improvement shows on tv these days, it can be overwhelming for anyone looking for redecorating ideas. >> but now thanks to a website called modsy, it's never been easier or more affordable to turn your home into a showplace and our own diane macedo tried it out herself.

>> reporter: when it comes to home decor, i'm a huge fan. i love home makeover shows. time for "fixer upper." >> this is my favorite room in the house. >> reporter: i'm a pinterest addict. >> how cute is that? >> reporter: and i'm constantly full of ideas. so when i had to turn my guest room into a nursery, i was pumped. just one small problem -- >> tough call. >> reporter: i am horrible at making decorating decisions. >> i just can't decide. >> reporter: terrified i'll make the wrong choice i often end up doing nothing. case in point, my current guest room. >> welcome to my guest room. bought an unfinished bed so i could stain or paint it once we decided on a color scheme. that was four years ago. still unfinished. notice the pictures are off-center. we hung them on existing hooks figuring we'd find better places for them later. and don't you love the rugs? >> reporter: so i decided to give this new website modsy a try.

>> with modsy there is no more wondering how something will look in your room. >> reporter: it creates 360-degree renderings of your space so you can preview exactly how your design ideas will look. modsy designers also help you out by showing you their ideas. so i answered a few questions and snapped a few photos of the room. fully testing modsy's no tidying required claim. a few days later -- >> that's so cool. >> reporter: the renderings i got back look exactly like my room, only with new furniture, new accent pieces, the wallpaper i wanted to see and even an alternative layout i never would have thought of. my designer also followed up with a live style session so she could fine tune it to my liking and meet my needs. >> moving that bed up against your back wall allows you to walk into the room and have immediate access to a crib. >> i feel like i'm on a home

decorating show. >> you ready to see your fixer upper? >> mmm-hmm. ♪ ♪ >> it's beautiful. >> reporter: modsy also lets you test out your own ideas. letting you move things around and add, delete or replace items as you see fit. unfortunately, the self-edit function isn't the easiest thing to use and the catalog of things to choose from was more limited than i would have liked. the good news is you can send a link to your designer of pieces you want to see. and for 15 bucks, modsy will also recreate furniture from companies they don't work with or custom pieces like these nightstands i made myself. a few photos, a few measurements and now they're in my modsy studio. >> reporter: once you're happy with your design, you can buy everything in it in one shot from the modsy site. the end result -- ♪ ♪

>> welcome to the nursery. you might notice a lot of stuff from the modsy rendering. to save some cash i also held on to the old bed and even my old comforter. i just flipped it over. then a few diy touches like this bookshelf that i actually made out of a spice rack, but overall i love the way the project came out. so much so that i decided to take on the rest of the apartment and the whole thing was so much easier using modsy. ♪ ♪ >> now if only i could find a website to get frank to stop eating the christmas decorations. >> reporter: diane macedo, abc news, new york. >> so cool. so useful. >> absolutely. >> depending on where you live -- >> yeah. >>-- an interior decorator could cost between 50 and 200 bucks. this one, modsy, costs $59 a room. for a basic package, they'll

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so it's time for "this happened," and we're going to start in russia where what's being called on russian state television as the country's most modern robot is actually not a robot, it's just a person dressed up as a robot. >> oh. >> mmm-hmm. dancing robot. right? >> dancing robot. >> high-tech robot. >> it looks like a robot. >> it does, right? that's what it was put off as but then people started noticing some things, and it turns out that this is just a guy in a robot costume. >> scandalous. >> that costs $3,800 from a company called show robots. look at that. viewers were skeptical of the smooth moves, a distinct lack of

sensors and then noticed a human neckline in the costume and they were outed. what a shame. >> they would have gotten away with it. >> if it weren't for those meddly kids. >> who were watching. absolutely. back here in the united states, you know the boston red sox won the world series. >> uh-huh. >> ken could care less. >> ancient history by now. >> but they surprised some fans on the "t" there by taking the trophy on the green line there. >> just having a normal day in boston then this happened. >> it was a surprise for them. they're like, whoa, what's that doing here? some people were impressed. >> i was going to say, are you one of those people who is like, oh, my gosh or just like, yo, i was trying to get to work. >> even the green vest protester there in boston. >> you're hilarious. >> that parade. >> not to be outdone, you know, atlanta united recently won the mls championship. >> uh-huh. >> so they took their trophy to the place in atlanta. >> where was it?

where was it? >> magic city. >> shout out to the mecca. >> magic city, the legendary strip joint. they put this -- the trophy on stage and made it rain. >> how atlanta is that? >> that is so -- that is so -- that is so atlanta. >> my goodness. >> congratulations to both teams. okay. so i know how to play tic tac toe. do you know how to play tic tac and toe? whatever it is. indiana pacers halftime entertainment. some guy's -- it's part of this game you have to make a shot and put your x down or your o down. these guys had multiple opportunities to win and -- >> and they didn't. >> apparently they just don't know how to play tic tac toe. >> oh. >> fai >> both of them. >> what are you doing? >> what did they think they were doing? it's obviously not connect four. >> maybe that's what they

thought they were playing.

this morning on "world news now," found alive. >> three people are safe and back with their families after spending several frightening days deep inside a dark and abandoned coal mine. they could end up facing charges, though, for illegally entering the mine. president trump's former fixer and attorney who once teased hillary clinton about going to jail has been sentenced to three years in prison. that sentence handed down as trump's legal troubles appeared to grow. the parent company of "the national enquirer," which has acknowledged helping the campaign avoid scandal, is now helping prosecutors. plus, "sesame street" has a new muppet on the block, the first homeless muppet, lily. elmo and friends set out to teach her about the real meaning of home. and corny christmas sweaters are so five years ago. this is how to really show your holiday spirit. >> yes.

>> be your tree. just another day in new york. it's thursday, december 13th. >> yes. ♪ what more can i do ♪ baby all i want for christmas is you ♪ from abc news, this is "world news now." he kept walking down sixth avenue saying "leave me alone." >> haha. >> dad jokes. >> that are awful. >> it wasn't even arbor day. i'll leave it. we'll stop. >> oh, gosh. i can't save him from himself. >> no, not at all. you can't help -- all right. let's begin with the breaking news. it is big breaking news. incredible relief felt by several families in west virginia. their loved ones are back with them. >> emotional reunions last night as two dirt-covered women and a man were brought back with

fadsfter spending nearly five full days in an abandoned coal mine. they have a team of rescuers and some very powerful fans to thank for their lives. abc's david kerley reports from west virginia. >> reporter: a remarkable scene, three survivors on their way to the hospital in a motorcade of flashing lights stopping at the local community center for a reunion with family and friends like no other. >> it's a christmas blessing. that's all there is to it. and you can see, you know, their loved ones and their friends and their family. i don't think it could get better than this. >> i knew she wouldn't give up. she's too tough. >> reporter: the happy ending after 4 1/2 days wondering if they would be found. family members admitting they were scavenging for copper wire to accept. rescue crews were able to work

without breathing apparatus and that led to the breakthrough, all three found. >> this is a christmas miracle. >> reporter: all three are said to be a bit banged up and were taken to a local hospital for treatment but officials say they will be okay. the three could face criminal charges for entering that mine illegally but family members say that's for another day. they're just happy they're all alive. david kerley, abc news, witesville, west virginia. >> just absolutely incredible. that mine, by the way, hasn't been mined for some three years -- or for some two years now. so -- >> lucky they were found alive. >> yeah, not a lot of people know how to get in and out of there. >> and to go in looking for copper, allegedly. >> yeah. they were fortunate they were able to pump some oxygen in there. that might have resulted in saving their lives. >> yeah. well, turning now to the legal firestorm surrounding president trump. his former fixer and attorney

sentenced to three years in prison. >> michael cohen apologized for his role in paying off two women ahead of the election saying he repeatedly agreed to cover up what he called donald trump's dirty deeds. then another stunning announcement, the parent company of "the national enquirer" run by the president's longtime friend is now helping prosecutors, admitting to buying and burying negative stories about the president. all of this a big deal. here is abc's tara palmeri. >> reporter: michael cohen blowing past reporters outside a manhattan federal court. the president's longtime lawyer and fixer pleading for leniency before a judge sentenced him to three years in prison. an emotional cohen blaming trump for his, quote, path of darkness rather than light and leading him to, quote, cover up his dirty deeds. cohen pled guilty to eight felony charges brought by the u.s. attorney in the southern district of new york, including campaign finance violations

related to those hush money payments made to two women during the 2016 presidential campaign. cohen told prosecutors he arranged the payments at the direction of then candidate trump. two hours later another bombshell. the u.s. attorney announcing that they have struck a cooperation agreement with the company that owns "the national enquirer" and publisher david pecker. a longtime friend of trump. court papers state that two months after trump announced his candidacy he and cohen met with pecker where they agreed his company a.m.i. would, quote, help deal with negative stories about the presidential candidate's relationships with women. a.m.i. acknowledged they bought playboy bunny karen mcdougal's affair with trump in order to bury it, a practice known as catch and kill, just three months before the election. >> a.m.i. admitted in court documents that they knew they were breaking campaign finance laws but they did it anyway. tara palmeri, abc news, washington. in respect >> so interesting there. well, the democratic leader nancy pelosi has sealed a deal.

expectedbi by term limits in exchange for the support of several of her colleagues who wanted her out. that means that she will no longer serve after four more years. the proposal calls for the top three democratic leadership positions to be limited to three terms and there is an option for a fourth term if they have the support of 2/3 of the house. turning overseas, it's not getting any easier for british prime minister theresa may now that she survived a challenge to her leadership. may won a no confidence vote yesterday but more than 1/3 of her fellow conservatives voted against her. that vote means she will continue guiding britain through its exit from the european union. today may meets with eu leaders in brussels. she's hoping for some changes in the terms of the brexit deal but those leaders say that's not happening. and also in europe we're learning more about the suspected gunman in france who is still at large after his attack on that christmas market. officials say he's been convicted 27 times in his life,

mostly for crimes in france, but also in switzerland and neighboring germany. now the lights of the eiffel tower there in paris dimmed last night yet again to honor the victims of this attack. abc's ian pannell has more from strasbourg where the attack took place. >> reporter: hundreds of french police and soldiers are in an all-out hunt for one man, cherif chekatt, the 29-year-old career criminal suspected of carrying out the deadly attack here at the strasbourg christmas market. police seizing evidence from his apartment and searching cars at the nearby german border. chekatt escaped in a taxi. he was wounded in the arm by soldiers but he told the driver he just shot people. one eyewitness used this phrase there were really a lot of gunshots, like it was so loud. we now know that two people were killed, a third is tragically brain dead. chekatt wasn't just known to the police, he was on a terror watch list.

apparently they had searched his home earlier that day. this was in an unrelated case, but they found a rifle, grenade and knives. french officials admitting this could have triggered the attack. we now know that chekatt was born and raised in france, radicalized in prison here in the same city where he launched that deadly assault. now like so many of the attacks that we've seen over the years in europe, it's clear that the problem isn't outsiders coming in but homegrown terrorism, making it so hard to detect and prevent. ian pannell, abc news, strasbourg, france. >> our thanks to ian there. and here at home, the latest in a string of big winter storms is making a beeline for the deep south. >> let's get the latest forecast now from accuweather's melissa constanzer. melissa? >> kendis, janai, as a storm system moves out of the rockies, it strengthens here over the lone star state. even 1 to 3 inches of snow in parts of texas.

the biggest story will be the winds. upping the fire danger here along the rio grand. bringing 1 to 3 inches of rain across the southeast. there will be flooding problems possible in through parts of the carolinas where rain comes down on top of snow. kendis? janai? >> where is it not raining over the next few days? melissa, our thanks to you. so there was a sweet spill that would make willie wonka cringe. clogging up a street in northwest germany. >> you know how much kendis and i love to bring you chocolate news. a chocolate river ran through a city outside dortmund. firefighters had to be called in after a tank overflowed. a ton of liquid chocolate leaked into the streets and created an augustus gloop fantasy. >> but then it hardened. police had to use hot water and torches to get the chocolate off the streets. no oompa loompas were involved. i wonder what it tasted like.

>> do you think anybody tried it? >> somebody had to. >> break off a little piece. >> like hiding in a corner. >> the fire crew says once it hardened it created this massive, massive choco pancake. >> and a site tweeted "willie wonka couldn't be reached for comment." of course they tried. well, coming up, the new threat faced by the boy scouts. why one of the nation's oldest and largest youth organizations is now considering filing for bankruptcy. plus the daring new social message that "sesame street" is introducing into its programming. the first homeless muppet to live on "sesame street." you're watching "world news now." introducing into its programming. the first homeless muppet to live on "sesame street." you're watching "world news now." and you look amazingly comfortable. when your v-neck looks more like a u-neck... that's when you know, it's half-washed. add downy to keep your collars

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that's the icing on the cake... i love cake. finding the right aarp medicare supplement plan for you could be just a quick call away. so...call. we're back with the latest destruction from superstorm sandy. you heard me right, superstorm sandy. six years after that hurricane. this house in the new york city borough of queens was being raised to fix damage from the monster storm, but apparently it slipped and came to the rest on the neighboring home. nobody was home at the time. no injuries. but now neither home can be occupied. >> tough break there.

>> yeah. well, now down south to texas where a man is charged with trying to kidnap a 15-year-old girl. >> steven salazar is being held on bond. detectives near houston say that he grabbed the girl while she was jogging with her dog earlier this month. she fought him off before he sped off in a pickup truck. police believe salazar may have other victims. turning now to a new development in the case of a 13-year-old girl who was kidnapped from her front yard while she was waiting to go to school and then killed. >> a district attorney is now admitting that authorities had dna evidence linking the suspect to another rape case but never followed up on it. here is steve osunsami. >> reporter: it's a painful admission -- >> could that paper have saved hania aguilar's life? >> potentially yes. >> reporter: north carolina authorities admit they had in their hands dna test results that tied 34-year-old michael mcclellan seen here in court to a rape that happened in 2016 but they say their investigators never followed up.

had they done so, the robeson county prosecutor believes that 13-year-old hania aguilar might be alive today. mcclellan is now charged with raping and killing the eighth grader who was kidnapped last month on her way to school by someone in the suv seen in this surveillance video. >> i don't know if it got lost in the sheriff's department. i don't know if it got buried on somebody's desk. this hurts. this is like taking a punch to the gut and not being prepared to get it. >> reporter: mcclellan is now charged in both cases. in this one police say it was dna evidence removed from the abandoned suv that led them to him. mcclellan is being held without bond. they had to break this to the girl's family and that was a tough conversation. steve osunsami, abc news, atlanta. >> i can just imagine how tough a conversation that was. the boy scouts of america in the meantime is reportedly considering filing for bankruptcy protection. >> "the wall street journal" reports that the organization is

facing rising legal costs. >> filing for bankruptcy would stop the lawsuits and give the boy scouts a chance to negotiate with the plaintiffs. usa gymnastics and the catholic diocese haveaken similar steps. the boy scouts were sued by the girl scouts for deciding to recruit girls. this just messy for the boy scouts all around. "sesame street" is introducing another sensitive social issue. >> 7-year-old lily is now appearing in a series of online videos. she's upset that her family lost their home but elmo and others remind her that home is more than an apartment or house, hom street's" new initiative to shed light on the statistics showing more than 1 million homeless children are under the age of 6. >> fantastic that they're doing that. >> didn't they have a character that's lived in the trash for decades? >> yes, but that was obvioly

his home. oscar the crouch. >> oscar, yes. >> oscar had a home. it was just a garbage can. >> it was just a garbage can. all right. coming up in our next half hour, how first lady melania trump just made history. what she did on her way to visit u.s. troops and their families in virginia. but first, what one city is using to foil those box bandits that are swiping packages off people's front porches. you're watching "world news now." using to foil those box bandits that are swiping packages off people's front porches. you're watching "world news now." this holiday season get what you want

♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ some action going on. >> there is a little bit of action going on. some repairs taking place as well. >> a little bit lively. >> yeah. it is, indeed, the most wonderful time of the year but it's also the most profitable time for thieves. >> thieves and businesses. all those package deliveries left on front porches are easy pickings for what's come to be known as porch pirates, box bandits, but as abc's gio benitez reports, one city is using high tech to fight back.

>> reporter: we see them time and again during the holidays, those package bandits swiping boxes right off your doorstep. just this monday, police say these two woman pulled up to a tampa home, stole the packages and drove off. sometimes police get lucky, recovering piles of pilfered packages. now police are taking action. one police department in new jersey is launching a high tech effort to take on thieves. >> these are the locations where the gps devices are being deployed right now. >> reporter: they gave us a look of their undercover sting, putting gps tracking device inside packages. this is an undercover officer showing us how he would deliver one of these bait packages. you just started this program and you said within the first eight minutes? >> yeah, this morning the detectives deployed this. within eight minutes we had movement on one of the devices. we swooped in and made the arrest with big smiles on our face.

>> reporter: when police suspect that the packages ar in thlary will hear this and close in on the suspects. the captain helped start the program with amazon's help. >> so amazon gave you these packages to make sure they look as real as possible. >> right. when dealing with amazon, we actually went to their facility in staten island. they allowed to us pick out the boxes we were going to use. they let one of their security guys print out labels so they looked as authentic as possible. >> reporter: officers are also donating doorbell cameras to homeowners hoping they get images of those overnight thieves. >> the message to the bad guys are we're going to catch you. that's a message we have not been able to say with any frequency prior to the implementation of this program. >> so the police chief says doing this actually frees up resources and requires less officers because they're catching those thieves right away. >> gio said he couldn't tell the

difference between the bait packages and the real ones. >> interesting. well, coming up, the human christmas tree. >> we'll show you. if you're age, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan, available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month.

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♪ i d ♪ i don't want a lot for christmas ♪ ♪ there is just one thing i need ♪ it is time for "the mix" on this thursday morning. and of course we're playing the queen of christmas, mariah carey. >> bow down. >> because it goes perfectly with this. there is no better way to win christmas than to dress up as a christmas tree. that's exactly what one man did here in new york city. it just so happened joe jonas caught it on camera. look at this. that is a man dressed as a christmas tree. he's even got pants that look like bark. >> wow. it's kind of ironic he's walking outside of that bank of america branch. probably ordered a -- >> kendis, keep them coming. >> probably ordered a root beer. >> did you just google bad tree

puns? >> totally googled bad tree jokes. >> how about that? >> joe jonas, the lesser known of the three jonas brothers. >> i don't know all their names either. >> i know there is nick, joe -- >> tito? >> kevin. oh, kevin. and they have a little brother. mikey? >> frankie. >> frankie. wow. >> all right. >> i guess we know all of them. >> at least one of the jonas brothers caught it. thank you, mr. jonas. >> the forest of jonas brothers. >> forest of jonas brothers. wow. >> you guys. continue before we -- >> next. >> that was a tough one. so, you know, one of the big scourge about going to parties and such during the holidays are those people who will double dip in the chip dip. >> faux pas. >> yeah. so philadelphia dips, which is an offshoot of kraft foods, which makes cream cheese, has come up with a double diptector.

>> double diptector. >> it's a prototype. it's on ebay right now. it detects when gary there goes in for the second killing. yeah, the bowl's motion and tracking technology can supposedly tell the difference between a single dip and someone return for a double dip and then the party pariah is caught with an app. it takes a photo to fat shame him. >> oh, my gosh, that's exactly what it does. >> it's on ebay right now for $300 and worth every penny. getting back to the christmas spirit, elf on a shelf, you know what that is, right? well, airports are having a little fun with it. how about lil wayne on a plane? austin powers on a tower? snoop on a swoop. nicki minaj on a fuselage. cher in the air. not bad.

[female narrator] foods rich in folic acid like white bread and leafy greens can help prevent some birth defects before you even know you're pregnant.

this morning on "world news now," he once said he'd take a bullet for donald trump but now michael cohen is going to prison for covering up what he calls trump's dirty deeds. plus, other major developments as investigators focus on trump associates. breaking news from hawaii. a plane involved in military exercises crashes in the ocean and it's captured on camera. we have new details just in on the pilot's condition. and new this half hour, a first for a first lady. >> melania trump makes a historic flight on a v-22 osprey. the first first lady to do so as she visited u.s. troops. she also talks about what she thinks of her husband's tone. and the shocking revelation about james bond. it seems that either shaken or stirred, 007 definitely has a drinking problem.

>> what? >> yep. what researchers are saying about the sexy spy's alcohol consumption in "the skinny." it's december 13th. as we say shot, shot, shot, shot, shot, shot. from abc news, this is "world news now." cheers. >> cheers to that. if that's the definition of a drinking problem, what is -- >> well -- >> bond, at least he's a classy drinker. >> at least he is. shaken not stirred. we'll get to that a little later. we begin this half hour with michael cohen, president trump's one-time fixer and lawyer preparing to spend the next three years behind bars as another shoe drops. >> just hours after cohen was sentenced, the parent company of "the national enquirer" acknowledged its role in paying hush money on the president's behalf as well. cohen was also involved in that payment and he told a federal judge in new york city that he covered up the president's dirty

deeds out of blind loyalty. abc's pierre thomas was in that courtroom. >> reporter: michael cohen arriving at court clutching the arm of his heartbroken daughter. >> hey, michael, michael -- >> reporter: hoping for mercy, he took full responsibility for his crimes. the personal ones, to me, he said, and those involving the president of the united states. prosecutors say cohen acted in coordination with and at the direction of individual one, aka donald trump, when he facilitated hush money payments to porn star stormy daniels and "playboy" playmate karen mcdougal so they wouldn't go public before the election. cohen once said he would take a bullet for his boss. >> i'm obviously very loyal and very dedicated to mr. trump. >> reporter: but cohen told the judge he has been living in a personal and mental incarceration ever since he went to work for trump more than a decade ago. it was my own weakness and a blind loyalty to this man that led me to choose a path of

darkness over light, he said. i felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds. >> mr. president, did michael cohen cover up your dirty deeds? >> reporter: president trump's story about the hush payments has changed over time. first he told the american people he knew nothing. >> did you know about the $130,000 payment to stormy daniels? >> no. >> reporter: then he said he only knew after the fact. >> did you know about the payment? >> later on i knew. later on. >> reporter: now he calls the stormy daniels deal a simple private transaction, pointing the finger back at michael cohen, but in court, cohen emotionally declared he'll fight to make sure that history doesn't remember him as the villain. his voice cracking, he described the shame he had brought on his wife, his children and elderly parents, all of whom were in court, but the judge was unmoved, sentencing cohen to three years in prison, calling it a veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct, saying cohen had lost his moral compass. cohen has spent more than 70

hours with robert mueller's investigators as well. the special counsel's prosecutors told the court he offered them substantial assistance, including credible and valuable information. and they said they expect him to continue to do so. pierre thomas, abc news, new york. >> what an interesting day. to add to it, federal prosecutors also announce a cooperation agreement with the company that publishes "the national enquirer." they say a.m.i., which is run by president trump's close friend david pecker, secretly assisted his campaign by paying "playboy" model karen mcdougal for her story about an alleged affair with trump and then burying it. a practice known as catch and kill. a.m.i. admits knowing at the time that it would be considered an illegal corporate contribution and violation of campaign finance laws. breaking overnight, three people stuck in an abandoned mine in west virginia are now out. one of them says being inside was terrible.

with dirt on their faces, a man and two women were found and brought out of the abandoned mine last night. they were underground since early saturday. their families admit they entered the mine seeking copper wire to sell. crews used giant fans to blow fresh air inside the mine which allowed rescuers to find them. west virginia's governor was there for the emotional reunions. >> it's a christmas blessing. that's all there is to it. i grew up playing in a coal bin with grandparents that didn't have indoor plumbing, and these people are the salt of the earth. and, you know, so being with them was an honor to me. >> a fourth person made his way out of the mine on monday night. he told rescuers the location of the others. they may still face charges for illegally entering the mine. breaking overnight, a high-speed passenger train crash in turkey leaves at least four people dead and more than 40 others injured. it happened in the capital city of ankara. officials say the train slammed into a work train and then hit an overpass, causing it to partially collapse.

reports say at least two cars of the passenger train derailed. crews pulled survivors from the wreckage. an investigation is under way. a civilian pilot taking part in an air national guard exercise in hawaii is in serious condition this morning after a crash at sea, and it was all captured on camera. watch carefully here as the plane gets closer and closer to the water just off the southern coast of oahu. now the pilot ejected from the vintage hawker hunter fighter jet. he was picked up by a sailboat but was hospitalized with his injuries. the 1950s era plane sank immediately. the company that operates the plane has a fairly poor safety record. new details are emerging about the man who is suspected of attacking the christmas market in strasbourg, france, near the german border. 29-year-old cherif chekatt was born in that city. officials say he was radicalized while in prison there. he's been convicted 27 times, mostly in france but also in switzerland and germany.

witnesses say he screamed "god is great" in arabic during the attack. the city of lights there turning off the lights of the eiffel tower, dimming them, to honor the victims. two people were killed and a third left brain dead. a dozen others injured. now that british prime minister theresa may has survived a challenge to her leadership she can keep working on getting britain out of the european union, but that's no easy task, beginning with meetings she's holding with eu leaders today. abc's james longman has more from london. >> reporter: theresa may has survived this attempt to push her out of power but her long-term future is anything but certain. and so is the future of brexit. the vote on may's leadership was triggered by members of her own party even though they voted for brexit before she became prime minister. many are not happy with the terms she has secured to leave the european union. theresa may addressed the british people outside 10 downing street saying, quote, we need to get on with the job and focus on a country that works for everyone. getting a brexit deal that the rest of europe will sign off and

that british people will like well, that remains her biggest challenge. she only has 107 days to finalize it and the clock is ticking. james longman, abc news, london. all right. back here in the u.s., first lady melania trump made history while visiting troops and their families in virginia. >> she flew to hampton, virginia in a v-22 osprey rather than a standard helicopter. it's the first time a first lady has flown in one of the tilt rotor aircraft that can land vertically. >> she also flew out to the "uss george h.w. bush" aircraft carrier. looking the part. aviator sunglasses. >> yeah. >> she was able to address the crew of the carrier. she also talked to fox news about giving her husband her opinion, both on issues and style. >> i don't agree with his tone sometimes and i tell him that. so as i said before, sometimes he listens, sometimes he doesn't. >> have you ever stopped him, like he was going to say something and you said --

>> i said to him, you know, i don't think you need to be that out, but on the end it's his decision. he knows the consequences. he's an adult, and, you know, but he's a fighter. he's a fighter. >> he's definitely a fighter. mrs. trump says the worst part about being first lady are the opportunists who are cashing in, from comedians to book writers. she wishes the media would focus more on substance rather than gossip. get out of her business. well, 2019 has arrived in times square. or at least part of it has. >> the 1 and the 9 that will sit on top of 1 times square when we ring in the new year already there. they'll sit in the plaza below the building before being raised above the crossroads of the world. >> and until they're placed on top of 1 times square, the 7 foot high numerals are

accessible to the public for the next week in case you want a selfie. are you going to go? >> um, i'll say that i went and then don't -- and then not. >> well, unless you take a picture, a selfie, it doesn't count anyway. >> then it doesn't exist. yeah. it looks small. >> 7 foot, though. >> looks kind of tiny in person. all right. all right. coming up, could you ditch your smartphone for a week, a month, how about an entire year? the company that says it will pay $100,000 to anyone who can go an entire year without using their smartphone. and later, j. lo opens up about her new movie "second act" and what she had to say about that colossal thanksgiving prank arranged by her boyfriend alex rodriguez. you're watching "world news now." ♪ arranged by her boyfriend alex rodriguez. you're watching "world news now." ♪ clothing without all the hassle? to wear you can, with bounce dryer sheets. simply toss two sheets in the dryer to iron less. we dried one shirt without bounce, and an identical shirt using bounce. the bounce shirt has fewer wrinkles, less static,

and more softness and freshness. for extra large or wrinkly loads, toss in three sheets. dermatologist tested bounce is free of dyes and perfumes. bounce out wrinkles, bounce out static. about the colonial penn program. here to tell you if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85,

call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan, available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours just for calling. so call now.

know what turns me on? my better half, hors d oeuvres and bubbly. and when i really want to take it up a notch we use k-y yours & mine. tingling for me, warming for him. wow! this holiday season get what you want ♪ the fountain in a small arkansas town is still in pieces after this. the semi slammed into the structure in amity, about 70 miles outside little rock. the crash wiped out a rock wall around the fountain. the driver was cited for careless driving. fortunately no one was hurt. a suspected bay area burglar couldn't slip out of trouble after getting himself trapped in

a grease vent. >> police say the man was wedged in the tight space for two days. >> wow. >> the vent led to what used to be a chinese restaurant in san lorenzo, california. the owner of a neighboring business heard the grease-covered man's muffled calls for help. >> i kept hearing this -- but then i'm like, well, i'm like, who could it be? then i start asking questions. like what's your name. it's like, oh, just please help me. get me out of here. okay. what is your name? what are you doing there? please, don't hurt me. i'm not trying to hurt you, i'm trying to help you. >> so for like a day he thought he had some freaky neighbors. finally by day two he's like, oh, there's no way anybody could go that long. firefighters took the vent apart to get the guy free. the grease kept him from escaping on his own. because he kept trying to get out. >> look at him. >> police haven't said what charges he'll face, but they say he was very happy to see them. >> i bet he was. >> poor guy.

well, also this from california. the state may soon be taxing your texting. >> state regulators may impose a fee for text messaging on mobile phones. the money raised would help support programs that make phone service accessible to the poor. the surcharge is likely to be a flat monthly fee, not a fee for every text. >> all right. both the wireless industry and california business groups oppose it and an fcc ruling yesterday may not allow california to add the fee. now, on the other hand, you may not care about a tax on texting if you take vitamin water's challenge. >> yeah, the health beverage company says it will pay $100,000 to a contestant who can go an entire year without using a smartphone. six months will only earn $10,000. >> now, of course, to enter the contest you have to post a photo to either instagram or twitter by january 8th. >> on your smartphone.

>> right. >> from your smartphone. i guess. the winner will be determined base on creativity, brand relevance and humor and submission quality. good luck. >> i'm not up to it. >> hard pass. when we come back, why james bond may have a drinking problem. >> "the skinny's" next.

♪ ♪ time now for "the skinny." starting with a startling revelation about james bond. >> a new study says that he has a drinking problem. would you have guessed it? >> he's a drunk. >> the fact that 007 is a fictional character not withstanding, researchers writing in "the medical journal of australia" examined bond's drinking habits in his movies dating back to 1962 and found that he has, quote, problematic alcohol consumption. >> it's all that peer pressure from the people around him. >> they were making him drink. >> the study pointed to, quote, frequently drinking before

fights, check. driving in chase, check. high-stakes gambles, check. and operating complex machinery. james bond is a drunk. >> yeah. they also point to his, quote, contact with dangerous animals, extreme athletic performance and sex with enemies, often with weapons in the bed -- i don't understand how those are linked with alcohol. >> like the sex with enemies? >> right. or, like, contact with dangerous animals. >> yeah. all right. >> look, i don't know. i don't know. >> they're frenemies as well. >> he makes don draper seem like a teetotaler, right? don's like amateur. reminds me of my favorite frank sinatra quote. he feels bad for people who are sober. >> that's hilarious. >> because when they wake up, that's as good as they'll feel all day long. >> interesting. next to a sweet surprise for a daytime television legend. >> bob barker, the longtime host of "the price is right," was

'70s colorful birthday cake for his 95th birthday. >> it wasn't in person but by skype. barker hosted "the price is right" on cbs for 35 years starting in 1972. >> despite a couple of health scares this year, barker is said to be doing just fine. 95. happy birthday. next to the holiday for emily blunt. >> the jolly holiday. >> yes, it is. >> the actress in london for the premier of our parent company disney's "mary poppins returns" found out she's up for two possible trophies at next month's screen actors guild awards. >> and on the royal blue carpet she said she needed a bit of help to take it all in. >> today was a very, very cool day to hear about the s.a.g. for "a quiet place" as well as this. was just -- i was vere some whe i cameere. >> wow what did she drink before the

golden globe nominations that "a quiet place" got and "mary poppins" got? >> "mary poppins returns" hits theaters next week on wednesday. go see it. >> it's getting some good reviews. "new york post" giving it 3 1/2 stars this morning, so not bad. a friend of "world news now" william shatner, is weighing in on the whole "baby it's cold outside" controversy that's been gripping the nation in the last few years. >> gripping the nation. the 87-year-old actor has been duking it out on twitter with critics of the classic christmas song, telling one critic, quote, you must clutch your pearls over rap music. >> in a separate tweet, william shatner pointed out the context of the time when the lyrics were composed saying, quote, if 2018 prudes want to interpret the lyrics as something else, the problem obviously lies in their own minds, not in the original lyrics. >> that's fair. >> that is very fair.

as you know, there are some tv stations in the meantime -- radio stations, including one in cleveland, that is saying no more. o more.

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wow! this holiday season get what you want ♪ don't be fooled by th ♪ don't be fooled by the rocks that i got ♪ don't be fooled by the rocks that i got ♪ ♪ i'm still, i'm still jenny from the block ♪ so look at that. this was at the premier for j. lo's new movie "second act." that gown -- >> dress. >> or dress is incredible. >> the color. the shape. >> it is a yang bautista. high-low gown there. not bad. she also screened the movie -- but jenny from the block had quite a bit -- quite a bit to say yesterday as she visited "gma." >> she talked about motherhood, her latest movie, "second act," and that thanksgiving prank pulled on her. >> we saw for thanksgiving your boyfriend alex rodriguez, he kind of pranked you a little bit. >> he did. he did. >> what?

>> i was like, you guys really punked me. he had the master mentalist. his name is lior suchard. come and entertain. he's just like touching everybody on the back, touching everybody on the back. i'm like what's going on. he's like, shh. then he goes -- and they're all like -- i'm like, what the? oh, my -- it was 20 people, like 25 people that were at the dinner table. they just all fell out. >> they were all in on it. >> it was genius. >> wake up. who's the champ. >> when leah was here -- >> the scene with my and leah's relationship. the characters, maya and june, i have a relationship like this with someone in my life and that's leah. when we were doing this scene she says to me, okay, i'm going to do who's the champ thing before we go on stage whpum ay, .saot a t spp said nothing about hitting me in the face and she starts hitting me in the face and i'm like okay. yeah. fine.

but the last one i had to crack her. the bronx in me came out. i had to crack her on the last one. >> we saw your new music video "limitless." showed a little bit earlier. >> yes. >> now you directed your daughter for the first time? >> i did. i directed for the first time so it was a big deal for me. she comes right now. where -- there she is. it's too much for me. it's too much for me. as a mom seeing it. when i was on the set i was like all business. she was like a mini me. she was just like focused and just tell me what to do. i was so scared to put her in it. when i tell you everybody asks what's your favorite thing about the video? emmy. emmy is my favorite thing about the video. when you see it, it is so empowering. the song is written by sia, "limitless." the theme for "second act." she's the little girl in all of us that is always fighting and it's awesome. >> that is so cool. >> that is very, very cool.

america this morning. >> have a good one. making news in america this morning, miracle in the mine. >> this is the biggest lesson i've ever learned in my life. this is a life-changing experience for me. >> three people are found alive days after getting lost deep underground in the dark. the emotional reunions overnight and how search teams pulled off the rescue. the breaking news overseas, a high-speed train careens out of control crashing off the tracks. the mangled metal and rising death toll this hour. dirty deeds. new details about what michael cohen and the owner of "the national enquirer" are telling prosecutors after cutting their deals. the hush money scandals surrou t