making news in america this morning -- found alive. a family safe after spending three days in sub zero temperatures. new details on what they did to stay alive. wild weather. a community evacuated after a wall of water. and now, the worries turn from heavy snow to temperatures that are downright dangerous. amazing catch. a big fishing rod to reel in a big fish. he never expected to bring in a great white. kiss controversy. a 6-year-old boy in trouble for puckering up in class.

this morning, his mother is crying foul. did the punishment fit the crime? and good wednesday morning. we begin with an early christmas miracle for a very lucky family. >> rescuers found the two adults and four children, including the 3-year-old, all of them alive, after they were stuck in some brutal weather conditions for 48 hours. abc's david wright has the very latest on how they were found and what they did to stay alive. >> reporter: for two days in this frozen landscape, search and rescue teams hunted in vain, searching this snowy nevada mountain range for a missing family. 34-year-old james glandon, his girlfriend, christina macintee, her two kids and niece and nephew, all of them young kids, ages 3 to 10.

against all odds, that family is safe. an amazing story of survival. >> everybody's already had tears. and they cried for happiness. and of course, it's going to be a happy communion. we're glad they've been found. everybody's prayers have been answered. >> reporter: it all saturday started sunday, when witnesses saw them drive off into the mountains in a silver jeep wrangler. they said they were off to play in the snow. that was sunday at noontime. when they failed to return home, family members reported them missing. and the search got under way. 200 volunteers on the ground, plus aircraft up top, armed with infrared sensors, sensitive enough to read human body heat. they found nothing. but then, on tuesday, one of the searchers on the ground spotted an overturned car through his binoculars. >> we just followed some tracks going up a road. and we found their footprints. so, we kept going up. and we started glassing with our binoculars. and we saw the jeep down there.

>> reporter: to survive the 20-below temperatures at night, they burnt one of the car's tires. having been rushed to the hospital, the doctors have given them a clean bill of health. >> all of the patients are stable. preliminary examines, all doing well. not even evidence of frostbite. they did a very good job of keeping everybody safe. >> reporter: they have a mild case of exposure and an incredible story to tell. david wright, abc news, in reno. >> incredible story. we'll talk to the doctor treating that family coming up on "gma." nevada on the western edge of that giant band of arctic air that's plunged nearly the entire half of the u.s. in that deep freeze. >> it's feeling like winter. gripping the entire 48 states from coast-to-coast and border-to-border. minus 9 in bismarck. and only 30 degrees in san antonio. 1 that superfrigid air that's been parked over the upper midwest is now moving into the northeast. following yesterday's wintry weather wallop. the region's first major

snowstorm. and the snow closed hundreds of schools and offices up and down the east coast. triggered countless accidents and canceled nearly 1,400 flights. >> patience was definitely a virtue. i've been here for two hours. nothing against the great city of newark. i'm here and moving on. >> it wasn't a lot of snow. but just enough to cause massive travel problems. next on the weather docket for the northeast today, the season's first sub zero temperatures. it's actually thawing temperatures that's causing problems in colorado. >> a dozen people have been given the all-clear to return to a park in golden, colorado, after an ice dam break caused their evacuation. ice dams across the area have been breaking as temperatures continue to rise. and now, moving on to capitol hill. a rare bipartisan agreement. democrats and republicans have struck a deal on the budget aimed at preventing another government shutdown. the final passage is still up in the air. abc's tahman bradley has the details from washington.

>> reporter: smiles on capitol hill. house budget chairman paul ryan, a republican, and senate budget chairwoman, patty murray, a democrat, brokered the agreement. >> this agreement makes sure we don't have a government shutdown scenario in january. >> because of this deal, the budget process can stop lurching from crisis-to-crisis. >> reporter: if approved, the deal would raise military and domestic spending to slightly beyond $1 trillion over the next two years, while eliminating about $65 billion in the across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester. taxes could not go up. instead, the plan raises fees on some airline tickets. >> i see this agreement as a step in the right direction. in divided government, you don't always get what you want. >> reporter: the deal is not certain to pass either the house or the senate. republicans don't like the spending increases. and democrats are unhappy the deal does not extend the federal unemployment benefits set to expire this month. in a statement, president obama

said, this agreement doesn't include everything i like. but it's a good sign that democrats and republicans were able to come together. the deal does not raise the debt ceiling. the house is scheduled to take up the deal this week, followed by the senate, likely, next week. diana? >> all right. abc's tahman bradley, live in washington for us this morning. thank you. there are more tributes to nelson mandela this morning. >> tens of thousands of people lined the route as his coffin was moved to where it is now and it's going to lie in state. among the crowds was abc's terry moran. >> reporter: down this street, named after him, after his clan name, madiba street, it's called, the body of nelson mandela processed to the union building, the center of government, where he will lie in state for the next several days. and it's been an extraordinary scene here. a police honor guard disbursing. lined up as far as the eye can see. and south african police once pursued and persecuted nelson mandela. now, they stood at attention in his honor.

terry moran, abc news, pretoria, south africa. there are two major moments from yesterday's memorial service being debated around the world. >> at that service, president obama shook hands with cuba president raul castro. others are saying it was no big deal. he was just being polite. >> also drawing fire, the president taking a selfie with other world leaders. those are the prime ministers of denmark and britain with him, in the do-it-yourself snapshot. he was acting like a bored kid at school assembly. here's something to get everybody talking today. sorry, but you did not win the megamillions jackpot. no one who bought the ticket for the drawing matched all six numbers. that means that friday's jackpot will be worth $400 million. for the record, last night's numbers were 5, 12, 22, 41, 65 and the megaball, 13. tonight's powerball drawing is worth $122 million.

>> could be the one. still hot at 54. an old favorite is once again at the top of the holiday toy list. and a trip to the wilderness turns tragic. and a person is pulled from a truck engulfed in flames. wait until you hear who was inside that car. mmemmeem

and welcome back. we'll have to see how the markets react to the surprising deal from congress. as we mentioned, congressional budget negotiators reached a deal to fund the government way before the threat of a new shutdown. congress votes on it later this

week. and general motors gets his first female ceo ever. she starts in just over a month. 51-year-old mary barra has worked for gm for 33 years. she's led its global product developments for 15 years. among the challenges, how to cut costs and increase sales overseas. to leadership change of a different sort at lululemon. founder chip wilson is leaving over controversial statements. he said that some women's bodies don't work for lululemon's pants. twitter has made some tweaks to its mobile apps. it's easier to send direct messages with an icon on the home screen. you can send photos and direct messages. twitter opens it will make it the choice for one-on-one messaging and pick up more users. and a 54-year-old is giving the kids a run for its money. >> the barbie doll was the most toy ordered by retailers. shipments were up 6% this year,

which means stores expect an increase in sales. when we come back, what a catch. a marine decides to go fishing. he reels in something he never expected and maybe never get a again. a 6-year-old boy suspended for a classroom kiss. why some are saying that the punishment just goes too far. ♪ [ male announcer ] even well-planned holidays can wind up at the corner of "stockings are stuffed" and "quick -- duck!" luckily, walgreens is always nearby, so it's easy to get in and out for extra stocking stuffers... or anything else you might suddenly need. stop by walgreens anytime for hershey's kisses chocolates, gift cards, and more. plus get up to 20 dollars in jingle cash on next week's purchase of 30 dollars or more. here at the corner of happy and healthy. from bank of america to help spread some holiday cheer...

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detroit. a young hunter in central pennsylvania this morning, recovering from a bear attack. >> 18-year-old camille was hospitalized in fair condition after she was accidentally attacked. she got between the black bear and three cubs. the bear attacked and bit her on the arms and chest and scratched her head before her father fired some shots into the air that scared theeaear off. and her brother was nearby. >> i went running. by the time i got there, i heard a couple gunshots. >> my buddy called me and said he needs help. his sister got attacked by a bear. so, we grabbed our guns and went up after it. >> they never did find that bear. these types of attacks are rare, wildlife experts say it's normal for a bear to attack. another animal on the attack. a tiger at a recent circus performance in spain. this is video of the incident, that took place friday in ma rid. >> you see the tiger latch on to

the trainer and refuse to let go. the trainer was saved by other service workers. but not before suffering injuries to his head, back and legs. he is recovering at the hospital. a pickup truck goes up in flames in syracuse, new york. drivers pull over when they spot that truck on fire. they can see the national guardsman inside, wearing military fatigues. they managed to get the door open. cut the seat belt and dragged him to safety. catching sharks is nothing special for jeff. he's done it many times before. but this was off the gulf coast. he was literally on the beach. reeling in that shark on a california beach. a massive shark, too. this camp pendington marine says it's the first time a great white has been caught on a u.s. beach. it's also his first great white shark. >> seeing it in the water was just -- you know, it was almost mind-blowing. taken several weeks for the whole ordeal to sink in. >> now, it's illegal for

fishermen to target great white sharks. after a few minutes, he dragged it back in the water and it swam off. but his wife caught it on video. a 6-year-old colorado boy has been suspended from school for kissing a classmate on the hand. now, it is going on hunter yelton's record as sexual harassment. his mom says they're working on his behavior. but she's outraged it's being called sexual harassment. >> i kissed her on the hand. >> she was fine with it. they are boyfriend and girlfriend. this is taking it to an extreme that doesn't need to be met with a 6-year-old. >> hunter admits he did something wrong. he apologized. he's going to try to be good in school. and he says he has a lot of energy. >> he's so cute. time, now, for sports. exciting nba action last night. >> kobe bryant returned for his second game this season. here are neil and stan with the highlights. >> good morning, america. welcome to our "sportscenter" set here in los angeles. i'm stan verrett.

this is neil everett. a couple of interesting games in the nba. >> let's start in indiana, where the heat were in town. of course, these two, went to the eastern conference final last year. lebron james and his squad moved on to the nba finals. paul george was invisible in the first half. >> you see him right there. >> miami's defense was invisible against him in the second half. luis scola, great hair. great rebounder. george, from the corner. 15 of his 17 in the second half. lebron james, oh. thank you for the aerial display. now, back to the ball game. these teams meet one week from today in miami on espn. >> punched lebron james. suns and lakers from the staples center. kobe bryant, second game back from a torn achilles injury. that's the first dunk of the season for bryant. working on tucker again. the outside jumper is working. 20 points for bryant. gave himself a "b" for his

overall effort on this one. scoring one for dragic. 20 for morris. make that 22 for morris. and the suns over the lakers, 114-108. bryant comes back. but the lakers 0-2, since his return. >> there you go. good morning, america. >> thanks. a bride bouquet toss can be exciting. and some ladies get carried away trying to catch it. >> we see the bride toss the bouquet. it ends up, though, in the garden. and then, one woman goes head-over-heels, literally, to try to retrieve it. >> it's even better in slow-motion, folks. we presume that young woman was fine. no word on whether she was injured or not. >> and did she get the bouquet? >> exactly. >> and is it worth it? >> is that a bottomless pit? just don't know. >> maybe her -- maybe her own

diamond ring fell in there. that would be a legitimate reason to jump head-first into a garden. for a couple of flowers -- >> not so much. up next, "the pulse." jon stewart has a hilarious take on the obama/castro hand shake controversy. shake controversy. ♪

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eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. i've got three important reasons to up my game with eliquis. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor today if eliquis is right for you. all right. welcome back. time for "the pulse," and we start with the handshake between president obama and raul castro. >> it happened yesterday at the memorial service for nelson mandela. the president's critics were quick to pounce. and that criticism caught jon stewart's attention. >> what more fitting tribute could there be to nelson mandela, a man so dedicated to

forgiveness, he invited his own captor to his inauguration. and for our country to lose its [ bleep ] over a handshake. what else are you going to do at a funeral? give him one of these? >> the president's selfie with the world leaders, that drew criticism, as well. and he called it the kind of messup, only if he uses the "f" word. moving on to this, now. the elf on the shelf is supposed to keep tabs on kids around and report back to the north pole. but who is keeping tabs on whom? >> looks like the busy little guy has been naughty himself. he's such a ladies man, diana. then, he gets taken hostage by toy soldiers. >> and the elf has fun with a christmas ornament. at least he kept his clothes on. those are some of the many creative images of elf on a shelf popping up all over social media.

it was just a matter of time. >> that was a good idea. this one, danica patrick, she turned quite a few heads last night at the american country awards in las vegas. >> she traded in her racing helmet for a full, feathered headdress. and she strutted her stuff, vegas style at mandalay bay. >> that was fun. i always wanted to do that. and the good thing about me, there's no chance of a wardrobe malfunction. not much to malfunction. i hope that little bit didn't fall flat. >> well, the jokes fell a little flat. but you have to give her props. i think you would look awesome in that outfit. maybe you can wear it in "the pulse" tomorrow. what do you think? >> i think that will go great with my 9-month pregnant belly. >> tune in tomorrow. >> you're going to bring in your dress, right? >> that's a deal? i would almost take that bet

just to see it. maybe not. for some of you, local news is coming up next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with a mailman who never changes his outfit, even in the cold. >> those are short-shorts. oh, boy. a can of del monte green beans? ♪ ♪ if i was a flower growing wild and free ♪ ♪ all i'd want is you to be my sweet honeybee ♪ ♪ and if was a tree growing tall and green ♪ ♪ all i'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves ♪ grown in america. picked & packed at the peak of ripeness. the same essential nutrients as fresh. del monte. bursting with life™. before redeeming their bank of america travel rewards points on more than just flights for their recent trip to paradise. before they went to paradise and paid for the car rental, snorkeling, lava tour, and hulu lessons.

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yes... (laughing) yes!! ♪ checking our top stories -- a family missing for two days in the nevada mountains has been found alive and well. the couple, two kids and niece and nephew, surviving sub zero temperatures, by burning a spare tire from their jeep. it should prevent another government shutdown if passed. thousands lined the route as a hearse took nelson mandela's casket to the government center. he will lie in state tomorrow and friday. looking at today's weather. lake-effect snow for western pennsylvania, as well as new york. rain over south florida. and bitterly arctic air is

plunging much of the nation into a deep freeze. part of that deep freeze includes rapid city, south dakota. the forecast high there today will be 29 degrees. >> that makes absolutely no difference to one of the city's postal workers. he just may be the nation's coolest, or should we say coldest, mailman. >> joe mchale tells us why. >> reporter: stewart joyce is just like any other letter carrier. he walks door-to-door, delivering mail. he gets in and out of his mail van. but he wears something that almost no one in their right mind would wear when it's this cold outside. shorts. >> well, it's just more comfortable to get around in. you know? if the weather's raining or something like that, your pants get wet, even if you're wearing a jacket. as long as your core's warm, i'm good. >> reporter: rain, sleet or snow -- >> pretty much all the time. >> reporter: well, almost all the time. there is one exception that will cause stewart to cover his bare

legs. >> it gets negatives. negative 10, 15, i might go different. >> reporter: that means, just once last week, this letter carrier covered up. >> i always thought there was something kind of wrong with him. and getting to know him really well, i figured out for sure, that there is. >> reporter: vinny has been on stewart's route for 20 years. and says, as long as his postman is happy, he doesn't care. >> it doesn't seem to bother him. and he's comfortable that way. i just let him do his thing and go about his business. >> reporter: business he's been doing for almost 26 years. in shorts. a distinguished article of clothing he's become known for. >> they might not know my name. but they know i'm the guy that wears the shorts. >> reporter: when he doesn't -- >> i get comments when i see people not at work. they come up with a funny saying, i don't recognize you in pants. it sounds kind of funny. you know? >> wouldn't wear skirts. you must be