good morning, america. happening right now. ice storm. the dangerous deep freeze. a state of emergency in the south. roads turned into skating rinks. spinouts, skids, and slides. >> where are the plows? >> trees buckling under the weight, taking power lines with them. >> the whole town is without power. >> plus snow in the west and the east. the highway obstacle courses. some of the snowplows need help. it's not over yet. a dangerous bitter blast is now on the way. countdown to oscars. it's hollywood's biggest night of the year. and we're on the red carpet with team coverage. as the world waits to see who will take home the golden statue. the big awards show the day before. >> we want the vote. >> are the indie spirit awards a hint of what's to come? >> wow it is a bird.

>> plus, how you can watch the oscars on multiple screens and catch the behind the scenes action. plus neil patrick harris' hosting debut. >> a dark, horrible cloud above my head right now. >> his biggest fear for tonight. the performers, the presenters, the preps. as we say -- >> good morning, america. hey, good morning. we're fully bicoastal on this oscar sunday. here in new york we have ron, rob, special guest host cecilia vega, great to have you. out west as we count down to the oscars paula and sara are in hollywood on the red carpet. ladies, you look extra beautiful this morning. >> oh, dan, first and foremost, be kind to cecilia today. >> we will. >> try to. >> sara and i -- okay guys. we're so excited to be here. sara and i.

we finally made it to the red -- carpet. so much electricity in the air for the big night. >> anything can happen. nothing is certain. >> we have a lot to show you. from a look behind the scenes to last night's award show that may may win tonight. including potential upsets brewing. >> i'm excited to see. plugged in with our wall-to-wall coverage. >> you have a lot of news to get to. dan, you're looking dapper this morning as well. >> no, he isn't. no, he isn't. >> ron politely, or not so politely, disagrees with you. >> i'm going to duck. >> keeping it real. >> i'll deal with you later, sara. >> all right, guys. much more from hollywood coming up. we start with the other big story of the morning. the big blast of winter weather. affecting 100 million americans right now. >> our extreme team is covering it all. all this winter weather from denver to new york, where rob will have your forecast in a moment. the main trouble spot, that south. snow, ice, and rain down there,

bringing travel to a complete standstill on some highways. knocking out power for thousands of people. >> our coverage begins this morning with abc's linzie janis who is in cookville, tennessee. linzie? >> reporter: good morning, dan and cecilia. this part of central tennessee especially hard hit. tens of thousands of people are waking without power. it could be days before these it comes back on. this is why. a thick coating of ice all over the ground and on the trees, causing limbs to fall on to roofs like the one behind me and also on powerlines. >> where are the plows? >> reporter: this morning, a bitter snow and ice blast plaguing nearly 100 million americans. the midsouth locked in a frozen vise. the state of tennessee declaring a heightened state of emergency overnight, as the death toll from the bout of fwruling water rises to 21. the town of monterey one of the hardest hit.

>> the whole town is without power. >> reporter: trees collapsing under the weight of three quarters of an inch of ice. blocking roads. and knocking out miles of power lines. >> the trees themselves falling. that's a scary thought. when you're halfway asleep and you hear that. >> reporter: officials say tens of thousands may be shivering in the dark for up to five days, with temperatures plunging below freezing each night. in the east, a nightmare for drivers white-knuckling in whiteout conditions. >> that woman is stuck. can't get her car out. >> reporter: freezing rain and sleet turning city streets into slippery slopes. >> this vehicle went to the side of the road and hit me. >> reporter: in maryland, up to 13 inches of snow trapping buses and leaving hundreds of cars stranded, abandoned, or engulfed in flames. this car in new york is sent flying, landing upside down. this van clearly no match for the icy roads. this tractor trailer on the

pennsylvania turnpike spiralling out of control before slamming into a tree. even first responders needing a rescue. a virginia highway shut down as firefighters rushed to douse this burning snowplow. it's raining lightly now, after a day of heavy, heavy rain yesterday. so the concern now is flooding. because you have ice melting. also overnight temperatures will drop into the 20s and we could see refreezing. cecilia? >> it's brutal out there. further north, snow fell hard and fast along the i-95 mid-atlantic corridor. bazi kanani is in nearby baltimore where there is a snow emergency this morning. bazi? >> reporter: good morning, cecilia. take a look at why officials are asking people to stay home this morning. and why many churches have canceled services. you could almost get around on ice skates on the side walks. and the intersections are a slushy, icy mess. not safe for pedestrians or the

drivers that we have seen skidding around out here. overnight, police in maryland responded to hundreds of phone calls from drivers that were in trouble. they've towed more than 80 vehicles that were left stranded on the side of the highways. temperatures are warming up. that's creating other potential problems. officials are concerned that all of the rapid melting could lead to flooding. and then, more freezing air is coming in tonight. they're concerned that all of this melt could turn back into ice. dan? >> it never ends, seemingly. bazi, thank you. further west, denver is in the bull's eye as we speak. looking at more than a foot of snow in some areas. scores of flights canceled. clayton sandell is there. clayton, good morning to you. >> reporter: and good morning, dan. you can see the snowplows are out this morning. the roads in colorado have been a complete mess overnight. they're completely snow-packed. and interstate 70, a major interstate through the mountains here was closed overnight

because of multiple car accidents and pileups. luckily, there's a fleet of 700 snowplows out right now, trying to make the roads drivable, at least passable. it's very dangerous right now. not just on the ground, but in in the air. at denver international airport reporting 180 canceled flights so far. about 12% of all the flights coming in and out of the airport. there now, so far, we have had about nine, ten inches here where we are. in some areas around denver, they're expecting up to 20 inches before the system moves out later tonight. cecilia? >> denver getting slammed, too. clayton, thank you. it's cold and snowy. just one place to find our rob marciano. right in the middle of it. you're so mean to him. you never let him come inside. i don't know what straw you pulled. but you're out there again. good morning. >> good morning, cecilia. i love it out here. the snow held overnight. we had sleet mixing in at times. kind of a wet snow. we held at the 32-degree mark.

good for snowballs. the roads are a mess. look at some of the east coast snow totals. the inner mountain parts of the appalachians, up to two feet. in droop mountain. middlebrook, 15 inches. central park, three inches. just under three in d.c. but you obviously saw the road conditions an issue there. we still have winter storm advisories and warnings. boston holding on to it for the longest. until this system begins to push out to sea. here's what we're looking at as far as the storm system, the freezing line does lift a little bit. but by that time, most of the precip is gone. today, we'll get above the freezing mark briefly. then more cold air coming. the heavy snow across the mountains of colorado and new mexico, here's what we're thinking, well over eight inches of snow. the cold air drops down over the south. the energy into the southern plains, icing expected for north texas, including dallas. we'll talk more about that throughout the hour. back over to you. >> thanks rob. i have a feeling you're going to go back to boston, soon. turn now to my friend my

good friend, ron claiborne. good to see you. >> cecilia? dan. good morning, everyone. we begin with the al qaeda-linked terror group al shabab calling for attacks on malls in the uk, the u.s. and canada. they've made a threat in a video released on saturday. officials at the largest mall in the country, the mall of america in minneapolis they say they're aware of the propaganda video and have heightened security there. al shabab is responsible for the deadly siege on the kenyan mall in 2013 that killed more than 60 people. and in the uk a desperate plea from the families of three british teenage schoolgirls who may be on the way to join isis. last seen at gatwick airport, they were heading to tury. the parents of two of the girls releasing statements begging them to return home and saying they cannot make sense of why they left. the girls are thought to be heading to the 500-mile-long

border between turkey and syria. today's daytona 500 will take place without racer kurt busch who lost his final appeal. he tried to appeal the decision twice on saturday. lost both times. nascar suspended him indefinitely after his former girlfriend patricia driscoll accused him of choking and beating her. he denies the charges. meanwhile, busch's brother will miss today's race after breaking his right leg and left foot in a crash during a race on saturday. and chris bosh, the miami heat star forward, is out for the season. bosh is undergoing treatment for blood clots in one of his lungs. in a statement, the miami heat said bosh is receiving care under the guidance of team fe zigss. his prognosis is good. and a tense situation at a federal south texas prison. inmates seized control of part of the facility. the disturbance that started on friday rendered that facility uninhabitable.

the inmates are protesting what they say are poor medical services at the prison. finally, a trip to the mall turned into magical trip for shoppers in new york's long island shadowed by some famous characters. check this out. ♪ one guy tries to show up mickey with his dance skills. that was a bad idea. mickey watched and busted out his own moves. as you see there. the characters hid behind this lit-up screen disguised as a store window. has more than 2 million hits. after its debut earlier this week. disney, the parent company of abc news which employs all of us. >> so, did you -- are you sore from doing all that dancing, ron? >> it wasn't me. >> i would have gone for the robot. >> it requires the smallest amount of coordination. smart. let's talk politics now. two prominent republicans

taking heat this morning for comments about president obama. first, rudy giuliani says he does not believe the president loves america. then the governor of wisconsin, scott walker, a leading presidential contender says he's not sure whether mr. obama is a christian. let's bring in abc news chief george stephanopoulos. gornor walker called that irrelevant and gotcha journalism. >> he said on principle, he didn't want to answer the question. the fact that his spokesperson called "the washington post" back and said, of course the governor believes that president obama is a christian. but he doesn't believe that all of the republican candidates should have to answer all of these questions about the motivations of the president. so yeah, he's gotten in a little bit of hot water trying to clean it up this morning. >> there are some on the right that have raised questions about maybe the president could be a muslim. so it's not a completely irrelevant question. >> some people say it's a dog whistle to those believers. >> let me ask you about this. giuliani says he's been receiving death threats since his comments.

what is the reaction among those who are considering running for president in the republican field right mow? >> the reaction of the republican candidates is why are we getting asked about this? and they are getting asked about it. whether or not they agree with rudy giuliani. probably the most artful response from marco rubio, he said that, you know, i don't know why i have to answer these questions. democrats are not asked every time joe biden makes a gaffe. but, of course, i think that president obama loves america. i disagree with his policies. in a couple of sentences there, he kind of hit every major point he needed to make. but every republican candidate getting asked about it right now. it is mystifying how major giuliani is continuing to go on with this. >> and he managed to weave in biden's gaffes rather artfully. george goes one on one with the head of homeland security jeh johnson. he wants to know what questions

you want to ask. you can tweet him @gstephanopoulos. extra bonus point ifs you can get the spelling right. george, before you go i know you're about to get on a plane after the show and head out to l.a. best picture pick? >> i'm going to go with "boyhood." >> all right. nice. i happen to agree. just for the record. ron constitutionally disagrees with everything everybody says. >> you also happen to be wrong, but that's okay. >> put you on the spot. thank you, george. we want to turn to paula and sara back in hollywood. covering the oscars. let me get this straight, you're out there in the sunny l.a. weather and i'm stuck here in the sleet and rain in new york. what's up with that? >> please remember when our alarms went off today. >> yes exactly. that's one of life's cruel ironies. we're soaking up the sun on the red carpet. the stars are getting their beauty rests. we didn't. but the stars are. they're soon going to be getting all dressed up. saturday, it was dress down time at the laidback film

independent spirit awards. >> it's one last big blast on the beach in santa monica before the oscars that could hold clues to who will win tonight. maybe a preview. and abc's chris connelly was there. good morning, chris. >> reporter: i was wearing my tankini and everything. saturday morning saw the 30th film independent spirit awards celebrating the best in movies not initially funded by major studios. some years, like this one, its winners may look rather familiar. ♪ i'm a little bit indie ♪ ♪ and i'm a little bit studio ♪ >> reporter: kristen bell and fred armisen. donnie and marieing it as hosts for the ever scrappy film independent spirit awards. >> it's so ridiculously nice. i have never been here before. i'm looking forward to seeing what this is all, what's going to happen. >> reporter: for starters it's got a pink carpet with a view of the sific. >> i would love to see ethan hawke wear a bathing suit. and run right into the ocean. >> i feel extremely vulnerable

in front of you all right now. >> reporter: it's a breath of fresh air for nominees long on the awards show circuit. trying to stay healthy, michael keaton's been fist-bumping. have you been able to not get a cold? >> no, i have not been able to not get a cold. i've gotten two or three of them. but i'm feeling pretty good now. >> reporter: j.k. simmons' spouse, michelle, says he's been sleeping three hours a night. >> well i'll fall apart at the seams at some point tomorrow i guess, probably. >> monday. >> yeah, hopefully not until monday. >> reporter: this nominee mingled with the crowd. >> not that long ago, i would have been out there on the street. >> that's how selma came about. we scratched, clawed, had it done. >> reporter: you have been known to have an independent spirit yourself now, haven't row? >> every now and then. every now and then. >> reporter: or as best female lead julianne moore put it -- >> i brought my own bras and food. >> reporter: among this jared leto jacket sighting hardware

went to keaton simmons, and pa vish tricia arquette. >> birdman. >> reporter: was a best feature win for the oscar favorite. and its grateful director. >> i'm so proud and so emotional to be here tonight with you, really. >> funny comic bit where kristen and fred pretented to evict the editor of "birdman." when the independent spirit awards doesn't choose "boyhood," it's like the yankees not requiring derek jeter's number. >> it's incomprehensible. >> it's the ultimate independent film. it's an example of how strong "birdman" is coming into the oscars. >> sara, you are all things behind the scenes. >> i am. all the action starts tonight. you can see it on abc. you can catch on the go with oscars backstage. jam-packed with all the behind the scenes excitement. we had tons of fun getting ready for this show. it's hollywood's biggest night. all the glitz and glamour that only oscar can bring.

with stars as far as the eye can see. while neil patrick harris polishes his opening number -- we're prepping for our oscars opening ceremony live from the red carpet. robin, lara, michael, and i will talk to the stars from the moment they arrive on the carpet until they take their last steps into dolby theatre. >> did you know this is my 20th oscars? >> reporter: is it? >> it is. >> reporter: during rehearsals, lara had fun. >> the oscar playbook. >> reporter: even tweeting this picture, with a standin for michael keaton. we're gearing up for our very first digital oscar preshow. now, we're all access. you can follow the oscars on abc with us on all of your devices by downloading the watch abc app and on facebook. the oscars backstage will dazzle you, as well. matt from abc's "how to get

with murder" will be hanging out with fans in the bleachers for the abc oscars steam. and fashion contributor nick axlerod will break down all the red carpet looks. >> it's anyone's game for in terms of best dressed. >> reporter: and while paula was on a plane headed west to hollywood. >> wait for me, girl. >> reporter: i decided to take this opportunity to get familiar with the red carpet. ♪ >> are you better? >> yes, i am. these steps? oh, gosh. ♪ i doubt they'll be doing the "rocky" victory dance at the top of those stairs. >> but you pulled it off. that's tough to do in heels. sara, this is a first time for both of us covering the oscars. are you jittery? >> i'm nervous. but excited. >> a little known fact about sara. she's a movie aficionado. i don't think there's a movie she hasn't seen from the list of nominees. >> exactly.

but my favorite movie is "step brothers." if that tells you about my sin mattic tastes. don't miss oscar night starting at 7:00 p.m., 4:00 pacific. >> we'll be back with much more. but now, back to you in new york. how cold is it there? >> freezing. absolutely freezing. i'm a california girl, so anything is freezing to me right now. >> sara, we're sorry that the lego movie didn't make the best picture nominees. we'll talk more about that coming up. >> she's okay. >> yeah she's okay? she's in mourning. >> "stepbrothers" is a good movie. >> no offense to "stepbrothers." >> it is great movie. and that song "everything is awesome" will be in our heads. back over to rob marciano. back inside. back in his suit. >> what have i done wrong? it wasn't too long ago i was on the red carpet wearing beautiful gowns doing entertainment. >> you were wearing gowns? >> yes, and the jewels and everything. it was quite a sight. which explains why i'm here. i've been in boston a lot. this is what they're doing there.

they have added some today with sleet, snow, freezing rain, a little bit. thankfully, not a ton. hopefully, we don't see more roof collapses. we've already seen over 100. all right, we've got more cold air on the way. driving down from canada. you have heard this record before, haven't you? minus 40 is what it feels like in fargo. minus 28 in minneapolis. the wind chills will drive further to the south, too. everybody will get a little bit. the freezing line is north of new york city today. goes down south of dallas and atlanta tomorrow. and tuesday morning, too. this is the issues that we're dealing with. the ice situation across parts of texas beginning tonight and lasting through tomorrow night.

>> and because ron was asking, the red carpet oscar forecast does call for a few showers. >> i'm glad you answered that. >> ron was really concerned about that. i'm sure he was really concerned. thank you, rob. coming up here on "gma," what's your pick for best picture? should "stepbrothers" have been on the list? if you agree with our expert, you'll find out. he'll make his predictions from the red carpet. in just a few minutes. and breaking the internet, can neil patrick harris create a huge viral sensation like this one from last year with ellen's selfie? what does he have in store? shining stars. some of the sparkling jewels tonight. if you have medicare part d, walgreens gets that you might be at the corner of "looking for a good deal" and "sheesh, i wish i'd looked some more."

that's why walgreens makes it easy to switch your prescriptions and save money. just stop by. and leave all the legwork to us. switch your prescriptions to walgreens where you could save even more on medicare part d with copays as low as zero dollars. at the corner of happy and healthy. to unlock the possibilities of tomorrow......"lift tab." behold the beauty of balance. crisp flakes of fiber-rich bran. answered by the perfect quantity of sun sweetened raisins. and with the sublime addition of ice-cold milk, the day begins. ♪sun'll come out, tomorrow♪ tomorrow is waiting. own it, with kellogg's® raisin bran see you at breakfast™. and delight in temptingly tart and sweet new kellogg's® raisin bran with cranberries. jack's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today, his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen

to risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack be sure to talk to your doctor before your begin an aspirin regimen. do you want a healthier mouth? plus a whiter smile? you can have both! with colgate total® advanced whitening. [ male announcer ] it removes more surface stains to whiten 30% better. and it improves mouth health. healthier plus whiter. [ male announcer ] colgate total® advanced whitening. 30% more whitening. lowe's presents: how to install a new washing machine with one finger. maybe a little more that way nice! now get 10% off major appliances $399 or more, at lowe's. it's happening. today, more and more people with type 2 diabetes are learning about long-acting levemir® an injectable insulin that can give you

blood sugar control for up to 24 hours. and levemir® helps lower your a1c. levemir® comes in flextouch® the only prefilled insulin pen with no push-button extension. levemir® lasts 42 days without refrigeration. that's 50% longer than lantus® which lasts 28 days. today i'm asking about levemir® flextouch®. levemir® is a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes and is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. do not use levemir® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion and headache. severe low blood sugar can be serious and life-threatening. ask your doctor about alcohol use, operating machinery, or driving. other possible side effects include injection site reactions. tell your doctor about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions. check your blood sugar levels.

your insulin dose should not be changed without asking your doctor. get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing swelling of your face, tongue or throat sweating, extreme drowsiness dizziness, or confusion. today's the day to ask your doctor about levemir® flextouch®. covered by nearly all health insurance and medicare plans.

>> now in abc seven. >> good morning. in the news this morning, we are waking up to ic and slushy conditions. officials are urging drivers to be careful on roads, especially on bridges and overpasses. this is what it is like in our

studio this morning. let's turn it over to dave for more. the big concern tonight is refreezing? >> temperatures are right about the freezing point or above. for today, look for temperatures in the afternoon to get to 40. a very cold start to the new week. temperatures only in the 20's tomorrow. >> thank you for watching. have a wonderful sunday.

zach can you take a spin for us? >> yeah check it out, vine star zach king showing sara one of his magic tricks, oscar-style. good morning, america. we're counting down to the big show. now just a few hours away. that excitement is building. we can feel it right here. the minute what is the unkis putable hollywood's biggest night of the year. >> that video is quite impressive. coming up, you have to wonder how neil patrick harris is feeling this morning. tonight, he'll host the oscars in front of pretty much every celebrity on the earth and 40-plus million human beings. much more on that coming up. but first, back to paula and sara at the dolby theatre in l.a. good morning, guys. >> good morning, dan, cecilia, ron and rob. neil patrick harris has a couple of tricks up his sleeve.

of course he's hosted the emmys and the tonys. and now, his turn for the oscars. we'll have to wait and see what happens. first, we want to remember this is a competition of the fiercest sort. >> directors, actors, writers, and the rest of the nominees hoping they'll be summoned to the stage to accept hollywood's highest honor. abc's chris connelly joins us with more. >> reporter: that's right, ferocity. this is not an oscar sunday filled with foregone conclusions. we have a tossup or two in some major categories. this year in best picture, mysteries abound. with just hours to go, the intrigue has intensified. it seemed as though "boyhood" was a likely choice. >> don't worry about it. >> wish we could use the bumpers. >> reporter: earlier this year, "birdman" caught a second wind from the guild awards and has surged to the front, where most feel it still remains. >> did i do something to disrespect you? >> not yet. >> reporter: but "the imitation game" has been strongly promoted. >> you speak a word of what i'm about to show you, you'll be executed for high treason.

>> reporter: "american sniper" has blown up at the box office. >> he's got russian grenades, handing to it a kid. >> you say a woman and a kid? your call. >> reporter: and the overlooking of its director ava duvernet giving selma a chance at a slingshot victory. >> give us the! >> all: give us the vote! >> reporter: without question, the top categories have favorites. julianne moore's performance in "still alice" as a professor with early on set alzheimer's has made her a front-runner. >> i need to talk to you. i got something wrong with me. >> reporter: as a music teacher hell-bent on perfection from his students, j.k. simmons fills the scene. giving us a peek at the beating heart beneath the bluster. >> why do you suppose i just hurled a chair at your head? >> i don't know. >> reporter: he's the supporting actor fave. >> start counting. >> reporter: and patricia

arquette. in "boyhood." giving a performance that spans 12 years. best actor could have had ten nominees. two are viewed as cofavorites. "birdman's" michael keaton, oscar's 63-year-old comeback kid. and "the theory of everything's" 33-year-old eddie redmayne, with his total transformation into the real-life role of stephen hawking. is there a chance of a surprise for bradley cooper or benedict cumberbatch? you bet there is. good reason to stay on the edge of your seat as sunday night beckons. >> all right. it's time to chat a little bit with chris about some of his oscar picks. >> let's start with best picture. a lot of talk that it's between "birdman" and "boyhood." >> i think it's tight. i think it will be "birdman." i think we have seen given its performance at the guilds, it just seems to have more

loyalty in the voter department. >> best actor. tough competition. i gotta go with bradley cooper. who do you like? >> flip a coin. i still think it's between michael keaton and eddie redmayne. i think it will be keaton. a comeback guy that people loved in the '80s and he's back in a big way this year. >> none of those guys have won an oscar. >> best actress? >> it's gotta be julianne moore. it's a staggering performance. note perfect every step of the way. she's had a lot of great performances. it's a great role. it's her time. that's what oscar loves. >> i watched it last night. "still alice." i was weeping. it would be great to see her give that acceptance speech. finally, supporting actress and actor. j.k. simmons? >> i think so. he's won -- he's got to buy like a new trophy case. >> he's ridiculous in this role. >> you're frightened of him. >> i'm nervous to see him.

i'm going to do the tempo. no. not on my tempo. not on my tempo. >> his daughter is a drummer. literally is a drummer. he says, you know, i said, how good is she? he says, she'll get better with more practice. >> oh my gosh. >> i'm petrified. >> you heard it here first. so much intrigue for tonight, dan. i know you have some picks of your own. so, i want to hear about those a little bit later. >> you don't want to hear my picks because they're so desperately uninformed compared to chris. but thank you, guys. we do want to check the forecast. because other than the oscars, th morning is the weather across the nation. unpleasant. >> we'll get going with what's going on in colorado. big-time snow west of denver. a video from westminster. one of the suburbs there between denver and boulder. this was tough driving yesterday. it will be tough driving today. this is a long duration event. an upslope event that really -- one we haven't seen much of this season. the mountains will take it. fresh powder. oh, man, it will be fantastic.

not only across colorado, the wasatch will get a little bit of this. taos will get some of this, too. the winter weather advisories and freezing rain advisories extended off to the east. dallas, some problems for the commute tomorrow morning. through the day, icing conditions are a concern. stretching into alabama and mississippi again. watch the freezing line. the snow drop down. ice will be an issue. across dallas, back through san angelo. by the way, daytona 500. looking good. >> this weather report brought to you by ashley furniture home store. if they sold director's chairs, i bet you they're higher quality than these right here.

>> you know what? "birdman's" got nothing on our weatherman. >> just before we wrap up. i want to point out that ron claiborne has dressed partly for the red carpet, with a suit, but also for the snow with the boots that he's wearing right now. this is like a sartorial version of a mullet. business in the front. party in the -- you pull it off. you pull it off. nobody wears it like you. here's what's coming up on "gma," how neil patrick harris is hoping to set the twitter-verse on fire during the oscars this year. can he top ellen's famous selfie? and who is the most thanked person at the oscars? hint, it's not mom or dad. person at the oscars? hint, it's not mom or dad.

[ male announcer ] are you so stuffed up, you feel like you're underwater? try zyrtec-d® to powerfully clear your blocked nose and relieve your other allergy symptoms... so you can breathe easier all day. zyrtec-d®. find it at the pharmacy counter.

[richard] america. did you file your taxes with someone else last year? if so,come into block and pay us half,what you paid them. get your billions back,america!

♪ good morning, america ♪ ♪ i've never been in love before ♪ well maybe you've heard of oscar sunday. that was oprah. many of us will be having a two-screen expe the first time i'm hearing of it. watching on tv while chiming in on social media. i'll have any my phone there. >> welcome to american pop culture, cecilia vega. the academy awards are going

to unprecedented lengths. to encourage this two-screen experience. >> can you take it, meryl? >> reporter: it will be hard to top this. the selfie that last year's host, ellen degeneres, took with some of the biggest stars on planet earth. it was retweeted more than 3.3 million times. >> your selfie shot. was the most spectacular successful thing. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: the host of this year's oscars, neil patrick harris, recently went on "the ellen show" and admitted it haunts him. >> it's this horrible dark cloud above my head now. >> no. >> how to you beat the selfie that broke the internet? >> yeah i don't know. >> reporter: even before the show has started, harris has been doing his best to make it the most social academy awards ever. >> tonight, oscar sunday. live, on abc. >> reporter: check out his twitter feed. he's been working the oscars hashtag. prepping for my oscar night party. anyone know a good onion dip recipe that serves 3,000? and --

rehearsals are intense for the oscars. and by rehearsals, i mean me singing into a hair brush in front of a mirror. he posted this online the morning the nominations came out. >> i just lost 20 bucks. here you go, harper. >> thank you. >> reporter: if everything goes right, the oscars can be a social bonanza. last year, millions of tweets. viewed by more than 37 million people. nearly as many as the 43 million people who actually watched the show. to goose the numbers this year, the oscar producers are bringing in some ringers, recruiting seven artists, like zach king from vine. who is showing us what tricks he has up his sleeve. or more accurately, on it. as well as amazing artists from instagram and tumblr, they'll all be covering the oscars. with all the social media action surrounding this year's oscars, it's highly likely that neither neil patrick harris nor any of us will have time for the onion dip.

does anybody watch the oscars while also tweeting, facebooking? >> oh, yeah. >> oh, yeah? >> #oscars. >> i mean, i do it a little bit. i actually like to discourage multitasking. i think you should watch the show. >> certainly the first ten minutes. because that's the best part of the oscars. >> for sure. the first ten minutes. and maybe the last ten as well. >> you when they do best picture. >> you can change a diaper at the same time. >> absolutely. triple-tasking. coming up on "good morning america," is it really as easy as doing the math? adding up the numbers to give you some bold oscar predictions. that's ahead in "pop news." ♪ i know now ♪ ♪ i know now ♪ the new way to help make temptations shrink away on the go. a deliciously fresh and satisfying taste with 12 grams of protein 5 grams of fiber and 0% fat.

new light & fit protein shakes. taste the power of satisfaction. ♪ dannon ♪ before larry instantly transferred money from his bank of america savings account to his merrill edge retirement account. before he opened his first hot chocolate stand calling winter an "underserved season". and before he quit his friend's leaf-raking business for "not offering a 401k." larry knew the importance of preparing for retirement. that's why when the time came he counted on merrill edge to streamline his investing and help him plan for the road ahead. that's the power of streamlined connections. that's merrill edge and bank of america. [ female announcer ] take skincare to the next level with roc® multi correxion® 5 in 1. proven to hydrate dryness illuminate dullness lift sagging diminish the look of dark spots and smooth the appearance of wrinkles. high performance skincare™ only from roc®.

i have the flu with a runny nose. [coughs] better take something. theraflu severe cold won't treat your runny nose. really? alka-seltzer severe cold and flu relieves your worst flu symptoms plus runny nose. [breath of relief] oh, what a relief it is. mommy! hey! lowe's presents: how to install a new washing machine with one finger. maybe a little more that way nice! now get 10% off major appliances $399 or more, at lowe's.

♪

and we're back in los angeles, at the dolby theatre. the site of the 87th academy awards. time for an oscars edition of "pop news." with the one and only, lovely lovely sara haines. you look gorgeous today. >> thank you, paula. you, as well. and chris, stunning. when the oscar winners take the long walk to pick up the awards, they're trying to remember all the people they want to thank. of course, there's mom and dad. how about the celebrity that gets thanked the most? vocative analyzed. all 1396 acceptance speeches. here's who came out the winner. >> i have to thank, first, steven spielberg. >> thank you steven spielberg. >> thank you, steven. >> thank you steven spielberg for changing my life. >> i would like to thank steven for that. >>ecially thank you to steven spielberg. >> and the winner is mr. spielberg. >> spielberg. >> he was thanked 42 times. film producer

harvey winestein comes in next at 34 time. followed by james cameron, with 28 times. and in case you're wondering god came in at number six. >> oh, not in the top five? >> i would have thought that would have been the first one. i feel like everyone is a christian on an awards show. >> thank you, god. >> everybody is grateful. >> the thing i don't like is when they don't thank their husbands or wives. that's the point i'm waiting for. i don't care who is involved with the film. i'm sorry. i want you to get emotional. >> it's the terrifying moment. you have dreamed of that moment all your life. how can you remember everybody? >> just go straight to your partner. you've gotta go there. >> tell max thank you right now. >> max, thank you so much for the award i didn't win. everyone's got their own theory about who wins the best picture. nate silver of espn's 538 blog thinks he's on to something. the statistician's website is taking what he knows about baseball and politics and applying it to the movies. based on his model, it gives the edge to "birdman."

the best director, richard linklater. the prediction is eddie redmayne as the easy winner for "the theory of everything." and julianne moore. as a shoo-in for "still alice." >> i would be kind of surprised if richard linklater won best director. i still think it's, you know, alejandro inarritu for "birdman." i think they're going to get both of them. i could be wrong. >> he has to win one. come on. >> that's the thing. it would be nice if they could split a little bit. >> i'm going to campaign for "boyhood" all day. every hollywood star knows the red carpet look is not complete without a whole lot of sparkle. i was able to get an exclusive sneak peek at the jewels tiffany and company is hoping to debut at the oscars. tiffany is a favorite of amy adams, reese witherspoon. ann hathaway. as for what we can expect on the

red carpet tomorrow night, tiffany's linda buckley says it's all about statement pieces. >> up until now, it's been a bold cuff on the wrist or a big earring. so we're kind of thinking it might be a surprise for oscars this year. and we'll see a lot of big necklaces. >> and i am decked out, i think, paula is as well, with some tiffany's. i have some stuff for tonight as well. but today, we thought -- >> earrings and bracelets. >> there's never too many diamonds. >> we're dripping in diamonds. >> in real diamonds. my ears have never seen anything real before. >> how much are we wearing? $50,000? >> a lot. >> this is what dan gave us for the holidays, right? we're right back from l.a. tomorrow is possibility. and the power to unlock it resides in a box behold the biscuit. nutrients packed in a dense bundle of farm-grown grain and capped with pure deliciousness. fiber-dense fuel.

morning reward. tomorrow, you can have it all. ♪sun'll come out, tomorrow♪ ready yourself with kellogg's frosted mini-wheats. see you at breakfast™. fact. fast-acting advil is designed with an ultra-thin coating and fast absorbing advil ion core technology stopping headaches and other tough pain. fast. relief doesn't get any better than this. advil. ♪ with pain relief, we're all at thf "relief is good"...and "fast relief is better." good thing walgreens gets you in and out in no time... so you can find relief fast, with solutions like advil. at the corner of happy and healthy. just about anywhere you use sugar, you can use splenda®... ...no calorie swtener. splenda® lets you experience... ...the joy of sugar... ...without all the calories. think sugar, say splenda®

introducing the citi® double cash card. it's a cash back win-win. with 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay. with two ways to earn on puchases, it makes a lot of other cards seem one-sided. love is about letting someone get close to you ...really close new revlon photoready airbrush effect™ makeup revolutionary formula with light-filtering technology delivers a poreless, airbrushed look. so go ahead, get close revlon. love is on. meet the world's newest energy superpower. surprised? in fact, america is now the world's number one natural gas producer... and we could soon become number one in oil. because hydraulic fracturing technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas.

supporting millions of new jobs. billions in tax revenue... and a new century of american energy security. the new energy superpower? it's red, white and blue. log on to learn more.

all right. so on behalf of ron claiborne

and his now discarded glamour boots, i want to thank all of you for watching this sunday morning. the oscars start at 7:00 right here on abc. second? guess not. > now abc seven news update. >> good morning. checking our top stories this morning, if you're using the metro this weekend, expect delays. on the red line, delays between bethesda and the medical line station. a new escalator can be installed, so it is a closed. red line trains will run every 20 minutes. trains will run evers -- every 16 minutes.

yesterday's winter weather has left behind ic and -- icy and slushy conditions. officials are urging drivers to take it slow out there. this is a look outside the studio this morning. let's turn it over to dave for more. >> watch if you are a pedestrian watch where you step. huge amounts of standing water big puddles out there make it very difficult to walk around. today, milder conditions and we will see melting today. that is the good news. the bad news tonight, temperatures will plummet and we will have freezing. maryland they got about five inches of snow yesterday. across much of the immediate metro area, temperatures are above freezing. an advisory in just about two

minutes here. that does not mean it will be easier. by the time we get to the afternoon, clouds will break up and we will see a little sunshine today. 43 degrees tonight and temperatures down into the 20's. maybe delayed openings tomorrow. a tough couple of days are coming up.

>> businesnewsrom the capital region. this is "washihington business report" " with a abc 7 national correspondent rebecca cooper. >> thank you for joining us for a fresh look at business and finance. coming u up, de-motivators. the peopler things that suck the life out oproductive workplaces. we find out high to rise ave. in our roundtable, a top economist a and biness guy are here to o tackle some of the big is thiheadlines that could affect your bottom line. but first this weekwhen you have a winning formula in business mosost exrts say to keep d doing what you are already doining. toda we talked to one of the restaurant world's most successful c.e.o.'s who to