this morning on "world news now," the pope touches down as the historic visit gets under way. pope francis and his big day ahead, including the massive security effort along the entire east coast. we're live in d.c. with a full report. and the other visit. the president of china also here in the u.s. ahead of this week's state dinner. will president obama be able to calm the tensions and strike a deal on some very tough issues? and new this half hour, trump on late-night. >> doing some damage control last night. and trying to recapture the energy of the summer. but there was one question the donald would not answer. and hollywood's war of words. sean penn going after the creator of the hit show, "empire," with a massive lawsuit. what was said on that show that got penn seeing red. and how much green he's looking to get for it. that's in "the skinny," on this

wednesday, september 23rd. good morning, everyone. so, let's start this half hour with pope francis. the 78-year-old leader of the catholic church, ready for a very busy day in our nation's capital. >> francis is the fourth pope to visit the united states. after flying from cuba, he said at the vatican's diplomatic residence overnight. >> a group of children greeted him singing and waving the flag of argentina. abc's terry moran is traveling with the pope. >> reporter: as the papal plane touched down in the u.s., the crowd here started up a very american cheer. ♪ ho, ho, hey, hey welcome to the usa ♪ >> reporter: they rolled out the red carpet. the obamas and the bidens took their places. and there he was. the man in white, who has touched so many with his gift for simplicity.

on a windy afternoon, he removed his zucchetto from his head. the president greeting him warmly. a moment of laughter between the two. and meeting the families and walking past the honor guard. when it was time to go, a signature francis moment, with with the president's limo, dubbed the beast, hulking nearby, the pope squeezed himself into a fiat and began his journey. the greeting just hours after francis' final moments in cuba, meeting with families. we're boarding the papal airplane now, bound for the united states. just 90 miles across the florida straits, but a world away. onboard, the cameras were lined up. and we took off with a seatback screen view, leaving cuba behind. and francis answered some questions, declaring he would not mention the u.s. embargo to cuba. and taking on the conservative critique of him, when asked about this "newsweek" cover.

is the pope catholic? some people think i'm a bit leftist, he said. but this is in error. i'm certain i have not said one thing that's not in the social doctrine of the church. francis is a man who knows exactly the kind of controversy he creates. and so, his mission here in america, he wants to push the progressive agenda on inequality and climate change. while reassuring skeptics on the right, it's all part of the gospel of jesus christ. terry moran, abc news, joint base andrews, maryland. the president and his family were there to greet francis. this morning, the obamas are hosting a formal welcoming ceremony for the pope at the white house. >> from there, francis will ride the popemobile a few short blocks to st. matthew's cathedral for a prayer service. this afternoon, he will say mass at the basilica at the national shrine. it will be the first canonization mass on american soil. he will make a missionary a saint, a missionary that also founded the california network

of missions. >> there will be so many people at today's mass, planners say there will be at least 140 positions at which communion will be distributed. some monks living in washington simply can't wait. >> tune your ears because he's coming, specifically, to say something. and i think that we need to be ready to hear whatever it is that he has to say. >> while plenty of people will be listening to his scripted words, francis is a pope known for unscripted moments. during his u.s. visit, he will have plenty of opportunities for those, including visits with immigrants, prisoners and the homeless. >> it's an immense challenge to protect a pope that loves to wade into the crowds to connect with ordinary people. >> security measures are in place for thousands, who plan to turn out to see pope francis, in washington, new york and philadelphia. barricades have been set up. manhole covers have been sealed. snipers are in place. and miles of city streets will

be closed at a time. there's right now no specific plot or threat. but law enforcement is keeping an eye out for possible attackers, ranging from isis to the mafia, even lone wolves. let's get more on francis' visit. for that, we go live to washington. >> abc's karen travers is on capitol hill. good morning, karen. the white house has hosted many world leaders. give us a sense of how this morning's event might be different. >> reporter: this feels bigger and better for americans than some of the world leader events, phillip. this is going to be 15,000 people later this morning on the south lawn at the white house. you could get tickets. you could get them through the white house. and it's going to be a wide range of people. and i think if you look at this, compared to a world leader coming, it's more personal for americans. 22% of americans identify themselves as catholic. that's nearly 70 million people. so, there's that connection to pope francis that, perhaps, you don't see when a world leader comes, no matter how big the events are. back in 2007, queen elizabeth of england came to the white house.

and i was there for that. and that felt immense. i went back and looked at the numbers. that was only 7,000 people. tomorrow, twice as people will be there, later this morning. going to be quite an event. >> there is controversy about junipero serra. he's the man who will be canonized as a saint later today. what can you tell us about that? >> reporter: this is a very historic moment later today, reena. this would be the first catholic saint canonized on u.s. soil. there's some controversy. serra has come under fire from native americans who say that the 18th century missionary mistreated indigenous populations. forced conversions, enslaving converts. he's been hailed as a hero in california, founding 21 missions there. there will be protests. we heard about some native americans who were there yesterday, at the basilica, who are planning to be there today for the mass, as well. >> all right. let's talk vehicles and that

fiat at the airport. lots of buzz over his choice of wheels. why is that? >> reporter: wasn't that amazing yesterday? you had president obama's vehicle, known as the beast, which is a very sturdy vehicle, that limousine. and there's pope francis, jumping into a fiat, with two guys in the front seat. he crammed into the backseat. and the first thing he did yesterday was roll down the window so he could wave, setting off the heart attacks among the secret service. they know this is the thing he likes to do. that motorcade wound through the streets of washington, before making its way to the vatican embassy last night, where the pope was going to sleep. many people turning out to get a glimpse. there was a lot of videos on twitter saying, that car he's driving, it's so little. later today, he'll trade that in for the popemobile when he does a parade around the white house area. so, much more familiar sightseeing the pope in that white vehicle. but of course, he's going to be there waving, trying to get as

close to the crowds as he can. >> karen, you might want to ask him to keep standing by if there's a government shutdown at the end of this month. the president might need it. >> reporter: yes. littler cars for everybody. >> exactly. karen travers in washington. thank you so much. >> stay with abc news throughout the morning for more live coverage of pope francis in america. the president of china has also arrived in the u.s., ahead of a state dinner at the white house in his honor. president xi jinping said that china is ready to set up a joint effort with the united states to fight cyber crime. his statement comes when hacking attacks are approaching epidemic levels. and the chinese president will be in seattle, where he announced an agreement with the u.s. to advance renewable energy. tensions remain as he prepares to be hosted by president obama friday night. the smog test scandal engulfing volkswagen is wining with a startling admission from the automaker.

volkswagen says 11 million of its diesel cars worldwide, contained software rigged to evade emission controls. far more than the 500,000 identified by u.s. environmental officials. the company is promising to pay for repairs. but car owners are skeptical, especially now that so many are involved. breaking news overnight. we learned that baseball legend yogi berra has died. berra was one of the best catchers ever to play the game. he spent almost all of his career with the new york yankees, playing in 14 world series and winning 10 of them. he was widely known for his yogiisms. his most famous quote being, it ain't over until it's over. yogi berra was 90 years old. the nonprofit group honor flights, honoring older military veterans free trips to the nation's capital, has made history with its first all-female flight. >> the women served in world war ii, the korean and vietnam wars in all branches of the military. younger vets pairing up with older ones. 140 in all visiting their respective war memorials.

organizers said they weren't always honored or respected for their service. and honor flights is hoping that will change. what a great way to see them get honored. >> absolutely. they served our country. thank you so much for that. absolutely. they deserve all of the recognition they get. >> you're right. coming up, hillary clinton takes a side on a heated national issue. and leading republicans still facing tough questions about muslims and the president. donald trump with a surprising answer on late-night tv. and coming up on "the skinny," we're back in the ballroom for another big elimination. you're watching "world news now." or the freedom to choose what doctor you want to see. so if you have medicare parts a and b, consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans,

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major political headlines, now. hillary clinton coming out against the controversial keystone pipeline. the pipeline would begin in canada and carry oil through the midwest to the gulf. clinton called the project a distraction from the important battle against climate change. jeb bush says it shows clinton favors environmental extremists over u.s. jobs. ben carson, still on the defensive over his comments about a muslim president. speaking to supporters in ohio, carson blamed p.c. culture for the fallout over his statement. carson tells abc's tom llamas that anybody has a right to be president, as long as they embrace american values and the constitution.

>> islam does not separate church and state. they have to do a departure from what they traditionally do, which is fine. >> carson said he would not support a christian that wanted to establish a theocracy, either. and front-runner, donald trump making an appearance on "the late show." trump, telling a skeptical stephen colbert how he would get mexico to pay for a wall between the two countries. colbert then tried to pin him down on the issue of president obama's birthplace. >> barack obama, born in the united states. [ laughter ] was he? it's a meatball. >> i know. >> it's hanging out there. just right there. come on. >> i would -- you want to know? i don't talk about it anymore. >> you don't talk about it? >> oh. that was funny. in the past, trump had fielded questions about the president's background. >> what's going on? is he losing his edge? he doesn't shy away from anything. >> that's a good point, phillip. why did he tone it down there? >> becoming more mainstream

donald. shying away from the questions. diplomatic answer. that's not what we're used to from the donald. where is the fun at? >> okay. >> where is the fun at? where is the fun at? that's all i'm saying. >> see if he responds. >> the crazier things he says, you know how the numbers get. we're waiting for something crazy. come on. come on. when we come back, phillip is still waiting to see if donald responds. and a-listers are ready to duke it out in court. plus, saying bye-bye to the ballroom. another dancing star sent home. "the skinny," is next.

♪ skinny so skinny ♪ you might have guessed. it's "skinny" time. and first up, a quick recap of "dancing with the stars." week two, now at an end. >> tamar braxton and val taking over the top spot with a fast-paced charleston. their dancing was great. but offcamera chemistry a bit odd. >> nick and sharna in second place after a sensuous fox trot. the judges saying they're glad to see nick is back on track. >> at the end of the night, two couples in jeopardy. gary busey and anna, allowed to stay for one more dance. but victor and karina, saying good-bye. were you a big fan?

>> i like victor espinoza. >> yes. it was a sad moment. >> yes. great horse racer. made me plenty of cash at some point in life. stick to your day job, bro. next up, sean penn. he's very angry. he's filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against lee daniels, the creator of the tv hit "empire." penn claims that daniels accused him of hitting women by comparing him to star terrence howard. >> howard has admitted to hitting his first wife and has alleged to have abused other ex-wives, as well. that's gotten him a lot of bad press lately. >> daniels told "hollywood reporter" that howard is the victim of a double-standard. saying terrence ain't done nothing different than marlon brando and sean penn, and all of a sudden, he's some demon. and that's a sign of the time of where we are with race in america. >> penn is outraged. there are reports of abuse during his marriage to madonna in the '80s. no chargers were filed. a new trailer this morning for a movie with a blockbuster

cast. "the big short" tells the story of a group of people that saw the 2008 economic crash long before it happened. and found a way to profit from it. >> but in the words of one character, it's about how the american people were being screwed by the big banks. >> "the big short" is based on a book by the author of "moneyball" and "the blind side." and it stars brad pitt, ryan gosling, steve corel, selena gomez, and christian bale, who is a quirky outsider to see the first of the collapse. >> the housing market is propped up on bad loans. they will fail. >> the housing market is rock-solid. >> it's a time bomb. >> wow. this looks good. i'd like to see it. i know nothing about the financial market. >> we all remember. >> we all remember. it was such a big moment. and i like "too big to fail." i wonder if this is like that. "the big short" will be in theaters around christmas. >> i'm a big fan of "moneyball."

brad pitt. and they're getting together. the cast. my goodness. steve carell. nice hair with that. playing something different. one direction fans are ecstatic this morning over news of a new album. after zane left the group, there were fears that the band would disband. but the four remaining members, they have been hard at work. >> the album is called "made in the a.m." it will drop november 13th. if you preorder on itunes, you can download a song called "infinity" right away. >> i maybe need to do that. no, i'm not. >> you're not a big one d. fan? >> i'm not. >> we talked about this last time. >> we did. i need to start with "made in the a.m." the morning there. i need to brush up on one direction. i feel like i'm not doing my job as an american with, you know, engulfed in pop culture, if i'm not too into it. >> try it during the commercial break. >> all right. we'll see what's up. new album. it's cool. coming up, more on the papal visit to america.

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♪ that is a live shot of the white house, where pope francis will visit in just a few hours. america is greeting him with pomp and pageantry. >> his visit to three cities involves massive arrangements. and abc's dan harris has the pope's visit by the numbers. >> welcome to the usa. >> reporter: huge crowds, as the pope touched down at joint base andrews in maryland. the red carpet rolled out.

the entire first family on-hand. and as francis emerged from the plane on this windy day, he removed his hat, known as a zucchetto, and descended the stairs for a hearty welcome from the commander in chief. in a signature moment for the man known as the people's pope, with the president's limo nearby, the pope opted for this modest choice, a fiat. the pope will sleep here, essentially the vatican's embassy in washington. resting up for a six-day, three-city u.s. tour. pope francis will visit the white house. a crowd of 20,000 expected outside. thursday, he will walk the halls of congress. and then, to new york. where 80,000 are expected to watch the papal procession. security at an all-time high. the city shutting down more streets than ever, with more than ten miles closed. nearby, the st. patrick's cathedral spiffed up for the occasion. 9,000 organ pipes restored. and the communion wafers at the ready.

in philadelphia, closing 25 miles of streets and highways, as they prepare for at least 1 million people to turn up for sunday's mass with pope francis. dan harris, abc news, new york. >> the pope has said his goal is to meet as many people as he can. and that he will do whatever the holy spirit guides him to do. and one of the things he tends to love to do is breakaway from his security detail and go out and meet with the people. he arrived and he entered into this black fiat. it's not something that most dignitaries that come to washington ride in. >> not at all. no corvettes for pope francis, huh? guess not. >> no. >> keeping it humble. keeping it real. that's why people like him. >> that's why people like him. don't miss our updates on facebook. wnnfans.com. more pope coverage, straight ahead.

making news in america this morning, pope francis waking up in the u.s. for the first time, a full schedule ahead. a welcome at the white house and a mass at the country's largest catholic church. we're live in washington with the details. late night appearance. peppering wisecracks and questions, donald trump's first appearance on "the late show" with stephen colbert. the surprise from the normally outspoken gop front-runner. held hostage for months in yemen, a lifelong marine finally home this morning. the emotional reunion with his family. a legend lost. a sad announcement from the yankees overnight, remembering yogi berra. well, good wednesday