but until now, robin roberts never revealed publicly she had a girlfriend. daily mail newspaper quoted amber lane's mother as saying, we are very, very happy for them. her dad and the whole family are very family and totally supportive. for robin roberts, this is a remarkable moment, even though sharing with her viewers and television family is nothing new. over the years they have watched her struggle against two life-threatening illnesses, first, breast cancer, then more recently a serious blood and bone marrow disorder known as mds. but through it all, she has kept her partner out of the spotlight. even on the day she returned to work on "good morning america". >> hi, it is robin roberts, i have been waiting 174 days to say this, good morning, america. >> that is official now, welcome back, robin. >> faith, family and friends have brought me to this moment and i am so full of gratitude. >> as recently as july of this year as the espy awards, where robert received the arthur ashe award, she did not publicly announce her girlfriend. when robert's name was a

robin roberts is gay. news?be not, by many people's standards, yes. >> one of the best parts of robin roberts sharing her truth with us is that she also is a very strong person of faith. so the conversation with duck dynasty and that conversation about faith and what that faith should look like, people l r >>> she does challenge what you think faith looks like. >> it has been a meteoric rise for robin roberts, she was a local reporter for working at espn in 1990. and five years later she split time at "good morning america," and split time on the show. today, she is one of the most popular television anchors on television. pundits are calling it an open industry secret, the chatter growing stronger after roberts landed president obama's first interview on his stand on same-sex marriage. >> for me, personally, it is important to go ahead and affirm that i think same-sex couples should be able to get married. >> the topic of robert's sexual orientation never came up. host show ellen degeneres talked about it, sayi

and rosy o'donnell tweeted this, only love to robin roberts with the hash tag, courage, as robin robertsi encourage you to reflect what you're grateful for. sometimes that means putting a face and name to those you love most. randi kaye, cnn, new york. >>> up next, retired racing legend michael schumacher after a skiing accident in the french alps, his recovery next. >>> and also we'll get the latest from the cnn weather center on the new year's eve weather when we continue. there's no secondhand smoke in here... ...and no cigarette advertising around here. there's a reason we know this is really bad... ...and this is really good. there's a reason 2 in 3 people are surviving cancer. and we cannot be silent until it's 3 out of 3. this shout-out is for everything the american cancer society has done in the last 100 years. make your tax-deductible donation by december 31st and help finish the fight. isn't it time you discovered the sleep number bed? because only the sleep number bed offers dual air technology that lets two people find the perfect balance of comfort and support for their bod

robin roberts, now, i got to know robin roberts very briefly. we both got an award for breast cancer at the cancer center years ago. delightful person. great, great, great great gal. she sent out this acknowledgment after a really tough health year saying basically, you know, my girl friend has been supporting me through this and thank you. and i didn't know it was a big news story but, boy, it's really caught fire. what's your reaction? >> i haven't been in shocked since clay aiken came out. what's interesting to me is how -- it's interesting that it's a media story but i don't know how many americans -- the fact is we know there are so many people public life openly gay now. it's not that big of deal. this is the great break through that glaad wanted from the beginning. the notion that they are going to lose a single viewer. either you like good morning america or find the concept of george stephanopoulos totally unbelievable and heinous and you never turn in. >> you hit my pal george. ebony what's your reaction? people are over the whole sax

yes, robin roberts is gay.he reaction has been as subtle as the announcement itself. >> it seems increasingly odd, especially to a younger generation, for famous people to have difficulty in being honest about something as fundamental as their sexuality. >> reporter: roberts' former cohost sam champion may have helped pave the way when he celebrated his engagement to his partner live on "good morning america" last year. >> i'm so, so lucky to have someone like this in my life. >> reporter: in a way, roberts seemed to be following the template of cnn's own anderson cooper. he came out in july 2012 in an e-mail to blogger andrew sullivan and like roberts, he was on a vacation when he did so. cooper discussed it in september when his talk show launched. >> i think it's important to just send a message to especially young people that there's nothing to be ashamed of and that you know, you can be successful and you can have a life and you can have many interests and this is one part of your life. >> reporter: somewh

we'll be right back. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, "good morning america" host robin roberts. she publicly acknowledged on facebook th she is gay. >>> a surprise announcement from "good morning america" host robin roberts. she publicly acknowledged on facebook that she is gay. roberts posted a message noting her one year milestone of health following a battle with cancer and mentioned her long- time partner amber lane. lane is originally from the bay area. she and roberts have been together for 10 years. >>> robin roberts is trending this morning. also trending, volgograd, two suicide bombs in two days hit the russian city with 31 dead. included is also trending. cleveland browns fired their head coach after one season. lottery ticket a landscaper discovered a million-dollar lottery ticket in a pile o least. and new year's eve sonya sotomayor will push the button in times square for the ball drop. >> i think "holiday light" is trending. not a lot of lights out there. >>> boring traffic the last week or so. which is great if you have to get to work. altamont pass, a little slow

. >>> michelle obama tweeted her support for robin roberts over the weekend saying, robin robert, i'm so happy for you and amber. you continue to make us all proud. >>> and speaking of the first family, president obama loves to sit down and binge watch his favorite tv shows. >> what's on his list? >> this is it. "the new york times" list has his favorites. "house of cards," "breaking bad," "the wire," "modern family," "parks and rec." >> seems pretty mainstream. >> good taste. i'm veronicaday la kruz. this is "early today." we hope it's just the first stop of your day on nbc. >>> leading the news on nbcnews.com, cholesterol levels linked to early signs of alzheimer's. a new study finds low levels of bad ldl cholesterol are linked to lower levels of protein deposits in the brain associated with alzheimer's. >>> and in "usa today," i'm not even going to try to pronounce this, but this hawaiian woman's 36-character last name finally fits on i.d. a campaign to get her full name on her i.d. card prompted hawaii's transportation department to expand the number of characters that can appear.

first "good morning america" anger robin roberts who has traveled to south africa several times takes look back at his extraordinary life and unconquerable spirit. >> reporter: nelson mandela, a leader who inspired a nation to hope. >> all, both black and white, will be able to walk tall. >> reporter: forgive. >> a grateful nation at peace with itself and the world. >> reporter: and believe in a better future. his tribal name given at birth means troublemaker, but on the first day of school, his teacher gave him a new name. >> you must have a christian name. so i said, no, i don't have one. she says you are from today going to be nelson. >> reporter: he was a boxer who became a lawyer and a leading voice in the african national congress, the anc. struggling to end the inequality of apartheid, white ruled south africa's viciously enforced policy of racial segregation. but in 1960 after police shot and killed 49 protestors, the anc which had always been nonviolent created a military wing under mandela's command. >> there are many people who feel that it's useless and futile for us to co

on facebook over the weekend, saying "robin roberts, i'm so happy for you and amber.ontinue to make us all proud." . >>> and a gallup poll found president obama is the most admired man in america and former secretary of state hillary clinton is the most admired woman. >>> hillary's husband, bill, has an appointment at new york city hall at noon on new year's day. he's going to lead the swearing-in ceremony for bill de blasio, who will become new york city's first democratic mayor in 20 years. >>> outgoing mayor michael bloomberg spent $650 million of his own money on campaigning, personal and professional travel, charity, all while taking only $1 per year salary while he was in office. monday he signed the bill banning the use of e-cigarettes in the city, and he heard from a woman protesting his antismoking campaign. >> good people disobey bad laws. >> okay. okay, thank you. we just don't permit smoking in public building. so, appreciate your comments. >> and that's going to do it for your morning dish of scrambled politics. >>> and joining me now from new orleans for

and robin roberts. >> good evening, his long walk has come to an end. now his legacy lives on. tributes to nelson mandela pouring in from world leaders, flags at the white house, the un and across south africa lowered to half staff. >> tonight we learn more about the funeral plans and a national week of mourning for the people of south africa even as new images come in from people all over the world. they are joining madiba's country men and women as they celebrate the peacemaker who rewrote the pages of history. >> reporter: a nation spent its first full day without its patriarch. but from johannesburg to soweto -- young, old, black and white also sang and danced in celebration of the life of the country's most revered figure. >> i think he would want us to celebrate his life. >> reporter: but the impact reverberate far beyond south africa, as world figures pay tribute to a man who stood head and shoulders above the rest. >> i am one of the countless millions who drew inspirations from his life. >> reporter: it was a sad long goodbye for mandela, the frail reality of his healt

robin roberts is trending now on twitter also trending michael schumacher is in a coma after a skiing accident in the alps. 49ers won last night 23-20. chud the cleveland brown fired their head coach after one season. new year's eve supreme court justice sonya sotomayor will push the button for the new year's eve countdown ball. follow us at twitter. check us out at #cbssf. >>> we all know the highlight of the times square new year's eve celebration is the dropping of the ball at midnight. but there are a couple of new things you should to about this year's event. follow the world's largest crystal ball on twitter of course. it already has followers in 180 countries. also the crystal triangles are in different pattern. the theme is the gift of the imagination. >>> officers have been out at chick points looking for drunk drivers for two weeks. police say the holidays are an especially dangerous time to be on the roads. >> last fall a family of four, three out of that were killed at the hands of a drunk driver so we are doing everything we can to educate people get the word out make sur

the raiders witnessed history at the >>> robin roberts has been public about our struggle with cancer and bone marrow disease. she decided to go public about something else. roberts posted a note of gratefulness to her family and long-time girlfriend amber. they've known amber a long time and are thankful robin has loving support in her life. >>> there are increased safety measures. 35,000 people are expected to attend the festival that started today and ends just after midnight new year's day. authorities found drugs in her system and believe she got lost walking back to her hotel. organizers are adding heated areas to prevent the same thing from happening this year. nighttime temperatures are expected to drop below freezing. >>> it's interesting because we've had so much warmth here in the bay area. >> at night they're dipping down to the mid teens. definitely, it is going to be very cold at night in the sierra. we had those warm winds that kept temperatures warmer across the bay area. the winds have pretty much ended. clear sky, cold night. we're seeing mainly clear skies out there

be tough, she said she will work through it, drawing strength from another gma cancer survivor, robin robertsaw a robin do it. i know how strong you were. and you give me strength, because it is important to get up each day even if you don't feel great. >> she shared her story in the most recent addition of people magazine. she hopes to inspire others, including her two daughters. >> it's good to know that you get to be thankful to be alive. it's a reminder to all of us that you never know what is around the corner. is to have four months of chemotherapy. she will begin that on december 16. sendingf course, we are her nothing but well wishes. >> exactly. >> welcome, eileen. happy to have you here today. it's weird that it's so warm. especially when we are talking nationally about how bitterly cold it is in central and western sections of the united states. >> but it's coming. >> it coming. it's coming. it certainly does not feel like the holidays. to feature a few wonderful holiday decorations of our viewers have sent in. look at those snowman waving to us. let's move onto cumberland. jack is

i'm robin robert. here is to a happy and healthy 2014. by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- the abc 7 broadcast center, this is abc seven news at 11. >> and abc 7 news exclusive. fire problem with the d.c. department. sources tell us that a firefighter was arrested. the firefighter was arrested not long after graduating from the fire academy. -- jay korff is live with the story. >> the firefighter who was arrested and charged with ability theft. years19-year-old -- 19 old. he is fresh out of the academy. firefighters respond to a call thursday night but without a colleague they were getting to know. joness say clarence worked only a handful shifts at this fire hall in northeast d.c. before being placed on leave. they say he was arrested in prince george's county on a theft charge. authorities would not provide us with the circumstances surrounding the arrest, but involved items between $1000 and $10,000 in value. about anotherd issue impacting the department. department has been under fire for years now. the fire chief.

. >>> robin roberts ends her dramatic year with big news.ut her girlfriend of ten years. >>> then, superstar beyonce under fire, she just used audio from the space shuttle disaster in her new song. >> obviously a major malfunction. >> now the victims' families are calling it inappropriate and insensitive. >>> plus, britney spears launches her big vegas show, did she lip sync? some fans left furious. >>> and, first video of embattled "duck dynasty" patriarch phil robertson, but the family is not talking about his suspension being lifted. >> don't worry about

. >> coming up the personal announcement from "good morning america" and robin roberts. >> a new study harry potter and sonia sotomayor will [ male announcer ] progresso's so passionate about its new tomato florentine soup, it took a little time to get it just right. [ ding ] ♪ but finally, it happened. perfection. at progresso, we've got a passion for quality, because you've got a passion for taste. [ male announcer ] you say tomato. ♪ old el paso says diced tomato stand 'n stuff chicken tacos. ♪ you say what's for dinner? old el paso says start somewhere fresh. [ angelic music plays ] ♪ toaster strudel! best morning ever! [ hans ] warm, flaky, gooey. toaster strudel! [ female announcer ] try new pillsbury heat-n-go mini pancakes. ♪ [ male announcer ] don't wait for awesome... totino's pizza rolls gets you there in just 60 seconds. ♪ >>> from our roof cameras, a beautiful shot of the bay bridge, and temperatures are cold in many places across the bay area, and mike nicco will have the forecast coming up at 5:54. >> robin roberts has come out publicly for the first time as a gay woman.

. >> robin roberts has been public about her struggles with cancer and bone marrow decide. today she went become about something else, celebrating her 100th day post bone marrow transplant, roberts posted a note of gratefulness to her family and a long-time girlfriend amber. abc news released a statement in support of roberts, saying they've known amber a long time and are thankful robin has loving support in her life. >> up next at 6:00. the hotel ameant that could be gone in the near future. >>> a look at your monday morning forecast. meteorologist leigh glaser is up next. >> no silver and black lining to the raiders' season finale. torched by broncos. torched by broncos. who loves kickers? ♪ ho ho ho [ female announcer ] at 100 calories, not all food choices add up. some are giant. some not so giant. when managing your weight, bigger is always better. ♪ ho ho ho ♪ green giant tomato florentine soup, it took a little time to get it just right. [ ding ] ♪ but finally, it happened. perfection. at progresso, we've got a passion for quality, because you've got a passion for t

robin roberts, oh. robin is wearing, as we see -- a fierce fireplace on her stomach.ou didn't think jingle bells had any jingle left, robin showed you that it can jingle all day. don't miss the earrings. they're lighting up as well. a battery-operated outfit. >> you don't know me that well. you don't know me that well to be battery operated. >> one more time for robin roberts. all right, robin. okay. next, we have george stephanopoulos! oh, george. george, george is wearing a turtleneck and a sweater and a vest combination. >> how about that? a little santa? >> this might be the first 3 in 1. reindeer on his chest. with a leather belt. on the back, a snow flake pattern. just in case you got cold. and wrist bells. i like it, george. next up, we have lara spencer. oh! oh! lara spencer. wait a minute. lara. wait. lara's fireplace is on! the fireplace is on! holy smokes! we have gold tassels and a christmas tree ornament style. she's also wearing a -- i don't even know what to call it, a somewhat goddess-like -- it's got santa's face on it and boxing gloves. the pants are

. >> robin roberts has been public about her struggles with cancer and bone marrow decide.day she went become about something else, celebrating her 100th day post bone marrow transplant, roberts posted a note of gratefulness to her family and a long-time girlfriend amber. abc news released a statement in support of roberts, saying they've known amber a long time and are thankful robin has loving support in her life. >> up next at 6:00. the hotel ameant that could be gone in the near future. >>> a look at your monday morning forecast. meteorologist leigh glaser is up next. >> no silver and black lining to the raiders' season finale. torched by broncos. who loves kickers? check it out. learning's fun now. yeah, back in our day, we didn't have u-verse high speed internet to play and learn online. all we had was that franklin fuzzypants. ah, the educational toy bear. remember when the battery went out? [ slow, deep voice ] give me your abc's. all i learned was a new definition of fear. i need some pudding. yeah, there's one left. [ male announcer ] connect all your wi-fi-enable

kim kardashian and robin roberts, what did they have in common? that is ahead.side of himself, his surprising job as prove it. enough is enough. d-con baits are specially formulated to kill in one feeding. guaranteed. d-con. get out. to those who've encountered welcome to covered california. new, affordable health plans so you can be ready for whatever comes your way. enroll today at coveredca.com. [ grunts ] kids today. everything needs a battery. oh, hank. merry christmas. oh! hold on now. kay jewelers? looks like we got us a young man here. [ female announcer ] the charmed memories collection at kay jewelers. hundreds of charms hand-crafted in italy. turn your special moments into charmed memories. get this free bracelet or a charm valued up to $45 with any charmed memories purchase of $100 or more. at kay, the number one jewelry store in america. that's long enough, son. ♪ every kiss begins with kay [ female announcer ] resisting the magical taste of silky smooth dove® chocolate is difficult. but choosing which one is even harder. like our new santa fe chick

hosted by robin roberts. >> tune in for that. as sun sets tonight toughest part of a farmer's day is just beginning. >> we're good and ready. >> you can see that coming up, the fight against freeze. >> stormy weather disrupts flights and cancels thousands of flights. >> can you imagine being the race car driver in this car? he walked from it. stay with us. >>> market surging higher from opening bell. dow closing at 16020. good news on wall street reflected good news on the job front. the wind in investor sails. the government reported employers added 200,000 jobs in november. that helped lower unemployment rates three tenths of a point to seven percent seven percent. >> winter storms have led to mass cancellations in airports around the country. dallas is the hardest hit. several inches of snow just buried that airport. 90% of the flights schedule and 2000 u.s. flights and nearly 700 flights world wide cancelled today because of the bad weather. across state ice and several inches of snow blanketed areas that are usually sunnier.

props to one of our own, robin roberts, number nine. her inspiring story, her battle with cancer.and triumph. fantastic. congratulations to robin, as well. >> very cool. >>> moving to the "duck dynasty," the founder of ducks commander the family business of the duck calls that made them so popular and got them the show on a&e is suspended because of inflammatory comments he made about gay people to "gq" magazine. this is coming out in the january issue. essentially he referred to them as homosexual offenders who would not inherit the kingdom of god and he went on to say -- i'm not going to say the words, they are a little graphic. he said, he said a woman's downstairs parts are more desirable than a man's backside parts. >> oh, boy. >> but he said, hey, sin, it's not logical, my man. it's just not logical. so he's been suspended. lucrative series this has been by the way. 9.6 million viewers in certain age groups. 5.5 million viewers in other age groups. the amount of money this is making for a&e is incredible. the family in and of itself there's 20 of them and they make $200,000

robin roberts, i am so happy for you and amber. you continue to make us all proud.high profile celebrities and public figures who are coming out, but you know, in 2013, is this really news? here to discuss, eric digins from npr. nice to have you on. >> thanks for having me. >> all the buzz, eric, is this news? >> all the buzz. yes, it is news. i think judging whether or not someone coming out is news depends on their situation. some performers who people have always known or suspected or kind of rumored about being gay, that might not be as big a deal but robin roberts is the co-anchor of now the most-watched morning television news show on the network. she's a symbol for the network in a lot of ways so for her to come out, she's been someone who has been very private about her life -- >> her health issues. >> -- other than the way the network covered her struggle with cancer. for her to have something like this to say in this way is newsworthy. >> "good morning america" number one show, family-friendly show, news, feature programming. do you think this is a sign th

. >>> robin roberts made a major announcement on facebook. roberts looks back at 2013 and thanked important people in her life including her girlfriend. it's the first time she has acknowledged her homosexuality. >>> "the wolf on wall street" the three-hour martin scorsese flick came in fifth with $18.5 million. the "the hobbit: the desolation of smaug" retains the top spot with $29.9 million. brit britney launched her show on saturday. among the star-studded audience there, miley cyrus and katy perry. >> miley was in the front row and dancing. >> they had to hold her down because this is not her show. it's the spear show. >>> selena gomez announced she's taking time off to address her lupis. >>> the soon to be new host of "the tonight show" jimmy fallon announced on twitter "the best of late night 2 hour prime time special. 9:00 p.m. january 5, we did a lot of inside stuff." >>> beyonce said she recorded 80 songs for her surprise self-titled album. the ones that made the cut were the ones in the teens were the easiest to sing. many thought t

joining them is robin roberts, jennifer lawrence, miley cyrus, swimmer diana nyad, kim-ye as one personmber one choice during the special. her last special before retiring. there will be so many to pick from. it's been a sbis year. >>> producers are considering making two versions of the flick, "fifty shades of grey," one nc-17 version and one r version. which one will you see? >> i don't know. >> staying away from that one. >> in an article joe jonas wrote about losing his virginity despite wearing a promise ring. >>> playboy has released the cover for their 60th anniversary issue with kate moss. in traditional bunny garb. >> an old-time favorite. >>> the "star wars" franchise has joined instagram and chose a photo of darth vader with a selfie. two fans had quite the passenger when they picked up christopher walken in new york city. the actor could not catch a cab, so they gave him a ride downtown, so they stayed with him and kept on chatting. stay with us, we hope this is just your first stop of the day on nbc. >>> leading the news in the miami herlgd, facebook >>> in the miami herald

. >> robin roberts has come out publicly for the first time as a gay woman.ay, the "good morning america" host posted a "thank you" to her family and girlfriend of 10 years a massage therapist from the bay area. yesterday was 100 days since roberts bone marrow transplant. can you see robin and the team on abc7 news each weekday from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. >>> harry porter has lost some of the magic. a 30 year british library study of the most borrowed children's books about the boy wiz arrest was on top since first published in 1997 dominate the top five spots from 2000 to 2002 but fell east top ten borrowed list entirely last year. >> travelers could say goodbye to he tell mini bars. travelers prefer socializing in hotel lobbies and surfing the web rather than opting to stay in the room drinking from the mini bar. speakers say the refrigerator stocked with expensive snacks costs too much to maintain. only 21 percent of travelers rank them as important amachine any compared to 89 percent choosing free wi-fi. >> maybe it was the $5 for a small bottle of water. >> t

. >>> she kicked cancer and now robin roberts has another announcement. the "good morning america" host has publicly announced she is gay. roberts mentioned her long-time partner amber lane in a facebook post about the one- year anniversary of her bout with cancer. lane is originally from the bay area. >>> customers at a connecticut starbucks are taking paying it forward to a new level. the charitable gesture started the morning of christmas eve, hasn't stopped yet. the store reached more than 1,000 customers buying coffee for the next person in line. >> i thought it was very cool. yeah. she told me that there's like hundreds that have been going on now and asked me if i wanted to pay it forward for the guy behind me. i said absolutely. >> workers say since the first few drinks were free on christmas morning, customers decided to keep the good will going. >>> we all need comfort food this time of year. stephanie and tony tantillo are cooking up flesh and flavorful cabbage. >> reporter: savoy cabbage and rigatoni. they make a great pasta. a little olive oi

are milely sires who taught us about twerking and robin roberts and his cancer fight and n.s.a. leaker, edward snowden, this will be the last time that barbara walters brings us this program because she is retiring next summer. >> i don't know what it is going to be like to get up and not have a job, not have a studio to go to. you have to leave some time and i would rather leave while people are saying, we miss her, than, oh, is she still here? >> never. come on. the program will feature highlights from previous years' shows. her most fascinating people of 2013 airs tonight on abc7 news at 6:30. >> and san jose school band is getting something to sing about that put you on their gift list? well say hello to aio! at aio wireless you can get an android smartphone free with activation. free android phone?!?! yes please. plus, aio has a reliable nationwide network contracts. it's like the presents just keep coming! a wireless company that puts me at the top of their list? i'm in! stop by your neighborhood aio store or visit aiowireless.com. aio, a new way to wireless. or visit aiow

. >>> and later on "good morning america," robin roberts and josh elliott will broadcast live from stquare. they'll join thousands of folks attending the general audiences, as millions of catholics, worldwide, prepare for christmas next week. >> and we'd like to know what you're thankful for this christmas. so, tweet us and let us know, using the hash tag grateful. >>> "the pulse." breaking hearts across the globe. the biebs makes an unexpected announcement about his future. i'm all choked up. >>> and spreading christmas cheer. a kind gesture by a football team is a must-see "play of the these day iving with a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. at first, i took warfarin, but i wondered, "could i up my game?" my doctor told me about eliquis. and three important reasons to take eliquis instead. one, in a clinical trial, eliquis was proven to reduce the risk of stroke better than warfarin. two, eliquis had less major bleeding than warfarin. and three... unlike warfarin, there's no routine blood testing. [ male announcer

. >>> a very young robin roberts had the opportunity to meet nelson mandela's family. n journeyed to south africa three years ago. and last night, she described her experience to diane sawyer on "world news." >> when i broke to graca machel, the woman he married on his 80th birthday, and i asked her, what is her husband's legacy going to be? and she said, a visionary leader. and it is the quality, the quality of leadership. >> robin went on to say that mandela wanted to right the wrongs and give each one of us the feeling that we could do the same thing, too. >> mandela also showed the world the meaning of true forgiveness. by the time he walked out of prison, he had formed an unlikely bond with one of his jailers. abc's david muir explains. >> reporter: christo brand peers out over the water, to the former prison on robben island, where he first reported for duty at 18. >> they informed us we're going to meet the biggest criminals in the history of south africa. >> reporter: nelson mandela was nearly 60. already in prison for more than a decade. still forced to sleep o

. >> jennifer lawrence, edward snowden and our own robin roberts, among those who made the list. list. >> i tried really hard. >> i'm amazed. >>> here's another political veteran making news this morning. mitt romney like we have never seen him before. including the moment he realized he would lose the election. plus, a more relaxed romney. even ironing his clothes while wearing them. >> playing in the snow. sleeping in the campaign van. even some tender moments with his wife, ann. it's all in the new netflix film, "mitt," to be released next month. >> a lot of people said it was hard to connect with him. had we seen this side way back when, who knows how the polls would have spun. >>> finally, a truly great christmas prank. this is all on unsuspecting folks who thought they were going to have their picture taken. take a look. [ screams ] >> i think that may be one of the funniest pranks i've ever seen. there's someone inside that tree. it's at a high school in texas. everyone seemed to take it in good spirits. >> i have a funny feeling that the one guy or gal who punched that tr

peter's square was our own "gma" anchor robin roberts who had a face to face encounter with the people'sope. >> reporter: hailed with cheers of joy from the crowd. we were there, as pop francis entered st. peter's square. accepting a cross, blessing the sick, greeting families with hugs and kisses. his face is so expressive. people have been waiting for hours. dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno. good morning. "god is with us, and god still has faith in us," he says. a former janitor and nightclub bouncer, they call him, " the people's pope." and in just 9 months he's captured the imagination of not just the world's 1.2 billion catholics, but the world itself. his style was different almost immediately. just yesterday he celebrated his 77th birthday by having breakfast with three homeless men and blew out candles surrounded by children. he ends his christmas message of compassion by leading us in prayer. jesus is god with us. the crowd repeats. afterwards, it was our moment. meeting face to face with the people's pope. we're american, i tell him. a moment of true humility. one and a ha

and when asked who you want to live next to, our very own robin roberts made the list.e way, she is a very good neighbor. and tonight, it's out with the old. in with the new crystals for the new year's eve ball in times square, the 2,688 waterford crystals have been installed on the same ball for the estimated 200,000 people ready to party in times square as it drops next week. the weather will be very cold. when we come back, the every day americans, who we never heard of until this year. the husband, the love song, and tonight, the moment he puts those headphones on. stay tuned for this. ♪ oh sweet loraine ♪ oh speet loraine because you can't beat ro heartburn. woo hoo! [ male announcer ] prilosec otc is the number one doctor recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 8 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. turn to roc® retinol correxion®. one week, fine lines appear to fade. one month, deep wrinkles look smoother. after one year, skin looks ageless. high performance skincare™ only from roc®. take skincare to the next level with new roc® mu

good morning america host robin roberts used a facebook post to acknowledge what friends and co-workerslong known. she's gay. roberts thanked her "long- time girlfriend amber" in an end-of-the-year message reflecting on her health battles in 2013. roberts did not give her girlfriend's last name. but people magazine identified her as amber laign, a licensed massage therapist from san francisco she met through mutual friends a decade ago. 53-year-old roberts has not previously spoken publicly about her sexuality. formula one racer michael schumacher suffered severe head trauma sunday while skiing in france. 44-year old schumacher hit his head on a rock, but was wearing a helmet. he was airlifted to the hospital. the university hospital of grenoble says schumacher was in a coma upon arrival, needing an immediate neurosurgical intervention. he remains in critical situation. schumacher retired from racing for the second time in 2012. he won seven world championships during his career. if you got a new gadget for christmas. it's time to figure out what to do your old one. tech reporter gabe s

. >> robin roberts -- >> robin is on our list because she had a triumphant year.ways has been. never more than now. want to take a look? >> yes, please. >> can you describe the year in one word? >> fascinating. >> yeah. well that's, pretty -- >> unpredictable. the word that really comes to mind, is i'm filmed with such gratitude. gratitude that i'm here. and for the outpouring. i don't take that lightly. i know that was a big reason, is a big reason why my recovery went well. i don't know of a day that's gone by that someone hasn't come up to me and said, i was praying for you. i was lifting you up. and i look them in the eye. and i mean this, barbara. i felt those prayers. i felt the well wishes. and i just know it was invaluable to my recovery. >> i know it was. yep. who else? >> we go from robin roberts, inspiring to the "duck dynasty" quack. they were fascinating. >> run the gamut. >> jennifer lawrence, a vivid, young actress. and we have such a great list for you. >> you won't tell us number one. >> the number one is a secret. >> i was trying to guess. you wi

robin roberts, jennifer lawrence, the cast of duck dynasty, miley cyrus, kim kardashian and kanye west, edward snowden and pope frances. what an honor it must be for the pope to be included. the other name that really stood out to me is prince george. prince george is is a baby. can you be fascinating if you yourself are fascinating by car keys jingling? barbara revealed nine of the names on the list. the final name will be revealed when the special airs on december 18. that name is? toronto mayor rob ford. they had a game in toronto over the weekend and the mayor showed up. you know, he has been talking a lot about his new diet and workout program. but somebody got a picture of him. he keeps a chicken wing in his wallet in case he gets hungry. it's great. his brother, doug ford, says if rob comes back a new man 70 to 80 pounds lighter he will win the next election. i guess he's not going to win the next election. maybe he will win the biggest loser. >> a new annual report called the youthful cities index which compares all the world's major cities has determined that toronto is the wo

. >> first lady michelle obama took to twitter to show her support for robin roberts who came out onbook page over the weekend. mrs. obama sent out this tweet, i am so happy for you and amber. you continue to make us proud. roberts battled a rare disease and thanked her long time girlfriend amber in her post. it marks the first time they acknowledged their ten year relationship. >> coming up, an update on breaking news that is a ruling a judge issued moments ago concerning jahi mcmath's life support. >> m rusha, two deadly terrorist attacks in two days. what does it mean for winter olympics? >> new plan to rescue passengers and crew of that ship stuck in ice. plus. >> do you have plans for new year's eve? if you don't i've got last to thoseworried...ited... poked and prodded... taken risks... and lived in a state of "what if?"... welcome to a new state... of health. welcome to covered california. the place to find quality, affordable coverage. financial help for those in need. and nobody can be denied because of a pre-existing condition. enroll now at coveredca.com. check it out. lea

these year -- this year's nominee includes robin roberts, actress and from lawrence, as you heard earlier. and actress jennifer lawrence, as you heard earlier, and the stars of the duct honesty show. also, william and kate's son george made the list. be announced on december 18. guess you could be fascinating when you are four months old. there's is not a lot to say. a big announcement today. good morning america weathercaster sam champ in his leaving the network and heading over to the weather channel. he tweeted this morning that only aim an amazing opportunity like this one could take him away from his abc family. he will anchor the weather channel's new morning show and beating networks managing and work. -- managing editor. the price tagat is on amazing opportunity. >> you can only guess. >> maureen bunyan is here with a look ahead. >> happy monday. a new delay for the opening of the metro silver line, what is behind it and how long it would last. les, a new problem for those trying to buy insurance through the federal health insurance exchange. this time, it is a positive sign. >> t

"good morning america" co-anchor, robin roberts joins once again.e were talking about his smile, his vitality. he loved food. he loved dance. he loved music. he loved american movies. >> he loved it all. primarily he loved his children. it was so hard for him to be away and both of his wives that i talked to expressed that and how difficult and that's why he wanted so much family time when he was released from prison after all those years. on one of my recent visits, it was one when they received the bid for the world cup. unfortunately, nelson mandela was not able to go as they thought, so i sat down with graca machel, again married on his 80th birthday, many would say the truth love of his life and i asked her the lasting impact, the powerful impact of her husband. >> madiba will be remembered as the visionary leader who with humility was able to take the challenge of bringing together parts which had been by history and the making of people so far away from one another. it takes a lot of courage and persuasion to say we have no other way. we have

. >>> robin roberts came out publicly as a gay woman today. the "good morning america" posted a thank you to her family and girlfriend of 10 years. she a massage therapist from the bay area. it has been 100 days since roberts' bone marrow transplant. you can see them every weekday from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. >>> it seems harry potter is no longer a favorite. a 30-year british library study looking at the 10 most barrowed books show the j.k. rowling series on top since publishing her first book in 1990 every is. the potter series dominated the top five spots from 2000 to 2002. but it has declined. it fell off the list entirely last year. probably more people heading outside than staying inside and reading these days. leigh, quite mild weather we are having. >> very mild. well above where we should be for this time of year. as much as 5 to 10 degrees above the temperatures weather wise. live doppler 7 is showing you clear skies. you remember last night we did have the offshore warm winds. it kept temperatures a little above levels, but tonight the wi

here's a peek at the primetime special "the year," with our robin roberts. came to the bouncing baby heir to the british throne, we all waited. oh, how we waited, for the most-anticipated delivery of 2013. >> we were all holding our breath, waiting for that kid to get here. >> all i know is there's a baby. and it's going to be a king maybe. and i need to see it. >> when it is coming? i don't know. we have to wait. make sure the horns sound when the baby comes out. >> reporter: could be today. maybe not today. in the meantime, other babies kept us oohing and awing, like channing tatum's baby girl. jessica simpson's second child. >> i like ace newt because newts are very weird, slimy animals. ♪ my hump, my hump >> a whole new take on lady lumps. >> my lovely baby bump. >> reporter: the black eyed peas front woman, fergie and josh duhamel, welcomed in jack. but the littlest star that created the biggest bang. >> the big priority is, it's happening right now. >> congratulations. >> a big one. >> reporter: you guested it, the north star. >> when i heard they were