good morning, america. i'm robin roberts. >> and i'm george stephanopoulos. it's thursday, september 2nd. this morning, we have breaking news on hurricane earl. it grows in size and strength overnight. new warnings across the east coast, as our cameras fly right into the storm. sam leads our coverage, as earl approaches land. explosions overnight. after that four-hour standoff at the discovery channel, that played out on live tv. putting thousands in danger, including babies in the day-care center. new details on the gunman's demands. and we hear from the gunman himself. could she be innocent? a former fbi agent says there's no way college student amanda knox committed the murder she's been convicted of. the proof, he says, in this video. and new details about

princess diana. her relationship with dodi fayed. and what the royal family really thought about her. former british prime minister tony blair tells all in an abc news exclusive. good morning, everyone. let's get right to that information. brand-new information, on hurricane earl. it is bigger. it is stronger. it is faster. and it is closer to land. heading straight, now, for north carolina's outer banks. the scale of the storm has grown overnight. it's nearly 500 miles wide. a strong category 4, packing winds up to 145 miles per hour. >> yeah, this time yesterday, it was a category 3. now, you said, george, it is a 4. and this is the latest on the watches and warnings at this hour. most of the coastal areas of north carolina are currently under hurricane warning. and the national hurricane center has issued tropical storm warnings for these areas that

you see all the way up on the jersey coast and eastern long island. all projected to get tropical force winds. >> the warnings up and down the coast. we also have remarkable video this morning. take a look at this. passing through the eye of the hurricane, at the very moment the storm became a category 4. so, let's begin with the latest on hurricane earl. president obama has declared a state of emergency, in north carolina, directsing fema and the department of homeland security, to coordinate relief efforts. we have coverage all up and down the coast this morning. and, of course, sam starts us off from the north carolina coast in atlantic beach, where everyone is on high alert. good morning, sam. >> good morning, robin. the waters are chopping up this morning because earl is about 350 miles away from where we're standing right now. as george said, bigger and stronger than it ever was. at 145 miles per hour, this storm is just ten miles away. 10-mile-per-hour change in the winds, from a rare category 5 hurricane.

here's the latest track on earl. here's what is expected this storm will do over the next two or three days. that is move along the carolina coastline, with hurricane-force winds to be felt here. to continue to curve up the shoreline, with hurricane-force winds to be felt near cape cod. and all the way along, we'll see waves in the 12 to 16-foot category. earl may have been a storm that was difficult to get everyone's attention with. but now, it's a storm that demands attention. >> this eye looks about 25 miles wide. >> reporter: it's an exclusive view of the eye of earl. from the cockpit of a specially-equipped jet, a hurricane hunter. we follow it as earl turns from a category 3, to a category 4. gathering more strength as the cameras roll. >> like a snowmaking machine on a ski slope. >> reporter: below, back on ground, preparations are under

way. the governors of north carolina, virginia and maryland declared states of emergency. bob mcdonald activated the national guard, sending 200 troops to the chesapeake bay area. the postal service is delivering social security checks early to the coastal area of north carolina, virginia, maryland, delaware and new york. and the u.s. navy returning home from somalia, rushed to get home to virginia, ahead of the bad weather. on this beach, even the sea turtle nests were picked up and moved for safety. and surf's up in wrights head, north carolina. but it's extremely rough. and tourists are told to get out. now. >> they kicked us out this morning. >> they won't let us stay. they're going to make us sit in this traffic. >> back to jersey. >> reporter: with hurricane earl so close to the coastline, the entire east coast is threatened. if this storm jogs a little bit

one way or the other, it will make a huge difference in which areas are affected. here at atlantic beach, herb and cindy know better. they're not taking any chances, moving their furniture indoors. since you've been through many a storm, what would you say to people in new england, who are facing maybe a strong category hurricane, within about 70 miles of their coastline. and they're thinking it's not going to be a big deal. what would you say to them? >> it's not true that it's not a big deal. >> mother nature is powerful. and we can't beat it. >> and evacuations are changing, moment-by-moment, as earl continues to grow. we got an evacuation notice here at atlantic beach, started at 6:00 this morning, to evacuate all of the visitors in this entire area. has to be completed by 5:30 today. residents, not a mandatory evacuation, george. they can stay, if they like. >> sam, thanks. you can really see the surf kicking up. here here at the smart wall.

we have the technology from google earth. we want to get a sense of the areas forecasters are most concerned about up and down the east coast. let's start at kill devil, north carolina. they expect a storm surge of several feet. five to six feet. all the area in blue will be covered by water, if this storm surge comes through. and it covers a fair amount of land, up and down kill devil, north carolina. going up to nantucket, way up in nantucket, on the coast of massachusetts, similar concerns right now. you see the area right there. possible four-foot storm surge. this is some of the priciest real estate in the country. a possible storm surge. that could be under water. going down to eastern long island. we go down to montauk, same situation here. a four-foot, five-foot surge here. you see the harbor, under water. possibly under water here. this is what the possible projections now, if the storm surge does come to pass, up in eastern long island right now. john berman is there right now. and, john, you've been talking

to the officials all week long in eastern long island. they've been fairly calm about it. anymore worried this morning? >> reporter: well, they are frankly anxious. cautiously anxious. and everyone we've spoken to this morning is asking us, what have you heard? the population here is about 20,000 people year-round. but that swells to 100,000 people on a lovely summer week like this one. and now, all 100,000 people are staring anxiously at the sea. hurricane earl may be barreling up the coast as a category 4 storm. but some people have a different scale. >> on a scale of one to ten, ten. mother nature can do some heavy damage. and i'm afraid of that. >> reporter: he was part of the rush to protect boats of all sizes. how many boats have you pulled from the water? >> about 50. >> reporter: 50. and at least another 50 to go. in montauk, the fear isn't just damage to boats. but also to beaches.

you know what's going to happen with the storm on friday? >> i know it's going to happen. this beach is going to be gone. >> reporter: water and waves, pushing through all the way to the street. in the huge hurricane of 1938, the surge was enough to sever the tip of long island. in new jersey, they're already battling the sea. lifeguards at this beach, forced to save dozens of people. >> i got thrown around pretty good. >> reporter: to the north, on cape cod, they're snapping up batteries. >> batteries, flashlights, chargers, battery backup. >> reporter: and on the tony island of nantucket, right in danger's way, a battle to save some beautiful homes. >> we don't know whether we'll survive. >> reporter: officials are urging people on the island to shelter in place. hunker down at home and hope. one thing we haven't seen here yet at least is people boarding up their homes or taking precautions like that. everyone we've talked to is treating today as d-day. today is the day they'll decide what to do, whether they're

going to stay and ride out this storm. george? >> okay, john berman. thanks. we go down to miami now and talk to bill read, the director of the national hurricane center in miami. bill, thanks for joining us this morning. got a pretty comprehensive view. what are you most concerned about as you watch earl? >> the biggest concern we have is, if it drifts just slightly to the left of the center line of the track forecast that we have currently, it would bring the direct impacts of the center of the hurricane across the outer banks and the sounds of north carolina. if it continued slightly to the left of that track, we'd have a direct impact on southern new england. regardless of that, the next biggest concern is that people won't heed advice from local officials and will heading out to beaches instead of staying out of the water. >> what are the chances of it bumping back to the left right now? >> well, there's always a little bit of wobble to begin with.

and we're so close. this would depict the wind field at the closest approach to cape hatteras. you're going to have hurricane-force winds because of the size of the storm, on cape hatteras. and just a small dodge to the left, as you can see, that's only a matter of 50 or 60 miles, could bring a direct eyewall impact to the communities along the coast of north carolina. >> significant chance of more evacuations? >> i'm sorry. i didn't hear you. >> significant chance of more evacuations? >> well, the evacuations are decisions made by local officials. it will depend on what the relative risk of impact is, as we go further up the coast. as you mentioned earlier in the broadcast, this is decision day, as you get up into new york and new england areas, as far as if they're going to have to evacuate. >> we have a few seconds left. you are watching other storms, as well? >> that's right. fiona, which doesn't seem to be a problem. it's continuing to be disorganized. and we're watching gaston. that might be next of concern.

>> bill read, thank you very much. now, we are learning more about the man who burst into the headquarters of the discovery channel, armed with a gun and a number of bombs. james lee held three people hostage in a four-hour standoff, until he was shot and killed by police officers. pierre thomas is in silver spring, maryland, and has the latest for us. good morning, pierre. >> reporter: hi, robin. this morning, employees of the discovery channel are so thankful that they narrowly avoided a nightmare, in what appears to be a case of ecoterrorism. the tense standoff began at 1:00 p.m., as james lee burst into the lobby of discovery channel headquarters. angry and prepared to go to war. >> he was wearing what appeared to be metallic canter devices on his front and back. he also pulled a handgun out and was waving a handgun. >> reporter: when a news producer called the building, stunningly, lee picked up the phone. >> do you have a gun?

>> i have a gun. and i have a bomb. i have several bombs strapped to my body, ready to go off. >> reporter: lee took three hostages. word quickly spread to the 1,900 employees working in the building. >> the police came knocking on the door and told us we cannot leave the building until they tell us to. >> we were really scared. we panicked and nervous. >> discovery folks, move as far away from the building as you can. >> reporter: as a local s.w.a.t. team and federal agents descended on the scene, the evacuation began. get the children out of the day-care center. >> they got the kids all out safely. in a very good manner. i can't commend them enough. >> reporter: lee's simmering anger had been building for years. he was furious about the human race damaging the environment and overpopulation by, quote, filthy humans. seen here, lee had protested at the discovery channel repeatedly. and had been arrested in 2008. once he caused a scene, throwing

cash to the ground in front of the building. video, which attracted attention on the internet. >> he was a self-proclaimed ecoanarchist. we weren't sure if he was serious or kidding because these statements were so unbelievably outlandish. >> reporter: lee claimed discovery rejected his reality show idea, prompting him to start this website. he made a number of bizarre demands on the network, including requesting programs including human sterilization. while the standoff was unfolding, lee's brother-in-law in a phone interview with fox cable news said, he had no doubt lee might murder innocent victims. >> you think he's capable of killing? >> absolutely. >> reporter: but lee's brother told us, he wanted suicide by cop. >> it was definitely out of character. i was sad to know that he was shot and killed. but that's what he probably wanted. >> reporter: about 4:48 p.m.,

roughly four hours after the standoff began, lee made his move. >> he pulled out the handgun and pointed it at one of the hostages. our tactical units moved in. they shot the suspect. the suspect is deceased. >> reporter: even after lee was shot, the incident continued into the evening, with police detonating explosive devices, left behind as potential booby traps. after lee's arrest in 2008, a court order required that he stay 500 feet from the discovery building. robin, that order expired two weeks ago. >> all right, pierre. we're going to turn, now, to montgomery county police chief, jay thomas manger, on the front lines of the hostage standoff. he joins us from rockville, maryland. we heard police detonating explosive devices overnight.

what exactly were they? and where were they in the building? >> the suspect had four devices that he had strapped to his torso. he had two propane cylinders, similar to the find that you would use when you go camping. attached to those propane cylinders, he had pipes that contained shotgun shells. in addition, he had a couple of pipe bombs strapped to him. they appeared to have some sort of, like, firework-type material inside of them. he also brought -- when he came in, he brought in two backpacks and two boxes. what folks heard being detonated throughout the night were the contends of the backpacks and the boxes. and what we've been able to determine is that he brought in a second handgun. we found batteries. we found a ski mask. so, we were in the process of making sure everything was safe in the building. >> and you're confident that you found all the bombs? >> we've cleared the entire

inside of the building. right now, the bomb squad and police officers are searching the perimeter of the building to be sure he didn't leave anything outside when he came in. >> as we heard pierre thomas allude to, that mr. lee had just come off a probation for the 2008 disturbance outside of the building of discovery. there were so many red flags. anything more that could have been done to prevent this from happening, chief? >> i'm not sure that there would have been. i think the folks at discovery had prepared very well for any type of emergency situation. their security was aware of mr. lee. he -- they, of course, had not seen him for a couple of years. but they were aware of him. in fact, immediately, when he came in, very quickly identified that he was the individual who was involved in this incident. >> and how did your officers come to the decision to ultimately take him down? >> in this situation, the

hostages who were tremendously courageous throughout this incident, were in grave danger. we had s.w.a.t. officers that were very close by, unbeknownst to the suspect. s.w.a.t. officers heard a shout. they heard a pop. they were unclear if that was a gunshot or if it was the suspect detonating a device. the officers were immediately confronted. the suspect, he had a gun out. and he was shot at that point. >> so many things went right and like clockwork, including the evacuation of thousands of employees. we can't get it out of our minds seeing the babies and infants that were evacuated, as well, so safely. and a lot of people are depe commending how that was done, as well. >> i agree. two primary safety issues were for us, number one, the three hostages that were there. we were so relieved when we

accounted for all of the children and the parents had been reunited, close by. we were relieved when that occurred. >> i'll bet. chief manger, thank you for your service and that of your fine officers. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> it was so frightening watching that play out yesterday. let's go to bianna golodryga who is in for juju chang and has the news for us. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with the middle east peace talks getting back on track today in washington. before hosting a white house bin dinner for the key players, president obama said he was cautiously hopeful about the talks. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu called palestinian leader mahmoud abbas his, quote, partner in peace. automakers are calling for a return for cash for clunkers. sales last month for the lowest since 1983, with gm, ford and honda reporting declines. the company that makes botox is expected to plead guilty, today, to misbranding the

popular drug for unapproved uses. allergan will settle claims it paid kickbacks to doctors. it was a big upset at the u.s. open. andy roddick ended up losing to unseeded janko tipsarevic in the second round. and watch this. there was an old-fashioned base-brawl, during the nationals/marlins game. nyjer morgan charged the mound after a pitch was thrown behind him. he took a swing and got clotheslined by florida's first baseman. four players were ejected. apparently this isn't nyjer's first getting kicked off the field. he was suspended by his own manager. >> he threw a baseball into the stands. a game before yesterday, he kind of got into a little incident. >> he paid the price there. >> and they lost. >> 16-10. like a football score. let's get back, now, to sam,

who is there in north carolina, of course, keeping a close eye on earl for us all. whoa. what's going on there, sam? >> hey, good morning, robin. good morning, george. we're watching the surf here. waves are breaking about ten feet back here. and we're pretty much at low tide. that's all going to change as we go through the day. let's get to the boards. we'll show you what steers this hurricane. it's not going to make the interaction with the cold front, at least until friday. it will be very close to the coastline, as it curves around that area of low pressure. it's the farthest north, the strongest storm this far north since floyd in 1999.

and we've got a lot of weather to talk about this morning. we've got earl. we've got big storms in the midwest and a heat wave in the northeast. robin? george? >> thanks. a new twist in the amanda knox case. a retired agent says he is

convinced she is innocent. he's speaking out to win her freedom. what does he know? he's going to tell us live. e ♪ with the tastes of sea salt and olive oil. ♪ or sprinkled with italian herbs. ♪ townhouse flatbread crisps. they're perfect for snack time, party time, any time. ♪ new townhouse flatbread crisps. the everyday cracker with the specially-crafted taste. day after day, allergy season drags on. oh, how many days are you going to suffer? nasonex is the only prescription that's proven to help prevent most seasonal nasal allergy symptoms, including congestion, so you can have more symptom-free days. [ female announcer ] side effects were generally mild and included headache, viral infection, sore throat, nosebleeds and coughing. it does not come in generic form, so ask your doctor about nasonex. [ female announcer ] and save up to $15 off your refills.

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mountains. this is southbound highway 17 at summit road. all lanes are blocked. this is video reported just a few minutes ago. as you can see here, southbound traffic is moving northbound right now to clear it out because all the southbound lanes are blocked. that means northbound traffic on highway 17 slow still. no traffic getting by here. you can expect major delays in both areas. closer at home at the bay bridge toll plaza, metering lights on and we have a backup making your way through the tolls. eric. >> in the news, today autopsies are scheduled for three victims and the man suspected in a killing spree. at least four people are dead, another missing and the main suspect killed in a shoot-out with the chp on tuesday night. the husband of one of the victims, 72-year-old charles writtenhouse is being held on charges of possessioning a cache of highly explosive material. investigators are trying to determine if he

. >> good mornings. we'll be looking forking another

spare the air today in east bay valley, santa clara valley. high pressure our dominate feature although the fog and sea breeze returns for a cooler day

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the thing about princess diana was that she had become i think, not just, you know, a subject or object of fascination for people. but she had almost become such public property. >> former british prime minister, tony blair, talking candidly about the public's fascination with princess diana. his new memoir takes us inside the palace walls. and in an interview with christiane amanpour, he reveals new concerns about diana's relationship with dodi fayed. and what he did about it. christiane amanpour's interview. good morning, america.

i'm george stephanopoulos. >> that's a good tease. i'm intrigued by what you just said. i can't wait for christiane to come along. good morning. i'm robin roberts. and the seismic shift in the salary gap. men, women and money. it's a first for certain women. first, the latest about hurricane earl. so many people following the latest developments. and the evacuation orders have just been expanded where sam champion is in north carolina. tell us about that, sam. >> robin, folks are just waking up to the news, that earl is stronger than it's ever been. there was the expectation that it would weaken a little bit and bobble. but not get even stronger. so, at 145 miles per hour, folks are paying attention. they're evacuating. we have evacuation orders here in atlantic beach. it's nags head. it's kill devil hills. everybody's being told to evacuate those coastlines because this storm will pass very close to the east coast of the u.s., on its projected

track. and, remember, we look at not just the center of that cone. but on both sides of it. it is expected that that storm will immediately start interacting with the drier air and colder water and weaken quickly, once it passes north carolina. until then, it's a very strong storm and may stay a category 4 for a little while. george? >> sam, thanks. we're going to turn, now, to a question that had us intrigued when we first heard about it. why is a retired fbi agent, who once took down an al qaeda cell, now coming to bat for amanda knox. on a bet with his wife, he reinvestigated the case himself. and he is sure of her innocence. david muir has this. the american college student, convicted of murdering her roommate in italy. >> reporter: she is serving a 26-year sentence, convict of murder this morning. amanda knox's mother, celebrating the birthday in that italian president. and they're hoping that dna, or

lack thereof, will set amanda free. as amanda knox awaits her appeal in an italian prison, another birthday. turning 23 in july, with her mother, who stravled from seat toll see her daughter. >> amanda and i have spent -- her birthday and mine are a day apart. we spent the last three birthdays together. for her, this year, she got a lot of -- people, the guards and inmates were singing to her. >> reporter: the mother brought the ingredients for crab cakes, making them behind bars. amanda's request for her birthday. we heard of someone else also paying visits. an italian lawmaker, who says he is trying to soothe the diplomatic tensions that erupted along with those worldwide headlines. in more than 20 jailhouse conversations, amanda told him she one day hopes to adopt children and work as a writer. that lawmaker, himself a father, has told the associated press, he plans to write a book about his visits. he's not weighed in on her guilt

or innocence, in the murder of her british roommate. she was convicted with two others. raffaele sollecito, who she was dating. also, rudy guede. it was guede's dna, in her roommate's bedroom. knox's attorneys are asking for an independent investigation of that dna, a request denied during trial. amanda knox is 1 of about 70 female inmates in the prison. one of five convicted of murder. one told us she is a great girl. most of us think she's innocent. her hair cut short, she plays her guitar at prison mass. >> the summer was hard. it's so hot over there. we tend to talk about what she's doing to cope. but being locked up for a crime you didn't commit is devastating. it's almost unbearable. she's having some tough times. but she's doing what she needs to do. >> reporter: and her mother told us, about the italian lawmaker now writing that book. amanda knox didn't know at first

that he was keeping a diary. but has said she is fine with it. s on concentrating most on her appeal, in hopes of being free one day. that appeal could hinge on the forensic evidence in this case. our next guest says there's not a shred of that evidence linking knox of her former boyfriend to the murder. former fbi agent, steve moore, joins us now. you said you followed the case. >> yep. >> and you're sure she's guilty. >> why not? the police said she was. and that's the way it was. >> you're talking to your wife. and you make a bet. now, after investigating this case, and i'm quoting you here. you say, you are as certain of her innocence as i am of anything in the world. >> when amanda knox gets out, if she needs a roommate, i'll send my daughter over. >> how can you be so sure? >> because i've seen the evidence. the evidence is completely conclusive. >> okay. lay it out simply. then, i'm going to push you on

it. >> sure. the main piece of evidence is that a woman tragically was stabbed to death in a room smaller than this little area that we're sitting in. there was two liters of blood, at least, all over the floor. if three people were in that room, the way the prosecutors say, there would be footprints, fingerprints, dna, hair, palmprints, bloody footprints, everything, for three people. there is all that for only one person. >> the prosecutors address that in the 422-page report. i want you to respond to it. they do say there was traces of the dna evidence in the bathroom. let me quote here. the traces found in the bathroom constitute further proof against amanda knox. showing how she herself had been in the room where meredith was killed and stained with blood. she went to the bathroom to wash herself. leaving mixed biological traces constituted of her own and of another. they say there is dna evidence. >> there is not dna evidence.

they're saying that whoever killed meredith cleaned up in amanda's bathroom. that's all they're saying. and they're assuming that the person who cleaned up had to be amanda. >> they did find traces of her material there. >> in her own bathroom? they found amanda's dna in her own bathroom? astounding. >> you say that piece of evidence, which is the strongest piece of evidence in their case -- >> that's ridiculous. >> how about her dna found on the bra clasp. >> it wasn't hers. it was her boyfriend's dna on the bra clasp. if the dna is that good and it's real, why aren't they letting an independent source look at it? and why didn't they find it until six weeks after they arrested everyone. >> also, amanda's dna found on a second knife. not the main murder weapon. >> there was no second knife. it was found on the only knife they had. and the prosecution's own witnesses say that that knife was too big to have inflicted

the stab wounds in meredith's neck. >> the second series of stab wounds, weren't there? >> there were three stab wounds and a slash wound. what they want you to believe is that in the middle of a life and death struggle, holding a girl who is fighting for her life, amanda, stabbing somebody for the first time in her life, takes two stabs with a very small knife. throws it away and says, hand me the other one. it's ridiculous. and the knife they say amanda's dna was on, was in a different apartment, her boyfriend's apartment, where she cooked. >> one of the other points you make is that a lot of the evidence that the prosecutors did use should have never been allowed in the first place. we have some video showing the investigation of the crime scene by the italian authorities. let's put it up right now. tell us what you're seeing now. and why that should have meant that a lot of this evidence was inadmissible. >> you're not going to see individual things possibly in these films. i watched them for 2 1/2 hours.

they were doing unsound forensic techniques that lead to cross-contamination. their techniques were horrible. >> and in an american court, that evidence would have been thrown out. >> if you showed that videotape in an american court, you would have lost most of your evidence. >> you also have real concerned about the interrogation. >> the interrogation was -- the interrogation was something that the senate, if we did that overseas, would have had hearings about. this was a technique that i'm aware of that third-world country intelligence agencies do. what they do is they get you in a room for all night. she started at 10:00 p.m. and went until 6:00 a.m. why they had to go overnight, instead of during the day is anybody's guess. but they had 12 interrogators, by their own admission, going an hour at a time, an hour at a time. no food. no coffee. no bathroom breaks. nothing. and the purpose was to keep her intimidated, scared.

and they were doing it in italian. she didn't speak italian at that point. disoriented. and after -- by 5:45 in the morning, after an all-night interrogation, she gave them a confused -- confused indictment of someone else, not even herself, which she recanted, as soon as she had gotten some food. >> you're making a strong and passionate case that raises a lot of questions. what can be done now with the information that you found with the fruits of your investigation? >> this. the court of final appeal on this is going to be the press. it's going to be the public. people have to know. i feel like somebody who has woken up in a house where there's smoke. and the first thing you do is tell everybody. get everybody aware of what's going on. >> can you testify in the appeal? >> i doubt it. i doubt it. i don't think i have the status -- legal status to testify. and i don't know if italians would want to hear it from an

american. but there are italian forensic experts, law enforcement people who are coming forward. and they're saying that this is an injustice. >> and they can pick up on your work. >> i hope so. >> steve moore, thanks very much. >> thank you. it's time, now, for the weather. let's go back to sam champion in north carolina. hey, sam. >> hey, good morning, again, george. we're watching hurricane earl from atlantic beach, north carolina. let's look at the heat that continues to build in the northeast. over the next couple of days you'll see a change in that. today, temperatures back in the 90s. here comes the cold front over the weekend. it's much cooler temperatures. on the west coast, you have another day of big heat. we've been seeing the 80s kick up from l.a. all the way through san francisco. and today, you're back in the 80s in portland, at 84 degrees. as we look at the big board, there's big thunderstorms that are brewing along the cold front. the cold front is supposed to be the thing that kicks earl out of the way. but along that front, people today are looking at big storms. that's anywhere from dallas, through the chicagoland area.

i'd stay and we are live, as atlantic beach, north carolina, evacuates, following hurricane earl. george? >> thank you, sam. coming up, the payday divide that may not be what you think. a surprising look at men and women and who makes more.

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you can see we are back at 7:45. and we know that women have worked hard to break the glass ceiling, making it to the top of business and politics. more women now go to college than men. but earning the same salary, well, that's continued to be a struggle until now. and bianna has the numbers on the american women now earning more than men.

>> reporter: these are surprising new number, robin. on average a woman working full-time in america earns about 80% of what men earn. but according to research, by reach advisers, women are shattering through that figure. and in most american cities, they're now out-earning their male colleagues. they're young. they're educated. and they're holding off making a key life-changing decision. for years this was the face of women's lib. an educated working girl trying to compete in a man's world. >> i suppose we should just get right down to it. is that okay? >> sure. please. >> reporter: but today, a surprising study suggests a much different playing field. >> 1,800 bucks. >> reporter: one where scenes like this are more and more common. >> sorry, sir. it was declined. would you like to try another one? >> reporter: young women's full-time salaries are 8% higher than men this their peer group. and in larger cities like new york and los angeles, that rate jumps to as high as 17% more. it's a trend that surprises some

women we spoke to. >> it's an interesting new development. >> reporter: the reason? more women are graduating from college today than men. and those who have college degrees outearn those who don't. experts are also optimistic about the report because it shows that minority women with college degrees have made significant strides. >> african-american women and hispanic women are twice as likely than their male peers to graduate from college, and that's what's driving such a big difference. >> reporter: the study also shows that women who earn the most in their 20s are usually single and childless. highly educated women tend to marry and have children later in life. >> you know, it is my choice to pursue my career and not have kids at this moment. >> reporter: so how do the guys about to enter this brave, new world feel about these latest findings? >> hope that's not the case whenever i graduate. >> i'm not worried. i don't view the 8% as a hostile takeover at all. >> she does a better job than me, she deserves to be paid

more. >> good. >> reporter: you like that, right? women are now 1 1/2 times more likely to graduate from college and earn advanced degrees than men. that's why advertisers are targeting women for big-ticket purchases like mortgages and cars. the big question is how long this will go forward. this is only a study they conducted over a year's time. >> we'll see when it goes forward. all right. thanks so much. coming up, vaccinations are not just for small kids. we're going to tell you what you need to know to protect your preteens as they head back to school. come on back. ♪

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caltrain is holding a 10 a.m. hearing today to determine whether riders would prefer service cuts or fare increases starting next year. caltrain is facing a $2.3 million shortfall. its board says that deficit will be made up either by service reductions or fare increases or both. >> spare the air day, quickly warming temperatures. the dense fog is offshore so a cooler day today in san francisco at 78. low 80s by mid-day around the bay another 100 degree heat

inland but the cooling trend more widespread tomorrow through labor day. >> through the santa cruz mountains, still the place to avoid after an overturned big rig has all lanes blocked. southbound 17 at summit road. traffic is jammed in both directions right now. the southbound 17 backup goes to redwood estates. the northbound 17 traffic is backed up to laurel road and just got reports of a new crash the kincaids live here. across the street, the padillas. ben and his family live here, too. ben's a re/max agent, and he's a big part of this community. there are lots of reasons why re/max agents average more sales than other agents. experience, certainly. but maybe it's also because they care about the markets they serve and the neighbors who rely on them. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. visit remax.com today.

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♪ good morning america how are you ♪ ♪ say you know me i'm your native son ♪ good morning, america, on this thursday morning. i love it when we play that tune. >> just it makes you feel good. >> yes, indeedy. we're going to bring the latest on hurricane earl, on a collision course with the north carolina coast. the hurricane service just released the latest information. >> sam will get to that. warnings all up and down the east coast. also, in an extraordinary, new book by former british prime minister tony blair, takes us inside the halls of power and palace walls. he has information on princess diana, the royal family. and insight on leadership and

how it affected people like former president bill clinton and president bush. this is an abc news exclusive with christiane amanpour. >> he really opened up. plus, this young man has a message that could save the lives of your children. he nearly lost his life to a disease that could have been prevented by a single shot. we'll tell you about the vaccines your children must get before they go back to cool. >> some important information there. look at this. take a bike. cross it with an elliptical trainer. what have you god? it is called the elliptigo. we will show you how it works. and how the newest cutting-edge home exercise equipment can get you in shape. it's all affordable, as well. >> that's ahead. first, new information from the hurricane center. and sam has the latest. he's on the coast in north carolina with that. good morning, again, sam. >> hey, robin, george. the changes are subtle. but they are important. there's no change in the wind speed here. we're still looking at a very powerful category 4 hurricane. but the change in the direction here. it's kind of a north-northwest direction, which indicates a little bit of a jog more to the north than it does west.

so, the idea here is this storm is beginning to make its turn. a quick look at the track. and that's very, very, very good news. but it's so subtle and so slight, that i wouldn't let anybody exhale yet. so, if you're watching the storm, continue to watch the storm. the idea is it's going to be working into the drier air and also the colder water temperatures. so, once it's past north carolina, it will start to weaken. but i don't see a big change in the latest numbers. george? >> thanks, sam. we're going to turn, now, to british prime minister, tony blair. it was british prime minister from 1997 to 2007. he was at the center of history. weathering the monica lewinsky scandal, with his political soul mate, bill clinton. joining with george w. bush in the war in iraq. and coping with the shock waves of the death of princess diana. and he wrote it all in a new book, "a journey." and had an exclusive interview with our christiane amanpour.

this is a man who is still very much in the news. he was at the white house last night with president obama and the middle east leaders on the negotiations. >> and he had something like 36 trips to the middle east for the last 3 years, trying to build momentum for this peace process. and he's remained, as you say, on the world stage, as a special envoy. and he's taking part in those peace talks now under way in washington. he's well aware that every u.s. president since truman has tried to broker a middle east peace. i asked him if he thought the obama effort will be different. >> you know, i spend probably as much time as anyone, both in israel and in palestine. both sets of people want peace. i'm sure both leaders want peace. >> reporter: you say the biggest problem with the middle east peace process is no one has gripped it long enough or firmly enough. and you also say in your book that president bush, his heart wasn't really into it. even in the second term, you talk about secretary of state condoleezza rice, who was new to the game and wasn't really familiar with all of the intricacies. they didn't grip it?

>> well, they came to grip it. but it was late on in the presidency. and that's an important distinction with president obama now. i mean, i think you cannot overstate the importance of president obama coming in and saying, right from the beginning, we're going to grip this. that allows you, you see, to go through what will inevitably be the ups and downs. it doesn't matter how many setbacks you have. you never give up on it. you constantly grip it. and you do it with a consistent -- not an erratic, but a consistent pressure to this situation. >> he has a lot of faith in president obama. yet, there's a huge sticking point in these negotiations. the israelis have a moratorium on the settlements, that expires september 26th. if they start to build again, these negotiations are over. >> and that's the huge deal this everybody is holding their breath to see if that moratorium will stay. and we asked him about that. he said that this is the center of the negotiations right now. that nothing should interfere with the basic issue, which

everyone knows the end game is a two-state solution. so, nothing should interfere with the ability to create a palestinian state. and likewise, nothing should try to compromise the security, that for israel is nonnegotiable. but on the issue of the moratorium, they're really waiting with bated breath. >> over the next few weeks. we've seen tony blair on the world stage for a long time. but we never quite have seen the way he spoke with you, in such personal terms about the pressures of leadership. and really opening up, as well, about princess diana and how he came to cope with the difficulty she was facing, as well. i was just blown away that he actually spoke with her about her relationship with dodi fayed? >> i know. it's incredible. you think this is above a prime minister. but in fact, he decided he needed to talk to her about this. and this is what he told us about it. shortly after you became prime minister, you met princess diana.

what did you think of her? >> she was an extraordinary, engaging, amazing, beautiful iconic figure. >> reporter: she was a royal who seemed at ease, blair writes in his new memoir, "a journey." which might be why the prime minister felt he could broach the most personal of subjects with the princess, her relationship with dodi fayed. she had divorced prince charles. she had the two children, obviously. and she was going out with dodi fayed. and that was causing some consternation, you write. and you confronted her about it. >> i was worried about it. it was obviously going to be extremely difficult. i wanted her to know, you know, what the implication and consequences of all of it was going to be. >> reporter: what was the issue? >> i think the issue was how did -- obviously, it was an unusual relationship to be in. and the question is, how are you going to work it out? and how it was going to work out.

the thing about princess diana was that she had become, not just, you know, a subject of -- or an object of fascination for people. but she had almost become such public property. >> reporter: and when she died, that created a whole other set of realities. >> she was the people's princess. and that's how she will stay, how she will remain. people felt an enormous sense of loss. and partly because of the loss. but partly because of the circumstances in which she died. there was also a sense of anger. now, some of that anger was directed at the paparazzi. but some of it, i think, was directed at the establishment, the people felt had let her down in some way. >> reporter: blair describes the public's shock in an intriguing way. "if the queen had died," he writes, "it would have been in one sense, simple. there would have been an expression of great respect and praise. this was completely different.

this was not a conventional person, nor a conventional death." >> i think what was very important was for the monarchy to be able to just pivot somewhat and come to an understanding with the people, where they reached out and accepted that there was that. that strength and emotion. >> reporter: but before blair would famously nudge the queen towards a public address, he had to conquer his own insecurities. "i didn't trust myself fully to go straight to her and be as blunt as i needed to be. so, i went to charles." the prince passed along his message. and a day later, blair made his case directly to her majesty. >> may those who die rest in peace. and may we, each and every one of us, thank god for someone who made many, many people happy. >> and in the end, the queen did that, i think magnificently, actually.

and did it with a pretty full instinct, in fact. >> reporter: blair's memoir is a candid depiction of life in the political spotlight. and how he avoided the pitfalls that come with the job. you say the relationship between alcohol and prime ministers is a subject for a book all of its own. did it become a problem? >> you have to be careful of it becoming a problem. at some point, it can be. i was never quite sure. sometimes, it's a relaxation at the end of the day. and it's -- that can also be a good thing. i think another thing about prime ministers and presidents, which i talk about, is holidays. and relaxation. i personally think it's really important for political leaders to relax. to have holidays. to sit and have a drink with friends. as you get on in life, you just need to treat it with care. and be aware of its impact. actually, earlier this year, for the first time, my wife has been on me to do this for ages. i gave it up for lent. so, for the six weeks without.

it was interesting. >> interesting. he didn't say he was going to do it again. that was after he left office. he is revealing the pressures of office and how they affected two presidents that he became very close to. two very different men, bill clinton and george w. bush. >> i asked him his thoughts on president bush. he said, that he was a man of great integrity, he said. he considered him one of the most honest and simple, he said, minds. and that simplicity led to a very divisive leadership. he meant it like that. he meant it like that. and as for president clinton, he called him his political soul mate and the smartest politician he'd ever met. >> and he couldn't believe how clinton dealt with the pressures of office during the monica lewinsky scandal. >> precisely. i think he was in awe. >> christiane amanpour, thank you very much. there's a lot more of this interview tonight on abc's "nightline" and also sunday morning on "this week." and you can read "a journey" and photos from the book, including snapshots from blair's personal life at abcnews.com/gma.

it is time for the news. bianna golodryga at the newsdesk for juju. >> good morning, everyone. a bomb squad worked overnight at the discovery channel in maryland, detonating explosives left behind by a hostage-taking gunman. james lee held three people captive for hours wednesday, as hundreds of workers and day care children left the building. he was protesting the cable channel's programming. during a protest in 2008, he threw money into the air and was arrested. a court order requiring him to stay away from the building recently expired. two american troops have been killed in afghanistan today. defense secretary robert gates just arrived in kabul for talks there with with general petraeus and afghan president hamid karzai. we have a wake-up call this morning about the danger of drowsy driving. watch this surveillance video from a store in massachusetts. the driver fell asleep just

before she lost control with her young daughter in the car. fortunately, they were both okay and the store was closed. so, no one else was hurt. lucky, indeed. now, for a look at what's coming up tonight on "world news," here's diane sawyer. >> happy thursday morning to you, bianna. tonight on "world news," of course, we are all out in force, covering hurricane earl. i know you have all morning. and we'll have the latest tonight, as well. and also, some questions. should teachers be graded? and should the grades be printed in the newspaper? will that help? we'll debate it tonight on "world news." that is the news at 8:12. we go back to sam champion in north carolina, for the latest from the weather center on the hurricane developments. good morning, sam. >> got to show you this picture. it is rush hour on the tropical highway. this is unbelievable, after a quiet start to the season. take a look at the satellite picture that will show you every storm on the board right now. there's earl. there's fiona. there's gaston.

and there's hermine. coming up, i don't know. about a 10%, 20% chance this thing will develop as it comes off the african coastline, says the hurricane center right now. that's an unbelievable view. let's look at the strong storms brewing in the middle of the country today. it's likely along the powerful cold front that you'll see 80-mile-per-hour wind gusts possible, tornadoes. looks like baseball-sized hail, as well, from chicago, st. louis, kansas city, oklahoma city, and even dallas is involved in that. more heat on the west coast. even portland, you're back in the higher temperatures. and more heat in the northeast. new york, washington, boston all threatening record temperatures. this storm, earl, and that cold front will change all of that by the weekend. much cooler temperatures in the northeast.

and we are live, keeping an eye on hurricane earl, from the beaches of atlantic beach, north carolina. robin? george? >> it's amazing how quickly the hurricane season can change, just like that. >> just like that. it's unbelievable to see that stacked up off the african coast. robin? >> it is. sam, thank you. coming up next, they're not just for kids. the vaccines you must get your preteens before they head back to school. moh-ohm. -do you have your lunch? -yes. and you know where your classroom is? uh huh. mom, i can walk from here. what about your... mom, i got it. ♪

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this morning in "america's health," we're talking about vaccinations. they're not just for babies and toddlers. older children develop risks for new diseases. and some of the older vaccines are no longer active. neal karlinsky introduces us to one young man who could have

avoided a life changing situation with one shot. >> reporter: watching karl brewer at college this week, it's hard to imagine what he's been through. >> i've had three fingers amputated. i've had both feet amputated above the ankle. >> reporter: all because of a preventable illness his family had never even heard of. >> he went from 6'4", 180 pounds, to 130 pounds. and it was incredible. >> reporter: he was just 14 at the time. and a rock-solid football and basketball player with no health problems. it was the day after a football game when he felt what seemed like a bad cold or a flu coming on. >> stayed home the next day. was kind of out of it. felt dizzy and didn't know what was going on. >> reporter: within hours, he was covered in a strange rash and getting worse. his mother took him to the doctor. >> they did a spinal tap and confirmed the diagnosis of

bacterial meningitis. i was air-lifted to the hospital. my heart stopped three times on the helicopter. >> reporter: i have to hold you up. you're lying around, like any kid with the flu, talking to your sister. and within hours, you're being air-lifted and your heart is stopping? >> that's how it happened. >> reporter: bacterial meningitis is rare. only about 1,200 cases a year. but it can be deadly. that's why the cdc recommends a meningitis vaccination for kids ranging from 11 to 18. >> immunization can save your child's life. >> reporter: psas like this one are now running because doctors have found that many parents aren't aware of the problem. >> at this point, only about half of teens have gotten the meningitis vaccine. it's been recommended since 2005. and we haven't reached the high level of coverage we like to see. >> reporter: carl's recovery was slow and painful. >> i tell people ha that while this was the worst thing that happened to me, it's the best

thing that happened to me. >> reporter: his message to today, to anyone who will listen, get vaccinated. for "good morning america," neal karlinsky, abc news, spokane, washington. >> my goodness. carl is something else. a huge heart. our medical contributor, dr. marie savard is here, with vital information about what vaccinations and boosters your preteen child needs. there are three that the cdc recommends for the 11-year-old to 12-year-old checkup? >> that's right. there are three important ones. first is a booster. it's called the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, or tdap, for short. tetanus causes lock jaw. it's a serious infection that you can get when you puncture yourself or get a cut. the second is diphtheria, that is a respiratory infection that we're not getting because we're getting the booster regularly. but it also can be serious. and the third is pertussis, or

whooping cough. it can last up a couple of months. very infectious. and what they've learned is actually by 11 or 12 years of age, your booster that you received as a young child, wears out. and you need to get it again. the cdc said this past year there have been more cases than over the past three decades. that's important for all of us, even adults, should ask about getting a booster for pertussis. >> they've done reports on the whooping cough. and what the young man, carl, went through. >> the meningitis vaccine. it's true that it's unusual. but it can be deadly. what is recommended is that kids around 11 or 12, get one shot. it's the meningitis vaccine. also the abbreviation of mcv4. there are many types. this is against the deadly one. if your child didn't receive it by 11 or 12, before they go to college, off to the military.

close quarters is how you can spread the meningitis bacteria. >> and the third one is quite controversial. >> yeah. the third one is human papilloma virus, that the cdc recommends for girls at 11 or 12. it's transmitted sexually. it can cause genital warts or cervical cancer. again, if they don't, it is recommended girls get a series of three shots. it's routinely recommended for girls. but is also approved for boys, as well. >> thank you so much. so vital. and marie has a checklist that parents can download and print and keep track of their children's vaccinations online at abcnews.com. rise and shine!

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yes, i'm ready. beautiful. [ cheers and applause ] [ sandy ] try viva® and quit the quilt. so i couldn't always do what i wanted to do. but five minutes ago, i took symbicort, and symbicort is already helping significantly improve my lung function. so, today, i've noticed a significant difference in my breathing. and i'm doing more of what i want to do. so we're clear -- it doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. my doctor said symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. my copd often meant i had to wait to do what i wanted to do. now i take symbicort, and it's significantly improves my lung function, starting within five minutes. symbicort has made a significant difference in my breathing. now more of my want-tos are can-dos. as your doctor about symbicort today. i got my first prescription free.

call or go online to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you cannot afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. ♪ [ female announcer ] we've got stains, down to a science. new wisk, with our breakthrough stain spectrum technology targets all the major stain groups like proteins, carbohydrates and oils. its enzymes and cleaning agents tackle a full range of stains. you'll never look at stains the same way again.

for a more powerful clean, try new wisk. fight stains with science. a big rig accident on highway 17 in the santa cruz mountains is still blocking southbound traffic this morning. there may be deer involved. let's find out with megan. >> it was a beer truck that overturned. happened on southbound highway 17 at the summit. both lanes are blocked. this is video recorded earlier this morning and a sigalert is in effect. the traffic heading southbound on highway 17 is backed up to redwood estates. northbound we also have some major delays. traffic heading northbound is backed up to laurel and there was another crash at vine hill. eric. >> megan, thank you. in the news today autopsies are scheduled for three victims and the man suspected in a killing spree. at least four are dead, another

is missing and the main suspect was killed in a shoot without with the chp on tuesday night. the husband of one of the murder victims, 72-year-old charles writtenhouse is charged on possessioning a cache of highly explosive materials. thththththththththththththththtt

we have a haze over the bay. a strong ridge of high pressure in control. 68 in san francisco, 77 oakland but there is fog offshore, a shallow layer of fog bringing temperatures down in san francisco to a please santa 78.

85 oakland. 97 in concord so another day of heat inland and then everyone cools off. eric? >> lisa, thank you very much. ♪ ♪ life is a highway i want to ride it ♪ okay. you think you can ride this? what is it? is it a bicycle? is it is an elliptical? >> it's the elliptigo. >> it's two in one. it's all the rage. and it's one of the new high-tech exercise gadgets out there. we're going to show you some of the less expensive ones. this is a little pricey. we have other ways to get in shape and it won't cost you that much. whitney bounds is going to be along here. we say good morning, america on this thursday morning. friday eve. we're almost there to the long weekend. >> i'm george stephanopoulos. if you're heading into the school year, it's time to get the college applications now.

we have inside tips from someone who used to make decisions at an ivy league university. >> wonderful. plus, swimming sensation and a dear friend, diana nyad, has a dream that she's about to make some true. swimming from cuba to florida. but without a shark cage. did i mention that, too. and at 61, she just turned 61 a couple of weeks ago. and she says, she's just trying to prove -- >> why without a shark cage? >> i will ask her that. there's a reason to that madness. so, we're going to join diana in a little bit. sam, you're down in north carolina. do you have a shark cage? >> no. and maybe i should because i'm sure -- i'm looking at the water, george. i hadn't thought about it until now. at the top of the show, we showed you some incredible pictures of a hurricane hunter aircraft going into the eye of earl, as it redeveloped back

into a category 4 hurricane. some crazy pictures. and ted ober from our abc station, ktrk, was actually inside that hurricane hunter plane, as the eyewall redeveloped and it got stronger. ted, good morning. >>