its kind was flown in from vw in security, it arrived at harpo in guards in tow. no one outside vw sophisticated, sexy beetle, and oprah: since the beetle--

since the beetle will not be oprah: do you want the keys to [salsa version of "silent

damn sexy and so powerful. [cheering] point about these favorite one i will ever do. oprah: and i would like to say i are a "saturday night live" skit about hope. it's about knowing and joyful and wonderful can

[cheering and applause] night" playing] [captioning made possible by king world] [captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--]

[ male announcer ] little oliver had a fog horn nose.

it shattered his tissue with hurricane blows. no person or place was safe from the spray. but his mom had new puffs ultra soft & strong to save the day. with lotion-free pillows to cushion the force. puffs holds up better than value tissue of course. next time oliver blew his horn, he reached for puffs ultra soft & strong. a nose in need deserves new puffs ultra soft & strong indeed. when you prefer a lotion tissue, try puffs plus lotion.

welcome back, everybody. well, over the past few years you've likely heard the story of connie culp, the first american to get a face transplant. >> it is a season of giving for connie. for the very first time she got to thank the family that gave her the gift of a new life. diane sawyer was there for their emotional meeting. >> reporter: you may remember connie culp. for whom life was barely life after she had been shot in the face by her husband. doctors at the cleveland clinic performed the nation's first full face transplant. over the years, we have been so moved and inspired by her joy. >> what a great day it is. yeah. >> do you know anything more about the donor? >> they've never contacted me. >> reporter: that was last august. just this weekend, she was still wondering.

>> i'm curious. >> reporter: and we were there when she did. >> she was my wife. she was my friend. i, um -- miss her. >> reporter: the woman who gave connie her future was about the same age. her name was anna. ronald kasper was married to her for 22 years. her daughter said she said incredibly generous. >> she taught me to be a very forgiving and generous person, just like she was. >> reporter: it turns out two weeks before christmas, anna had suffered a fatal heart attack. a day later, the devastating news. her body was stable but she was brain dead. >> grieving was hard. it's really hard when you lose somebody that you love. but you really can find so much comfort in knowing that they're helping someone else. it helps a lot, it really does. >> reporter: she had wanted to be an organ donor, and altogether her body helped 50

different strangers. and then, someone who needed something else. >> it was a rather extraordinary request. it was the thing that anna would have wanted to do. she would have wanted to help. >> reporter: we were there when connie and the kasper family met and spoke for the first time. >> what do you say? i mean, thank you's not strong enough, you know? i don't know that i feel like i love you so much, that to do something so wonderful for somebody, i thought i was going to walk around like that forever. >> reporter: for anna's daughter, one hope. >> i really just want to hug her. >> reporter: after all these years, two families meet. and in connie's face she saw her mother's perfect nose and perfect grace. >> what a remarkable story.

really is incredible. >> unbelievable to think of the emotions involved in all of that. the husband was doing an interview with a newspaper in cleveland and he went on to say, they also had such similar attitudes. the smile, he said connie's smile reminds him of his wife. i can't imagine what it must be like to see that. >> like she's still with us in a strange kind of way. it was this bizarre murder-suicide, and the husband in the case who did that was convicted, seven years in prison for aggravated attempted murder. so he's paying his debt as well. >> good to see connie looking much better. when we return, it's time for your "skinny." stick around.

welcome back, everybody. interesting news out of hollywood this morning. for those of you who may watch "30 rock." scary news but it worked out well. actor tracy morgan, former "saturday night live," now "30 rock," actually had a kidney transplant. pretty serious procedure. sometime earlier this month

around december the 10th. he's going to miss two to three episodes of the show that will air sometime in march. the writers of the show are going to write it into his character there on the show. interesting too here, he's not the first cast member to undergo kidney transplant. chapman who's a member of his security detail on the show actually had one earlier this year, then became a spokesman for the national kidney foundation. apparently he's okay, he's recovering well, he was seen in a knicks game friday. so he's bouncing back well. he was diagnosed with diabetes in 1996 and says when he first started the show he didn't take it seriously until the doctors said, you could lose a foot here. they don't know whether the kidney is linked to the diabetes or not. not but he's doing well, and he'll get back in there. >> "30 rock" wouldn't be the same without him. >> no, he's great. >> kelsey grammer. if you've missed even a hot minute of this guy's love life it's certainly been interesting. right now he is aged. he's 55 years old and he's engaged to that woman who's 29 years old. he's still married to this woman

whose name is camille grammer who i think he was with for something like 13 years. all of this according to sugarsugar.com would make him the perfect spokesperson for their website, which is a website that basically encourages older men to get with young, beautiful women who are seeking a rich, older man. according to radaronline they've offered him $1 million to endorse sugarsugar.com. with this deal he'd also be given a lifetime membership, and he gets to give expert dating advice in monthly mentor posts on the site's blog. so interesting tidbit about the website. it was actually started by a real sugar daddy himself who apparently -- i guess the term for the woman on the other end of a sugar daddy relationship is a sugar baby. i didn't know that. >> oh, really? >> no word yet -- willis is chiming in. no word if he's going to accept or not. his pr people are saying, we don't know anything about it. >> who knew frasier was such a treek all these years? who would have thought, man? >> really let us into that

whole -- >> that's the ex-wife on that "real housewives of beverly hills." we'll see if he takes the money. sugar daddy, kelsey grammer. interesting story, along the same lines here. this story is one of my favorites here. gene simmons was giving a radio interview and kind of talked about his conquest, let's say, after almost 40 years on the road with kiss. take a look at how he documents the many women he's with. 5,000 nearly in all. >> on every key you have the name of the city and the room number. how do i put this poetically? polaroid photos of the ladies who graced my bed and my room. i put my hotel keys next to the photos as a kind of a memento. >> 5,000 polaroids of all his conquests. all right, gene. >> quickly, so last week we showed you the kardashians' holiday photo. now we're seeing some other celebrities' holiday cards. the kardashians' is there. you're about to see paris hilton's coming up. but the one that a lot of people are talking about, especially

this morning, is joy behar's. take a look at what she did. keep in mind bill o'reilly made her storm off the set of "the view." around his house. these people chose freedom over restrictions. independence over limitations. they chose mobility. they chosehe scooter store. and this is the team of mobility experts who made it all happen. ii great news, you've been approved for payment. dr. cruz, i'm calling on behalf ofmarie stanford. and they can make it happen for you. hi, i'm doug harrison, if you're living with limited mobility, call the scooter store today. i promise, no other company will work harder to make you mobile or do more to ensure your total satisfaction. i expected they'd help me file some paperwork with medicare and my insurance. i never expected them to be so nice or work so hard to get me a power chair at no cost to me.

if we qualify you and medicare denies your claim for a w scooter or power chair, i'll give it to you absolutely free. that's the scooter store guarantee. we'll wo with your insurance company, even help with financing. if there's a way, we'll find it. when they delivered mom's power chair, i expected they'd show her how to use it once or twice. that man stayed for hours! whatever it takes, as long as it takes. that's our guarantee. why do we go to < uch great lengths? because making you mobile is our mission. we'llwork wit your doctor. we'll work with medicare and lçur private insurance. we'll even service your scooter anywhere in the country. call the sco÷"er store today.

looking at some live images right now of a lunar eclipse which is a very rare thing. 372 years since we've seen one under these predicaments. if you're thinking this looks like a solar eclipse you'd be wrong. slinl, a lunar eclipse is when the earth cuts in front of the path between the sun and the moon. with a solar eclipse you basically have a circle blotting out the face of the moon. in this one the moon takes on a reddish color. >> you did well in astronomy class, i'm impressed. of course all this on winter solstice. happy first day of winter, everybody. 'tis the season to go shopping. it's that we go shopping a lot.

>> with only four days left until christmas, t.j. winick shows us retailers are upping the ante, trying to get us in the stores before saturday. >> reporter: with just days until christmas, retailers are rolling out the red carpet. from sunup to sundown. jcpenney's holiday hours are 6:00 a.m. to midnight. toys "r" us locations will remain open 88 consecutive hours, leading up to saturday. >> this is going to be one of the highest retail periods in the history of mankind. every day from now until christmas will be massive. >> reporter: according to industry experts the last ten days before christmas can account for one-third of total holiday sales. online sales are especially hot. >> so far we've seen for the season to date, online sales were up 13.5% up from last year. that's a great number, especially considering that retail sales are only growing 3% to 4% year to year. >> reporter: the hot item, jewelry. with many having more cash to spent than last year, luxury items are back. >> it's much better than we

projected here. due to people really letting go a bit. >> reporter: retailers are pulling out all the stops with deep discounts. 50% off at gap plus another 20% if you bought this past weekend. last-minute customers will be treated especially well. >> you'll have these ambassadors standing there with special gift cards, special discounts, because they want you in the store and they're going to reward you for that. >> reporter: the national sales outlook is optimistic. las vegas retailers face an uphill battle. with the highest unemployment rate in the country. >> people aren't spending what they used to spend. >> reporter: the national retail federation had been predicting a 2.3% increase in holiday sales this season. now they think it will be a full point higher. t.j. winick, abc news, new york. >> we certainly reported the sale of luxury goods is also up and some people say is an indicator the economy could be turning around. we see a lot of indicators but you always hope.

>> let's hope so

hurry up. the lame duck congress, the lawmakers' incredible pace, and what is next on their agenda. travel turmoil. the destructive western storms and the wintry wallop in europe. >> i'm truly sorry for every spoiled christmas holiday. >> the frustrations for flyers. and, disappearing act. this morning's lunar eclipse and why it is so rare. it's tuesday, december 21st. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everybody. you have to feel so bad. thousands around the planet right now are stuck in airports. they're not even saying it's going to be hours, they're

saying it could be days. people can't get home for christmas all around the globe. >> i couldn't believe hearing after christmas. your heart goes out to all those people who won't get to see their friends and family. >> good luck to you guys all out there. good morning, everybody, i'm rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair. holiday shoppers aren't the only ones facing a saturday deadline. lawmakers on capitol hill are working furiously before the christmas break. >> there is a key vote in the senate today on sia. also the house will vote on food safety. karen travers is joining us now from washington with more on the congressional rush. hi, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob and vinita. after months of debate the senate's ratification of a new nuclear treaty with russia is calle dussio rkier a election when cgrss legislative members take off. under intense deadline pressure, this congress may have accomplished more in t

six days tha la sixths. >> the ayes appear to have it. >> reporter: after november mid-term elections, describby president obama shellacking, democrats laut an aggressive agenda for the remaining days they controlled boa. the white house was o congress could work its way through the lengthy to-do list. >> the president thinks hat >> the pdinrnmeing inks hat unemplont ianc extensions, don't ask, don't tell repeal, the dream act, tax cuts, and s.t.a.r.t. all can be done in the next 18 days? >> yes. >> reporter: it took more than 18 days. but the house and senate checked off several big-ticket agenda items. including the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. the first step in lifting the ban on gays serving in the military. passing a tax cut bill that extended unemployment benefits. and approving sweeping new regulations designed to prevent outbreaks of tainted food. >> i think we're very proud what we've accomplished the last two or three weeks. >> reporter: the white house isn't taking a victory lap just yet and congress isn't finished. that may be the public posture. behind the scenes aggressive lobbying. president obama worked the

phones on monday, targeting republican senators in order to round up those final votes. rob and vinita? president obama is expected to sign the repeal of don't ask, don't tell tomorrow. it will take several months for the policy to take effect. in the meantime, the military is figuring out how it will implement the new rules allowing gays to serve openly. the first results from this year's census will be released today. and the government counted 308 million americans. that's the result of only modest population gains in the last decade. the census is also expected to show migration continues to the south and to the west. texas could gain four congressional seats, while new york and ohio could actually lose some. california is bracing for another hard hit of an intense pacific storm system. heavy rain is expected from one end of the state to the other, falling on already-saturated ground. storm barriers and debris basins may not be enough to protect neighborhoods from mudslides that have already closed some roads. thousands of customers have now

lost power and snow totals in the mountains could reach 20 feet by tomorrow. >> as the weather degrades, the west coast, west of the rockies will be the most impacted. lastly international. >> the torrential rains are expected all week and that threatens holiday travel plans not just for californians but for anyone traveling through one of its airports. minnesota is in for yet another pounding. last week's huge snowstorm destroyed, of course, the metrodome roof. we've all seen that footage by now. in today's storm, though, minnesota can expect several inches of new snow. that means this morning's commute will be a challenge to say the least. most schools have already announced some late starts. mountain snow fell on the charleston, west virginia, area causing big problems for commuters there as well. police were surprised how quickly road conditions changed yesterday after just a dusting of snow turned the pavement into ice. as you saw there are cold weather areas and some summer-like conditions elsewhere.

>> accuweather meteorologist ava dinges sorts it out for us. good morning to you, ava. >> good morning rob and vinita. winter officially begins this evening but it's really not feeling like it in the south. dallas 74 by the afternoon. houston at 77. this is all out ahead of a cold front, keeping the temperatures about 15 degrees above average, at least for now. that cold weather is on the way, pressing in across the midwest. we also have a snow storm across the midwest, wisconsin, and northern tier of illinois expected to see about 4 inches on the ground as they start off their morning commute, making for slippery travel. much of that will be ending as we go throughout the day. nothing quite ending in the southwest. still expecting very heavy rain. especially in southern california. even building back towards las vegas into southern utah where some areas could see an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain just as we go into the day. believe it or not another slug of heavy rain expected to move in on wednesday, and that will lead to additional flash flooding and even concerns of mudslides. but the good news is by thursday that should be moving out of the southwest. that storm now moving into the

midwest late week, bad news for holiday travel. now back to you, rob and vinita. >> ava, thanks. here's a look at the rest of your weather. showers in the pacific northwest and in the southeast, from alabama to kentucky. windy in the mid-atlantic states. the remainder of that atlantic nor'easter brings snow from massachusetts to maine. >> 41 in boston today. 37 here in new york. atlanta at 50. miami 73. a cold 68 in phoenix. 56 in sacramento. well, as ava mentioned plenty of americans wanting to be home for christmas are stuck in airports across northern europe. many of them going nowhere fast. nick watt reports from london's heathrow airport. >> reporter: the busiest international airport on earth. the busiest travel week of the year. the thousands of passengers now trapped at what they're calling hotel heathrow. they won't make it home for the holidays. >> coming home is like a present to my parents. i was even going to surprise them a little bit. >> reporter: this, london's worst snow in 25 years, the coldest december in 100 years.

heathrow is just not equipped to deal with it. >> i'm truly sorry for every spoilt christmas holiday, every disrupted travel plan. >> reporter: in germany thousands of flights were canceled. in paris one-third of all flights grounded. >> i tried coming in with air france. >> reporter: the guy on the left is the french transport minister. >> our flight was canceled, we weren't told our flight was canceled -- >> reporter: at brussels they just ran out of de-icer. >> they're closing the airport now, right? >> reporter: right, closed until wednesday at the earliest. many roads across europe are also a mess. and the railways? well, that is a five-hour line snaking around london's international train station. some passengers are angry. >> stop! >> reporter: but most a sanguine. >> sitting in the cold for three hours, you have no blood left to actually get excited so you just

sit there and wait. >> if i have to take a boat i will. >> good, determination. >> i will. >> good luck, i hope you make it. >> thank you. >> sadly, the news isn't great. temperatures are going to plummet again and a lot more snow is forecast. nick watt, abc news, london. also in britain a dozen men are being questioned in connection with what was called a large-scale terror plot. they were taken into custody early yesterday in four cities around britain. the men are believed to have connections to pakistan and bangladesh. they were under surveillance for weeks but unsuspecting neighbors were caught by surprise. >> i just heard a bit of a commotion about quarter to 5:00. i came out, police cars everywhere. >> with the current threat level in the uk severe, and with the information we had, i believe today's arrests were absolutely necessary in order to keep the public safe. >> there was no evidence that the men had connections to any plots here in the u.s. no word yet if investigators uncovered weapons or explosives. toyota is paying another huge fine after historic recalls. the automaker will pay nearly

$32.5 million to the government and that is a record. it settled investigations into toyota's recalls for stuck accelerator pedals and faulty steering mechanisms. the new fine is in addition to the $16 million penalty toyota paid in a separate investigation. it was a frightening trip for dozens of passengers when their greyhound bus erupted into flames along a busy interstate highway near indianapolis. the driver managed to stop and all the passengers got out. some climbed out through the windows. a mechanical problem may have caused the bus to overheat. another bus took the passengers into indianapolis. the annual nativity scene at a north carolina church is incomplete this morning. someone has stolen the baby jesus right from the manger. what is especially upsetting is that this nativity scene was in memory of someone special. the family of an elderly woman who died two years ago donated the scene in her memory. now they are hoping the thieves will be moved by the spirit of the season and do the right thing. >> let's hope.

as we've been showing you all morning there is a rare total lunar eclipse out there today. something that has not been seen since, get this, 1638. >> there it is. you can see we kind of time lapsed it so you can get a good idea of how it looked throughout the course of early this morning. you can see it there as it's sort of moving and covering up the moon. like we were saying earlier, different than a solar eclipse. >> a cool start to winter. we remind folks it is winter solstice. the first day, december 21st, believe it or not. a cool way to usher in the winter season. >> even though we've been freezing for weeks now. >> that's for sure. coming up this half hour, we'll talk to a nasa astronomer who's been keeping an eye on this and explain what exactly a total lunar eclipse is. and why one just like this hasn't been seen in 372 years. you're watching "world news now." ♪ now there's only love in the dark nothing i can say total eclipse of the heart ♪

monday night football, minnesota vikings taking on the green bay packers. and both teams taking on the cold. brett favre was a surprise star last night but he didn't last long. in the second quarter, favre gets hit hard, had to leave the game with a head injury. could that be the end of his career? who knows. his replacement, rookie joe webb, didn't fare much better. he threw two interceptions in the game. a blowout last night, final score 40-14. >> the real story of course in this game was the weather. the game was played at the university of minnesota because the metrodome is still damaged from last week's snow storm. >> and that made for the first outdoor home game in minneapolis since 1981. it was a cold one last night. kstp's jennifer copeland was there. >> reporter: fans huddled together, braving the snow and cold.

>> here we go, buddy. >> reporter: at the front of the line, some of the bravest. these guys got in line at noon. >> it's the same temperature in there, though. so what difference does it make? >> reporter: all to make sure they got in and got a guaranteed front-row seat. >> i think there's going to be upper and lower levels, otherwise it's wherever you can run to. >> reporter: across the street, u of m students sat waiting and watching, fingers crossed. hoping ticket holders wouldn't show up in all this snow. >> i was like, there's not going to be that many people coming so we have a good chance to get in. >> it's a once in a lifetime opportunity, really. >> exactly. >> 30 years since they played outside, so that's pretty cool. >> reporter: by 7:00 their wish came true. >> great news. we just heard from the stadium and we're all going over. >> we just got the news that we're getting in so we're pretty pumped. >> did you think you'd get in tonight? >> actually, we had no idea when we came. >> i'm so excited. it's such a good end to finals. >> reporter: one by one they got

their tickets and made a run for it. filling some of the stadium's empty seats. jennifer copeland for abc news, minneapolis. >> football fans enjoy a drink watching the game. this was at a college stadium so no alcohol was allowed last night. so you couldn't enjoy my favorite way to stay warm. >> you couldn't help but feel sorry for those athletes. watching them breathe out and seeing all the fog come out. i felt bad for the announcers. >> 19 degrees, 9 degree windchill, rough. we're in the middle of a rare celestial occurrence this morning. >> why this lunar eclipse seen over much of north america is such a sight to see. stay with us. lllllllllllllllllll

we are enjoying a very cool early christmas present this morning. it is a rare event that this planet hasn't seen in 372 years. a total lunar eclipse that coincides with the winter

solstice. >> it hasn't happened since 1638. joining us live on the phone from the marshall spaceflight center in huntsville, alabama, is nasa astronomer mitzi adams. thanks for joining us, we appreciate it. >> you're quite welcome. >> explain to folks why this is so rare. >> well, in all honesty, it's not so rare for there to be a lunar eclipse during or close to a solstice. it just hasn't happened for a while. the next occurrence, though, will be in 2094 so we won't have to wait quite as long. >> so mitzi, for people -- >> we'll be having another eclipse next year, actually, in december. which is kind of interesting. >> excuse me there. i just wanted to ask you, for people who don't have a clear idea of what exactly is happening, we're seeing these beautiful images as you speak. what really is a lunar eclipse when you explain in the most basic way? >> a lunar eclipse happens when

the moon is opposite from the earth, and the earth is in between the moon and the sun. and so the moon is actually just moving into the shadow of the earth. because the earth has an atmosphere, light refracts around the edges of the earth and gives the moon this lovely color that we're seeing right now, or that we would see if we weren't having rain here in huntsville, alabama. >> and for folks who may want to check some of this out as it happens this morning, what should they be on the lookout for? what will they actually see if they decide to check this out? >> if they were to go out right now they would see a moon that is very visibly dimmed in light. and some reddish color to the moon.

in, you know, about an hour or so, the moon will start to move out of the earth's shadow and will be getting some of the brightness back. >> one of the fascinating things to us at least is this can basically be seen across all of north america, can't it? >> that's right. that's the nice thing about lunar eclipses, that they can be seen over such a wide area. unlike solar eclipses, where essentially you have the shadow of the moon falling onto the earth. but the moon is so much smaller than the earth, its shadow is very small, and it only intersects a very small part of the earth. >> i'm sure as an astronomer you have a lot of interest in this. tell folks a little bit about how you yourself are kind of checking this out. i know the skies are cloudy in alabama, but how have you been able to get a glimpse of all of this? >> well, we've been looking at some of the live feeds from around the world. i think there was a particularly good one from chile and from miami. and i've been interested during

our live chat to see some of the reports from places like new mexico and a lot of people complaining about clouds, too. >> you mentioned solar eclipse. i think that's what so many of us are more familiar with. what is the basic difference between the two, what we're seeing today and what we have seen much more often? >> the basic difference is that the moon is in a different part of its orbit. right now the moon is full. during a solar eclipse, the moon would be new. so it would be in between the earth and the sun. so it's just kind of on the opposite side of us. and during a total solar eclipse you have the moon's shadow intersecting the earth's surface. and during the total lunar eclipse, you have the moon moving into the earth's shadow. >> all right, mitzi. we're out of time. thank you so much for joining us. enjoy the skies above alabama,

which you can check out this morning. we'll do the same here. >> all right. ard, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. hd 3 in fact, it only pays up to " 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying .up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp p medicare supplement insuranc. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor.

and i don't need a referral o see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare r supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits r your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually p no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep that accepts medicare. p your own doctor and hospital and best of all, these plans are... when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts # medicare,

call this toll-free number now.

"world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> okay. here's something you probably haven't seen in any other news show. and that is a spruce tree made of peeps. >> those marshmallow things really? >> those weird marshmallowy things. some woman from columbus actually decided to do this. that's what it is, all made out of peeps. she won't tell you how many are in there. she says thousands and thousands. it would assume it's the entire candy aisle. she said she basically builds this thing with steel then covers it with chicken wire, foam and felt before driving the structure over. then she puts all the peeps on it. it's on display at the christmas on the potomac display in suburban washington. there you can see it. it's really a fascinating use of one's time. >> we've all got to have a hobby i guess. >> this woman actually said, she kept reminding herself as she was getting more and more

fatigued putting them on, this was going to be a really cool christmas idea. >> now she's on "world news now." her life's goal has been achieved. the ladies will like this story. this comes out of the "orange county register." this is kind of sweet. i'm no romantic but this is kind of cool. this guy in california, a very christmassy way to propose to his girlfriend. she's at the mall taking her friend's kid to go see santa. she goes up, when the kids are done, santa says, wait, come here, come sit on my lap. boyfriend's in the mall, he has a secret plan he worked out with security at the shopping mall. he comes around from behind santa, proposes to her. puts the ring on her finger. she slides off santa's lap. she gets down on her knee to accept the ring. they've been married -- they've been together nine or ten years. both 27 years old. and that's how he decided to pop the question. santa right there in the middle. kind of cool. >> it's fascinating to me when santa said come sit on my lap she said, okay. i'd say, what's going on, santa? >> lucky it wasn't a bad santa. >> i'm not here for me today. this is actually really interesting. "the orlando sentinel" did an

interview with a burglar who actually was in jail and asked him, what are the most common mistakes people make during the holidays that leave them open for being burglarized? so, he made a whole list. these are the top five. the first, don't leave trash boxes outside. he said it's obvious you're out of town, you're advertising it if you've got a bunch of cartons and whatnot outside. number two, this is really interesting. they say no alarm signs on yards. >> i always thought it was a big det deterent to put the "this house is protected by" whatever. they're saying don't do that? >> they're saying often what happens is if we see brinks or any other company, we know how to disarm that particular brand. in a way we know how to beat that system, you've been advertised what system you have, we know we can beat it. number three, lock your cars after shopping. a lot of the people running into the mall don't realize they've left the car open. they say that's the easiest heist. number four, get a dog. believe it or not this burglar said, so often if we hear a bark we don't even want to deal with it. screw your electronics in. if you have a tv, take time and get wesapphire preferrede hard e

are worth 25% more on travel. we're like forget florida, we're going on a safari. so we're on the serengeti, and seth finds a really big bone. we're talking huge. they dig it up, put it in the natural history museum

and we get to name it. raus. sethasauraus. really. your points from chase sapphire preferred are worth 25% more on travel? means better vacations. that's incredible. believe it...with chase sapphire preferred your points are worth 25% more on travel when booked through ultimate rewards.

western washout. drenching downpours, threats of mudslides, and nonstop snow. the storm's threat to holiday travelers. terror crackdown. the frightening plot foiled in a huge raid and roundup. and, bug off. >> made you feel good for the holidays. >> exterminators and their generosity in the spirit of the season. it's tuesday, december 21st. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> of course all around the country, particularly here in new york, we've heard about bedbugs all year, and how rough they are and everything. but these guys have gotten together and done something very, very good. kind of a fledgling product to help people in need get rid of the bugs just in time, so they can actually enjoy their

christmas. cool story. >> that is a wonderful way to give. >> yeah, give some giving to get rid of the itches. good morning, everybody, i'm rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair. it is just the news most californian dozen not want to hear. more rain, snow and wind are now on the way. >> a pacific storm fueled by the jet stream has soaked california with a foot of rain since friday. many have been forced to evacuate because of floods as well as mudslides. as diana alvear reports, the storm also hit washington state. >> reporter: it was quite the wild ride in washington. watch this truck careen into several cars. the driver's brakes no match for black ice. the west coast has been walloped by wild winter weather. high winds whipped through seattle. neighbors woke to downed trees and power lines and shattered windows. >> it's like a tornado in your house. so everything went everywhere. >> reporter: in california, the sierras have been blanketed with 5 to 10 feet of snow. officials are on high alert for possible avalanches. they've closed roads and warned

drivers to get off the road. >> fantastic. i'm already stressed out over this. >> reporter: in other parts of california, communities are soaked from several days of steady rain. >> oh, i've never seen it like this in years. >> reporter: here in the hills above los angeles, all of this rain is posing a threat of mudslides. you see these catch basins here? when they fill up with mud, debris, and floodwaters, eventually they'll spill over, threatening the homes in this area. >> here we go again. >> reporter: donna mclaughlin lost her home last year when the mud overtook the very railings that should have protected her home. >> the k-rails kicked out, formed a dam, tidal waves over my house. >> reporter: despite an estimated 3 to 5 inches of rain, so far the basins seem to be holding. the real worry, more rain is in the forecast. neighbors will have to watch and wait through what may be the wettest holidays in recent memory. diana alvear, abc news, los angeles. >> what a mess out there. of course there's always

someone though who will turn lemons into lemonade. a young man from bakersfield, california, is one of them. three days of rain flooded his neighborhood park, so he took out his jet ski for a spin. good news for him, that very same park could be a lake by the end of the week. also, north dakota is getting in the holiday mood with the help of a half a foot of snow. a winter storm warning in effect in the eastern part of that state. temperatures today will be in the low 20s. but by tomorrow morning it will be around zero even in north dakota. they think that is pretty cold and they're right. here in the northeast, there has not been much snow but it has been brutally cold as the holiday approaches. >> accuweather meteorologist ava dinges has the forecast for this first official day of winter. good morning, ava. >> good morning, rob and vinita. it has been very cold across the northeast for the past couple of weeks. now the winter season officially begins, at least into the evening hours. we have a cold dry flow again into the northeast. new york city barely into the

30s by the afternoon. when you factor in the winds it's going to feel even colder than that. but we're mainly in between two storm systems. one that's still bringing snow across maine, and another that's moving across the midwest, even chicago, about 4 inches of snow to deal with in the morning hours. slippery conditions along i-80. but much of that snow is tapering off as we head throughout the day. i wish i could say the same for the southwest. heavy mountain snow and heavy rain is expected to continue. this time mostly into southern california. los angeles, san diego, even back into las vegas expecting more heavy rain to fall into the nighttime hours. an additional 2 to 4 inches could be falling. and that means a concern for some additional flash flooding and even mudslides. that will be the case all the way into the central four corners. eventually the storm leaving the southwest by the late week causing problems for holiday travels in the midwest. now back to you, rob and vinita. >> thanks a lot, ava. here's a look at the rest of your weather. your home state of texas is the place to be. up to 20 degrees above normal today. on top of that, rain showers from alabama to kentucky.

snow showers in the upper midwest. seattle and portland catch the edge of all that western rain. >> seasonal temperatures most everywhere. 35 in new york. 22 in minneapolis. miami will be 73. phoenix is 68 which apparently is cool for them. we're all jealous. dallas will reach 78 degrees. well, the weather across northern europe is not doing any favors for thousands of americans still trying to get home for the holidays. airport officials out in brussels do not expect to have things back to normal there until tomorrow morning because there's simply not enough of that de-icing fluid to get the planes off the ground. thousands of flights from germany to britain have now been canceled. and the cold, icy conditions are also wreaking havoc with pre-christmas train service as well. also in britain a dozen men are now in custody accused of plotting what authorities are calling a large-scale terror attack. their alleged targets were all in the uk and officials say there are no links to an attack here in the u.s.

jim sciutto has more details from london. >> reporter: the raids came just before 5:00 a.m. police counterterror units, swarming on addresses in four cities across the uk. the most significant counterterror operation here in nearly two years. >> i just heard a bit of a commotion about quarter to 5:00. when i came out, police cars everywhere. >> reporter: police believe this was an al qaeda-inspired plot to bomb multiple targets in britain. so far, unidentified. they say it was necessary to act right away, an indication this plot may have been in its final stages. >> with the current threat level in the uk at severe, and with the information we had, i believe that today's arrests were absolutely necessary in order to keep the public safe. >> reporter: the 12 men were muslims of bangladeshi and pakistani origin. ranging in age from just 17 to 28. they've been under surveillance for weeks. authorities in the u.s. and europe are on high alert for attacks tied to this holiday season. the arrests follow a suicide bombing in sweden earlier this

month, and warnings in germany about a mumbai-style armed assault. the raids involved cooperation from several countries' intelligence services. at any one time, british authorities are tracking some 200 known terror cells and dozens of terror plots. but they learned something about this one that indicated they had to act now, possibly a communications intercept. and authorities here, like in the u.s. right now, are not taking any chances. they're exercising maximum caution. jim sciutto, abc news, london. toyota will be paying another big fine because of its major recalls. the automaker will pay a record $32.4 million to the government. that will settle the investigation into toyota's recalls for stuck accelerator pedals and for that faulty steering mechanism. a new fine is on top of a $16 million penalty toyota paid in a separate investigation. if you take a popular herbal remedy to treat the common cold, new research shows it does little good.

a federal study of 700 adults and children shows the herb echinacea shortened the average cold by just half a day. a previous study showed echinacea provided little benefit. americans spend more than $5 billion every year on treatments for the common cold. >> although half a day is a lot when you have a bad cold. isn't it? >> no kidding. astronomers and night owls are getting an early christmas present in these overnight hours. it is a very rare total lunar eclipse. because it's happening on the winter solstice, observers have been able to see it high in the sky, as opposed to closer to the horizon. during a total lunar eclipse the moon passes through the shadow created by the earth blocking the sun's light. there are two lunar eclipses next year but the u.s. will miss the one in june, and you'll only see part of the one set for next december. so if you're up, look out the window. if you're asleep -- >> oh well. >> welcome to the rest of the audience. >> no kidding. that bad weather in southern california did not stop hundreds of bikers from playing santa. >> they loaded up their sleighs for an annual trip across the

border. about 10,000 toys were delivered to the kids of tijuana. >> the toy run has been an annual tradition for the past quarter century. the bikers were not about to let a little damp weather stand in their way. >> we'll be right back. ♪ everybody's waiting for the man with the bag ♪ ♪ christmas is here again with the bag ♪ hó

and i'm going to introduce you in two weeks. he's a dentist so whiten your teeth. no coffee, no espresso. mm-hmm. ♪ [ female announcer ] crest 3d white toothpaste. the remarkable toothpaste that removes up to 80% of surface stains in just two weeks... hi. i'm paul. [ female announcer ] for a noticeably whiter smile in just two weeks crest 3d white toothpaste. also try crest 3d white rinse. ♪

as you've probably noticed it's that time of year when all those top ten lists are everywhere. one story you're sure to see is the top new story of the year, bedbugs. >> i met one family who found bedbugs taking a bite out of their christmas. but they did find a little help to get rid of all those tiny little grinches. >> reporter: weeks before the arrival of santa claus, laquita green and her 5-year-old son were already hosting some special visitors inside their queens apartment. >> here's a live bedbug right here. >> reporter: no milk and cookies for these guys.

they prefer to snack on your blood while you sleep. >> all these little dots, these little marks on my arm? those came after me. scratching, scratching, scratching, scratching. at first not knowing what was going on. >> reporter: what was going on was a bedbug invasion, one that had put a hold on her holiday. >> i can't see myself in here putting up a nice big tree and we're decorating and everything, fa, la, la, la, la. when we're itching every night. >> reporter: in the midst of all that itching, laquita noticed a small ad in the newspaper and quickly sent an e-mail asking for help. a short time later, here come the exterminators. ready to battle those bugs. >> nobody wants to get feasted on at night. and certainly, know one wants to get feasted on during the holidays. >> reporter: it's part of a program called taking a bite out of the holidays. a national initiative to help low-income residents get rid of those pesky bedbugs free of charge. it's all organized by bedbug

central, an online authority launched back in 2007. >> it made you feel good for the holidays. kind of giving something back to someone that couldn't really afford the treatment on her own. >> reporter: after an initial inspection -- they're so small, but you can find them with flashlights? >> yes. >> reporter: the experts wasted no time getting to work in laquita's apartment. they steamed, sucked, sprayed, encased, and even set up traps. >> as long as all the necessary steps are taken, you can definitely control them. >> reporter: it's work that would normally cost about $1,000. but 25 companies around the country have signed on this year to do it absolutely free. about a $300,000 donation overall. it's the second year of the project with the workers helping out at hospitals and even homeless shelters nationwide. >> one of those jobs you don't want to take your work home with you. >> reporter: that's true for reporters, too. my girlfriend would kill me. officials hope though that the program is now poised for major expansion.

>> next year we're hoping to hit all the major metropolitan areas, and hope to double it or maybe even triple it. >> reporter: there's been a bedbug resurgence around the globe in the past decade, thanks in part to travel, the buying of used furniture, changes in how pests are managed, and also a general lack of public awareness, that these bugs really do exist and can spread very quickly. >> everybody is going to be affected by them and everybody's going to come in contact with them. >> reporter: it's a scary, itch-inducing thought for many of us. but it was reality for laquita just days ago, before some unexpected help knocked at the door. did this really help to kind of save your christmas? >> this did save my christmas. this helped a whole lot. >> when the people come up and give you a big hug and say, why are you here, why are you doing this for us? you can smile back and say, we're doing it for you because you deserve it. you know. there's no better feeling in the world. >> no more itching. >> good for her, saved her christmas too.

bedbugs do not discriminate. they've been found in fancy stores, hotels and movie theaters. one cool thing you can buy. they call this the climb up insect intercepter. consider this a roach motel for bedbugs. put them at the base of your bed, chair, couch, whatever. and so before they climb up into your bed or your couch, they kind of fall inside here. so you know if you have a problem or not. very simple but helps you a lot so you don't have to have those bugs all over you. while you sleep. >> we've seen in the headlines, new york city public schools also struggling now with the infestations as well. >> more than double what they had last year. not going anywhere. >> just makes you cringe. >> there you go, you hate that. when we come back, a milestone for our parent company disney. >> the animated classic "snow white" premiered 73 years ago. celebrate with us. wswswswswswswñ

you've waited 372 years to see it so we figured we'd show

you that rare total lunar eclipse in the morning sky again. it's the live shot now of the moon without the sun's light bouncing off of it. >> that is because the earth is perfectly placed between the two. and like rob said, it's been 372 years since this happened on the winter solstice, the official beginning of winter. such a cool thing to see when it gets completely shadowed in there. >> we were just kids the last time it happened. today marks the 73rd anniversary of the disney classic "snow white and the seven dwarfs." can you name all seven? a little pop quiz for you. >> i know doc -- >> we're done here. >> blitzen. >> the reindeer -- >> sorry. >> for all seven correct names and more about the movie let's go into the abc news vault from july 22nd, 1983. >> magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all? >> reporter: when the mirror tells the wicked queen that she's been outclassed in the beauty department by her stepdaughter snow white, those of us who were children in the

1930s weren't a bit surprised. we knew that the queen wasn't going to sit still for that. and we were trapped. >> take her far into the forest. >> yes, your majesty. >> and there, my faithful huntsman, you will kill her. >> reporter: "snow white and the seven dwarfs" premiered here in hollywood in december 1937, and on its first release it was seen by more people than saw "star wars" on its first release. now it's on its sixth re-release. and the first feature length cartoon ever made has become one of the ten most popular films of all time. it won for walt disney this unique statue, an oscar with seven dwarf oscars. spectacular vindication for what hollywood had called disney's folly. hardly anyone believed that moviegoers would sit through an hour and a half cartoon. production costs escalated from $150,000 to $1.5 million. and in the depths of the depression, disney had to show

bankers clips of the uncompleted film to keep the money coming in. almost everyone had underestimated disney's genius and enthusiasm. >> he lit a fire under all of us. every one of us worked saturdays, sundays, nights, everything else. we loved it. everything was new. >> reporter: there are many reasons for the world's love affair with this movie which disney extracted from a fairy tale by the brothers grimm. >> the names fit their personalities. this pompous-looking individual is doc. ♪ whistle while you work >> reporter: the songs in the film had america humming and whistling in depression days. adriana, the voice of snow white, recalls at the age of 16 she could sing like a princess. ♪ i'm wishing for the one i love to find me, to find me ♪ >> reporter: there's a whole new batch of kids born since the last release of "snow white" in 1975.

parents are advised to bring handkerchiefs. steven vier, abc news, hollywood. >> first film ever to have a soundtrack album, too. so that was the first. >> very cool. [ male announcer ] this is the way most people choose a toothbrush.

with so many it's hard to see the difference. but this is the way his dentist chooses. fact is, more dentists use an oral-b toothbrush than any other brush.

trust the brush more dentists and hygienists use...oral-b. a rare treat for all you star-gazers this morning looking at a total lunar eclipse happening this morning. the first time in almost 400 years this has happened on winter solstice, the first official day of winter. >> we were talking about this earlier. this is a live shot of what it looks like. this is the moon without the sun's life bouncing off of it. because the earth is perfectly placed between the two. a very cool thing to see. finally, if i were to ask you what activities retired folks typically do, what would you say? >> enjoy their lives. >> yeah, amen to that. well, there's one nebraska grandmother that is anything but typical. abc news on campus reporter aaron james has her story. >> reporter: it's a bike race that pairs obstacles with rough terrain. known as cycle-cross, the

physically demanding sport probably isn't the place you'd expect to see a 68-year-old former schoolteacher and church organ-playing grandma. meet nancy brown. >> if you're going to be on a bike you might as well see if you can beat somebody. >> reporter: she began riding bicycles four years ago after suffering a heart attack in 1997. >> didn't want it to repeat and it was already, you know, that ten-year mark that they say you're going to end up back in the hospital. i started riding my son-in-law's bicycle. >> reporter: soon she got a bike of her own with fenders and a basket. >> after a month or so the basket was gone and i took the fenders off. and i got clip-on shoes and was trying to go faster. >> reporter: that attitude didn't surprise her daughter, sidney brown. a semi-pro cyclist herself. >> she's fiercely competitive. and that's another exciting part about her getting to do this is because finally she's got more of a way to express that. >> reporter: that competitive spirit is what keeps her going, even after crashing and losing teeth.

>> and so i get up, i'm all disgusted, because i could feel they're loose. i spit them out and i threw them. this gal, young gal that was with us, oh, that was your teeth! yeah. >> reporter: brown says it's not all about the racing. >> the fascinating thing to me, when i got -- first got my bike, i could not stand up and pedal more than one stroke. my legs would not hold me. and now, i can stand up almost any length of time. and it's just amazing even at an advanced age how much fitter a person can get. >> reporter: how did brown finish at her last race? >> well, i wasn't last. i beat a lady that's ten years younger. made my day. >> reporter: and that's something she can really cheer about. for abc news on campus, aaron james, bennett, nebraska. >> may we all age that

here, at home... ...and on the go... ...with some really big news. it's b-i-g -- big. at&t high speed internet at home... ...includes wi-fi access on the go...woo-hoo! [ both ] it's an unbelievable deal. [ chuckles ] well, gotta go. but wait -- there's more... [ female announcer ] go to the website below now and get at&t high speed internet for the unbelievably low price of $14.95 a month for 12 months. it's the fastest internet for the price. so go online now. you can chill online at a park. he, dgiepidgie. [ coos ] and surour internet at home at yourinudes accesokstore@ to the entire at&t national wi-fi network on the go. [ female announcer ] for a limited time, go to the website below to get high speed internet for $14.95 a month for 12 months. it's the fastest internet for the price. go online now. it's an unbelievable deal. so why wait? act now, act now! like he said... ♪

destructive downpours. california's record rainfall and flood damage. and today's threat of mudslides. face to face. a transplant patient meets her donor's family. >> i really just want to hug her. >> a story of gratitude. and, retail rush. last-minute tactics to put you in a buying mood. it's tuesday, december 21st. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> you know what puts me in a buying mood? give to it me for free. >> that's right. >> then i want to buy it. >> free is good. good morning to, everybody, on this first day -- it felt like it for longer than today.

i'm rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair. the week before christmas has turned hellish for millions living in california. virtually the entire state is now bracing for more bad weather. >> a powerful pacific storm has already dumped record rainfall and another foot could fall before friday. on top of all that, mudslides, snowstorms, powerful winds, everything going on out there right now. mike von fremd has more. >> reporter: calls to more than 2,000 residents of kern county went out to evacuate immediately. an estimated 500 homes are in danger in the central valley. in sacramento, high winds toppled a wall at a shopping mall, panicking those inside. >> everybody started running. >> reporter: there's already been more than six inches of rain in beverly hills since friday. eight inches in san luis obispo. mammoth mountain could receive more than 20 feet of snow through wednesday. in northern california, more than 280,000 customers are without power. in spokane, washington, the treacherous ice caused a chain-reaction pileup that never seemed to end. meteorologists say these huge rain totals are because of a

weather system just south of hawaii. >> the pineapple express is something that takes warm, subtropical moisture and streams it into the area, sometimes lasting for days. >> reporter: engineers are fighting mother nature by building large storm basins to funnel the floodwater. this is one of many enlarged debris basins. and this is really the front lane of defense. excavation crews are trying to remove as much mud as possible. but there's a chance they could become overwhelmed. la canada, california, streets are protected with concrete barriers in case the mud starts flowing again like it did in february, when it washed away homes and cars. torrential rains are predicted all week for what is supposed to be sunny california. the system is so powerful, it may reach all the way to the east coast, bringing a white christmas. mike von fremd, abc news, la canada, california. no surprise, minnesota can count on a white christmas this

year. following last week's huge snow storm that destroyed the metrodome roof, several inches of new snow now expected. and that's great for a holiday but the morning's commute, as you can imagine, will be very slow going. most schools have already announced late starts. and cape cod in southern massachusetts caught the edge of a nor'easter that spared the rest of the east coast. up to ten inches of snow will fall before it's all over. that front is now fading but boston, vermont, and maine could get more snow today before it's finally gone. boston and new york are still shivering in the cold that's for sure. >> the good news just keeps coming in from our weather trouble spots all over the map this morning. accuweather's ava dinges is tracking it all. good morning, ava. >> good morning, rob and vinita. the winter season officially beginning into these evening hours, but it's already been feeling wintry-like across the northeast. now we have that cold flow coming out of canada. new york city barely into the 30s. factor in the winds, it could be feeling more like the 20s. as we head outdoors. we do have some snow continuing with the storm mainly across maine. areas like bangor could see

another 4 inches of snow. we could see 4 inches left on the ground in chicago. but much of the snow coming in with a new storm is going to be fading out. just western pennsylvania may pick up light snow into tuesday night. that's about it. the east coast staying dry. the southwest, a very wet weather pattern mainly across southern california, building back into las vegas and utah as well. the higher elevations picking up heavy mountain snow. good news for some of the ski resorts in western colorado, back into utah. very bad news into the southwest in lower-lying elevations as flash flooding is still going to be a major concern for los angeles, san diego, back into las vegas. and mudslides a problem as well. now back to you, rob and vinita. >> all right, thanks a lot, ava. now here's a look at the rest of your weather. the pacific northwest gets some of the rain that's now drenching california. the southwest and rockies also get a big dose. scattered showers from alabama to kentucky, east texas will see near-record heat. sounds good. >> all right. here's a look at today's highs. 68 in phoenix. 78 in dallas. 48 in seattle.

40 in salt lake city. chicago a chilly 35. new york a breezy 35. 37 in baltimore. 73 in miami. prechristmas travelers stuck in airports across northern europe are facing some incredible delays that are being measured in days, not hours. the worst situation is at london's heathrow airport, which is the busiest international airport on the planet. a snowstorm over the weekend crippled heathrow's operations, stranding thousands of people around the world. it may take until after christmas, that's right, after christmas, to get things finally back to normal. also in britain this morning authorities are questioning a dozen men in connection with an alleged large-scale terror attack. they were taken into custody early yesterday during raids in four british cities. all the suspects are believed to have links to pakistan and bangladesh. officials said they had been under surveillance for several weeks. there is no evidence they are connected to any plots here in the u.s. a colorado man who wrote a how-to book for pedophiles is in

a florida jail facing obscenity charges. philip greeves was arrested at his home yesterday morning by deputies in florida. the book caused a lot of controversy after it shows up on amazon.com's website. it was pulled after protests. the arrest warrant came after grieves sold a book to deputies in florida. we should get the first results of the 2010 census today. most, if not all, of the counting is done. it is expected to show only modest population gains and a continuing migration to the south and the west. because of its increasing population, texas could gain four congressional seats while states like new york and ohio should lose seats. lawmakers in the house are expected to give final approval today to a sweeping new food safety bill. >> the house and the senate have both been involved in an unusual flurry of activity as the lame duck session winds down. karen travers is joining us from washington with a look at what they have been up to. karen? >> reporter: good morning, rob

and vinita. it is a sprint to the finish line on capitol hill this week. the most contentious issue on the senate's to-do list is that nuclear treaty with russia, known as new s.t.a.r.t. the agreement was signed by president obama and his russian counterpart in april. it requires both countries to reduce their arsenals to 1,550 missiles over seven years, a 30% reduction from the previous s.t.a.r.t. treaty. republicans are trying to block the accord because they have concerns it would weaken the nation's missile defense system. >> we are reducing to the level that i think makes many of us uncomfortable. >> reporter: also taking issue with the democrats' push to get this passed before the next congress takes over in january. that is, of course, when the democratic majority shrinks by five. >> a decision of this magnitude should not be decided under the pressure of a deadline. >> reporter: the democrats are saying time's up. senate majority leader harry reid has scheduled a vote for today to end the debate. >> we've made some real progress in this. and i do hope this matter can pass. >> reporter: 67 votes are needed to ratify the treaty and it's still uncertain democrats can corral enough republican support

to get the measure passed. >> the white house believes that before congress leaves town, that the senate will ratify the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty. >> reporter: publicly the white house is expressing optimism that the treaty will get ratified. behind the scenes there is aggressive lobbying. president obama spent a lot of time on monday calling republican senators to try and round up those final votes. rob and vinita? well, because we're all here in north america, we have a front-row seat to a true astrological treat, a full lunar eclipse. it's an extra special one happening in these overnight hours. today is the winter solstice which means the eclipse is taking place particularly high in the sky, as opposed to closer to the horizon. it's got skywatchers all fired up. >> it's a total lunar eclipse which is awesome because you don't get just that partial aspect of it, you actually get the full eclipsing of the moon where the earth's shadow passes over. >> some indirect sunlight is what's giving the moon a

somewhat ghostly color. there are two lunar eclipses next year. but neither will offer as clear a view to us here in the u.s. >> waited 372 years for it so enjoy it. monday was graduation day at palm beach state college. and katherine was there to pick up her diploma. the 89-year-old widow earned an associates in arts degrees. >> wow. more than 70 years after high school, she says it was always her dream to go to college. she turned 18 during the great depression, so she went to work instead. >> then she got married and had a family. in january, she started at florida atlantic university, where she will work toward a bachelor's degree in english. she may have had a classmate also in the same shoes. >> no kidding. >> we'll be right back. ♪ graduation day

[ male announcer ] little oliver had a fog horn nose.

it shattered his tissue with hurricane blows. no person or place was safe from the spray. but his mom had new puffs ultra soft & strong to save the day. with lotion-free pillows to cushion the force. puffs holds up better than value tissue of course. next time oliver blew his horn, he reached for puffs ultra soft & strong. a nose in need deserves new puffs ultra soft & strong indeed. when you prefer a lotion tissue, try puffs plus lotion.

welcome back, everybody. welcome back, everybody. well, over the past few years you've likely heard the story of connie culp, the first american to get a face transplant. >> it is a season of giving for connie. for the very first time she got to thank the family that gave her the gift of a new life. diane sawyer was there for their emotional meeting. >> reporter: you may remember connie culp. for whom life was barely life after she had been shot in the face by her husband. doctors at the cleveland clinic performed the nation's first full face transplant. over the years, we have been so moved and inspired by her joy. >> what a great day it is. yee-ha! >> do you know anything more about the donor? >> they've never contacted me. >> reporter: that was last august. just this weekend, she was still wondering.

>> is there a resemblance? i'm curious. >> reporter: and we were there when she did. >> she was my wife. she was my friend. i, um -- miss her. >> reporter: the woman who gave connie her future was about the same age. her name was anna. ronald kasper was married to her for 22 years. her daughter said she was incredibly generous. >> she taught me to be a very forgiving and generous person, just like she was. >> reporter: it turns out two weeks before christmas, anna had suffered a fatal heart attack. a day later, the devastating news. her body was stable but she was brain dead. >> grieving was hard. it's really hard when you lose somebody that you love. but you really can find so much comfort in knowing that they're helping someone else. it helps a lot, it really does. >> reporter: she had wanted to be an organ donor, and altogether her body helped 50

different strangers. and then, someone who needed something else. >> it was a rather extraordinary request. it was the thing that anna would have wanted to do. she would have wanted to help. >> reporter: we were there when connie and the kasper family met and spoke for the first time. >> what do you say? i mean, thank you's not strong enough, you know? i don't know them, but i feel like i love them so much. to do something so wonderful for somebody. i thought i was going to walk around like that forever. >> reporter: for anna's daughter, one hope. >> i really just want to hug her. >> reporter: after all these years, two families meet. and in connie's face she saw her mother's perfect nose and

perfect grace. >> i'm so glad you did this for me. >> what a remarkable story. really is incredible. >> unbelievable to think of the emotions involved in all of that. the husband was doing an interview with a newspaper in cleveland and he went on to say, they also had such similar attitudes. the smile, he said connie's smile reminds him of his wife. i can't imagine what it must be like to see that. >> like she's still with us in a strange kind of way. it was this bizarre murder-suicide, and the husband in the case who did that was convicted, seven years in prison for aggravated attempted murder. so he's paying his debt as well. incredible story. >> good to see connie looking much better. when we return, it's time for your "skinny." stick around.

♪ skinny, so skinny welcome back, everybody. interesting news out of hollywood this morning. for those of you who may watch "30 rock." we found out, according to "entertainment weekly" scary news. but it worked out well. actor tracy morgan, former "saturday night live," now "30

rock," actually had a kidney transplant. pretty serious procedure. sometime earlier this month around december the 10th. he's going to miss two to three episodes of the show that will air sometime in march. the writers of the show are going to write it into his character there on the show. interesting too here, he's not the first cast member to undergo kidney transplant. chapman who's a member of his security detail on the show actually had one earlier this year, then became a spokesman for the national kidney foundation. apparently he's okay, he's recovering well. he was seen at a knicks game on friday. so he's bouncing back well. he was diagnosed with diabetes in 1996 and says when he first started the show he didn't take it seriously until the doctors said, you could lose a foot here. they don't know whether the kidney is linked to the diabetes or not. not but he's doing well, and he'll get back in there. >> "30 rock" wouldn't be the same without him. >> no, he's great. so he's recuperatinrecuperating. so kelsey grammer. if you've missed even a hot

minute of this guy's love life it's certainly been interesting. right now he is aged. he's 55 years old and he's engaged to that woman who's 29 years old. he's still married to this woman whose name is camille grammer who i think he was with for something like 13 years. all of this according to sugarsugar.com would make him the perfect spokesperson for their website, which is a website that basically encourages older men to get with young, beautiful women who are seeking a rich, older man. according to radaronline they've offered him $1 million to endorse sugarsugar.com. with this deal he'd also be given a lifetime membership, and he gets to give expert dating advice in monthly mentor posts on the site's blog. so interesting tidbit about the website. it was actually started by a real sugar daddy himself who apparently -- i guess the term for the woman on the other end of a sugar daddy relationship is a sugar baby. i didn't know that. >> oh, really? >> no word yet -- willis is chiming in. no word if he's going to accept or not. his pr people are saying, we don't know anything about it. >> who knew frasier was such a freak all these years? who would have thought, man? >> really let us into that whole -- >> that's the ex-wife on that "real housewives of beverly hills."

we'll see if he takes the money. sugar daddy, kelsey grammer. interesting story, along the same lines here. this story is one of my favorites here. gene simmons was giving a radio interview and kind of talked about his conquests, let's say, after almost 40 years on the road with kiss. take a look at how he documents the many women he's with. 5,000 nearly in all. >> on every key you have the name of the city and the room number. how do i put this poetically? polaroid photos of the ladies who graced my bed and my room. i put my hotel keys next to the photos as a kind of a memento. >> 5,000 polaroids of all his conquests. all right, gene. quickly. so last week, we showed you the kardashians' holiday photo. now we're seeing some other celebrities' holiday cards. the kardashians' is there. you're about to see paris hilton's coming up. but the one that a lot of people are talking about, especially this morning, is joy behar's. take a look at what she did. keep in mind bill o'reilly made her storm off the set of "the

view." but apparently, they're doing well this holiday season. >> i think they may be photo-shopped. around his house. these people chose freedom over restrictions. independence over limitations. they chose mobility. they chosehe scooter store. and this is the team of mobility experts who made it all happen. ii great news, you've been approved for payment. dr. cruz, i'm calling on behalf ofmarie stanford. and they can make it happen for you. hi, i'm doug harrison, if you're living with limited mobility, call the scooter store today. i promise, no other company will work harder to make you mobile or do more to ensure your total satisfaction. i expected they'd help me file some paperwork with medicare and my insurance. i never expected them to be so nice or work so hard to get me a power chair at no cost to me.

if we qualify you and medicare denies your claim for a w scooter or power chair, i'll give it to you absolutely free. that's the scooter store guarantee. we'll wo with your insurance company, even help with financing. if there's a way, we'll find it. when they delivered mom's power chair, i expected they'd show her how to use it once or twice. that man stayed for hours! whatever it takes, as long as it takes. that's our guarantee. why do we go to < uch great lengths? because making you mobile is our mission. we'llwork wit your doctor. we'll work with medicare and lçur private insurance. we'll even service your scooter anywhere in the country. call the sco÷"er store today.

looking at some live images right now of a lunar eclipse which is a very rare thing. 372 years since we've seen one under these predicaments. if you're thinking this looks like a solar eclipse you'd be wrong. they're kind of different things. essentially, a lunar eclipse is when the earth cuts in front of the path between the sun and the moon. with a solar eclipse you basically have a circle blotting out the face of the moon. in this one the moon takes on a reddish color. >> you did well in astronomy class, i'm impressed. very cool. of course all this on winter solstice. happy first day of winter, everybody. 'tis the season to go shopping. if retailers are asking for any gifts this season, it's that we

go shopping a lot. >> with only four days left until christmas, t.j. winick shows us retailers are upping the ante, trying to get us in the stores before saturday. >> reporter: with just days until christmas, retailers are rolling out the red carpet. from sunup to sundown. jcpenney's holiday hours are 6:00 a.m. to midnight. toys "r" us locations will remain open 88 consecutive hours, leading up to saturday. >> this is going to be one of the highest volume retail periods in the history of mankind. every day from now until christmas will be massive. >> reporter: according to industry experts the last ten days before christmas can account for one-third of total holiday sales. online sales are especially hot. >> so far we've seen for the season to date, online sales were up 13.5% up from last year. that's a great number, especially considering that retail sales are only growing 3% to 4% year to year. >> reporter: the hot item, jewelry. with many having more cash to spent than last year, luxury items are back. >> it's much better than we projected here. due to people really letting go

a little bit. >> reporter: retailers are pulling out all the stops with deep discounts. 50% off at gap plus another 20% if you bought this past weekend. last-minute customers will be treated especially well. >> you'll have these ambassadors standing there with special gift cards, special discounts, because they want you in the store and they're going to reward you for that. >> reporter: the national sales outlook is optimistic. las vegas retailers face an uphill battle. with the highest unemployment rate in the country. >> people aren't spending what they used to spend. >> reporter: the national retail federation had been predicting a 2.3% increase in holiday sales this season. now they think it will be a full point higher. t.j. winick, abc news, new york. >> we certainly reported the sale of luxury goods is also up and some people say is an indicator the economy could be turning around. we see a lot of indicators but you always hope. >> let's hope so. some incentives out there when i go shoppia flight to hawaiie bok

using our points from chase sapphire. last minute... on christmas. and sitting next to us, chevy chase. and we really hit it off. we play golf, and then the luau. he's like da vinci with ice. and after, we help hang christmas decorations. wait, wait, wait. you flew last minute... on christmas... with points from chase sapphire? yeah. amazing. believe it. with points from chase sapphire, you can book airline tickets with no blackout dates or restrictions.