good morning, america. i'm robin roberts. >> and i'm george stephanopoulos. it's friday, september 17th. and this morning, savage storms rip through new york city and the northeast, killing at least two. trees toppled on downtown streets. thousands run for cover from dangerous lightning. testing the tea party. christine o'donnell faces new questions in her first debate since her primary victory. while the woman who helped her win heads to iowa. is it a sign of a palin presidential run? the horrible attack that was all a hoax. after getting worldwide sympathy, this woman now admits she threw acid on her own face. but why?

natalee holloway's mother caught sneaking into the prison where joran van der sloot is being held. and prince william officially gets his wings. the sky's the limit for the man who would be king. good morning, everyone. george, at one point, i thought i was back on the gulf coast. >> this was a scary several minutes in new york city last night, right around 5:00, when these green clouds just came roaring in. >> it's one for the record books. winds of up to 100 miles per hour whipped through the city at the height of rush hour. in some streets, almost every tree came down. you see there? right out of the sidewalks. and investigators are heading out this morning to see if a tornado actually touched down. we've only had eight tornadoes since 1950, here in the city. and the storm, all caught on tape.

from stadiums to street corners. new yorkers had their cameras rolling. and we're going to bring you the extraordinary pictures. and sam is in queens, smack-dab in the middle of that damage. >> everyone is a cameraman. everyone, a journalist. we have amazing pictures. also this morning, a father's fury caught on tape. he stormed on a school bus to face bullies of his daughter. we're going to get reaction of kids and parents. this is a big debate. some say he went too far. others say they get it. we had a lively debate in the staff meeting about this yesterday. you'll see it on the tape coming up. we begin with the wild weather. sam, in one of the hardest-hit areas out in queens. sam? >> good morning, robin. we're in flushing, queens. if you look at the widespread damage in this neighborhood, it is everywhere. when you talk about those green skies, whenever we're covering storms and you see green skies, it's meant tornadoes for me.

and i tell everyone to take cover right away. look at the root of this tree down. it's a four-story-tall tree. over the lines, all the way across 157th street. i don't know if you can see the car that's back in here. back in there. a tree so big, you can't get your arms around it. and there are thousands of trees just like this, all across the tristate area. so many tree ises that one of the schools is closed. you can't get to it. >> this is a tornado. >> reporter: the ferocious storms moved in fast, with 100-mile-per-hour winds, right at the height of rush hour. new york's skyline, 15 lightning strikes. trees some four-stories high, ripping the roots and the pavement with them, in all five boroughs in manhattan. >> the wind had no problem knocking this over. >> reporter: the wind was also powerful enough to flip tractor-trailers and snarl traffic to a standstill. one woman who pulled over to ride it out, was killed by a

falling tree. haet was on the road when the storm hit. >> like a giant car wash. everything started spinning. >> the wind just came and tore everything like a pair of scissors. came through like -- just cutting like scissors. >> reporter: train service was halted on the largest railroad of the united states, tranding tens of thousands of customers. all around the city, an army of citizen journalists captured every frightening moment. from city field, home of the mets. to brooklyn and queens. >> it was horrible. i thought it was the end of the world. >> reporter: earlier thursday, the same storm system moved through ohio. 11 tornados were reported, destroying homes. leaving one person dead. and when the storms cleared, no, city mayor, mike bloomberg, toured the damage. >> i heard about this gentleman who was lucky. i thought i would come over to wish him the best. nothing i can do to fix his car. but thank goodness i don't have to visit him in the hospital. >> 15 minutes.

that makes it more frightening. 15 minutes all this damage happened before the storms cleared the area and kept moving across long island. we'll show you lightning pictures. everyone out taking pictures of the skies. there were thousands of lightning strikes within that 15-minute to 20-minute period. >> it was so quick. in and out. we'll back to you later. now, the stunning development in the case of the 28-year-old vancouver come who garnered international sympathy when she claimed an attacker threw acid in her face. she admitted thursday it was all a hoax. she did it. why? bethany storro mutilated herself by throwing acid in her own face is still a mystery. mike von fremd is in los angeles with the latest. good morning, mike. >> reporter: good morning, robin. people are shocked, saddens and downright dumbfounded that this woman would not only mutilate her own face. but tell a lie to the world. this is bethany storro before august 30th.

and this is bethany storro after. the young woman who said she was a victim, has confessed she was, in fact, a fraud and did this to herself. >> during the interview, miss storro admitted that her injuries were self-inflicted. the attack itself did not occur, as she had previously reported. >> reporter: with her entire body wrapped in bandages, bethany storro accused an african-american woman of splattering acid in her face were no reason. >> once it hit me, i could actually hear it bubbling and sizzling on my skin. >> reporter: no one doubted her story. doctors could see the burns. investigators listened to the frantic 911 call. >> she's crying a lot. she's in a lot of pain, with the acid in her face. >> reporter: the community sprung into action. police sketches of the alleged attacker were posted everywhere. a fund-raiser was scheduled this saturday. and oprah even asked bethany to appear on her show. but when storro canceled her appearance, freelance journalist, marcus griffith,

posted a blog, saying he had serious doubts about bethany's story. soon, speculation began spreading across the internet. >> she was willing to go on oprah. she's not shy of the media. >> reporter: investigators working hundreds of hours were also troubled by the timeline of bethany's alleged attack. >> all the little things didn't quite add up. >> reporter: vancouver is stunned to learn this is all a hoax. >> oh, my gosh. that's just -- that's unbelievable. >> i can't even fathom the pain. >> reporter: when investigators asked bethany why she did such a thing, the young woman simply has no answer. >> she is extremely upset. she's very remorseful in many ways. this is something that just got bigger than what she expected. >> reporter: for now, bethany is in the care of her parents. considering the circumstances, the city seems to be responding very gently to this troubled, young woman who's been crying out for help.

robin? >> all right, mike. thank you very much. for more on this troubling story, joining us now is commander marla schuman of the vancouver police department. has bethany spoken about the motive yet? >> we had lengthy conversations with her yesterday. there's a number of things, obviously, we can't speak about because there's potential criminal charges. in terms of motive, i think the detective who did the interviews probably has that information. it's not yet been made known to me. >> and were you as shocked as everyone else, by her confession? >> truthfully, there were red flags from the beginning. we had some questions. and there were a number of things that really weren't adding up in the story that she was giving to us. so, we weren't quite as shocked. i think we're more shocked that somebody would be in that state of mind to actually harm themselves in that way. >> you're right about that.

but can you tell us a little more about the red flags. what was it that she was saying and telling you that this didn't add up? >> i think initially, just the -- that the manner of attack, when she's talking about being splashed in the face with acid, and the demarcation, and the placement of the injuries on her face. that was a big red flag. the thought that she's wearing sunglasses at 7:30 at night, when she never usually wears sunglasses. just small things that didn't quite add up to a picture we would normally see. >> and you know people are wondering about her mental state. and she's in the care of her parents right now. is there anything from her past to indicate that she just something wasn't quite right? >> not that we had knowledge of. she doesn't have a criminal history. we didn't have knowledge of mental issues or of responding to her in that way. so, at this point, no. we're still trying to develop that. >> and how have people there responded to hearing that this was all a hoax?

>> well, it's a mixed bag. i think there are a number of people who are concerned about her and what would cause her to do such a thing. i think there are some people who are very angry because it did have an emotional response to the story. >> and there was a fund that was set up for her. there was going to be a fund-raiser in the next day or so. will she be charged with anything? >> there are potential charges right now. it depends on whether she did access funds. we're looking at potentially right now false reporting. and again, the charges are up to the prosecuting attorney's office. we're simply completing our investigation and handing it over to them. and they'll make that ultimate decision. >> but the fact that she had a sketch to work on. there were women there in your community. were they questioned about this? i mean, that takes it a little bit further. >> and we did. there was quite a few questions. we did a lot of canvassing. we spent numerous hours on this

case, trying to assess the credibility and the voracity. so, it's unfortunate, the number of hours it takes and the resources it takes. you always have to look at these cases as if they were. and make sure the community's safe. >> and that, you did. commander schuman, thank you very much. we turn, now, to politics. two days after her stunning victory in tuesday's gop senate primary in delaware, christine o'donnell had her first general election debate last night against her democratic opponent. high pressure for the candidate who not long ago was written off by just about everyone. claire shipman has more on how the new tea party start handled herself. >> reporter: she's going to be getting a lot more scrutiny over the next few months. again today as she speaks at the conservative values voter summit. if anything is a hint, christine o'donnell was determined not to make waves. the latest tea party phenom, fresh off the success of her primary victory, seemed to want

to turn the temperature and the controversy down a notch. >> it's my goal, to ask each delaware voter for your vote. >> reporter: o'donnell tried to reassure voters that she is not out of the mainstream. especially when asked directly about these eyebrow-raising comments she made in 1996. >> the bible says that lust in your heart is committing adultery. so, you can't masturbate without lust. >> i was in my 20s. and very excited and passionate about my new-found faith. but i assure you, my faith has matured. when i go to washington, d.c., it will be the constitution on which i base all of my decisions. >> reporter: meanwhile, the woman who helped o'donnell over the finish line, and who's become the political kingmaker for conservatives this election year, back in the spotlight and on the trail for other candidates. >> you don't retreat. you reload. >> reporter: and she has a star turn tonight, as she headlines the most important republican

fund-raising spot in iowa. the reagan dinner. >> kind of shaking up the good, old boys. some of these folks not liking it at all. >> reporter: but she played that issue cool on fox news. >> i would, if that's the right thing to do for our country. >> reporter: and one close friend and top republican fund-raiser, fred mallic, says he's not sure she is heading that way. >> i don't see her laying a ground work. >> reporter: now, sarah palin may not be meeting local officials, talking to a lot of fund-raisers. but certainly, george, her midas touch may be ground work. she's backed 43 candidates so far. only 11 have lost. and some have seen a turnaround based on her support. christine o'donnell. >> she may be the republican kingmaker. claire, thanks very much. president obama hit the campaign trail in a hotly-contested senate race last night. and this was not supposed to be one of the close senate races.

>> reporter: that's exactly right, george. president obama is on the campaign trail, visiting blue states, where he should be popular, but is not. trying to help candidates who should be cakewalking their way to victory. but connecticut, a state that has not voted for a republican for senate since 1982. in stamford, connecticut, president obama praised democratic candidate and attorney general dick blumenthal, who is facing off against former ceo of worldwide wrestling enterprises, linda mcmahon. >> i understand she's promised a smackdown. i can see somebody who has been in professional wrestling would think that they're right at home at the united states senate. >> reporter: the president tried a smackdown of his own. >> this is the kind of leader you want representing you. somebody who doesn't just show up and try to get a victory by writing a big check and flooding the airwaves with negative ads. >> reporter: so, why is this

race a tossup? >> this decision, in this election, should be a no-brainer. >> reporter: blumenthal is imperfect. but his approval rating is 70%. the quinnipiac polling director said this week, president barack obama appears to be a drag on blumenthal. a majority of likely connecticut voters, 52%, disapprove of how the president is handling his job. >> it's interesting for mr. blumenthal who, you know, wants to be on outsider to washington. and yet, he's thoroughly embracing, you know, the president coming in. >> reporter: and the white house is planning a busy fall schedule for the president. campaigning in california, nevada, wisconsin, illinois, ohio, pennsylvania, anywhere they feel he can do some good. >> when i spoke to the president last week. he said he was looking forward to getting back out on the campaign trail. but a lot of outside strategists say, maybe a rose garden strategy would make more sense. it would make more sense to

nationalize the election around the president in that way. did the white house debate that out at all? and what do they think he can do on the campaign trail? >> reporter: they did debate it. he can help with fund-raising, as he did in connecticut last night. second of all, they think he's good at framing the debate, such as the debate we had over the last few weeks over the bush tax cuts for the wealthiest americans. and third, of course, is rallying the base. the obama voters, getting them to the polls. >> jake, thanks very much. now, to juju chang with the rest of the morning's news. >> good morning, george and robin. good morning, everyone. we begin with a wake-up call about poverty in america. the census now says one in seven americans lives below the povrts line. that means a salary of $22,000 or less for a family of four. security at one of the nation's best-known hospitals is under review after a deadly shooting. a man upset over his mother's prognosis, shot a surgeon at johns hopkins in baltimore, before fatally shooting his mother and himself.

the surgeon is expected to recover. a stunning development in the case of missing alabama teen, natalee holloway. her mother, beth, has apparently met face-to-face with the accused killer, joran van der sloot. they gained access to the peruvian jail where van der sloot is being held. but the suspect refused to answer any of their questions about natalee's whereabouts. he's awaiting trial for murdering a peruvian woman. you've heard of glenn beck's big rally on the washington mall a few weeks back. there may be a different rally in a few weeks. jon stewart has set october 30th for his rally to restore sanity. he has cleared the paperwork and written the check. his message will be take it down a notch, america. and stephen colbert is planning an opposing rally. his march is keep fear alive. >> what would they do without

glenn beck? >> i don't know. juju, thanks a lot. and happy birthday, juju. >> thank you. >> happy birthday. time, now, for the weather. let's get back out to queens where we find sam champion. good morning, sam. >> good morning, robin. it's the kind of neighborhood anybody would look to live in. charming homes. tree-lined streets. these trees have been here for hundreds of years. in those 15 minutes last night, it became a frightening place. let's get to the boards. all of this is clearing away. hopefully they get the damage out in the next few weeks. a look at the northeast. it's cool, dry air that moves in. that's very good news. elsewhere, there's heavy rain in the tip of texas karl, which is mostly a mexico storm. but it could be an inch to two inches of rain, from brownsville, all the way up to corpus christi.

is a beautiful friday. the sky is mostly clear. you can see mostly sunny skies and the humidity will be dropping due to the cold front that pushes through. temperatures are in the 60's. it is a little bit cooler this time tomorrow and temperatures will reach the 80's. mostly sunny and we are live in flushing, queens. we'll have all of america's weather in the next half hour. robin? >> oh, seeing that damage from

the storm yesterday. all right, sam. britain's prince william has his wings. he graduated this morning from a royal air force training program that qualifies him to become a full-time military search and rescue helicopter pilot. nick watt has much more from london. good morning, nick. >> reporter: good morning, robin. well, flight lieutenant william wales is now ready to fly. ready to start a new chapter in his life. he's 28 years old now. is he also ready for marriage? there he is. no longer just a prince, but a qualified search and rescue helicopter pilot. what a dreamboat. >> it's very dramatic. it's very real. and it's very dangerous. >> there's nowhere to hide in the crew of a helicopter. >> reporter: like his brother, harry, who saw action in afghanistan, william, the heir, is not allowed to fight on the frontline. >> this is real-life rescue. for him this, is as good as it's going to get. >> reporter: he will fly seeking helicopters over the irish sea,

plucking stranded sailors and marooned mountaineers to safety. >> there are many search and rescue crews. don't throw yourself off a cliff. the chances of him rescuing you is very slim. >> reporter: now, with training over, will he finally ask kate to marry him? you think william and kate are pretty much engaged already. >> yes. my sources say they are as good as engaged. they made a pact. the engagement is a done deal. the only thing that needs to happen is for an official announcement to be made. i say we can look at an engagement in february or march. and, yes, a summer wedding. i'm not ruling out 2012. i put money on it. i don't put money on anything. >> reporter: one, final note. authorities here have warned that anyone making a fake distress call in the hope that william will come to their rescue, well, they might be charged the cost of that callout. robin and george, you have been warned. >> okay. we're going to stand down.

we'll stand down, nick. thanks so much. coming up, did this dad go too far to protect his daughter? he stormed on to a school bus to confront bullies. now, he's facing charges. what would you have done? and sleeping on the job with the boss' permission. does it make you a better worker? color, yellow, to the standard rgb color system, creating a vast array of colors you can't see with your tv's 3 color technology. but, you can see this... wow! oh my. [ male announcer ] quattron from sharp. you have to see it, to see it. [ takei laughs ] stay twice...

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>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> and good morning to you on this friday, september 17. i am alison starling with your local update. we will check on the morning

commute with jim russ. the beltway in prince george's county is tied up badly from route 450 to a crash on the outer loop at route 1 in college park. on the beltway heading over to the legion bridge, we are not doing badly at the moment. 270 traffic will still be heavy trying to get out of hyattstown. beyond that we have more delays getting through the germantown stretch. new york avenue inbound, the signals are on flashing red causing big delays. bright and sunny over the bay this morning and 70 degrees along the water. mostly sunny but a few clouds

are streaming overhead. overall, it will be a sunny and pleasant day today. it is a little muddy this morning but the humidity is quickly dropping and temperatures are in the 60's. we are on our way to the mid- 80's with mostly sunny skies and dropping humidity. the average guy is 79 degrees and dry weather pattern is taking shape today through next week. we are following breaking news this morning from southwest d.c. where there has been a police-involved shooting at 5:00 a.m. a man with a gun was walking near the capitol when officers opened fire when he pointed a gun at them. he was taken to the hospital and we will bring you more. we will be back with another update at 7:56.

how far would you go to protect your child? this dad confronted kids on a school bus who had been bullying his daughter. now, he's the one in trouble. he's actually facing criminal charges for that outburst on the school bus. we'll have that story and that debate, coming up. we say good morning, america. i'm george stephanopoulos. >> i'm robin roberts, on this friday morning. also ahead, you remember the scene two weeks ago at the discovery channel headquarters near washington, gunman james lee stormed into the building. forcing employees to flee and a day-care center to be evacuated before he took two people hostages. two of those people will join us

live and tell us about the scary hours. and how they made their daring escape. >> they were determined not to be victims. also, sleeping on the job. if you do it, you probably don't admit it. but what if you could nap in the office with your boss' approval? why more companies are bringing back nap time. >> is that an awful? ben & jerry's. we begin with a central florida father's rage, caught on tape, on a school bus. this father says his daughter was being bullied. but police say, this was not the way to deal with it. yunji de nies has the story, in seminole county. >> reporter: the video is blurred. but james jones' anger is clear. >> everybody sit down. everybody sit down. >> reporter: he orders his 11-year-old daughter to point out her alleged tormentors. >> show me which one. show me which one. >> reporter: jones confronts the middle school students he says has been bullying his daughter who has cerebral palsy.

bullies he said has taunted, hit, even thrown condoms at her. >> this is my daughter. >> reporter: jones threatens, not only the students, but the driver, as well. >> if anything happens to my daughter, i will [ bleep ] you up and everybody on this [ bleep ]. >> reporter: before leaving, he dares them to call the police. >> you call the police. call them. my brother's a damn deputy sheriff. >> reporter: school authorities did call. jones was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing a school function. after being released on bail, he defended his actions. >> my daughter is not going to be hazed and beat up and touched on. >> reporter: his attorney says the father of two was simply trying to protect his child. >> this young lady has been bullied since the first day of school. this is a new school for her. it was an overwhelming experience. she is currently on suicide watch because of this matter. so, we would ask everyone to reserve judgment.

>> reporter: police are also investigating the alleged bullies. >> i was upset, almost in tears because i don't threaten him and talk to him like that. i don't want anyone else to threaten him. for him to be afraid to ride the school bus the next day, that bothered me. >> reporter: the seventh grade students at the heart of this outrage could face charges of their own. for "good morning america," yunji de nies, abc news. >> some of the parents of the students on the bus, understand. others were very upset. especially the language used. >> go to our shoutout board at abcnews.com/gma. now, it's been two weeks since the gunman, james lee, walked into the discovery channel headquarters outside of washington, with bombs strapped to his body. he took three hostages. but these three refused to be victims. in a moment, we'll speak with two of them about the quick thinking and courage that saved their lives. but first, here's pierre thomas. >> reporter: the terror begins just after 1:00 p.m. at discovery channel headquarters.

>> 911. that's the problem? >> i think there's a man with a gun in the lobby. >> he said nobody move. and he shot in the air. and i ran. >> reporter: the suspect's name is james lee. and he's angry. furious about overpopulation and filthy humans damaging the environment. lee had been to discovery to protest before. arrested in 2008. as all hell breaks loose, lee picks up the lobby phone when a reporter calls. >> i have a gun. and i have a bomb. i have several bombs, strapped to my body, ready to go off. >> reporter: he takes a security guard and two employees hostage. >> i saw some men on the ground. i see a security guard, with his hands in the air. >> there's a day care inside. there's a lot of children inside. >> reporter: within minutes, officials scramble to get the children, including babies in their cribs, out. a full-scale evacuation of 1,900 employees is set in motion. >> folks, move as far away from the building as you can. >> reporter: nobody knows at the time, but lee's carrying a

starter pistol, not a real gun. but he's also wearing an explosive device strapped to his body. police say it's potentially lethal. >> he's not geffen tanks of propane. you'll see a sniper sniper asap. suddenly, the hostages decide to run. lee turns and pulls out his pistol. >> let's go. let's move, now. >> reporter: the s.w.a.t. team races in. lee is shot. killed in an instant. for "good morning america," pierre thomas, abc news, washington. and joining me now from washington are jim mcnolte and chris wood, co-workers that pulled off their own remarkable escape. it's so good to see you this morning. thanks to you both. jim, let me begin. it was a confusing scene when you walked into the lobby. didn't know what to make of the gunman at first. then, he asked to speak to you? >> yes. after i was laying on the floor for a while, he said, you, in the glasses, stand up. i stood up, with my hands up. what do you do? i didn't want to tell him i was

a producer. so, i told him i was in schedule. >> why didn't you want to tell him you were a produce center. >> just the way he was going on and on. it just seemed like, i didn't want to become part of what his problem was. so, i just thought if i came up with something innocuous, he would leave me alone. >> he also asked you about your children? >> he did. he had been saying that humans were the filthiest animals on the planet. and the planet didn't need kids. he said do you have kids? yes, sir, i have two. who told you to have kids? what's so good about your filthy children? i said, they're very kind, sir. and he continued on. well, you're having them sterilized, right? i'll tell them your thoughts on that. why wouldn't you do it? i think it's their choice, sir. >> so, you didn't tell him the truth about your job. but you did tell him the truth about your kids, despite those ravings you were hearing from him. chris, when you walked into the lobby, not long after jim.

and you were ordered to hit the ground. what's most remarkable, is you had the presence of mind to send text messages out to the world. >> i did. jim was actually between the gunman and i. and i could keep an eye on him. and i did start to -- i called back my boss. and then, returned an e-mail to my boss. and then, sent out two text messages, which i had just received, just to let individuals know that i was in the lobby. and he was in the lobby. >> we have one of them here. it was to a fellow discovery employee friend of yours, named carlos. you send to him -- let's put it up there. i'm being held hostage in the lobby. oh, my god, chris. please, tell mark i love him. chris, stay down. mark, a close friend of yours. >> yes. that's my partner. >> how did you think to continue to communicate with the outside,

knowing that this guy was looking right at you? >> well, actually, i was keeping an eye on him. when he was not looking at me was when i was sending those messages. >> at what point do the two of you decide we have to take care of this ourselves? >> i just finally was -- i was not going to die there. i was not going to die on that floor. and when i stood back up and i was standing right next to jim, we decided that it was time to run. and i mouthed to the guard that we need to run. he nodded his head, yes. i finally got jim's attention and said, run. and nodded his head, yes. we began to count down. this was not the way we were going to go out. >> how did you signal each other? >> i actually had my arm underneath my other arm. and i had three fingers up underneath of that. and i began counting down. and when i got to the bottom, i hesitated, as the gunman was staring right at me.

as soon as he looked down, i dropped and ran. >> jim, you don't know at the time the gun wasn't going to work. you certainly believed and the police had confirmed that the bombs could have actually gone off. but i'm wondering, did you have any sense of how much protection you might have had on the outside of what the s.w.a.t. team was doing? and whether they had the gunman in their sights? >> i knew that we had s.w.a.t. in the room with us earlier in the ordeal. i had noticed over by the elevator, that went down to our garage. i had seen a black sleeve. so, i knew that there was at least help close by. so, when christopher started to give the countdown, i -- he was actually facing in that direction. and i was thinking that he saw that s.w.a.t. was ready to move. so, christopher ran for the door. but i ran behind one of the large pillars to take cover. it only wasn't until i got there that i realized, oh, we're running out the door. i hesitated a moment behind there.

then, i took off. by the time i headed for the door, the gunman had come around the desk. and his gaze went from christopher running out the door to me. that's when i just booked it full-speed for the door and tried to get out of there. >> chris, that dash was probably a few seconds long. but it must have felt like a marathon. >> it did feel like a marathon. i replayed it in my head over and over. and i replayed the fact that it did take jim quite a while to get out. and i'm glad he got out. but i was very worried about why it took him so long. >> and, jim, i was struck by something i read. you left. you went home. your kids were in the bath. >> yes. and i picked each of them up, soaking wet. and my daughter was, like, dad, let go. i was just holding on. i said, huh-uh. not going to. >> i'll bet you're never going to let go. chris, jim, thank you both very much. >> thank you. >> and congratulations on an amazing -- glad you're safe.

>> thank you. time for the weather and sam champion. hey, sam. >> good morning, george. we wanted to show you again just some of the damage. the winds powerful enough to snap this pole and bring down what are some very thick cable lines. they took trees down with them, all the way across the road at 157th street in flushing, queens. let's get to the boards. we had storms in ohio. they didn't just get rolling in the new york city area. they started in ohio. moved think west virginia. and all the way, along the way, there was damage with very powerful storms. live shot out of cleveland, ohio, this morning. we'll show you the same scene. here's what happens now, through the midwest today. there are more storms in line today. we think from the des moines area toward kansas city, there will be powerful storms. chicagoland, the storms will roll north of you there. elsewhere around the nation, there's one or two places we want to highlight. the heat continues throughout the deep south.

we have the rain that started yesterday and continues today in the northwest. sunny and 70 downtown right now and 68 degrees in a park. we are when -- on our way to the mid-80's. it will be a pleasant friday and another nice wee and all that weather was brought to you by whisk laundry detergent. george? >> thank you, sam. when we come back, nap time. why more companies say it's okay to sleep on the job. new wisk, with our breakthrough stain spectrum technology targets all the major stain groups like particulates and oils. its enzymes and cleaning agents fight a full range of stains. ♪ you'll never look at stains, the same way again.

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we're off to practice keeping 'em full and focused. yeah! we've got big shoes to fill! america needs clean energy, and america needs jobs. wind power can deliver on both - but only if the senate encourages investment by passing a strong renewable electricity standard. with a strong res, we can keep 85,000 wind power workers on the job, and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, too. jobs that america could really use right now. for american jobs, tell your senators to pass a renewable electricity standard today. in this morning's "america's jobs," many of us have had that after-lunch lull. it's hard to keep your mind on your work. and you really just need a nap. some bosses are now saying it's okay to sleep on the job. workplace contributor, tory

johnson, decided to give it a try. >> reporter: long hours and demanding work. in today's tough economy, balancing alertness and performance is a job on its own. >> i've seen people fall asleep in meetings at 2:00 in the afternoon. >> reporter: according to a sr. va by the national sleep foundation, nearly 30% of workers fell asleep or became very sleepy at work in the course of a month. with 65% of people experiencing performance issues, such as trouble organizing work and difficulty concentrating. at the ben & jerry's headquarters in vermont, they found a fix. here, sleeping on the job is not only encouraged. your privacy is respected. just put your shoes outside the nap room door. >> it's great to get away and come back ready to go after that. >> it's really important for the company have to happy, healthy employees. so, we can all do our best. >> reporter: at the yellow spa in new york city, i got a glimpse of their ultimate sleep sanctuary.

a treatment room that services many large corporations seeking to destress their employees. >> nap cannot just improve your mood but also save your life. >> reporter: can a short snooze really do the trick? research shows that a short nap in the morning will help recover your creative thinking and memory. while an afternoon nap will help rejuvenate you physically. >> even if you take out the time you nap, you can get much more done over the afternoon period than if you didn't nap at all. >> reporter: but not all bosses are buying it. >> come to work rested. >> tory's going to join us now and talk more about this. i don't think there's a lot of places around the country with nap rooms like that. >> unfortunately they aren't. and the evidence is so strong that even just ten minutes have off incredible benefits. and yet, the reality is, we're so much more accepting of a smoking break or wasting time with idle chitchat than we are with giving somebody ten minutes

to close their eye. there's a stigma that you're lazy, a slacker, or maybe hungover, or uninterested in work if you dare to want to take a nap. i think all of us need to don a dream helmet. >> what is this? >> it's a $30 one-piece contraption that's an eye mask and pillow in one. some people tried it on. says it's really comfortable. gives you a few minutes of peace and quiet. >> would you use this, george? i know you like to nap. >> there you go. >> like 20 minutes, right? >> i go in. put everything down. but only for 20 minutes. >> it does the trick. >> it works. >> it does. >> after you did this in the street. >> so rejuvenated, right? still ahead, dr. besser. [ sneezing ]

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we'll be right back with breaking news out of london. british police have arrested five men allegedly preparing an attack against the pope. 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.

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>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> and good morning, everybody. happy friday. it is september 17 and i am alison starling with your local news update. let's check the roads. we have a lot of traffic trying to get from new carrollton to college park. the crash is now gone and the lanes are open once again. we have pretty heavy traffic around the outer loop of the

beltway heading towards colesville road where someone is stopped and the roadway. this is at route 29. we will show you we have troubled downtown. we have a closure of c street near the intersection with south capitol street because of a police investigation. bright and sunny and 70 degrees at reagan national airport. you can see the clouds out there. the dew point is dropping behind the cold front that moved through earlier this morning. fairfax is 67 degrees. the dew point is around 60 but will be dropping throughout the day and we are on our way to the mid-80's. it will be nice and dry all the way through the weekend and next week and above-average temperatures. the chain bridge will be

closed this weekend so that road crews can perform more work. it will be shut down from 8:00 tonight until 5:00 monday morning. it will be off-limits to cyclists and pedestrians and will be closed during the first three weekends in october. we will be back with another news update 8:27update 8:27update

good morning, america. we have breaking news out of london. british police have arrested five men for allegedly plotting to attack the pope. the pope there, of course, on what has been a controversial state visit. the second day of a four-day official state visit to the united kingdom. >> british authorities say they first heard of an attack plot overnight and moved quickly to make arrests. they're searching a number of different places across london, looking for evidence. lama hasan is in our london bureau with more on this breaking news. good morning, lama. >> reporter: good morning, robin.

this is news just coming into to us. we heard that scotland yard arrested five men over a terrorist threat, very early this morning, under the terrorism act in central london. we know their ages range from 26 to 50 years old. we're told they were not british nationals. they are still in police custody and are being questioned. it is unclear at this moment what they were actually planning to do. but we're hearing that detectives are investigating whether this was, indeed, a potential threat to the pope. or perhaps to the crowds. these arrests, however, have not affected the pope's scheduled events. pope benedict xvi is continuing with his edge gaugements today. he is now meeting leaders of other faiths. of course, police are not taking any chances. robin and george? >> lama, the police are questioning the suspects right now. but so far, they haven't found any weapons or any hazardous materials?

>> reporter: so far, they haven't, no. but that's exactly what they're searching premises, business premises, as well as homes. what we do know is they're searching these places here in central london. but that's the kind of thing th the looking for. but so far, they have not found anything. >> and no more specifics about what exactly the threat was? >> reporter: no. just that these five men were arrested over a terrorist threat, under the terrorism act here in central london. but, of course, police are not taking any chances with the pope being in the country, in central london. so, that is why they moved in quick. and as i said, the searches are still continuing at this moment. and those men are still being questioned. >> lama hasan, thank you very s thi morning, a in on su school. s thi morning, a in on su school. cheerleading squad, after her mom complained that a team cheer was too suggestive. parents are speaking out this

morning. school sports are now in swing. so are hidden germs. dr. besser looks at locker room hot spots that could sideline your children's health. that's ahead. now, to juju, the birthday girl. >> there's more news breaking overseas. we're going to turn to that quickly. officials and one political candidate has been kidnapped in afghanistan, ahead of tomorrow's national elections, which are seen as a crucial test of the fledgling democracy. in washington, the senate has passed a long-awaited bill, aimed after giving small businesses a boost, with access to more credit. it would establish a $30 billion fund to help more banks give out more loans. and will provide $12 million in tax breaks. is sarah palin running for president? the eyes of the political world will be watching for potential clues today, as she visits iowa, a crucial state in the election process.

palin is headlining the iowa republican party's biggest fund-raiser. now, diane sawyer gives us a peek at what "world news" is reporting on fortonight. diane? >> hello, juju. good friday morning to you. hope you have a good weekend ahead. tonight on "world news," a little girl who has captured the attention of everyone on capitol hill. she beat the odds. she wants everyone to know how. and our giant doctor, richard besser, is there with this tiny girl and her wonderful hat, changing lives on "world news." >> what a pair. that sounds like fun. that's the news at 8:04. time, now, for sam champion who is out there with the crazy weather in new york city. good morning, sam. >> juju, i have to start with happy birthday. i have to start with that. >> thank you, sam. i hate to be sappy. facebook friends have wished me happy birthday. i feel lucky. >> and the facebook tells everybody it's your birthday. >> that's why.

it's hard to keep a secret. especially when friends, like sam, are wishing happy birthday on tv. >> now, everybody will say it. we want to show you the damage in this neighborhood. we were talking with theresa. this is her car behind me. r well. know if you can see it this is her car behind me. r well. know if you can see it limb went straight through the back window. basically, they told he we ghtree towed off ld he we r two things we want to storms that moved through. da yr 71 degrees and sunny over the nation's capital. there are a couple of clouds but generally, it will be very pleasant to today. we had beneficial rain yesterday. it is a dry forecast today all the way through next week.

we are on their way to the mid- 80's and sunshine. we are on their way to the mid- 80's and sunshine. and we are live in queens, new york, this morning. robin? >> sam, some people are weighing in on our shoutout board. concerned about the downed power lines around there. are you taking every precaution? >> we mentioned at the beginning of the show. these are cable lines. in this neighborhood, the power lines are under the ground. we're completely fine. it's a good point. whenever you see downed lines, stay away from them. we talked to cable folks about what this line is. >> great. thanks for clearing that up, sam. come on back. we have a cheer, a complaint, and now a full-blown controversy in a detroit suburb. a 6-year-old girl has been kicked off her cheerleading squad, after her mother questioned the appropriateness

of a cheer the little girls were doing. we're going to talk to that mother and her daughter. she's there with her dad, as well. we'll talk to them all in a minute. first, andrea canning has more on the story. >> hustle. >> reporter: jennifer tesh, says the cheer her 6-year-old daughter kennedy was forced to say on her michigan cheerleading squad, was completely inappropriate for a 6-year-old. >> she thinks a little girl couldn't say some of the words. >> my back aches. our skirts are too tight. our booty shakes from left to right. >> reporter: tesch was so upset, she took her concerns to the local news. but her complaints backfired. and the members of the wolverine cheerleading league voted unanimously this week to keep the questionable cheer, but kick kennedy off the squad. >> i think i'll miss the cheers. >> it took every ounce not to cry with her because i had to be strong. >> reporter: tesch and her

daughter's cheerleading coach got into a heated argument on a local radio show. the coach had some harsh words. >> i'm directly quoting this hun tick. she said i don't mind the booty shaking so much. but it's the back aching and the skirt being too tight that i don't understand. and i said to her one time, their back aches and their skirts are too tight because they're standing on the crappy black top, cheering for the boys for two hours. >> reporter: it cast a bad light on the squad. >> this is like a family. to me, if you attack your family, people are going to be upset. >> we have a lot of incensed parents. i feel terrible. >> reporter: kennedy is allowed to come back to the squad next season, on probation. but with all the bad blood, there's not much to cheer about. >> i like cheering because it feels so important to me. >> reporter: for "good morning america," andrea canning, abc news. and joining us now from

detroit, the mother who complained about the cheer, jennifer tesch, her husband, duane, and adorable kennedy is there, too. good morning to you all. >> good morning. >> jennifer, let me ask you again. what specifically upsets you about that cheer? >> it's the three lines. our back aches. our skirts are too tight. our booty shakes from left to right. it's inappropriate. it's suggestive. it's outdated. it's stereotypical. i think it brings down the morale and the spirit of cheering anyways. all three lines, encompassing, just makes it inappropriate. >> and you were a cheerleader, too, at one point, right? >> i started in the wolverines organization. >> you have been around it. duane, did you have a problem with it, too? >> yeah. i didn't think it was appropriate for 6-year-olds to be saying the cheer. >> so, it's obvious you have a problem with it. you both do. so, why not have your daughter

either not participate with that particular team? or not take part in that cheer? >> well, they wanted her to sit out. and i thought that was singling out a 6-year-old. all i wanted was a discussion whether this was appropriate or not. i had suggestions for words. i thought it was going to be a simple fix. it should have been a simple fix. but they didn't want to listen to me at all. you know, they kept disregarding what i wanted to say. and to single out a 6-year-old, i just don't think it was right. >> you said a simple fix. they claim that you went right to the media. that you didn't talk it out with them. and that you made it this big issue. that's not true? >> no. no, no, no. it was a couple week process of me going to the general manager, back to the coach, back to the general manager of the wolverines. then, to the director of the whole association and back. i mean, it was a process. and i was led to believe the entire time that they've been

doing it that way for about 20 years. and that's the way it was going to be. and the board was aware. >> and did you have the support -- >> at that time. >> i'm sorry. excuse me. did you have the support of other parents? we understand that it was a fellow parent who actually made the motion to have kennedy taken off the team. >> you know what? before we had gone to the media and before my last conversation with the general manager, i talked to several parents. and they were definitely not in favor of the cheer, as well. the couple parents that were yelling, you know, about the situation. they made the motion they wanted us out because they didn't want to have to see us. >> because of part of the complaint is, you have a right to be upset. that's your daughter. and you're raising her the way you want to. and you find that offensive. other parents don't find it offensive and think that, well, is it fair for you because you don't like it that no one should be able to do it? >> you know, all i had wanted

was a voice and have an objective discussion about it. and they didn't want to hear me out. i wanted to bring suggestions. maybe how to change the cheer. just talk about it. and they didn't want to hear about that at all. >> can i talk to kennedy? does she feel like talking this morning? >> sure. >> hi, kennedy. tell us again. what do you like about being a cheerleader? what's your favorite part? >> the cheers. a lot. >> and you want to continue to be a cheerleader? >> yeah. >> typical 6-year-old. love that. >> yeah. >> jennifer and duane, what do you want to have happen going forward? how can this be resolved? >> you know, i mean, this has been such a crazy last few days since the tuesday vote of kicking us out. ultimately, it would be nice if they acknowledge they shouldn't

have kicked her out. regardless of how you felt i handled it, why punish her? that's what i felt they did. it's her that can't cheer with the organization anymore. and so, i mean, of course, we're not coming back. and even next year, we're not coming back. if you think it's okay to treat a 6-year-old this way, why do we want to put her in that situation? i don't know if there could be a resolution. i don't know if they will acknowledge maybe they should have thought about whether they should keep ore or not. >> maybe there will be peaceful resolution for everyone concerned. >> i agree. >> jennifer and duane, have a good day. enjoy your weekend. >> thank you. >> all right. what do you at home think? have the adults taken their disagreement too far? go to our website, abcnews.com/gma and weigh in on our shoutout board. boy, with you weighing in on the story we did our last half hour about the father who went on the school bus because his

child was being bullied. >> everyone on the father's side so far. >> overwhelmingly, everyone saying good for the dad. dr. richard besser on hidden locker room germs when we come back. looks mighty fine ♪ [ women ] ♪ pop-tarts happy sunshine time! ♪ [ man ] ♪ grab a pop-tart and you might just start ♪ ♪ to sing songs like a meadow lark ♪ ♪ stretch and yawn ♪ blow a kiss to mom ♪ cause pop-tarts mornings are the bomb ♪ ♪ so, rise and shiiiiine if you could see how nature made fish oil protects your heart, you'd be glad you take it.

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and in today's "america's health," important news about your teens. the fall sports season is in full swing. and kids are putting in plenty of time in practice. that's when you have to sorry about broken bones and sprains. but dr. richard besser is here to tell us that some of the scariest things are the germs in the locker rooms. >> that's right. when you think of how much they sweat, and how lax their teenage regimen can be, your teenage locker room can be a breeding ground for dangerous germs. i'm not just talking about athletes foot. some of these kids are ready for

drug-resistant superbugs. athletics may not be the only thing he's kids are wrestling with. the national athletic trainers association reports that skin infections account for over half the infectious disease outbreaks among competitive athletes. like her byes. 16-year-old matt reardon found ringworm on his arm. >> it looked like a pimple. >> reporter: he caught it from another player in a high school wrestling match. >> i was hoping it wouldn't be. >> reporter: for matt, it meant sitting out of practice for a few days. other infections can put players in the hospital. it's on the rise around the country. and athletes are at risk because of frequent skin-to-skin contact. our first germy hot spot, the locker room. who has the stinkiest, most disgusting locker in here? yep. nothing's sacred here at

new jersey's ewing high school. how often do you take your stuff home to wash it? >> once a week. >> reporter: to prevent infections, wash your stuff frequently. and don't share combs or brushes, to avoid bugs like lice. bugs can also lurk in the shower and on dirty bodies. no sharing towels, bar soap or raisers. next up, the weight room, where ewing high school's athletic trainer, dave sillic, takes care to keep his equipment clean. what do you do to reduce infection? >> we do a daily check of the equipment with the pads and bench coverings. even though you disinfect the outer covering, you can have bacteria on the outer crack. >> reporter: if you can, avoid sharing helmets. and wash your hands with liquid, not bar soap, for at least 20 seconds. finally, the last stop on our germ tour, the training room, where kids are treated for injuries.

how many kids use the whirlpool every day in. >> we could have two or three in there. >> reporter: what infections do you worry about spreading? >> wirl pools are infamous for staph infections. >> reporter: the takeaway? clean hands, disinfecting equipment and reporting infections are paramount to keeping the players on the field and the germs off the players. >> so, rich, obviously, there's always been dirty locker rooms and sweaty wrestling matches. but the danger are the new, as you say, superbugs, this mrsa, which can be deadly. >> it used to be limited to the hospital. now, it's out in the community. you want to look at the first sign of infection. it can appear like a pimple. at the hairline or where a uniform rubs or a hair follicle. if you have that, it can develop into a boil or something more severe. you don't want to ignore it. >> before, how do you protect yourself against it?

>> it is all about taking precautions. when you play sports, you're going to get wounds. some turf burns. you want to make sure those remain covered. after practice, shower immediately. our skin is covered with bacteria. you can reduce that by showering with soap and water. if you are going to use the whirlpool, shower before you use that whirlpool. and your uniforms, wash and dry them so they don't build up bacteria. then, it's about reporting infections. and coaches have a big role here. you have to do skin checks. kids don't want to report stuff that may keep them off the field. >> exactly right. how do you treat them, once you have them? >> you don't want to do this on your own. if you have the first signs of one of these infections, point it out to the athletic trainer, see your doctor. these infections could be very hard to treat. they're limited antibiotics. you want an expert to look at that. if you have an infection you're

taking all of your drugs and it's not getting out of control. >> you may know pools, offices, even makeup can be breeding grounds for germs. find out specific steps to take care of them at our website, abcnews.com/gma. coming up, you're going to want to see this. sampson, the kissing pony. and now, the "gma" list of the day. looking for a better wireless home phone? here are the top two from "consumer report." while i was building my friendships... my family... while i was building my life... my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why my doctor prescribed crestor. she said plaque buildup in arteries... is a real reason to lower cholesterol... and that, along with diet,

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farm-grown ingredients, and can help you keep a healthy weight. helping you get to a happier place. have a nice trip. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good friday morning to you. i am pamela brown. it is 8:27 and time to look at traffic and weather. beltway has been tough this morning. there is slow traffic on the outer loop beginning just beyond this camera, the interchange at route 4 which will continue into new carrollton ridge we had an earlier problem at kenilworth avenue and that has been cleared and the lanes are open. it is a little bit better by traffic going away from us -- from loss is low into the sunshine. the slow traffic begins again about the 95 interchange into

silver spring. at route 29 there was a broken vehicle which is now on the shoulder. pretty sunny and pleasant and humidity is dropping as well. temperatures are on the warm side for this time of year. we are in this 60's but by this time tomorrow, we should be in the 50's the dew point is dropping and there are a few clouds in northwest of town bowie is at 67 degrees and we are on our way to the mid-80's this afternoon and dropping humidity. it is a very dry forecast again today and through the weekend all the way into next week. high temperatures will remain above average, in the 80's. the man who opened fire at

johns hopkins hospital was a metro access order from arlington he shot a doctor yesterday before killing his mother and himself. he became distraught when he was briefed on his mother's condition for the doctor is expected to survive. we will have another news update at 8:56. for continuous news coverage, tune in to tbd news on news channel 8.

♪ kiss this horse is not just a horse, of course, of course. this is sampson, the kissing pony. he's put smiles on a lot of faces. see there? goes to a lot of seniors centers. brings a lot of joy to them. he's going to bring joy to us later in this half hour. >> we have a lot of volunteers in the studio. >> do we? [ cheers and applause ] >> we finally made it. we're cheering like it's friday. friday. >> it is friday. it is almost the weekend. we have a few things coming up.

we have nathan fillion, from the hit series, "castle." he's going to give us clues to the new season. sorry to interrupt. >> he is delightful. a funny guy. and the fashion season. what are the hottest looks? what color is the new black? and what are the must-have shoes? we have the five, big trends for fall. >> is camel the new black? >> i think camel is -- i didn't read the note yet. i'll know in ten minutes. first, back to sam, who has the weather for us. he's still out there in queens. >> hey, everybody. tell nathan i say hello. and thank you for answering the burning question, do horses have lips? i wasn't sure. let's get to the rough line of storms that moved through the new york city area. started in ohio, came through west virginia and cleared out. we're not done on the east coast with potentially rough weather. it's more in the form of seas,

as igor and julia make their path in the atlantic, they will kick up rough surf. beach erosion, rip currents, all along the eastern seaboard. and for the island of bermuda, there's issues with a category 2, possibly 3 storm. there's big thunderstorms in the middle of the country today. it's a brand-new cold front. omaha, north platte, des moines, kansas city. near chicagoland later this weekend. you'll be involved in that front as it moves through. why not have the weekend getaway fly-by, if you will. on the east coast, it's much nicer. except in florida, you have to put up with the heat. and in texas, will get a little moisture from karl that stays in mexico. it's cool and wet from sunny and 71 degrees right now in the district and dulles airport is down to 66 degrees. not a bad start to the day and dropping high humidity levels.

there will be a fair amount and all that weather was brought to you by campbell's soup. george, ask nathan. the commercial makes it look like he commits a crime in the first show. does he? >> you stole my first question. >> oh, i'm sorry, george. >> it's okay. nathan fillion is right here. he's star of the new abc series "castle." third season? >> third season. >> it's a cop drama, where fillion plays richard castle, a novelist who spends his time helping a detective fight crime. it kicks off with a bang. and nathan is here. answer sam's question. >> what was sam's question. >> do you start the season with a crime? >> yes. castle's good for that. we solve a lot of murders. this season, we start off --

castle has a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. he brings it to a real head when he's found standing over a dead body with a gun in his hand. >> that's a problem. >> putting two and two together. he's got a knack for that kind of thing. >> he's found by kate beckett. >> none other than. >> you have a lot of chemistry. >> yes. there you go. >> let's show what happens. >> let's watch the clip. >> something's different. did you remodel? >> you've been informed of your rights, mr. castle? >> really? you're not even going to ask me how my summer was? >> you are aware that you're under arrest for murder. >> i thought you were bringing in the cuffs just for fun. you look good. >> you look good, too. >> yeah? >> for murder. >> oh. so right to the -- >> it didn't affect your sense of humor, being accused of

murder. >> that's part of castle's gifts. he doesn't know when he's down. that's one of his good qualities. >> we asked our viewers to weigh in with questions for you. and far and away, the number one question, will anything happen between castle and detective beckett this season? >> here's my personal -- this is my personal -- my own, personal feelings. >> what you want to happen? >> well, i say when i watch television, i like watching characters fail on tv. i like knowing i'm better than the characters on television. i like the feeling of when that character turns his back, i know what's going on behind his back. i know what's best for that character. there's this yearning, people want these people to get together. our writers are delicate and clever in ways of keeping them apart. they're all realistic and sensible ways of keeping them apart. i think once you put those two together, be careful what you wish for. you stop yearning. you stop wanting.

>> it sounds like there's going to be a lot more teasing. >> i would like to think so. >> i love this. richard castle, not only stars in a television show, you have real richard castle mystery novels. >> i was looking at this. michael connolly made a comment here about how great "castle" is. and he's a good-looking cat. >> they didn't force you to write this, too, as part of your contract? >> it's hard, fitting it into my schedule. i do a lot of dictating. >> but you go on tour and sign the books? >> i have. i have been going to bookstores. and people line up for me to sign these things. i've been practicing my autograph since high school. i used to get in trouble because i would do it in class. who is laughing now, english teach center people say, can you sign it richard castle? i could. your uncle could do that. >> we have a lot more viewer questions. want to get to them. first one, from tryphenna

bastian, of east point, georgia. how has your soap opera experience on "one life to live" prepared you for your role? >> look at you. >> look at that young, handsome -- this gets -- right? that's prepared me. >> he just wants to linger now. >> that's the steamiest stuff i did on daytime, as a matter of fact. that's some steamy stuff. that was the top of the -- it was crazy. every day, you're doing a tv show. and you -- it's a lot of technical. we're acting every day. as an actor, to be acting every day, fantastic. you can't get any better than that. what people don't understand, the difference between stage acting and film and television, you have to hit your mark. you have to know your lines. we have to go. >> keep on going. >> you have to find your light.

i remember one time, i was with bob woods, the guy that played my uncle. he reached up with his leg and pushed me to the side. >> that's what we go through. it's almost live. >> it prepared me in such a way. you have to be technically proficient. the wonderful people. i go down to visit. i'll be there later, guys. >> thanks for spending some time with us in the morning. nathan fillion. "castle" premieres monday nigh

and now, there's beauty in the world. and a crisp chill in the air. that means it's time for fall fashion. if you want to know exactly what to wear this season, we're going to let you know. and we're going to show you. kate dimmock is here from "people's stylewatch" magazine.

five trends for this season. >> it's time to start shopping. >> you're bringing it with your look. >> well, you know. i knew i was seeing you, robin. i had to break it out. >> i like the shoes. >> thank you so much. another trend, animal print. very big. very big. >> so, you brought it. >> that's the thing. added value. >> how about the military look? how are we bringing that in with our models? >> here comes dana, with a fantastic example from jcpenney. with a coat i love. military is a huge trend. it's extremely wearable. this is one that's easy to put on. looks very polished. and you can do it with a coat. you can do it with accessories. but this is a great example. and i think this coat is one that will stay in your closet. this is something that's going to take you through a few seasons. >> it will stay in your wardrobe? >> absolutely. yeah. it's pretty classic.

>> can you give us the details? the price? >> i think it's about 100 bucks. >> dana, thank you very much. at ease. the military look. now, this is what george was talking about. is this the new black? >> this is your new neutral pallet. camel is very important with clothes. and gray is really important for accesso accessories. what i love about gray accessories is it instantly updates something you may have in your closet. i love the shoes from nine west. they're $89. they're good value. it immediately makes you look modern. >> and the bag, as well? >> the bag is great. from nicole lee. $102. but again, it's an investment. the thing about the bag is it's versatile. it works with -- it could take you to work. it can take you out at night. >> that's true. >> you can carry it on the weekend. it's classic. >> thank you very much. now, lace is coming back a little bit, isn't it?

>> it is. lace is really popular for fall. and i love this top is from american apparel. it's $38. and it's extremely versatile. we dress it up with this great pair of black pants from the gap. but you could wear this with jeans. you could put it under a jacket. you could wear it with a pencil skirt. it's a great piece to add to your wardrobe at a good price. >> thank you very much. laura, i like the clutch you have there, too. now, again, with the shoewear here. ean. >> she knows what's happening. she's here to show us all about the lace booties. this is from restricted. it's $95. if you're going to buy one accessory this season, go for the lace-up bootee. you can wear it with jeans. you can wear it with tights and a dress. also, chunkyness. this is from express. a great addition to your

wardrobe. i love the way ean has it on, belted. but you could throw this over a dress and it would look amazing. >> with the belt, it gives that added little thing. >> yeah. really updates the look. >> ean, thank you very much. i love this next look. going classic. retro. >> "mad men" has taken over the world. it's invaded the fashion industry, as well. this is a great, retro, feminine look for fall. what i love about this, too, if you have a little curvy figure, this is going to accommodate that. >> it's forgiving. >> yeah. it's great. this dress, you would wear it to work. you could wear it to drinks after work. it's going to take you a lot of places. >> i love the bottom like that. i have a few. feel so kicky. >> it's flirty and girlie when you wear it. it's a great, feel-good look. and the shoes are adorable, too.

this feminine shoe is another big trend for the season. >> the feminine look is back. rebecca, thank you very much. let's have all the models come out, so we can see, all of the five trends. so, kate, just a few things that we should keep in mind, as we're thinking of our fall wardrobe. >> exactly. this is a great shopping list, i think. if you look at what you're seeing here, military, gray accessories, a little bit of lace, knit, lace-up boot. if you have this in mind, make a little checklist, you've hit all the trends. and you'll look totally up-to-date. >> and bring in a little animal. >> little animal print, yeah. >> you're good to go. ladies, thank you very much. kate, great to have you with us. >> you, too, robin. >> ready for the weekend. do a little shopping. you can get all of the information on where you can get the fall fashions and the prices at abcnews.com/gma. are you ready for a little at abcnews.com/gma. are you ready for a little smooch?

♪ kiss more aside of snooki and that situation. our next guest is getting a reputation as the best kisser in all of new jersey. he goes by the name of sampson. and his kisses are making people all over the state so happy. he's an 11-year-old schettland pony. and with him here is his trainer, carol wingertner. i know you named him sampson because of delilah.

but how are his kisses -- >> they're not slobbery. they're not like a dog. it's just his upper lip. he works in nursing homes mostly. and we'll ask the residents if they want a kiss. >> he wants to go for a kiss. >> he is quite a lady killer. all of the fashion models came over. and there's some people here that want to meet him. >> yeah. do you want to pet him? >> when he kisses them, he makes them smile and happy. and i know he's a therapy pet. >> yeah. their faces turn red. re and sometimes when people can't get out of the rooms, we'll go in the room. and they don't tell them that the pony's coming. their reaction is priceless. >> how did this all start? >> i saw an animal planet segment. and some women were going around with a donkey. they're kind of loud. so, i went with the pony route. and the woman who bred him thought he would be good for it.

even though he didn't have training. >> and he was a natural. >> we heard of horseshoes. but these pony shoes are adorable. >> they're to keep him from slipping. >> who wants a kiss? >> you have to get down. he's short. he'll give you a kiss. give her a kiss, sammy. >> see the reaction? >> pardon? >> automatically, he goes in for the kiss. >> i taught him how -- he does it all summer. he visits once a week. they're creatures of habit. he knows he gets a treat. do you want a kiss? come on over. sammy, give her a kiss. >> oh. we were asking our dr. richard besser, because some people are like -- oh, as far as cleanliness is concerned. and dr. besser said, there's no problems. >> okay, good. i don't worry about it. if somebody else can give you -- >> are ponies known as people persons? people animals?

>> actually, they can be pretty stubborn. >> oh. >> i think i need a kiss. it's my birthday. >> happy birthday. >> a birthday kiss. oh. it's like a little sandpaper. but adorable. >> thank you. >> did you want one? you've been waiting patiently. >> yeah. >> it's sweet. >> you do have to try it, george. come on. >> aw. >> i think sampson has a bromance. >> so adorable. thank you for bringing him here >> so adorable. thank you for bringing him here and bringing smile

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i sacrificed my kiss with sampson so we'd have time for this. bring it out, boys. happy birthday to juju. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. >> we have to try it. >> notice it doesn't have candles. this would be an arson hazard. >> this is from last weekend when you participated in the triathalon. >> thank you. that's so sweet. thanks, george. >> have a great weekend. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update.

>> and good morning to you and happy friday at 8:56. i am pamela brown with your local update. let's look at traffic and weather. the beltway is starting to ease up on the east side around for the interchange at route 4. here is the beltway in montgomery county, slow on the outer loop and the inner loop in bethesda is because of sunshine. we have problems with the traffic signals on new york avenue and west virginia and montana. those signals are flashing. there is a police investigation downtown as well a lot of sunshine today. clouds and showers from yesterday have pushed out and we have benefit from the rain northwest of the metro area. a few-clouds are rolling over

had and we will see pat klaus this afternoon but it will be a sunny day and a dry forecast into next week. it is 73 in arlington right now and height -- mid-80's 4 the highs today. a pause for the weekend -- 80 possible for the weekend --80's for the weekend and a dry weather pattern again. authorities are investigating a shooting near the u.s. capitol. all around 5:00 this morning, a man with a gun was walking near second and c street nw and when officers approached him, he pointed a gun at them and they fired. there is no word on his condition. thank you so much for watching and we will be back at noon. "you have a great day.