power, the memory could come when the memory wanted to come. and i took that power back. >> that just resonated with me, and i realized that i was living those days remembering derek in pain, when i should have been remembering him with joy. oprah: so trudy, her husbandil,o phil, and their son jonathan are here, and you wanted to say something to nate? >> yes, nate. i wish i was here thanking you for a makeover or thanking you for somet but you gave me a personal makeover, and, um, i just want to thank you. oprah: trudy, phil, and jonathan are signing the no phone zone pledge today in honor of their son derek, who died while driving and talking on his cell phone, but next year, i'm going to see if we can't get--you

know, add the romeo clause to our no phone zone pledge. because what the romeos did was to have their son jonathan sign a pledge back 2008 saying, "i will drive a car always being responsible, drive the car with sound mind, and never under any influences, anger, rushing, speeding, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, obey the laws of driving, never overload the car with passengers, always notify my parents if i get a ticket, never talk or text while driving, respect the privilege of using your car, and never n signed by you, jonathan. i think that's so great. you did this because of the loss of derek? >> yeah, yeah. one--one thing we were paranoid about was jonathan driving. and jonathan even had a hard time driving after that. so i just felt that on his honor, if he signed the contract, he would obey those laws.

>> that's amazing. oprah: yeah. so you were the first no phone zone. >> yes. yes. oprah: yeah. you were a no phone zone before we did. >> you know, i have--yeah. i have to tell you, i--you know, you always have that moment when you're on television about whether or not you're going to share something that's so personal. and there's always that moment where you can make that decision to do it oprah: or not to. >> or toh: you say, "do i cr oprah: you say, "do i crack myself open for the world?" >> right, exactly. do i crack myself open for the world? and if i do, why? what can come of it? and so, i'm so sorry for your loss, and i know that grief is not a straight path. i know it's like this, and that's just how it is. but i thank you so much for--for thanking me, because that means that when i'm out there and i'm doing what i'm are listening. and i'm glad that it helped you. i really am. for whatever it's worth, i'm glad that it helped you very much. oprah: derek's fraternity brothers at tau kappa epsilon at the university of albany, new york, also signed our no phone zone pledge today in order to

honor derek. mike, one of derek's closest friends, is leading that charge. mike? >> how are you doing, oprah? i want to first thank you very much for this opportunity. this means a lot to t means a lot to trudy, to phil, to john, and the rest of the fraternity. derek was a very good brother of ours. we loved him to death. we still love him to death. and we are going to do our best to make him proud and to make trudy proud. our entire fraternity will be signing the no phone zone pledge, as well as our alumni and any future members. we're also working with nationals to get a national pledge signing so that every single chapter in tke, which is the largest fraternity in the world, will sign it. oprah: that's how we do it. thank you. continue to spread the word, tau kappa epsilon. thank you, guys. thank you, trudy. thank you, phil. thank you, jonathan, for sharing your story. >> thank you. oprah: so derek's life will not have been in vain. >> no. oprah: not in vain. the best of luck to you, nate. >> thank you. oprah: the very best. we'll be watching "the nate berkus show" september 13! check your local listings! my son has his new

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zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. back to our top story this half hour. president obama's oval office announcement that the u.s. combat operations in iraq have ended. >> there will still be 50,000 u.s. soldiers in that country but their mission has changed. dan harris has more now from camp victory outside of baghdad. >> now our escorts are leaving us because we're leaving the city proper. >> reporter: t minus eight days until the end of the combat mission and i'm sitting in the back of a u.s. military vehicle sweating like a proverbial pig in full body armor in 120-degree heat when we hear this report come over the radio. >> it is an ied. >> i think it's probably a pretty fair assessment. >> talking about two bombs a

day, for people at home who might be tempted to conclude the war is over. it seems like it contradicts that assertion. >> is there violence in iraq? yeah, absolutely. yeah, there's still bad things happening. >> reporter: these days, though, it is mostly the iraqis, not the americans, who are on the front lines. they lead most of the patrols, and at this joint checkpoint, it's the iraqi troops searching the cars while american soldiers monitor via video feeds. i would imagine you joined the military to be a soldier, to fight. do you ever get bored? >> it's a little different. but this is what my job is now, this is what i've been asked to do. >> reporter: t minus seven days until the end of the combat mission and al qaeda in iraq launches a coordinated devastating series of attacks, mostly against iraqi security forces all over the country.

we're with the u.s. army's desert roads battalion outside of mosul when the initial reports start coming in. >> apparently a report this morning -- >> a car bomb? >> a car bomb. the latest report is the iraqis on the ground identified it, shot at it, and it exploded before hurting anyone. very successful. >> reporter: the iraqi troops here in mosul may have responded effectively. but they were clearly taken by surprise by most of the other attacks, which raises perhaps the most burning question in this country right now -- as the americans withdraw, are the iraqis capable of picking up the slack and keeping this country safe? >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: lieutenant colonel ross coffmann, the charismatic commander who's been hosting us on this embed, echoes the optimistic white house line on this score. you trust them? >> absolutely. the change in the iraqi army over my three tours has been immense.

they are professional, they're focused, and they're capable of conducting the mission. >> reporter: but coffman's own soldiers who live and work right next to the iraqi soldiers are less certain. how ready do you think these guys are? >> i think that they're a lot more ready than they were a couple of years ago but they've still got a ways to go. >> reporter: the iraqis don't do themselves any public relations favors when they greet our camera inside their barracks by dancing and toying with their guns. and check out what this iraqi first lieutenant admitted to us. with the american combat troops leaving can the iraqi army keep the peace here? "to be honest," he says, "we need a couple more years." t minus three days until the end of combat and i'm out on the streets of baghdad. to be fair, it's glaringly obvious that iraqi troops who have been in charge here for months are doing a pretty good job keeping the peace. now families are out having ice cream and fancy new restaurants are opening up.

although they will pat you down for weapons before you can get a table. yet so many of the iraqis we meet are deeply, darkly pessimistic. including this off-duty cop. even though you are a police officer, you don't think the iraqi forces can keep this country safe without the americans here anymore? >> yes, i don't think so. we don't have enough weapons, we are not ready for this mission. >> reporter: we're frequently asked by complete strangers if we can help them leave this country and come to america. why do you want to leave here? >> it's no good. >> no good here? >> no good. >> why not? everything? everything. >> reporter: while violence is way down, hundreds of civilians are still being killed here every month. basic services like power and trash removal are spotty at best. and perhaps most corrosively, five months after they held national elections here, the politicians cannot agree on forming a new government. leaving a potentially dangerous

power vacuum. t minus one day until the end of combat. vice president joe biden spends the day meeting with all the major political players, trying to cajole them into cutting a deal. the local news channels cover it all wall to wall. but when president obama gives his speech from the oval office -- >> i am announcing that the american combat mission in iraq has ended. >> reporter: -- it's in the middle of the night here, and not many people in this anxious nation are awake to hear it. this is dan harris in baghdad. and some lighter news coming up when we come back in "the skinny." actor michael douglas is speaking out for the first time about his battle with cancer. >> and guess who was caught onstage dirty dancing with snoop dogg? it's coming up in "the skinny."

it is that time again. back in "the skinny." >> that's right. lots is going on.

>> lot of stuff happening. we start off with a somewhat serious story. michael douglas promoting the big "wall street 2" movie. "wall street 2" is coming out soon and michael douglas now revealing he has stage 4 cancer, which is a shock to a lot of people. we knew he was sick but not that sick. >> that is progressed that far. he was on letterman last night speaking publicly for the first time. >> absolutely. in fact, he was upbeat about it though and joked with letterman about the seriousness of his cancer. >> is stage 4 where you want to be or not where you want to be? >> no. you want to be down at stage 1. >> stage 1? >> it has not -- the big thing you always worry about is spreading. i am head and neck. i am above the neck. so nothing's going down. and the expectations are good. >> did they find it early enough

for their liking? >> i sure as [ muted ] hope so. >> hasn't lost that comic timing. >> no, not at all. >> not at all. >> he's a week into treatment and he said the doctors and people around him who are treating him say there's about an 80% chance that they're going to knock it out successfully. >> which is great news. 65 years old, had a sore throat earlier in the summer, went in for some tests. they didn't initially find anything but then came back at stage 4. thoughts and prayers with him. he looked good, all things considered. >> looks good, and on the road to recovery. >> let's hope for sure. much lighter note now, apparently snoop dogg, i know your favorite. >> i am -- >> i know. >> he's a timeless american icon. mt. rushmore. >> yeah. >> his face should be right there along the others. >> there's snoop. apparently he gave a big show in vegas this past weekend. all of a sudden, someone i'm sure we all know popped up onstage and kind of got a little freaky there onstage.

>> whoo, watch out. >> you can tell -- maybe you tell, it's actually demi moore up onstage jiving with snoop a little bit. >> and the guy on the right is her husband. ashton kutcher. >> that's right. she's breaking it down. >> whoa. >> see, she didn't lose those schools she learned in "striptease," which is very, very comforting. ashton didn't mind her having fun, enjoying the whole thing with his wife. demi is still in good shape, throwing it around in vegas, good for her. >> how about th >> they're probably twittering all the way about it as well. >> millions and millions of followers. she looks goodt, g >> no doubt about t you watched the emmys a cou of nigh sofia vergara? is that how you say her name? >> the hot one from "modern family." >> absolutely, and there she is. apparently she may become

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here some are stories to watch today on abc news. hurricane earl is spiraling toward a potential landfall along the east coast of the u.s. some evacuations have already been ordered along the north carolina coast. also, president obama launches a new attempt at mideast peace today. he's meeting separately at the white house with israeli and palestinian leaders and hosting a dinner for both of them later tonight. also, apple is holding a so-called special event today in san francisco that may involve an announcement about the ipod. analysts are speculating that the purchase of -- sorry, purchase of individual television shows may become available. and finally this half hour, the divorce fight in the world of sports that does not involve tiger woods. >> thankfully. it does involve the owners of

the l.a. dodgers, frank and jamie mccourt. as mike von fremd reports, they're both taking some pretty nasty swings at each other. >> reporter: with the los angeles dodgers' playoffs hopes fading fast, the real spectacle is in los angeles divorce court. team owner frank mccourt and his wife jamie have opened the curtain on a lifestyle so lavish, they even spent six figures to hire an astrologer as a consultant. >> this dodger organization is a cash cow. there's plenty of money to go around. >> reporter: frank mccourt's lawyers say his wife jamie gave up all rights to the team's fortune in exchange for the security of sole ownership of the couple's six magnificent homes. >> that was her nest egg. didn't want to take a risk on his foolish, dodgy investment in the dodgers. well, she turned out to be wrong. the dodgers have blossomed and the real estate market's gone down. >> reporter: according to "forbes" magazine the team has

nearly doubled in value since mccourt became chairman in 2004. wife jamie, who has a law degree, now says she was defrauded by her husband and did not knowingly sign away her rights to the team. sportswriters here say the owners' bitter public battle is taking a terrible toll. >> it's littered the place and it's turned it into a virtual cesspool of rumor and innuendo and absurdity and it's definitely affected the team. >> reporter: for years the high-priced players have taken the heat from fans and comics. now it's the owners in the batter's box. >> oh, this is getting ugly. this is an ugly divorce. of course, on the bright side, the one thing they won't have to fight over, world series tickets. yeah. >> reporter: the dodgers may be far from the world series. but their owners, the mccourts, are in for a world-class fight. mike von fremd, abc news, los angeles. >> divorces are never pretty. but with that much cash on the table, whoo. >> often you argue about kids, in this case it's a baseball llam.

te

here comes hurricane earl. >> increased wave activity throughout the southeast today. >> warnings from the mid-atlantic to new england and evacuations have already been ordered. president obama says a promise about the war in iraq fulfilled. and more than seven years after it started, "operation iraqi freedom" is over. teen gambling. >> i'm trying to make a profit. i pay my rent, i pay my bills by playing poker. >> they are winning and losing lots of money. just guess where they're learning all about high-stakes poker. it's wednesday, september 1st. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> it used to be you'd go to any college campus and you'd talk

about poker and people are playing poker. now even high schools and middle schoolers are going into the rooms and online and cashing in. >> that is scary too. you know, i'm more of a blackjack guy than poker. still, kids that young getting into it? >> espn world series of poker, young champions who have been doing it for years. we'll have the story coming up. >> should be interesting stuff. good morning, everybody, i'm rob nelson. >> i'm mike marusarz. vinita nair is on vacation. evacuations have been ordered in north carolina as hurricane earl could make landfall tomorrow or early friday. the storm still packing 135-mile-an-hour winds as it moves to the northwest. >> fema is now warning millions of residents up and down the east coast to prepare for possible evacuations, depending on the storm's track. >> the history tells us that we've had very dangerous storms that have hit the northeast

before. and as the hurricane center's telling everybody, from the carolinas to maine, you really need to pay attention to this storm and make sure you're ready and have a plan today. >> going to have to wait to see exactly what happens when the storm gets close by. if we close the beahes, peopl be okay. >> a tense few days ahead. even if earl does stay well offshore, it will kick up some pretty rough surf and dangerous rip currents up and down the coast that could ruin the labor day holiday for millions of folks. >> with more on the track of the storm we're joined by accuweather's jeanette calle. good morning, jeanette. >> good morning, rob and mike. the tropics still very much active as we head into this 1st day of september. we have two named storms the of course wethisjor north opano run f tut the day toda on its tail here is fiona moving westward, approaching the leeward islands. the leeward islands throughout the day today will be dealing

with troorm here's the accuweather.com forecast eye path for hurricane earl. increased wave activity across the southeast coast throughout the day today and it'to make its closest appoachthe late tha i night, perhaps a cat 3 hurricane. there is a hurricane watch already in place north of sur city, north carolina/virginia border. it's g northeasterly track as we head into the labor day weekend and perhaps impacting the new england coast by this labor day weekend with destructive waves. peak wind gusts over 65 miles and rob and mike, perhaps even somevy r >> all right, jeannette, thank you. as for the forecat noee som hail, gusty winds and a chance of tornados in wichita, omaha, and sioux city. showers and thunderstorms from the southern plains to the great lks. showers in the northern rockies. >> just shn and sea 91 in colorado springs. 95 in sacramento. 77 in fargo.

81 in chicago. 86 in detroit. 90s along the entire east coast and gulf coast. in other news this morning defense secretary robert gates has arrived in iraq to meet with u.s. troops as they formally close down their combat mission. president obama made the formal announcement last night from the en n usement last night from the >> reporter: hi, rob,omor >> reporter: hi, rob,omor 2003 to declare war in iraq. and with ather i said, it's over. >> good evening. >> reporter: the announcement was seven years, five months, and 13 days in the making. >> so tonight, i am announcing that the american combat mission in iraq has ended. >> reporter: it wasn't mission accomplished, but a suggestion of a promise fulfilled. >> this was my pledge to the american people as a candidate for this office. last february, i announced a plan that would bring our combat brigades out of iraq. by redoubling our efforts to strengthen iraq's security forces and support its government and people.

that's what we've done. >> reporter: the president called the withdrawal a transition, a seismic shift to an advise and assist role. >> the americans who have served in iraq completed every mission they were given. >> reporter: republicans reminded americans then candidate obama opposed president bush's troop surge. >> some leaders who opposed, criticized, and fought tooth and nail to stop the surge strategy now proudly claim credit for the result. >> reporter: ending the war isn't just in iraq's interests, the president said, it's in our own. after spending vast sums on the war, he said, it's time to turn the nation's attention homeward. >> our most urgent task is to restore our economy and put the millions of americans who have lost their jobs back to work. >> reporter: this morning in baghdad, u.s. troops are holding a change of command ceremony marking the end of "operation iraqi freedom" and the beginning of "operation new dawn," and a new mission for the 50,000 u.s. troops who will remain in iraq.

rob? >> john hendren reporting from washington, thanks, john. and president obama is preparing to play host to the israeli and palestinian leaders as they resume stalled peace talks in washington. abc's simon mcgregor-wood is in the middle east where violence has erupted again. good morning, simon. >> reporter: good morning, mike, from jerusalem. that's right, president obama gets personally involved in the peace process again today in washington. he has a very ambitious plan, trying to bring mideast peace that has eluded so many of predecessors for the last 60 years in less than a year. there were talks already yesterday in washington, the moderate palestinian leader president abbas sitting down for a one on one with secretary clinton as she met later with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. as i said, the president will have meetings with both those two men separately, also with the king of jordan and the president of egypt late today before hosting this launch dinner at the white house later

this evening. tomorrow the first official negotiations between the two sides in over 18 months starts at the state department. but already these talks are under a shadow. the shadow of the murder last night in the west bank of four israelis, gunned down at point-blank range by a palestinian gunman near the palestinian city of hebron. hamas, the militant islamic organization, claiming responsibility for that attack. they are, of course, not invited to these talks. they have rejected the process. and last night they made their views about this new peace process only too clear. mike? >> simon mcgregor-wood in jerusalem this morning, thank you. a republican senator is conceding defeat in what's being called a big win for the tea party movement. senator lisa murkowski conceded the alaska primary last night while absentee ballots were still being counted. she narrowly lost to joe miller, a conservative lawyer. he's also a gulf war veteran and is supported by former vice presidential candidate sarah

palin and the tea party movement. now we're making what many would consider a hard turn. make a hard turn here. many people want to be like their favorite celebrities. we know this, right? a bulgarian man might be taking the idea way too far. he wants to have a sex change so he can beabod the singer lady gaga. >> yes indeed. the 24-year-old told radaronline that he feels the operation will launch his music career. it's not the first time he's received media attention for cross-dressing. he was on the bulgarian version of "big brother" where he convinced cast members that he was a woman. >> if you're going to go for something, you might as well stand up and go full out. and that's what he's doing. >> full frontal. >> get out of this while we can. we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] swiffer dust & shine with febreze freshness

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those two men arrested in amsterdam, suspected of being on a dry run of a terrorist attack, might not be terrorists after all. >> the fbi is now backing off that claim after learning more about the men and the suspicious items in their luggage. brian ross reports. >> reporter: a passenger on a united flight from chicago to amsterdam took this video of the two men being taken off the plane monday by dutch authorities. the u.s. had sent an alert after suspicions about the contents of their luggage and a last-minute change in their flights. but it turns out the last-minute change in flights was innocent. the two men missed their original flights at o'hare field in chicago sunday because of a gate change, and united rebooked them. in fact, authorities now believe

the two men -- ahmed al soofi and hezam al murisi, though both from yemen, did not know each other, and were seated together only because united rebooked them that way. as for the luggage, law enforcement officials said the cell phones, including one taped to a pepto-bismol bottle, were strange but not illegal. one of al soofi's friends in detroit said, it's not uncommon for people returning to yemen to bring cell phones and medicine for others taped together. >> they want to tape it together to make sure this is my stuff, give it to my wife, my son, whatever i send it to. >> reporter: u.s. officials seem to accept that explanation, and the department of homeland security said the incident showed the airport security system is working and able to respond quickly to potential threats. the two men are still being held by the dutch, but u.s. authorities who were so concerned on monday are now saying they see no reason to hold the men or their cell phones or their pepto-bismol any longer.

brian ross, abc news, new york. >> there's still not a decision whether to formally charge these guys or not. i guess my take on the story is even though this was a false alarm the good news is as we approach the ninth anniversary of 9/11 that we are catching more and more of this. had it not been a false alarm we would have prevented a tragedy. that should be at least comforting to a lot of us. >> no doubt about it. this is the modern day. this is what we can expect. and look, when you -- whatever reason you are going to do this, if you tape cell phones or blackberries to pepto-bismol bottles you're going to raise red flags or you should, in this case they did, federal authorities cracked down, and we have what we have, an investigation. >> new world. when we come back, teens doubling down. a look inside the world of teenage gambling. >> how easy it is fo

welcome back, everybody. the world of gambling has been glorified in movies and primetime poker tournaments and all that. it should not be any kind of surprise that teens want a little piece of all that action. >> that's true. what should be surprising however is how easy it is for these teens to get dealt in. it's all thanks partially to online poker. here's john donvan. >> reporter: vegas is for winning. which is the whole point, of course. and there are all kinds of ways to win. but then there is the joe cada way of winning. which is to win so big, last year's world series of poker, this was him, that now when joe cada comes to town he gets his own security escort, he gets the private trip upstairs, and when he gets there, the party is all for him. all this at such a young age it seems he's still getting used to it. he's only 22. but all this began for him when

he was actually still a teenager. and what made him great was the internet. where he could play more than 2,000 hands of poker a day. while he was the big winner last year -- and you have to be 21 to play here -- it turns out there's a whole new generation of teenagers right behind him who have made the same discovery. you can get good online, very good and very young, without ever leaving your house. joe says poker is his life, but especially when he took it online. >> i started playing online at an early age. when i could. i was always the quieter type. i didn't really go out much. kind of like my means of getting away. one day i kept playing every hour of the day, kept grinding, next thing you know i got to $15,000, $20,000 by the end of the week. >> reporter: at this point he was still only a teenager. just as blaine is a budding joe cada. at 19, two years younger than the u.s. legal gambling age, but nothing prevents his playing

these online games that are based offshore. a college student at university of illinois, blaine has a summer job teaching drums at the same high school he attended. he's got a life. but also, thanks to the internet loophole, he's also got online poker. >> it's a fun game. but, you know, i also treat it as a business. i treat it as a real job. >> is it a real job? >> yeah. absolutely. i'm not gambling to see what's going to happen, i'm trying to make a profit. i pay my rent, i pay my bills by playing poker. it absolutely can be a real job. >> reporter: in fact, in the summer months at least, he still lives at home but he keeps his hand in online in a big way. his mom mary not only supports what he's doing, she gave him his first few hundred bucks to get started. >> i'm proud of him. it's not something that everybody can do. >> she gave me $100, you know. she trusted me right away. and she was wrong in some respects. >> you lost it. >> so she said, try again. she helped me put some more

money online. i eventually paid her back for that. that's when i was 18 and i haven't deposited since, i've just been taking money out. >> reporter: which makes it sound a little bit like running a lemonade stand. but it has to be pointed out that gambling, and not just online, is full of danger. you can get addicted to it, you can get scammed, you can get in way over your head. the stories of young people driven to commit crimes to cover the debts that come from gambling. blaine seems to be aware of the pitfalls and is determined to navigate around them, to take some of the chance out of the game he plays. are you a gambler? are you gambling? >> no, i wouldn't say i'm gambling. >> why not? poker is a gambler's game. >> there are elements of chance in poker, absolutely. in the short run it's hard to see skill overcome. playing thousands of hands every month, eventually you see that the more skilled and talented players are winning. >> reporter: in fact, blaine sees what he's doing as giving

him a safety net in a financially risky world. if you hadn't discovered poker, what do you think at this point in your life you would be planning to do? >> i certainly -- i think i'd be a lot more scared. >> why scared? >> because i wouldn't really have a fall-back. poker allows my life to be really flexible. i can maybe study something else in school that wouldn't make me as much money. it lets me try some different things. maybe take some risks. >> reporter: so blaine plugs away at the computer. he won $900 in one hour the night before we met him. he loses $350 here in 45 minutes in one afternoon. as with most professional players, he says the key to making money consistently is to stick with it. in the long run, he believes, persistence will pay off, perhaps ten-fold. how much do you need to win to walk away? >> how much do i need to win? >> yeah, and what's your target number? when do you have enough?

>> you know, i might not want to play the same game for 30, 40 years. if i win $1 million tomorrow, i'm not going to stop playing. >> if you won $20 million tomorrow, would you stop? >> if i won $20 million, wow. i would stop. >> you would stop? >> yeah, maybe. i certainly think that's a long way off. >> reporter: well, sure. when you're 19 years old, everything is a long way off. i'm john donvan in gurney, illinois. >> it blows my mind as that story highlights so well, there are professional players. this is what they do. they go gamble. >> big business. i had a friend of mine who used to work in television and he actually was a professional poker player. and it ended up he was obviously not in his teens at that point, but i think what you're seeing is sort of the swell of quick money, reality television taking really the front stage. i mean, look, everybody is drawn in that world to becoming, on television, world series of poker, it's on espn, it's very entertaining. >> everyone's running because

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at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. world news now delivers your "morning papers." >> all right, it is time for the "papers." and we have a whopper today. >> this thing has gone viral so we had no choice. we had to put it out there today. >> who doesn't like a dog that knows how to get down, you know what i mean? >> you've never seen anything like this. >> what dance this is? >> this is the merengue. >> the merengue dance. look at that. this dog and its owner actually made some headlines with a similar dance back in november, and it's nice to see they are back at it. as a matter of fact, they are a late add for "dancing with the stars." we just did not confirm that. but they should be, right? >> look at that. i missed a dip. dipped the dog? >> dipping the dog.

do you think the dog likes this, though? >> that's a lot better than fetch. look at this thing. dressed up. hopefully that's as far as this couple goes but look at that. oh, backing it up. >> i know. let's go to something -- >> there we go, yeah. >> some human interaction. >> oh, man. yes. a much more elevated scale. how about this. like you said, there's a championship thing for everything. this is the gravy wrestling championship from over in the uk. >> look at that. >> these folks, apparently 2,000 liters of gravy, 24 contestants get together and just wrestle around in this gravy. i don't know what the winner gets, a biscuit? >> hopefully a bath, a shower, something like that. >> the fourth annual world gravy wrestling championship over there in the uk. >> wow. >> that is -- you know, a little slice of humanity this wednesday morning. >> gravy, jell-o, whatever. they do have a women division too. >> that would be far more

interesting. >> depends, i don't know. >> we do have some clean news today too. >> right, right. let's go to some drawings. >> drawings? >> huge drawing, actually. this kind of drawing. it looks like a crop circle but it was done on black ice and it's 12 1/2 square miles. >> world's biggest drawing ever. >> ever. 13 miles across. over there in the uk. and that's a lot of space, no doubt, absolutely. >> very, very impressive there. >> and the most fun one of all today. >> of course. we leave on a family note today here during your "morning papers." we want to wish a special congratulations to rich jaime, senior video operator here, and he is a grandfather yet again. little baby born yesterday on the 31st, 5 pounds, 6 ounces. very proud grandfather. >> here on staff. >> that's right. >> charlotte, north carolina. congratulations to rich. beautiful little baby there. >> and they will not sleep at all tonight. as they put the wood n their

windows. >> back to thehehehehehehehehehe

hurricane earl is barreling toward the atlantic seaboard. >> it's going to be too close to the coast not to be ready to go. >> some evacuations have already been ordered. president obama says it's time to turn the page on iraq. >> there were patriots who supported this war and patriots who opposed it. >> a full report on his oval office speech coming up. michael douglas talking about his battle with cancer for the first time. it's wednesday, september 1st. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> listening to michael douglas talked to letterman last night, he kind of revealed he's in stage 4 cancer. it's a lot more serious than we thought. >> no doubt about that.

although he was in good spirits and he says he's a week into treatment. more on that coming up. there's still fight in him and you can see that. still disturbing information about how serious that cancer is. >> stay tuned for that story. good morning, i'm rob nelson. >> i'm mike marusarz in for vinita nair. evacuations have been ordered for an island off the north carolina coast as hurricane earl heads for the east coast. >> the very powerful category 4 storm is expected to bring some strong winds and very heavy rains to the outer banks by late tomorrow or early friday. earl could ruin holiday plans of millions living along the east coast. here now is alex stone. >> reporter: all eyes are on the atlantic, and the category 4 monster hurricane that's approaching the east coast. the national hurricane center has already issued a hurricane watch for the north carolina coast, meaning sustained winds of 74 miles an hour are possible within 48 hours.

>> probably on the end of thursday, we're going to see how things pan out. and we may be telling or advising people to leave the beaches. >> it's going to be too close to the coast not to be ready to go. >> reporter: the winds and rains that are expected to lash beaches from north carolina all the way to new england will dampen the spirits of any beachgoers and translate into less income for some business owners. >> you know, labor day weekend is the last busy weekend of the summer around here. it's just adding insult to injury. the beautiful weather goes away as well as all the business. >> reporter: stores selling emergency supplies are doing better, though. >> and getting lanterns and lights and batteries. >> reporter: and genera water, just in case a hurricane takes a turn for the worse. alex stone, abc news. and with more on the track of hurricanewejo by accuweather's jeannette lleaccuweather's jeannette g

>> good morning, rob and mike. certainly still keeping a very close eye on hurricane earl which is still a major hurricane. it is continuing to track to the northwest at around 14 miles an hour. it is north of hispanola but throughout the day today it's going to run jus warning n he t cands. n he t behind earl we do have fiona which is moving westward, set to impact the leeward islands late today with tropical storm force winds and heavy rainfall. here's the forecast eye path with hurricane earl. it's going to be approaching the southeast coast throughout the day so expect to see dangerous surf and rip currents from coastal florida to coastal areas of south carolina. hurricane watch was issued for those areas north of surf city, north carolina, into the north carolina/virginia border and it's going to make its closest approach to the outer banks of north carolina late thursday into thursdht p s a it's going to continue its northeasterly track set to impact the southern coast of new england by this labor day

weekend. rob, mike? >> abc will have continuing coverage of hurricane earl throuhe mon "america this morning" and "good morning america," plus any time at abcnews.com. now to the rest of the nation's weather on this wednesday. severe storms from the dakotas nd atedsin ux from the dakotas cityomahchit showers from texas up to the great lakes. light rain in the northern rockies. and near-record highs in the northeast. >> 97 here in new york. 92 in boston. and 95 in baltimore. 77 in fargo. mostly 80s from omaha to indianapolis. 66 in seattle. 80 in salt lake city. and 90 in albuquerque. and in other news this morning, president obama has formally ended the u.s. combat operations in iraq. speaking to the nation from the oval office, mr. obama said it is simply time to turn the page. with iraqis now taking the lead in their own security, the president said it's time to focus on the urgent task of fixing this still-ailing

american economy. mr. obama thanked the troops and said he even reached out to his predecessor who started the war. >> i spoke to former president george w. bush. it's well known he and i disagreed about the war from its outset. yet no one can doubt president bush's support for our troops or his love of country and commitment to our security. as i've said, there were patriots who supported this war and patriots who opposed it. and all of us are united in appreciation for our servicemen and women, and our hopes for iraqis' future. >> earlier in the day mr. obama personally thanked soldiers during a visit to ft. bliss, texas. while he was there he warned of a tough fight ahead still in afghanistan. we'll have much more on the president's oval office speech coming up later in this half hour. the president is poised to host face-to-face mideast peace talks getting under way for the first time in nearly two years. the president is meeting separately today with israeli

prime minister benjamin netanyahu and palestinian president mahmoud abbas, all ahead of formal negotiations set for tomorrow. meanwhile there was an attack in the west bank yesterday, possibly designed to disrupt the talks. four israelis were killed when a palestinian gunman opened fire on a car. federal investigators are now backing away from initial suspicions that two men now under arrest in the netherlands were practicing for a terror attack. the two men are from yemen but live here in the u.s. they abruptly changed flight plans in chicago on sunday, going to the netherlands, while sending their luggage to washington. investigators say the two men did not know each other and were not traveling together, and on top of that, they were not on any terror watch lists. the obama administration has appealed a federal judge's order that undercuts federally funded embryonic stem-cell research. the justice department claims stopping such research would cause irreversible harm to millions of extremely sick

patients. stem cells are master cells which can turn into any tissue in the body. opponents say their use destroys human embryos. there are fewer kids in foster care than a few years ago and child welfare advocates say that is a food thing. the federal government says that the number of foster kids dropped 8% in one year and 20% in the past decade. child welfare advocates say the credit goes not only to sped-up adoptions but help for troubled families to keep kids at home. the military is investigating the deaths of at least ten infants at ft. bragg, north carolina, since 2007. the investigation began after two babies from different families died at the same address three months apart. foul play is not suspected but investigators are concerned that something in the air could be triggering sudden infant death syndrome. now sobering news from actor michael douglas who spoke publicly about his throat cancer diagnosis for the first time last night. >> douglas told david letterman that he just finished his first week of radiation and

chemotherapy, and then he stunned the audience when he revealed he has late stage 4 cancer. >> is a stage 4 where you want to be or not where you want to be? >> no, no, you'd like to be down at stage 1. >> stage 1. >> stage 1. it has not -- the big thing you always worry about is it spreading. so i am head and neck, i am above the neck, so nothing's going down. and the expectations are good. >> did they find it early enough for their liking? >> i sure as [ muted ] hope so. >> he's obviously staying upbeat about the whole thing. douglas did acknowledge that the cancer was caused by drinking and smoking. he said he faces an eight-week struggle but remained optimistic that he's 80% sure that he has a better chance of recovery, and that's what doctors are telling him. 80% chance of survival. or even better. and it seems like from his mood, he seemed pretty positive. >> seems to be in positive spirits. even cracking a joke there, which is good.

great news that it has not spread beyond his throat. so hopefully he'll make it out. >> yeah, he's busy, trying to promote "wall street" sequel. that's what he's out -- trying to stay at work while fighting cancer. >> thoughts to him and his family. we'll be back with more "world news now" right after this. [ female announcer ] fact.

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we return now to president obama's address on iraq. the president stressed u.s. combat forces have fulfilled their mission and it is time to come home. >> it is a major milestone in the nation's war on terror but it's also a moment the president had to balance with pressing domestic concerns as well. here now is terry moran. >> reporter: he was somber, almost still behind the desk in the oval office where he noted it all began. >> from this desk, seven and a half years ago, president bush announced the beginning of military operations in iraq. >> reporter: that night was filled with the shock and awe of american military might. but history has its own deep secrets. and what unfolded was beyond anyone's imagining. >> tonight i am announcing that the american combat mission in iraq has ended. "operation iraqi freedom" is

over. and the iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country. >> reporter: he tried to sum up what the war in iraq has meant, what has been accomplished by the more than 1.5 million americans who have served there. >> they defeated a regime that had terrorized its people. together with iraqis and coalition partners who made huge sacrifices of their own, our troops fought block by block to help iraq seize the chance for a better future. >> reporter: but iraq is a long way from that future. and in the screams of sirens after bombings, the poverty and dysfunction, the political bickering, it remains doubtful, a reality the president acknowledged. >> of course, violence will not end with our combat mission. extremists will continue to set off bombs, attack iraqi civilians, and try to spark

sectarian strife. but ultimately these terrorists will fail to achieve their goals. >> reporter: there are scars at home too. the iraq war divided the country and those divisions were deep and bitter. >> i'm mindful that the iraq war has been a contentious issue at home. here, too, it's time to turn the page. >> in the battle of iraq, the united states and our allies have prevailed. >> reporter: president obama's predecessor, who launched the war and rejoiced so theatrically in the success of its early stages, saw his presidency ultimately crippled by it. here too, though, president obama sought to make a gesture of reconciliation. >> this afternoon i spoke to former president george w. bush. it's well known that he and i

disagreed about the war from its outset. yet no one can doubt president bush's support for our troops or his love of country and commitment to our security. >> reporter: but for most, this moment is one for reflection. defense secretary robert gates was overcome with emotion at the thought of what has been given and lost in this war. >> the courage of these men and women. their determination. their sacrifice. and the sacrifice of their families. along with the service and sacrifice of so many others in uniform have made this day, this transition, possible. and we must never forget them. >> reporter: there's another war, of course, even older than iraq. and president obama set to reinvigorate a war-weary nation for the challenges ahead in afghanistan. >> we will disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al qaeda while preventing afghanistan from again serving as a base for terrorists. because of drawdown in iraq, we are now able to apply the

resources necessary to go on offense. >> reporter: and with americans still suffering and anxious in an economy that barely shows a pulse, the president pivoted to the nation's most pressing concern today. >> our most urgent task is to restore our economy and put the millions of americans who have lost their jobs back to work. this will be difficult. but in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people and my central responsibility as president. >> reporter: 50,000 u.s. troops remain in iraq. and as so many others come home and their mission changes, president obama tried to draw inspiration from what they did. serve with honor. >> our troops are the steel in our ship of state. and though our nation may be traveling through rough waters, they give us confidence that our course is true. and beyond the predawn darkness, better days lie ahead.

>> and a major seven and a half year chapter coming to a close. just the start of a very busy week for president. >> no doubt about that. mideast peace talks, much negotiated to get this to happen. they begin today at the white house. hurricane earl threatening the east coast of the united states. not a lot of sleep for the president this wee

well, it's time for back to school for a lot of the kiddos out there. as you can imagine the first day of class can be a stressful thing to a child. >> that's for sure. according to the mom-friendly website, cafemom.com, heading back to school can be stressful on parents as well. here now is claire shipman. >> reporter: back to school jitters. new teachers, homework, tests, rusty social skills. >> what teachers i'm going to have, if they're going to be nice, mean, normal.

>> reporter: and september stress is more intense than ever for kids and parents. the lane family of garfield, new jersey, gets group butterflies. >> i am very worried. >> making new friends. >> my locker combination because i sometimes have problems with that. >> if i'm going to have really good grades. is it going to be hard or easy? >> we're pretty anxious right now. >> reporter: in a study by cafemom, a website devoted to parenting issues, 41% of kids now say they have some form of anxiety about going back to school. and high anxiety? 28% of girls feel highly stressed. 12% of boys. >> girls tend to be a little more stressed as a group and tended to be driven more by social concerns. >> reporter: what are the kids most worried about? up through the tweens, where mean girl and bully syndromes are often in full bloom, it's the challenges of social life. >> i might be nervous about making new friends.

>> overall we say the tween concerns are more what teacher will i have, who will be in my class this year? a little more social, day-to-day activity. >> reporter: but once the kids hit high school, academics are a top concern. >> i'm really worried about the work. because sometimes the work gets harder. >> reporter: 12% of mothers in the study called themselves highly stressed at this time of year. >> which classes are going to be harder for them, how much homework we're going to have to help with. >> reporter: academics are the top concern for moms, followed by time management and social challenges. alicia has found one routine especially reassuring for her younger children. >> we have to drive around and say, this is where you're going to have to go. it's not as bad as what they think it is. >> reporter: hm, maybe there's a similar exercise for parents so we don't find that opening bell so worrying. claire shipman, abc news. coming up, the soldiers

returning home from the iraq war.

finally this half hour, the long road home. as president obama said last night, the u.s. combat mission in iraq has come to an end. >> when our brave fighting men and women arrive back home there will be many smiling faces waiting for them. here's "world news" anchor diane sawyer. >> reporter: surprised faces overflowing with tears and love. for everyone, long journey ended. hugs so tight they seem to

squeeze the months of worry away. there's the 10-year-old who made brave video diaries. >> my dad, master sergeant joe meyers, is in iraq right now. >> not knowing, later at school -- >> there's my daughter. hey, baby. come here. >> daddy! >> reporter: in another classroom, a navy s.e.a.l., senior chief terry doss, appearing in daughter terian's third grade. waiting one year for daddy to come home. >> i'm so happy my daddy's here. >> reporter: and in san antonio, texas, another surprise. little taylor rias can't believe her eyes. >> i was thinking it was something different but it was

my daddy. >> reporter: eight months without him, an eternity for a 5-year-old. >> it's a real joy to see her run to me like that. can i feel like crying, but i'm not going to cry. >> reporter: when you're finally together, feeling too much to say. like marine staff sergeant mike epperson, surprising his two daughters at their school assembly in ohio. >> i'm probably going to cry, i apologize. i haven't seen them in almost eight months. >> reporter: and in his honor, a song about the home of the brave and moms and the dads. ♪ and the home of the brave >> what a beautiful moment it must be for those families when those soldiers come home. really incredible. >> that's why these soldiers when you talk to them, when dan harris does these pieces in baghdad, when you talk to these soldiers that's the moment they look forward to.

to come home a see that.owowowowowowowowowowow

president obama declares a change in iraq. >> i am announcing that the american combat mission in iraq has ended. >> he says now the iraqi people have lead responsibility for their own security. hurricane earl, incoming. and in north carolina, they are getting ready for a potential direct hit. >> gather up those supplies, put them in that water-tight box. and a bitter battle. not over money or children. at stake is one of baseball's marquee franchises. >> that is way out and gone! >> it's wednesday, september 1st. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> all right, so a lot of people on the east coast now eyeing hurricane earl. here we go again.

in the cone of possibility lies north carolina, even up farther north to the cape, it could be nasty. we've got to watch it. >> coming up on a holiday weekend, everyone has big plans. celebrating the end of summer. we'll have thorough coverage on this show and on "good morning america" later on today. good morning, everyone, i'm rob nelson. >> i'm mike marusarz. vinita nair is on vacation. defense secretary robert gates arrived in iraq this morning as u.s. troops are marking a major milestone. >> it is the official end of u.s. combat operations in iraq some seven years after that war first began. president obama made the official announcement last night from the oval office. here now is john hendren. >> reporter: the announcement was seven years, five months, 13 days in the making. >> so tonight i am announcing that the american combat mission in iraq has ended. >> reporter: it wasn't mission

accomplished but a suggestion of a promise fulfilled. >> this was my pledge to the american people as a candidate for this office. last february i announced a plan that would bring our combat brigades out of iraq while redoubling our efforts to strengthen iraq's security forces and support its government and people. that's what we've done. >> reporter: the president called the withdrawal a transition, a seismic shift to an advise and assist role. >> the americans who have served in iraq completed every mission they were given. >> reporter: republicans reminded americans then-candidate obama opposed president bush's troop surge. >> some leaders who opposed, criticized, fought tooth and nail to stop the surge strategy now proudly claim credit for the results. >> reporter: ending the war isn't just in iraq's interest, the president said, it's in our own. after spending vast sums on the war, he said, it's time to turn the nation's attention homeward. >> our most urgent task is to restore our economy and put the

millions of americans who have lost their jobs back to work. >> reporter: combat operations may be over but 50,000 american troops remain in iraq. conventional forces to advise and assist iraqi troops, and commandos to continue the hunt for al qaeda insurgents. john hendren, abc news, washington. >> later in the broadcast we'll have more on what the soldiers still on the ground in iraq think about their new mission. the president is turning his attention to mideast peace as he prepares to jump start talks for the first time in nearly two years. the president is meeting separately today with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu and palestinian president mahmoud abbas. it's ahead of formal negotiations set for tomorrow. meanwhile there was an attack in the west bank yesterday, possibly designed to disrupt the talks. four israelis were killed when a palestinian gunman opened fire on a car. for the millions living along the east coast it is now a big game of wait and see for hurricane earl. the governor of virginia is set

to declare a state of emergency in his state today. and in north carolina, hundreds of residents living on the outer banks have been ordered to evacuate as the cat 4 storm approaches. the governor gave this warning to residents. >> any person who lives on the coast of north carolina, or any person who has reason to think the storm track might go over their house, ought to go out and gather up those supplies, put them in that water-tight box. it doesn't cost a lot to buy batteries and snacks and water to get through three or four days. medicine if you need it. evacuation plans if the worst should happen. but only we can take care of ourselves. we have all of the players from the most remote part of north carolina to the most urban part all on ready. we're set. and when the hurricane hits we can go. >> tense days ahead for those folks. not since hurricane bob in 1991 has such a powerful storm had such a large swath of the east

coast in its sights. that's according to the national hurricane center. >> as we know, even a slight change in the storm's track could make an enormous difference. >> with more on the possible path, we're joined by accuweather's jeannette calle. good morning, jeannette. >> hey, there, rob and mike. the tropics active as we head into this first day of september. hurricane earl a major hurricane north of hispanola throughout the day today. it's going to run east of the bahama islands. we do have fiona on its tail moving westward, set to impact the leeward islands with tropical storm force winds and also heavy rainfall. here's the accuweather.com forecast eye path with hurricane earl. increased wave activity across the southeast coast throughout the day today. it's going to make its closest approach to the outer banks of north carolina late thursday into thursday night, perhaps as a cat 3 hurricane. there is a hurricane watch in effect north of surf city, north carolina, into the north

carolina/virginia border. all along the eastern this labor day weekend will feel the impacts of hurricane earl. we're talking about destruce waveslso winc rhapome rainfall. rob, mike? >> jeannette, thank you. here's the rest of your wednesday weather. stormy in the nation's midsection with golf ball-sized hail, 80-mile-an-hour winds in the dakotas, nebraska and kansas. showers and thunderstorms from dallas to chicago. light rain from washington state to montana. >> 90s along the east coast from boston down to miami. 86 in detroit. 84 in kansas city. 79 in minneapolis. phoenix heating up to 103. sacramento 95. 70s in portland and boise. in other news a big political upset is being called a huge victory for sarah palin and the tea party movement. alaska senator lisa murkowski has conceded defeat in her state's republican primary in the midst of an absentee ballot recount. in a very, very close contest she lost to joe miller. he's a conservative lawyer who

sarah palin had backed. miller is also a west point graduate and a veteran of the gulf war. he painted murkowski as simply too liberal. we mentioned president obama's oval office address last night. if you caught the president's speech, you may have noticed something a little bit different about his surroundings. >> the oval office has been given a new look to reflect the current commander in chief. the facelift includes some new wallpaper, tables and chairs, and there's a new oval rug which includes quotations from not only abraham lincoln but teddy roosevelt, jfk, and martin luther king. >> the white house did not reveal the price tag in the makeover but said it is in line with presidents clinton and bush as far as what they spent. >> not financed by taxpayers. >> right. it was all personally paid for. apparently the couches and new lamps and tables are all made in america. so keeping with that american theme, very appropriate. >> it's almost as big as our offices. >> yeah. yeah, we wish, right?

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zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. back to our top story this half hour. president obama's oval office announcement that the u.s. combat operations in iraq have ended. >> there will still be 50,000 u.s. soldiers in that country but their mission has changed. dan harris has more now from camp victory outside of baghdad. >> now our escorts are leaving us because we're leaving the city proper. >> reporter: t minus eight days until the end of the combat mission and i'm sitting in the back of a u.s. military vehicle sweating like a proverbial pig in full body armor in 120-degree heat when we hear this report come over the radio. >> and this is rogue six hv roger. >> it is an ied.

>> i think two is probably a pretty fair assessment. >> talking about two bombs a day, for people at home who might be tempted to conclude the war is over. it seems like it contradicts that assertion. >> is there violence in iraq? yeah, absolutely. yeah, there's still bad things happening. >> reporter: these days, though, it is mostly the iraqis, not the americans, who are on the front lines. they lead most of the patrols, and at this joint checkpoint, it's the iraqi troops searching the cars while american soldiers monitor via video feeds. i would imagine you joined the military to be a soldier, to fight. do you ever get bored? >> it's a little different. but this is what my job is now, this is what i've been asked to do. >> reporter: t minus seven days until the end of the combat mission and al qaeda in iraq launches a coordinated devastating series of attacks, mostly against iraqi security

forces all over the country. we're with the u.s. army's desert roads battalion outside of mosul when the initial reports start coming in. >> apparently a report this morning -- >> a car bomb? >> a car bomb. the latest report is the iraqis on the ground identified it, shot at it, and it exploded before hurting anyone. very successful. >> reporter: the iraqi troops here in mosul may have responded effectively. but they were clearly taken by surprise by most of the other attacks, which raises perhaps the most burning question in this country right now -- as the americans withdraw, are the iraqis capable of picking up the slack and keeping this country safe? >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: lieutenant colonel ross coffman, the charismatic commander who's been hosting us on this embed, echoes the optimistic white house line on this score. you trust them? >> absolutely. the change in the iraqi army

over my three tours has been immense. they are professional, they're focused, and they're capable of conducting the mission. >> reporter: but coffman's own soldiers who live and work right next to the iraqi soldiers are less certain. how ready do you think these guys are? >> i think that they're a lot more ready than they were a couple of years ago but they've still got a ways to go. >> reporter: the iraqis don't do themselves any public relations favors when they greet our camera inside their barracks by dancing and toying with their guns. and check out what this iraqi first lieutenant admitted to us. with the american combat troops leaving can the iraqi army keep the peace here? "to be honest," he says, "we need a couple more years." t minus three days until the end of combat and i'm out on the streets of baghdad. to be fair, it's glaringly obvious that iraqi troops who have been in charge here for months are doing a pretty good job keeping the peace. now families are out having ice

cream and fancy new restaurants are opening up. although they will pat you down for weapons before you can get a table. yet so many of the iraqis we meet are deeply, darkly pessimistic. including this off-duty cop. even though you are a police officer, you don't think the iraqi forces can keep this country safe without the americans here anymore? >> yes, i don't think so. we don't have enough weapons, we are not ready for this mission. >> reporter: we're frequently asked by complete strangers if we can help them leave this country and come to america. why do you want to leave here? >> it's no good. >> no good here? >> no good. >> why not? everything? everything. >> reporter: while violence is way down, hundreds of civilians are still being killed here sic s li andocf1& sic cfand mst velyo major political players, trying to cajole them into cutting a deal. the local news channels cover it all wall to wall. but when president obama gives

his speech from the oval office -- >> i am announcing that the american combat mission in iraq has ended. >> reporter: -- it's in the middle of the night here, and not many people in this anxious nation are awake to hear it. this is dan harris in baghdad. and some lighter news coming up when we come back in "the skinny." actor michael douglas is speaking out for the first time about his battle with cancer. >> and guess who was caught onstage dirty dancing with snoop dogg? it's coming up in "the skinny."

it is that time again. back in "the skinny." >> that's right.

lots is going on. >> lot of stuff happening. we start off with a somewhat serious story. michael douglas promoting the big "wall street 2" movie. "wall street 2" is coming out soon and michael douglas now revealing he has stage 4 cancer, which is a shock to a lot of people. we knew he was sick but not that sick. >> that is progressed that far. he was on letterman last night speaking publicly for the first time. >> absolutely. in fact, he was upbeat about it though and joked with letterman about the seriousness of his cancer. >> is stage 4 where you want to be or not where you want to be? >> no. you want to be down at stage 1. >> stage 1? >> it has not -- the big thing you always worry about is spreading. i am head and neck. i am above the neck. so nothing's going down.

and the expectations are good. >> did they find it early enough for their liking? >> i sure as [ muted ] hope so. >> hasn't lost that comic timing. >> no, not at all. >> not at all. >> he's a week into treatment and he said the doctors and people around him who are treating him say there's about an 80% chance that they're going to knock it out successfully. >> which is great news. 65 years old, had a sore throat earlier in the summer, went in for some tests. they didn't initially find anything but then came back at stage 4. thoughts and prayers with him. he looked good, all things considered. >> looks good, and on the road to recovery. >> let's hope for sure. much lighter note now, apparently snoop dogg, i know your favorite. >> i am -- >> i know. >> he's a timeless american icon. mt. rushmore. >> yeah. >> his face should be right there along the others.

>> there's snoop. appareavesow sur ky tage and kiof ga li- >> whoo, watch out. >> you can tell -- maybe you tell, it's actually demi moore up onstage jiving with snoop a little bit. >> and the guy on the right is her husband. ashton kutcher. >> that's right. she's breaking it down. >> whoa. >> see, she didn't lose those schools she learned in "striptease," which is very, very comforting. ashton didn't mind her having fun, enjoying the whole thing with his wife. demi is still in good shape, throwing it around in vegas, good for her. >> how about that couple. >> they're probably twittering all the way about it as well. >> millions and millions of followers. she looks good, work it, girl. >> no doubt about that. you watched the emmys a couple of nights ago. sofia vergara? is that how you say her name? >hot erom family." >> absolutely, and there she is. apparently she may become florida's first lady, so to

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here some are stories to watch today on abc news. hurricane earl is spiraling toward a potential landfall along the east coast of the u.s. some evacuations have already been ordered along the north carolina coast. also, president obama launches a new attempt at mideast peace today. he's meeting separately at the white house with israeli and palestinian leaders and hosting a dinner for both of them later tonight. also, apple is holding a so-called special event today in san francisco that may involve an announcement about the ipod. analysts are speculating that the purchase of -- sorry, purchase of individual television shows may become available.

and finally this half hour, the divorce fight in the world of sports that does not involve tiger woods. >> thankfully. it does involve the owners of the l.a. dodgers, frank and jamie mccourt. as mike von fremd reports, they're both taking some pretty nasty swings at each other. >> reporter: with the los angeles dodgers' playoffs hopes fading fast, the real spectacle is in los angeles divorce court. team owner frank mccourt and his wife jamie have opened the curtain on a lifestyle so lavish, they even spent six figures to hire an astrologer as a consultant. >> this dodger organization is a cash cow. there's plenty of money to go around. >> reporter: frank mccourt's lawyers say his wife jamie gave up all rights to the team's fortune in exchange for the security of sole ownership of the couple's six magnificent homes. >> that was her nest egg. didn't want to take a risk on his foolish, dodgy investment in the dodgers. well, she turned out to be wrong. the dodgers have blossomed and the real estate market's gone down. >> reporter: according to

"forbes" magazine the team has nearly doubled in value since mccourt became chairman in 2004. wife jamie, who has a law degree, now says she was defrauded by her husband and did not knowingly sign away her rights to the team. sportswriters here say the owners' bitter public battle is taking a terrible toll. >> it's littered the place and it's turned it into a virtual cesspool of rumor and innuendo and absurdity and it's definitely affected the team. >> reporter: for years the high-priced players have taken the heat from fans and comics. now it's the owners in the batter's box. >> oh, this is getting ugly. this is an ugly divorce. of course, on the bright side, the one thing they won't have to fight over, world series tickets. yeah. >> reporter: the dodgers may be far from the world series. but their owners, the mccourts, are in for a world-class fight. mike von fremd, abc news, los angeles. >> divorces are never pretty.

but with that much cash on t