to help heal your skin from within. it helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema. so, they can have clearer skin and less itch. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. healing from within is a wonderful thing. ask your child's eczema specialist how dupixent can help heal their skin from within. >> whit: good morning, america. breaking overnight, abortion battle. the texas supreme court temporarily blocking a ruling

that would have allowed a pregnant woman to get an emergency abortion. what happens next? >> erielle: cross-country storms impacting tens of millions of americans from coast to coast. our weather team tracking the timing and the threat of tornados, snow, and torrential rain. >> gio: resolution veto. the u.s. blocking the u.s. motion demanding an immediate cease-fire in gaza as israel reveals a failed rescue operation to free hostages. >> whit: covid hospitalizations on the rise. the word about a new subvariant. plus, medical breakthrough, the new sickle cell treatments being called a functional cure for many patients. >> erielle: remembering ryan o'neal, the star of "love story." >> i'll give you my love, more precious than money. >> erielle: and "paper moon." >> anything is possible. possible don't make it true. >> erielle: the career that made him one of the best-known actors of his time and his highly publicized personal life including his relationship with farrah fawcett.

♪ >> gio: and helping hands. the food bank serving more than 120 million meals throughout southeast texas. >> god bless. >> gio: plus, how country star brad paisley and his wife actress kimberly williams-paisley are making christmas wishes come true. >> whit: good morning, america. so great to have you with us on a saturday. great to have erielle back on the desk with us once again. >> erielle: great to be here. >> whit: another busy weekend here. we've got that major storm system sweeping across the country, 15 states under winter weather alerts, and 50 million americans under flood watches. >> erielle: plus, the u.s. vetoed a resolution that demanded an immediate cease-fire in gaza as the idf confirms its forces tried to free hostages held by hamas, but that operation failed. >> gio: but we do begin with

the breaking news here overnight. the texas supreme court freezing a lower court's ruling that would have allowed a woman to get an emergency abortion. abc's elizabeth schulze joins us now from the supreme court in washington where it's been nearly 18 months since the high court overturned roe v. wade. elizabeth, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, gio, and we have not seen a case like this since the supreme court issued their decision back in 1973, and in this case a woman in texas with severe pregnancy complications is suing the state to allow her access to an emergency abortion. and now the state's highest court is weighing in putting that request on hold. overnight a setback for abortion rights advocates. in a first of its kind case, the texas supreme court temporarily blocking 31-year-old kate cox from obtaining an emergency abortion. cox, a mother of two, filed the legal challenge at 20 weeks' pregnant. her doctors saying her fetus has virtually no chance of survival and they warn continuing to carry the pregnancy could jeopardize her health and future fertility.

>> there's no outcome here, you know, that results in us taking home a healthy baby girl. >> reporter: on thursday a lower court ruled in favor of cox, granting her request for an emergency abortion despite the state's near total ban. but hours later, texas attorney general ken paxton appealed the ruling asking the state supreme court to intervene. late friday it did, pulling a temporary hold on the lower court's decision without regard to its merits as it reviews paxton's appeal. cox's lawyer saying in a statement overnight, we're talking about urgent medical care. kate is already 20 weeks' pregnant. this is why people should not need to beg for health care in a court of law. >> it will put her life in danger if left untreated. >> reporter: texas law bans all abortions with narrow exceptions to save the life of the mother,

and the state argues cox does not meet the criteria. >> the plaintiffs have not shown they will suffer immediate and irref operable injury. >> reporter: it's not clear when they will issue a decision and a ruling in this case only applies to kate cox and her pregnancy. not to others in the state. at least 16 states have passed restrictions banning nearly all abortions since the supreme court overturned roe v. wade. whit? >> whit: another major turn in this case, all right. elizabeth, tou we do move now to the major storms affecting tens of millions of americans from coast move to coast, and let's get right to somara theodore with the timing and the track on this. somara, good morning. >> somara: good morning, whit. a precarious situation has developed out in little cottonwood canyon, utah. parts of utah saw two feet of snow, and they're gearing up for the next storm in a series of storms. right now i want to focus on the system that's developing in the southeast. high wind alerts, flood watches and, most importantly, the threat for severe weather through parts of the tennessee valley and down to the gulf coast states.

this is 5:00 p.m. notice if you live in alexandria up to nashville, huntsville, alabama, jackson, evening you have the threat for a few tornadoes, very strong wind and hail, and it makes its way into georgia and atlanta to the carolinas by tomorrow, and by sunday night, the heaviest of the rain will be battering the i-95 corridor with snow farther west into pennsylvania and into upstate new york. this is prompting the threat for flooding. we could see up to three inches of rain coming down really quickly. that's a look at the weather. back to you, erielle. >> erielle: all right, somara, we know you will keep following it. now to the latest fighting in gaza and the u.s. blocking a u.n. motion demanding an immediate cease-fire as we're learning new details about a failed operation to rescue hostages kidnapped by hamas. abc's tom soufi burridge is in tel aviv with the latest on the ground. good morning, tom. >> reporter: good morning, erielle. yes, really sad news just in of the death of another israeli

hostage, and as this exhibition in tel aviv shows, there will be lots of empty places at dinner this hanukkah weekend as the suffering and fighting inside gaza intensifies, and the u.s. moves to block calls for a cease-fire at the u.n. dramatic images emerging this morning of the aftermath of an israeli missile strike with the u.s. blocking a call for another cease-fire in gaza at the u.n. this morning israel thanking the u.s. for using its veto, halting a security council resolution for an immediate cease-fire. >> although the united states strongly supports a durable peace in which both israelis and palestinians can live in peace and security, we do not support this resolution's call for an unsustainable cease-fire that will only plant the seeds for the next war. >> reporter: with israel intensifying its assault in areas of gaza, the death toll rising to around 17,500 people according to the hamas-run health ministry, and that move to block a potential cease-fire sparking anger.

this man accuses the u.s. of being against the people who are being killed day and night by american weapons, he says. here desperate scenes after 15 members of 1 family were killed in an israeli strike. with the u.n.'s world food program warning, half of the population in gaza is starving. >> the humanitarian operation is collapsing. >> reporter: casualties streaming into this hospital in khan younis. israel saying it's moving to eradicate hamas strongholds in that southern city. injured children being treated on the hospital's floor as the u.s. pressures israel to do more to protect civilian lives. >> it remains imperative that israel put a premium on civilian protection, and there does remain between exactly what i saw when i was there, the intent to protect civilians, and the actual results we're seeing on the ground. >> reporter: and amid the fighting, news of the death of

another israeli hostage, this man, it comes after the idf said it raided a hamas hide caught with hostages were being held but no one was rescued in the operation. well, the idf so far not commenting on whether he was killed in that failed attempt to rescue israeli hostages. the hostage's family releasing a statement saying he was murdered in gaza, his brother killed in that october 7th terror attack. gio? >> gio: just so much pain two months in. all right, tom, thank you so much. now we're going to teen school shooter ethan crumbley sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing four students at a michigan school. abc's morgan norwood joins us with that, and, morgan, the victims' families were in court. it was an emotional day. >> reporter: so emotional, and it was life without parole. it was ethan crumbley's planning, execution-style killing and the anguish lamented by more than two dozen that led the judge to that maximum prison. >> life without the possibility of parole.

>> reporter: this morning, ethan crumbley, the michigan teenager behind the 2021 mass school shooting that killed four of his classmates and injured seven others, beginning a lifelong prison sentence. the judge handing down the maximum punishment describing ethan as being obsessed with violence, stalking the hallways, picking and choosing who was going to die. >> we are miserable. we miss tate. our family has a permanent hole in it that can never be fixed. ever. >> reporter: before learning his fate, crumbley facing the families impacted by his deadly rampage at oxford high school and one by one the parents of madisyn baldwin, hana st. juliana, tate myre, and justin shilling describing the anguish of losing their children and family members. >> in that moment my whole world stopped. i heard the words and froze and felt as if the world was

spinning. then came the cries and screaming from madisyn's parents. >> reporter: crumbley, who was 15 at the time, pleaded guilty to 24 charges including first-degree premeditated murder and terrorism causing death. prosecutors say he carefully planned out the attack. after hearing from nearly 30 family members, survivors and witnesses, crumbley addressing the court. >> i really am sorry for what i've done, for what i've taken from them. >> reporter: and ethan's parents, jennifer and james crumbley, also face charges in that mass shooting accused of giving their son easy access to that semiautomatic gun and dismissing signs he was a threat. whit? >> whit: truly emotional testimony. morgan, thank you. this morning we're following new details emerging about the school shooting at the university of nevada las vegas and the frantic 911 calls as president biden meets with unlv's president and students. abc's jaclyn lee has the latest details. jaclyn, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. those who knew the victims are speaking out on how dearly they will be missed as the university

grapples with how to move forward. this morning, chilling 911 calls made immediately after shots rang out on the university of nevada las vegas campus. >> how many shots have you heard? >> like five. i'm hiding under my desk. i closed my door. it's locked. >> have you heard anything else before or after? >> i heard some screaming. >> reporter: one terrified caller telling 911, she thinks she saw the shooter identified by police as former east carolina university professor 67-year-old anthony polito. >> no, i just saw a man that i usually don't see on the fourth floor. about 6'4", heavyset, white man. >> reporter: this as we're learning more about the two university police officers who were able to confront the shooter on wednesday, seen here on surveillance video. the suspect wearing a long coat pursuing one officer, who then turns and opens fire killing the suspect. authorities identifying the officers as detective nate drum and officer damian garcia. >> these two officers are

heroes. they kept the worst from becoming a bloodbath. >> reporter: three people were killed in the shooting, another still in the hospital fighting for his life. authorities also now releasing the name of the third deceased victim, dr. naoki takamauro, a professor in the department of world languages and cultures. >> naoki was frail physically although she was lion-hearted in kindness and generosity and lion-hearted in humanity. >> reporter: president biden meeting the unlv president and members of the student body while in vegas for an infrastructure investments announcement. >> this is not normal, and we can never let it become normal. >> reporter: as for the two officers involved in the shootout, detective nate drum and officer damian garcia are placed on administrative leave, which authorities say is routine in a shooting investigation. erielle?

>> erielle: just too much heartache for too many families out there. thank you. we turn to the rise in covid-19 hospitalizations with rsv and flu cases ticking up as holiday gatherings get into full swing. abc's reena roy is here with more. good morning, reena. >> reporter: erielle, good morning to you. yeah, it is that time of year. a season when we're all celebrating but also dealing with all kinds of illnesses. we usually hear the numbers go up in the fall and winter because of travel and holiday gatherings, and this year it is no different. the cdc says 15 states, plus new york city, are experiencing high or very high levels of respiratory illness activity, and that means doctors are seeing more and more people coming in with things like fevers and a cough or sore throat, usually from covid, the common colds or the flu. rsv is also on the rise, and about half of states are seeing an increase in flu and covid cases. covid hospitalizations have reached levels not seen since february, particularly among babies, young children, and older adults, however, they are lower than rates seen at the same time last year.

meanwhile, health officials are also tracking a rising covid subvariant called jn1 that's estimated to make up more than 20% of cases around the country. at this time there is no evidence that jn1 is more severe than previous variants. tests, vaccines and treatment are still expected to be effective, and health officials say getting your shots is the best thing you can do, and it's not too late. now is actually a great time, because it often takes up to two weeks to reach full protection after a dose, and that is just in time for christmas. gio? >> gio: that is an important reminder. reena, thank you so much for that. we're going to turn to the passing of a legendary oscar, oscar nominee ryan o'neal. one of hollywood's leading men for decades appearing in films like "love story," "paper moon" and "what's up doc?" chris connelly is here in the studio to take a look at his life and legacy. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you, gio. a handsome heartthrob in 1960s television, a leading man in

the films of the '70s and '80s. he knew great success as often even as his turbulent life attracted public attention of a different kind. >> taxi, lady? >> reporter: he leapt to fame on the abc drama "peyton place" alongside mia farrow. >> i was shook up last night. i wouldn't blame you if you said forget it. >> reporter: it opened the door to the movies. there, the former boxer's rugged good looks and charisma earned immediate attention. for many his on-screen pinnacle would come in 1970 with his starring role in "love story" opposite ali macgraw. >> i give you my hand. i give you my love, more precious than money. >> reporter: he would star in peter bogdanovich's screwball comedy, "what's up, opposite barbra streisand. >> oh, god, i forgot the point. >> reporter: in 1973's he'd star in "paper moon" where he would star with his daughter tatum o'neal. she would be an absolute sensation as a grifter in training. >> she wrote happy birthday. you look and see. >> reporter: at 10 she would be

nominated for a best supporting actress nomination and -- >> all i really want to thank is my director, peter bogdanovich, and my father. thank you. >> reporter: "2001: a space odyssey's" director stanley kubrick would cast o'neal. >> let those laugh that win. >> reporter: by then o'neal's own intimate life and misadventures made him a fixture. his rages and emotional volatility would color is several of his relationships. in her memoir, angelica huston would describe o'neal grabbing her hair and hitting her in the forehead. with some of his children there would be conflicts and periods of estrangement, but overnight his son patrick o'neal recalling the father he loved. >> i just wanted to share what a special man my dad is, and i think sometimes that is lost when they hear things about ryan o'neal. he was the greatest father that i could have ever asked for. i just love the man so much. i really do, and it's a big loss

for me. >> reporter: in the '80s his romance with farrah fawcett would grab headlines. together they had a son redmond. after a 1997 breakup they'd reunite in 2001 as o'neal battled leukemia, then just as his character had done on screen in "love story" he would be by his loved one's side as farrah faced the ravages of cancer. >> i'm very happy going to her house every day if she's awake or not and tending to her. that's my life. i'm not interested in anything except seeing to her comfort. >> reporter: her saga and theirs chronicled by barbara walters in a 2009 abc news special. >> she was everybody's love, wasn't she? >> reporter: in the same hospital room where she passed away 14 years ago, ryan o'neal died friday at the age of 82. patrick o'neal calling farrah fawcett the love of his father's life, and on social media mia

farrow recalling her co-star from the 1960s saying simply, rest in peace, dear ryan. >> erielle: wow. same hospital room. just got chills. >> gio: chris, so good to have you in here from l.a. we appreciate it. >> thank you very much. >> gio: let's turn it over to somara theodore for a check of the weather now. hey, somara. >> somara: i hope you don't have any big east coast plans sunday. we're looking at a washout. out in the midwest, already getting the rain machine going, glazed roads there in chicago from the rain, and the flood threat is hyper concentrated sunday into monday and could see three inches falling from the dmv, washington, d.c. area up into new england. notice the timing on this, right. this is sunday a.m., some storms roll through atlanta, then we really get hit hard in the northeast between about 4:00 p.m. tomorrow into the overnight hours. if you look back on the west side of i-95, we have inland snow and lake-effect snow that will be enhancing this through states like pennsylvania, ohio, and new york.

very gusty conditions as well. so, total, one to two inches further inland right where the i-95 corridor is sitting, we could see two to three inches. so this rain is coming down quick and hard, and then as far as snowfall goes, they've be >> somara: for my friends in the northeast, everything needs to get done today, because by tomorrow conditions will

deteriorate very quickly, so i'd be inside with some hot cocoa. >> erielle: sounds good. >> whit: a little hot cocoa always helps. thank you, somara, appreciate it. all right, all eyes on las vegas tonight where the lakers and pacers will battle it out in the nba's first ever in-season tournament, and abc's phil lipof is here now with a preview. phil, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, guys. if you haven't been following this, it is actually really kind of cool. we are down to the last two teams in the nba's first ever in-season tournament. it's a tournament while the season is going on. if you haven't been following it, it's separate from the regular season, but it's played during the regular season. the tournament began in early november. it includes all 30 teams. the 67 games across the inaugural tournament count toward the standing of the regular season, all but the championship game, which will be played tonight in las vegas. each team played four games in the group stage. top eight advance to the knockout stage. the semifinals played on thursday, and in the first game of the semis, the indiana pacers

beat the milwaukee bucks, 128-119. then the lakers crushed the new orleans pelicans, 133-98, and this in-season tournament has obviously had its skeptics but with more than 16,000 fans showing up in vegas, a city, by the way, without an nba team, pacers coach rick carlisle says with the league expecting to welcome expansion teams after the next national tv deals, vegas could be a great market for a franchise. the winner of the champio game between the pacers and lakers tonight will take home the first ever nba cup and $18 million in prize money and then, like -- unlike other tournaments the season will then continue. >> whit: okay. i just like the paint on the court. >> erielle: yeah, a really nice-looking court there, and a little foreshadowing for vegas maybe. >> whit: road trip. thank you, phil. catch all the action on espn live from las vegas, the game tips off at 8:30 eastern. >> gio: coming up on "gma," the fda approves two new gene therapies for sickle sell disease. how they could be major

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gloria rodriguez, a neighborhood on lockdown for the second time in two days because of a former officer accused of shooting his wife. the sherman acres neighborhood remains under a shelter in place order right now . pleasant hill police issued a felony warrant for the suspect's arrest. officers say he is a danger to the public. and we have an update on road closures. eastbound traffic on monument to buskirk is now open. now let's get a check of your forecast for this saturday with lisa origin. good morning, lisa. hey, gloria. >> good morning to you. check it out. a gorgeous view. the golden gate bridge, but these are the warmer numbers, 38in oakland to 48 in half moon bay. and from the exploratorium camera there, we have the low 30s near

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army/navy game, and it will be played today. for the first time, the two teams will meet at gillette stadium in foxborough, massachusetts. the game is in the boston area to honor the 250th anniversary of the boston tea party and the first battles of the american revolution, and erielle's husband and brothers will hold her prisoner once again to watch that entire game today. >> erielle: i'll be stuck on that couch not able to move and they'll have the remote. >> gio: a lot talking about it. let's take a look at the other big stories we're following on this saturday morning. happening right now, a d.c. circuit court of appeals has largely upheld the gag order imposed on former president trump in his federal election subversion case with one exception. trump will continue to be barred from making public statements about possible witnesses, court staff, and prosecutors, but in one change, he will be allowed to make comments about special counsel jack smith.

>> whit: a major medical breakthrough. the fda approving two new treatments for sickle cell disease. one of them, the world's first gene-editing therapy targeting certain dna and changing it to fight the illness. we'll have much more on this ground-breaking therapy coming up in our second hour. >> erielle: definitely reason to hope. and dozens of cars lined up for hours on friday for the grand opening of mcdonald's cosmic spin-off. the new specialty drive through is beverage focussed with energy drink, lattes, cappuccinos and snacks, the bolingbrook location is one of ten pilot locations. so much more to come on that. >> whit: the place to get some snacks. we start with a 2024 campaign, the first caucuses weeks away and we have a deeper look at voter insights on the campaign trail. this morning, potential voters from across the country from the university of alabama to diners in iowa.

>> i want the best for our country. >> reporter: reacting to the top political headlines including former president trump's comments earlier this week at a town hall when asked if he'd use his power as retribution. >> he says you're not going to be a dictator, are you, i said, nope, nope, nope, other than day one. we're closing the border, and we're drilling, drilling, drilling. after that i'm not a dictator. >> i know what he truly meant was he wants to take action quickly in the office to turn around the last four years of what biden's been doing. >> i think donald trump is the most serious threat to our nation that we have had. >> he might say he's joking, but i don't think he's joking. he's taking it serious. >> trump just likes to make headlines, and he always makes them, and he wants a question like that to be out there. he won't be a dictator, but he'll do what he promised, just like he did in his first term. >> reporter: americans also weighing in on the fourth republican debate and the candidates that spoke to the issues that matter to them. >> that was vivek. >> nikki haley i thought came out looking like the best

candidate for the republican party. >> i don't think any of them spoke to issues that really are central to this election. >> reporter: and their thoughts on nikki haley's rise in the polls and if she could be a strong general election candidate. >> i'm wondering if you think she would have any chance of beating joe biden in a general election. >> i think she would. >> do you think nikki haley could defeat joe biden in the 2024 election? >> trump's got it all made. he's set. >> i think it's going to be kind of hard to galvanize the republican base for anyone except trump. it really is the party of trump. >> i voted for joe biden in the last election, and he just looks so frail up there, and so i don't agree with some of nikki haley's policies, but i'm closely following her. >> whit: the words of the voters right there as the campaign season heats up, and coming up here, white house correspondent maryalice parks and our deputy political director averi harper will be back here to talk more about the gop debate, as well as trump's comments and the other

political headlines this morning. >> erielle: we are looking forward to seeing them both. now it's time to check the weather with somara theodore. somara, you're tracking storms from coast to coast. >> somara: we have our eye on the southeast, of course, where we have the threat for severe weather, but we can't forget the northwest where we have a series of storms, really a barrage, and the next one moving in through saturday. you can see the timestamp between today and tomorrow. heavy snow in parts of the rockies into idaho, and heavy rain lining the coastline from seattle down to portland into eugene. they could see anywhere from two to three inches of rain. further inland another one to two feet of snow coming on the heels of those previous systems. following that the cold blast. now, today we could actually see record highs in detroit, around 59 degrees, in washington, d.c., low 60s, but then in the following days, we get a real

>> somara: and that's a look at your local forecast. back to you, my friends. >> gio: all right, somara, thank you so much. coming up here on "good morning america," a closer look at the political headlines, the white house clarifying comments president biden made about why he's running for re-election. >> whit: and then how country star brad paisley and his wife actress kimberly williams-paisley are playing the part of some christmas angels. ♪ ♪ ♪ we're building a better postal service. for more on-time deliveries. and easier, affordable ways to ship. so you can deliver even more holiday joy.

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when better money habits® content first started coming out, it expanded what i could do for special olympics athletes with developmental needs. thousands of bank of america employees like scott spend countless hours volunteering to teach people how to reach their financial goals. it felt good. it felt like i could take on the whole world. >> gio: and welcome back to "gma." it was a big week of political headlines, so you know we have to take a closer look here. here to break it all down, abc's white house correspondent maryalice parks in iowa this morning, and our deputy political director, averi harper, here in our studio. good morning. averi, we saw the gop debate. it was intense. it got heated. we're getting closer and closer to that first primary. did this debate change anything? >> i do not think it changed the trajectory of this race much at all. when we look at what happened on

the debate stage, what we really saw were candidates who were willing to criticize one another, attack one another, but the main challenge for each and every one of those candidates is former president trump. he is still far out ahead of each of every one of these candidates when you look at recent polling, and there's a real reluctance within this gop field with the exception of christie to criticize trump, and that's because it is not popular within the republican party to criticize him. we will see what happens as some voters head to the polls in about a month. >> whit: maryalice, let's bring you into the conversation here. you pressed the white house this week over president biden's comments implying that maybe he wouldn't have run for a second term if trump were not in the race. how do they plan to take that message to the voters now? >> yeah, the biden team really tried to downplay those comments and say that the threat of a potential second trump term he sees as an existential threat to democracy but the biden team

tried to tell me that was not the only reason that president biden was running. of course, that's what had everyone jumping on these comments, because what happens if trump is not the nominee, is president biden as motivated, as excited, as ready to run considering his age. is he as ready to run for a second term? i mean, the reality is because trump is so polarizing it's possible he might be the easiest of all these potential candidates to beat. you know, the comment from biden also implied that perhaps he thought he was the only democrat who could beat trump, but the reality is we've seen a lot of polls that show that other democrats might do better than trump. i asked the campaign about that part of it. of course, they dismissed that question altogether. >> speaking of president trump, he made waves with a comment he ma made recently about only being a bi kick da--

>> when we looked at that town hall, the former president said not only would he describe what he would do on day one as a dictator, he used the word dictator, but he also said that he would not rule out abusing the power of the presidency amid a second term, so, yes, we heard some folks. we asked vivek ramaswamy after the debate earlier this week. he said he thought it was a joke but there are others like liz cheney who sat down with abc's jon karl who says we should take those comments seriously, and we should take those comments literally. the biden campaign also seized on those comments so it's stoking concerns about what a second trump presidency could look like. >> gio: absolutely. and, maryalice, let's turn to a topic that's on so many minds, health care. republicans are talking about repealing the affordable care act. the biden team though seems to be leaning into that. >> reporter: yeah, democrats have really been pouncing on

those on whether they would try to repeal and replace obamacare if elected. health care is exactly the kind of issues that voters talk about. they're worried about the cost of hospital bills and accessibility of long-term care but the reality is it's more popular now. their enrollment in the marketplace plans is up last year. it's open enrollment season now and the numbers are looking strong. right now we're in western iowa, really close to south dakota. south dakota this summer became the seventh state where voters actually demanded the state go around the republican governor and expand access to medicaid that's allowed under obamacare. it's evidence that voters think the law is popular. they want to see more of it, even though they're worried about health care, democrats really see an opening here, guys. >> all right, maryalice parks for us in iowa, and it's definitely december there. we can see you all bundled up

and averi harper here in the studio, great to have you both on. still ahead on "good morning america," the suspected crime rings targeting high-end neighborhoods across the country and why having an alarm system may not be good enough. if your moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms are stopping you in your tracks... choose stelara® from the start... and move toward relief after the first dose... with injections every two months. stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. feel unstoppable. ask your doctor how lasting remission can start with stelara®. janssen can help you explore cost support options. autoquote explorer from progressive shows you rates from other companies, even if they're lower than ours. because honesty is the best policy.

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>> erielle: back now on "gma" with the new efforts by law enforcement to crack down on suspected crime tourism rings targeting high-end homes across the country. dozens of homeowners finding themselves victims and realizing their security systems may be no match for these crafty thieves. reena roy back with more. >> reporter: police say these crime rings are sophisticated and the criminals, unfortunately, really seem to

know what they're doing, and they're targeting some of the most expensive homes in america. police in michigan say what you're looking at is so-called crime tourism caught on camera when groups of criminal burglars from abroad travel into the u.s. to commit their crimes. >> they're coming from other countries, south america specifically, and coming here specifically with training and intent to commit crimes. >> reporter: crimes include stealing high-end jewelry, watches, purses, and safes, then fleeing and often evading capture. >> they use punches on the windows to break windows, and they go through them rather than opening them. the technology is a pretty sophisticated jammer system that tries to attack any wireless systems including alarms or cellular. >> reporter: and it's not just a problem in michigan. authorities nationwide sounding the alarm about break-ins like these that have cost americans millions in burglaries, particularly in wealthy u.s. suburban neighborhoods. michigan's oakland county, which includes parts of detroit, has

seen about 30 to 40 of these break-ins since september. >> they've stolen at least tens of millions of dollars out of our county. >> reporter: earlier this year surveillance video also capturing this burglary in wilmington, delaware, the suspect exiting the back door with multiple backpacks full of stolen goods. watch this man climbing down a column from the second floor after robbing this mission viejo home. the oakland, michigan, sheriff says he's created a new task force to help combat the problem and is asking the federal government for help. >> even though there are a couple teams in custody, there's estimations that there's probably 98 to 110 more out there in our country doing this very same thing. >> reporter: experts say if you have a high-end home, you've really got to up your game with these kind of criminals, especially when it comes to your technology. they say make sure your surveillance and alarm systems are both updated. guys? >> eva: it is good information, reena, thank you. we'll be right back with our "play of the day." stay with us. ack with our

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♪ ♪ >> gio: it's our "play of the day" now, and the well-known couple helping to play santa this year. country music star brad paisley and his wife actress kimberly williams-paisley are behind a store in nashville where parents can shop for holiday presents for free. the two-day event started yesterday. parents getting the chance to load up on gifts that include stuffed animals, video games, clothes, makeup, musical instruments. the store received about 2,000 donated items so far and raised $20,000. it usually operates as a free grocery store to help families. paisley says he loves this time of year and suggests he may even show up in a santa costume. >> whit: that would be good. i love that idea. there are a lot of local toy stores that do something similar where you can go in and

buy a bunch of gifts that can be handed out to families in need. so, you know, check your area absolutely. >> gio: such a good idea. coming up in our second hour, an attempt by israel to rescue hostages held by hamas. >> whit: we have our "gma" cover story. fetal and early infant deaths found to be twice as high in babies born to black women compared to hispanic and white women. a look at the possible reasons why. >> erielle: and then it's "deals & steals" coming up, helping you find the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday list. tory's here. ryone on your list. tory's here.

cisco currently called bay pass. it's only available in a pilot program and allows people to ride bart and other modes of public transportation for free. the next phase will include a total of about 20,000 people and run through 2026. the metropolitan transportation commission is taking applications and a heads up. if you're planning on coming into san francisco today. santa con is back. so you may find bart is a little more crowded as well as the area around union square. that's where the event starts. you should expect to see plenty of people dressed up like santa or other holiday characters. participants are encouraged to

bring a toy to donate before they go bar hopping. let's get a check on that forecast. if you are planning on going to santa con or just being out and about on this saturday. hi, lisa. hey there, gloria. good morning to you. hopefully you slept in and missed that 28 in petaluma. here's a look at emeryville where it is awfully pretty out there, isn't it? >> 47, san francisco, it is just 40. in oakland. you dropped down to the upper 30s. we've got low 40s from san mateo, san jose and half moon bay already 50 degrees. lots of sun in the south bay. 32 santa rosa still awfully cold in petaluma at 30, 35. in fairfield with livermore recovering to 44. so speaking of san jose today, one of the milder locations opens at 9:00. will be well into the 40s 60s by the afternoon and then dropping quickly the rest of us not as mild but still nice with the high clouds, low 60s gloria all right. >> thank you so much, lisa. up next, a danger to the public. the warning coming from pleasant hill police as an east bay neighborhood is on lockdown this morning. abc seven news at 8

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