doctor visits, emergency care, and more. if you have questions, we're here to help every step of the way. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by december 31 at coveredca.com. >> gio: good morning, america. christmas crush. flyers taking to the skies in what's expected to be record numbers. can the airlines handle the load? plus, hitting the highway, the road to grandma's house packed with crowds. the best times to beat the rush and the weather from a cross-country storm.

who will be getting a wet or white christmas? >> stephanie: new overnight, paramedics convicted. the two men found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the death of elijah mcclain for injecting him with what prosecutors said was a fatal dose of ketamine. the emotional message from his mother. >> will: monster wave. the cruise ship with nearly 400 people on board slammed by a wall of water knocking out its navigation system. passengers donning life vests. the state of the ship this morning. >> gio: holiday health check, respiratory illnesses on the rise across much of the country. who needs a flu shot more than ever, and what we know about the latest covid-19 variant. ♪ come on, baby, just pump it, louder ♪ >> stephanie: and playoff push. the teams hoping to keep their postseason dreams alive from the vikings to the cowboys. espn's louis riddick previews

week 16's high-stakes matchups. >> gio: and we do say, good morning, america, on this saturday. whit has the morning off. but happy to have stephanie ramos here. will reeve is here. christmas eve-eve. are you ready for it? >> stephanie: i'm so ready and i'm so happy to spend it with you guys. it'll be a great weekend. >> gio: absolutely. we have a lot to cover including the blow to special counsel jack smith delivered by the supreme court and what it could mean for the election interference case against former president donald trump. >> stephanie: plus, we've got the story of this incredible rescue of a man trapped in a hole along the side of a cliff for days. and it's also super saturday. "gma" helping you to find fresh ideas along with some big bargains for those last-minute gifts. >> will: we begin with the holiday travel crush. we have team coverage from l.a. to d.c. the tsa is bracing for another

busy day after screening a huge number of travelers on friday. >> gio: and tens of millions are hitting the roads too, but let's start at those busy airports. abc's jaclyn lee is at l.a.x. with that. good morning, jaclyn. >> reporter: hey, gio. good morning to you. yes, the crowds are showing up here at l.a.x. you can see them waiting to check their bags, get their tickets, and then they are migrating over to tsa where the lines are certainly moving. now, this is expected to be the busiest travel season ever for airport travel with 7.5 million passengers. this is breaking records, guys. i mean, these numbers not seen since before the pandemic in 2019. aaa tells us more travelers than ever are flying since the pandemic hit, because these people are now more comfortable. tsa screening more than 2.76 million passengers on friday with those numbers expected to jump as we get closer to christmas. now, if you remember last year, more than 2 million people got caught up in the wave of delays and cancellations with southwest airlines overall working

on improving their operations, so traffic nightmares like that do not happen again. the biggest advice we are hearing is you want to get to the airport two hours before your flight. it's going to be very crowded. here at l.a.x., aaa is recommending you actually reserve your parking spot ahead of time, so you're not wasting time trying to find parking when you should be going after your flight. guys. >> gio: i've been to a lot of airports this week, jaclyn, and i can tell you, they are busy. thank you so much. let's go to the roads now, because that's exactly where you find the majority of holiday travelers. expect lots of traffic today. abc's ike ejiochi joins us from washington, d.c. with a look at the best times to avoid that gridlock. good morning, ike. >> reporter: good morning, gio. right behind me is 395, and today, like so many other big cities, this road will be packed full of drivers making their annual holiday highway hike to spend time with their families. and they're not alone. aaa says a majority of travelers, nearly 104 million people, will drive to their holiday destinations this year. that's the second highest

projected number on record after 108 million people hit the roads for the holidays back in 2019. there will be several days of potentially bad traffic during the ten-day holiday period. today and thursday, the 28th, will be the most congested days on the road. people should also expect an increase of traffic next saturday, december 30th. now, across the board, the best times to hit the road will be before lunchtime or after 7:00 p.m., but for today you should really try to get going before 10:00 a.m. right after you finish watching "gma," of course. now, here's a final tip. if you're willing to travel live closer to the holidays themselves, you'll have the smoothest ride. christmas eve, christmas day, new year's eve and new year's day are all expected to have a small impact on traffic patterns. stephanie? >> stephanie: sounds good, ike. some of the road travel might be affected by weather. a cross-country storm is making travel difficult in some parts. somara has a look at who will see snow for christmas and who might be bracing for flooding. good morning, somara.

>> somara: good morning, that's right. a lot going on across the middle portion of the country. on the east coast things look fine. if you're hitting the road before 10:00 a.m., you might not be contending with traffic, but with fog from dallas to chicago, dense fog this morning. this has actually led to the national weather service giving advisories from minneapolis to green bay down to oklahoma and dallas. now, when you get to a quarter of a mile, that's that critical visibility there, so keep that in mind this morning through at least 11:00 a.m. as far as a cross-country storm, by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow from kansas city to little rock, houston seeing some rain and heavy rain hitting the southeast by tomorrow morning, biggest chance for flooding in houston today. tomorrow new orleans. by monday, tallahassee. that's a look at your forecast. will, back to you. >> will: all right, somara. thank you. stay alert around the weather as you make your holiday travel plans. we're going to turn now to the tightened security measures ahead of traditional holiday celebrations, including the times square ball drop here in new york city. abc's morgan norwood is here with those details. morgan, good morning.

>> reporter: will, good morning. that's right. every year more than 1 million people pack into times square to watch the ball drop, and this morning we're learning federal authorities are ramping up security. they are on alert for violence and extremism amid the israel-hamas war. now, to be clear, there have been no credible or specific threats, but according to a threat assessment by abc news, new year's eve in times square is attractive for domestic terrorists, extremists and lone offenders due to large crowds and media coverage. now, that document also points out how for the past several years, extremists have almost exclusively attacked law enforcement or u.s. military targets, and it's something that we've even seen before. remember that machete attack from last year new year's eve when police say trevor bickford assaulted three officers in the name of radical islamic jihad. he has pleaded not guilty, but law enforcement say that they've been grappling with the most challenging threat environment due to the war. 100 full-scale investigations

tied to that middle east conflict. >> gio: if you see something, say something. now to that major blow to the special counsel in donald trump's federal election interference case and trump's claim of immunity. the supreme court refusing to fast-track the case, and abc's jay o'brien joins us from washington. jay, what does this all mean? >> reporter: yeah, gio, good morning. move this was a legal win for former president trump, and it could push back the start date of that federal criminal trial over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. the supreme court denying a request from special counsel jack smith to expedite a ruling on whether the former president can claim what's called presidential immunity in the face of those federal charges over his actions in the lead-up to and during the january 6th capitol attack. presidential immunity is a legal concept that says a sitting president is immune in both civil and criminal cases, but trump was charged, not as a current president, but as a

former president. because the supreme court denied that request from the special counsel, it means this question on if presidential immunity applies here will now have to first go to a federal appeals court, and it also means that trump's election interference trial, which was slated to begin right here in d.c. on march 4th will likely be delayed. that trial was already going to come right in the middle of the gop presidential primary calendar. on top of trump's three other ongoing criminal cases. the former president this morning is fund-raising for his re-election bid off of that supreme court decision, accusing the special counsel of trying to interfere in the upcoming election. stephanie? >> stephanie: will presidential immunity extend to the criminal justice system, that is the question. we shall see. thanks so much, jay. now, to the verdict overnight in the death of elijah mcclain. two paramedics found guilty of criminally negligent homicide. abc's zohreen shah is in los angeles with reaction to the verdict. good morning, zohreen. >> reporter: good morning, steph.

these two paramedics were found guilty and face up to 16 years in jail. now, this was a death that rocked the nation, and it re-opened the debate about race and police reform. this morning, a guilty verdict for the two paramedics charged in elijah mcclain's death. both peter cichuniec and jeremy cooper found guilty of criminally negligent homicide. cichuniec found guilty of second degree assault. the jury finding cichuniec unlawfully ordered an excessive dose of ketamine, a powerful sedative. all of this as officers held the 23-year-old down in an aurora, colorado, suburb walking home from a convenience store four years ago. >> my job is to stand up for what's right. >> reporter: his mother, sheneen mcclain, instagraming this emotional video ahead of the verdict. >> what happened to my son that night was not about common sense, y'all. it was not about protocols. it was not about training. >> reporter: one of the paramedics saying this about the moments after police placed

mcclain in a chokehold. they said they had to use ketamine, because he appeared to exhibit signs of excited delirium. >> this was more excited delirium than just an aggressive patient. ketamine is the one drug of choice we can use to help that. >> reporter: prosecutors firing back, making the case that ketamine was not necessary. >> he was gasping and gurgling, he was pleading for help. a visual assessment was not enough. >> reporter: loved ones remembering mcclain as a gentle soul, who played the violin. police had received a report about someone sketchy when they stopped him, but the prosecution said he was just walking home. >> i have the right -- >> stop. stop. i have a right to stop you because you're being suspicious. >> reporter: mcclain's mother said he wore a ski mask because his anemia made him feel cold. >> what this verdict really says to the general society, each person has to take accountability and be responsible for what their role is and how they interact with the individual that is subject

to the search, the stop, or the seizure. >> reporter: and you saw those police officers in the video with mcclain. well, one of those officers was found guilty in this case. he lost his job, and the other one was acquitted. he returned to work with $200,000 in back pay. as for those paramedics, a sentencing date has been set for march 1st. will? >> will: zohreen, thank you. now to the latest on that cruise ship slammed by a rogue wave in the north sea. new video showing what it was like for passengers aboard that ship that temporarily lost power and the ability to navigate. abc's ines de la cuetara is in london with those details. ines, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, will, and, danish officials saying the "ms maud," a norwegian cruise ship was hit by a large wave during a storm that shattered its windows, allowing water to enter and causing a temporary loss of power. the ship was sailing from norway to england with 266

passengers and 131 crew members on board. video shows some passengers wearing life vests, but everyone is okay. cruise company hx telling us in a statement, the ship has confirmed all crew and guests are safe and well. the condition of the ship remains stable, and the crew are able to sail under their own power. now, we understand the ship's main engine is functioning but the navigation systems and radar are not according to joint arctic command, so the 6 ship has amended its planned sailing route. it's now being assisted by support vessels and is now nearing germany where passengers will disembark. gio. >> gio: such a scary situation, ines, thank you so much. with the holidays almost upon us, respiratory illnesses, oh, they are spreading nationwide. 23 states, plus new york city and washington, d.c., they are seeing very high or high levels of illness, and abc's medical correspondent, dr. darien sutton, is here to tell us what's behind all of those numbers. dr. sutton, break this all down. what does this mean? >> good morning, gio, so in the past month we've seen a significant increase, as you said. many people feeling as though everyone has a cold and numbers

display that. we've seen a 200% increase in influenza raising in 44 states, a 60% increase of rsv and children under 4 the most at risk and a 50% increase in the cases of covid. people over the age of 65 representing the most risk in terms of hospitalization and death. the reasons why, as we discussed before, very similar, often during the winter we're moving indoors. we're close in proximity to each other. that increases transmission and then, of course, leads to infection. >> gio: so, keeping up to date with your vaccinations, obviously that's a very important to keep safe, but for pregnant women, you are especially concerned about pregnant women here. >> absolutely. the numbers of pregnant women participating in vaccinations has decreased since last year. we've seen a 10% to 15% decrease, and, gio, we're not just talking about preventing a runny nose. flu during pregnancy increases the risk of preterm labor and miscarriage, and so it's vital and important that pregnant women get -- excuse me, pregnant

women get vaccinated, and in a recent study we can see there are benefits to their infants. for pregnant women who get vaccinated, specifically those who get vaccinated later in their pregnancy, we've seen a reduction in the risk of hospitalization and death of newborn infants. for those under the age of 6 months, that reduction is 33%, and for those under the age of 3 months, that reduction is as much as 50% ,so it's vital to get vaccinated to protect you and your unborn child. >> gio: so important. before we let you go, i know you're tracking this new covid-19 variant called jn1. what do we know so far? >> it's a family -- it belongs to the family of the omicron variant, and the reason it's defined as a variant of interest is the type of mutation provides the opportunity for increased transmissibility and risk, but thankfully the overall risks we're seeing and rates of hospitalization are relatively low, but likely due to the increased rates of transmission. just to give you some perspective, in november, this represented about 3% of total covid cases and up recently in the northeastern region, it's up more than 30%. that significant increase should

be something concerning, but it doesn't seem to evade the methods we have here and know to be true for protection in terms of masking. up to date on vaccines and simply making sure that you are minding your risk. >> gio: absolutely, all right. dr. darien sutton, thank you so much. we'll see you again in our second hour. >> stephanie: thanks, gio. the commerce department giving americans an early christmas present. a new report released on friday shows that inflation is slowing down, thanks to falling prices, and a resilient job market. this has left people with more disposable income giving the economy a boost. the news is also boosting hopes of an interest rate cut from the federal reserve. that could come as soon as march, so a little bit of a boost around springtime. let's check in with somara now with weather, and, somara, it's not looking very springy out there. >> somara: no, not at all. it's looking really foggy for our friends in the twin cities this morning. take a look, minnesota. you're also unseasonably mild. we had a record back in 1957 of 46.

you can blow that out of the water on christmas eve at 55 degrees. look how mild it is. santa will not need his big north pole winter coat, kiddos. he will have a lot of fun traveling to the east coast until he runs into the rain. so, we are anticipating a threat for flooding down along the gulf coast. they could see anywhere from three to five inches locally high amounts there. and if you look back west into parts of the rockies and then up into nebraska and south dakota, we could get snow anywhere from 6 to 12 inches. that's a look at your forecast. let's see what's going on a

>> somara: we are not getting a >> somara: we are not getting a white christmas here in the northeast. >> gio: aw. maybe a little warmish, maybe? >> somara: i'll take that. honestly, i would prefer putting lights on a palm tree, you know. >> gio: all right. you're ready for miami. >> stephanie: will may be doing that pretty soon. >> will: yeah, maybe. somara, thank you. we have a very busy football weekend ahead. only a few weeks remain in this nfl season. teams are making their push to the playoffs. so, joining us now to help us make sense of it all and get ready for week 16 is espn analyst and former nfl player louis riddick. louis, it is great to see you. thanks for joining us. let's dive right in with one of the surprise teams of the year, the lions, they have a chance to clinch their first division title since 1993 if they win against the vikings. how do you see this one playing out? >> look, will, i really like detroit a lot. i think what dan campbell has done has been nothing short of fantastic in terms of the way he has built the culture there. this is a very tough, gritty

football team with a real explosive offense. you've seen jared goff really take off in this offense led by offensive coordinator ben johnson. they have two of the most dynamic backs in the nfl, headlined by jahmyr gibbs, the first round pick out of alabama, who i believe will be a surefire mvp candidate for the 2024 season because of how good he's become as a dual run and receiving threat. they have one of the most physical offensive lines in football. the only thing you may be concerned about a little bit with detroit right now is their defense, whether or not they can hold up against the physical teams, the top tier teams in the nfc, that being like the san francisco 49ers, the philadelphia eagles when they have their run game going, but this is a football team that right now i expect to go ahead and finish out the season winning the north, and once they get into the playoff, will, you know, all bets are off with this team, because i tell you this, they will play you for a full 60 minutes, and you better be prepared, because they can flip the game on its head in a

moment's notice with all the explosive playmakers they have on offense. >> will: we have some great games coming up all weekend including christmas eve is the big one, dolphins/cowboys in miami. both teams, 10-4, but dallas can't seem to win on the road. so, what do dak prescott and the cowboys need to do to start trending back in the correct direction? >> i think they better start fast in this football game, especially down there in miami, and they better jump on miami quickly and get some points up so they can play kind of true to who they are, which is a football team that likes to throw the football, get a lead and then unleash their pass rushers headlined by micah parsons, because that's what they do best defensively. they are not a football team, as you saw last week against the buffalo bills, that can really play from behind when an offense, the opposing offense can really impose their will on them with the running game, you know, maybe that the offense has or that the opposition has, and that's something that miami will

try to do to dallas' defense. dallas' defense is a little bit undersized on the defensive line and at the linebacker position. you saw how james cook ran wild on them up in buffalo last week. they do not want a repeat of that down in miami, because that is something that miami right now is trying to do. they're trying to develop their running game to go along with this fantastic passing game headlined by tua tagovailoa and tyreek hill. dallas needs to play true to who they are. get out, throw the football, get ceedee lamb and dak prescott going and get them feeling confident, because once they start feeling confident, they are good when they are playing from the front, playing from the lead. i don't like how they exhibit the competitiveness they exhibit when they're playing from behind. that's not a recipe for success. >> will: finally before we let you go, we got to get your prediction. monday night football, christmas night, ravens/49ers, two of the best teams in the league. quickly before we get you out of here, who you got? >> i'm going with san francisco. and that's no disrespect to baltimore and harbaugh.

i love how they play football. san francisco are the bullies of the nfl right now. they can play it however you want it. you want to play in the back alley and fight it out, they can do it that way. you want to make it pretty, brock purdy is going to win the mvp, up much to many people's dismay. they are a football team that's complete. i don't see anything stopping them but themselves. >> will: louis, thank you. great weekend of football ahead. gio? >> gio: all right. i love louis' background. the zoom background with all the helmets. that was great. >> stephanie: i wonder where taylor is going to be. >> gio: oh, okay. >> stephanie: which game. >> will: presumably wherever the chiefs are playing. >> stephanie: i think you're right. i think you nailed it. >> gio: still ahead on "gma," the major political headlines including the latest on the border crisis and efforts to challenge the new immigration law in texas. >> stephanie: plus, super saturday shopping deals. ideas for those last-minute gifts and where to find those bargains. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪

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an immediate release of the police chief candidate list. the names have not been released because of confidentiality rules. earlier this week, mayor sheng tao said she would make a decision soon. it's not known if former chief laurent armstrong is on that list, but the mayor has said in the past that she would not rehire him. let's get a check now of the forecast with meteorologist lisa argen >> hi, zach. good morning to you. look at the fog here from mount tam. we have zero visibility in nevada. a quarter mile in napa, it is 41. in oakland, 43, san mateo. so chilly this morning with these 30s here up in the north bay. 34. petaluma 37. santa rosa. look for upper 50s to near 60 today and sunny zack thank you lisa. >> the news continues right now with good morning america.

i want an official red ryder carbine action, 200-shot range model air rifle. >> you'll shoot your eye out, kid. merry christmas. >> gio: and welcome back to "gma" on this saturday morning. that is, of course, a clip from

"a christmas story." coming up on ""binge this," will ganss will look at old favorites and new movies that you may want to cuddle up and want to watch. i'm thinking about what i want to watch. i love "the holiday." >> stephanie: this movie is also a good one but i feel like a lot of lines from '80s movies for kids probably wouldn't fly today with my own kids but so many wonderful movies. >> gio: a lot of good movies. >> will: i go "home alone" every christmas and branch out from there to "elf," "home alone 2." >> stephanie: solid. >> gio: "the grinch." >> will: that's somara's favorite. >> gio: let's go to some of the other big stories we're following. happening right now, israeli officials confirming the death of an american in gaza. 73-year-old gadi haggai seen in this surveillance video on the morning of hamas' attack leaving for a walk with his wife judy, previously listed as a hostage. his kibbutz now says he was shot and killed by gunmen while on that walk. >> stephanie: also right now, newly filed court documents show investigators believe the suspect in the killing of a

16-year-old texas cheerleader exhibited stalking-like behavior. rafael romero is believed to have made various visits to to lizbeth medina's home. the teen was found dead in her home by her mother earlier this month. >> gio: an incredible rescue of a man trapped for days. it took crews more than 12 hours to free him. he had become stuck in a hole at sunset cliffs near san diego. first responders braving that rough terrain and rising tides. look at that water. the man told rescuers he had been there for three days before anyone heard his cries for help. just incredible. >> gio: we start this half hour here with a closer look at the top political headlines this week. joining us now is deputy political director averi harper. good morning. >> good morning, good morning. >> gio: absolutely. a lot happened this week. let's start with that report in "the detroit news" alleging donald trump pressured these michigan election workers not to sign the certification of the 2020 election, not confirmed by

abc news, but what does this mean for him? >> right, well, this could be used to establish a pattern of behavior. we know that the special counsel, jack smith, that his case pertaining to trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, that's still looming, and when we look at the statement that the trump administration -- excuse me, the trump campaign issued, they did not deny the contents of "the detroit news" report but said any actions trump took were about ensuring election integrity. i think the big question here is if trump is going to face any additional legal action because of the contents of that report. there are folks who are pointing to michigan's bribery laws, but at this time it's unclear if he will face any additional legal action. >> stephanie: let's talk about something else that happened this week. the ruling involving trump's former lawyer rudy giuliani. we know the plaintiffs in his defamation case can start collecting money but he filed for bankruptcy. so how does that work? >> we'll see if those women will be able to collect on that massive sum. it's not just them that he owes. he also owes unpaid legal fees

and owes unpaid taxes, so we'll see how that shakes out. what this case is a reminder of is the hostile environment there is for election workers across the country. there are election administrators, poll workers, who see this case as a massive victory and a deterrent to anyone who could be planning to intimidate, harass, or interfere with the job these folks do, and it's vitally important to the functioning of democracy. it's important to note that since 2020 there have been 12 states that have put forward legislation to try to better protect those workers. >> will: there was the colorado state supreme court ruling to remove trump from the state's presidential primary ballot and cited the constitution's insurrection clause. it's a precedent-setting ruling likely to be a big showdown over it in the u.s. supreme court. trump's lawyers vowing to appeal immediately. >> right, this is a law that has to do with the 14th amendment. there's a clause in it that says if you take the oath of office and then you participate in an insurrection, you should be barred from holding public office, and so the supreme court justices in colorado said that,

look, trump participated in an insurrection on january 6th, and so they do not want him to be on the republican primary ballot in the state of colorado. they do not want any write-in ballots for him to be counted in that race, and this is not a ruling without any criticism. even trump's 2024 rivals, his gop candidates, right, those folks are saying trump's electability should be determined by voters at the ballot box rather than by courts. we'll see what happens. we know the trump team is vowing to appeal that decision. >> gio: let's talk about the border crisis. tens of thousands of people crossed the border this week, and we know negotiations have stalled in congress for a deal, but i know you're following the sweeping new law in texas. >> this is a law that deputizes local governments, excuse me, local law enforcement officers to arrest migrants and gives local judges the power to order them to leave the country. this is controversial on numerous fronts. first, there are widespread concerns about racial profiling in the enforcement of such a law but also the fact that

enforcement of immigration is a federal responsibility. it is not one that belongs to states or localities, and so we know that the aclu of texas has filed a suit to challenge the law. we also know that the congressional hispanic caucus has drafted a letter to the department of justice urging them to get involved before this law goes into effect in march. >> gio: it is so good to have a political science professor here on our set. >> thank you. >> gio: thank you so much for that. all right. let's turn it over to somara with a look at our weather. hey, somara. >> somara: hey, so i have some information from our friends traveling from minneapolis to texas, a quarter of a mile visibility this morning in many spots there. that's where it gets critical. so, be careful on the road. good morning, oklahoma city. you are dealing with the fog too. let's talk about this cross-country storm. up next as we head into sunday, 7:00 a.m., notice how we have snow back to rapid city, nebraska, south dakota, parts of colorado there with some heavy rain down into houston and new orleans. they could actually see some pretty good flooding there as we head through sunday. by monday 7:00 a.m. this moves into parts of the tennessee

valley down into the southeast. i-20 in atlanta and the i-95 corridor starts to get hit tuesday, 7:00 a.m. through the carolinas. by wednesday, we're seeing some of the heaviest rain make its way into the northeast. so, on the back end traveling back home, keep that in mind and a few christmas day forecasts. i love this so much. i'm so excited. eggnog, utah, sunny, 38. rudolph, wisconsin, some >> somara: i heard you guys >> somara: i heard you guys already did your favorite christmas movies at the top. well, then i'll say mine. "elf" and "four christmases." >> gio: "the grinch." >> somara: "the grinch" too. do you like hallmark? >> will: not at all. [ laughter ]

>> somara: not at all. thank you for being honest. >> stephanie: hallmark, i'm right there with you, sister. i love a good hallmark christmas movie. >> gio: they are pretty good. they are pretty good. >> will: wouldn't know. [ laughter ] >> gio: he's the real grinch. coming up on "good morning america," no presents, no problem. the deals you can still snap up on this super saturday. none of them going to will. [ laughter ] >> stephanie: nope, and then the dazzling destination where dazzling destination where your christmas is sure to be bright but maybe not will's. >> will: oh, come on. >> stephanie: just kidding. (♪) ♪ love and happiness ♪ when i wear diamonds, i feel powerful, fun, fabulous. i feel on top of the world. ♪ love and happiness ♪ diamonds are for everyone. i put them everywhere. (laughter) diamonds! love for all. diamonds for all.

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running is awesome. but her moderate to severe eczema would make her skin so uncomfortable. i was always so itchy especially when i was hot. now my skin doesn't itch as much. now we're staying ahead of her eczema. there's a power inside all of us to live our passion. and dupixent works on the inside 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. >> stephanie: welcome back to "gma." it looks like a win for the procrastinators of the world this holiday season with lots of last-minute bargains before christmas. abc's alexis christoforous did the legwork for us. good morning, alexis. >> good morning, stephanie. did christmas sneak up on you again? well, don't worry, you have plenty of company but with a little ingenuity and creativity, you too can score a thoughtful gift at a great price if you know where to look. 'tis the season for last-minute shopping. according to the national retail federation, an estimated 142 million consumers will be

wrapping up their holiday shopping on this super saturday. >> your options might be limited, but the good news is what you do find is probably going to be marked down. >> reporter: like toys, up to 50% off at target. small appliances up to 40% off at walmart, and kohl's slashing prices on select clothing by 60%. >> another really smart thing to buy is anything that's holiday decor related or even gift sets in christmas packaging. retailers want those gone. >> reporter: at lowe's you can snag a last-minute christmas tree for up to 75% off. if you don't want to brave the stores, order online, and opt for in-store pickup at most major retailers through christmas eve, and with a little extra effort, you can even make a gift card feel personal. >> if you buy them an outdoor store gift card, you can get them some warm wool socks for hiking. >> reporter: at sam's club and bj's wholesale, gift cards are 25% off, and other crunch time

gift ideas, stuff a basket with gourmet goodies for the foodie on your list. there are monthly subscriptions for things like coffee, books, even oysters. there's a subscription for everyone. how about gifting an experience? tickets to a concert or sporting event to make memories in the new year. those are some ideas for you. many retailers open late today, but if you're planning to shop tomorrow, christmas eve, be sure to hit those stores early since many retailers will be shutting their doors earlier than usual. guys? >> stephanie: great idea. what about you? you all done with your holiday shopping? >> gio: almost done. almost done. i got some gift cards to get, you know, i got to go get those. >> will: run to the pharmacy, bang, bang, bang. >> stephanie: you had a good idea. some experiences. >> will: it's sort of a cheat code if you forget to get people gifts. you're like, hey, i made you a dinner reservation on the night of your choosing. merry christmas, everyone. coming up on "good morning america," we are going to take attention off me and put it on another will who went to the christmas village that is shining bright with the spirit

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>> gio: we are back now on "gma" >> gio: we are back now on "gma" with a whole village decked out for the holidays turning into a christmas wonderland, a christmas winter wonderland, and also decked out for the holidays, abc's will ganss. and i were -- you were there. you had a blast. >> it was like walking into a snow globe or a christmas hallmark movie. it was so beautiful, so stunning. it used to be a logging town until it fell on hard times, and then two men had the idea decided to make it into a tourist destination and model it after german bavaria in the early 1960s. now in leavenworth, washington,

the business of christmas is booming. ♪ step inside a real-life snow globe. tucked into the cascade mountains, welcome to leavenworth, washington, complete with the town square aglow with more than 500,000 lights and a gingerbread factory now celebrating 35 years. >> it's grown quite a bit, and i feel like it has become more authentic and even more of a destination. it's like going to germany but without the passport. >> reporter: every building in town required to be modeled after the architecture of german bavaria. >> even the mcdonald's, everything from fonts to having three levels of fascia on your building. >> reporter: here the sounds are alive with the sounds of the alp horn. ♪ >> it's a natural instrument that's based out of the central european alps. people love it. >> reporter: brad plays in the group with his grandsons. >> i feel good in passing it along to somebody, a younger generation. ♪

>> reporter: do you hear that? it's the grammys calling. at the leavenworth reindeer farm 100,000 yearly visitors cozying up to real-life reindeer, a protected species in the continental u.s. >> when we tackle big issues like conservation, dwindling herd sizes, it can feel overwhelming so we work with this amazing conservation, and we support them through ticket sales and antler raffles. >> reporter: and learning a whole lot. >> the boys are going to be losing their antlers soon. typically the bulls will lose their antlers before christmastime. >> which is santa's reindeer all seem to have theirs. >> so put two and two together and who might be flying the sleigh? >> who'll run the world, girls. santa's reindeer, all women, we should have known. so much more to do in leavenworth. the world's largest collection of nutcrackers is there. there's an alpine coaster that winds its way through the mountains, and good news for everyone who can't make it by monday, all those christmas lights stay up through the end of february, you guys. >> gio: you were telling us to wait for the reindeer/beyonce

crossover pun. you delivered, my friend. >> in the middle of the diagram of my life, beyonce and the reindeer meet in the middle. >> gio: they all sleigh. >> they all sleigh. >> gio: we'll be right back with our "play of the day." ♪ merry christmas! ♪ rich chocolate layers sprinkled with festive peppermint. with love from san francisco. ghirardelli peppermint bark squares. makes the holidays a bite better. the countdown is on! marshalls buyers hustle until the last minute, so there's always incredible new gifts in-store. we get the deals. you gift the good stuff. ♪ i'mma give you what you want ♪ i've always been prone to hair thinning.

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♪tasty glazed turkeys that won't be forgotten♪ ♪their warm mac and cheese has us feasting like kings♪ ♪these are a few of my favorite things♪ every bite is a celebration with the honey baked ham company ♪ ♪ ♪ >> gio: and we are back with our "play of the day" and the daughter who never forgot her dad's life lesson. okay, families go through ups and downs, of course, and lindsey moore was 7 years old when she watched her dad, ted, sell one of hirst prized possessions. it's a collector's item football card to help pay the bills, and she told herself, one day i'm going to repay my dad. well, fast forward 30 years, take a look at what happened right here. lindsey's dad is opening a secret santa gift. his wife reads lindsey's letter thanking him for the sacrifice to the family. he opens that pack annual and what do you think he finds? the football card. ted tears up, he then goes to hug lindsey, and we got

the card right there. there it is right there nfl legend dan marino's rookie card with my miami dolphins. lindsey wrote in her letter, and it taught me that i would do whatever necessary to ensure my future family never needed anything. it was a lesson that has stuck with me since that moment. and what a lesson for all of us, right? >> stephanie: so thoughtful. such a great lesson. how did she track it down all those years later? >> gio: right. >> stephanie: it's incredible. >> will: i wonder who got the better feeling, lindsey or dad. right? >> gio: you're right. >> will: a special experience for everyone and a very nice card. >> gio: so beautiful. that's right. coming up here in our second hour, holiday travel, the huge number of people hitting the skies. how it's gone so far. >> stephanie: and our "gma" cover story. the new 30-30-30 diet. how to follow it, and is it right for you? >> will: and the gigantic display of christmas cheer. wow. it's all for a great cause. more coming up.

week, and three times in the last six months. the community is calling for several changes, including hiring a police chief and enough officers to be proportionate to the city's population and calling for a state of emergency. today, judges will announce the winner of the san francisco fire department's annual firehouse decoration contest at station seven on folsom street is one of the contestants. firefighters invited community members to enjoy the decorations as sf fire credit union is putting up $3,000 in prize money. it will go to the charity of the winning station's choice. the decorations are going to stay up through the end of december. let's get a check of the weather now with meteorologist lisa argen. hi, zach. >> good morning to you. you see

the bright sun behind you and it is chilly out there. gorgeous view from emeryville this morning. where temperatures in san francisco upper 40s. oakland is at 4245. hayward san jose 43 on the coast and a lot of blue sky here from the golden gate bridge. 34 in petaluma, 38 santa rosa. we do have fog, but we also have a much colder morning, which you're probably noticing on the coast and mountain view in hayward. looking at that fog from novato to napa for the next couple of hours. and as we look at our high temperatures today, much cooler upper 50s to low 60s out there yesterday, we were in the 70s in some spots. and we'll be tracking rain in the seven day outlook. zack >> lisa. thank you. still ahead this morning e-bike street safety how state lawmakers are trying to reduce electric bike and scooter related accidents, especially among young riders. abc seven news at 8 a

travel season, but, well, this year's holiday rush should be similar to the chaos last year. this morning we get a check on delays and cancellations across the bay area as triple-a forecasts record breaking numbers this weekend. good morning to you. it's saturday, december 23rd. i'm zach fuentes. we'll have that look at holiy