stay with us for "gma." good morning, america. thanksgiving chill. the coldest temperatures in 25 years as the east coast digs out from the season's most snowstorm. hundreds of flights canceled much 9 heavy snow toppling trees. hundreds of thousands without power. breaking overnight, the ferguson fallout. protests picking up in cities across america. >> hands up, don't shoot. >> angry demonstrators out in force in l.a. and oakland, more than a hundred arrested. city hall stormed in st. louis and a report this morning that protesters may try to disrupt the macy's day's parade. live from the route. a high-speed smash and grab. take a look at this minivan crashing through a store window. nearly two dozen people pouring in and you won't believe what

they were really after. ♪ >> and thanksgiving 911. everything you need to know before you put your turkey in the oven this morning. our holiday dream team standing by all morning with the answers to all of your last-minute food emergencies. >> and good morning, america. happy thanksgiving to everyone and great to have dan harris. >> great to be here. >> paula faris. t.j. holmes all here. does anyone's turkey actually look like that? the one we just had? >> my tofurkey looks like that every time, 100% of the time. >> i can tell you what people don't like looking at, the traffic we've seen in the last couple of days and a look at the traffic around the country. a little more peaceful than it was yesterday after that big winter storm. >> there is a different kind of traffic in some of the major

cities. people packing the streets of new york city and philly for two of the biggest parades in the country. there's my man, rob marciano, my weekend compadre at the nyc parade. hey, rob. >> then there is ginger in philly, the oldest parade in the country and let's start with ginger who has been tracking all of that holiday weather making it so difficult for so many americans to get home on this holiday. ginger, good morning to you. a better day in philly. >> oh, so much better. even on the train down here we saw several of those accidents and obviously this morning it is so much nicer and we are much more festive. the energy is up. the temperatures are down but it is nothing like this. look at the numbers. some reaching 0 inch, more than eight states a foot or more of snow. >> one, two, three, go. >> up to 20 inches of fresh snow, dangerously coating those holiday roads from north carolina to maine.

>> just trying to be safe, getting to massachusetts. >> nearly 800 canceled flights. >> started down the runway and we got shut down. >> we keep getting texts it's delayed. >> reporter: the season's first major snowstorm in the northeast. striking at just about the worst possible time. >> i plan to be in north carolina. >> reporter: snow piling up, branches and power lines coming down leaving hundreds of thousands with cold homes and warm refrigerators. >> i think probably all of my food now is going to need to be thrown out. >> reporter: in des moines, iowa, the whipping winds sending snow sideways and cars off the road. and back east, check out this time-lapse video, poughkeepsie getting 10 inches in just 9 hours. >> it's heavy snow. it's not good. >> reporter: let me assure you with the map of how quickly this thing has moved out drying out and, yes, you may see flurries in some places but looking at

the map there. the numbers with this is going to be cold, all right. we'll be in the 30s for a lot of folks. philadelphia for a high of 42 but it's going to feel a lot more chilly than that. morning windchills all the way back to business mark and minneapolis, yeah, that is subzero so one question that i -- my friend paul operating our audio says why can't thanksgiving be in april? it's a great question, paul. i think something we need to answer but for now we'll look at that forecast and i'll be here throughout the parade with so much fun coming up, maybe in april we'll look again at temperatures. let's get back to dan and amy. >> take it up with the pilgrims. >> thank you, ginger. >> they're responsible for the calendar where that falls on the calendar. thank you, ginger. we should say the overnight snow helped quiet things down on the streets of ferguson although there were angry protests in other american cities. this as this country and the family of shooting victim michael brown react to the exclusive interview with officer darren wilson conducted by abc's george stephanopoulos. abc's alex perez is in ferguson. good morning to you.

>> reporter: good morning, dan. the good news here is the overnight protests were mostly peaceful. just one person arrested. now, michael brown's family responding to that interview with some strong words for officer darren wilson. overnight, a tense, almost eerie calm in ferguson. national guardsmen patrolling the treats fearful that protests like this one would erupt for a third night in a row. and while snow may have kept the protesters at bay in ferguson, the same couldn't be said elsewhere in the nation. protesters were once again out in force in los angeles and oakland. in st. louis, one group storming city hall. demonstrators even gathering outside the u.s. embassy in london. all in protest of a grand jury decision not to indict officer darren wilson in the shooting death of michael brown. in that exclusive interview with george stephanopoulos, wilson addressed the 18-year-old's parents directly. >> i'm sorry that their son lost

his life and there's no -- nothing you can say that's going to mac a parent feel better. >> reporter: on wednesday brown's parents responding to wilson making the rounds on television supply don't believe a word of it. >> it's a murder. >> reporter: and the thanksgiving day parade in st. louis has been postponed until december because of the situation here and in new york city, authorities are keeping a close eye on the parade there after internet chat their protesters planned to target the parade there today. dan. >> a lot of people worried about that. alex, thank you, as always. go to paula faris with a look at the other top stories this morning. >> good morning to you and happy thanksgiving, everyone. we do begin with new video from another deadly police shooting that's made national headlines but this one in cleveland where a 12-year-old boy was shot. now, surveillance video shows tamir rice in a park waving and pointing what looks like a firearm. police say that when the patrol car arrived an officer issued

three orders for the boy to show his hands and when he did not, the officer shot him. that weapon turned out to be a toy gun. the boy's family says police acted too quickly. those officers are on leave pending an investigation. we do have new details about that daring raid by u.s. special forces who stormed an al qaeda hideout in yemen this week. they rescued eight hostages being held in a cave in the volatile eastern part of that country. overnight a government official confirmed an american journalist and other westerners were also being held in that cave but were moved just two days earlier. no word on their fate. meantime, special operation forces joined troops from yemen conducting the raid killing seven militants before airlifting the other hostages. and we do have a major development in the battle against ebola. researchers say the first test of an experimental vaccine on people shows that it is safe and, get this, it appears to be working and so far no serious side effects have been reported.

authorities in northern california say the state dodged a bullet when this union pacific train derailed sending 11 cars into that river below. the train was carrying only corn, but once a week a train carrying crude oil travels those same tracks and if that train had derailed, the spill could have contaminated a nearby reservoir that supplies drinking water to millions of people. and retailers in chicago on alert after the smash and grab. look at this, a minivan crashes through the doors of a clothing store, 20 thieves then run out of that van and from nearby cars grabbing thousands of dollars in merchandise in just two minutes they grabbed at least 200 pairs of designer jeans and each pair of those jeans sells for up to $700. and finally, they're very expensive. a classic case of what would you do. imagine you're in burger king ordering a whopper, you notice a bag that was left behind in a booth. you look inside and you see this.

$100,000 in cold, hard cash. so what do you do? >> order a second whopper. >> yes. >> but -- dan, you took my line. well, that happened to a guy who runs a burger king in san jose. it was on his birthday nonetheless. the cash would have made for the best birthday present ever but the owner did the right thing, called police. the police are now looking for that bag's owner who has yet to turn up. dan, you could just offer that owner 50,000 whoppers. >> yes, is that -- is that the math on that. >> sometimes they have a special. you can get two or 2 or two for 4 depersoning on a whopper jr. -- >> the woman who knows her bk. >> i love it my way. flame broil all the way. >> am i the only one who would keep that cash? i'm gone. it would not be a story. you wouldn't have anything to talk about. nobody would ever know. >> everyone, do not be afraid of t.j. right now. don't leave your wallet alone with t.j. holmes. >> thank you, paula. well now to the holiday shopping madness.

the craziness kicking off this morning. so many store, so many different offers, what should you be buying now and what can wait? abc's becky worley tracked down the best deals you no. good morning to you, becky. >> happy thanks fri-cyber-giving. the deals are there for the taking. this sales season is a price slashing dog fight between retail giants opening earlier than ever today. target's offering free shipping on everything and walmart and amazon are undercutting each other like we've never seen. let's start with tv deals. >> the hdtv discounts this year are best of the best we've never seen prices like we're currently seeing right now. >> why? there's no significant new tv technology. as a result, retailers only have one way to get you to buy a new one, drop the price. kohl's opening their doors at 6 p.m. has a 32-inch tv for $99.

walmart rolls out this deal at 6 p.m., a 65-inch vizi oh that's $450 off its normal price. next apple deals. their store and website have their once yearly sale on black friday. but what's new this year, the best deals are actually today. bundled with gift cards, new ipads are the equivalent of $100 off at target starting at 6 p.m. pc laptop deals compelling. stapleses has a $99 asus. grab it when the doors open at 6 p.m. >> bare bone, low specifications but it's a laptop for $100. >> reporter: but if you really, really want to hit the stores on thanksgiving night these are some of the best deals out there. gopro camera head to target. bundled with a gift card for the equivalent of $100 off. beats headphones, best buy has the best price, $80 off, xbox one walmart bundle with a gift card that's $470 worth of gaming

fun for $329. that's electronics. when it comes everything else, toys, shoe, the sales would be good tomorrow. stay home with your family today, amy. >> i like that advice, becky. thanks so much. more on the hot hottetest gifts. laura phillips is in charge of black friday planning and what a job that is. i understand stores open at 6:00 p.m. but online deals are already well into their first hour. you have this very carefully choreographed. >> that's right and good morning, amy. happy thanksgiving to you and all your viewers today. we are ready to go today and just as you mentioned our offers have already started online. i just got a note coming in this morning, we're selling video game systems, laptops, doing great online right now and, in fact, all day we're open. come in if you forgot anything on your thanksgiving list to make your turkey. tonight we'll convert it into all the gifts you want, one-hour

guarantee items and all these great items, something for everybody at walmart with over 400 offers. savings from 30 to 50%. >> those are big savings this year. tell me what is flying off the shelves. what are the hottest gift trends this year? >> talk about a couple of items, you were talking about tvs a minute ago. tvs, it's all about big, 65-inch vizio, as well a 50-inch, 218 and on our one-hour guarantee program so come in at 6:00, if you happen to run out in your store pick up a voucher and get it to you by christmas. a great way to make sure you get that tv. gaming is hot. new systems, ps4, x box1 and the hero of the season, elsa and anna stealing the show. all of the "frozen" product, 28.88. really a hot trend we're seeing. >> that will make our parent company disney happy. i have those tweens hard to buy

in in-tweener kids and pajamas i heard are a hot gift. >> we've got something for everybody. for your tweens, let me recommend an ipad, ipad mini, 199 with a $30 gift card and pajamas. kids' pajamas for $4.50, all the right characters so a lot for kids. >> i love it. laura, thank you so much and get some rest. good luck to you and all those shoppers out there who are ready to line up. have you seen the lines? >> yes, we are firmly in the red zone here for shopping. now to a holiday controversy. an epic backlash over a biblical blockbuster. the director of "exodus" is under fire for the arcs he chose to play some of the key roles. there are critics who say the cast is too white. this morning the director is speaking out. abc's david wright has the story. >> i came here to tell you that something is coming. >> reporter: "exodus of gods and kings" starring christian bale and sigourney weaver not due out for another two weeks. >> after 400 years of

slavery --%. >> reporter: the new moses flick is already making waves. >> there's a sea ahead and army behind. >> reporter: ready scott on the defensive over criticism that the cast of his biblical blockbuster is too white. on twitter the #boycottexodusmovie. some tweeting since when were ancient egyptians white? other black and middle eastern actors only play slaves, as well. scott tells "variety" this was a business decision. "i can't mount a film of this budget where i have to rely on tax rebates in spain and say that my lead actor is mohammed so-and-so from such-and-such. i'm just not going to get it financed so the question doesn't come up" with the notable exception of omar sharif it was ever thus in hollywood. >> hollywood has a big diversity problem. they don't often let actors of

color or diverse arcs play lead roles in films. >> reporter: the iconic big screen moses charlton heston. >> who is on the lord's side? >> reporter: was no more jewish than christian bale. ridley scott's "exodus canth is in hot water with religious groups over the character moses. >> he was a troubled and tumultuous man. >> religious groups want to make sure the bible is portrayed in a way that is fair and isn't offensive. >> reporter: "exodus" may, indeed weather the storm. bible epics have been huge at the box office in recent years. the controversy ahead of this one in some ways free advertising. for "good morning america," david wright, abc news, new york. >> yes, biblical flips usually do spark some sort of backlash which then creates a huge box office boon. >> exactly in decide for yourself. in social square we have our thanksgiving dream team of food network chefs. i love that. gobble. seated in their turkey thrones, they are ready to answer your

thanksgiving 911 questions about turkey, sides and dessert all morning long. right to it and begin with alex. alex, what are your thoughts on cooking the bird breast side down and flipping to crisp the skin for the last hour asks one viewer? >> i love that. i actually take my turkey out and rest it breast side down so the juices flow back through. the white meat needs the love. it's dry. all the juices pool there and keep it nice and sexy. and then you turn it over, crisp that skin and got that kind of great combination, moist meat, tasty crispy skin. love it. >> and a sexy turkey. i like that. alex, all right. thank you so much. and we want to ask our viewers, keep sending in questions. get all of alex's troubleshooting tips at goodmorningamerica.com. >> heavy rain in the northwest. a flood alert.

ginger is in philadelphia with the very latest. ginger, what can you tell us? ♪ >> oh, this, this right here, come on, girls. we're having a little too much fun. but here in philadelphia we're drying out. that is not the case in so many other places in the nation. so we want to go ahead, monica, hit it. i want some music in the background, very light. yeah, that's good. the pacific northwest, you can see some of the heavier rainfall. you can see there 3 to 5 inches in the yellow, 5 to 7 in green. this is after already getting 5 to 7 inches so flooding concerns in the pacific northwest and in the southwest the warmth. los angeles, 84 degrees today. 15 degrees above average. your local forecast is coming up in just 30 seconds, but first the cold cities brought to you by kohl's.

>> all right. more weather headlines and so much more fun to go. you guys ready, one, two, three. ♪ dan and amy. >> ginger, thanks so much.

coming up next the man being called dr. duke. an alleged con artist who faked being a physician to stay free at a posh resort. >> also coming up, why you may want to put video games on your holiday shopping list. meet the young gamer who is being paid like a top athlete. "gma" is on the lookout. how you can stay safe while driving in treacherous conditions. the important rules of the road you need to hear. more of your last-minute food questions answered, turkey, sides and deskerts with our all-star chefs. robin spent time with taylor swift to see what she's serving for turkey day.

hellmann's and holiday leftovers become irresistibly creamy turkey casserole. real delicious hellmann's. bring out the hellmann's. bring out the best. which means it's time to start here at lowe's! saving on christmas decorations. hurry in now for 25% off artificial indoor christmas trees,

and 30% off all christmas tree ornaments. don't miss out on the year's best deals at lowe's. i've had moderate to severe plaque psoriasis most my life. but that hasn't stopped me from modeling. my doctor told me about stelara®. it helps keep my skin clearer. with only 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses... ... stelara® helps me be in season. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara®... ...your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection, have had cancer, or if you develop any new skin growths. do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara® or any of its ingredients. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems- these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you or anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. in a medical study, most stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin... ...and the majority were rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks.

stelara® helps keep my skin clearer. ask your doctor about stelara®.

ring ring!... progresso! it's ok that your soup tastes like my homemade. it's our slow simmered vegetables and tender white meat chicken. apology accepted. i'm watching you soup people. make it progresso or make it yourself some people think vegetables are boring. but with green giant's delicious seasonings and blends, we just may change their minds.

ho ho ho green giant!

♪ because i'm happy ♪ clap along if you feel -- it might be a little chilly on this thanksgiving morning but my guess is it's not going to keep anyone -- >> no. >> -- off the streets from those big parades. the look at the route in new york. the balloons are full and ready to go. we'll check in with rob marciano who is standing along the parade route there. good morning, everyone. happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving to you. good morning, everybody. ginger is out there, as well. she's with some proud springfield high school cheerleaders at the parade in philadelphia celebrating its 95th anniversary this year. ginger, can you tap? not bad. >> ginger can do just about everything. if you haven't learned by now. also ahead if you're one of those parents digging in your heels and don't want to buy your kids video games for the holiday, well, this young man may have you thi