good morning, america. 100 million of us on alert as the coldest december weather in more than a decade moves in. this frozen ship coated in ice. and these samaritans jumping in to save a driver from an icy pond. now a new snowstorm takes aim at the midwest. president-elect trump taking his victory tour to wisconsin overnight, singing the phrases of former rival, paul ryan. >> he's like a fine wine. every day goes by i get to appreciate his genius more and more. after a day of all-star meetings from kanye west to nfl legends, and anna wintour as he prepares to host some of the biggest names in silicon valley at trump tower today. newly released images showing dylann roof at target practice. before killing nine people at a black church.

♪ and celebrating one of america's favorite dads. ♪ on the highway >> alan thicke passing away overnight. the star of "growing pains" known for his humor, wit and love. >> not only is this my son, but this is my best buddy. >> his final moments and the advice he shared for all dads just days ago as tributes pour in from actors, athletes and his family this morning. ♪ you and me we got to be and good morning, america. boy, that news came as such a surprise overnight. alan thicke, one of america's most famous tv dads has died, suddenly of a heart attack yesterday playing hockey with his young son, and the tributes are pouring in now. >> that's right. he is also the father of pop star robin thicke and robin shared this message early this morning, calling his dad the best friend i ever had, and

saying, let's all rejoice and celebrate the joy he brought to every room he was in. >> and alan, such a talented guy. not just an actor, but he was also behind some of the biggest tv theme songs in history, including this one. do you recognize it? ♪ take the good take the bad ♪ the facts of life >> that's right. he also did "diff'rent strokes." he was a composer. now you can see where robin got his talent. >> i grew up watching him and loving him, and i got to interview him about ten years ago. he was just as kind and warm and funny as you wanted him to be. he reallily lived up. we have so much more on his life. alan thicke coming up later on in our broadcast. but first, we're going to get to something else that everyone is talking about. that bitter cold. 100 million people feeling those freezing temperature this is week. take a look at this video. that is a whiteout in northern michigan. >> everybody is going, what's going on here? we'll get right to it.

24 states on alert and it's just going to get worse, ginger. >> not quite to official winter yet, but don't tell mother nature. from idaho through maine, new hampshire and vermont we have all of those warnings and advisories. windchill advisories that are really in place like places like minneapolis where we have our ialex perez this morning at 8 below the windchill. poor alex. >> reporter: yeah. that's right, ginger. it feels like 8 below zero this morning. take a look behind me. you can see massive icicles. the waterfall here frozen over, and this brutal cold is not going anywhere any time soon. this morning, a bitter polar plunge is sweeping across the midwest. take a look at this. the frigid weather coating this ship in ice as it makes its way off like superior. in michigan, whiteout conditions, making visibility near zero. in minnesota, quick-thinking motorists springing into action after a woman's suv plunged into

this frozen pond offroad. the heroic rescue captured on this traffic cam showing those good samaritans helping her to safety. with even colder air on the way, temperatures already 30 degrees below normal. from the northern plains to the northeast. nearly a third of the country will dip below zero this week. can this be dangerous? >> absolutely it can be dangerous so thinking mostly in this scenario about frostbite and hypothermia. both of which can be very dangerous to life and limb. >> reporter: authorities in new york investigating whether a snowplow caused two boys to become trapped in a snowbank as they were building a fort. one of the boys died. the other recovering in the hospital. and officials say in this kind of weather, it is very important to keep an emergency kit in your car. they say things like a flashlight, a blank blanket and even jumper cables can make all the difference if you get stuck somewhere. ginger. >> alex, such great advice. i know you got to do it. right now, go do it when you have the chance. these numbers are settling in. for tomorrow morning, 24 below for a feels like in chicago. nashville only 4 above zero for

a windchill then it slides east, burlington, 22 below, boston, 16 below and new york city, it will feel subzero. this is knick slap you guys in the face. i'm telling you right now. it is not going to feel good. you don't want to be exposed to it. your skin only takes a half hour to get frostbite. through the weekend some of the heaviest will fall in some of the places that have already been hit so hard. george. >> thank you, ginger. you were telling us your husband was right in the teeth of it. your husband. >> he's in chicago. have fun, honey. we're going to get to the latest in the trump transition. overnight, the president-elect takes his thank you tour to wisconsin, and appears with house speaker paul ryan and gets that packers jersey, and that's after a parade of high-profile visitors, all the way to bill gates. abc's tom llamas with all the details. good morning, tom. >> reporter: good morning. one headline summed it up best from kanye west to the midwest, president-elect donald trump's transition is still full of surprises, a big rally last night near milwaukee.

trump coming out strong for his secretary of state pick as he publicly partners with the republican leader he butted heads with throughout the campaign. overnight in wisconsin, on a christmas-themed stage, a political peace treaty. house speaker paul ryan presenting president-elect trump with a green bay packers jersey. >> speaker paul ryan. i have really come to -- oh, no. i've come to appreciate him. and, you know, honestly, he is like a fine wine. every day goes by, i get to appreciate his genius more and more. now, if he ever goes against me i'm not going to say that. okay? >> reporter: speaker ryan, the man trump once tweeted doesn't know how to win joining the president-elect at a rally for the first time. >> oh, my gosh. is this not so cool? >> reporter: trump bragging about that cool factor with the slew of famous faces spotted in trump tower on tuesday.

>> bill gates, anna wintour, kanye, that's right. i like kanye. >> reporter: rapper kanye west met with the president-elect. the two posing with ivanka for these photos obtained by tmz before appearing in front of reporters in the lobby. >> kanye, no comment about your meeting with the president-elect? this is the president-elect of the united states. you have nothing to say? >> i just wanted to take a picture right now. >> you take care of yourself. i'll see you soon. all right? >> reporter: west later tweeting he wanted to meet with trump to discuss multicultural issues including bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums and violence in chicago. as the transition continues, trump defending his pick for secretary of state. exxonmobil ceo, rex tillerson who has had a long relationship with russia's vladimir putin. >> rex is friendly with many of the leaders in the world that we don't get along with.

and some people don't like that. they don't want him to be friendly. that's why i'm doing the deal with rex. because i like what this is all about. >> reporter: but the president-elect hitting a roadblock with the obama administration. the current white house rejecting the trump team's request for names of staffers who worked on climate change. some of t in a statement, a spokesperson for the department of energy saying, some of the questions asked left many in our workforce unsettled. we will not be providing any individual names to the transition team. and today the president-elect set to host a tech summit at trump tower. so let's see who is invited. first, apple ceo, tim cook. alphabet ceo, larry page. coo of facebook, sheryl sandberg and safra katz. he is bringing in leaders of science, industry, arts and they're reaching out to him to find ways to help. >> on that news of rex tillerson

as the pick for secretary of state, a lot of reaction now coming in from russia, and they seem pretty pleased. commentators over there, but he is facing tough questions here in his confirmation battle. >> reporter: so true. this just in from our producer in moscow watching and monitoring the news over there. commentators in russia on russian television are ecstatic saying this could not have been a better pick for the kremlin. senators like marco rubio are not going to like that news. george. >> tom, thanks very much. let's get more on this from our matthew dowd. our chief political analyst and, matt, let's talk about this right now. donald trump seems to be aware of those questions coming in, pulling out some big guns to endorse rex tillerson, including the former secretary of defense, robert gates. condi rice and james baker. >> well, yeah, one thing, you got to like a guy born in wichita fall, texas, and went to the university of texas so that starts as a benefit. i think one of the things viewers need to understand bob gates and condoleezza rice, their firm had a consulting relationship with exxon so it's not surprising that that is the case.

i am amazed that we watch what we've heard from russia on this. it's like the bond movie "from russia with love." he is getting more love from russia and people in russia than he is from the united states senate. >> too early to tell whether he's going to be tripped up and all presidents, all incoming presidents face at least a couple of tough battles with their picks. >> well, yes, george. if you look back at the last five or six presidents, each one have faced somebody that didn't get voted through or had to resign. you saw it with barack obama, with tom daschle and george bush with linda chavez and bill clinton as you remember with zoe baird, and you saw it famously with george hoercher walker bush with john tower nominated for secretary of defense. what people have to worry about is there is an oil field term called a blow-out. it's when pressure exceeds capacity to handle and you end up with a disaster. >> they have so much going on right now. the president-elect putting off that press conference he was supposed to have tomorrow to deal with his business conflicts and how he's going to handle it.

they're having a tough time figuring out how to deal with this. >> well, i think two things are going to dog the president-elect in the first 100 days or year of this. the first as we talked about is russia, and the relationship with russia and everything that's gone on with russia and the election, but i think more importantly is what is his ability to handle the conflict of interest in this and now when he was supposed to have a press conference today saying that here's how i'm going to handle it, he has refused to sort of draw the line and say, i'm going to get rid of this business in this, and in the next few months, there is going to be question after question after question about is he benefitting from decisions that the white house is making that affect his business. >> matthew dowd, thanks very much. all right, now to the battle for aleppo. dramatic images as a cease-fire between rebels and the syrian regime breaks down. atrocities piling up and abc's alex marquardt has the latest from london. good morning to you, alex. >> reporter: good morning, amy. that's right. there is no sign that this deal is working. the reports of heavy shelling in eastern aleppo. none of those evacuations have

taken place. this is one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world and one that the next american president will have to deal with on day one. overnight, long lines of buses waiting to carry trapped civil yans to safety, and rebels out of aleppo. but they haven't moved and despite the cease-fire deal, residents accuse syrian forces of shelling this morning. which you can hear in their desperate pleas. >> people were very bombed and were very frightened about this escalation that is taking place right now. >> reporter: the syrian regime and its allies are trying to root the last rebels out of eastern aleppo, a city that has been divided for four years. many of those rebels funded, armed and trained by the u.s. losing aleppo would be a huge blow to the rebel cause and american efforts in syria. as syrian soldiers advanced on rebel territory, the u.n. said they received reports of more than 80 civilians shot in summary executions on the spot.

a spokesman calling it a complete meltdown of humanity. activists and residents posting dramatic farewell tweets and videos. one telling us this morning why he is so afraid to flee. >> i will get arrested by the regime for my activity, and i will be executed or tortured until death. >> reporter: this once great ancient city, a shell of its former self. the area that these rebels control is so small that it's only a matter of time before the regime takes over the whole city. that will be their biggest victory in years, and one that could dictate the outcome of this war, george. >> okay, alex, thanks very much. that situation is just so horrifying right now. we'll move on to the latest on dylann roof's murder trial. prosecutors reveal chilling images of him before and after his attack on an african-american church where he shot and killed nine people. abc's steve osunsami has the latest from charleston. >> reporter: jurors are getting to see this admitted racist and accused killer at target

practice. police say 22-year-old dylann roof recorded himself at home, using the same .45 caliber glock he's accused of using in the shootings at this historic black church. families of the nine people he's accused of murdering sat in shock as an fbi agent testified that roof went and staked out their church several times in the months before the killings. police say a gps device in roof's car shows he drove from his home in columbia to the church in charleston in december of 2014, twice in february the next year, again in april and then twice in may. police say they also found a list of other black churches in the back of his car. calvary episcopal was one of them. >> yesterday i got a text from one of the parishioners here and her words resonated with me. she said, my lord. it could have been a lot of things, but we count our

blessings. >> reporter: investigators told jurors roof had drawers and closets full of ammunition at his home. today, we can hear from one of three survivor who is says roof told her he was leaving her alive so that she could tell the story. jurors can get this case as soon as tomorrow, george. >> that will be dramatic testimony. okay, steve, thanks very much. >> all right. more now on alan thicke. so many around the world are celebrating his life. the 69-year-old "growing pains" star passed away from a heart attack overnight, and abc's chris connelly reports his legacy goes way beyond the small screen. ♪ >> reporter: a family sitcom on abc in the 1980s help the multitalented canadian, alan thicke, forge an enduring connection with audiences in the states. on "growing pains." >> this is my best buddy. >> reporter: from 1985 to 1992 thicke starred as jason seaver,

work at home shrink. >> you know how impossible doctors can be. >> yeah, i've heard. >> reporter: and spouse to joanna kerns maggie, father to kirk cameron's mike, tracey gold's carol and two younger sibs. >> we will make sure this is the most boring, uneventful night of our life. >> how do we do that? >> come on. i don't know have to tell you how to make a night -- >> reporter: young leonardo dicaprio was featured in the show's last season. just before "growing pains" he would be a talk show host on "thicke of the night" and from the beginning, central to his identity, was his life as a musician. co-writing theme songs to a fistful of shows, including "the facts of life," and ""diff'rent strokes." one generation he would be known as the father of robin thicke of the hugely controversial hit single, "blurred lines." ♪ blurred lines >> reporter: but it would be "growing pains" that would remain foremost in the minds of his devoted fans.

among them, his co-stars. >> i read a few places, that you, joanna, had a crush on -- >> that's a rumor i started. >> he did. but how could i not have a crush on him? >> reporter: alan thicke died on tuesday at the age of 69. a father of three, one of his last tweets, featuring his advice for new dads. love, then love some more. for "good morning america," chris connelly, abc news, san francisco. >> can't do better than that advice. >> no. >> great, and he was loved by so many. definitely. such a sad story. he looked so young and vibrant. we move onto last night's big honor for robin. she was inducted into the sports broadcasting hall of fame. there you see it, of course, she was a star at espn before coming to "gma" full time and look at her. she was radiant last night. let's listen. >> i am just so thrilled, and i know that this honor was made possible because of the opportunities that i was given, the many, many opportunities. and all of us, all of us,

doesn't matter. man, woman, black, white, gay, straight. we just want the same opportunities. >> robin really was glowing last night. ginger and i were lucky enough to be there, and see her honored. and it was really beautiful to see how she came up -- oh, yeah. there's -- we took a selfie. we documented it. how she came up and just -- in a man's world really in sports casting and such a trail blazer and it was awesome to be a part of that last night. so congratulations again, robin. that's why she's not here because there was an after party that ginger and i did not go to. it started at 10:00 last night. >> no thank you. >> all right. ginger, you're back with heavy rain and snow heading to the west. >> yes. we have been talking about this. actually two rounds. you can see right here, that atmospheric river is on, and now the flash flood watches for the end of the week go all the way through burbank so that could be

an issue. your local weather coming up in 30 seconds, but first, the cold cities brought to you by kohl's. hello, i'm mike nicco. with your weather highlights. drizzle and scattered showers, mild temperature, heavy rain and gusty wind tomorrow. sunny sh dry and cool this weekend through about tuesday of next week. you see the best chance of showers will be in the upper bay. low to mid-60s. the heavy strain in the north bay overnight, but look at those mid to upper 50s. my f and coming up, that dalia dippolito case accused of

ordering a hit man to kill her husband. is the jury now deadlocked? we'll talk to dan abrams about that. and then uber alert. new claims employees at the ride hailing company could be tracking you when you leave the car. the new security concerns this morning when we come back. he we come bac i sure had a lot to think about. what about the people i care about? ...including this little girl. and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital, but wondered, was this the best treatment for me? so i asked my doctor. and he recommended eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. yes, eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. both made me turn around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve

or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily ...and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. plus had less major bleeding. both made eliquis the right treatment for me. ask your doctor if switching to eliquis is right for you. you're probably wondering why thai've just carvedng! a giant wooden tiger. well, the answer is that a real one would maul me.

i've crafted dr. whiskers here as a visual aid to show you that should you visit the lot, carmax associates will not pounce like tigers because people don't like that. come here to buy a car. dr. whiskers won't pounce. nobody will. ♪ hey!reens presents, a holiday mini miracle. hey! ♪ this is for you. did you really? didn't have too! ♪ getting the gift you almost kept for yourself? now that's a holiday mini miracle. and it's easy to create your own at walgreens... with 50 percent off the gifts of the week,

just around the corner. walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy. good morning. it's 7:23. about an hour ago, oakland firefighters knocked down flames at a two story building near lake merit. sky 7 was above the scene near east 19th street and park boulevard. one person was reportedly trapped. now rescued and is receiving medical attention. over to alexis for a look at traffic. >> good morning and we have a new seg alert in the fremont area. northbound side of 880 before highway 84, dakota road. multiple vehicles, one injury in that collision. so, that is going to be there for a while. northbound 280 at 17, also quite heavy now. that is still bouncing back from a crash at winchester. you're stop and go back to the 10.

♪ ♪ ♪ how else do you think he gets around so fast? take the reins this holiday and get the mercedes-benz you've always wanted during the winter event. now lease the 2017 gle350 for $579 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer.

we're off to a damp start be temperatures in the low to mid-50z. concord at 59. san jose, 57. now, the drizzle will turn into scattered light shower this is afternoon, but what i want to focus in tomorrow, that lev, flooding rain and damaging wind gusts. in fact, the burn scars in santa cruz mountain, 10:00 tomorrow through 4:00 tomorrow, flooding possible there. wind will be strongest in the north bay. elsewhere, 10:00 tomorrow morning. here's a look at my seven-day forecast. 1 to 3 inches of rain possible tomorrow through friday morning and sunshine and dry this weekend. >> that's a lot of rain in one day. coming up, is uber spying on you? that's next on gma.

another update in about 30 minutes. man, i just love thi

zero really can be a hero.ds) get zero down, zero deposit, zero due at signing, and zero first month's payment on select volkswagen models. right now at the volkswagen sign then drive event. ♪ la vie est belle la vie est belle, the eau de parfum. lancôme.

available at macy's, your fragrance destination. ♪ ♪ and off you go, ♪ ♪ ♪ and off you go, ♪ ♪ ♪ and off you go, ♪ for every step, every stride, every start, begin strong with the lasting energy of 100% whole grain quaker oats... and off you go. dry skin problems eufor over 100 years.ing discover eucerin advanced repair. it moisturizes dry, itchy, rough, skin. for immediate relief and proven 48-hour moisture. for healthier-looking skin... ...look for eucerin, now in the red cap. [ almost... there...ental ] hmmmm... save ten when you spend fifty on toys at target.

you guys rock! yeah!... whoaaa! welcome back to "gma" and look at that christmas tree go up in flames. it happened so fast. this morning we have a new warning about holiday hazards. you see our live demo getting set up right there. we have our friends from the university of maryland's fire protection and engineering lab, and they are going to show us how quickly it can start, and what you can do to avoid it. >> important advice. also right now, winter weather alert. 100 million americans in the path of freezing temperatures and a bitter cold blast as a new snowstorm gets ready to hit the midwest and northeast. and the dow is riding high around that 20,000 mark. it could actually finish the day above it for the first time ever, and everyone waiting to see if the fed is going to raise interest rates today. >> i'm sure a lot of people looking for that.

also this morning, you've probably seen these image, professional athletes hazing rookie team members making them dress up in all kinds of funny ways. but this morning, there's a big crackdown, and we'll tell you all about it. >> i can't believe you did that when -- >> i did not do that. >> you didn't get hazed. >> we didn't quite do that to our football rookies. we did other things but that's usually baseball. >> okay. >> if they did it, i wouldn't tell. >> okay. that is coming up. we begin with that surprise twist in the dalia dippolito murder for hire retrial. just hours into deliberations jurors told the judge they were deadlocked, and he sent them back in to try again. abc's ryan smith has the details. good morning, ryan. >> reporter: five years ago dalia dippolito was convicted of murder in just three hours. that conviction overturned. now in her retrial after six hours of deliberating and viewing more than an hour of recordings of her alleged murder-for-hire plot, the jury says they can't reach a unanimous verdict. a jury will attempt for a second time this morning to determine the fate of dalia dippolito. >> we have the following note from the jury.

we, the jury, feel that we cannot reach a unanimous decision. >> reporter: the judge sending them home joemp overnight, asking them to try again today. >> i see you back here tomorrow at 9:30. >> reporter: during closing arguments monday dippolito's lawyers revealing she has a child at home. becoming a mother while on house arrest since her first conviction was thrown out in 2011. >> give her that freedom back to go home to her family and infant son. >> reporter: the jury then asking to rewatch and re-listen to all audio and video recordings of the 34-year-old dippolito, who was accused of hie hiring an undercover officer, posing as a hit man to kill her newlywed husband of six months. >> is your husband michael? okay, i'm sorry to tell you, ma'am, he's been killed. >> reporter: that video, the center of this case made by the boynton beach police department. the defense claiming they staged it, arguing that officers set up dippolito to impress the crew of

the tv show "cops." the police department denying those claims. >> this case is 100% on the egregious misconduct of the boynton beach police department. >> reporter: dippolito pleading not guilty, telling our amy robach last december she knew it was all a show for the cameras. >> the tape was -- it was a show. it was a tape. that was the purpose of it. >> you were acting in those tapes? >> yes. >> reporter: but prosecutors say the video speaks for itself. proving dippolito's guilt. >> i'm confident like 5,000% sure. >> read her body language on that video. there's not an ounce of hesitation. she is confident. he says i'll put two shots to the head. she's fine with that. he told you she didn't even given. >> reporter: now the jury can't reach a verdict today, the judge is expected to give an allen charge asking them to try one last time. if there still isn't a verdict he could be forced to rule for a mistrial which could mean a third trial for dippolito possibly. if convicted, she faces up to 20

years in prison, george. >> thank you, ryan. dan abrams to talk about this as well and it only takes one. >> wait, what. the dalia dippolito jury is it divided? i mean, this is a case where in the first trial, they came back in three hours. this was one of the most absurd defenses we had ever heard in the first case. remember. the first case in amy's interview, she said it again. i was just on a reality show. i was just acting. i didn't mean any of it. now she has actually come up with a slightly more plausible defense, which is, oh, the police just wanted to impress the show, "cops," et cetera. she is on tape talking about killing her -- there's no am ambiguity. there's no sort of maybe, if, she restates it again, she says she's sure that's exactly what she wants. >> the jury says they want to see the undercover police

recordings again. does it suggest maybe -- that there was something going on there, more than we saw? >> look, i think what it means apparently this jury is divided in some way. that could mean one person, it could mean more than one person but they're probably starting from scratch. they're probably starting from the point -- this was a really quick case. the prosecution's case was those tapes. that was it. there were a couple of witnesses and that was it. so i would think what they are doing is saying, all right. let's just calm down for a minute. let's try and start this again. let's go through these tapes and let's review it and now, that tape that you see, which wasn't going to initially come in of her faking this reaction to finding out that her husband is dead could become critical. i mean, it wasn't going to come in, the defense brought it up on cross-examination. boy, wouldn't that be interesting if that became a critical factor but this is stunning. let's be clear, it is stunning this jury is divided. >> divided based on what you're saying, prosecutors will go back again. >> oh, yeah, there will be a third trial. because, remember, the first one, the only reason she got a new trial is because of an allegation of something happening in jury selection. she was convicted. they will try her again if there's a hung jury here. >> dan abrams, thanks very much.

>> it is certainly not over. thank you. well, now to the mystery death in southern california. a well-known business mogul who founded the chain corepower yoga found dead in his san diego mansion under suspicious circumstances, and abc's nick watt joins us now from los angeles with more on that story. good morning, nick. >> reporter: amy, well, this morning san diego police are investigating the, quote, suspicious death of the yoga mogul who did more than perhaps anyone to popularize yoga across this country. he's dead in mysterious circumstances, aged just 48. trevor tice found dead alone in his san diego mansion. >> welcome. i'm trevor tice. >> reporter: here teaching yoga on youtube. >> downward facing dog. >> reporter: tice founded nationwide chain corepower yoga. devotees reported included "dancing with the stars'"

julianne hough, and "the big bang theory's" kaley cuoco. >> that is going to be a big huge loss for our yoga community. >> reporter: 1:15 p.m. monday a 911 call. >> person known to the occupant of the house went over there to check on them and they found a deceased person inside. >> reporter: police telling us due to suspicious circumstances, homicide detectives were called to the scene and are currently investigating. officers working late into the night. tice bought the oceanview property for $3 million in january reportedly living there alone with a remodel under way. he was the father of a nearly 2-year-old daughter, his father told us the family is deeply saddened by the loss of our capable, gregarious, generous and warm-hearted spirit. dubbed the starbucks of yoga by some, tice's corepower is now a multimillion dollars business with more than 160 studios. a spokesperson telling us we are deeply saddened to confirm that our founder trevor tice passed away. no further details are available about cause of death. now, these are still the very early hours of the investigation

at this point police say natural causes are not being ruled out. they will know much more when the autopsy is complete, probably sometime later today. amy. >> all right, nick, thanks so much for that we appreciate it. michael, what's coming up on our big board? >> coming up, amy, a pro sports hazing ban is what's coming up. why we may no longer see images like this. and that holiday hazard. that new warning about christmas tree fires. our live demonstration what we come back in two minutes. that stands out as beautifully... e we come back in two minutes. n we come back in two minutes. le vi. jared works directly with le vian designers to bring you more exclusive pieces... than any other jewelry store in the world. like the le vian ombre bracelet... featuring le vian chocolate diamonds. the one gift as unique as she is. at the only store to find it. that's why he went to jared.

♪♪ got two jobs to paye a mortgage, ♪ ♪ and i've also got a brain. ♪ life's short, talk is cheap. ♪ i'll be working while you sleep. ♪ ♪ still don't think i've got a brain? ♪ ♪ i took two bullets in the chest. ♪ ♪ got three kids, i never rest... ♪ ♪ so yeah, i've got a brain. ♪ a degree is a degree. ♪ you're gonna want someone like me. ♪ ♪ but only if you have a brain. ♪ (music fades out)

♪ ♪ lend him a helping hand. ♪ put a little love in your heart. ♪ ♪ take a good look around... ♪ ...and if you're lookin' down, ♪ ♪ put a little love in your heart. ♪ ♪put a little love in your heart.♪ ♪ in your heart. (avo) the subaru share the love event is happening now and will have given ninety million dollars to help real people like these. welcome back. it's time now for our big board, and our team of insiders standing by for more on the morning's top stories. we begin with that hazing ban. we have all seen the images like these, denver broncos players, oh, yeah, those are some lovely haircuts. wow, the phoenix suns new guys carrying children's backpacks. baseball rookies dressing like women, but this week, the major

league is banning that practice, a and espn analyst, bruce bowen is here with us now. bruce, strahan says he never got hazed. what do you make of this banning the practice? >> i think it's fantastic. we have to understand that we are examples or players are examples to the world and if they're demeaning others that doesn't send the right message especially for what's going on in today's times. >> when i say i wasn't hazed what i meant was i had to buy doughnuts and buy juice for the whole team and all that stuff. i didn't consider that hazing, but they would throw guys in the ice tubs, and do different things like that now. what do you experience or did you experience in your career? >> well, in college for me, michael, it was, you know, my freshman year coming in during conditioning and i'm excited, i'm ready to play, and i'm sprinting my tail off. some of my teammates were, like,

yo, rookie. what's wrong with you? why you doing that, you bet ever get back. my thoughts are i'm trying to be the best i can be and you're going to have a problem with that it's only because they're insecure. through their insecurities it allowed me to push that much more. i want everyone dealing with things like this, push back because they can't stop what's truly special. >> i love your message. that's see great. but, you know, there are those who say, hey, this practice builds camaraderie. this is what bonds us all together. what do you make of that? i'm guessing you don't buy it. >> shame on them. the fact that demeaning someone allows them to feel closer to you. if i hit you in the nose, michael, are you going to feel good about me? absolutely not. you're going to grab me because i know who you are. but that's what we have to realize. it's only through the cowardice acts of these other individuals. they're insecure, and their insecurities come off and think they want to say, oh, it's because it bills camaraderie, foolishness, it doesn't build that. >> it happened to me so it's going to happen to you and happens in fraternities. it's a horrible practice. i agree. >> one of those things too where i felt like you need that

younger player, so you want him to feel comfortable when he comes to work. >> you should be a mentor not a bully. >> absolutely. >> exactly. >> bruce, they talk to you just like that? hey, thank you, man. thank you. don't go anywhere. you're not going anywhere. you'll stay right there. up next, a holiday hazard alert. the latest report from the cpsc says holiday related accidents sent about 14,000 americans to the hospital last year. david kerley joins us from the universe of maryland where they are about to put on a show to give us a little demonstration, but, david, before we get to that demonstration, what are some of the other common holiday incidents or accidents that happen to people? >> well, you mentioned the big number, 14,000 injuries in november and december of last year from our decorations. that's 230 injuries suffered by americans, and it breaks down like this. and the ladder is actually part

of the big problem. 41% are falls. somebody who's used it to get up to their tree or put their lights up. 10% are lacerations where you actually decided you want to use something sharp to open that present, and you cut yourself, and about 10% are lifting things that are too heavy. but like i said, that's a big number. 230 americans injured every day during this holiday season, guys. >> all right. i notice you were walking away from that tree because we're about to have a live demo to show how quickly a dried up tree can go up in flames. >> so we are lighting it up right now. and this -- we're getting close to the time of the season when these trees get really dry. let me get out of the way here and watch this happen. isaac, would works in this lab here just like -- a little bit of an accelerant. a little dried out and a sense of how fast between 2010 and 2012 an estimated 200 annual fires where the christmas tree was the first item ignited.

10 deaths, 20 jr. injuries, $17 million lost in property loss. this is how fast it can go. this is why you need to keep an open flame source or heat source away from a dry christmas tree in your house or this is what can happen. >> oh, my. i had chills watching that. that is so frightening. >> less than a minute, the entire tree is gone. >> wow. all right. that's very important for everyone to see. david, thank you so much. bruce, thank you as well. we appreciate it. coming up next here in just two minutes, we have the new claim about uber. could their employees be spying on users? >> interesting. >> scary.

i get to hang out with big shots like her, whoa and them! and i, megazord, get to tell you that you can find all of the hottest movie heroes at toys"r"us. buy one get one 40% off power rangers, star wars, disney moana, and more! toys"r"us. awwwesome! see me. see me. don't stare at me. see me. see me. see me to know that psoriasis is just something that i have. i'm not contagious. see me to know that... ...i won't stop until i find what works. discover cosentyx, a different kind of medicine for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. proven to help the majority of people find clear or almost clear skin. 8 out of 10 people saw 75% skin clearance at 3 months. while the majority saw 90% clearance. do not use if you are allergic to cosentyx. before starting, you should be tested for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur... ...tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms...

...such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. or if you have received a vaccine or plan to. if you have inflammatory bowel disease, tell your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. see me. see me. see me. on my way. find clear skin... and a clearer path forward. for a different kind of medicine, ask your dermatologist about cosentyx. sfx: booping) ok, google, play a lullaby. ♪ google home, voice-activated speaker, $129. save money. live better. walmart. back now with that big headline about uber. information uncovered in a lawsuit claims their employees could use a tracking feature to spy on customers who were firing back. gio benitez here with the story. hey, gio. >> reporter: hey, george. good morning. those customers, according to the lawsuit can be exes, even

celebrities. cyberstalking at the hands of uber employees and as more reports surface, the company this morning is now pushing back. this morning, startling claims that employees at the ride hailing giant uber, they have been able to keep a watchful eye on anyone from exes to celebrities. according to a recent court filing by a former forensic investigator for the company as part of a wrongful termination lawsuit. he alleges that uber's lack of security regarding its customer data was resulting in uber employees being able to track high-profile politicians, celebrities and even personal acquaintanc acquaintances. >> the data that was included in that included the trip origin, trip destination, route taken, what type of uber. >> reporter: reporter will evans with the center for investigative reporting spoke with spangenberg about the claims reported in the file. >> he said it was ongoing and since so many had this wide access, that anybody could look

up anything and then, you know, the company would try to catch people afterwards. >> reporter: uber telling abc news in a statement, it's absolutely untrue that all or nearly all employees have access to customer data with or without approval. and sharing a warning that it says employees see every time they access internal data tools that says, you may not access the account of anyone you know personally, another employee, a celebrity, or other public figures or anyone at all out of curiosity. >> a lot of apps we install on our phone have pretty intrusive privacy items on there. in the case of uber it's your location, it's your phone number, it's your social media. your picture. >> reporter: uber claims it has fired drivers in the past for violating its policy. some of which is based on an honor system. now, the company says certain access requires several levels of approval. meanwhile the lawsuit is now in

arbitration, which means it is being handled in private, but boy, oh, boy. >> we're talking about it. >> people are concerned about it. >> understandably so. thank you, gio. coming up, should you pay someone to train your baby to sleep? george is laughing. the mom -- >> i'm laughing because i did it. >> all right. we got an honest answer. this mom says it was the best money she ever spent. we'll talk about that. george is not sure about that. and lara, what's going on upstairs? >> hi, guys. what a great morning up here in the studio. derek and julianne hough are hoar live with a very special announcement, and check this out, too. we have a hover camera following their every move. this is how they get ready. looks like us. they'll perform live on "good morning america." ♪ tell me all the things that i wanna hear ♪ [ cheers and applause ] wan wanna hear neath ♪

back here on "gma," we are now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how.

it's time to givehl's the perfect gift so let him be a kid again make her sparkle and help him save the galaxy. at kohl's you'll save a little more with an extra 15% off and earn a little more with kohl's cash so you can give a little more this holiday.

kohl's. when i was too busy with the kids to get a repair estimate. liberty did what? yeah, with liberty mutual all i needed to do to get an estimate was snap a photo of the damage and voila! voila! (sigh) i wish my insurance company had that... wait! hold it... hold it boys... there's supposed to be three of you... where's your brother? where's your brother? hey, where's charlie? charlie?! you can leave worry behind when liberty stands with you. liberty stands with you™ liberty mutual insurance

back here on "gma," we are loving the audience. you guys are great already but i wanted to show you this video out of india. check this out. the cars flipping in the 87-mile-per-hour wind gusts. that cyclone the equivalent of a category 1. whoa. all right. well, all of that now has been brought to you by the u.p.s. store. your local news and weather, derek and julianne hough coming afoot and light-hearted i take to the open road.

healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever i choose. the east and the west are mine. the north and the south are mine. all seems beautiful to me. "good morning america" is brought to you by liberty mutual insurance. liberty stands with you. mutual insurance. liberty stands with you.

good morning. it's 7:56. mike standing by with your wet forecast. >> good morning. some of the mild temperature, near our average highs now and we haven't seen the warmest weather yet. 60s this afternoon. focus in on tomorrow. heavy rain, flooding rain. burn scars, debris flows and gusty winds that will bring down trees and powerline. it will be heaviest from mid afternoon through mid evening. >> how about a little bit of good news if you're traveling on northbound 880 and the fremont area. the crash, is sigalert did clear, so that sigalert has been canceled. we've got quite a bit of stop and go traffic hind them and a lot of slow traffic. thank you. another update in about 30 minutes and always on our news

app and abc7 news.com. join us every weekday morning from 4:30 to 7:00, don't forget, the storm is coming our way. you can track it on our a p zero really can be a hero.ds) get zero down, zero deposit, zero due at signing, and zero first month's payment on select volkswagen models. right now at the volkswagen sign then drive event.

agine a world where the holidays are about joy again. where days are filled with magic instead of madness. at t.j. maxx, marshalls and homegoods, we've imagined the holidays this way for decades. it's why we never have crazy sales. never make you clip coupons. and always have amazing prices on popular brands and thoughtful gifts. it's time to bring back the holidays with t.j.maxx, marshalls and homegoods.

good morning, america. 8:00 a.m. celebrating alan thicke. ♪ as long as we got each other >> the beloved tv dad from "growing pains" passed away, just 69. now his final moments with his family, and reaction pouring in from hollywood. staying warm in this deep freeze. the best boots for winter, experts trying out 17 pairs. the ones that will keep you warm and dry. >> this is kind of remarkable that i'm standing in water right now, and i actually can't feel a thing. >> your exclusive first look at the season's best picks. ♪ break free and sleep training your baby. the mom who paid hundreds for someone else to help her child sleep while she went on vacation. >> why not save myself the heartache? >> is it selfish or the key to finally getting some rest? ♪ and get ready to dance. julianne and derek hough

performing here live, and they are saying -- >> both: good morning, america. [ cheers and applause ] every time i see them, they are so talented. good morning, america. we got a happy audience this morning. you guys are ready for christmas, aren't you? >> yes. >> yes, that's a big yes. all right. julianne and derek hough are here. as you saw. [ cheers and applause ] and they have a very special announcement, and they're going to perform for all of you just ahead. >> can't wait for that. and something else to be excited about. we have "cake boss" buddy valastro and his family here. that means we're going to eat good today, everybody. they're sharing their favorite holiday recipes with us. >> we have not stopped with the cookies and now this. this is all part of your big countdown. it's our great american christmas cookie search. the finale is tomorrow.

thankfully, find a way to say thank you, america. keep sending in recipes, though. we're sharing them with you on goodmorningamerica.com. [ applause ] we have been really honing in on the really great ones. that one yesterday -- >> banana. >> yes. >> that was good. >> let's go to cecilia vega for the morning rundown. save me cookies, guys. good morning to you. the big story this morning, tech titans descending on trump tower for a face-to-face with the president-elect. top executives from apple, google owner alphabet, facebook and oracle among the names on the list. many opposed donald trump during the election, but they now say they are ready to talk jobs and innovation. the head of ibm will also be there after pledging to hire 25,000 american workers in the next four years. at a late night rally in wisconsin trump made his first public appearance with house speaker paul ryan. he called ryan a great guy and compared him to a fine wine despite their very public clashes during the campaign. trump also praised his secretary of state pick calling

exxonmobil's ceo rex tillerson a skilled global business leader but tillerson faces a tough confirmation fight. many lawmakers concerned about his close ties to russia. wall street is awaiting a key decision by the federal reserve. it comes this afternoon and is expected to raise interest rates by a quarter point. this would be only the second rate hike in the last decade. it comes just as the dow has been surging closer to the 20,000 mark. new bombing raids over aleppo are threatening a cease-fire just hours after syrian forces took over the city. thousands of civilians are trying to evacuate, but buses that were supposed to carry them out have left that city empty with no passengers. the u.n. is investigating reports of civilian executions in areas formerly held by rebels. five u.s. marines have been rescued after a clash landing off japan. their osprey aircraft went down after a problem during refueling. just last week a marine pilot was killed when his fighter jet crashed off the japanese coast.

authorities in colorado are planning new dna testing in the jonbenet ramsey case. reports claim there were flaws in the interpretation of previous dna tests on clothes the 6-year-old was wearing. jonbenet was killed on christmas 20 years ago. and this morning, the tributes are pouring in for actor alan thicke. best remembered as the dad from the '80s sitcom, "growing pains." >> i mean, the guy completely blows your doors off. >> god, i don't want to hear this. >> he made me feel so -- >> please, dad. >> -- free. i could have just walked out of that concert and hitchhiked right across country. >> stop. >> sorry. >> and thicke spent seven seasons playing dr. jason seaver. he died after reportedly suffering a heart attack while playing hockey with one of his sons. he had three boys including, of course, singer robin thicke. just this week, he offered some advice to new dads. he tweeted, love.

then love some more. alan thicke was 69. and, guys, i had no idea he was such a prolific tv theme songwriter also. >> i think maybe more for -- the music really drove him. he was so passionate about it. >> you could see it obviously went to his son, as well. >> absolutely. and we'll continue on alan in "pop news." he was truly one of the nicest and funniest guys in hollywood. his final role was a guest cameo on season two of "fuller house" and shortly before his passing, he posted this final tweet showcasing his trademark sense of humor. "season 2 fuller house looking good. i even like the ones i'm not in." one of his last scenes was with candace cameron bure who posted this picture of the two on her instagram, saying she was sad beyond words. of course, she knew him for a very long time. candace is the real-life sister of kirk cameron who played alan thicke's son on "growing pains" and i had the pleasure of speaking with alan and the whole cast of "growing pains" at a reunion a couple of years ago where he told me how abc almost gave him a very different role than lovable dad, jason seaver. check this out. >> at the time abc was interested in a couple of actors

and finding the right vehicle for them. "growing pains" was one of the vehicles. i was one of the guys, and the other guy was bruce willis. >> happy trails, hans. >> so i guess there would have been a chance that i would have been in "moonlighting" and bruce willis would have been their dad. >> oh. that would have been two very, very different shows. >> wow. >> i think abc -- yeah, everybody lands where they should as they say and in that interview, also expressed how much love and pride he took in his tv family. i saw it there as he did with his real-life family, alan thicke will be so greatly missed. >> he certainly will. [ applause ] we're sad. we're really sad about him. he was a big part of our lives, you know. also in "pop news" this morning, it turns out the library of congress is definitely not forgetting about "the breakfast club" any time soon. the john hughes 1985 coming of age tale has been added to the national film registry. 1 of just 25 movies to make the cut for 2016. also on the list this year, "the

lion king," which is special because jeremy irons is with us today. "the princess bride" and "thelma and louise" to be added to the registry. >> those are all really good choices. >> we saw "the breakfast club" again over the weekend. >> it's timeless. >> it holds. >> my daughter watched it last week. she loved it. still good to everyone. >> the brain, the jock, the outcast. as you can relate to somebody in that film. >> getting detention. oops. >> to be added to the registry films must be at least ten years old and deemed culturally, historically or aesthetically significant. fyi. >> they all are. finally, had to share here she comes again. one of the great songs, dolly parton once again helping the folks who live in the gatlinburg, tennessee area affected by those horrible wildfires in november. dolly raising several million dollars last night in a telethon her victims recruiting more than 20 other country stars like kenny rogers and reba for the three-hour show.

taylor swift stepping up donating $100,000. >> wow. that's great. [ applause ] ken ken kenny chesney al stepping up in a big way, $125,000. >> wow. >> so great. [ applause ] >> dolly pledged $1,000 per month for six months for anybody displaced by the fire. is it any surprise the university of tennessee is now offering a class about parton? history 307 otherwise known as dolly parton's america uses her life and times as a guide through the examination of key issues in the 20th century. >> wow. >> they use her as a launching pad to talk about making it in america, and she certainly has. >> she has. >> exactly. >> that's "pop news," everybody. >> thank you, lara. >> whoo. [ applause ] and coming up, we're going to hear from that mom who paid a professional to train her infant to sleep, and it's getting a lot of reaction this morning, including from me.

[ cheers and applause ] [ applause ] u know how it is, someone does something nice for you and you feel obligated to do something nice back. maybe your aunt sent you a crocheted scarf, you sent a thank you note... and the crochet just kept on coming. well, at carmax, you don't have to return the favor. they'll buy your car even if you don't buy a car from them. because feeling obligated is uncomfortable. and tight. in places it shouldn't be. carmax won't make you feel that way. lucky you. i feel like a quilt. who's the genius who puts a girl in heels on a subway grate? miss monroe, eat a snickers. why? you get a little cranky when you're hungry. better? much better. this scene will never make the cut. ...one of many pieces in my i havlife.hma... so when my asthma symptoms kept coming back on my long-term control medicine. i talked to my doctor and found a missing piece in my asthma treatment with breo. once-daily breo prevents asthma symptoms.

breo is for adults with asthma not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. breo won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. breo opens up airways to help improve breathing for a full 24 hours. breo contains a type of medicine that increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adolescents. breo is not for people whose asthma is well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. once your asthma is well controlled, your doctor will decide if you can stop breo and prescribe a different asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. do not take breo more than prescribed. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. ask your doctor if 24-hour breo could be a missing piece for you. see if you're eligible for 12 months free at mybreo.com.

i'm not a customer, but i'm calling about that credit scorecard. give it. sure! it's free for everyone. oh! well that's nice! and checking your score won't hurt your credit. oh! i'm so proud of you. well thank you. free at at discover.com/creditscorecard, even if you're not a customer. the new olay eyesrise. fultimate eye cream. for instant results of the number one prestige eye cream, without paying twice the price. show your amazement, not your age. with new olay eyes. ageless. so basically we have two production options... hey guys, i gotta call you back. (phone ringing) hello? hi mom! oh, hi sweetie! how are you? give a keurig brewer this holiday and they will think of you everyday. we have your fingerprints soon the safe., a photo of you opening the safe. a post using the hashtag "#justrobbedthesafe" so, what are we supposed to think?

switching to geico could save you a bunch of money on car insurance. excellent point. case dismissed. geico. because saving fifteen percent or more on car insurance woo! because saving fifteen percent or more on car insurance is always a great answer. right now at lowe's.ift of huge holiday deals like this kobalt 35-piece double drive screwdriver set for only $19.99. plus get this dewalt 20-volt max cordless drill for only $99. save big on everything you need to make your home happy, right now at lowe's.

we are back now with that big parenting debate. should you hire a sleep trainer to work with your baby? >> is this really a big debate? >> not in the stephanopoulos house. one mom paid a professional to train her infant while she and her husband went away. abc's mara schiavocampo has the story. >> reporter: working mom of two katy landrum calls it the best money i've ever spent. paying someone else hundreds of dollars to sleep train her 3-month-old baby. >> since we were planning on hiring a sleep trainer and we had an upcoming night away, we thought, you know, why not save myself the heartache? >> reporter: in an online article for "redbook" magazine the 34-year-old real estate agent featured on hgtv

hgtv'hgtv's hgtv's "selling los angeles," writing at $30 an hour, bringing a professional in to manage the process seemed like a no-brainer adding she planned a getaway to a luxury california spa and resort because i didn't want to be in earshot of bo's weeping. treating ourselves to a restful retreat meant we could try to enjoy ourselves instead of dwelling on what was taking place at home. >> i was so nervous, i kept trying to come up with reasons why he wasn't ready to do it yet. >> reporter: sleep training babies can be a controversial issue. >> it's usually not that black and white. often it's a blend of methods depending on the baby and what the parents feel comfortable with. >> reporter: landrum's article now shared thousands of times with many commenting. one writing, this is so selfish. others saying, if a woman doesn't have time to be a parent, she shouldn't have kids. but many came to landrum's defense writing, it helped put him on a schedule and i'm all for making home life happy and

rested for both parents. >> i know that it's controversial for people to sleep train, but for me being a working mom of two it's just something that i felt strongly about. >> what may be right for one family may not be right for another family. >> reporter: now doctors say that you can start sleep training your baby as soon as they are big enough to go a full night without eating. what's most important is consistency. whatever method you choose, be consistent so the baby knows what is expected of them and by doing those things, you should be able to change their behavior in about a week. this woman added she got her doctor's approval and is self-employed and when the parents can sleep, the whole house is a little happy. >> absolutely. all right. i mean if you just looked at george's body language right now, i think it says a lot. >> we did it. we tried it when ellie was i guess 3. it was -- the lady was lovely. it was very expensive. elliott is pretty much still in our bed so -- >> no, but the reason you did it was because -- and i understand this, i think a lot of moms can understand that ali -- it's so

hard to hear your -- the crying breaks your heart but you have to do it. and as mara said, the consistency is most important. >> it was our fault we were not consistent. >> you can't go and comfort them. you have to put ear plugs in. >> it's brutal. your little baby. >> they do have more than one kid and can't keep the other kid up. >> thank you so much. coming up next, the best winter boot picks that can take on water, ice and still keep you warm. we're revealing them next. we're revealing them next. 're revealing them next. this is your daughter. and she just got this. ooh boy. but, you've got hum. so you can set this. and if she drives like this, you can tell her to drive more like this. because you'll get this. you can even set boundaries for so if she should be here, but instead goes here, here, or here. you'll know. so don't worry, mom. because you put this, in here. hum by verizon. the technology designed to make your car smarter, safer and more connected. put some smarts in your car.

after washing apply and rinse 24 hours of moisture with no sticky feel. then get dressed and go. delight your senses with in-shower cocoa butter. available in the body lotion aisle.

and thanks to target, i got to the after party - this nice little outfit just in time using order pickup. stay fresh! get last minute gifts with order pickup at target. jay knows how to keep nice shorts, dad...g. this is what the pros wear. uhhh... that's why he starts his day with those two scoops in heart healthy kellogg's raisin bran. ready to eat my dust? too bad i already filled up on raisins. kellogg's raisin bran. deliciously heart healthy. our progressive direct rate... great deals for reals! ...and our competitors' rates side-by-side, so you know you're getting a great deal. saving the moolah. [ chuckles ] as you can see, sometimes progressive isn't the lowest. not always the lowest! jamie. what are you doing? -i'm being your hype man. not right now. you said i was gonna be the hype man. no, we said we wouldn't do it. i'm sorry, we were talking about savings. i liked his way. cha-ching! talking about getting that moneeeey! talking about getting that moneeeey! savings worth the hype. now that's progressive.

zero really can be a hero.ds)

get zero down, zero deposit, zero due at signing, and zero first month's payment on select volkswagen models. right now at the volkswagen sign then drive event. okay, yes, yes. i'm back. back now on "gma." we are -- yes, i'm getting my tips -- i've already forgotten. >> she's amazing. >> derek and julianne hough are here. you guys, we have so much more coming up. it's getting cold. you know that. we're also about to reveal the best winter boots. i know you guys know about hello, i'm mike nicco. with your weather highlights. drizzle and scattered showers, mild temperature, heavy rain and gusty wind tomorrow. sunny sh dry and cool this weekend through about tuesday of next week. you see the best chance of showers will be in the upper

bay. low to mid-60s. the heavy strain in the north bay overnight, but look at those mid to upper 50s. my forecast tomorrow as you can see, i didn't know i was coming out in the cold this morning. you're all ready for our winter boot challenge. so many getting hit so hard. and, t.j., you've got the best boots recommended by that gadget website the wirecutter. >> yes, george. and i don't always step in ice water, but when i do, okay, look. now this looks dramatic, but i don't feel a thing. because i'm wearing, according to wirecutter, some of the best boots on the planet. now, most of us when you buy boots, you do a little shopping, you look around, you get the best price but there's a whole lot more to it than that. >> reporter: walking in winter without the right boots isn't all that wonderful. this morning, product review site the wirecutter is out with its best picks for men's went women's boots. it took 100 hours of testing in frigid alaska temperatures.

it's supposed to be cold in here. please. to get an idea of the wirecutter's testing, we head to minus 5 experience. a bar where almost everything from the chandelier to the benches are made of ice. >> cold in here, isn't it? >> a little bit. >> it is 24 degrees fahrenheit. >> reporter: to test the boots for warmth, editor, nick guy, submerged them in ice and measured how quickly the temperature inside the boot dropped. testers wore them on city streets and outdoor trails to test for traction. now an extreme challenge for these boots. the wirecutter's waterproof test that goes way beyond reasonable expectations. >> we're going to step into these buckets of ice water for five minutes or until the boots leak. all right. let's do it. >> in our tests, we kind of stepped around, you know, mimicked walking. >> this is kind of remarkable. i'm standing in water right now and i actually can't feel a thing. >> isn't that pretty crazy? >> i got some water. >> this is -- >> a crazy test. >> you made it almost four minutes before that happened.

>> reporter: on me, the sorel matson original. the wirecutter's pick for best overall men's boot costing around $200. >> they're great for the city. they've got decent traction. >> reporter: on nick, the keen durand's polar. best men's runner-up suited to outdoors and around $200. on women these were the top picks. columbia heavenly omni heat laceup boot for $140 and keen duran polar for $200. i'm doing just fine in our challenge and we have to let people know, wirecutter gets a percentage of the sales they get through some of the links on their articles and we want to let you know that. these boots hold up just fine, feet not cold, not wet. no problem. now this is the key, george. i want to let you know. a good tankaway, what we do when we get cold, we layer up with socks, don't do that. wirecutter says what you're doing is restricting blood flow to your feet by doing that, and making your feet colder. has the opposite effect. use polyester, don't use the cotton socks that retain a lot of moisture.

so that's a good tip and, again, boots -- >> a believer now. >> i'm a huge believer. >> thanks very much. back to michael. all right, thank you, george. i'm here now with "dancing's" derek and julianne hough, the most talented siblings around. we saw them dancing earlier in the tease, and we're going to see them dance for us in a little bit. right now they have a big announcement to make and i don't want to hold them back. what is the big announcement? >> okay. so we're so excited to announce we are going back out on the road with our new show, "move beyond." >> live on tour. live on tour. we're excited. we're going out next year. the first show is april 19th and we're excited. this is beyond anything we've done before. it's beyond our expectations and we're really pushing the limits, and we're very, very excited about the show. >> yeah, and tickets go on sale on friday, this friday, december 16th. [ cheers and applause ] >> stocking fillers, you know. check it out. >> you know what i love, i mean i'm watching you two sit here before we come back from break.

and you're, like, taking care of your sister, her hair, this, but you dance -- >> yes. >> you've done some great numbers on "dancing with the stars" dancing together. how is it dancing with a sibling and who is bossier? >> we actually work pretty well together. we kind of just have a hidden language where we don't talk. we're like -- [ made up language ] >> we just dance and figure out our problems that way. >> that's it? >> that's it. but, no, it's actually great where we feel very privileged. we feel very lucky to do something that we love with somebody that you love and care about. it's a wonderful thing. >> and in "hairspray" you were awesome, by the way. >> thank you, thank you. >> we expected -- everybody expected to see the dancing but you're singing. >> yes. >> is an album coming up? >> you know, what's great with the show, the tour, we're going to incorporate that because julianne obviously started out with "grease live," which was amazing. [ applause ] and so we'll incorporate that within the show as well. >> we'll sing, we'll dance, you know, do a little funny skit moment between derek and i.

we have to play up the brother/sister -- >> the best part is the interaction with the audience and we love connecting with the audience. we bring them up on stage, and meet them afterwards, and -- >> our favorite part. >> one thing i love is throwback thursday and you posted a photo. we got you on walkback wednesday. is that mark -- >> that is mark ballas. >> that's mark. >> we've known him -- i was 10 years old in that picture with my spray tan, my cornrows, my long nails and, yeah, i mean, that is legit. >> back in the day. >> you know what i love? congratulations on the show, first of all. i love that. i love all of you guys -- you kind of came up together and you're still growing together. that is awesome. everybody, stay right there. julianne and derek are going to perform live for us. perform live for us.

good morning. it's good idea to check out the traffic before you head out the door. >> good morning and yeah, earlier sigalert has cleared. looking at he delays here. looks like the left side especially if you're pay cash, the side to go on today and a quick check of drive times. a report of a new crash on 680 o, but the southbound side, 25 minutes now highway 4 to walnut creek and westbound 4 to highway 13. 32 looking good. the central valley. >> thanks. >> thanks. mike nicco will >> thanks. mikeat ikea, we believe that making room for one more shouldn't cost more.

spend your holiday overjoyed and under budget.

at ikea, we believe that making room for one more shouldn't cost more. spend your holiday overjoyed and under budget. good morning. feels behind at 47 and 49 ant i don't care. burn scar flood, power outages, trees down possible because of gusts 45 to 50 miles per hour. flooding possible at 10:00 tomorrow morning. starting at 7:00, elsewhere, 10:00 tomorrow morning. by the weekend sh it's going tok really nice! thank you, mike.

another news update in about 30 minutes and always on our news app. join the whole team every [ applause ]le team every ♪ i got faked out by that camera running straight across. right there. welcome back to wednesday morning here on "gma." welcome to our audience right here. [ applause ] and let me start out with a question for all of you. it's pretty easy. how many of you use emojis when you text? [ applause ] that what kind of a halfhearted one over there. >> do you? >> some for my kids. >> what's your go-to emoji? >> for my little girls, the winking heart eye. such an easy -- >> melting hearts over here. >> the question is how good are you at it because

if you know what these emojis mean, there is a company in london that could be looking to hire you. it translates -- looking for an emoji translator. >> a company is really looking for this. >> they do entire books out of emojis, so we'll try -- i know. they do. >> that would take me a really long time to read. >> let's see how good everybody is. let's put up some. this is a popular song. >> it's upside down. >> frown crown dance. dance crown. >> "dancing queen." "dancing queen." >> very good. that is good. >> is that job still open? >> let me see. this is probably upside down. global brand. >> red bull. >> wow, michael. [ applause ] okay. i'll stop now. >> let's put it up again. michael now needs another job. job number seven. >> that's impressive. >> this one is actually kind of hard. if you can get this one, michael, god bless you. is it upside down againy. >> yep. >> oh wow. >> whoa.

>> this is tough. >> this message from a co-worker. >> it's hard. it starts -- >> do you have a phone charger? >> my phone is dead. do you have a charger? you got it again. [ applause ] >> did you cheat? >> last one -- >> cheater. >> better get this one. this one is an american sports team. >> jets. new york. >> you got it. >> you got it. michael, impressive. >> hey, hey! [ cheers and applause ] another job. >> that one was incredible. >> yeah, i mean, i text with my kids all the time, and my friends aren't that adult. [ laughter ] and so, so -- but i have a question for everybody too. how many of us, especially this holiday season you get a gift, you want to give it back and have customer service issues. how many of you have lost our temper on the phone talking to customer service? >> yeah. >> pretty common, right? >> yes.

[ applause ] >> it does not work, and they said, well, apparently there is a way to make it work a little better. it's about your words and how you use your words. >> can i speak to your manager? >> no, that's not what you do. instead of saying, your product is garbage, say this product is garbage. >> so you're going to blame -- >> you got to learn to take it away, not personalizing it. yes, and here's some things, don't forget to use the word perfect, great, fine, all right and please. if you use please, those words help you, and say thank you throughout the conversation, not just at the end of the conversation. >> i always say that, i know that you're just the messenger but when you're really angry it's hard sometimes, right? >> they say they can take a lot of abuse. they're kind of used to it but it still does affect anybody. but the things you can say, what's wrong with you, don't say that. you know, don't say do you know how much i hate your company? >> yeah. >> wrong thing. >> no. >> but use words of empathy and

support and say thank you throughout the conversation, and your customer service needs will be met. >> good advice. >> kill them with kindness. >> a little christmas cheer, a little holiday cheer. >> you catch more bees with honey or catch more flies with honey? >> catch more -- >> is it bees? >> yeah. >> catch flies with just about anything. >> it's bees, amy. all right. speaking of thank you, we're very grateful this morning to have a legend with us. we're going to bring a triple threat. oscar, tony and emmy award winning actor jeremy irons, come on out. [ applause ] >> good morning. good morning. how nice to see you. hello, big man. >> good to see you, my friend. >> how are you? >> i'm doing great. >> good to see you. >> lovely to see you. >> lovely dress. >> thank you. >> you must be freezing when you

go out. >> i'm not. mwah. i got a coat. >> good to see you. >> i'm glad you're wearing your woollies. >> thank you, thank you. >> very nice. >> i love how jeremy when he walked out, you soaked in the applause. >> well, you do that. no, i love it. i never get that at home. [ laughter ] >> neither do we, which is why we come out here every day. >> makes you feel great. >> you feel very important. >> instead of that scowling look from the cook saying, do you want an egg? >> you played so many iconic roles, i think we were talking about a couple of them earlier. scar, of course, in "the lion king." you see. spaceship earth ride at epcot center. you hear the voice of jeremy irons. do people ever ask you to do the voices? >> they do, and i can never remember them. it's terrible because i'm very old. i think, what did i do for scar? i can't remember but what is worse is that people say, how can i look at this actor doing this role, and all i can hear is scar. i can't believe him at all. i know he's a lion.

why is he pretending to be a person? it's very difficult. your successes hound you, you know. >> well, those are good successes to have. >> i suppose, i suppose. >> jeremy, george and a were talking. there's a neat article about you in "the new york times." >> oh, yeah. >> this weekend. >> about, number one, you own a castle. >> yeah. >> is it pink? is it pink? >> no, it's not pink. >> it's the color of fresh seaweed. >> the color of fresh seaweed. yes. it's sort of more like that yellowy bit on "gma." >> but the neighbors aren't keen on the color. >> no, they have -- i have a grade neighbor. sadly, he died a year ago, but a rough west court farmer and when all the furrer was going over color, i said, what color would you have painted it, james. he said i would have painted it gray. >> yeah. >> he said it's your castle. you can paint it whatever color you want. >> i agree. i agree.

[ applause ] >> if you own a castle, you can paint it whatever color you want. also talked about how you, you know, being an actor and on the road you love to make whatever you are very homey for you. how do you do that? >> i do it with sort of bits i can pack easily like scarves and things, you know, bright hotel room, i just love to drape. i have a sort of feminine side which does that which is -- >> pink castle. >> it goes with a pink castle. >> very in touch. [ applause ] >> and it softens me. >> you always bring your little doggie. right? >> my dog, please, doggie. what is doggie. >> puppy. >> puppy, no, she's a dog. she's a very, very serious dog. but she's always called a puppy in this country. i can't understand it. people go, hello, puppy. she's not a puppy. she's 2. she's a grown-up experienced dog. not only that, but she's a bitch. >> she really -- she technically is. >> i was just going to say which is nice and funny as you are

today, you play a bad guy. hard to believe, maybe that last line set me up for it in "assassin's creed." >> no, he's not a bad guy. >> he's not. he's misunderstood. let's take a look at the clip. >> here you go. >> thank you. 1917 and 1953, watson and krick find the double helik. 2016, my daughter finds the cure for violence. you've always been brighter than me. [ cheers and applause ] >> that was the beautiful marion cotillard. played my daughter. i don't have a daughter but i wish marion she was my daughter. >> she's very lovely. >> i'm not a baddie but just a person doing what he does. i mean, an awful lot of people like that in the world and you might look at them. we have one or two in this city. you might look at them and think what are they doing, but

strangely enough despite the hairstyle, they're doing their best. >> who could you be talking about? >> a lot of people spend time doing their best. we can stand back and think, oh, you're making a rubbish job of it but they're trying. my character is the same. he's not a bad guy >> that's a favor point. a lot of stunt work in this movie in "assassin's creed." in fact, our own t.j. holmes went with the movie's lead stuntman, damian walters, and he re-enacted the movie's signature jump, leap of faith i guess is what the scene is called. yes? it's a freefall for more than 100 feet up. look at that. boom. i mean, that just makes my stomach drop. oh. >> did you have to do that? >> well, what they asked me to do, you'll see the movie, i stand still a lot of the time on the edge of things. [ laughter ] and the director would say, when i say fall, i want you to leap and he'd make me stand there and he'd never say fall, but there

was always that tension in my standing there because i knew i was about to leap 120 feet, but i never had to. >> all right, all right. >> i think it's something to do with my age. >> no, no, no. >> they were worried i might die. >> just being smarter. >> if you want to see t.j. holmes give that a try, you can go to our page, actually our "good morning america" page on facebook and see his actual leap of faith which is something i would not have done. >> you can see "assassin's creed" on december 21st. >> listen, it's -- december the 21st. it's amazing. i don't [ muted ]. really i don't but it's an amazing -- >> you don't mince words either. >> i don't mince words. it's an amazing movie on every level. you're going to have a fantastic time with this movie. and i don't say that often. >> thank you for coming in. thank you. julianne and derek hough afoot and light-hearted i take to the open road. healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever i choose.

the east and the west are mine. the north and the south are mine. all seems beautiful to me.

we are back now with our tenth annual warm coats, warm hearts coat drive partnering with burlington and k.i.d.s. fashion delivers. we want to get a tally. drum roll, please. [ drum roll] 40,061 coats. an incredible number and we still have time but first here's a look at our friends who are giving back. we've had some "gma" friends bring the heat to times square. brett. >> hey, america, it's brett eldredge. >> katie. >> hi, i'm katie holmes. >> emeril.

>> it's getting outside so why don't you donate a coat. >> all giving back. >> donating is so easy. all you have to go is bring it in to our store, drop it in the box and we take care of the rest. >> and every gently used jacket burlington receives in store makes its way to a good home. in colorado, nuggets basketball player darrelle arthur and his wife donated 300 coats to the denver mission rescue. >> to be able to donate is great. >> put your hands up like that. >> these kids are excited about it. you can see by the smiles on their faces. >> it makes me warm. [ cheers and applause ] >> we want to thank darrelle arthur and his wife and denver rescue mission for being part of the coat drive for ten years. so special and have our big coat box, right here you're seeing it in times square but something behind it, right? there's a lot behind it. that's right. these kids are part of

broadway's "shine," as kid actors on broadway who donated their time to collect, get this, over 350 coats and counting. thanks so much for being part of our effort here. you can donate too. just go to your local burlington store. donate a gently used c good morning. i'm mike nicco. heavy drizzle is going to wipe out by 9:00. switch to scattered showers for the afternoon hours, especially up in the north bay. my seven day, strongest part of storm we are back with derek and julianne hough. these two have eight mirror ball trophies between them on "dancing with the stars." they're now dancing across the country on their upcoming tour but first they are dancing for us. >> all right. hit it. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> you guys want more? >> got to move with us. ready. >> both: give it to me one time, give it to me two times. give it to me three times. now scream. [ cheers ] ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ [ cheers and applause ] at t.j.maxx, marshalls and homegoods, we've always believed the holidays should be about joy.

where days are filled with magic, not madness. it's why we have amazing prices on thoughtful gifts, everyday. let's bring back the holidays.

[ cheers and applause ] we are back now with "cake boss" buddy valastro and his family and they're sharing their favorite recipes as we count down to the finale of our great american christmas cookie search. buddy, thanks for being with us. how are you doing? [ cheers and applause ] >> you're obviously famous for your elaborate desserts. rethink sweet. tell us what that is about. >> you know, being a father of four and knowing the trends in america, everybody wants to eat the good stuff, and it tastes well, but they don't want the calories, and i partnered

with whole earth sweetener and they have a bunch of different products like a baking blend where you just substitute equal -- half the sugar you would put in your recipe with baking blend and it's half the calories. >> half the calories, half the sugar. >> half the sugar, half the calories. >> all right. so you brought your lower calorie gingerbread cookie. >> these are my lower calorie gingerbread cookies, which i'll cut out and i'll put on a pan here, and if you go to wholeearthsweetener.com there's this and a bunch of other recipes. >> and it tastes -- tell me what the taste is like. >> this is why i partnered with them. when they first gave me a bag of it and i put it in a cookie recipe, i brought the cookies home to my kids, and they couldn't tell the difference between them, and it's all natural. >> okay. >> so, and it's available retailers all over. >> tell the truth, kids do, don't they? especially your two. >> absolutely. and i love my familia.

>> so we got our gingerbread men. who doesn't like that for the holidays and give them red and green buttons, bada bing, bada boom. >> let me taste one. >> see what you think. >> i got my lovely wife. >> hi, how are you? >> who does all the baking and cooking at home for the holidays. >> this is the more traditional italian -- it's the italian cookie. pronounce it for me. >> taralles. it's a family tradition cookie. so we just add some milk, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, flour, shortening and mix it all together and voila. >> there is the dough. >> and we end up with this. >> and then you -- these are cool. did you make these with this? >> yes. >> instead of rolling it up into balls -- >> cut it into half-inch pieces and make a long one like that. put it up, sprinkle on top. >> owe sese. >> very easy for the kids. >> look how cute these two are, marco and carlo. tell me what you have. these are chocolate chip cookies. >> yes. >> what do you do with the

chocolate chip cookies? >> we're going to put the buttercream on, and then you put the cookie on top like that. >> yes. >> wow. >> i like that. >> we start them young. you know that. >> you could even put more. >> we start them young in the family here, and, you know, we love to bake as a family. there's nothing like baking at home with the kids at the holidays. >> a chocolate chip oreo twist. thank you so much. marco, carlo, lisa.

zero really can be a hero.ds) get zero down, zero deposit, zero due at signing, and zero first month's payment on select volkswagen models. right now at the volkswagen sign then drive event.

"good morning america" is brought to you by petsmart. >> whoo! >> thanks to derek and julianne hough. tickets for the move tour go on sale friday. >> you guys are working on christmas as well. looking forward to that. >> thank you.

i'm at higher risktwice as likfor depression.troke. i'm 26% more likely to develop an irregular heartbeat. i have a 65% higher chance of developing diabetes. no matter who we are, these diseases can be managed or prevented when caught early on. because with better research, the right medicine, and with doctors who help keep me healthy to begin with, we will thrive.

good morning. now, a little ways here, much more is on the way, so let he is h's get to mike. >> hey, everybody. yeah, heavy drizzle, even scattered showers. but the big deal is tomorrow with moderate to heavy flooding. rain. possible burn scar debris flows that will knock down trees and powerlines. once we get past that sh it's going to be quiet. nice this weekend. alexis. >> we've got a couple of issues getting and out of the walnut creek area. we are working to clear that, but we have injuries there. so long back ups into the danville area. the other one, westbound 24 before highway 13, that has cleared. >> it's time for live with kelly

and we'll be >> announcer: it's "live with kelly!" today, from the new film, "assassin's creed," michael fassbender. and fashion races, it is all happening right here in lives holiday square spectacular. plus, performance from recording artist gavin degraw. also, richard curtis returns for another day at the coho's desk. all next on "live!" ♪ [cheering and applauding] and now, here are kelly ripa and richard curtis! [cheering and applauding] ♪ >> i love this crowd.