now at the volkswagen sign then drive event. good morning, america. life-threatening cold and snow spreading from coast to coast. more than 100 million people in its path. a rare snowfall paralyzing an entire city. this school bus sliding down the street. colliding with cars, these two hikers rescued surviving more than 30 hours in bitter temperatures. now a major storm targeting the midwest and northeast. bringing more snow and cold, 30 states are on alert. new overnight top intelligence officials tell abc news that vladimir putin was personally involved with the hacking that interfered with america's presidential election. new details about the russian president's role. his denial, as well as president-elect trump meets with tech titans, the heads of apple, amazon, google and more. >> everybody in this room has to like me at least a little bit.

>> his children there too. new questions about their future role in the white house. hung jury. dalia dippolito, walking out of court with a mistrial after being caught on camera allegedly hiring someone to kill her husband. now her ex is speaking out about that bombshell decision. >> to be honest, i'm real surprised. >> the prosecutor vowing to try her again for a third time. ♪ she was an american girl the american girl and her prince. the first photos of meghan markle and prince harry celebrating the holidays. the story behind the pictures. are we about to have an american princess? princess? ♪ and good morning, america. a lot of news to get to this thursday morning. and a lot of the country feeling a lot of cold. more than half the country facing a bitter blast. riw, this is some of the coldest december air in decades. >> it feels that way, too.

and take a look at portland, oregon. you see that snowy mess on the roads. cars abandoned in the middle of the night. in cleveland, you know a little something about cleveland, george. snow is falling there right now. that storm system is heading east, michael. >> it's coming this way, and let's take a look at the map. 30 states are facing alerts. let's get to ginger who is outside in it in new york city and times square. there could be snow, ice and flooding. >> we got it all. that is for sure. michael, and my eyes are already watering because the windchill here is 16, and this is the warmest we're going to be for the next 48 hours. check this out. i want to show you across the nation. those flood watches up through north dakota, even north carolina. you have windchill advisories. western new york and start there, they have fresh snow on the ground and a blizzard warning just north and east of where our gio benitez is. >> reporter: hey there, ginger, i got to tell you i am wearing right now six layers. and not even that is enough for these frigid temperatures.

we're talking about a windchill of negative 8. we are 10 below zero right now. look at all this snow we got here. we're seeing all of this wind. we're seeing gusts up to 40 miles per hour at times. sometimes like a hurricane it feels like. i have to sort of turn around here. we're talking about 10 inches of snow on the ground right now. it fell fast overnight. so many of you waking up to frigid temperatures just like this. this morning, a deep freeze for many across the country. 100 million americans bracing for bitter cold from the northeast to the pacific northwest. watch as this school bus in portland loses control, barrelling down an icy hill. >> oh, look out, look out. >> reporter: before colliding with cars parked on the side of the street. this highway in oregon shut down due to an avalanche. in upstate new york, a total whiteout on this road. and in buffalo, thunder snow. and look at this daring rescue, new york state forest rangers racing against time airlifting two hikers stranded in the adirondacks for two frigid nights.

subzero temperatures in the midwest. in chicago, it's expected to be negative 1 degrees this morning. >> i have two gloves on, my snow pants on. i have three pairs of socks. >> reporter: whipping winds making visibility near zero in michigan. and right now we are seeing these whipping winds. we're talking about wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour. this is going to be the big story. this dangerous wind and cold. it's going to be blowing all of the snow around, making it a whole lot worse for so many people, and we're talking about blizzard warnings over to our east. so so many people are going to be dealing with this across the country. ginger. >> gio. already this morning, jfk winds gusting to 44. i am sure flights will be affected even though you don't see snow flying yet. the storm is on the way. first that air, yes, we've been warning you about it. here it is. 23 below it feels like in minneapolis this morning. it's actually the worst here tomorrow morning. 25 below for boston and here's a quick look at that storm coming through for the weekend.

the heaviest falling in southern minnesota, parts of wisconsin and certainly michigan and into western new york. all right. let's head back into george. i always have the great news, but especially this morning, george. >> you come inside right now. we'll move on the that breaking news about vladimir putin. u.s. intelligence officials tell abc news the russian president was directly involved in that hacking scandal interfering with america's election. dramatic new development in the case, and our chief investigative correspondent brian ross is here with the details. good morning, brian. >> reporter: good morning, george. the plot thickens this morning with u.s. officials telling abc news russian president putin was directly involved in the hacking of the democratic national committee. as putin arrived in japan this morning, a spokesman for him called the report that he was involved, quote, funny nonsense but based on what people in the intelligence community say is a new flow of information. putin is being directly connected to what u.s. officials say was a long-term effort to interfere in the american presidential election. the revelations disrupted and embarrassed the clinton campaign and led to the resignation of

chairman of the dnc and endless negative news stories, george. >> what a stunning development, brian. now so far, president-elect trump has dismissed all these reports that russia was involved, but he's going to have new investigations on his desk when he's in the oval office. >> absolutely. he has repeatedly refused to accept the u.s. intelligence findings. the russians are behind the attacks and given his praise of putin and his choice for secretary of state of a man with close ties to putin trump will be faced with a test of who he wants to believe, the kremlin or cia. >> and there will be a question about retaliation. >> absolutely. there have been recommendations for instance that the u.s. go after putin and some of his secret bank accounts overseas, either expose them or take some money out of the accounts. >> okay, brian ross. thanks very much. george, we move on now with more on the trump transition. the president-elect meeting with top silicon valley executives on wednesday, as he goes into the homestretch, filling out his cabinet, and abc's tom llamas is here with the new details.

good morning, tom. >> reporter: robin, good morning to you. the president-elect continuing to meet with industry leaders in an effort to shore up confidence in the economy. but it's also leading to more questions about his own business, his family and the white house. inside trump tower, the president-elect huddling with tech titans from amazon, google, facebook, paypal and apple. trump making this promise. >> we're going to be there for you, and you'll call my people. you'll call me. it doesn't make any difference. we have no formal chain of command around here. >> reporter: a shift for the president-elect who in the past took on some of the very business leaders who showed up to his boardroom. last december, trump tweeting, "the washington post" which loses a fortune is owned by jeff bezos for purposes of keeping taxes down at his no profit company, amazon. but now with the market in the middle of a rally, trump says there's reason for everyone to celebrate. >> they're all talking about the bounce so right now everybody in this room has to like me at least a little bit. even more importantly we want you to keep going with the incredible innovation.

>> reporter: also at the meeting, three of trump's children, eric, ivanka and don jr. their presence raising questions about conflict of interest. the president-elect saying he's going to leave his businesses to his sons and trump his sons and trump executives, but so far, that hasn't happened, and his sons are part of the transition team. helping vet cabinet members and sitting in on meetings like this with key business leaders. >> we're going to continue to see them in government-related meetings while they're running the trump organization? >> here's what i do know. >> are we? >> there's a lot of activity with lawyers and protocol officers at great expense to the trump family, frankly, trying to figure out how best to structure and how best to comply with protocols. >> now noticeably absent from trump's tech summit twitter, tweeting one of trump's favorite things in the whole world to do so what happened? well, the transition team says there just was not enough room for everyone, and they are disputing a report that it was

over an emoji that the trump campaign wanted to create. >> okay, tom, thanks very much. let's talk to cokie roberts. more about this and those questions about conflict of interest and the trump children. don and eric set to run the business even though details aren't set but real questions now, ivanka trump and her husband, jared, may be coming for more formal roles inside the administration. >> right. we hear reports that they are house hunting here. all kinds of -- all kinds of washington activity going on as you can imagine, george. but, you know, we have had first daughters in administrations before. dating back to james monroe, and that first daughter by the way, was highly unpopular in washington, but this is -- this family is very, very involved in the way that we really haven't seen before, and it's going to be really difficult to sort out where it's appropriate and where it isn't. >> halfway through the transition right now, donald trump's poll numbers are creeping up, but he's still pretty far behind where his predecessors have been at this point.

>> and that is quite interesting and i think some of it has to do with the fact that, of course, he was still very unpopular when he was elected, and a lot of people who voted for him said they didn't like him, but also you're getting daily reports of hillary clinton winning the popular vote by close to 3 million votes, and so that probably affects attitudes, and look, george. look at his cabinet. it's a lot of white guys, and people might be looking at that and their business connections and having their doubts. >> okay, cokie roberts, electoral college meets next week. robin. and we move onto that massive yahoo! hack. let's go to abc's rebecca jarvis for the latest on this. and rebecca. just how big was this? more than a billion accounts possibly compromised? >> that's right. this was the biggest hack of one company users ever and it's a big deal because of the information that we believe the hackers have obtained. usernames, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, dates of birth and of

course, those security questions and answers that are supposed to keep us and our accounts more safe, robin, we believe they also got ahold of those in this hack. >> since there's no indication rebecca, who did this, who should people do? >> the most important thing in yahoo! is advising anyone with a yahoo! account to do this, change the security names and passwords on all of your accounts. change those security questions, kbu n but not just on your yahoo! accounts. if you have any account where you're using that yahoo! name and password, you need to change it there, too. that could be an amazon or itunes account, and netflix. change it there and watch out for suspicious e-mails because we know when hackers get ahold of your e-mail address they send suspicious e-mails along with it. >> i've been wondering about that. for the last couple of years, this has happened some time ago. why are we just hearing about this now? >> they just discovered it now because they've been doing an investigation. as you know, earlier this year, we talked about another hack at yahoo! impacting 500 million

users, and investigating it and the fbi is involved into looking into it, as well. >> all right, rebecca. thank you. we're going to get the latest on the dylann roof trial. it was an emotional day in court wednesday when a survivor of the church massacre told her chilling story. abc's steve osunsami is outside the courtroom with the details. good morning, steve. >> reporter: good morning to you, george. closing arguments are happening at the courthouse behind me and we are expecting a quick verdict as soon as this afternoon. >> he's coming. he's coming. >> reporter: polly sheppard was hiding under one of these tables at her bible study trying to avoid gunfire when she reached for a cell phone on the phone and called for help. >> there's so many people dead, i think. oh, my god. >> reporter: by this point, several people in the room are already dead. including the dear friend, whose phone she was using to place the call. >> did you see him at all? >> yes, he's a young 21-year-old white dude. he's got it in his hand and he is reloading. >> how many shots has he fired? >> i don't know. there's so many. >> reporter: a white man was shooting black people at one of

the oldest black churches in the country. miss polly, as she is known in church, said the gunman was gil dylann roof who sat stone faced in court, and who police say is seen practicing with the same gun in his backyard. he asked me did i shoot you yet? i said, no. he said, i'm going to leave you alive to tell the story. roof laughed, retelling the moment during this recorded confession. >> do you remember telling that lady, i'm going to let you live so you can tell my story? >> yeah, i remember saying that. >> reporter: sheppard says it's tough, but she's trying to forgive. >> took me a little while. i didn't forgive immediately. >> reporter: but for many friends and families of church -- >> if there is ever a case for a death penalty, this is one. >> reporter: malcolm graham, the brother of cynthia told me something i will never forget. he says that dylann roof should be executed because he took away cynthia's dignity. he says he tried to take away cynthia's blackness, and for

that, and for the eight other victims and for cynthia, he says that cannot stand. >> those emotions so powerful. thanks very much. with other top stories, amy, the situations here getting so desperate. >> it is so difficult. at this hour, thousands of civilians and rebel fighters are finally beginning to evacuate the war-tarn city of aleppo, syria. now that a new cease-fire deal with the syrian regime has taken effect, the situation remains chaotic with reports of shots being fired at ambulances, carrying people in need of medical attention. at least one person was killed. several others injured in early morning clashes. and tensions could be rising in the strategically vital south china sea. experts say satellite images appear to show china has installed anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapons on a chain of disputed islands. beijing has insisted development on the islands is mainly for civilian purposes, but calls any defensive measures appropriate and legal. and back here in this

country, the city of corpus christi, texas and its 300,000 residents are being told to not drink or use the water from the tap. officials say the city's water system may have been contaminated by a petroleum-based industrial chemical after a backflow incident. residents are being told to use only bottled water until further testing is complete. and hollywood is remembering another veteran actor this morning. bernard fox was best known as the womanizing warlock dr. bombay on "bewitched" and played colonel crittenden on "hogan's heros," and had dozens of other tv and rim credits, including roles on "titanic" and "the mummy." fox was 89. sometimes you got to know when to pick your battles. when it comes to christmas lights a woman in michigan knew she could not compete with her neighbor's display so she set up that sign that says it all, ditto and points to the neighbor's house. i would say that is a highly effective use of christmas lights. >> and save on the electric bill too. >> exactly. >> so smart. >> so smart and so funny, oh, boy. all right, everybody. we are just hours away -- a lot

of people waiting for this. from the debut of "rogue one." the movie is expected to be one of the biggest openings of the year, and nick watt is in los angeles, and nick, "star wars" fans are calling this their super bowl. >> reporter: they are, indeed, it is like the super bowl. snacks are involved and it happens once a year. these people are camping outside the tcl, chinese theater of what could be a $150 million opening weekend. please stop by during daylight hours to ask the obvious question. >> why, oh, why? >> why, oh, why not? >> you know you can just go in line and buy tickets. >> who would want to do that? this is, like, the greatest tailgate of all time. this is our super bowl. you know, there's a whole community of nerds out there that weren't represented. we probably got beat up in high school. guess what now? you're watching me on tv. >> reporter: they already have

tickets for fun to raise money and awareness for the starlight children's foundation. >> i was here in '77 in the mayhem. i was 3 1/2. >> reporter: ever since, people have been get a little crazy over "star wars." here's a taste of one of the winners of disney's global fan video competition. >> yes. there will be much death in the star system. >> reporter: meanwhile, las vegas pd just dropped this psa. >> please drive carefully. and may the force be with you, sir. >> reporter: ft. worth, pd trying to attract recruits with this. >> you're still jerking the trigger. >> hey, it's not as easy as it looks. >> reporter: over in england, a replica cargo walker built by collin in his backyard. >> we've been working on it rain or shine. >> reporter: dry ice, moving head and guns, maybe the happiest kids in the world right now? and they won't have lock to wait. the previews are starting in just a few hours, and the movie is opening in 4,100 theaters

across the country tomorrow. may the force be with you, michael. >> it is. it is. pretty crazy, you know? but you know amazing here in new york city people will camp out in this weather. >> you need the force to get tickets. right? >> yes, you need the force to get through this winter weather. >> a lot more on "rogue one" coming up in our next hour but now ginger is back inside. back inside. it feels good in here. the wind alerts, i got to tell you were very windy. we were already seeing gio blown around with the windchill comes from that wind. 30 to 40 mile-an-hour sustained winds. you could see gusts up to 70 miles per hour and put it on at 4:00 p.m. philadelphia, 50. washington, d.c., 43. very windy today. your local weather 30 seconds away. but first though, the windchill forecasts brought to you by macy's. brought to you by macy's.

i'm meteorologist mike nicco from abc 7 mornings. are you ready physically and mentally. it is almost here. the heavy rain and gusty winds, calmer this weekend with chilled sunshine. temperatures today, look at that, in the 60s. but look at the yellow other and red with the heavy rain and the gusty winds and by tonight it is gone and temperatures back in the 30s and 40s. a strong storm will move through but look what it brings on the coming up, hung jury.n the that bombshell rocking the courtroom in dalia dippolito's murder for hire retrial. now her ex-husband is speaking out. dan and nancy, you know they're standing by live to weigh in on all this.

and a new development in the jonbenet ramsey case. what investigators now plan to do 20 years after her murder. and with that deep freeze spreading all across the country, the warning this morning about leaving your car to warm up while you're not in it. thieves pouncing. we're going to tell you what you can do to stay warm and to stay safe. come on back to "gma." nothing. not boys... not worms... not cancer. i want you on my team. ok. janelle's doctors turned to st. jude children's research hospital where we've helped increase the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80%. and we will not stop until we hit 100%. cancer, you're going down. and janelle, you're growing up. go to stjude.org or shop where you see the st. jude logo. come on r2! we gotta go! ♪ woohoo!

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it is 7:23 and here is a live look at mt. tam. of course our big story today, all that rain. let's check in with meteorologist mike nicco. he has some advisories you need to know about. >> let's talk about the wind first. it starts at 10:00. the most damaging winds through 7:00 this evening. for the rest of us, from 1:00 this afternoon until 10:00. and we still have the flooding possible in the santa cruz mountains from 10:00 this morning until about 4:00 tomorrow morning. here is a look at the leading edge of the light to moderate rain. showers ahead of it so wet from time to time except for in the south bay and inland east bay. here we are up until about lunch, it remains in the north bay but from 12:00 to compa7:00 moves through the heart of the bay and then moves out and becomes more scattered.

evening commute is going to be a

welcome back. i'm traffic reporter alexis smith. and taking a look at the roads. good news for the south bay. we did have a crash at around 101 around actually but thats that cleared. but a delay does remain. hopefully that will improve soon. and we have a crash into san francisco, northbound 280 before the 101 merge. the middle lanes are blocked. on live doppler we do have activity moving into san francisco so that light mist and drizzle turning into light rain and it will get worse from here. so slow down and use caution. >> wishing our drivers luck this afternoon. and you could track what is happening on our abc 7 news app. we have live doppler there and could you download it and it is free and enable push alerts so get weather advisories as they happen.

another update in about 30 minutes and join natasha, mike, alexis,

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welcome back to "gma." that is cleveland, ohio, snowing as you can see. more than 100 million people right now in the path of bitter cold across 30 states. that snow and ice sparking accidents like this in portland, oregon. >> that school bus. wow. >> look out, look out! >> oh. ginger following all the latest. >> that's scary. also right now, top intelligence officials are telling abc news that vladimir putin was personally involved with the hacking that interfered with the u.s. presidential election, and putin calling it, quote, funny nonsense. as everyone gears up for the holidays, a big travel headline out this morning. more americans than ever are set to hit the roads and skies, aaa projects 103 million people will

travel between december 23rd and january 2nd. and we have some from the fine state of louisiana lined up. you know, you only show my alma mater. lsu, i didn't know -- you would not have come in if i had seen -- no. love the tigers as well. love to have you here. >> love for the whole state of louisiana. >> cut out the state of louisiana. >> she did a great job. pretty tough to do that? >> in the hotel room last night. speaking of travel, meghan markle traveled to england, to spend time with prince harry and first picture of those two out and about, and we'll tell you the story behind the picture coming up in our big board. >> that is coming up. first the stunning news in the dalia dippolito trial. the judge declared a mistrial after jurors couldn't agree to convict her of trying to hire a hitman to kill her husband, and amy, another surprise. it wasn't a lone hold-out. they were split right down the middle. >> yeah. pretty stunning, george. and dippolito's defense team took a different approach this time around in court focusing on what they say the police did wrong during the investigation and guess what? it seems to have worked for now.

>> to the judge, we, the jury, after further deliberation still cannot reach a unanimous verdict. >> reporter: a bombshell announcement in the murder for hire case against dalia dippolito. the jury deadlocked. >> i must declare a mistrial. >> reporter: now the man at the center is speaking out. >> i have to be honest, i'm real surprised. >> reporter: michael dippolito, the now ex-husband of the woman caught on tape allegedly hiring someone to kill him in 2009. the supposed hit man actually an undercover police officer. >> you definitely want to do this? >> i'm positive like 5,000% sure. >> reporter: dalia's attorneys attacked the boyton police department for filming the conversation with the undercover cop, claiming they were more interested in starring the reality show "cops," instead of properly investigating the case. the police also came under fire for telling dalia her husband was dead, knowing he was actually alive. >> okay, i'm sorry to tell you,

ma'am. he's been killed. >> reporter: in 2011 dalia was convicted in just three hours. sentenced to 20 years in prison, but the case was overturned on appeal in 2014, and now she will go back on house arrest where she spent the last two years. prosecutors vowing to try her a third time. >> it's mildly humorous to me but, listen, i wish her all the luck in the world. i'm trying to move past it. it's just a little hard when you have to do this every other year. >> reporter: she's always maintained her innocence telling me she was indeed acting on those now infamous tapes. did you want your husband dead? >> no, absolutely not. >> reporter: one juror who didn't believe her story voting to find her guilty telling abc news, it was real, and she thought he was dead, and this is what she wanted. state prosecutors are vowing to take another shot at convicting dippolito who remains under house arrest. the judge says he will hold a hearing in january on how to proceed. george. >> okay, a lot to talk about here with dan abrams, nancy grace, thanks for coming in this morning. dan, let me begin with you. you know, it seemed like a real surprise. not only was there a hung jury but it didn't seem close to a conviction. >> this is one of the great legal head scratchers, right?

because this is one of those cases we always looked at and almost laughed at the defense because the i was in a reality show defense. we were all in cahoots together. me and the person you heard there, it was all fake. the problem is that this time around, that's not what they argued. so the jury doesn't know that the first time, they argued something completely different than what they are arguing in this case. and, you know, when you look at it from 10,000 feet like we can, there's something troubling about that. right? the fact she gets to say one thing in one trial is i thought i was in a reality show and this case, we were all victims of the police, and this time, at least to some degree, it worked. >> is that what made the difference, nancy? >> it may have made the difference, but what is really burning me up is to attack the police because they tell her after they stage a death scene that he is dead, and instead of her saying, what? they killed my husband? this is a reality script.

how could they kill my husband? no. she never even says, what happened? he is dead? and then not once. if you look at those tapes, when they arrest her, and they bring her in, does she say, this was a reality show script? tell them, michael. >> but that wasn't her defense this time, nancy. that wasn't her defense this time around. it wasn't a reality show this time. >> look -- what i am saying is, look at the videos and also not once did it come up about allegations that she tried to poison him at an earlier date with a starbucks chai tea. not only that, if you look at the documents, the police documents where they tapped her phone and looked at her texts, she is still contacting her hooker clients, trying to set up dates up to july before this happens. all she wanted was his month, and his townhouse, and him dead,

and now somehow, it's the police's fault. >> did the prosecutors blow it? >> you know, look, did they blow it? i think they'll do it differently the next time around, right? i think they are going to end up trying to -- >> that's right. >> trying to undermine the credibility of the informant more than they did this time around. right? don't you agree, nancy that they -- basically didn't realize -- >> i got a question for you, dan >> yes, nancy. >> talking about a criminal head scratcher, this girl is on house arrest. how did she jump up and get pregnant on house arrest with her mother and then she uses her baby as a defense at trial. let her go home to her baby and her family. what? >> i'm not going to explain to you how she could get pregnant while on house arrest. it happens with teens in homes all the time. but, you know, but that's a separate question. >> she's only supposed to get out to go to church, people. >> yeah. i do think, though, that as a

legal matter, what is going to be critical in this next case is undermining -- because you have this witness. who comes forward who was the informant, right? who basically says, the police were pressuring me. i didn't want to do this. the police were pushing me. >> you pressure every confidential informant. what criminal or confidential informant wants to be part of a police investigation? nobody. nobody wants to snitch. they're afraid they'll find out. but it's not just the ex-lover. it's the cop, too. she told both of them that. both of them. there's no doubt about it. but if you look at her behavior -- something i always come back to, is the time she reacted, that to me tells it all. >> and we will be back in january, thank you, guys, very much. what's coming up on the big board? >> coming up on our big board, a major announcement in the jonbenet ramsey case. what investigators are now going to do 20 years after her murder. and everyone is talking about new photos of prince harry and his american girlfriend. all the details when we come

back in two minutes. all the details when we come back in two minutes.

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you all situated? doing all th you all situated? doing all this. you got it. all right. welcome back. it is time now for our big board. our team of insiders standing by live for more on this morning's top stories. let's start with the jonbenet ramsey case. this christmas -- i can't believe it's 20 years since she was murdered. investigators say they are exploring new dna testing using an fbi data base that has dna from millions of criminals. former fbi agent brad garrett is going to join us now with more on this. what's your take on this, brad? >> well, this is potentially, robin, a big deal because our ability to analyze degraded composite dna, which is more than one in a sample, and small quantities of dna have gotten much better. so they may have a perhaps more precise shot as to who is on

these garments that were found at the crime scene. >> and, but, brad, even with the new dna, new testing, do you expect results to be different than they were in the past? what would make they any different than results in the past? >> well, the problem is that the one male they apparently have dna of is in no database. the other is can the new technology separate the composite dna and refine that down to a particular individual. we'll have to wait and see. >> brad, as you can imagine, the ramsey family lawyer has issued a statement, lin wood, and he said, the family firmly beliefs that dna evidence will eventually identify the man who murdered jonbenet, and that they're hopeful it will result in progress. do you share that same optimism? >> well, possibly. here is the problem. is the dna on her underpants and leggings actually the bad guys because there's a problem with other people touching it. we'll have to wait and see. but, yes, i think it's going to

be that, but much more than that, robin, to actually solve this case. >> i know, 20 years, it's just so hard to believe it's been that long. >> 20 years. so many questions and hopefully this will help answer some of those. >> hope so. >> thank you, brad. and up next, the first pictures of prince harry and his new girlfriend together. "the sun" newspaper publishing the photos of him and meghan markle, and terry moran joins us from buckingham palace. and terry, what can you tell us about these pictures and what's going on in these pictures? >> well, michael, good morning and i got to tell you what's going on in those pictures is the young couple clearly in love out for a night on the town in london. prince harry and meghan markle, his american actress girlfriend took in a play and went for a stroll in the west end, right down piccadilly to astonishment

of theatergoers that night and yet they only seem to have eyes for each other, everyone said and also been seen around town, they went out and bought themselves a christmas tree. now, that's a landmark event in any relationship so they were seen out buying themselves a christmas tree. it's clear that they are very much stuck on each other, and they enjoyed what so many people who come to london do, and they went to a play last night. >> exactly, a lot of people do that and, you know, he, prince harry, has been very vocal about wanting to protect her privacy, but they're still saying, hey. they can go out in public. what is kensington palace saying about this? >> well, right now, robin, we did reach out to kensington palace which is where prince harry lives and they offered no comment, but you're absolutely right. he has been fierce in defending meghan markle from an that s that she received. this i've been dating since the summer as you know and in social media where apparently all the worst people go to exercise their worst impulses she really did face a lot of racist and sexist abuse and he stood up for

her. but as you say, that doesn't stop them from enjoying each other's company. >> right. >> everybody that saw them, the christmas tree, the people who saw them at the theater, they are clearly stuck on each other. >> and, terry, since they took the big step of going christmas tree shopping together which is a big step, can we assume they're spending christmas together? that's another big step. >> you know, the royal family is different. it would certainly be a sign if you go christmas shopping with your girlfriend or boyfriend, that is a landmark event, but the royal family spends christmas together with her majesty, the queen. she is here right now but they will be at sandringham which is their estate in the country, their traditional place for christmas and only wives and those who are -- and fiancees are allowed to spend christmas with the royal family. she's not there yet. >> that's true. >> but, you know, there's still ten days. the ring. >> hey, slow your roll. slow your roll. >> i'm just saying. >> we know where terry stands. brad, let me ask you.

if you're a couple and buy a christmas tree together, that's a big step? >> i think that's potentially a big step. it certainly is here in the u.s. >> so something only brad garrett would say. >> exactly. >> brad and terry, thank you very much. i had the pleasure of spending some time this year with prince harry, around the invictus games and spent time at the palace and here. he is in such a great place. it doesn't surprise me. he just seems like he is in a place where he is ready to have somebody in his life. >> i think everybody here wants him to have that. i mean i'm so happy for him. i just wish they'd leave him alone and let those two breathe and enjoy themselves. >> you are saying that and we're showing the photo. coming up in two minutes, a warning from police about leaving your car to warm up while you walk away. >> don't do it. o warm up while you walk away. >> don't do it.

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vehicle in denver, and seeing it's empty, steal it moments later. this guy scouts a car, parks, approaches and then darts to taupe door, but it's locked. the homeowner sees what's going on and scares the thief away. here in this parking lot, you see a thief casually walk, then speed up to get in the car. the driver comes out to stop him but it's too late. cars left running to warm up. on cold mornings. cops call them puffers. bad guys call them a golden opportunity and police departments across the country are again warning drivers not to leave their running cars unattended. >> came out, started up the car. less than 60 seconds. >> reporter: that's all it took to steal gregory's car. bad enough, but the thieves also got away with the keys to his second car. later on that night, they came back to steal that one, too. >> give me back my car. >> reporter: you might not realize in many states it's illegal to leave a car idling with the keys inside and depending on your state and county, that could even mean in

your own driveway, but more people seem to be doing it. more than 57,000 cars stolen in 2015 had the keys inside. >> we got people leaving the cars running everywhere. >> reporter: in lakewood, colorado, we hit the streets in january with sergeant dave hoover. within minutes, his officers spot dozens of puffers idling in 18-degree weather in front of homes and stores. >> you know why i'm bothering you? >> no. >> your car is left running unattended while you're in the store. you can't do that. >> reporter: this driver hit with a $57 ticket. >> i was cold. i wanted to sit in a warm car on my way to work. >> reporter: not far away rick's car has been stolen. >> pulled out. windows are frosty. go back inside, and maybe four minutes. come outside, car's gone. >> reporter: so as you saw just there, leaving the car running by itself can give you a hefty ticket, unless you have a device like this. it's a remote start device that you just hold the button here and the car starts up. it warms up.

that will not get you in trouble, but if you don't have a remote start, we have some tips for you. if you want to keep your mirrors from icing up for example, just put a plastic bag over the top with a rubber band. take it off the next morning, completely ice-free. if your door handle starts to freeze up, or the lock, you can get this commercial de-icing fluid to spray in there. it's about 5 bucks from any auto parts store. and finally, your windshield. you can take a yoga mat, put it on the windshield, and when you take it off, totally ice-free. namaste, guys. >> i knew he would say that. >> i didn't know it's illegal. >> i knew it was a bad idea but who knew it was illegal? get a ticket like that. >> people learning every day. >> thanks to clayton for that. coming up, "rogue one" is opening and forest whitaker is opening up about his role on "gma." what's happening upstairs? >> lots happening. george, big crowd. great crowd, and if you don't have all your christmas gifts yet, not to worry.

tory is in the house with great holiday "deals & and steals." thank you, tory. i will. plus we have the big finale of to our big christmas cookie search coming up on "gma." christmas cookie search coming up on "gma." 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.

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your daddy made this when he was a little boy. this is your dad at my house, where he had his first christmas. thanks for making the coffee. well look who's up. i'm really glad you're here mom. me too. look who's here! back here on "gma." you guys, i just realized our faces are on this tree.

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good morning. i'm reggie aqui from abc 7 mornings. it is 7:56. and you are taking a live look at the big story of the day, the rain. >> most of us dealing with waves of light rain except up north were it is becoming moderate to heavy in the next couple of hours in the north bay but dur the afternoon is when we get it in the heart of the bay and late afternoon and into the evening hours in the south bay. flooding and gusty winds. >> not looking good on the roads in the hercules area. this is for eastbound 80 before you get to highway 4 involving a jackknifed semi and a vehicle that fell off a trailer on to another car and only one lane open and back-up is building. thank you. you could track today's storm any time with the abc 7 news app. download it right now, it is

totally free and enable push alerts to get the weather advisories as we get them. and we'll have another update in about 30 minutes and until then, be careful out there. as mike is telling us, the

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. life-threatening cold. temperatures plunging below zero for 100 million of us. 30 states are on alert. drivers battling through whiteout conditions as a new storm moves toward the midwest. health warning. alan thicke's sudden heart attack raises new concerns. do you know how to spot the warning signs and how cold weather, even exercise can impact you? dr. besser is here live with how you can stay heart healthy. and when harry met meghan. the first images revealed. the story behind the photo. holiday "deals & steals" and just ten days till christmas and tory johnson is here with savings up to 77% off.

♪ all i want for christmas is are you ♪ the big finale of our christmas cookie search and we have the ultimate judges here live and they're saying -- >> both: good morning, america. >> good morning, america. [ applause ] >> oh, wonderful audience we have here on this thursday morning. cookie monster. what we've been doing these last few weeks with this challenge. ten days until christmas. you said that. oh. >> well, it's a good thing tory johnson is here. >> exactly. [ cheers and applause ] >> there she is right there. get some christmas shopping done this morning. >> them their are fighting words, the saints next to the giants. who dat. >> didn't we beat -- >> okay, all right. >> remind you of that. >> oh. >> in new york. >> earlier, cookie monster is here and he is our judge.

>> cookie, cookie. >> cookie monster is going to help us choose a winner. >> he's here to judge. cookie, you're a judge. you're not to eat the cookies yet. don't do it. >> me have control issues. not easy for monster. >> cookie, be a good boy. there you go. >> okay. >> he's doing great so far. he's got to wait and amy with the morning rundown. good morning and the big story this morning, the breakout news about vladimir putin. u.s. intelligence officials tell abc news the russian president was directly involved in the hacking of the democratic national committee. they say it was a long-term effort to interfere with the u.s. presidential election. moscow calls the allegations nonsense, and so far president-elect trump has refused to accept any claims of russian hacking linked to the election. and the other breaking story right now is an encouraging sign of progress in aleppo, syria. a new cease-fire deal is holding allowing convoys to evacuate wounded civilians from the besieged city. thousands of people have been

trying to flee since the takeover by syrian forces. and back here in this country people from the midwest to the northeast are bracing for dangerously cold temperatures. it feels like 30 degrees below zero in parts of the upper midwest, and it's so cold schools are closed in some areas. drivers being reminded to check their tire pressure. abc's gio benitez is in buffalo, new york, in the thick of it. gio. >> reporter: amy, good morning to you. the big story right now here in the buffalo area is all of this wind. we're seeing gusts of up to 40 miles per hour at times and that makes these friblgd temperatures feel even colder. we're talking about a windchill of 10 below zero right now in the buffalo area. some 10 inches of snow fell overnight here. they fell hard. they fell fast, and as this wind continues to pick up, it's going to be blowing this snow all over the place making it even worse for so many people here. blizzard warnings to our east. dangerous conditions out here, amy. >> all right, gio, stay safe.

a rare snowstorm left thousands of people stranded during the commute in portland, oregon, which does not use rock salt to treat the roads. you see a school bus sliding down that hill slamming into another vehicle. thankfully no serious injuries were reported. and this morning yahoo! is waiting to find out how another massive data breach may affect its bottom line. the company has revealed 1 billion customers have been affected by the breach which compromised users' passwords and phone numbers and now verizon is said to be re-evaluating its plan to buy the company. well, a heartwarming scene from california. 2-year-old formerly conjoined twins have been reunited for the first time since being separated during a 17-hour surgery. that's eva and erika sandoval there. they once shared a bladder, a liver and a leg before last week's operation. doctors now expect them to fully recover. and prince harry and his girlfriend actress meghan markle have been photographed together in london. "the sun" newspaper publishing pictures of the couple on a date

to see a play. a source tells "people" magazine harry is, quote, very serious about her. and we want to pause to remember a beloved friend of this program and an icon in the beauty industry. hairstylist to the stars, vincent roppatte, has died. he was known as the man with the golden hands and became a master stylist at sax's avenue with a clientele that included jackie onassis, liza minnelli and our own diane sawyer. he was an author, a family man who prided himself on speaking to his two children every day. he was 81. he will be missed. i will miss his warmth, his kindness and that infectious smile he always had, guys. absolutely. >> all those years. all those years we got to see him every morning and that was a perfect picture of him and diane. so close. >> going to miss him. >> he was legendary. he did marlene dietrich's hair. he did judy garland's hair.

i figured i would start with that with "pop news." a lot of broadway stars so figured i would start with this. "saturday night live" alum taran killam is headed for the great white way in a big way. he will make his debut in none other than "hamilton." >> ooh. >> you guessed it. quite a way to start your career on broadway. in january he will take the throne in the role of king george, which was originated by jonathan groff. he'll be terrific in that role. he was great on "snl." i guess it's all in the family. his wife, actress cobie smuolders from "how i met your mother" is also coming to town. yes. she'll be making her debut in a play called "present laughter." nations to you both. we'll be watching. >> "hamilton," that's how you do it. >> and that role is fantastic. you're only on -- he's on the stage for i think nine minutes total but steals the show. >> big impact, though. >> absolutely. also in "pop news" this morning, get ready for another comic book based movie.

this one, though, all about the ladies. i like this story. margot robbie is reteaming with "suicide squad" director david ayer for an all female villain movie. called "gotham city sirens." the upcoming film -- just sounds fun -- showcases top female bad guys from the d.c. comic world including robbie as harley quinn and catwoman and poison ivy. no word on casting those roles yet. all through of these top gals were featured in the d.c. comic series called "sirens." i guess it was very, very popular, hence, why it's going to hollywood. highlighting popular villainesses from the "batman" universe. the flick is now fast-tracked into production. do you guys like this? [ cheers and applause ] superheroes. super bad guys. >> i love that. wonder woman. i can't wait to see "wonder woman." power to the women. >> yes. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you, michael. and finally, who played rock,

paper, scissors when they were little? >> oh, who didn't? >> what's your go to? >> you're not supposed to go rock, though. >> rock is a loser, right? you get covered, so are you scissors or -- i always go paper. >> i don't remember. >> i went scissors. >> you would have beat me. again she gets me so anyway if you think rock, paper, scissors was only reserved for the playground, check this out. this japanese tournament will convince you otherwise, i'm quite certain. [ speaking a foreign language ] >> oh. >> the stakes were high. 98 people competing for a spot in a music group that will record a new cd and that round you just saw went to see who would be the lead singer. no matter who the better singer is but who does better rock, paper, scissors. this group will be fronted by the person who knows what you know, although she won, right? >> yes. >> so you said never start with

rock. >> i just don't -- well, evidently i'm wrong. >> i'm still wondering is that real? >> it's real. >> that was real? >> that was real. that's a big -- >> are they -- they're going to front a singing group. >> they basically weeded out people -- >> who could sing? >> hopefully by singing is what i'm trying to get to. >> 98 people formed a group based on rounds of rock, paper, scissors. look for that cd. it should be fantastic. >> it'll be okay. >> singing is secondary. if you can play rock, paper, scissors, you got a shot. >> i think we got a grammy. >> they got on "gma." >> we're talking about it. >> thank you, lara spencer. we appreciate it. coming up, dr. besser is here with an alert about keeping your heart healthy. and we've got -- yes, you've got to do that. and we've got holidays "deals & steals" that will get to your house by christmas. don't want to miss that. tory johnson has something for everyone. that's just ahead.

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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.

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we are back now with a health alert after the sudden passing of alan thicke. you know, he seemed healthy when he was playing ice hockey with his teenage son when he decided. he attended a christmas party days before suffering that heart attack. just 69 years old. rich besser to talk about it. rich, again, you know, he looked happy, he looked healthy. out there playing ice hockey. it's not that unusual though for someone to have a heart attack in this situation. >> heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. and a surprising thing is half of the men who die suddenly from a heart attack never had a symptom before. they didn't know it, but not all heart attacks are the same. so when you think about a heart attack, it's a cutoff of blood to part of the muscle of the heart. if it cuts off blood flow to a lamp part of the muscle, the muscle dies and it will be fatal. the other way it can be fatal, if it takes out that nerve conduction system that causes the heart to beat properly, it's

called an arrhythmia. if it's not treated right away it can be fatal. >> reports are his son and his teammates acted quickly. what should you do if you feel these coming on? >> you want to act quickly. first thing call 911. the sooner someone gets to the hospital, the more likely they are to survive. if they're alert and awake and have an aspirin, take an aspirin, baby aspirin, adult aspirin, chew it up. that will help, as well. >> can i ask a quick question? >> yeah. >> is that something we should be doing preventively every single day at a certain age and carrying them in case -- >> it's a good thing to carry if you're somebody at a high risk for heart disease and hit the age 50, your doctor will tell you to take an aspirin, but it's not really something that everyone needs to do. if they're not conscious and they're down, you want to start cpr. you don't need to breathe for them anymore. just doing chest compressions to the beat of "staying alive." remember that. an aed, external defibrillators are available at a lot of places.

take that out, put it on their chest. they're designed to be used by people who aren't medical. >> lara talked about aspirin. what should people do to reduce chances? >> he was playing ice hockey. people are thinking, wow, you shouldn't exercise but exercise is actually one of the best things you can do for your heart health. it doesn't mean now that it's winter, you want to go out there in subzero weather and be shoveling your driveway if you're not in shape but getting daily exercise is really important. the other thing is know your blood pressure. you know, you want to make sure that you know what your blood pressure is. it's called the silent killer because it may be high and causing damage and you don't know it. go to the pharmacy. you don't have to make a doctor's appointment. >> i just purchased one recently. >> you can do it at home or down at the pharmacy it's free. usually there by the drug counter and if your blood pressure is high, go get it checked out. that can save your life. >> blood pressure, high blood pressure always leads or just causes organ damage? >> yeah, it can cause damage to your heart, blood vessels, kidneys and people won't know it's high if they don't look.

>> it's not about exercise. it's about the intensity, i assume. >> exactly. you know, you can exercise as intensely as you want but a lot of people who aren't getting exercise all the time, you want to take it slow. you want to get checked out before you start out. but don't ignore the exercise. it's really good for you. >> great advice, doc. >> lots of good advice. thank you. coming up, tory is here with some great "deals & steals." the things that i consume on a daily basis, a lot of it is very acidic. the enamel on my teeth was actually weakening. the whiteness wasn't there as much. my teeth didn't look as healthy as others. my dentist said that pronamel would help fight against that erosion that foods and drinks were causing. so it was really important to start using the pronamel. it'll be one less thing you have to worry about. pronamel is now giving me the confidence to know that i'm doing the right thing. so it's nice to know that it's as simple as that. ♪

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you've always wanted during the winter event. now lease the 2017 gla250 for $329 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. welcome back to "gma." we are just hours away from the premiere of "rogue one: a star wars story," so many folks excited and our sponsor nissan has made the 2017 nissan rogue "rogue one" "star wars" limited edition car. that is right. guardrd closely, of course, by our stormtroopers. they're real and just checking and jeremy tucker, spokesperson for nissan is here. only 5400 of these bad boys are out there. >> good morning, ginger. so excited to be here. the launch of our rogue and the most anticipated movie of the year, "rogue one: a star wars story," so this is a limited edition, the first "star wars" production vehicle ever produced. >> you also get one of these. >> and if you buy it, you get one of these exclusive death trooper helmets. >> nissan is working with toys

for tots and that's why we have all the kids -- excuse me, "star wars" toys a good morn. i'm meteorologist mike nicco from abc 7 mornings. are you ready physically and mentally. it is almost here. the heavy rain and gusty winds, calmer this weekend with chilled sunshine. temperatures today, look at that, in the 60s. but look at the yellow other and red with the heavy rain and the gusty winds and by tonight it is gone and temperatures back in the 30s and 40s. a strong storm will move through but look what it brings on the backside. kside. all right, now it's time for "deals & steals." tory johnson is here with gifts you can order online today and get them in time for holidays. tory, you're here. i'm just going to let you take it away. everybody is ready. >> we have partnered with all these companies to bring you these great deals. first up,

alex and ani. it's a name that everyone knows in jewelry. you cannot go wrong giving an alex and ani bracelet. you can do stacks of beaded, everything is adjustable. i'm very partial to angel wings. i think that's like such a great gift but big assortment. probably one of our biggest of necklaces and bracelets from alex and ani. big discount. by the way, all made in america. all made in america. so anybody would be happy with this. normally $38 to $48. today we slashed it in half. 19 to 24 and alex and ani is throwing in free shipping. next up this, is a great gift from shuldit. this is terrific gift for the busy mom on the go. the grandma that doesn't want to be bogged down with a bag. you stash your stuff in style. it's got a little zippered compartment. we've got amber and karen, amber and karen over there helping us out. so you can put phone, credit cards, cash, all your essentials

and then your hands-free and also worry-free. >> yeah. >> worry-free. no one is taking your bag when you're wearing a sholdit. >> and it's such a little -- why didn't somebody think of that before? >> i know. normally $40 slashed in half, 20 bucks from sholdit. and when you go to our website, cash there. there you go. you can buy yourself two of them. there's additional styles online. less expensive, more expensive. look at that. >> perry christmas to somebody. there we go. >> okay, so the northwest company. so, you guys recognize all of these. >> oh, yeah. >> these are phenomenal blankets for every either sports fanatic or for the whole family so we've covered basketball, football, baseball and hockey. all of your teams are represented. not just obviously the favorites that we've chosen here. >> there you go, robin. >> there you go, robin with the saints and don't worry, we have your giants here too. so this is great. you put this on the couch, on the bed, on the wall. you wear it for extra warmth when you go to the game. can't go wrong for any sports

fan. normally these rank, 25 to 50, slashed in half $12.50 to $25. there you go. big assortment. representing. okay. what i love from pink house -- >> special cowboy fans. it's okay, people. >> affordability of pink house. so, pink house, these are the options for when you want to thank all the ladies who run the doctor's office and the ladies in the bank and the people who are in your kid's school office who make the magic happen. pink house is phenomenal because all the pieces come in singles, sets, big sets like this, i think this whole set is $20. >> really, for that? >> so i mean you can't go wrong, everything has adjustable wrists for easy sliding -- that -- >> they fit me. >> that looks beautiful on you too. normally $40 to $90 depending on what you choose. everything here is slashed by at least 62%. the entire assortment $15 to $20 and free shipping from pink house. you can't beat that and all you guys here, you guys are going

home with a set of six pink house bracelets. can't beat that. and then last but not least, the popcorn factory so what i love about popcorn tins is that this replaces the water cooler. like when you have the popcorn tin, everybody gravitates everybody comes and chats. tins, towers, big assortment to choose from. even bigger than what you see here. 29 to 89 normally. they start from $14.50 to $44.50. everybody in the studio has a popcorn tin. we hooked you guys up. >> and these things, once you get started, you can't stop. that's the thing about it. tory, thank you. you've done it again and you can get this stuff in time for christmas. we partnered with these companies for these great deals and you can get them on our website. coming up, liam neeson is here live.

good morning, i'm natasha zouves from abc 7 mornings. and you are looking live at mt. tam right now. look at how drizzly it is. and the big story today is the rain. let's get over to mike nicco with an update. >> scattered rain out ahead of the system but you could see the steadier rain making it down to novato and into san rafael where it was steady overnight. the heaviest and steadiest, yellow and orange and red through noon from the heart of the bay right into the evening rush hour and until it is over when we see a tapering. windy and ponding on the roadways. alexis. >> it is getting rough out there. >> alexis, w

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.

taking a look at traffic. we're not seeing too much rain. san mateo bridge, a sprinkle or two, recovering from a crash in the left center lane but much different story in san rafael. things are soggy and starting to improve eastbound 80 around pinole valley road where we had the jackknife but a significant back-up. >> thank you so much. you could track today's storm with the abc 7 news app.

i have live doppler 7 pulled up. and enable push alerts to get ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, welcome to the greatest show on earth. and good morning, america. [ cheers and applause ] >> the first female ringmaster in the history of the ringling brothers and barnum & bailey circus. we're going talk to her live. >> her name is kristen michelle wilson. good morning, kristen. congratulations. >> thank you so much and good morning to all of you, good morning, america. >> so how was last night? your second night as ringmaster? how did it go? >> yes, it was absolutely

thrilling. i am so honored and excited to be the first female ringmaster of the ringling brothers and barnum & bailey circus and that is just a thrill to even say it. >> you never break character, do you, kristen. this is something you dreamed about for a real long time, huh? >> absolutely. ever since i was a child, i have loved performing and entertaining. >> ah. >> so to join the greatest show on earth is truly just the biggest thrill of my life. it's a bucket list level opportunity i never even imagined and to find myself here surrounded by these amazing people. >> we're sighing pictures of you as a little one and that smile, so infectious and just this is a moment that you wanted. i wish you could come out of your shell a little bit more. you seem so reserved, kristen. >> oh. i definitely have a larger than life personality and i'm really

excited about it because that's really one of the best things about being a ringmaster. you get to be yourself but you get to be the grandest version of yourself. i get to guide audiences on this incredible journey around the world with the circus extreme, so it is really just such an exci excitement. >> hey, let me ask you. what is the coolest thing or most surprising thing you've learned about the circus since becoming the head honcho as we say? >> well, the ringling brothers and barnum & bailey circus has been around for 146 years. which makes me the 39th ringmaster. >> 39th? >> almost like being a president. yes, indeed. i am a member of a very exclusive club of ringmasters and i'm so honored to join this incredible tradition. i have just been so excited to learn everything that i can about this incredible history and it's really exciting to

travel the country, get to meet all of the amazing people out there, hello, america. and show you all of the amazing things that human beings can do. >> oh, that's great. well, president wilson, we love you. >> yeah, yeah. >> yes, we do. [ applause ] >> ringmaster wilson. >> how much do you want to now go to the circus because of her? look at everybody behind her. they do not break character. >> no. >> watching them juggle that much. >> you're the best, all the best. >> yes, congratulations. >> first female. first female. >> breaking that glass ceiling. >> obviously you can see why she got the job. >> yeah. >> very infectious personality. that is awesome. you know, a lot of people go to the circus but how many go to the movies? [ applause ] well, going to give you a little movie etiquette. theater etiquette. because some people seem to lose that when they go into the movies and we all see those signs that say do not text.

do not talk and do all those things and that is true but i want to give you some other things you don't do. show up on time. how many of you show up right when the movie starts? >> yeah. so aggravating. >> how many go for the previews? [ applause ] >> how many of you send someone else in and say save me a seat? oh, you do it. >> you're not allowed to do that. can you do that. >> but can you do it, george but they say if you send someone this to save you a seat if the theater is full that seat is only until the previews start. >> i don't know about that. i don't know about that. >> yeah. >> i just keep thinking about that "seinfeld" episode when elaine was trying to save all those seats. >> yeah, and -- >> yeah -- >> i love our producing staff. look, they have it right will. >> only save a seat until previews, after that the seats are fair game. >> only save one seat, right? only -- >> only one seat. do not put your foot on the back of seats or, worse, between seats. that bugs me.

>> yeah. >> that's a no-no. >> that's a no-no. proper etiquette. do not bring of child of an inappropriate child to r-rated movies. >> oh, boy, that was universal. >> george just said oops. >> well, your daughters are older. >> their answer all the time you let us see "bridesmaids" we can see anything now. >> those girls are smart. those girls are smart. >> because a lot of people think that the kids are going to sleep in the movies and they're not going to go to sleep but the biggest thing just be mindful of other people. don't try to save too many seats. don't sit next to somebody when the theater is almost to capacity and don't sit next to somebody when there's 400 in a 200-seat theater. >> what is that. all these seats and they sit right next to you. >> come on. >> you get up and move. >> no, i looked to him and said are you kidding me and he got up and moved. >> twitter. we asked what they think is the

rudest. take a look. texting, no surprise, 52%. talking, of course, 46%. see, nobody minds saving seats. nobody minds. >> i think some theaters now you can have the reserve seating? >> yeah. >> so to add a little something to that, don't sit in the seat that you know you didn't reserve. yes. but i don't mind texting lights up the whole theater. that's a little distracting. >> we gave the audience popcorn today but chewing the popcorn is so loud. why can't -- please chew quietly. >> but, you know -- >> you guys are fabulous just so you know. >> speaking of the theater, eating popcorn and you're always mesmerized when you see this man on the big screen, please welcome liam neeson! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> i adore you.

liam. >> thank you. >> love you. [ cheers and applause ] i know. >> hey. >> i know. >> actually we had to get extra security today for you. you hear all that screaming. >> uh-huh. >> it's tough. >> i'm serious. >> i've always had the biggest crush on him. he knows and i love these two new movies you have coming out. >> thanks, robin. >> "a monster calls." a little bit different. >> tell me, connor o'malley, what should i destroy next? >> what? >> this is most satisfying. i can assure you. come on, tell me. what should i destroy? >> snap the chimney. >> the chimney. >> yeah. >> "a monster calls."

out a week from friday. your choice is unmistakable. it's about an imaginary friend. tell people more about it. >> the story is about a young boy who is like 12 who's going through an incredibly difficult time in his soul, in his home. he has nobody to turn to so he conjures up this tree, monster. not really a monster that kind of teaches him, teaches him little stories about life and how complex life really is, you know. >> he a little horrifying looking than he is. >> yeah, exactly. and he's partly a yew tree which legend in mythology was a healing tree, mischievous healing true but a healing tree. >> your choice, you know why we're so quiet. we're just listening. >> yeah. >> no, no. >> you can read the phone book. >> it's true. >> i'm sure people are always asking to you do that and then this next film that i'm really

excited about. martin scorsese worked on "silence," 28 years. >> yeah. >> and the pope, it's been pope approved. >> i'm not sure if he's seen it but certainly lots of seconds and jesuits, 200 jesuits saw it a couple of weeks ago and it's about jesuits in 16 -- in japan in the 1600s when christianity was really oppressed. and these young gejesuits with going out to find me a jesuit who disappeared several years before and they've heard that he has renounced had is faith. i was their mentor and confessor. >> we can see that ourselves because we have a clip of it. >> because they look just like me. you see jesus in get centralny

and believe his trial is the same as yours. they would never compare themselves to jesus. do you have the right to make them suffer? >> ooh. that looks so -- you know -- [ cheers and applause ] but we can't let you get away. so excited about those two but 'tis the season, "love actually." "love actually." i mean, it is on constantly. >> this time of the year, yeah, it seems to do -- hello. >> that's my favorite movie, by the way. >> we made that 13, 14 years ago. >> and it still holes up. it's a great movie. >> holds up. >> i want to watch it again tonight. just a great movie. >> one of those movies that no matter where it is when you sit down, it doesn't matter where it is in the movie you will sit down and you will watch it.

beginning or end -- >> sorry, robin. i was going to say the very opening on that film grabs you because it's a voiceover that says, all the victims of september 11th, all the messages they left were love, it was all about love. and you're immediately grabbed when you hear that, you know. >> doesn't let go. >> beginning to end. >> i also love the end, those actual scenes at the airport because nothing is better when you're going home for the holidays in the airport. >> yeah. >> thank you, liam. >> thank you for coming in. >> "a monster calls" in theaters december 23rd. december 23rd. we'll be right back. december 23rd. we'll be right back. at ikea, we believe that making room for one more shouldn't cost more. spend your holiday overjoyed and under budget.

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at ikea, we believe that making room for one more shouldn't cost more. spend your holiday overjoyed and under budget. welcome back to "gma."

we've gone high tech wit good morning, i'm meteorologist mike nicco. the heavy rain and windy conditions will be in the north bay by 9:00, for the rest of us in the afternoon, late afternoon and evening in the south bay. still looking at about one to two inches of rain and power outages are possible and >> all right. we are just hours away from "rogue one: a star wars story" and lama hasan sat down with forest whitaker who stars in it. take a look. >> what is your call sign, pilot? >> rogue one. >> reporter: the action-packed jaw-clenching movie "rogue one" is about to be unleashed.

the film sets out to explain how the rebels plan to disable the empire's death star. >> if you continue to fight -- >> reporter: forest whitaker stars in it. you pay a rebel who i think has gone off the rails a little bitty. >> he lives a little bit more in the gray. he's been in so many, so many battles and so many conflicts but the spirit is alive in him. >> jyn, is it really you? i can't believe it. >> reporter: you're a guiding force, i think, to jyn erso. >> i rebel. >> definitely. i took her as a child, young child and so i raised her for a long period of time. >> you left me behind. >> you were already the best soldier -- >> i was 16. >> i was protecting you. >> you dumped me. >> reporter: she was hard-core he he herowine. you wouldn't want to mess with her. >> and finds what she believes and what she believes she feels

is right and will die for it if she must. >> rebellions are built on hope. >> in the end it's about freedom. it's about hope for freedom and the hope for a possibility of a good life. >> reporter: anyone else you would like to play in "star wars." now is your chance. >> if i had to pick one it probably would be gurira. >> tick, done. >> another plug, another plug from -- >> may the force be with us. >> reporter: for "good morning america," lama hasan, abc news, london. in yes and "rogue one: a star wars story" in select theaters tonight. cookie, joining our

and it's time now for our great american christmas cookie search. see these beautiful people behind me. we've had so many great submissions. take a look. >> good morning, america. >> ooey gooey delicious. >> they are to die for. >> we set out to find the best christmas cookie ever. online submissions pouring in from every nook and cranny of the country. >> roll the dough. really thin. >> never reroll your scraps. >> one woman's story left us wanting more. >> love with cook chi -- cookies. >> born with down syndrome, collette never let that stop her. >> we spent a lot of years with people shutting doors on her. >> it's exciting. >> reporter: instead she start collettey's. with her mom and sister.

>> god put her on earth to change the wave of thought for people around the country. >> the orders have been rolling in. over 50,000 cookies requested. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: encouraging others to follow their dreams. >> these are our biggest hit. >> one cookie at a time. [ cheers and applause ] >> love that story. joined by our finalist and judges, we have our judges, cookie monster. [ cheers and applause ] and special projects director of "food & wine magazine." gail simmons. [ cheers and applause ] >> not as exciting as cookie monster. >> i've had a few cookies. i'm excited. the sugar rush. you brought some favorites. >> these are two of mine. a chocolate mint wafer cookie. the fill something marsh mellow creme with a little peppermint extract. beautiful delicious dark chocolate.

you'll want that. these are dulce de leche crispies. dulce de leche, almonds, crispy, crispy rice. five-ingredient cookie. >> cookie. >> he's ready. >> you want one? and i give him one? >> yes, me always ready for cookies. >> all right. well, those are delicious and i'm telling you, we had wonderful, wonderful entries, you're one of the finalists, cherie. tell us. what is your secret ingredient, and tell us more about your cookie? >> mine is a pumpkin graham cracker cookie and i added graham cracker into the cookie itself. so that's something that really you need to know about with the frosting that's where the pumpkin comes into play and use a pumpkin in a can so it makes it easier to cook with. >> sure. why not? >> good idea because getting the meat out of a pumpkin roasting it is a lot of time. >> who wants to mess with that? >> you're right about that, cookie. >> let's get this going. make the cookies. let's do this. >> i know you're ready. >> i'm ready. yes. >> so you put all those ingredients in. but this is the key right here. >> this is the key.

kpu can have the pumpkin all year round. >> they are delicious. thank you, cherie. and so move on down, hi. >> pumpkin-rific. >> mine are the banana pudding cookies and my secret ingredient is the instant pudding mix. it is a soft batch cookie and i add a nilla wafer on top for that extra crunch. >> yum. >> banana pudding is such a southern comfort food, one of my favorite desserts. this is a simple way to get a little taste in a cookie. so smart. >> little shortcuts you take. instant like that. >> yeah. >> save time. no one has extra time during the holidays. >> yum, yum, yum. [ cheers and applause ] >> all right. after all, after all it's come down to the final two. our esteemed judges have been testing. and have been tasting. are you ready? drum roll to make a decision.

[ drum roll ] who is the winner? drum roll. >> here we go. here it is. here is the winner. oh, boy, oh, boy. >> we had a lot of debate about this, but cookie and i decided, it's cherie. [ cheers and applause ] >> yes. yes. >> thank you. >> congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> we love your cookie. you know what? everyone -- everyone is a winner. everyone is in our waistline these last few weeks, so gail, cookie monster, thank you very much. >> always a pleasure. >> all our contestants and you can see cookie monster in "once upon a sesame street." (my hero zero by lemonheads)

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"good morning america" is "good morning america" is brought to you by macy's. >> congratulations again, cherie. all your friends at the university of north carolina and we're gearing up for our ugly sweater contest next week. send us your pictures. >> cheers.

♪ ♪ 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.

good morning, i'm natasha zouves from abc 7 mornings. just look right now from our east bay hills camera, you could see, yeah, it is wet outside. meteorologist mike nicco has our forecast. >> hi, everybody of the the steady and moderate rain up in the north bay where we expected to be with the rest of us getting scattered showers. flooding on the roads is possible. small streams and creeks may rise, trees and power lines may come down. >> taking a look at the roads this morning. obviously the rain is starting to shift south and impact more folks as it comes from the santa rosa area where we had this morning. heavy pocket around hercules, trying to recover from the southbound crash. up to 30 as we get closer. you could track the storm

any time with the abc 7 news app. be sure to enable push alerts. and w >> announcer: it's "live with kelly!" today, the chairman of the board of "the new celebrity apprentice," arnold schwarzenegger. and from the new film "live by night," actress elle fanning. and if you're looking for a getaway, we have details on how you can win a vacation to tropical antigua. and from cnn, van jones is kelly's cohost today. all next on "live!" ♪ [cheering and applauding] and now, here are kelly ripa and van jones! [cheering and applauding] ♪