good morning, america. breaking overnight, the senate takes a major step to repeal obamacare after a confirmation clash on capitol hill, for president-elect trump's pick for secretary of state. >> is vladimir putin a war criminal? >> trump rival marco rubio throws down the gauntlet. is rex tillerson in trouble as the president-elect faces off against the media. >> no, not you. >> can you give -- >> your organization is terrible. flash flood danger. northern california pounded by more than two feet of rain as the third major storm this week moves in. these flooded rivers washing away roads. the high water rescues. thousands forced to evacuate. and now a major ice storm targeting the center of the country. dramatic shoot-out. a deputy responds to a call then forced to run for his life as

the suspect starts firing. a s.w.a.t. team rushes to the scene. the frightening standoff caught on camera. ♪ good good good to shall alive right about now ♪ good to be alive. the snowboarder swallowed by an avalanche sliding down a mountain buried by the snow. the birthday present strapped to his back that may have helped keep him alive. ♪ it's good to be alive right about now i was dead in the water ♪ and good morning, america. great to be with all of you. i felt like i was going down the mountain with that man right there, tom oye, and as we said he's lucky to be alive. 20 minutes going down there -- 20 seconds, i should say. now, that would be something. >> that would be. >> 20 seconds in an avalanche and we'll show you that and a lot of news to get to and a lot of tough weather out west. >> yeah, you know, we see all that snow but there's so much rain, as well. let's take a look at this home

in california that is so flooded that you could see someone is kayaking through the home. >> why would you want to? >> yeah. >> that's hard to watch like that, but ginger's going to have much more on that dangerous flooding coming up. but first, big news from washington overnight. the senate taking those first steps to repeal the affordable care act and also word that one of donald trump's major nominees may be in trouble. our congressional correspondent mary bruce starts us off from capitol hill. good morning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, robin. it was a dramatic late night here at the capitol, the senate buzzing until after 1:00 this morning, lawmakers coming one step closer to repealing obamacare. but there is still a long, bitter fight ahead, and this morning, as you mentioned, another fight is brewing, we are now seeing what could be the first major roadblock to a trump nominee. the president-elect's formal rival possibly standing in the way of his pick for secretary of state. throughout the nine-hour confirmation hearing, marco rubio hammered former exxonmobil ceo rex tillerson on his ties to vladimir putin. >> is vladimir putin a war

criminal? >> i would not use that term. >> do you believe that vladimir putin and his cronies are responsible for ordering the murder of countless dissidents, journalists and political opponents? >> i do not have sufficient information to make this claim. >> none of is this classified, mr. tillerson. these people are dead. >> reporter: rubio's vote is key. they have just a one-person majority on the senate foreign relations committee. without his support, tillerson's nomination could stall, and this morning trump's formal rival is still not convinced. >> you know, i have to make sure that i'm 100% behind whatever decision that i make. >> reporter: straight off the bat, tillerson took a strong stance on russia. >> we must also be clear-eyed about our relationship with russia. russia today poses a danger. our nato allies are right to be alarmed at a resurgent russia. >> reporter: but his relationship with vladimir putin was hard to shake. >> i and many of my colleagues

have deep concerns about your relationship with mr. putin. >> do you believe these activities could have happened without the knowledge and the consent of vladimir putin? >> what are you going to say to vladimir putin when he says to you but, rex, you said sanctions were bad? >> my pivot now if confirmed to be secretary of state will have one mission only, and that is to represent the interests of the american people. >> reporter: under fire for their unusual ties seen here toasting with champagne, putin giving him the order of friendship award. the question now, could trump's pick for the nation's top diplomat be in jeopardy? >> i think it's important if you're going to stand for moral clarity that you be clear. >> reporter: now some republicans this morning are urging rubio to meet with tillerson one more time and, rubio, he's holding his cards close. but without his support, tillerson could lose that key vote in the senate foreign relations committee and that could put his whole confirmation at real risk. george. >> okay, mary, thanks very much.

let's talk about this more now with jon karl right here, as well. that was something yesterday, marco rubio, rex tillerson going head-to-head and he really bored down and if he does vote no, it could put the nomination in jeopardy. >> no question about it, george. first of all, if he votes no in the committee it becomes if the democrats say no, it becomes a negative vote against tillerson. >> that doesn't tank it. that doesn't tank it. they can still have a floor vote. what did john mccain and lindsey graham do if their partner in crime, marco rubio is voting no. they have been as critical as rubio of the russia ties and could create a situation where it goes down. >> if you lose three republicans -- >> enormous pressure on rubio but i got to tell you the republicans are confident at the end of the day rubio will see what a big deal this would be, how it would freeze him out for the rest of trump's term, create a lot of enemies in his own party and they believe rubio will ultimately vote yes. >> and he is giving tillerson a second chance. going to submit written questions. we'll see what happens there. let's talk about obamacare. first big vote in the senate. just basically a framework for how to repeal. this is just a first step. >> this is just a first step. but it's a critically important

first step. because if the house follows situation where obamacare can be repealed with just 51 votes. >> only republicans can do it. >> on their own. trump is promising a plan within weeks to have, you know, repeal and replace, but we still have no idea what he wants to replace it with. >> and real divisions inside the republican party over how to replace obamacare. meantime, the confirmation hearings continue. ben carson, another former rival of donald trump, up today. he has been nominated for housing secretary even though he's a surgeon. >> the most interesting hearing of all. he is a brain surgeon, brilliant, has a great personal story, he has no experience whatsoever in the issue of public housing. so he is going to be drilled for hours on the specifics of what housing and urban development does. we'll see how much homework -- >> presumably he has boned up on it. >> i know he's doing mocked

hearings and taped these and looked at game tape. he's done a lot of homework but this is an entirely new field for him. it is not brain surgery. so we'll see how he does. >> okay, jon karl, thanks very much. >> michael. >> all right, thank you, george. and let's bring in cecilia vega now to talk about all the fallout from president-elect trump's press conference yesterday. it got pretty heated. and you were in the middle of it all. >> yeah, i had a front row seat to it, michael. good morning. when you go 168 days without a press conference, it is bound to be a free-for-all and this was. there were bombshells and there were fireworks. >> can you give us a question? >> reporter: donald trump's first news conference since election day turning heated. >> mr. president-elect -- >> she's asking a question. don't be rude. don't be rude. >> can you give us a question? >> don't be rude. i'm not going to give you a question. >> can you state categorically -- >> you are fake news. >> reporter: the president-elect refusing to call on a cnn reporter angry about that story on those bombshell dossier allegations. >> it's all fake news. it's phony stuff. it didn't happen. >> reporter: trump denying

unsubstantiated claims that he was caught on camera in a russian hotel room engaged in salacious behavior saying he'd never fall for such a ruse. >> i'm surrounded by bodyguards. i'm surrounded by people, and i always tell them anywhere, but i always tell them, if i'm leaving this country, be very careful. >> reporter: but this morning his attack on intelligence agencies under attack too. >> that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out. i think it's a disgrace. and i say that, and i say that and that's something that nazi germany would have done and did do. >> reporter: jewish groups calling that an offensive trivialization of the holocaust. ethics experts also expressing concern about his big reveal, in those folders, his plan to turn over operations of the trump family business to his two sons, don jr. and eric. >> i hope at the end of eight years, i'll come back and i'll say, oh, you did a good job,

otherwise, if they do a bad job, i'll say, you're fired. >> reporter: trump saying he'll still maintain ownership and that he will not divest himself. there will be no foreign deals of any kind and money paid to his hotels by foreign governments will be donated to the u.s. government and this first, the president-elect saying he accepts those intelligence findings that russia hacked the democrats in the lead-up to the election. >> as far as hacking, i think it was russia. >> reporter: but then he waivered. >> you know what, it could have been others also. >> reporter: but not without delivering a harsh message. if you do, indeed, believe russia is behind the hacking, what is your message to vladimir putin right now? >> he shouldn't be doing it. he won't be doing it. russia will have much greater respect for our country when i'm leading it than when -- >> reporter: yeah, a very rare admonition of vladimir putin there. i asked the president-elect point blank whether he or anyone on his team had any contact with russia during the campaign. he came back over, michael, and he told me, no, not at all.

so, point blank there. >> you were in the room when he had the heated exchange with the cnn reporter, so what was the mood like after that happened, and do you expect this to be the new normal? >> yeah, you know, i think the mood in that room was generally stunned. you're used to seeing sparring at a presidential level press conference. this was more than that. this was more than heated. this was very confrontational, and the question is whether this will be the new norm. i think this has the potential to have a chilling effect. you know, the question is whether donald trump was trying to initiate some retribution here for a story that he didn't like, and it's certainly setting the stage for a pretty hostile relationship with this press corps. >> we'll keep our eye on the future and more of these press conferences as well and, george, back to you. >> yeah, we're going to get more on that right now. as cecilia laid out at that press conference, the president-elect said he's turning over control to his two sons. no foreign deals but he could if he chose.

take a look. >> and was offered $2 billion to do a deal in dubai, a number of deals. and i turned it down. i didn't have to turn it down because, as you know, i have a no conflict situation because i'm president, which is -- i didn't know about that until about three months ago, but it's a nice thing to have. >> he's saying that offer came in just this weekend. let's talk to dan abrams about this. right now kind of unusual right there. the president is right that the conflict of interest law does not apply to the president. yet, you had the head of the office of government ethics come out last night and say what he's done is completely meaningless in terms of conflicts of interest. >> right, so let's separate this out into ethics and legal. let's start with the ethical side of this. he still owns the company. what does that mean? it means that when the company gets richer, donald trump gets richer. it also means, and this is something people aren't talking about enough, he's still subject to litigation, so if someone is

suing the company, donald trump still has to be involved in that litigation. that's a big deal. >> and a third point there, he also knows what his company is. he knows where the businesses are. he knows whether actions he is going to take will help the company. >> of course, all he's saying in effect is i'm not going to have day-to-day control over the company, and there are going to be certain restrictions that someone internally is going to oversee. but this does not address according to almost all ethics experts the ethical concerns. >> yet, there is also one big law that he may be in conflict with, that's the constitution. >> all right. let's talk law for a minute. he is absolutely right that the conflict of interest law does not apply to the president and vice president. that would have been the most likely law someone would say that he could potentially be violating, but there is a clause in the constitution that a lot of people are talking about now called the emoluments clause which basically says that you can't get earnings or pay from a foreign state. that's what the emolument means

and constitutional law professors at the very least believe this is dangerous legal territory for him. there is a bit of a divide over whether it's going to apply. he's trying to minimize that by saying, look, we're not going to actually benefit from that foreign money. we're going to donate it in the hope that -- >> the profits. >> right, in the hope that this will make this less of a concern but i can tell you that the vast majority of legal experts you talk to say this is dangerous legal territory. >> i know. almost certain someone or some institution will bring a legal challenge. >> absolutely. >> all right, dan abrams, thanks very much. we're learning more about those unconfirmed claims that trump was targeted in a russian effort to personally compromise him. intelligence officials say the unconfirmed claims should not have been leaked to the public. our chief investigative correspondent brian ross is here and has the latest for us. good morning, brian. >> reporter: good morning, robin. the intelligence community is offering a kind of apology to donald trump with the director of national intelligence james clapper saying in a statement

that he talked with donald trump overnight and shared his profound dismay about the leaks of information. clapper said no decision had been made about whether the information is reliable. but he went on to seemingly confirm that trump had been briefed saying part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security, robin. >> with all that being said, the fbi, the cia, what do they make of these current allegations? >> well, exactly, lost in all the back and forth at the news conference is the fact the fbi continues to investigate the allegations. abc news has learned they were turned over by a former british spy who's now been identified as an employee of this london private security company. he's described as being well known to the fbi, a reliable source of information in a number of past criminal investigations involving russian organized crime and corruption in the international soccer federation, robin. >> so bottom line, the investigation is continuing. >> absolutely is. >> all right, brian, thank you

very much. now amy has the other morning's stories with a major recall. honda is recalling nearly 800,000 vehicles because of that potentially dangerous air bags. the inflators made by takata can explode sending pieces of metal flying through the car. older model accords and civics are among the cars affected and we'll have the full list on our website. and some breaking news from baltimore this morning where six children have been reported missing after a house fire. three others are confirmed injured. the building partially collapsed and firefighters are now having a very difficult time getting inside that house. well, a u.s. military investigation has found 33 afghan civilians were killed during a battle with the taliban back in november when air strikes were called in during a firefight. two u.s. soldiers also died. and a georgia man faces attempted murder charges after a shoot-out with an officer. the deputy was responding to a domestic call when the suspect charged toward his vehicle. the deputy is then seen

running away jumping over a gate right there before the suspect fires again, wow, and was finally wounded. he was later arrested after a standoff. both men survived their injuries. and finally, consider this, and this is to you guys. the next time you take a selfie and you flash the peace sign, identity thieves could steal your fingerprints. scientists in japan say smartphone cameras are so sophisticated, it is possible to steal your fingerprints from a photo taken up to ten feet away as long as you've got that index and middle finger clearly visible. now, i can say honestly i've never done this. >> you just did. you just gave it away. >> they're all seeing it right there. >> but my kids do it. do your daughters do that? >> oh, no, not at all. >> yeah. >> you know what that means? >> it drives me crazy. now i have another reason to tell them to stop. >> keep your hands down. >> good luck with that. >> all right, thank you, amy. now let's turn to that major flooding in the west forcing thousands to evacuate, and kayna whitworth is in the middle of it all in guerneville, california.

good morning, kayna. >> reporter: michael, good morning. here in sonoma county the russian river rising well above flood levels for a second time this week impacting more than 650 homes, thousands without power and businesses taking a hit as well. look behind me. that dips down under six feet of water. some people feel lucky they made it out at all. this morning, flash flooding pounding northern california. emergency crews working relentlessly performing more than 50 high water rescues. >> we can't see the road. we're kind of just guessing. >> reporter: this deluge forcing residents to evacuate. home after home in hollister underwater. >> it was about two or three feet deep out there moving fast. >> i hear my mom coming out from the door yelling, girls, girls, get up. it's flooded outside. >> reporter: watch as this woman kayaks in her living room after her home was overtaken by floodwaters. sonoma county submerged for a second time in a week.

we met with 83-year-old ebie charcar, who was rescued from her home in guerneville. >> oh, my god, i'm in the middle of a lake. >> reporter: in oregon residents digging out after more than a foot of snow and shut it down and the governor declaring a state of emergency. crews clearing out trees that collapsed under the weight of the snow and in colorado this roof caving in on top of a popular hotel. thankfully there were no reported injuries. now, this region is known for producing great wine and now they have to rebuild after the biggest rain event in the state of california in more than a decade. guys. >> okay, kayna, thanks very much. big rain in california. ginger, you're following ice. >> right, because that same low is going to ride along a jet stream and stationary front which i'll show you in a moment and i'll get to that as it gets to the middle of the nation. already icing and freezing rain in central illinois and northern illinois this morning. that's why you have freezing rain advisories. watch the setup. moist air over the stationary front. it could produce three-quarters of an inch to an inch of ice this weekend friday through sunday right there from places

like topeka up to champaign, illinois.

coming up, lies and spies. brian ross lifting a lid on the secret world of russian spying. what they're really catching on tape. and that bill o'reilly bombshell. new allegations about the fox anchor accused of sexual harassment. we'll get to the bottom of it this morning on "gma." morning on "gma." at quaker, for over 140 years, we've known good is made. from the potential that started with the humble oat to the innovative spirit within our people, we've been thoughtfully crafting, perfecting, to bring what's truly good to your table. so, while everyone's getting back to what's good, we were always here. quaker -- we are the good we make. you could spend the next few days weeding through w2s, pay stubs and bank statements to refinance your home. or you could push that button.

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good morning. that drought news you wanted to hear, i have it for you. it's over for the bay area. we're still a little dry but we're out of the drought but still 28% of california out of the extreme to the exceptional. we're part of the 35% that's not. how about that? here's a look at a little bit of rain that's moving out of antioch through discovery bay, byron highway, the alma mont pass getting a little bit of wet. you can see changing over to slightly drier air. the morning will be the biggest impact from this light storm. hydroplaning and then, to a lesser extent, stream and creek flooding. we've got an extended period and another storm brewing next week. >> great news about the drought. coming up the secret spy

wars between the u.s. and russia. that's next on gma. a live look at the wet highways. another update in

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all right, gracie, come on out and meet your sister. [ cheers and applause ] >> that was the moment yesterday. had all of us in tears, reapplying makeup. millions of you clicking on facebook to see it again. 10 million and counting. twin sisters audrey and gracie separated at birth meeting for the first time in person. they had facetime together but it was the first time they were meeting face-to-face and they did it right here on "gma." >> burst out of will. >> so authentic. wait till you see what happened after the reunion. they were inseparable. we'll show you their first day together. >> look at that.

>> and what they learned about each other coming up. they did the same thing as i was leaving the studio yesterday, they were holding hands, skipping down the hall like -- >> there's a reason why they have that term separated at birth. they belong together. >> that makes me so happy. i could watch it all day. >> looks like we gave them a late night in times square. >> hopefully they're sleeping right now. >> that's the only way to do it, george. it's new york. also right now, new questions about donald trump's cabinet nominees. tough confirmation hearing yesterday for secretary of state candidate rex tillerson, a lot more coming up today, secretary of defense candidate general james mattis, ben carson is going for house secretary, mike pompeo, a tough one for head of the cia and football fans in san diego waking up to some unfortunate news this morning. sources saying the chargers are planning to move the franchise to los angeles. the owner told commissioner roger goodell that they intend

to relocate it. that's been in san diego since 1961. >> were they in los angeles before they moved to -- >> l.a. -- it was the rams were in l.a. the raiders were in l.a. >> i thought at some point. you know, right now in the control room -- >> someone will tweet it in. >> if you are a charger fan, you are disappointed. it was hard for them because they didn't get the new stadium deal and i think that kind of affected their decision. >> but come on, the fans, you know, you give so much as a fan. >> well now you got a two-hour drive and you can still go to the game, i guess. >> i guess so. >> that's coming up. >> we have a lot more to get to. we're going to dig down on how russia spies on the u.s. you saw the president-elect in those unsubstantiated claims they caught him on camera in compromising situations but as our chief investigative correspondent responds, that is standard operating procedure for the kgb. hey, brian. >> the cold war may be over and the kgb may have a different set of initials, but it's increasingly clear from the new allegations out of russia the world's second oldest profession, espionage is alive and well in moscow, spies up to their old tricks including the

use of members from an even older profession. ♪ this is the kind of video every american diplomat and business person is warned about when traveling to russia. a u.s. embassy employee secretly filmed allegedly with a prostitute in a moscow hotel complete with background music. u.s. officials say a russian spy agency posted this video online after the diplomat refused to work as a double agent. >> the cold war ended, but the russian intelligence operations in hotels in moscow targeted against americans has never stopped. >> reporter: which is why u.s. officials felt they could not simply dismiss the unsubstantiated allegations that the russians had targeted donald trump when he traveled to moscow in 2013 for the miss universe contest. trump claimed wednesday he was too smart to fall for any such russian trap. >> in those rooms you have cameras in the strangest places. cameras that are so small with

modern technology, you can't see them, and you won't know. you better be careful or you'll be watching yourself on nightly television. ♪ >> reporter: u.s. officials say the russian spy agencies are increasingly aggressive and don't seem to care who knows it. the hacked e-mails from the democratic party were quickly linked to the russians. u.s. officials say the russians three years ago bugged the phone of a u.s. assistant secretary of state, victoria nuland, and then posted her conversations online including a profane reference to the european union. >> that would be great, i think, to help glue this thing and have the u.n. help glue it and, you know, [ bleep ] the eu. >> reporter: and the espionage efforts continue at a pace outside of russia. british officials have linked the murder of putin rivals in london to russian intelligence officers and experts say spies like the ones depicted in the fx network program "the americans" are still prevalent.

>> super secret spies that live next door. they look like us and speak better english than we do. >> reporter: a superben couple in the 1980s leading a double life planted by and reporting back to moscow. >> we won't let you down, general. >> reporter: the modern day version involved russian spies, some of whom have been kicked out of the country after being discovered in boston, washington and new york. most memorably the glamorous young russian woman, anna chapman, now back in russia as a hero. >> they could be anybody. they could be your neighbor, they could be anybody else but you look at them, you look at their background and there's no indication that that individual is connected with, for example, the russian government. >> reporter: experts say such undercover operations are a technique favored by a former kgb colonel who is now the russian president, vladimir putin. and, of course, it was president putin who the u.s. says was behind the hacking of the democratic party, all designed to help elect donald trump, george. >> of course, they're making no judgment on this targeting. >> still unsubstantiated but they're very active in any case.

>> okay, brian ross, thanks very much. >> okay, george, we're going to move on to those sexual harassment allegations involving top names at fox news. former host juliet huddy claimed bill o'reilly made repeated unwanted advances. huddy reportedly struck a settlement with fox shortly after chairman roger ailes was ousted amid similar accusations by another fox personality. abc's linzie janis joins us now with the details. good morning, linzie. >> reporter: good morning, robin. that reported settlement kept quiet until now. huddy threatening to sue fox claiming when she rebuffed o'reilly's advances, he tried to derail her career. this morning, newly uncovered allegations against fox news. the cable network reportedly reached a financial settlement regarding sexual harassment allegations, this time against star anchor bill o'reilly. >> i am bill o'reilly. thanks for watching us tonight. >> reporter: in a draft of a letter of complaint obtained by lawnewz.com, a website owned by dan abrams, abc news chief legal analyst, juliet huddy, a former

fox news host who had a segment on "the o'reilly factor" claims she was replaced after rebuffing several sexual advances from o'reilly. >> i don't know how to explain this. >> reporter: the document alleges in 2011 o'reilly gave huddy a tour of his home where he allegedly moved in and kissed her on the lips. huddy's lawyers saying she allegedly recoiled and actually fell to the ground. huddy's lawyers claiming the following week o'reilly allegedly took her to a broadway show, dropped the key to his hotel room into ms. huddy's lap and when she went to return it, mr. o'reilly opened the door wearing nothing but boxer shorts and they allege o'reilly retaliated on and off the air. >> you can think whatever you want. i don't care whether it's banned or not. >> reporter: huddy who worked at fox for 18 years also claims she was sexually harassed by current fox news co-president jack abernethy allegeing that early on in her career,

he pursued a personal relationship, and when she rejected him, he began rejecting her. a fox spokesperson saying juliet huddy's letter of intent to sue contained substantial falsehoods which both vehemently denied. a person briefed on it says fox was aware of huddy's false allegations when they signed ab internet think to a new multiyear deal and left her job at fox news' affiliate in september. simply saying it was time for her to move on. we reached out to her and her lawyers and they declined to comment. >> which is understandable. thank you very much. michael, we got another special big board. >> yes, we do. we'll talk about what 50 nfl athletes are revealing about the painkiller so many of them use and find out could it be dangerous? plus, the major backlash over the white actor who is playing michael jackson. we're going to be back with that in two minces. don't look at me like you're surprised about that, doc. i love you. but i love him. i love him, too. so do i.

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the fastest waya to ruin pancakes.. that's why denny's uses fresh, never frozen blackberries that are fresh. and never frozen. did we mention they were fresh? we're back now with our big board and espn's jessica mendoza

and dr. richard besser are here at the table for our first story and we begin with the troubling new investigation into the nfl. the bleacher report in a survey of 50 active players finds that the league's play at all cost mentality has led to many relying on toradol and the subheading of this article says that the drug is pro football's dirty little secret. >> it's not a secret and it's not that it's a secret for any pro athlete to use high anti-inflammatories to be able to cover up pain. at any level that is something that is super common. i think what shocked me about the article is that 23 of the 50 nfl players interviewed had said they've been doing it for years and when you look at the box warning that's on toradol, it says you're not supposed to use it -- short term. nothing more than five days. that was probably the biggest surprise. they're not using it for days. they're using it for years. >> and, dr. besser, what are the concerns, though, about the drug? using it like jessica just said more than you should? what does that do to your body?

>> toradol is a class of drug called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories. and it's a very strong one. if you read that label, it says it should be used in people who need high level pain relief at the level of an opioid. typically after surgery and if you use it that way for a short period of time, it's relatively safe but two health concerns, the first one is it can mask pain, so you have players who are out there who have an injury, they have an injured knee, injured shoulder. they're going to play through that and the long-term consequences in terms of damage could be severe. the second is it can increase your risk of bleeding, and it says you should never use it before surgery or anywhere where you could have a blow because it could cause bleeding, and the big concern people have that they're raising, could it cause bleeding in the head and damage to the brain. >> we should mention in a statement the nfl says these decisions are made by the club's medical professionals. there is no league-wide policy. jessica, the article hits on this play at all costs culture.

how concerning is that mind-set? >> i had a similar injection in high school. a softball player trying to get through a tournament into my shoulder. found out two weeks later i had a torn labrum. as dr. besser said, it's masking. there is a reason you feel pain. you feel pain because something is wrong. so, i get it to mask temporarily for a few days and especially if it's a big deal i get the nfl guys at the end of the season to get through it, but if you're talking years, there is a reason you feel that. i ended up sitting out my freshman fall year because i had that torn labrum just to get through the tournament and i had a similar injection. so, to me, if you feel the pain, there is a reason. don't use this. >> you had one injection. >> one injection. >> yeah, a panel of nfl doctors put out a report five years ago with recommendations on how to use it and said it should only be used for players on the injured list, never in players before a game and doctors should do nothing that would have them contribute to this idea of play at all costs. that's really good advice. >> but one of the first things i was told when i came to the nfl was you know the difference between pain and injury. >> yep. >> there's a big difference. if you're in pain, you can play.

if you're injured, sit out. that's where you got -- but i also must say that i think a lot of it is players as well. players don't want to miss time. >> of course not. >> and they'll put themselves out there to make sure they can compete. >> to make money. >> look at tony romo, injured one game and all of a sudden you lose your job. so, it makes sense. >> yep, it sure does. we'll keep our eye on that. see what goes on with that. and another thing that came up that i think has a lot of people surprised, the michael jackson backlash. joseph fiennes is taking heat for portraying the king of pop in an upcoming british comedy and many online are calling whitewashing. let's take a look. >> michael, i sense danger. >> and larry hackett is here and, larry, michael's daughter paris is tweeting about this saying i'm so incredibly offended by it as i'm sure plenty of people are, as well and it honestly makes me want to

vomit. are you surprised by her comments, and are you surprised by the backlash from everybody out there? >> no, i'm not surprised by her comments. she worships her father and her father's memory as do many of his fans. we talked about whitewashing in the past and there were examples of tilda swinton and emma stone being cast in roles that were set for asian actors or asian characters. i think this is different. this is a broad british satire and i think the casting was done on purpose. i must say looking at this clip, i personally don't find it terribly offensive. i think the filmmakers were trying to get a rise out of people and they have done that. and we are sitting here talking about it, and that's what they wanted. >> do you believe then there is a dividing line perhaps between what could happen in a drama versus what could happen in a comedy when it comes to something like this? >> i think there can be. i think there's one further division which is between comedy and satire. if you look at a film like "tropic thunder," which starred robert down think as an actor trying to play a black actor i mean that was served up as

comedy and it was funny about a particular character obviously. i think in the case of this video that's going to be on in britain with michael jackson, one of the other episodes involves hitler and hitler's best friend and hitler's best friend is the guy who played rupert rim, who plays him and the casting is done on purpose to put a stick in the eye. what satire does and is very different from somebody being cast a michael in a different way. >> larry, we appreciate it. >> i'm playing tom hanks in the new movie -- >> i'm going to watch. >> keep your eye out for that. jessica, thank you. dr. besser, thank you. coming up in two minutes that amazing avalanche survival video. the birthday gift that may have saved a snowboarder's life. you don't want to miss it.

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father. he says his son is a full time snowboarder in canada, so the family gave him this backpack as an early birthday gift. little did they know it would save his life just a week later. it started out as an ordinary run down the slopes but then -- >> oh, [ bleep ]. >> reporter: watch as the ground just falls out beneath 29-year-old tom oye. the heavy snow engulfs him and then drags him down the mountain giving him almost no time to react. the australian snowboarder says he survived that 20-second plunge thanks to a backpack like this. just pull the rip cord and the bag inflates lifting you upward and reducing your chances of suffocating underneath the snow. and it's not the first time an avalanche like this has been caught on camera. this colorado snowboarder's backpack kept him from being buried alive in 2012.

as for oye he says this wasn't how he was planning to start his morning and is urging others to stay safe out there. and his father says tom's actual birthday is this coming sunday so needless to say, the family is very glad that they didn't wait to give him his birthday gift this year. >> incredible. >> amazing coincidence, isn't it? and he says he's been snowboarding for more than 11 years now and has never experienced an avalanche before, so this was completely just an abundance of caution. >> meant to be -- >> or a hunch. >> and got the gopro he caught it on the year before for his birthday. >> oh. >> i'm joking. >> i believed you. >> nailed it. >> right in. >> this is for real. that emotional reunion, the twins, gracie and audrey, separated as babies. wait till you see their first day together when they left us. coming up, "gma's be a vet for your pet" brought to you by iams pet food, good for life.

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good morning, south bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is abc 7 mornings. >> i'm reggie aqui from abc 7 mornings. let's go oat to mike nicco. the last rain commute of the week. >> that rain since the beginning of the year has taken us out of the drought for now. okay? we still have exceptional to extreme down to our south. let me show you what's going on. we still have some scattered light showers mainly over the east bay and down into the south bay. we're going to see those taper to dry weather by the evening. >> i have not gotten the official all-clear for our crash on northbound 880 at mission boulevard off ramp, so i don't think it's open yet. they were hoping to do that by 8:00. so could be any minute now. power issues worked out. slow as usual but you show have all the lights across the

bridge. >> you can see how long you'll be sitting there. coming up, charlie sheen is live next on gma. we'll have another abc 7 news update in about 30 minutes and always op the news app and abc7news.com. join us from 4:30 to 7:00 a.m.

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. breaking overnight, confirmation clash. president-elect trump's choice for secretary of state grilled at hearings. >> is vladimir putin a war criminal? >> as the senate takes the first steps to repeal obamacare. half their size. two women who lost more than 260 pounds, how they ended their mindless eating. the app that helped them do it and the one habit that changed everything for their health. their incredible transformation is revealed right here live. it was the magic moment that had 10 million people and more watching and crying. those adorable 10-year-old twin sisters reunited right here after being separated at birth. our cameras were with them as they spent their first day in new york city. >> just spending time with my sister has been awesome. >> getting to broadway. eating dinner together.

what they're saying now about their reunion. ♪ welcome to our house we visited charlie sheen in his house. now he's joining us live in our house. anything could happen. and they're here to say -- >> all: good morning, america. and good morning, america. great crowd here this morning. happy thursday to all of you. thanks for coming in. are you ready for charlie sheen? [ cheers and applause ] well, you have to wait a little bit. >> yeah, yeah. >> before we get to that, what a moment to remember yesterday. 10-year-old twins gracie and audrey meeting in person for the first time right here on our show, and there you see the emotional reunion. i think everybody was emotional. >> yes, they were separated at birth. they're 10 years old. there's something about twins and they felt that there was something missing. well, after the show we sent them off for some fun and excitement and, boy, did they

have a blast as they explored times square together. they went to "the school of rock" on broadway and they realized they had a lot in common. take a look. >> we both like to scare pigeons. >> and we -- when we eat, we both like get really messy. >> yeah. >> we went to have pancakes after "good morning america," and i had chocolate all over my face. >> yeah, we both had like chocolate all over our face. >> oh, my gosh. those smiles. >> they're just getting started. a lot more to -- >> a lot more pigeons to scare. also coming up, take a look at this young lady backstage right there. so, so fifphie is a big football fan and an aspiring sports journalist and thinks she's here to be the kid correspondent at this year's super bowl but we have a big surprise for her. >> she could not hear a word you were saying.

>> i was trying to whisper. >> you have a lot coming up but let's get the morning rundown from amy. good morning. the big story, republicans taking their first step toward abolishing obamacare. overnight the senate approved a budget resolution that would clear the way for a repeal of obamacare with a simple majority vote. that measure heads to the house tomorrow. meanwhile, more confirmation hearings are on tap for today including general james mattis for defense secretary, congressman mike pompeo for cia chief and housing and urban development nominee ben carson. president-elect trump's choice for secretary of state could be facing a key hurdle. former exxonmobil ceo rex tillerson answering tough questions on russia wednesday, especially from senator marco rubio who was clearly upset when tillerson refused to say if he thinks vladimir putin is a war criminal. rubio, a crucial vote, is not saying whether or not he will support tillerson. well, a state of emergency has been declared in oregon after more than a foot of snow took down trees and power lines. the situation is more dire in northern california where the rain may be ending today, but

flooding has forced dozens of rescues. 28 inches of rain fell in just one week. the water is so high, one woman apparently, there you see her, kayaking inside her own home. well, apple may be setting its sights on hollywood. "the wall street journal" says the tech giant is making plans to offer original tv shows and movies. the company reportedly talking to producers about buying the rights to scripted programming. and a california company is pulling some men's boots off the market after complaints that the soles leave an imprint resembling swastikas. the boots were described on amazon as combat boots. the company says the design was not intentional. and there is new effort to make sure those popular infant slings are safe for your baby. government officials have approved a new standard for slings which were linked to 150 safety incidents. they will be required to come with more permanent warning labels and be able to carry three times the recommended

weight. and finally talk about a lucky day. a guy in oregon -- we told you about all that snow. well, he was cleaning out his office during one of the snowstorms and guess what he found, a mega millions ticket. he checked the numbers and sure enough, it was worth a million dollars. the ticket was from january 13th drawing last year, and so it's a really good thing he found it when he did because it was set to expire this week. i would say that is the best snow day ever. >> yes! >> that beats snow angels for sure. >> wow. >> wow. >> that's a great story. >> right under the wire. >> in the nick of time. >> now, lara, you got some college students behind you. >> hello. >> who want our jobs. so just when you're delivering -- no pressure that they're right over your shoulder the whole time. >> cheers, and good morning, everybody. time for "pop news." and we're going to begin with some music news. ariana grande and john legend are set to lend their voices to a song as old as time. you guys know what i'm talking about, right? there you go.

they will be performing the "beauty and the beast" title song for disney's upcoming soundtrack to the live action film starring emma watson. that is a great pairing. grande, yeah, yeah, give it up. we love john legend. we love ariana. grande teased the collaboration with the studio selfie, there she is, in the studio she tagged "beauty and the beast" and did a rose emoji, a little secret trick and this morning we confirmed disney confirmed it will happen. also in "pop news" this morning, woody harrelson officially on board to fly into a galaxy far, far away set to star in the new han solo movie. lucas films has announced woody will join alden ehrenreich, donald glover who just won a golden globe and he'll play lando calrissian and "game of thrones'" emilia clark in the stand-alone movie about solo's life. he is set to play the mentor to

the smuggler. the film has yet to reveal a title focusing on the years before han and luke skywalker join the rebellion and that film will hit theaters 2018, and you may hear us talking about it once or twice. >> a time or two. >> i like how they're taking the characters out and showing the back story. >> i love it. i love it. these are characters that we grew up with and we love, and now we get to hear their take on why they came to be. i know, it's very deep. and then finally i love this story. talk about having the time of your life at your wedding, lindsay pergola and richie guarini skipped the traditional first dance at their wedding a couple of weeks ago for a surprise verse of the famous "dirty dancing" routine blowing away their friends and family with the smoke machine, the perfectly timed steps, even the lifts. so the bride says it's been her favorite movie her whole life since she was a little girl and she asked the groom if he would do it. we should point out he had no say. we should point out,

she is a dance instructor. he has zero dance experience. they practiced for over a month. they nailed it according to the 14 million people who have seen it on facebook. nobody puts lindsay and richie in a corner. >> i knew that was coming. >> congratulations to the happy couple. did you know, i didn't know this. i just found out this morning, abc is doing a remake of "dirty dancing" that will come out this may. so it'll be interesting to see. that's going to follow. i give our company credit because that's taking on a classic. >> that original was pretty doggone perfect. >> if they're doing it, you know they must have some great casting. >> every time you see someone doing the lift, who gets nervous? >> especially richie. >> you got to nail it. >> he totally nailed it and had a beautiful wedding. that, my friends, is "pop news." >> from lara spencer. thank you, lara. >> good one. >> coming up, half their size. wait till you see these women, what they look like after shedding more than 260 pounds combined. the app and the exercise that is helping them keep the weight

off. >> wow, and don't go anywhere, anybody. we got charlie sheen here. >> what. >> live. >> oh. hang on. >> "gma's morning menu" is brought to you by the fast, powerful cough relief of robitussin because it's never just a cough. with not food, become food? thankfully at panera, 100% of our food is 100% clean. no artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, or colors.

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and one cup at a time. folgers, the best part of wakin' up. un poquito mas rapido, no? [instrumental music plays] [wheel squeaking] hasta luego, profesor! [pumping of bike tire] [pumping of hospital ventilator] [wheel squeaking] carlos! carlos! dr. brad needs to see you in room 3. [wheel squeaking] [heart monitor beeping] tell cardio right away i need a... c'mohappy birthday! i survived a heart attack. i'm doing all i can to keep from having another one. and i'm taking brilinta.

for people who've been hospitalized for a heart attack. i take brilinta with a baby aspirin. no more than one hundred milligrams as it affects how well it works. brilinta helps keep my platelets from sticking together and forming a clot. brilinta reduced the chance of another heart attack. or dying from one. it worked better than plavix. >>don't stop taking brilinta without talking to your doctor since stopping it too soon increases your risk of clots in your stent, heart attack, stroke, and even death. brilinta may cause bruising or bleeding more easily, or serious, sometimes fatal bleeding. don't take brilinta if you have bleeding, like stomach ulcers, a history of bleeding in the brain, or severe liver problelems. tell your doctor about bleeding, new or unexpected shortness of breath, any planned surgery, and all medicines you take. >>talk to your doctor about brilinta. i'm doing all i can. that includes brilinta. if you can't afford your medication, astra zeneca may be able to help. we are back

we are back now with two women who decided to stay healthy and lost a combined 263 pounds and kept it off featured in "people" magazine's half their size blockbuster issue. we'll meet them in a moment but first abc's mara schiavocampo has hair stories. >> reporter: 49-year-old mom of two, joanne raymond, has battled the bulge for most of her life. >> i've gained and lost hundreds of pounds, and each time i gained it back. >> reporter: tipping the scales at nearly 250 pounds in 2014, joanne finally reached her breaking point. >> i was shocked at the belly

that i now had and no clothes fit me. i was sick of my life being a constant struggle. >> reporter: for 28-year-old lindita halimi growing up in war-torn kosovo, she never knew when she'd get to eat. >> we were refugees in the mountains. we would boil leaves, and we ate that just to survive. after we all got back home, i had this mentality of let me eat now because i don't know when i'm going to eat later. >> reporter: after years of overeating, lindita reached her heaviest, 250 pounds in her late teens. the aspiring entertainer saying she hit rock bottom after winning a 2009 albanian singing competition. >> all the criticism started to affect me. i knew i had to make a change. >> reporter: now these women are half their size. ready to show their transformation. for "good morning america," mara schiavocampo, abc news, new york. >> that is terrific. thank you, mara, and before we see how joanne and lindita did it, we want to take one last

look and we welcome catherine kast, staff editor of "people" magazine. >> thanks for having me. >> one last look at joanne and lindita before. who is ready to see them? come on out, ladies. no way! so, get rid of the old pants. you don't need them anymore. so fantastic. we're going to get some great tips from both of you but, catherine, i want to ask, you chose these guys for your "people" issue on how to transform yourself because of fitness. talk to me about the choice. >> these women have an incredible mind-set. they work out. their habits are amazing. but also they've developed methods that will help them keep it off, not only just lose the weight but keep it off. >> that's awesome. congratulations. all right. so come on over here. we'll move over and find out how joanne and lindita did it and we're going to start right here. so, joanne, for you it was about a fitness app.

>> yes. >> i mean, there's a million apps out there. what was it about this particular one that really sparked something in you? >> i have actually gained and lost 100 pounds twice, so this time around it was about keeping it off. i chose my fitness pal because it allowed me to track -- >> i heard it's very easy to use. >> very easy. i can track my calorie, carbs, protein. my calories are between 1,800 and 2,000 a day and eat three healthy meals a day. >> i hear you are rigorous, no snacking. >> no snacking at all. >> i used to graze all day long and that's what got me into trouble. >> even if you were grazing healthily you were upping the calories. >> it's about telling myself you get to eat three times a day, that's it. >> catherine, this girl is not kidding around. >> she's not. >> so my fitness pal, no snacking and very strong. >> yes. >> all right. so, lindita, get over here, congratulations. >> thank you. appreciate it. >> wow, the transformation is incredible.

and for you it was about incorporating moving in your life. >> right. so i drastically changed my diet first and then i started to do light walks since i couldn't run or jog because of my knees, but i also -- i also saw a lot of results when i started weight lifting, which was my favorite. >> they say that it's not just about cardio, it's about lifting weights. >> it didn't bulk me up, it helped me define my body, but one of my main exercises i love to do. >> real quick. because we're going to run out of time. >> we got three -- we got three ways to do it. it helps to tone your upper body and abs. >> and we've got two audience members doing modified versions. you're doing like a supersize version. >> i like the challenge myself. >> i know and obviously it's working. what an incredible story. >> thank you, thank you. >> thank you guys so much for being here. and thank you, catherine, as always. "people's" half their size issue hits newsstands tomorrow. i guarantee you will be inspired. and coming up, this young girl is about to get the surprise of her life. she has no idea what's in store.

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back here on "good morning america," we're about to meet our nfl kid correspondent but my girls and i from richmond,

virginia, were just talking about how nice it is out there. right? going into the 60s in new york city and all the way down the all right, everybody, it's time now for our huge surprise. but take a look at sophie schneider who is backstage. we're about to reveal she's the winner of the nfl play 60 super bowl contest. she's wearing noise-canceling headphones and has no idea she's about to be our very own kid correspondent and take on the role of a lifetime.

take a look. ♪ in 2016, we teamed up with the nfl to send our first ever kid correspondent to the super bowl. >> hi, i'm marla mosely and this is awesome. >> reporter: a week of incredible access to get the super bowl scoop. >> so, i hear you're pretty strong. do you want to arm wrestle? >> reporter: this year we picked three finalists from hundreds of entries. but only one kid is heading to houston for the big game. >> hi, i'm sophie. >> reporter: meet 13-year-old sophie schneider from kansas city, kansas. the seventh grader is an nfl fuel up to play 60 ambassador, a multisport athlete, loves watching football, especially her brother's team and the kansas city chiefs. >> i'm headed to new york to be on "good morning america." whoo-hoo. >> reporter: this morning, sophie has no idea she's about to get the gig of a lifetime. >> i still can't believe i'm a finalist for the super kid contest. >> now, sophie is backstage right now. still has on her noise-canceling

headphones, but let's meet her. come on out, sophie. [ cheers and applause ] hey. how are you? >> so good. >> have a seat. >> all right. >> oh, so you are one of the finalists. >> yes. >> so how does it feel to be a finalist? >> it feels so good. i can't even tell you. >> and you're a big kansas chiefs fans. >> oh, yes. >> and why do you love the team so much? >> i'm from kansas city so kind of makes sense and their team is so good. i even have them on my fantasy football team. >> how did you do at fantasy? >> i actually won my division so there you go. oh, yeah. >> oh, yeah. that's what i'm talking about. well, since you're a big kansas city chiefs football fan, you should know these two guys. we have dustin colquitt and cairo santos. %-p from kansas city. there you go. and, guys, what's up, fellas? >> missing you out here.

>> you have a little something to talk to -- >> what's going on, michael? >> i'm doing great. you have something to talk to sofer about. >> we do. >> go ahead. it's all yours. >> we do. sophie, how are you doing this morning? >> i'm so good. hi! >> go ahead. >> we're missing you here in kansas. >> they're missing you. >> oh, yes. >> are you having fun up in new york? >> what? it's very good, yes, i love new york. it's very fun. >> so, what is your message for sophie, you guys? >> can you hear us, sophie? >> yes, now i can. >> well, you know what, i'm going to take over because these guys -- we're having a little trouble. >> we're losing a little feed but we're missing you here in kansas. and i was curious to hear a little bit of the conversation between you and your mother last year, how you said that i am going to be the next super fan and how that came about. >> okay, so i wanted to be the next super kid.

i mean the super bowl is such a once in a lifetime opportunity and i was so excited and saw it on the website and i was like, you know, i'm going to sign up for this. i'm going to go for it and here i am. >> we got your back. are you there? >> these guys, you're one of the finalists, and why these guys are here is to tell you you're not a finalist, you actually have won. >> wait. >> you've won. you are the super kid. >> really? >> so, we have a special microphone. we got to bring this microphone out for you. this is your special kid correspondent microphone. >> oh, yeah, thank you, thank you. >> there you go. >> thank you. >> and your first assignment is you're going to send us to break so look at that teleprompter right there. what does that say? >> coming up, denzel washington is here. is here.

good morning, north bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is abc 7 mornings. >> i'm natasha zouves from abc 7 mornings. let's get the latest on that traffic alert on 880. >> we're taking a look at some video from earlier this morning. this actually did just clear up the last few minutes. northbound 880 to mission boulevard. that's where we had this crash earl this morning. we had that pickup truck hauling pool supplies that crashed, then the spill all over the place, too. in the last 15 minutes that did open. highway 84 is fully closed west of skyline. another tree down, no estimate on when that will reopen. mike nicco will join

rex tillerson put exxon's interests before america's.. i'm not here to represent the us government's interest. instead, tillerson sided with putin. with billions in russian oil deals... he opposed us sanctions on russia... ...for war crimes forced to pay hundreds of millions for toxic pollution... ...putting profits ahead of our kid's health. tell your senators to reject rex tillerson. and protect american interests not corporate interests.

hey, i've got some great news and some you've been waiting years to hear. the drought is over for now. i say for now because if it gets dry again, it may creep back towards us like down south where 28% of the state is in the drought while we're in the 35% that's not. showers possible from now to 8:00 tonight. light to moderate storm brewing next week. >> that's really exciting

drought news. another update in about 30 minutes and, of course, always on our free abc 7 news app. join the whole ♪ welcome to my house and welcome back to "gma" on this thursday morning. great to have all of you with us. we have an empty seat here. >> yeah, it's about to be filled. i went to this guy's house the other day and hung out. >> hang on. >> he has decided to come to our house, everybody, welcome charlie sheen. >> oh! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ welcome to my house ♪ welcome to my house >> stop. >> oh, my gosh. >> wow!

>> hi. >> good to see you. >> first time here. >> oh. >> oh. >> i know. >> things have changed out here. >> just a little bit. it was wonderful the time you gave to michael and we got to know you a little bit more and two pieces that we had yesterday and it looks like you're just in a really good place. how is it today for you? >> i mean so far so good. >> okay. >> i have to survive the next seven minutes. but i have to thank a few people. i got to thank carly at theneims for looking like this and stacy tore delivering me on american airlines and i got to thank uncle jack for all the meat in my teeth. that's all i got. >> it's like an acceptance speech. >> you talk now. you talk now. >> i told everyone you're going to get a shoutout and i just did.

>> you are a man of your word. >> i'm not getting paid for any of that stuff. >> just a good guy. >> just a good guy. >> they don't pay you? >> well, for other things they occasionally do, you know. >> but not for that. >> i promise i spend it too fast. >> here's something else i got. i want to bring this topic to the table. >> awesome. >> this is trending on twitter. and you are the fastest one to ever reach a million followers on twitter so you know a lot about twitter. you've given us some of the most memorable quotes ever on twitter. >> oh, shucks. >> but we all have -- we all have our twitter bios and yours says like actor, director, this and that. winning. >> right. >> but what would your hagtag be -- >> my man. >> your hagtag. >> love it. >> it's live tv. that's what happens. >> so you guys -- you guys drink on this show?

>> you know, i'm not already drinking on this show. but what would your hashtag be if your mother wrote it. >> the bio. >> what would your bio be and we said what yours is but what would yours be, charlie, if your mother wrote your hashtag? >> geez. >> no pressure, no pressure. >> hash#, geez. good thing we're not live. hashtagcarlosiechaz, #my favorite. >> that's nice. favorite son. emilio. >> i know. >> sorry, emilia, ramon and renee, sorry, but, but the late great sam kinson once told me that if you're a third son, then your mom's favorite because you remind her of your dad when they

met. >> really? >> yeah. >> son one and son two, no go. >> i mean, yeah, i mean -- not -- >> yeah, thank you, george. >> sam kinson must have been the third son. >> yes, he was. >> you have a big movie coming out too, "mad families." >> yeah. >> congratulations on that. >> thank you, thank you. >> one of the writers, producers. >> how is that working with david spade? >> it was just two takes. a couple of pros, just doing their thing. yeah, it was really cool. >> had you worked with him before. >> no, barely met him one night. >> no, i was just -- it was a metro nommic rhythmic hug fest. i just wrote like three words. >> one of like 60 movies you have been in and some of the characters -- >> is that true? >> yeah.

>> one of my personal favorites ricky vaughn. >> oh, thank you. >> i love that movie. >> yeah. >> do you have a favorite? >> well, no, but that haircut in bars on steroids, it led to let's just say a few grumbly moments, you know. like that. >> that's one way of putting it. >> anyhoo. >> your favorite role? >> oh, geez, i -- i haven't delivered it yet. >> really. i think that's great. >> no, i don't think it's so great. what the hell, man. i'm kind of hurt. take a look at this. >> matter of life or death. >> something incredible is happening. at the highest level. >> the president's top aide, bobby bishop has just uncovered a conspiracy. >> you're playing george. >> badass version of me.

"shadow conspiracy." a long time ago. >> that opened on an airplane, stupid, stupid. it opened in a viewmaster. sorry. a couple of people got that, thank you. here's what's radically bizarre. my life is all about cosmic collision courses. yesterday i'm looking for a lighter, sorry, i still smoke, whatever, and i find the i.d. card from that movie. >> come on. >> look at me. i am such a bad liar, i don't know how to. no, that just happened like 46 hours ago. >> i love that. >> meant to be. >> it says white house staff and says bobby -- what's the character name? >> i forgot. >> who cares. who cares.

>> so many movies you can't remember them all. >> can we get back to the movie on crackle. "mad families." what is it about. >> can i just say this, i'm the guy that put the crack back in crackle. >> oh, no. >> too much? too much? >> i got a laugh right there. green shirt, i got a laugh. awesome. >> well, i wanted to just let everybody know where you could find "mad families" on crackle. >> it's a campsite on the fourth of july and three diverse families get booked on the same day. >> insanity ensues. >> yes, it does. yeah, yeah. going to a clip. no clip? >> we got it right there. >> you're doing so well, charlie. >> thank you, thank you. >> thank you for coming on, man. appreciate it. >> "mad families" premieres today on the free streaming service crackle. make sure you go check out charlie sheen, everybody. coming up, guess who is here, denzel washington.

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and back here on "gma" i was just telling ella we have big news for "moana" fans. the movie is about to come to your home. amazing new extras come with it including a mini movie starring moana and maui. it will be released on digital hd and 3d and disney movies anywhere on february 21st and on blu-ray and on demand march 7th so coming at u

we are having a great time. what a mild, nice morning out here, robin. let's head up to you. >> you're right about that. tonight going to be hot because stars from musics, movie, dance are selling the new mew seal of african-american music, history and culture part of a specialty kennedy center airing tonight on abc and got an exclusive backstage access. >> one, two, three, four. >> reporter: a star-studded night, the president and first lady in attendance. >> we pay homage to those who came before. >> all there to celebrate the grand opening of the smithsonian's long awaited national museum of

african-american history and culture and some of the biggest names in entertainment came out to take part. >> to invest in an institution that is going to offer to the world the promise and the legacy of the african-american culture, there is no better investment. >> really happy to be a part in making a contribution but also to today i can definitely say i'm proud to be an african in america. >> the first all black fighter squadron came into being at the tuskegee institute in alabama. >> reporter: oscar winner tom hanks introduced members of the original tuskegee airmen. >> ladies and gentlemen, the surviving members of the tuskegee airmen. >> it's quite a moment and i didn't take the assignment lightly. i'm honored. i keep asking are you sure you want me. >> reporter: so much talent on the stage. >> quincy jones was on stage, stevie wonder is here. the soundtrack to my soul. >> tonight we celebrate african-american history. >> reporter: it was also an

opportunity to perform in front of the outgoing president and the president returned the love. >> i was looking up like, wow, he's into this joint. he was into it. >> reporter: clearly an unforgettable night. >> and this hits very close to home because i am the proud daughter of a tuskegee airmen, colonel lawrence e. roberts, that's my dear daddy and you can see the full two-hour special tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern. my daddy was good looking and would say do i look as good as denzel washington? i would go, daddy, yes, you do. you most certainly do. mwah. welcome. >> thank you. >> all right. >> good to have you here. >> that's a heck of an intro. something we all appear to do. look like denzel washington and speaking of him, here he is. thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> you are an oscar-winning actor. you direct and you star in a new movie "fences" opposite viola davis who took a little moment

in out of her golden globe speech to thank you and let's take a look at that. >> you know, i'm a friend and a fan. thank you for being an extraordinary leader, great actor, great director, thank you for saying trust me and remember the love. >> i mean, it really she wins a golden globe for "fences," she thanks you, but we caught a moment on the red carpet with our cameras where she photo-bombed you and she did not notice. >> oh, yeah, yeah. >> you directed her. i'm sure she paid more attention to you at that point. >> right. >> you mean did i -- >> when the movie i'm pretty sure she was paying more attention than in -- >> yes, she was. yes, she was and rightfully so and she, you know, viola is a brilliant, brilliant actor and this is, you know, there cops a time where an actor, actress meets a role of a lifetime and this is the case with viola.

>> and 15 years ago you directed her in "antuan fisher" then you both won a tony on broadway for "fences" and now this movie and -- >> just keeping gun. >> can you just like walk around with me and -- >> i'll just walk around. >> exactly. you know he won it. >> this is denzel. he won an oscar. >> then i'll act like, no, i can't talk now. what have you learned from her over the years of working with her that maybes her so special? >> shoot. i -- >> a lot. >> all that. all of that. when she's just one of those rare actors and it's her turn now. it's her turn. you know, she's been good a long time but now everybody -- we've all caught up with her and she's getting the recognition she deserves and getting the rows she deserves? and you're one of those rare actors, as well. >> thank you. >> and looking and watching fence finance i tell you, your

character, boy -- >> you see yourself up there or your dad. >> you see yourself or you see someone who is like that but he's a tough guy to like. >> uh-huh. >> how was that for you to play someone who was really a hard, tough -- >> i didn't look at him that way. he is brutally honest. when you listen to what he said about his own father and what his father did to him, you know, unfortunately, sometimes those negative things are passed down as well. >> the character who -- the guy who played your son in the movie said when he found out he was going to act, you know, next to you, he was extremely nervous. >> yeah. >> so i'm curious for you, is there anybody who makes you nervous or who made you nervous? >> no. no, maybe i just didn't let them know it. what made me excited made me wanted to make me ready, gene hackman. i was like, that's gene hackman talking to me. we're doing the scene, gene hackman, i'm in a scene with

gene hackman. what do i say? man, i want some popcorn. man, you're good. >> you also said about this movie you couldn't have directed it if you didn't star in a play and why do you feel that way. >> not if i didn't star -- i was actored to direct it first and then i did the play but because i did the play, i knew the role. too big a role first of all to try to act and direct and produce and everything else at the same time but because i had done 114 performances and we had really good success on broadway i felt confident with doing it on film in and one last question, your son malcolm recently graduated from american film institute conservatory. if he were to direct a movie, if you were going to be in a movie with him what kind of director do you think he'd be and what kind of movie would it be, comedy, dramedy. >> i better have a good part. >> i would hope so. >> that's right or he ain't getting in the house. no, he's a very talented young filmmaker and, you know, i'd

just be glad to be -- be in your son's movie. >> i tell you right now he has a great example. >> thank you. >> congratulations to malcolm. congratulations to you, "fences." >> thank you. >> great movie. make sure you go check out "fences" now. it's in theaters and coming up next, denzel won't be here but i'm aspiring to look like him. the best way to travel with your pets.

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what are you guys doing? artoo, thrusters! they're closing in! i'll guard the base. for every family that lives star wars, this is the place where star wars lives. where a galaxy far, far away... ...is closer than ever before. move along. come join us...during season of the force. now at the disneyland resort. and right now you can save on premium rooms at a disneyland resort hotel. oh, we are back now with our "be a vet for your pet" series and veterinarian dr. jeff werber who say spokesperson for our sponsor iams is here with some great pet travel tips. welcome. >> thanks. >> how are you. >> doing great. >> i have a pooch and what are some safe ways to travel with your pet in the car. >> it's all about safety. here, this is great. kind of like a kid's booster seat. the dog snaps right here. this goes into the seat belt and

they're comfortable. we don't want them running all over the car. this is the classic. the carrier, again, this goes right through, loops right through. this is gracie right through the seat belt and keeps them secure. >> i think a lot of the times you put your dog -- >> they're all over you. no good. when you're traveling you got the basic, high quality pet food and toys, have their medical records, have a picture of them. their vaccination. >> i never thought about that. >> see your vet before you travel. that's important and that's classic for any travel. of course, if you're going to go by air. >> travel by air. >> then you need a carrier that will fit under the seat, that's important unless you have a service dog. that's hard to do but and, again, all about safety and so anything -- this is a hard type. this is soft. these are airline approved. >> really, okay. >> the other alternative is what do you do if you leave the pet at home? >> if i'm leaving for a bit and the pet is at the home, what do you do. >> first of all get a pet sitter. you can -- family member not

lucky enough to go on the trip with you and that happens. and this is great. this is -- called the whistle and it does a few things, in addition to the i.d. tag and microchip which is essential identification but this -- this is great. >> let me. >> this is moon. >> you see. this right here is the whistle and what it does it's an activity monitor and also will alert the gps as well but it alerts -- you can preset a perimeter and if the dog goes outside the perimeter you get an alert on your phone. >> absolutely. so this is great and gracie trying to say what am i doing in here? what am i doing in here. >> these are great tips. thank you very much. >> we want to say thanks to our best friends animal society for bringing these pets. they're all up for adoption so you can take them home and got to thank iams. everyone in the audience is going home. everyone in the audience. you're going home with a whistle gps tracker and also a five-month supply of pet food so we'll be right back, everybody. beauty.

"gma's be a v

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. rex tillerson put exxon's interests before america's.. i'm not here to represent the us government's interest.

instead, tillerson sided with putin. with billions in russian oil deals... he opposed us sanctions on russia... ...for war crimes forced to pay hundreds of millions for toxic pollution... ...putting profits ahead of our kid's health. tell your senators to reject rex tillerson. and protect american interests not corporate interests. it was amazing, the emotional reunion on "gma." twins separated at birth and the jaw-dropping moment they saw each other for the first time that took social media by storm. now tomorrow, the exclusive look at their new lives since this moment only on "gma." ♪ good good

great news, somebody wants to go home -- yeah. hey, we got another surprise, sophie, our special nfl correspondent, we have tickets for you and your family to go see the chiefs. >> oh, my goodness. thank you. yes. thank you. >> thanks a lot!

oh no. oh no. i hate this belt. man oh man. mom, we have a situation. life's bleachable moments need clorox bleach.

good morning, bay area. let's get up and get going. >> this is abc 7 mornings. >> good morning to you. i'm natasha zouves from abc 7 mornin. meteorologist mike nicco has our forecast. >> good morning. hi, everybody. let's take a look at live doppler 7. you can see the tapering of the scattered showers by 9:00. the chance is over. but until then the storm will be light on the impact scale. it will be dry until light to moderate storm next week. we're certainly ready for that, mike. we have a lot of heavy traffic out there. about 45 incidents on the board and we're slowing down on b.a.r.t. san francisco stations about ten minutes behind schedule due to wet weather. we had an earlier mechanical issue on the pittsburg/bay point line. you have a 20-minute delay as well. >> we'll be back at 11:00 a.m. for the midday news. our reporting continues on our

free news app. you can join reggie, mike, alexis, jessica and me for abc 7 mornings weekdays 4:30 to 7:00. >> announcer: it's "live with kelly!" today, from the new film "the young pope," jude law. and from the new film "beaches," nia long. plus, john leguizamo is kelly's cohost for the day. all next on "live!" ♪ [cheering and applauding] and now, here are kelly ripa and john leguizamo! ♪ [cheering and applauding]