good morning, america. breaking overnight, the u.n. calls an emergency meeting over the crisis in syria. as more disturbing images emerge of syria's chemical attack against its own people. the death toll grows this morning, dozens killed including children. the white house now responds condemning the assad regime and also blaming president obama. ivanka trump defends her new role in the white house taking on those claims she is complicit in her father's decisions saying she's trying to be a force for good. the health care battle is back. president trump making a new push to pass his plan. the vice president meeting with key gop lawmakers overnight trying to salvage a deal. severe weather outbreak. tornadoes reported ripping apart a school. the dangerous weather on the move. the entire east coast now on alert. ♪

an ad outrage. the new pepsi commercial featuring kendall jenner sparking a huge firestorm. using protesters and police to sell soda. critics calling it tone deaf. social media having a field day. will the ad be pulled? good morning, america. it is a busy wednesday morning right here and, boy, you got to say if kendall jenner and pepsi wanted some attention, they got it. >> yeah, they're getting a lot of it this morning. a lot of backlash this morning as well as being compared to this famous image of a black lives matter protester and a lot of people taking exception. >> perhaps not the attention pepsi was hoping for. we'll have much more on that coming up. first president trump facing one of his first major challenges overseas, the crisis in syria. the white house is condemning that chemical attack that killed dozens of people.

the worst there in years and the u.n. security council is now holding an emergency meeting about this today. our chief investigative correspondent brian ross is here with all the latest. good morning, brian. >> reporter: good morning, amy. with the united nations security council set to meet here in new york later this morning, the question is whether the civilized world will do anything to stop what's happening in syria. a barbaric, calculated tactic to instill terror producing a video record that cannot be ignored even as it's difficult to watch. in fact, we're not going to show you the worst of the image, because they are simply too horrific. officials this morning say they do not yet know for sure what gas or chemical was used by the syrians to attack this city. but whatever it is, the most rescue workers can do is try to wash the chemicals off as young victims cling to life, struggling to breathe as their lungs collapse. >> the gas attacks are continuing every day and no one is doing anything to stop these gas attacks. >> reporter: it is all so very

sad. and an ugly chapter of history. >> the repeated use of chemicals as weapons in syria is one of the most widespread cases of chemicals used as weapons in modern history. >> reporter: while this local activist reported from one of the hospitals, a follow-on bomb attack put the medical facility out of action. white house press secretary sean spicer called the attacks reprehensible but added -- >> these heinous actions by the bashar al assad regime are a consequence of the past administration's weakness and irresolution. >> reporter: it was two years ago that president obama told the world this would not happen. >> assad gave up his chemical weapons. and that's not speculation on our part. that, in fact, has been confirmed by the organization internationally that is charged with eliminating chemical weapons. >> reporter: now two years later what has happened here has made a mockery of the president.

in effect, the syrian government with the support of russia is now daring the u.s. and president trump to do something to stop them. seemingly indifferent to international treaties that make what's happening there a war crime. when president obama was considering military action four years ago, donald trump tweeted, president obama, don't attack syria. there's no upside, tremendous downside. amy. >> we are hearing a questionable response as to what happened from the russians. >> the russian defense ministry is claiming chemicals released from a rebel bomb factory after being hit by a syrian air strike. weapons experts say that makes'ing makes no sense and say the evidence is overwhelming this is a result of a syrian government attack, amy. >> brian, thank you. more on that from our chief global affairs anchor martha raddatz and, martha, let's pick up on the pressure now facing the trump administration. more pressure to act but not only in that tweet in 2013, but in all last year's campaign, the president saying we have to stay out of syria.

syria is not our problem. now it is his problem. >> reporter: it really is and he can blame president obama and certainly it was president obama who drew that red line, president trump has not drawn any sort of red line. but president trump is in charge now, and the people who elected him want him to do something. they elected him because they didn't like some of barack obama's policies. what president trump does is totally unclear at this point, george. he has been concentrating on isis, not bashar al assad, not getting bashar al assad out of office. >> in fact, just the other day press secretary sean spicer said basically it's realistic to expect that assad is going to remain in place. we also saw something of a contradiction between president trump's statement which is blaming president obama and the secretary of state's statement which put more pressure on iran and russia. >> reporter: yeah, rex tillerson putting a lot of pressure on iran and russia.

we have seen in this white house sometimes different statements from the secretary of state and from the president. i think the president's statement was much more political. rex tillerson is now secretary of state. he has career officers around him, foreign service officers who probably crafted that statement. i think that's part of the difference but very mixed messages you're getting. >> okay, martha raddatz, thank you. we have a second national security challenge breaking. north korea test fired another missile designed to carry a nuclear warhead and jon karl tracking that and, jon, the timing here no accident at all. right before president trump's meeting with the chinese president tomorrow. >> reporter: certainly no accident. this missile lunch comes on the eve of the first president, the first meeting between president trump and the president of china. a meeting where the north korean threat will be at the top of the agenda. now, u.s. military officials say this was a kn-15 intermediate range missile. it only flew about 37 miles off the east coast of north korea

into the sea of japan. but, george, this was a solid fuel rocket. that is concerning because that is the kind of rocket launch that is much harder to detect, but the only response from the administration so far is a terse statement from secretary of state tillerson saying, quote, the united states has spoken enough about north korea. we have no further comment. but president trump had some pointed words about north korea and china just over the weekend in an interview with "the financial times." he said, china has great influence over north korea and china will either decide to help us with north korea or they won't. if they do, that will be very good for china. if they don't, it won't be good for anyone and then, george, he added this. if china is not going to help solve north korea, we will. of course, no indication how. >> and that is the big problem when it comes to the how there are no real good options, north korea has been impervious to pressure and a military strike raises the possibility of

retaliation against south korea. >> absolutely and there are really nothing -- there's nothing further to be done in terms of economic sanctions. it leaves very little further by way of escalating but from the united states other than military option which there really is not a good military option. >> okay, jon karl, thanks very much. we are covering a number of other big stories coming out of washington. a battle under way on capitol hill over president trump's supreme court nominee. republicans and democrats debating through the night and that vote is set for tomorrow morning. and obama national security adviser susan rice back in the news accused of asking for the identities of trump transition officials named in intelligence reports. rice says it was legal and proper to get those names. and she denies making any of it public. on the health care front lawmakers have renewed talks. vice president pence going to capitol hill overnight trying to relaunch the effort to repeal and replace obamacare. our congressional correspondent mary bruce starts us off from capitol hill with all of that. good morning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, amy. yeah, the vice president was

here last night meeting with key republicans for two hours. but still no agreement and no actual legislation. the white house is now eager to bring health care reform back to life and finally get this done. they're even willing to make changes to things that the president promised he wouldn't touch like protections for people with pre-existing conditions. under a new plan those patients could see their health care costs skyrocket. the white house is also now considering letting states opt out of a requirement that insurers cover some basic health care services, but it is simply not clear if all of this is going to be enough to get this done. especially for those ultra conservatives who are the ones who blocked the first attempt. >> right, so, mary, the white house obviously needs to strike that deal with conservative members, but where does that leave the moderates? are they going to be able to support this version? >> reporter: yeah, amy, this is all a delicate balancing act. any concessions that are made to those conservatives risk alienating the moderate, what brought down the bill the first go round. the question is whether they can

strike that balance and this morning it seems they simply haven't reached a consensus that doesn't tip the scale too far in one direction or another. amy. >> mary bruce, thanks so much. george. now we'll dig into that story about obama national security adviser, susan rice, and the questions over how and why she unmasked trump administration officials. named in intelligence reports. that term unmasking is new for most of us. when the u.s. spies on a foreign target an american may get caught up in the surveillance. those names are not revealed. john smith becomes u.s. person. but national security officials can ask for the names to be unmasked if they feel it's necessary to understand the intelligence. unmasking is legal. rules are in place for how it's done. leaking an unmasked name to the press is not legal. abc's cecilia vega is covering the story from the white house. good morning, cecilia. >> reporter: good morning to you, and there is a strong denial from susan rice. she said she did not leak any of those names and did nothing illegal but democrats and republicans see this very differently. the left sees susan rice as a scapegoat. the right sees her as the smoking gun that proves the

president's wiretapping claims. this morning, allies of president trump joining in a chorus of anger. three republican members of congress sending this letter to senate and house intelligence committees demanding that president obama's former national security adviser be called to testify saying that susan rice's behavior appears negligent at best and criminal at worst. to them, she could be the smoking gun that proves president obama wiretapped president trump. but from rice, a firm denial. >> i leaked nothing to nobody. and never have and never would. >> reporter: she does admit she asked to un-mask the identities of americans picked up by surveillance. but she says it was all part of her job. >> this is not anything political has been alleged. that's absolutely false. we can't be passive consumers of this information and not -- and do our jobs effectively to protect the american people. >> reporter: rice would not leak the names, but sources tell abc

news that as the intelligence community investigated russia's election meddling in some cases trump campaign and transition officials were caught up in surveillance. rice requesting their identities. republican lawmakers outraged. >> so if this is what the people are saying it is, this is totally unusual and i think totally wrong and inappropriate. >> reporter: and senator rand paul tweeting, smoking gun found. but rice says there was nothing illegal and there was no wiretapping. >> the intelligence community, the director of the fbi has made that very clear. there was no such collection, surveillance on trump tower or trump individuals. >> reporter: so adamant denial. another republican calls rice the typhoid mary of the obama administration. surprisingly the white house has been pretty restrained on this one, george. sean spicer calling these reports about rice and unmasking troubling. >> okay, cecilia, thanks very much. let's bring in john avlon of

"the daily beast" and author of the new book, "washington's farewell." thanks for coming in. let's try to unpack this whole unmasking controversy if it is, indeed, a controversy. >> sure. >> as cecilia said in the piece, unmasking legal, proper, routine for national security officials. if that information were leaked it would be a problem. >> yes. that's exactly right, but there is not evidence at this point, and that goes to the intent of an unmasking. what she is saying is the politicization of national security in order to deflect from the focus of much of the point on capitol hill which the fbi investigation about possible russian contact with the trump transition and campaign. but this is being pumped up by partisan media by something equivalent to validate the president's claims. >> it has nothing to do with the president's claims about wiretap. >> nothing to do with wiretapping at all but that distinction is not -- is without a difference to most hard-core partisans right now, who are desperately trying to defend the president or deflect away from the main investigation. >> also in washington it's a busy week in washington right now. going on right now on the floor of the senate. you see this filibuster and jeff

merkley, the senator from oregon is right there. he has been talking through the night about judge gorsuch. this is over, though. come friday, judge gorsuch is going to be supreme court justice, neil gorsuch. i guess the question can will this change in the rules this nuclear option, what kind of impact will it have down the road. >> that's the real story. cut to the chase, mitch mcconnell puts the nuclear option and gorsuch becomes a supreme court justice but it's the change of raising that level to a supreme court justice is a change in precedent and democrats knew that end game when they opposed him. here's the real problem. the standard isn't whether you disagree with the up, whether he is qualified to sit and he presented himself as a conservative, but a conciliator and that makes it very difficult to hold that line. so now the nuclear applies to supreme court justice, will the filibuster stand in other areas. >> we will see how it plays out. ivanka trump stepping out. now an official white house employee gave an interview just yesterday where she took on that ad in "saturday night live," the perfume ad, complicit. here was her answer. >> if being complicit is wanting

to -- is wanting to be a force for good and to make a positive impact, then i'm complicit. >> now, it has been reported she has been a moderating influence on her father and says she disagrees with him at times, but now you have the situation where ivanka and her husband jared in many ways the two most powerful people next to the president in the white house. >> yeah, that's a problem within most american standards. i mean it's nepotism and a principle phenomenon. obviously that's not the definition of complicit. the idea is if you're going to stand for certain values and you'll fight for them, how did you get there? if it's based on blood line, that's a problem outside america's best traditions. so, that's something they'll have to confront and prove themselves in the line of fire. >> john, thanks for coming in. michael. thank you, george. we're going to turn now to good news for parents. if your children have made unauthorized purchases on your amazon app you may be able to

get a refund and our chief business correspondent rebecca jarvis is here with the details. hey, rebecca. >> good morning. we see this all the time. we're hearing all of these stories, now amazon is agreeing to pay out $70 million to families whose kids bought things off the app while they were playing free games. the ftc says amazon didn't warn parents that the free games could do that. we've seen google and apple settle similar claims and they all say they've updated their programs. but ultimately all these companies, they want to do business online and make it easy to buy. the problem is when it's so easy your kids playing on the phone or tablet. so for consumers it can cause real headaches. even kanye west ranted against this on twitter specifically going after the game companies that put in-app purchases in their kids' games. tweeting, we give the ipad to our child and every five minutes there's a new purchase. not exactly the coldest story ever told but how could they be so heartless. ba-dum-dum.

>> if kanye tweeted about it, it's serious. we've heard these stories about the kids who ordered things with the virtual assistant. >> heard them. we live them. >> yes, so we hear about this all the time. >> alexa. >> alexa, i have been in the room with an alexa and starts responding you're not exactly anticipating it. for parents, there is good news. all you have to do is return the product. you go through the typical returns process, and for parents who want to add an additional layer of security you can set up a confirmation code and from then on it will make for the code. make sure you're on board with buying whatever alexa -- >> it made my day and showed it to both my daughters. can't get away with it anymore. >> they'll figure a way around it. >> right. >> a lot of parents are happy to hear that. thank you very much, rebecca. we turn to the severe weather that's been across the south. reported tornadoes hitting missouri overnight. damaging a school and fire department. just the latest in a week of extreme weather with 31 reported

tornadoes, more than 450 reports of severe weather and 6 storm-related deaths. now, 54 million people are in the crosshairs. alabama's governor already declared a state of emergency before the next storm moves in. rob marciano is here and he's been tracking it all. good morning. >> good morning, michael. we are making up for last year which was relatively quiet. as a reported tornado hitting last night, goodman, missouri. you just spoke about it. the fire department torn up there, the elementary school, several homes as well. luckily, no serious injuries. we were watching the storm. it will track east. already we have a severe thunderstorm. watch out for much of alabama and georgia. first of several rounds that will come through as the larger storm across the midwest and heartland tap moisture from the gulf of mexico. some jet energy here, and we have a moderate risk for montgomery, macon, atlanta. almost into nashville and goes into the ohio river valley as well and tonight and tomorrow we get into the mid-atlantic for a messy day across the northeast. more on that later. now though your stormy cities brought to you by mazda. more on that later.

now though your stormy cities. . . br. ou. g. h. t . o . . . t. . . o. . y. ou. . . . . . good morning. i'm abc7 news meteorologist mike nicco. warm and dry today. limited sunshine. see the cloud cover out there already. back to back storms tomorrow and friday. dry sunday and warmer next week. not quite this warm and definitely warmer next week than the rainy days. 73 to 77 for the rest of us. the cloud canopy keeps us low to mid-50s tonight. my forecast, two mod cat storms thursday

coming up that pepsi commercial starring kendall jenner sparking a lot of backlash overnight. we'll tell you about it. more trouble for fox news. three women who say they were harassed because of their race are joining us live. sit an abc news exclusive. stay with us. the comfort in knowing where things are headed. because as we live longer... and markets continue to rise and fall... predictable is one thing you need in retirement to help protect what you've earned and ensure it lasts. introducing brighthouse financial. a new company established by metlife to specialize in annuities & life insurance. talk to your advisor about a brighter financial future. larger than life fairy tales? endless magic? a world beyond belief? stories that come alive? or faraway lands?

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good morning. 7:23. i'm reggie aqui from abc7 mornings. breaking nulls out of maryland where an f-16 military jet crashed about five or six miles from joint base andrews. the only pilot on board ejected and sustained nonlife threatening injuries. the aircraft reportedly went down south of national harbor in maryland. this is a helicopter searching for the wreckage. officials are trying to gather details like whether the aircraft was taking off or landing. more on that as we get it, of course. back here at home, let's see the traffic, alexis. >> back to the fremont area with a major headache all morning. first crash is gone. still one lane blocked southbound 880. and we're backed up about ten miles but that drive time basically cut in half from 30

minutes ago. and we have a sig alert eastbound 24 just before fish ranch road. two left lanes are blocked. that is all due to a crash. reggie? >> thank you. we'l

all right. let's get you out the door with the current temperatures. 40s and 50s. same as yesterday and not as much sunshine and temperatures still in the aim ballpark. low to mid-60s at the coast. mid to upper 70s for the rest of us. through about 4:00 and then 50s and 60s at 7:00. my accuweather 7-day forecast, back to back moderate storms thursday and friday. scattered showers saturday. reggie? >> thank you. coming up, new allegations against fox news claiming racial discrimination. the accusers are speaking next on "gma." we have another news update about 30 minutes and always on news app and abc7news.com.

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welcome back to "gma." that is, of course, the pepsi ad making quite a bit of headlines this morning featuring supermodel kendall jenner joining a protest making peace by handing an officer a can of soda. a can of pepsi to be specific. it's getting a lot of backlash this morning, and being compared to the black lives matter movement. we'll have much more in just a moment. >> not necessarily compared favorably. >> no. no. also right now, battle to confirm president trump's pick for the supreme court going all through the night of the that's a live look at the senate floor. jeff merkley in the 12th hour of his speech protesting judge neal gorsuch. votes set for tomorrow morning. if it fails republicans could invoke what's called the nuclear option to confirm judge gorsuch with a majority vote. and the american woman injured in the london terror attack is meeting with the royal family. melissa cochran lost her husband, kurt, during the attack

on the westminster bridge. princes william and harry and duchess kate meeting privately with the families. as well as the first responders. to that ad sparking a lot of outrage out there. critics are calling it tone deaf and linsey davis is here with more. good morning, linsey. >> reporter: good morning to you, michael. 21-year-old kendall jenner is the first model to get a big pepsi ad since cindy crawford in 1992, but that's being overshadowed where many are calling it tasteless saying it takes advantage of serious issues and movements to sell soda. this morning, a new pepsi ad is falling flat, getting a major backlash on social media. ♪ >> reporter: at the center of the controversial soft drink commercial, model and kardashian sister, kendall jenner, seen participating in a high-end photo shoot as the streets flood with political protesters. some are calling out the scene for exploiting the black lives matter movement.

jenner quickly ditches her high fashion shoot to join the masses. the model then appears to bring an end to the protests just by sharing a pepsi with a police officer. pepsi says the ad is meant to be a short film about letting go and following your passions, an attempt to appeal to a younger demographic, but many are noting the similarity between the image of jenner and the officer to this widely circulated photo of black lives matter aisha evans when she approached police at a demonstration in baton rouge. twitter erupted overnight with tweets like, i've been studying commercials for 30 years. kendall's pepsi ad is legitimately the worst one i've ever seen. and how nice of kendall jenner to stop in the middle of her photo shoot to end social injustices by giving that cop a pepsi. mlk who? rosa who? pepsi is defending the ad saying it reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony.

one tweet about the commercial that's getting thousands of likes and retweets is one that theorizes this pepsi ad is so bad, it must actually be an ad for coke. >> ouch. >> but that's just one theory. >> let's talk a little bit more about this and bring in entertainment expert, larry hackett. this is, i mean, just crushing, these responses online and really is built up into quite a frenzy. what do you believe was pepsi's initial intention for creating a commercial like this? >> you can imagine the meeting where pepsi was saying we need to get more relevant. young people aren't drinking enough soda. they're drinking pomegranate juice and sports drinks so they looked at their interviews and bar graphs about the various symmetrics about what young people want, and they said, okay, they're more tolerant of different races and more socially active then got involved and they like protests of the let's throw that in. they like celebrities, and they like the kardashians, let's throw her in. when you put those ingredients

all sound fine together like pepperoni and snickers and grapes, you put that all in a pot, doesn't taste very good. and that's -- >> doesn't sound very good. >> that's what you have here. you know, again, created in some frankenstein lab of advertising and this is what you ended up with. >> pretending she's walking off a commercial while being in the middle of a commercial. >> right. so they are -- look. all advertising is something of a compression of ideas into a very small spot. if you look at the super bowl and the coke ad or the budweiser ad or the 84 lumber ad, you know, those are narrative that is work and very, very effective. this, again, on paper something they thought would work out but it didn't. it's going to produce these kinds of memes and commentary and what pepsi wanted was relevant and an association with young people. now they'll become the laughingstock. >> what kind of effect could this have on pepsi now? >> it will have this effect in terms of the bottom line, not much. it's a massive company. they may not sell as much soda to people. i don't think it will have an effect on kendall jenner. she is just in the commercial. it isn't her fault but i think it's going to be a cautionary tale for a lot of other

marketers who have to be very careful about how they sell things. >> can a commercial tap into a movement successfully without offending? >> ironically, in 1971, there was a famous coke ad i'd like to teach the world to sing. that took place on a hilltop with attractive young people singing a song. it may have been insipid but it was in a world craving a kind of separation from all the tumult of the 1960s and it wasn't really engaging with all the elements out there. it was referring to them, but not directly. that worked and was a perfect element and perfect for its time. >> do you think they have to pull this? >> i think they're going to pull it. i don't think they can withstand this kind of abuse. i think every time it comes on, it's just going to be one joke after another. i admire they're trying to defend this, and we're talking about it at 7:30 in the morning that we're talking about is not pepsi was looking for at least not in this way. >> not in this way. those explosive allegations against fox news. accused of racially charged harassment. the three women suing the network join us live. an abc news exclusive next.

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we are back with fox news under fire. at least 22 companies have now pulled ads from the "the o'reilly factor" after those explosive allegations of sexual harassment against the primetime star. fox also facing a lawsuit from three women alleges racial discrimination. we'll talk to them after abc's mara schiavocampo brings us the latest. good morning, mara. >> reporter: good morning, the national organization for women is now calling for o'reilly to be fired and now another lawsuit against the company. not about sexual harassment, but race. some employees saying they were ridiculed because they were black. >> welcome aboard. congratulations. >> reporter: this morning, explosive new allegations against fox news. this time, the network accused of appalling discrimination. one former and two current employees in the network's payroll department accusing a supervisor of racially charged harassment and saying fox did nothing to stop it. in this new 36-page lawsuit,

tichaona brown, tabrese wright and monica douglas claiming the former head of accounting, judith slater, who is white harassed the three black women calling their department the urban payroll department. questioning whether tabrese wright's three children were all fathered by the same man and expressing an unwillingness to even be near black people. the lawsuit also claiming slater made disparaging remarks about other races too allegedly calling her daily commuter train the bombay express due to the number of people of indian descent. and referring to day laborers as cheap mexicans. monica douglas who are still works at fox, alleges even though slater warned her not to complain to hr, she did report the alleged harassment in november 2014. but she claims nothing was done until a little over a month ago when their allegations went public. fox fired slater citing what it called the 19-year veteran's abhorrent behavior. >> fox is now in the midst of

chaos. it's in the midst of a crisis of credibility. >> reporter: all of this happening as the network's former chairman roger ailes facing a new sexual harassment suit brought by julie areginsky. >> he has completely frozen the field. >> reporter: and fox's biggest star, bill o'reilly -- >> we begin right now. >> reporter: under fire after a recent "the new york times" article reporting the anchor and parent company of fox news paid nearly $13 million in settlements over claims of inappropriate behavior by o'reilly including sexual harassment over the last 15 years. >> we are calling today for an independent investigation into the culture of sexual harassment at fox news. >> reporter: this morning, more top advertisers pulling out of the "the o'reilly factor" which brought in $446 million in advertising revenue from 2014 to 2016. now losing at least 22 companies. including mercedes, bmw, hyundai, mitsubishi, allstate,

lexus and bayer. one additional note. we incorrectly said that 30 women had filed lawsuits over sexual harassment allegations while an attorney for one of the alleged victims say there have been 30 such allegations only three such lawsuits have been filed. now, back to that racial discrimination suit. in a statement in response to the lawsuit fox says there is no place for conduct like this at fox news which is why miss slater was fired and that's the latest from that suit. >> okay, thanks very much. now we'll get more. we're joined by tichaona brown, tabrese wright, monica douglas and their attorney, douglas wigdor. good morning to all of you. you said it was comments about the black lives matter movement that was the tipping point. what were they? >> essentially, walking down the hallway, if you encountered any -- if i encountered judith slater, she would put up her hands in this, you know, motion i guess mocking the black lives matter movement.

walking into the bathroom. even saying good night to her at night, she required us to say good night at 6:00 or whatever time you're leaving and instead of saying good night back it's hands up, don't shoot. that was definitely the tipping point for me. >> she actually had you repeat words. what was that about? >> she called me down to her office one day and she was actually in a meeting with her accounting team and she had these words on post-its and she said, i want you to say this word, and it was mother, and then she picked up another one, and it was father, and then ask fifth, and all these words, and i said, why do you have me doing this and she said like black people continuously mispronounce these words and i have a couple of people, black people on my staff and it's just words that are always mispronounced in meetings and she wanted to see if i as well, mispronounce these words.

>> whoa. tabrese, you worked in the payroll department and called it you say the urban payroll department. >> yeah, the urban payroll division. >> and? >> it was insulting, appalling and we shouldn't have to deal with that at all. >> so, what are the circumstances where she comes up to you and asks if all your children have the same father? >> we were in the elevator one day and she came up and she saw me with a bag and she was like, oh, big bag. and i'm like, yes. and she's like, i'm just like i'm going to take my food home because i didn't finish eating it. i'm going to take it to my kids. she's like, oh, you have children. i have three. all by the same man and i'm like, yes. i was shocked. i was shocked. >> and why not take these complaints to the hr division? >> with my prior experience, hr does not do anything. i had a situation where my

senior director, she had been to hr and to the legal department and spoken with a senior vice president and our head legal counsel for fox news and nothing happened. >> monica, you just joined the suit recently, and say in addition to these allegations of racial discrimination, you were mocked for your breast cancer. >> yes, that's correct. >> what happened? >> she would often say -- call me out, cancer girl, a one-boob girl. >> just in the normal course of business? >> in the normal course of business day in front of my staff. >> and according to the complaint you raise these issues with fox's general counsel, diane brandy. so what happened then? >> that's also correct. i had a discussion with diane regarding judy's behavior and expressed my experience with her and diane simply said she's untouchable. >> untouchable. >> she cannot be fired because she knows too much.

>> that's really the bigger story here, george. there's really a cover-up going on at fox at the highest levels. judy slater worked at fox for eight years. she didn't wake up in year 17 and become a racist. she had been doing this all along, and at the highest levels including the general counsel. they were willing to let this happen solely because she knew too much, and what she knew as we're reading about and understanding and seeing in the government investigation is how there had been all these settlements and trying to cover up the settlements. >> you're saying the fact that fox fired her and is not appropriate for her to be there. it isn't enough. >> they fired her knowing for many years that she was engaged in this conduct and that's reprehensible. they let it happen because she was the comptroller and privy to all. the information about all of the various different settlements that have been going on at fox for years. >> what's the most important thing you want out of all this? >> i want a voice for many years

of feeling voiceless and just to, you know, let people who -- black women who are going through the same thing that are still working at fox to, you know, speak up and to not have it happen any longer. >> thanks for sharing your story this morning. >> you're welcome. >> thank you. >> michael. >> thank you, george. coming up on our big board would you plant a microchip in your hand if your company asked you to? we're going to be back in two minutes to talk about just that. you

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do see the scenario. okay, you come to work. have you your key card, right. you key in, you go into work and then you come out a few hours later to get coffee and realize, oh, i forgot my key card. this has happened to me a few times and this is the problem that this swedish company is offering its employees voluntarily to solve by taking a microchip. it's about the size of a grain of rice, and planting it in the space between your thumb and your forefinger, and this acts like your key card. you can open doors, you can use the copier. you can even buy food at the company cafeteria for those of us who are forgettable i do see the scenario. >> you know, forgetful or not, becky, this is still scary to me. something i don't think i would volunteer to do. as with most new technologies there's some privacy issues or concerns. so, what are the potential issues with this type of technology being implanted? >> big one, michael. you're right. we're talking about your employer being able to track you

from point to point. this doesn't have gps but if they had scanners they could track you as you go everywhere. i mean i love you all but i don't need you to know where i am all the time. so i really think the company says the ceo says this is voluntary and your phone history and your browsing poses more of a threat. i don't know. are you guys getting chipped for abc? >> that would be a big no, becky, but thank you for telling us how the technology works. we appreciate that. >> thanks for speaking with me. i'm with you on that note. coming up next, we'll hear from mama june opening up about that incredible transformation. how she dropped nearly 300 pounds and what her daughter honey boo boo has to say about it. it's a lot actually. honey boo boo has to say about coming up, "gma's" concert series is brought to you by belvita breakfast biscuits. the delicious way to fuel your morning. by belvita breakfast biscuits. the delicious way to fuel your morning.

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good morning. 7:56. i'm reggie aqui. the search continues for the missing 3 year, madeline wallin. last seen with her father michael late yesterday. mountain view police say he abducted her during an argument with her mother. call police immediately if you see either one of them. mike, how's the forecast look? >> hi, even. cloudy than yesterday. temperatures the same. mid-40s to mid-50s on the way to mid to upper 60s at the coast. her's the 7-day forecast. back to back moderate storms on the storm impact scale. >> okay. things looking better especially on eastbound 880. drive times here, albany to the maze at 9 minutes. southbound 880 fremont to san

jose, cut in half down to 26 minutes and the earlier problems cleared and no issues on northbound 280. >> thank you. mama june opens up on how she lost close to 300 pounds next. another abc7 news

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. severe weather threat. tornadoes rip through the south and more twister threats loom. major cities on alert as the dangerous weather is now tracking towards the east coast. barry manilow, the pop legend opening up for the first time about being gay. hiding his sexuality for decades. his secret marriage and why he's speaking out now. and one astonishing transformation. mama june revealing just how she went from size 24 to 4. >> i've never seen myself as a big person even when i was a size 28. >> how she lost almost 300 pounds. her quest to get healthy and what her daughter honey boo boo is saying about it. >> it's like they cut off her head and put her in another body. ♪ one-on-one with julia roberts. america's favorite movie star revealing her favorite thing

about being a parent. what inspires her and why she says this -- >> if you return my weekly phone calls, that would probably keep it moving a little better. hank azaria and amanda peet here live in times square. and they're here to say -- >> both: good morning, america. good morning, america. they nailed it. happy wednesday to all of you. well come to everyone in the audience. >> amy, as we saw earlier, you had a chance to sit down with mama june and talk about her extreme weight loss. >> it wasn't my first time actually, by the way. take a look at me -- see, look, i'm a part of the family. i spoke with june and her daughter alana also known as honey boo boo four years ago and

that was another public time for the pair, and you can see june has lost nearly 300 pounds. >> good for her. [ applause ] >> have your hands full in the interview. >> i did. always. alana makes it interesting. >> yes, honey boo boo. that's great. also, has daniel craig decided to, well, shake up his feelings about playing bond? you know what they say, never say never again. is he back? is he not back? we'll get into it in "pop news." >> can't wait to hear more. many means of persuasion for daniel craig. first we have the get some headlines from amy. good morning, everyone. the u.n. security council is holding an emergency meeting today following the chemical attack in syria that killed dozens including children. a human rights group now puts the death toll at 72. u.s. officials say evidence points to dictator bashar al assad's regime being responsible. officials have not confirmed the gas or chemical used in the

attack. north korea has fired another ballistic missile into the sea of japan as president trump prepares to meet tomorrow with china's president to discuss how to respond to the growing threat posed by north korea's nuclear program. and more than 50 million americans from florida to ohio are bracing for severe weather and possible tornadoes. a reported tornado hit a small town in southwest missouri last night. badly damaging a fire station, school and several homes. the clock is ticking in the bitter partisan battle over supreme court nominee, neil gorsuch. overnight democrats held the senate floor to protest gorsuch but republicans say they have the votes to change the rules so they can block a filibuster and confirm gorsuch with a simple majority. and gay rights advocates are calling a new ruling a game changer. a federal appeals court has ruled lgbt employees are protected from workplace discrimination under the 1964 civil rights act. the case stems from a lawsuit filed by an indiana teacher who claims she lost a job because of her sexual orientation.

well, a third grader in florida recovering from burns after his cell phone battery burst into flames at school. the 9-year-old took the battery out to silence the phone's beeping. when he dropped it, officials say it caught fire, forcing the entire school to evacuate. well, a new study about the size of your brain may offer an insight as to the study of alzheimer's. researchers say brain scans that show sharp memories experience brain shrinkage twice as slowly as people their own age. and some could be more susceptible to alzheimer's. finally, talk about a dream job. scientists researching space travel are looking to hire some young men who don't mind just lying around in bed for two months straight. literally. the catch is they cannot leave the bed. they have to do everything lying down and when i say everything, i mean everything so let your mind just go there, okay. the scientists can study the

effects of gravity this way. the job pays $17,000 for 60 days of work, and some are calling it one small rest for mankind. >> some? >> there it is right here. she did it herself. >> don't give away my secrets, george. >> still good. still great. way to finish. >> credit where credit is due. >> thank you. >> "pop news" time. yes, indeed, good morning to you guys and good morning to you all. lots to get to. we'll start with the latest on james bond actor daniel craig otherwise known as 00. did i say that? thank you. after saying he would rather slash his wrists, i quote, than do another bond film word now that craig is once again the front-runner to reprise the role for a fifth time. page 6 is reporting that the actor is reportedly back on board after producer barbara broccoli of the 007 franchise gave him a role of othello in an off broadway production of the shakespeare work and he was

pleased that critic saw him as a serious actor, and that satisfied him about not being typecast in the future and the other main contender tom hiddleston fell out of grace. shooting will begin as soon as daniel uses those golden fingers to sign on the dotted line. you know what they say, you only live twice. >> there was so much controversy when he first became bond because some people thought he was a little too rough for it but now i can't imagine him not being bond. he's great. >> of course, he'll be good. he has millions and millions of reasons why to come back. also -- and he's also really -- that's right. he's so good at it too. also in "pop news" this morning, beyonce's buzz goes beyond chart topping hits and award wins. queen bey also a social media mogul according to a new report about online presence. the grammy winner is the most valuable celebrity on all of social media.

in fact, a single post from her brings over a million dollars worth of advertising, one post equals a million dollars in advertising. all that social significance and yet she's only the 22 most followed personality online with 99 million followers. selena gomez has the most with 116 million fans, but she's behind beyonce when it comes to the worth of a single post. moneyish.com is revealing the secret and that is posting quality over quantity. >> ah. okay. >> makes sense. 116 million followers. >> still not the most. it is true. how many times she posts something and we talk about it so she's very good at it and i'm sure has a terrific team behind her. and finally, bring you treats. and there is a great reason. something that we need to do in our country, frankly.

it is time for the annual mac and cheese festival in all of scotla scotland, and i wish all of america. >> hey. and i met some scottish ladies in the back earlier today. >> we thank you for your country's contribution to culinary deliciousness. when it rome as they say or as in glasgow we asked a fabulous restaurant in new york to help us get in the spirit. it's a gathering where every restaurant in the land is to submit their take on the best mac and cheese and ticket holders get to try each and every one of them. rating every bite from bad to gouda on a score card. thank you. thank you. and the eatery with the best meal is given a macaroni and cheese shaped trophy which i want to show our props department because nobody does a trophy like our props department. >> are you watching carbs? what's going on? >> i can't eat in the morning. i'll be honest. >> it's 8:08 and you are scaring that down like it's breakfast.

>> amy's other secret. she's the biggest eater on the set. >> i do like to eat. >> which is proof positive that the metabolism. it's fuel. >> i work out to eat. i need my fuel. >> and that's "pop news," everybody. enjoy your mac and cheese. >> her second breakfast. inside barry manilow's private world. his secret marriage and why he chose to keep his sexual hidden for decades. and we have the secret behind mama june's extreme weight loss. we'll find out how she totally transformed her life when she talks with amy. "gma's morning menu" is brought to you by chick-fil-a. they only gave me one. are you serious? wait- mama, you're going to be an abuela your face yeah, this is how she tells me

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♪ it takes two to make a thing go right ♪ ♪ it takes two to make it outta sight ♪ back now on "good morning america" with news on barry manilow. the legendary singer revealing in "people" magazine that he has hid his sexuality from fans for decades but is now ready to tell his story. abc's chris connelly is in los angeles with all of the details. good morning to you, chris.

>> reporter: and good morning, lara. even devotees known as fannilows may not be expecting to see him on the cover of "people" magazine at age 73, and they may be surprised also to know how they factored into manilow keeping his private life private until now. ♪ the copacabana ♪ the hottest spot north of havana ♪ >> reporter: through nearly 50 years as a hit maker and an entertainer with flair, barry manilow has delighted his devoted listeners. ♪ i can't smile without you >> reporter: giving them a steady streams of easy on the ears love songs ever since his 1974 ballad "mandy." ♪ oh, mandy you came and you gave without taking ♪ ♪ but i sent you away >> reporter: now 73 and he says off the road for keeps after a 2016 tour. manilow has news to share revealing in the latest issue of

people that he's gay and that in 2014, he married his longtime love and manager garry kief. >> barry told us that just looking at his husband and saying i love in front of his close family and friends was much more meaningful than he anticipated. ♪ i'm ready to take a chance again ♪ >> reporter: rising to stardom in an era when such revelations were thought to be career threatening manilow chose not to share his sexual orientation with his fans earlier because he says, i thought i would be disappointing them if they knew i was gay. >> barry remained mum on his sexuality for years, and it was something that he never talked about. >> reporter: yet in a career that began with writing well-known ad jingles. ♪ there is nothing so clean ♪ as my burger machine >> do the jingle! ♪ like a good neighbor state farm is there ♪ >> reporter: music director for bette midler in 1971. ♪ going to the chapel

♪ and we're going to get married ♪ >> reporter: and on to the mainstream singalong melodies so many have savored. ♪ i write the songs that make the whole world sing ♪ >> reporter: those who love manilow and his music have never been disappointed. ♪ looks like we made it ♪ we left each other on the way ♪ >> reporter: manilow telling "people" he's been heartened by the early response to his news calling it so beautiful and saying i'm so grateful for it. good news all around, lara. >> that is great news. chris, thank you so much. >> just love those songs. >> so good. i'm hitting itunes later. coming up, mama june on her incredible weight loss. how she went from a size 24 to a size 4. she talked to amy about it.

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kind of like this look. i'm calling it the "name your price tool" phase. whatever. i'm calling it the "name your price tool" phase. this group we got going here, they want to see something snowy because it's april. check it out. colorado springs got a lot of snow. enough that, you know, forget about snowmen. we're closer to easter than we are christmas so snow bunnies.

there they are. peter cotton tail right around the corner. the kid looks like the kid from "christmas story" and breckenridge getting over a foot of fresh powder. they continue that in the mountains. you like that easter bunny. bring on peter cotton tail. good morning. i'm abc7 news meteorologist mike nicco. warm and dry today. limited sunshine. see the cloud cover out there already. back to back storms tomorrow and friday. dry sunday and warmer next week. not quite this warm and definitely warmer next week than the rainy days. 73 to 77 for the rest of us. the cloud canopy keeps us low to mid-50s tonight. my forecast, two mod cat storms thursday and now to that stunning transformation of june better known as mama june from "here comes honey boo boo" at her heaviest she weighed 450 pounds and now she is not only revealing the dramatic changes

to her body but also to her love life and family. >> alana! let's go. >> reporter: they are the self-proclaimed redneck who is rocked to fame faster than you could say -- >> me honey boo boo child. >> reporter: but a lot has changed for 11-year-old alana, honey boo boo thompson and her mom june shannon since i traveled to mcintyre, georgia, four years ago. ♪ honey boo boo, honey boo boo >> reporter: sort of. mama june officially split from on again off again love sugar bear, bought herself a new home and, oh, yeah, she looks like this. >> it's like they cut off her head and put it on another body. >> yeah, that's what they always say. >> reporter: mama june's nearly 300-pound weight loss documented on we tv's "mama june: from not to hot" going from a size 24 to 4 with the help of gastric sleeve surgery and the results

of her shocking transformation kept under wraps until now. you were in hiding basically. >> i couldn't go to the grocery store. i wasn't able to associate with anybody. i wasn't able to go to her school. i mean it was crazy. >> reporter: when is the last time you were a size 4/5. >> never. >> probably 8. >> reporter: june letting cameras roll even during the most private moments. what do you hope viewers take away? are you hoping you can inspire? >> it's a temporary fix. don't think it's a piece of all pieces, because it's not. you have to work almost every day. i'm not saying i'm the most perfect person because trust me, i do eat. >> reporter: alana, has the food changed in our house, and have you changed how you eat? >> every once in a while she's bring in something unhealthy but mostly the food in our house is healthy. >> reporter: the 37-year-old undergoing two more painful surgeries to remove her excess skin. >> nine pounds of skin came off my stomach. skin, skin. you know, a pound apiece came off my arms. right here half a pound. >> people now finally get to see

what i always knew i looked like on the inside. >> i've never seen myself as a big person even when i was a size 28. >> reporter: while she headlines the show make no mistake, there is only one star. >> i really think we should count though, how many times i asked you a question and alana answered it. what do you see when you look in the mirror? >> she sees the person that she's always wanted to be. >> reporter: what was the tipping point -- >> not -- >> you are so candid. >> mama is just going to let it out there. >> what's reality? >> the reality -- >> i mean, hold it. okay, shh. >> reporter: it's no wonder "here comes honey boo boo" became tv gold. in 2014, that all came crashing down when tlc canceled the show when mama june was reported to date a child abuser. june repeatedly denied that relationship. any regrets you want to talk about? >> it's like beating a dead horse and kills me people still talk about that [ bleep ] today.

>> what's your relationship with anna? >> it depends on if i'm giving her money or not. honestly. i'm not trying to be funny. it's a true situation. if i'm giving her money and what she wants she's good. if i'm not, then we can argue. >> reporter: anna telling abc news they have no relationship. now, anna recently said she thinks you only did this show and lost all this weight for fame. >> anna thinks she -- mama only did this show because she didn't want to pay for it but that is not true at all. >> my insurance paid for the gastric sleeve surgery because, you know, anybody says after a certain bmi and this surgery i had it paid for. it was going to happen whether the cameras were there or not. >> reporter: cameras were there as june jumped back into the dating pool unsuccessfully. >> what do you think about your mom's dating life? >> it's gone worse because i have a boyfriend and she doesn't. >> oh. what's his name? >> justin. >> want to say anything to

ju justin if he is watching? >> hello. i talked to him this morning. he read it and just didn't text me back. >> he didn't text me back. >> that's why i don't date. >> we're hoping justin texts alana back. this season finale of "mama june: from not to hot" airs friday on we tv. alana wanted to give me a big reveal. i asked her what was next, and she said, mama, can i tell her? finally she said she's going to be on a scripted show which means alana may be an actress. which i kind of think she already is. you saw her doing it. she was constantly looking for the attention it. i said is she dancing there and mama june said, no, she's just bored. thanks a lot. all right. we'll be right back. hopefully i'll keep you guys inspired. p you guys inspired.

good morning to you. i'm natasha zouves. the search continues this morning for a 3-year-old. madeline wallin was last seen with her father michael late yesterday. mountain view police say he abducted her during an argument with her mother. let's get to alex smith with a check of the commute. hi, alexis. >> good morning. westbound 80 we have a new crash right around hill top drive. it was briefly blocking all lanes. sounds like it's down to the far right lane now and a backup there and coming from the hercules area, expect delays. southbound 680 wide open at the moment through walnut creek and looking pretty good. back to you. back to you. >> back to you. >> welcome to maxx you. you are whimsical, vibrant, statement making.

we see what makes you unique. so we have something for everyone, at a price that's just right for you. maxx you. maxx life. t.j.maxx

hi there. we have one neighborhood, santa rosa, still in the 40s. the rest of us in the 50s. today you can see trying to break through the cloud cover. temperatures the same as yesterday. back to back storms, both of them a 2, moderate on a storm impact scale with gusty winds, moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms possible tomorrow and friday. natasha. >> thank you, mike. we'll have another update in about 30 minutes and of course always on the free abc7 news

app. remember, you can join reggie, mike, alexis, jessica and me for abc7 mor soulcycle on hollywood boulevard in los angeles, california. we are here to say -- >> all: good morning, america. [ applause ] the very energetic and inspiring scene there our folks at soulcycle out in l.a. a lot of energy in times square with this audience. give yourselves a round. a great audience. [ applause ] we're going to add to that with some great guests who are going to join us at the table. please welcome the very funny and very talented stars of the new show "brockmire," amanda peet and hank azaria. [ applause ] >> hi.

mwah. >> how are you? >> good to see you. >> hello, gang. >> hi. >> mwah. mwah. >> how are you doing, mike? >> hi. >> hi. [ applause ] >> oh, you were just going to be the escort. escort out and leave. >> bring her out. >> is that what you were doing? >> i know you guys are looking at the table. i want everybody to know i brought everybody treats this morning. but for a good reason. okay, there's this whole study that was done by a doctor who is an ear, nose and throat doctor. i don't know why they did the study but it was about how people eat their food. they found that 59% of people when they eat a chocolate bunny start by eating the ears. >> yep. >> only 59%. >> only 59%. george, i haven't even gotten through it and you're already eating the ears. maybe the bunny needed to hear what i needed to say.

i'm just curious. how do you guys start eating -- >> the ears. >> always the ears. >> where do the other 41% start? >> yeah, the feet. the feet. you can start at the feet. >> guys, i'm jewish. >> are you going to boycott -- >> so this is really unfamiliar for me and for hank. >> would you like a chocolate menorah brought out? how could we handle it? >> this is not, you know, i'm not familiar with -- >> there's other parts of the study. how do you eat your pizza? do you fold it or eat it open? >> fold. >> i'm a folder. >> you don't want to get -- >> i'm a folder. >> if it has a lot of toppings on it it's too hard to fold. >> that's true. if it's too hot, but i didn't expect to be hit with such hard-hitting questions. >> at the top. >> i was expecting softball. >> what kind of show is this? >> but if it's really too hot i'll do the knife and fork

thing. sometimes i cut it right down the middle and it's a little -- >> it's weird that -- >> it's weird? >> it's new york. >> i'm from queens. excuse me. >> excuse me yourself. >> i'm allowed to eat my pizza any frickin' way i want. >> how do you eat your oreos? do you just piet bite the whole thing? >> you open it up and eat the -- with the little filling inside. >> you actually open yours. >> you get the filling. >> open it up, twist and then go like this. >> it's an extra step. >> i just bite the top off the bottom. >> you want to -- >> that's an extra step. i just eat it. >> do you want to go home and think about this question? >> they're never coming back. >> i wasn't expecting to get so personal and reveal so much. i like to dip the oreos in the milk or the coffee. >> yes. well, thank you for sharing. >> do it any way you want. now we will talk about your new show "brockmire," by the way. >> congratulations. >> thank you very much.

>> big congratulations is in order. second season is already been picked up -- >> i believe we -- >> congratulations to you. >> thank you. i believe we're announcing that here. our second season has already been picked up. [ applause ] >> he is a sportscaster had a fall from grace. he's getting a second chance thanks to amanda's character. and he has a very distinct voice. i'd love to know who you're channeling and what it feels like to always have that voice. it's not just when he's in the booth. >> oh, no, he always talks like this. this is the way jack brockmire talks, and it's the -- i sent the show to bob costas and all men i admire and they did, america. yes, thank you. [ applause ] amanda, before the show, you were a big baseball fan? >> i'm not -- i -- i don't get it. >> still? >> standing around. still?

there's so much standing around. i watch ken burns' documentary and i still don't get it. i feel like nobody ever makes it to first base. you wait and you wait and you wait and -- >> kind of like life. >> i was going to say it sounds like middle school. >> you wait and you wait and you wait. >> that's the beauty of baseball. you know, look, this is a generic baseball announcer voice, okay, from the '70s especially which is what bob costas correctly identified and, you know, when most of your sport is watching grown men stand around and fidget slightly it helps to have it described by charismatic men with deep voices and helps to have a tremendous buzz on. >> which brockmire always does. >> the show is the unfiltered truth. it's baseball, it's sex and it's a whole lot of drinking which, you know, well, it is. and i don't know if you ever

tried to do either of those things sober, sex or baseball, but it's not good. >> no, but that's -- it's -- >> they're both -- >> sex while announcing sex. >> that happens too. >> he calls the sex that we have. >> play-by-play. >> that's not the clip we're going to show. >> darn it. >> well, this will be disappointing. >> p.a. announcer? darling, on the phone you promised me a multiplatform distribution dealy. >> that was kind of euphemism for the internet where charles here will be uploading clips of your broadcasts. >> i've been working on keeping my hand really steady. >> um, you lied to me. >> i hustled you. there's a difference. [ applause ] >> yeah, they go on to eventually have sex and brockmire calls it. >> how do you keep a straight

faces,amanda, when he is doing that? >> i didn't. i didn't. i ruined a lot of film. >> she did. we just had to use takes where she was laughing at my calling the sex because that's all there was. >> i tried to hide but even if you hide your face there's still this. >> i want to talk about your voices. you've been doing voices for 30 years, over 100 characters from "the simpsons" alone? >>like 20 or 30 main running ones. >> do you have a favorite? >> my favorite character is moe the bartender. [ cheers and applause ] >> oh, there's many -- there's moe, there he is right there. let's see. my favorite to do, of course, is professor frank. are you familiar with professor frank, my dear child? yes. >> how about the one of the greatest ever from "the birdcage." >> agador spartacus. >> all right. take it easy.

the noise frightens me, so just relax. >> how do you come up with all of these? >> i'm a mimic. i imitate things i hear. i always have. i didn't realize it was a marketable skill till i was about 20. and then just made a career out of it much to my amazement. >> amanda, another one of my favorite shows is "game of thrones." everyone knows that. i'm very excited about the next season. your husband is a writer, producer. have you ever tried to be on the show, asked to be on the show? want to be on the show? >> i can't. you're going like this. >> yeah. >> appropriate for that show. >> it was. must have been in my head. i'm sorry. >> many of the women. yes. >> you see a lot. >> yes, i try to sort of obliquely audition for them if we go out and have a couple of drinks, i'll try doing an english accent and just out of nowhere to see if they'll suddenly be like, wow, amanda, want to come on our show but it

just hasn't happened yet. >> but you try. you're going to keep trying. >> yeah, i keep trying. yeah. >> the great thing is you already have your show regardless. >> yes. >> you already have your show regardless. "brockmire." and the show is "brockmire." it premieres tonight on ifc. thank you both for coming. that was fun. coming up, i'll go one-on-one with julia roberts. we'll be right back. >> i got mama june. you got julia roberts.

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look at this crowd all over the world. all over the country. a lot of people from california. huge contingent from georgia. happy birthday, 10 years old there. folks from atlanta and that's where we want to start. we do have severe weather breaking across parts of the southeast. tornado warning up to southwest of atlanta. heading up interstate 85. watching that carefully along with that watch. several rounds of it today for the southeast. just be weather aware. good morning. more cloud cover out there as you can see in the 12-hour day planner. talk about what will happen tomorrow and friday. two moderate storms with he viii all right.torms with he viii here's will. will, how are the braves looking this year? >> they're doing good but they could -- they could do better. >> you got a future in color

commentating. i love that. this weathercast brought to you by t-mobile. michael, back inside to you. >> that was awesome. thank you, rob. julia roberts, she is going blue for her latest role "smurfs: the lost village" and i had a chance to sit down for a candid one-on-one with the oscar winner to talk about the movie, motherhood and which movie of hers she really wants her daughter to see. last time we talked i had the biggest smile on my face because you said we were best friends. is it still true? >> well, if you returned my weekly phone calls, that would probably keep it moving a little bit better. >> i told you i'm a biweekly caller. okay, i'm sorry about that. but, you know, also if i were your best friend i felt i would have got a part in the "smurfs" movie but since i didn't -- >> your voice is too deep to be a smurf. >> my voice is too deep sm smurf?

>> i think so. >> there's deep voice smurfs. what would my smurf name be? >> football smurf. >> football smurf. >> sporty smurf. >> sporty smurf. i like that. >> girl, protection mode and >> reporter: maybe i should just leave it to the pros like julia roberts. >> are you the one in charge? >> i'm smurf willow, leader of the smurfs. >> reporter: the voice of the fearless smurf willow in "smurfs: the lost village." >> the smurfs are this odd little colony of creatures that have stood the test of time. they were around when i was young and my kids played with them and the movies are always so sweet and fun and i thought, yeah, i want to be a smurf. >> who are they? >> this movie has a lot of themes feeling like you don't belong. afraid of differences. >> i feel like that's always with the smurfs. you know it always has this little jewel of an idea of everybody understanding and getting along and sharing in this joyful experience of life kindly. >> reporter: the oscar winner

knows a thing or two about living joyfully. not only as an actress but as a dedicated wife and devoted mother of three. do you have a favorite thing about being a parent? >> i love it all. i mean, i love it when it's easy. and i love it when it's challenging and i love being able to go to bed at 8:30. >> isn't that great? >> bedtime, it's like, mm and for me too. no, i do love it all. you're allowed to not only appreciate the weekends in a new way again and christmas holidays in a new way again and summer vacation is a whole new joy, it's such a great learning experience. they're just such great teachers, young people. their point of view is so unique. >> reporter: roberts is also not afraid to share her point of view. recently adding her name to an open letter advocating for gender equality.

>> it really is the biggest chasm of humanity that we can't embrace the things that make us different and appreciate each other regardless of those things. everybody is so frustrated with how challenging it all is and why can't you believe what i believe and why can't you understand and do it my way and it's just not how it's ever going to work. and i think the sooner everybody can take a big breath and just embrace the sooner we'll get to a more joyful noise in the world. >> what inspires you personally? what inspires you in life? >> my family and, you know, my peers. there's nothing more thrilling than creating a piece of work and feeling like you have some triumph to bring home and lay at the feet of your family. >> one day your kids are going to say i'm going to watch all of mom's movies tonight. >> at the age they are now, it would be a short night.

but in a few years there are some i'm looking forward to i guess i think of my daughter, i can't wait for her to see "my best friend's wedding." >> i woke up and i see that the world is just as it should be. >> you're going to make me cry. don't you do it. >> but i mean that'll be sweet. you know. >> it will be very sweet. >> and i think they'll be pleased with how i spent my 20s and 30s. >> got to say i love julia roberts. and her movie "smurfs: the lost village," it opens nationwide on friday. and coming up, michelle branch, you can hear her right there. going to perform live. ♪

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single "best you ever" [ applause ] ♪ ♪ ♪ dearest lover read this letter i can't pretend i'm still in love ♪ ♪ if my lips could say it better i'd still be there when you wake up ♪ ♪ we used to be for real but now you make me feel ♪ ♪ like i'll never be enough you turned me on then turned me off oh ♪ ♪ i want you to remember me every time you scream it's the best you ever ♪

♪ i want you to remember me in a lucid dream as the best you ever ♪ ♪ oh whoa oh whoa oh oh whoa ♪ oh whoa oh whoa oh oh whoa ♪ i hope you can find someone who will satisfy you like i did ♪ ♪ do all the stupid little things that never are as obvious ♪ ♪ and all the things you miss i seal 'em with a kiss ♪ ♪ but i can't sign sincerely yours i never was i've never been ♪ ♪ i want you to remember me every time you scream it's the best you ever ♪

♪ i want you to remember me in a lucid dream as the best you ever ♪ ♪ oh whoa oh whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh whoa ♪ ♪ oh whoa oh whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh whoa ♪ ♪ i've been wondering why i tried so hard to win your love ♪ ♪ i'm giving up i don't wanna waste any more time so good-bye ♪ ♪ ♪ i want you to remember me every time you scream it's the best you ever ♪ ♪ i want you to remember me in a lucid dream as the best you ever ♪

♪ oh whoa oh whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh whoa ♪ ♪ oh whoa oh whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh whoa ♪ ♪ i want you to remember me i want you to remember me best you ever ♪ [ applause ] >> thank you. "gma's" concert series is presented by belvita breakfast biscuits. the delicious way to fuel your morning.

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our thanks to michelle branch. >> she was fantastic. thank you. have a great day, everyone.

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good morning to you. i'm natasha zouves. mike nicco telling us to enjoy the dry day, right? >> sunshine behind you, gorgeous. 49 santa rosa to 60 in oakland. those are the temperatures right now. 61 san jose. the clouds thicker today. the last dry day until sunday. mid to upper 60s along the coast and san francisco. 73 to 77 the rest of us. two moderate storms thursday and friday. alexis? >> things are starting to look better. westbound 80 hill top drive cleared and here's a quick check of drive times. westbound 80 just 23 minutes. back in the green. 17 across the bay bridge and southbound 101 san francisco to sfo in the green at 11 moneys. >> thank you. it's time now for "live with kelly" and i'll be back for the abc7 midday news. reporting continues now on the

free abc7 news app. you can join the whole >> announcer: it's "live with kelly!" today, from the new series "brockmire," amanda peet. and he's one of the stars of the film "the fate of the furious," scott eastwood. plus, actors scott wolf is back as kelly's cohost. all next on "live!" ♪ [cheers and applause] and now, here are kelly ripa and scott wolf! [cheers and applause] ♪ >> kelly: hi.