cameroon. good morning, america. decision day. americans heading to the polls in the crucial midterm elections, the most consequential in memory. overnight, president trump makes his final pitch. >> we have to elect a republican congress. >> doubling down on his warnings about immigration as democrats race to the finish with their biggest stars, hoping to flip the house and senate. the stakes are high. our team spread out across the country in the battleground states as votes come in. as millions head to the polls, the severe weather warning. deadly tornadoes tearing through the south overnight destroying homes. now the storm moving east. the carolinas to new york on alert. gymnastics bombshell. the u.s. olympic committee moving to shut down the organization that oversees all

u.s. gymnastics in the wake of that sex abuse scandal. what it means for the athletes going for the gold. overnight, the brand-new sexiest man alive revealed. idris elba taking home the coveted crown. what he's saying about the honor. the luckiest mom in america. the iowa woman who won part of that nearly $700 million powerball jackpot. >> this will forever change my life. >> why it almost didn't happen and what she's going to splurge on. all this as we get ready for the biggest election in a generation. millions of americans making their voices heard right now. and we, indeed, say good morning, america. it is finally here, the 2018 midterm elections, and take a look at a polling station here in new york. lines already forming this morning all around the country

and as george just said millions of americans making their voices heard. >> the early vote has already broken records. this could be the first midterms to see 100 million americans vote, and that's because so much is at stake, control of congress, control of states. the next two years for president trump and president trump has put himself on the ballot campaigning nonstop in these last two weeks. >> and right now, republicans control both the house and the senate. but our latest abc news/"washington post" poll shows that voters prefer democrats by 8% in the house -- by 8 points in the house and they need to gain just >> and in the senate, the democrats would need two to take control, and the gop actually hoping to add to their majority there. we have team coverage all across the country in the key battleground states correspondent cecilia vega starts us off. good morning, cecilia. >> reporter: george, good morning to you.

every single seat in the house and a third of the senate is up for grabs today, but make no mistake, this election is about president trump and he has said as much. he told supporters you are voting for me in 2018. president trump delivering his final pitch in missouri overnight. he's campaigning as if his own name is on the ballot. all in the same day, also barnstorming ohio. >> hello, ohio. >> reporter: and indiana. >> it is great to be in indiana. >> reporter: his voice hoarse as he spoke with sean hannity. >> there is an electricity that feels like 2016. >> reporter: with his party at risk of losing the house at times, it sounded as though he ng to ri about the>>ur economy records on a daily basis. >> reporter: but his closing argument focusing heavily on a doomsday message about illegal immigration. >> democrats are inviting caravan after caravan of illegal aliens to pour into our country overwhelming your schools, your hospitals and your communities.

>> reporter: that caravan of migrants fleeing violence and poverty. still more than 600 miles from the border, there's no evidence democrats are in any way backing it.e thpentagon says more than 5,000 troops have arrived at the border. that number expected to rise to more than 7,000 in coming days. and there is still no estimated price tag, and now just as voters are set to head to the polls, president trump is spreading another falsehood. >> there are a lot of people, a lot of people, my opinion, and based on proof, that try and get in illegally and actually vote illegally. >> reporter: but there has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud. in fact, "the washington post" found only four documented cases in the 2016 presidential election. in the final sprint, democrats sending out their biggest stars too. >> the character of this country is on the ballot. who we are is on the ballot. what kind of -- [ applause ]

what kind of politics we expect is on the ballot. >> reporter: president obama telling virginia campaign staffers this election is a referendum on tone, and on that very subject, a rare admission from president trump when asked if he had any regrets about his presidency. >> i would say tone, i would like to have a much softer tone. i feel to a certain extent i have no choice, but maybe i do and maybe i could have been softer from that standpoint. >> reporter: and then, he went right back on the campaign trail and flipped the script. >> if the radical democrats take power, they will take a wrecking ball to our economy and to the future of our country. >> reporter: now, the white house says the president and the first lady will be watching the returns come in tonight from the residence. you heard the president, george, there say that he wished he had taken a softer stand on tone.

it was just a couple of days ago that i pushed him on tone. >> i remember that. >> he said, i could tone it up so not really sure where he stands on that. >> whatever happens, though, tonight, you'll see big changes in the white house and administration. >> certainly, one of the first things that could happen is a staff shake-up. everyone from potentially the chief of staff to attorney general jeff sessions. the white house is very much bracing for investigations if the democrats take control of the house, and if the republicans keep control, i think you will see an emboldened president. he'll see this as a full-throated endorsement of his america. >> thanks very much. as we've seen both parties making their final case for votes with a last-minute blitz of tv ads, pushing their agendas, but some are being criticized for going too far, like one from the trump campaign that's been pulled off the airwaves. our senior congressional correspondent mary bruce is here with us with more. good morning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, robin. it is impossible to ignore them. those campaign ads inundating your radio and tv. these are already the most expensive midterm elections in u.s. history and now, even on

election day the campaigns, both parties still spending big hoping to get you to the polls. >> there's something special happening. hours an all-out push for votes on the airwaves. a surge of last-minute ads. >> but as an american who is deeply concerned with the direction of our nation -- >> reporter: former new york mayor michael bloomberg giving democrats a big boost, a $5 million ad buy. >> we must send a signal to republicans in washington that they have failed to lead. >> reporter: the expected total spent this election cycle, a whopping $5.2 billion. democrats raising just under $1.5 billion, republicans more than $1 billion. some ads have gotten fierce. >> the screaming, the violence, the smears and death threats. the far left moving to socialism. >> reporter: others folksy. ♪ on the road again ♪ just can't wait to get on the road again ♪ >> reporter: with 48 hours to go, texas democrat beto o'rourke released this ad featuring willie nelson. president trump also got in on the game with an ad on

immigration, but it was criticized for being so racist and offensive, now both nbc and fox news have stopped airing it, and we won't air it here. on the campaign trail, monday, president trump said he was unaware of the controversy. even though he tweeted the video last week. >> a lot of things are offensive. your questions are offensive a lot of times, so, you know. >> reporter: what are most of these ads focusing on in the final stretch? health care is the most mentioned issue, more so in democratic ads, while republican ads are more likely to talk about taxes. >> so, what's the impact of all these ads? is any one group going to benefit more than the other? >> well, look, in these final weeks democrats have been seeing a huge surge of cash and republicans that we've talked to are genuinely concerned that they can't afford to keep up here, and they think this is one of the things that may cost them e use majoty. >> we'll see. all right, mary, thank you. the voters are turning out. one of the factors that could determine the real turnout at the polls today, severe storms that are moving across the south and are heading east. abc's rob marciano is in tennessee where a tornado turned

deadly. good morning, rob. >> reporter: hey, good morning, michael. dangerous weather will be challenging millions of voters getting to the polls today. here in central tennessee, it was rough overnight weatherwise. we had a tornado come through here, emergency crews scrambling to the scene of a collapsed home where unfortunately a woman was killed. this whole outbreak started in central louisiana yesterday afternoon with a tornado touching down there. this large cone tornado on the ground, no injuries. no reports of any of the polling stations. this line is moving quickly. ginger will have more on that, michael. >> all right, thank you so much, rob.

election headquarters uptown right now. >> guys, good morning. let's start in the house, the current breakdown, all across the country you see a lot of red and that's because republicans are the party in power. now, we've identified more than 100 key races. these are competitive races. we believe this is where the house is going to be won or lost. and you can see there's all types of clusters in new york, pennsylvania, virginia, florida. these are key districts we're watching here but even in some red states. like kentucky, kansas and texas, there are more than a dozen races we're watching in the blue state of california. we've taken all these competitive districts and we've put them on our chip board. this is our chip board right here. it's organized by poll closings starting at 7:00 with states like georgia going all the way through 11:00 and beyond. now, president trump is not on the ballot, but this election very much is a referendum on president trump, and as the data comes in, we will be able to break it down with the help of a 3d model. similar to the ones i'm about to show you. all 435 house seats up for grabs

and democrats need to pick up 23 to take control for the first time in eight years. in the senate, the democrats run defense. they need to gain just two seats, but they could lose even more. 800,000 new voters signed up on national registration day back in september and some will be motivated by how they feel about this presidency. we'll find out soon enough who will be in control. guys, back to you. >> all right, tom, thank you. we're going to go to the key battleground states starting with pennsylvania where democrats are hoping to pick up several house seats. abc's eva pilgrim is at the gold standard cafe in philadelphia where they don't just serve food, it is also a polling place, and always they've got lines all around the place. how is it going there this morning, eva? >> reporter: good morning, robin. you can see the polling site is open and people are now going in. pennsylvania went red for trump in 2016, but could very well flip blue tonight. democrats have a chance to pick up as many as six house seats here in the keystone state, and a lot of that is because of this

brand-new redistricting map. now, the democratic party actively recruited moderates to run in many of these elections. how many seats they're able to pick up will definitely set the tone for the democratic party tonight. robin. >> it will. all right, eva, thank you. so let's go to texas now where democrats are hoping for a major upset in the senate race, and paula faris is at southwest university park baseball stadium in el paso, and, paula, we know that there is a lot of enthusiasm there in texas. >> reporter: good morning to you, robin. right behind me is the minor league baseball stadium where congressman beto o'rourke will watch the returns come in tonight. he's trying to unseat republican senator ted cruz to become the first democrat o win a state seat since 1994, but the candidates couldn't be any more different. cruz is running on jobs and security and freedom. o'rourke is running on health care, unity and dreamers. voters here in texas are motivated, more voted early than

in total in the 2014 midterms. as to who gets that bump, robin, is to be determined but as you just said, if o'rourke pulls off this victory, it could go down as one of the most stunning political upsets in recent history, robin. >> but like you said, a lot yet to be determined. one of the most contentious races playing out is in the state of georgia where we've seen some robocalls and questioning about voting security and steve osunsami is at the first christian church right outside of atlanta with more. good morning, steve. >> reporter: good morning to you, robin. there were people lined up before the polls opened. you can't see it behind me because the line is now inside. they're expecting a huge turnout here today. there are two concerns, big concerns in this election depending on which side you're looking from. from the right, concerns about voter fraud, the secretary of state, brian kemp, the republican candidate for governor, has set up a hotline for people to call in if they see instances of voter fraud and on the left, the democrats have set up a hotline for instances of voter suppression.

people who aren't allowed to vote. democrat stacey abrams is trying to become the nation's first black female governor if she wins tonight. the polling on this election is very close. right now, they are about tied. if there is no one who gets to 50% tonight, robin, there will be a runoff in december. >> that could happen. all right x steve, thank you very much. george. want to pick up on that. will everyone's vote count? are the ballots secure? two big questions as americans head to the polls today. president trump is raising fears of voter fraud overnight as mary said, despite no evidence of widespread violations, critics say he's trying to suppress the vote and want to bring in pierre thomas for more on this. you have both the president and attorney general emphasizing this issue. >> george, there's no simple way to put it. voter fraud in this country is minuscule. there's just no evidence that it is a significant threat whatsoever. >> there isn't, but at the same time there are some concerns overnight that law enforcement does have about the ballots. >> that's right. we learned overnight that the

dhs and fbi sent out a bulletin november 1st pointing to concerns about possible violence around the election. namely, that domestic terrorists and islamic radicals might see the election as a time to sow fear, but the bottom line, people should go out and vote and let law enforcement worry about this. >> and you've had the department of homeland security, state officials all year long coming out of the 2016 election worried about interference in our election ballot security. >> exactly, george. we got something disturbing from facebook overnight. they said they identified roughly 100 accounts on facebook and instagram that appeared to emanate from france or russia targeting this election potentially so that's a concern. also, twitter has identified thousands of accounts that have misinformation directed at the midterms. >> but no signs yet from the department of homeland security that voting systems have been hacked? >> everybody says this will be the most secure election in history, but they have to be vigilant. we found out that since august there have been 160 attempts to influence or attack the election infrastructure. >> several senate candidates have been hacked.

okay, pierre, thanks very much. michael. >> thank you, george. voters will not just choose candidates. they will also weigh in on initiatives like the legalization of marijuana and daylight saving time, and terry moran is here with more. good morning, terry. >> reporter: good morning, michael. voters have big choices out there. medical marijuana. it's already been a banner year for it and voters in michigan and north dakota will have the chance to become colorado to become the next two states to legalize recreational marijuana use, and voters in missouri and utah, yes utah, will choose to legalize it for medical use, and a big one in florida, rihanna is supporting this one, whether to restore voting rights to people who have been convicted of felonies who have already served their time and she tweeted out, vote yes on amendment 4 to restore voting rights to folks who have already paid their debt to society. that's a big one. 1.5 million people perhaps. >> and every year there are always several unusual ballot matters in some states. this year, daylight saving time.

>> a lot of people don't like it. californians might get the chance to get rid of it, however, if they do they'll need the permission of congress because of interstate commerce and stuff like that. they might vote to get rid of it. >> we'll see if it happens. thank you very much, terry. all right, michael. so much as we know going on with these elections, so on a little bit of a lighter note here. take a look at this little guy. that's 5-year-old eli maddox. his father, walt, is running for governor of alabama and he said -- he's 5 years old and said i've had enough and took a break right there on the tarmac in montgomery, alabama. he didn't have a meltdown. his father said, he just had enough. >> he took a break. we can all relate. you can watch all the election results live tonight, george will be anchoring with our entire political team here in new york and spread out as you've seen all across the country and that is starting at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. >> we could be going all through the night. >> you might be laid out just like eli. >> we'll see the results come in. let's go back to ginger.

>> we're watching that election day forecast. last night we saw the spin, that violent rotation happening in louisiana and that same line of storms is now marching east and will impact your voting morning in north georgia, including atlanta. right now, there is a severe thunderstorm warning just north of atlanta and then in greenville, south carolina, you'll get it next. western north carolina, so asheville, be on the lookout yet this morning. it will improve behind the front but it won't here, from philadelphia through the delmarva peninsula, up to boston, some heavy rain is possible later this afternoon. but severe storms forecast right there in that elevated area or the yellow area. your local weather in 30 seconds. first though, the tuesday trivia sponsored by starbucks.

good morning. i'mthis morning. in fact, it will be cool and calm again tonight. and i am tracking the fire danger wednesday night through friday morning. check out these temperatures. mid-60s at the coast, low to mid-70s around the bay. mid-70s to 80 inland, and mainly 40s and 50s tonight. my accuweather seven-day forecast, a cooler day for saturday, sunday. and still warmer than average. coming up, we'll keep track of the midterms and live in florida. tight races there for governor, senator and the house. and the luckiest woman in america. how she almost lost the powerball ticket and what she's spending that jackpot on.

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good morning, east bay. le's get up and get going. >> this is abc 7 mornings. >> hi. good morning. i'm jessica castro from abc 7 mornings. and of course, it's election day. and voting polls are now open across california. a record 885,000 people are registered to vote in santa clara county alone. there are more than 800 polling places in that county and polling sites close at 8:00 tonight. some breaking news in the east bay. take a look here at this large trash fire burning in oakland. sky 7 flew over the scene of pearmain street and 100th avenue less than half an hour ago. alameda county firefighters are working to put that out right now. all rit,jessica. i've got word of another fire that is actually impacting traffic in the san

francisco/brisbane area. this is burning at the on tunnel avenue, heavy volumes southbound 101, and onlooker delay on the northbound side of 280. and sky 7 moving from that fire in oakland. they're now heading to this fair, as well. we'll have an update on coming up ♪ ♪ ♪ connecting people... ...uniting the world. ♪♪

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now your accuweather forecast with mike nicco. >> good morning. welcome to tuesday. welcome to some cooler temperatures. check out ukiah, 38. napa, 36. and morgan hill at 38. the rest of us in the 40s. up to 10 degrees cooler than yesterday morning. but that means great for your commute, whether it's roads, mass transit, or a ferry ride. now, the breezes are going to pick up in solano county wednesday night through friday morning. a higher fire danger there. temperatures cool just a little bit by the weekend. jessica? >> mike, thanks. coming up on "gma," the new

fallout from the usa gymnastics sex abuse scandal and what it could mean for athletes. and w (music throughout)

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to keep you both comfortable. and now, the queen sleep number 360 c4 smart bed is only $1299. plus 24-month financing on all beds. only for a limited time. welcome back to "gma." and if you're planning on copying your favorite celebrity and taking a selfie while voting, you may want to reconsider. it turns out it is illegal in some states to take photos in the voting booth, even though all these photos are legal. either absentee ballots or outside of the voting booth. so if you're in the booth, do not take a selfie. >> do it outside. >> that's right. >> yes. right now voting is under way for the midterms. we've already seen record early turnout. 435 seats are up for grabs in the house, 35 in the senate, 36 governors' seats are up. and this morning, also we're talking about the man

accused of mailing those pipe bombs to prominent democrats will appear in court. he was transferred from florida to new york on monday to face five federal counts related to 16 explosive devices. his mother saying her son is, quote, very ill. and take a look at this. the "people" magazine's sexiest man alive. yeah, i'll vote. this one does have my vote. idris elba, and wait until you hear what he is saying about what's coming up next in our next hour. >> looking good right there. we'll stay on top of the midterms right now, and go to one of the biggest battleground states, the state of florida. tight races and whit johnson is at a polling station in tallahassee. good morning, whit. >> reporter: george, good morning to you. the polls are open. people are lining up, casting their ballots. voters in florida in the two big races have a clear choice, to either promote or reject the trump agenda. tallahassee mayor andrew gillum backed by president obama, former president obama, and bernie sanders, is the true progressive in the race.

if elected, gillum would be the first black governor in the state of florida. his opponent, republican ron desantis is all in on trump, practically hand-picked by the president. in a campaign ad the former congressman used toy blocks to build trump's wall with his daughter. the race for governor has been ugly from the start with accusations of racism hurled at desantis and accusations of corruption hurled at gillum. the other big race we're following is in senate. bill nelson facing a tough challenge from republican governor rick scott who's maintained president trump's support despite their key differences on several issues. now, recent polls here in the state of florida show democrats with just a slight lead, but it is all about turnout and whichever party wins florida gets a significant influential advantage looking ahead to the presidential election in 2020. george. >> whit johnson, thanks very much. michael? all right, george. there will be some political celebrations today, but there is also one woman in iowa who has a lot to celebrate as well. she just revealed she's one of the winners of that nearly $700

million powerball jackpot. >> and abc's t.j. holmes is here and, t.j., this moment almost never happened. she actually misplaced that ticket at first. >> you're going to love this, robin. yes, this woman, congratulations to her. right? she said she played the lottery twice a week only when she could afford to and said the most she ever one was $150. her average just went up considerably. she has $198 million in the bank now and it's something to see her emotionally talk about her responsibility to do good, but like you said almost didn't happen because when the winning numbers were announced her ticket wasn't in her possession. in fact, she had no idea where it was. >> i had been extremely blessed to win this big powerball. this will forever change my life. >> reporter: lerynne west's first act as one of the biggest lottery winners in powerball history, quit her health care job. >> so currently i'm retired. [ laughter ] >> reporter: but west's

celebratory stroll through confetti almost didn't happen. >> october 26th, it started out like most other days. >> reporter: the 51-year-old grandmother and single mother of three bought her winning quick pick ticket at a local pizza shop. >> i got a slice of pizza and i said, oh, yeah, and can i get my lottery tickets? >> reporter: she thought she put those tickets in her purse but instead she left them on the floor of her sister's truck. she says she didn't think twice about them until she heard one of the big winners was in her state. when she realized she was a winner she picked up the phone. >> and i said to my sister, get that ticket, get in your truck and get up here now and drive slow. [ laughter ] >> reporter: her daughters were in a state of shock. >> i did not believe her. i had to call my sister and my aunt to make sure that it was real. >> reporter: west opted for the lump sum of $198 million and is already set up a foundation named after her late grandson to help others.

>> the callum foundation is set up in honor of a grandson of mine who was born in april and he was born at 24 weeks and he lived for one day. and so that foundation is to honor him and to do good for others. >> reporter: but there is at least one thing she says she'll splurge on. >> i'm going to buy a car. currently, i drive a ford fiesta that people have just beat up when i'm not in it and it's got 142,000 miles on it and i'm going to get a car big enough that i can take all my grandchildren places now. >> reporter: this was an emotional press conference. i've gotten emotional before watching lottery winners, but that emotion is usually jealousy. this time it was different. this time around to hear this woman's story and she used the word responsibility so many times, this was not about her caviar dream, right? i need -- people have helped me, my family, my friends, i have a reon for the money.

this is somebody you can really congratulate. >> i couldn't agree with you more. >> a lot of the past winners they've seen some of the things that have come before and know how to handle a little better. did she have to come forward? >> had to in that state. some states, i'm not sure about the one she's in, but she stepped up proudly, and that's my money and you line up. i'm going to take care of some of you. >> thanks, t.j. we'll see you later on. >> got a doozy for you. >> that means get the tissue ready. >> oh, yeah. >> tell t.j. coming up, that gymnastics bombshell overnight, the massive shake-up and what it could mean for the future of the sport. come on back. come on back. ♪ hey google, let's read along with disney. start reading whenever your ready.

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we're back now with that gymnastics bombshell rocking the sports world. the u.s. olympic committee is moving to shut down the organization that oversees all u.s. gymnastics. this, of course, in the wake of the sex abuse scandal involving team doctor larry nassar. erielle reshef is here with ren. good morning, erielle. >> reporter: good morning to you, robin. it was a surprise decision that many in the gymnastics world say was a long time coming. the so-called nuclear option, a move that could spell the end of an era for usa gymnastics.

this morning, a massive shake-up in one of the olympics' most watched sports. the u.s. olympic committee exercising the so-called nuclear option, taking explosive steps to revoke usa gymnastics status as the national governing body, citing its botched handling of the sex abuse scandal that rocked the sport. >> and i have experienced flashback nightmares of the abuse. >> i hope that the abuse will end with us. i hope people can learn from what happened to us, that this should never, ever, ever happen again. >> reporter: in an open letter to the gymnastics community, the usoc writing, the path is not crystal clear, but our motives are. so, we move forward committed to ensuring the type of organization each gymnast and the coaches, trainers and club owners who support them, deserves. the bombshell decision comes as they struggle to reinvent itself amid allegations it turned a blind eye and even covered up rampant sexual abuse by former team doctor, larry nassar.

nassar sentenced earlier this year to 175 years in prison >> i just signed your death warrant. >> reporter: among his alleged victims, simone biles, mckayla maroney and aly raisman. >> all we needed was one adult to have the integrity to stand between us and larry nassar. >> reporter: this decision affects not just the elite of american gymnasts, but the 150,000 athletes and 3,000 clubs around the country. the demand for usa gymnastics to surrender its status or face being shut down coming fresh off the world championships. less than two years away from the 2020 olympics, the usoc is vowing to ensure training and support for team usa hopefuls isn't hurt in the wake of the battle. overnight, usa gymnastics responding to the decision, we will continue to prioritize our athletes' health and safety and focus on acting in the best interests of the greater gymnastics community. and usa gymnastics serves those

150,000 athletes, as you heard there, across the country. as of now, there is no organization standing by to fill that vacuum, but one high-profile gymnastics insider tells me the shakeup should have little immediate effect on the athletes or the olympic team, but it could have a major impact on how it's run in the future. >> it could, erielle. thank you. so let's bring in our contributor, christine brennan, who has been following the story from the beginning. so, you heard what was just said. people thought, many critics this should have happened long ago. why now? >> why now? because the world championships, robin, just ended. simone biles of course, becoming the four-time world champion, the u.s. women's team winning and now the world title, and the usoc did not want to disrupt that. lord knows the athletes have been disrupted enough. but when you consider the -- that the usa gymnastics is now looking for its fourth ceo in less than two years, robin, something had to be done. enough was enough. >> and just explain to people

what impact this will have and how it can hopefully improve things. >> well, decertification has only been done three other times by the u.s. olympic committee in national governing bodies that are much less known. tae kwon do and team handball and modern pentathlon, so this is a very big deal with the sport that so many care about. the immediate effect will be that the athletes have a feeling, a sense that the u.s. olympic committee with the new ceo, cares about them, and is doing things differently and i think, frankly, that freshness, that sense, even the pr side of this, robin, is enough to let those athletes know. as far as simone biles and the others, they will go full steam ahead just as they have, and they have been the conscience of the sport as well as being the stars of the sport. >> they certainly have. i'll never forget them on the espy stage, all of them together like that. so people want to know, will it have any impact on the upcoming olympics? >> i don't think so. well, first of all, i think

they're going to get this resolved before then. the u.s. olympic committee has come in here, and the new ceo said, we have to get this done now, and it's a major statement and that's the big takeaway is the statement. i think the athletes -- there's going to be some uncertainty and upheaval, but i do think the athletes will move forward just as they have. they have been remarkable. when the adults haven't done the job, the athletes have. >> well said. always appreciate your insight, christine, thank you very much. >> through all of this, the focus of the athletes has been really amazing. and coming up, we're going to put some good in your morning. we're going to tell you how nurses are helping new moms cast their ballots, and the young woman who is using tinder -- yes, tinder, to get out the vote. >> what? say what? get out the vote. >> what? say what? it looks like this. entresto is a heart failure pill that helped keep people alive and out of the hospital. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema,

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call unitedhealthcare today here are the facts.leading attacks against prop c. the city's chief economist says prop c will "reduce homelessness" by creating affordable housing, expanding mental-health services, and providing clean restrooms and safe shelters with independent oversight, open books, and strict accountability measures to make sure every penny goes to solving our homeless crisis. vote yes on c. endorsed by the democratic party, nancy pelosi, and dianne feinstein.

we are back now with a look at the unique ways people are going out of their way to help others vote. lara spencer has more. >> i want everybody here, each and every one of you, to get out there and go vote. >> reporter: 11-year-old jamarcus hill has got it covered. >> they're not going to make a change unless they get out there and vote. >> reporter: this inspiring young man, one of millions around the country, who are taking matters into their own hands, encouraging others to get to the polls. even those who are about to give birth aren't exempt, especially if these two are your nurses. in between deliveries at lenox hill hospital in new york city, erin and lisa will help you send in your absentee ballot. >> every single patient was

beyond thrilled that we were doing this. >> reporter: and if you are nervous about those long lines, imagine how much faster they would go with a delicious slice of pizza. >> we usually send cheese and pepperoni although we've been trying to branch out and cover gluten-free and vegan pizza as well. >> reporter: the nonprofit group, pizza to the polls, sending hot pies all across the country to any polling station with a long line. >> 2016 and the days leading up to the election we saw these really long lines for early voting happening all around the country. we were a little appalled by the problem and wanted a way to help out from where we were. >> we will keep sending pizza as long as the dough keeps coming in. >> get it, the dough. so that's pizza to the polls and one woman is taking voter registration to a whole new level using tinder. emily meyers swiped right on over 200 men, not for dates, but to urge them to visit out voter.org to check out their registration status. she was eventually kicked off

but a novel way to once again get out the vote. >> she tried. >> 200. >> every bit counts. >> thank you, lara. we'll be right back. ra. we'll be right back. arthritis w. i wondered if she could do the stuff she does for us, which is kind of, a lot. and if that pain could mean something worse? joint pain could mean joint damage. enbrel helps relieve joint pain, and helps stop irreversible joint damage. enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been some place where fungal infections are common, or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. since enbrel, my mom's back to being my mom. visit enbrel.com and use the joint damage simulator

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i'm jessica castro from abc 7 mornings. and meteorologist mike nicco has our forecast aead out to the polls. >> no reason weather-wise not to go. hi, everybody. look at this gorgeous sunshine from the east bay hills. voting, exercising, bay play, it's all green, it's all good. now, withings will change tomorw night starting at 7:00 tomorrow morning. at least for now, lake and solano counties under a fire weather watch that could spread across the rest of our neighborhoods later today. it's going to cool a little bit by saturday and sunday. still, warm for this time of the year. alexis? >> all right. i want to take you live to sky 7 right now. they are over that five at the recology facility on tunnel avenue just west of the 101 in the brisbane area. a ton of smoke pouring out of that building. unfortunately, a lot of that

blowing into some neighborhoods in san francisco as well and this is causing quite a bit of onlooker delay on 101 and 280. jessica? >> alexis, thank you. coming up on "gma," real housewives star teresa giudice housewives star teresa giudice i'm dianne feinstein and i approve this message. "look what she's accomplished... she authored the ban on assault weapons... pushed the desert protection act through congress, and steered billions of federal dollars to california projects such as subway construction and wildfire restoration." "she... played an important role in fighting off ...trump's efforts to kill the affordable care act." california news papers endorse dianne feinstein for us senate. california values senator dianne feinstein california news papers endorse dianne feinstein for us senate. ♪ ♪

♪ the holidays begin here at the disneyland resort.

good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. decision day. americans heading to the polls right now, casting their votes in the crucial midterm elections. so much at stake, control of congress, control of the states. the president making sure his influence is felt in so many races after a campaign blitz across three states on monday. >> we have to elect a republican congress. >> doubling down on his warnings about immigration as democrats race to the finish with their biggest stars hoping to flip the house and senate. our team tracking all the key races as millions of americans make their voices heard. new jersey real housewife star teresa giudice in her first live interview since learning her husband may be deported to italy. she's faced time in prison away from her family and the people she loves but now how is she

dealing with this? how should you manage screen time when it comes to your kids? how do you set limits and enforce them? the new tool you can use to cut down on all that time on tab lets and phones. does it work? the results this morning after one family put it to the test for "gma" and the expert advice all parents can use. ♪ ring my bell i'm idris elba, and i am the sexiest man alive. >> yes, he is. and he's trending number one overnight as so many applaud this choice. the cover, the video, why he says he didn't believe the news at first and looked in the mirror to check himself out. ♪ i'm on my way and a story you don't want to miss. michelle has four daughters, don has two sons, and when they got married, made a blended family of eight, then the life-changing moment they met little lily, adopting her and her sister and her brothers. it's a story you have to see to believe this tuesday morning as

we say good morning, america. ♪ good morning, america. love to see that love multiplying again and again. and again. >> it feels good. really does. >> beautiful, beautiful family. and, of course, today is election day and so many of you are already voting here on the east coast. you're sharing your photos with us this morning, including these two young women who say they woke up at 5:45 a.m. to get to the polls at 6:00 a.m. this viewer, casey from new jersey, who just voted and is smiling proudly. and this couple with the sign that points the way. and john from indiana and courtney gilmore taking her kids with her to vote in portland, pennsylvania, being a good example and also getting to the polls early. >> spending a little time outside and people said they were on their way, you know, stopping by before work and many people are doing that all across the country as polls continue to open.

severe weather is raising some concerns. those reported twisters tore through the south overnight and now the storms are on the move so let's go back to rob on the scene there in tennessee. good morning, again, rob. >> reporter: hey, good morning again, robin. heavy damage in this town. not too far from here where rescue crews are still trying to get a handle on things. a heavily damaged home there shortly after midnight where unfortunately there was one fatality. at least two other people in another home damaged. with serious injuries. it all started with the outbreak across central louisiana yesterday afternoon with a tornado touching down there, and reports of damage in mississippi. this line is moving rapidly to the east today, and severe weather potentially across the carolinas and up through the delmarva peninsula. not the best of weather for election day. >> thank you, rob. president trump isn't on the ballot but he's acting like he is campaigning nonstop. three rallies overnight. want to go back to cecilia vega. good morning, cecilia. >> reporter: hey, george, good morning to you. one headline calls this election a rorschach test on president trump.

how voters view him and his administration will very much influence how they choose their candidates today. president trump delivering his final pitch in missouri overnight. he's campaigning as if his own name is on the ballot. >> there's an electricity that feels like 2016. >> reporter: with his party at risk of losing the house, at times it sounded as though he was heeding the advice of frustrated fellow republicans and sticking to a script about the economy. >> our economy is setting records on a daily basis. >> reporter: but his closing argument focusing heavily on a doomsday message about illegal immigration. >> democrats are inviting caravan after caravan of illegal aliens to pour into our country overwhelming your schools, your hospitals and your communities. >> reporter: that caravan of migrants fleeing violence and poverty. still more than 600 miles from the border, there is no evidence democrats are in any way backing it. and now just as voters are set

to head to the polls president trump is spreading another falsehood. >> there are a lot of people, a lot of people, my opinion, and based on proof, that try and get in illegally and actually vote illegally. >> reporter: but there has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud. in fact, "the washington post" found only four documented cases in the 2016 presidential election. and a rare admission from president trump when asked if he had any regrets about his presidency. >> i would say tone. i would like to have a much softer tone. i feel to a certain extent i have no choice, but maybe i do and maybe i could have been softer from that standpoint. >> reporter: and yet, just a few minutes after that, he then went right back on the campaign trail and attacked what he called radical democrats. no matter what happens tonight, the president said he would accept none of the blame if his party loses. >> but the president is already facing some pre-emptive second-guessing from congressional republicans who think he should have focused

more on the economy in the home stretch. >> i talked to a lot of republicans on capitol hill, high-ranking republicans who are not happy that he has not been focusing on their tax plan, on the economy, on these glowing jobs numbers. you heard the president a couple of days ago saying talking about the economy is boring and immigration is his ticket. he's reaching back to the 2016 playbook here. >> we'll see how it turns out. cecilia, thanks very much. michael? all right, george. now to the hotly contested race in texas. republican senator ted cruz facing democrat congressman beto o'rourke. let's go back to abc's paula faris in el paso with the story. >> reporter: and good morning to you, michael. right behind me is that minor league baseball stadium where congressman beto o'rourke will watch the returns tonight. as he's trying to unseat republican senator ted cruz and turn that senate seat blue for the first time since 1988. now these two candidates are starkly different. cruz is running on jobs, security and freedom, whereas o'rourke is running on health care, unity and dreamers. voters here in texas are motivated.

more voted early than voted entirely in 2014. as for who gets that bump is to be determined, but o'rourke told reporters last night he believes, based on everything he is seeing, it's going to be a conversely, cruz tells me that he believes the momentum is in his favor and, michael, i've got to tell you this stadium behind us holds 7,500 people. if o'rourke can pull off this upset, what a scene that could be. michael? >> thank you, paula. we'll see if beto o'rourke can do it. we'll be tracking it all live tonight. george will be anchoring with our entire political team here in new york city and spread out across the country starting at 8:00 eastern. take a nap, george. >> ready? >> i am going to take a nap. coming up, "real housewives" star teresa giudice is here for her first live tv interview since a judge ruled her husband should be deported. plus, cracking the kid code. how one family got their kids down to -- listen to this -- 30 minutes of screen time a day. whoo! and lara is upstairs. hey, lara. >> hello, michael.

so we have a really big surprise for that family that adopted not one, not two, but four siblings and we have the greatest audience as well. [ applause ] "good morning america" coming right back. ght back. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ a 50% chance isn't good enough when it comes to your kid's nutrition. 1 out of 2 kids don't get enough calcium, vitamin d, and potassium. make sure your kid isn't one of them. one simple way? 3 servings of real milk a day.

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you know doc how can i get whiter, brighter teeth.. and the dentist really has to say let's take a step back and talk about protecting your enamel. it's important to look after your enamel because it's the foundation for white teeth. i believe dentists will recommend pronamel strong and bright because it's two fold. it strengthens your enamel, but then also it polishes away stains for whiter teeth. so it's really something that's a win-win for the patient and the dentist. uh, all the cars? at carmax, we buy all the cars. all the cars. old cars? yes. new cars? oh, yeah. sports cars? indeed. a big ol' boat-like car? permission to come aboard! what about a car that's all (makes awkward car noises) hgnnnn-nn-nn-nnnn-ayy-ayyy i don't see why not. what about, let's say... oh, i don't know, a purple van with a painting of a wizard just shooting lightning out of his fingers riding a unicorn sneezing rainbows? definitely. just asking for a friend. yea, i figured.

(whispered to camera) wow. (music throughout) ♪ [ applause ] welcome back to "gma." this great audience on tuesday morning. [ applause ] wow! thank you. we certainly appreciate that and tomorrow we've got a big one for you. one of the biggest "deals & steals" of the year, oah favorite things.

>> wow. [ applause ] don't want to miss that and we don't want to miss "pop news" right now with lara spencer. [ applause ] good morning, good morning, you guys, and we'll begin with "people's" sexiest man alive. >> yeah, we are. [ applause ] >> the magazine has named their choice for 2018 and the winner is mr. idris elba. [ cheers and applause ] the actor, when he found out, telling "people," quote, i looked in the mirror and checked myself out and said, yeah, you are kind of sexy today. the actor keeps his sexy on with kickboxing and he also moonlights as you may know as one of the hottest deejays in europe, but he is also a doting dad. he says he probably annoys his kids with all of his hugs and i love yous. idris, i'm telling you that's probably not the case. he may not have landed the role of 007 this time around but he is busy. right now, idris hard at work

with former sexiest man dwayne johnson on "the hobbes and shaw," which is a "fast and furious" spinoff, likely to be a big one. >> one of the nicest guys. >> isn't he? >> such a sweetheart. >> really nice guy. >> i think we can all agree on this election. [ laughter ] >> this election we can all agree. also, "pop news" this morning, a blockbuster admission from another sexiest man. matthew mcconaughey is opening up -- yes -- opening up to "the hollywood reporter" about his career and the one that got away. i'm not talking about a woman. matthew revealing to the magazine's podcast that he was actually up for the part, if you can imagine this, jack dawson in "titanic." he even auditioned and he got down to the last thing, he auditioned with kate winslet herself. he felt like he nailed it but ultimately we know how that ended. leonardo dicaprio becoming the king of the world. matthew says there were no hard feelings, but he does regret another one, turning down the

lead role in "l.a. confidential," a role that would go on to make another major star out of a young, do you remember, russell crowe. >> he would have been great in "titanic." but you can't even imagine. >> i agree. it's one of those roles that is so iconic. >> i think everything worked out okay for him. >> he is doing just fine. it's actually a great podcast. you can listen to it. it an hour long. "hollywood reporter" very revealing and very funny. >> can you imagine, all right, all right, all right, i'm the king of the world. would have been a little different. then finally, i wanted to share this with you all. check out this group of gorillas at a zoo in the netherlands. it's amazing. they discovered a gopro in their enclosure. curious to the point of knocking the cover off with their knuckles. it even looks -- they're so funny. at one point, it looks like a gorilla is truly human, like he appears to take a selfie and repositions the camera. in the statement,

the zoo hails them as magnificent, yes, intelligent, yes, and they call the video priceless, yes. [ applause ] >> that's priceless like your "pop news," every time you do it, lara. >> thank you. thank you, michael. >> thank you. thank you. now we're going to switch gears to our "gma" cover story and the latest legal battle for "real housewives of new jersey" star teresa giudice, and her family. her husband joe who's currently serving a 41-month prison sentence for fraud and last night -- i mean last month an immigration court ruled he should be deported back to italy upon his release because he is not a u.s. citizen. in a moment, we'll talk to teresa live. but first, here's her story. >> reporter: for nearly a decade, teresa giudice has been one of the biggest reality stars on tv. >> [ bleep ]. >> reporter: her famous outburst and her softer side endearing her to millions of fans. >> you're fabulous. >> fabulous.

>> i'm so not a stage mom. >> reporter: but in the last few years the 46-year-old housewife facing multiple challenges for her and her family. back in 2015, teresa spending 11 months behind bars for fraud. just months after her return home, her husband of nearly 20 years, joe, beginning his own prison sentence for mail, wire and bank fraud, and last month, a judge ruling joe giudice would be deported back to italy after he is released in 2019. teresa giudice is joining us live right now, and thank you so much for joining us. i know this is a tough, tough time for you. >> thanks for having me. >> it's been almost a month since the judge ordered your husband, joe, to be deported back to italy once released from prison. and what have the past few weeks been like for you and your family? >> you know, heartbreaking. very sad. the girls are really upset. you know, it's hard for them. like i was just telling you before, like, adults can handle

anything. it's hard for children to go through this. they're asking themselves, like, why is this happening to me? like, i want my daddy to come home. >> and you've gone to visit him obviously in prison. how is he holding up? >> he's being very positive. >> that's all he can do, i guess. you and joe have been married for almost 20 years. you have -- so when you got married you said you thought he was a citizen but he wasn't. he moved here when he was 1 year old so why didn't he ever apply for citizenship? >> i guess that's something you would have to ask his parents. you know, his dad became an american citizen before he was 18. and then his mom did it after he was 18 and then the laws changed, so, i mean, and then i don't know why they never made him an american citizen. >> at this point does it make you angry to know that he never applied for citizenship or -- >> yeah, i never thought i would be in this position. >> and when he went to prison, and this is tough on any relationship, you made it clear, you weren't happy. so, what kind of strain has this put on your relationship with him?

>> yeah, i mean, it's very difficult. you know, we've been through a lot. you know, i've gone through ups and downs like being angry and, you know, but, listen, i have to stay strong. i have four beautiful daughters that, you know, they need their mommy. >> and mentioning your four daughters, when you went to prison for 15 months you explained to your girls you're going away on a work trip but now it seems like your daughters know where your husband is, where joe is, so how has it been? how did you tell them? how did they find out? >> well, i mean, they're old enough now. my oldest is 17. my second is 14. my third is 12 and then the baby is 9. the baby doesn't really -- like we keep saying that he's at work but, you know, i'm sure she hears and like when he calls it says calling from a federal prison, so she hears that. >> and i know your oldest posted a heartfelt message on instagram

for her father and how has she been coping with all this and has she helped you or has she helped her sisters cope with this as well? >> yes, she's amazing. i mean, i tell her every day she is -- you know, she is like the rock of her sisters and, you know, so she is helping me, you know, explain things to them and -- because my third daughter is having a really hard time with this. >> you said you guys -- you're going to appeal and you are appealing this ruling. >> yes. >> but did you ever think of the other side, if the appeal fails and joe does get deported, how would you handle that? >> just take it one day at a time, that's it. >> take it as it comes. >> yes. >> and you're still a big part of "the real housewives of new jersey," one of the big stars there, one of the biggest reality stars in the country. a lot of people criticize for you being on the show as this is all going on so what do you have to say to that? >> i mean, i've been doing this now almost, what, ten years. this is how i make a living. i have, you know, i have four

daughters to raise and, you know, i don't understand why people would criticize me for that. i mean, i'm doing it all by myself. >> this is the reality of your life. >> yes. >> and you got to work to take care of your family. >> exactly. if i don't work, nobody -- how are they going to live? >> exactly. we wish you the best in this fight for you and your family, teresa, and thank you very much for joins us. >> i want to say my dad's in the hospital. i know he's watching me. but -- [ speaking a foreign language ] i love you. >> our prayers to your father, as well. >> thank you. >> thank you so much, teresa. now we're going to go over to ginger. >> thank you, michael. you know what? we'll do your "gma" moment. this is a fun moment. i just want to tell you, guys, not everything is bigger in texas, okay. look at this video. that is ryder, a two-pound chihuahua trying to move a 15-pound bag of dog food. we thought that was so, so fun. so thank you so much for sharing little ryder with us and that's how big he's going to get.

he's just a little mini. please do send your "gma" moment, something that makes you smile or laugh and send it right to my facebook page so we can share it with everybody else. good morning. i'mthis morning. in fact, it will be cool and calm again tonight. and i am tracking the fire danger wednesday night through friday morning. check out these temperatures. mid-60s at the coast, low to mid-70s around the bay. mid-70s to 80 inland, and mainly 40s and 50s tonight. my accuweather seven-day forecast, a cooler day for saturday, sunday. and still warmer than average. now to our series "cracking the kid code." this morning, we're looking at a struggle so many families face, how to manage screen time. does setting limits really help and how can you enforce them? becky to the rescue. >> i hope so. i talked to a lot of parents about kids and gadgets and one

comment really struck me. a mom said, i feel like i'm the screen police with my kids all the time. well, what if a gadget could automate all those battles about devices and act like a kill switch? ♪ >> reporter: the sergeants like almost every family in america, are trying to manage screen time. >> we're constantly trying to engage them. let's do this. let's go here but they are so addicted to them that they don't know how to come off of them. >> reporter: they limit their kids' usage, but this summer we asked them to do an experiment. if they could have unlimited time, how much time would the kids choose? >> reporter: after a week of binging. >> what time do you planning going to bed? >> whenever i fall asleep. >> reporter: and finishing out with an average of about five hours a day, the entire family knew they needed help regulating their screen time. so they turned to circle with disney, a $99 device and app that keeps tabs on usage across all of the kids' devices, tablets, computers and gaming

consoles, and can disable access once they hit their allotted time. circle has a licensing deal with our parent company, disney. >> we are here to check in. >> reporter: once summer ended we asked them to keep a diary of how these automatically imposed limits worked. >> we have decreased the kids' time limits to an hour and a half. >> reporter: while 4-year-old lily didn't seem to mind the new restrictions, the older boys -- >> what? what do you think? >> it's horrible. >> why? >> i don't like it. >> because it limits you? >> reporter: but dr. victoria dunckley says screen time matters, especially during the school year. >> kids with less than two hours a day have better grades and read more. >> reporter: but for parents, henry and carly, there were fewer arguments with the kids because circle acts like an automatic kill switch. >> since the new limits too, i find the kids doing other things like crafts. wesley was at the counter reading his book and asking me to shop for more books.

>> reporter: after a few months of using the device we check in. tell me about the experiment. how has it gone? the sergeants have now limited screen time even more. they are down to 30 minutes a day, and restrict usage before school. >> absolutely. the best part about it is i'd say before the circle device we would remind them, you know, i'd be cooking dinner, grayson, you have five minutes left. grayson, you have five minutes left. for 30 minutes, but now it just shuts down their computer. so you don't have to do any reminding. >> reporter: dr. dunckley agrees and says the battle can wear the parents down to the point where they stop regulating screen time at all. >> it's very exhausting and then the kids get irritated as well. >> to have a tool like that that helps you with something that a lot of people really struggle , at was anecdotal. one family's experience.

what we noted was for kids who use multiple device, computers, track of time and then turn it off. >> you can do the kill switch on "fortnite." >> ooh. >> that's a good thing. >> all right, now a lot are concerned about the phone. >> if they use one device you have options. ios 12 has parental controls built in and for android devices we like zift which is nice. it gives parents transparency so you can see they installed clash of clans, no problem but looked up information on violence, drug, self-harm and gives you real transparency and peace of mind. >> okay, thank you for giving us peace of mind. >> i know. we're trying. parents need help. >> you can get a full list of the apps on our website. we'll be right back. bsite. we'll be right back.

. good morning, north bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is abc 7 mornings. >> and good morning. i'm reggie aqui from abc 7 mornings. and as you can see, it's election day. voting is now going on in california. a record 885,000 people are registered to vote in santa clara county. and there are more than 800 polling places in that county. polli polling sites will close at 8:00 tonight. there's no excuse, alexis! >> no excuse, i know. got to get out there and do your civic duty today. we have a lot of red on our traffic maps and about 45 incidents on the board. one of those still a fire on tunnel avenue near 101. slowing you down in both directions. that is some very heavy traffic. a lot of folks slowing down to look at that. here's a quick check of the bay

bridge toll plaza. metering lights still on and you're still backed up into the ♪ ♪ ♪ connecting people... ...uniting the world. ♪♪

and all thro' the house. 'twas the night before christmas, not a creature was stirring, but everywhere else... there are chefs, bakers and food order takers. doctors and surgeons and all the life savers. the world is alive as you can see, this time of the year is so much more than a bow and a tree. (morgan vo) those who give their best, deserve the best. get up to a $1,000 credit on select models now during the season of audi sales event. now your accuweather forecast with mike nicco. >> all right. let's start with the temperatures. we started in the 30s in some neighborhoods in the north bay and east bay. now we're all in the 40s and 50s. and as we head through the commute, look at this. green, green, and green. roads, mass transit, ferry. unfortunately, a high fire danger is possible starting tomorrow night through solano and lake counties. it's going to be warm all week. reggie. >> thank you.

another abc 7 news update in about 30 minutes. and you can always find us on our news app and abc7news.com. go out there and have a great ♪ we are family have a great ♪ i've got all my sisters with me ♪ welcome back to "gma," and we have a terrific audience here with us on this tuesday morning. thank you guys for being here. [ applause ] and we also have a very inspiring story for everybody out there right now. >> i think the song playing gives you an indication where we're going, the next installment of "tell t.j." searching the country for incredibly heartwarming stories. >> and today we have a family that unexpectedly grew adopting not one, not two, not three but four. t.j. is here with more on this amazing family, t.j. >> okay, guys, let's be honest. if a couple has six kids they might be looking forward to the day the youngest turns 18, all right. this couple was looking forward

to being empty there was a motorcycle and plans to move to florida. then they met a girl they wanted to adopt and got a call can you take one more and they got a call can you take two more and they said yes. michelle and don got married making them a family of eight with their kids but eight wasn't enough. they decided to adopt lily only to find out later lily had a sister lucy and adopted her too making it a family of ten and found out they had two more siblings so adopted them and it's a family of 12. >> tell me everybody's birthday. >> reporter: they married in 2011. their kids all from previous marriages are now between the ages of 18 and 29. >> we were really going to empty nest. i mean we talked about how awesome our empty nest was going to be. >> what was the moment that changed that plan? >> meeting lily. >> lilliana or lily was a foster

child at the school where michelle worked. michelle and the entire family immediately fell in love with lily. >> we met her and it was just life changing for us and, you know, we started thinking differently and i'm like, well, empty nesting sounds kind of boring anyway. >> reporter: don and michelle started the adoption process but on the very day they submitted the paperwork to adopt lily, they got a phone call. >> they said, would you guys be interested in considering fostering or adopting a second one. how long do we have to decide with we need to talk about it. they said, two minutes. we're on the way to the hospital to get her. >> reporter: her biological mother was about to have another baby. that child too was going to end up in foster care. don and michelle said yes which meant these wanna-be empty nesters would be parents to two children under the age of 3. >> i was scared to ath. i'm my gosh, infant, babies, crying all night.

>> diapers. >> reporter: but just as they were getting settled, the surprises and kids kept coming. they were watching a story on the local news about a little girl in need of a liver transplant. >> i looked at don and said she looks so much like lilliana and the next day lily came to school and said my sister was on tv last night. >> reporter: unbeknownst to don and michelle the two kids they just adopted had two older sibling, jamie and jeremiah with other foster families. the adoption agency asked if they'd take on the two additional kids in order to unite all four siblings. >> we wanted to like not jump in and just do a hard decision and