fairly well. >> despite being good morning, america. a major winter blast slams the country. dangerously icy roads causing havoc. rescues in the south after heavy rain and severe storms. ten states in the east are under flood watches and the new blizzard warning for the midwest. we're tracking where the storm will strike next. trump's surprise trip. the president and first lady visit u.s. troops in iraq. visiting deployed military for the first time, and defending his decision to pull out of syria. while at home, wall street soars with a record-setting rebound as the government shutdown now stretches into its sixth day. cop killer manhunt. the urgent search for a man believed to have gunned down a police officer and new father during a traffic stop in california. the suspected gunman caught on surveillance footage moments

before the fatal shooting. and this morning, mall melee. shoppers sent running after a massive brawl involving hundreds. and christmas miracle. the dramatic 911 call that saved a 1-year-old's life. >> orange county fire rescue. >> my 1-year-old just fell in the pool. >> the child pulled from the pool with no pulse. how the calm dispatcher guided a neighbor through the steps to save the little boy. hey, good morning, america.a ay mora t of news to get to. absolutely, including president trump's historic first visit to a conflict zone, surprising troops in iraq after flying under the cover of darkness with the first lady by his side for a trip that took weeks of planning. >> we're going to have a lot more on that coming up. but we begin with that major

winter storm causing more havoc on the roads for these post-holiday travels and this morning, a tornado watch in the south. plus, tens of thousands without power in houston. our senior meteorologist rob marciano has been very busy tracking it all. where is the storm heading next, rob? >> well, it is a big one. you're right. if you are traveling on the ground or on the plane, you're not doing well. look at the size of this thing. if you have to go through this part of the country, you can't go around it. you have to go through it. here is across parts of southeast texas and louisiana. houston, and this is all part of the system that hit california on christmas eve, and it's making its way from coast to coast. >> reporter: a menacing wind storm on the move this morning, packing a powerful punch. intense thunderstorms hitting texas overnight. torrential rains causing flash flooding in austin, washing away cars, triggering water rescues. lightning splitting the sky in dallas, forcing officials to he game just ten minutes in. the first ever called off due to severe weather. an american airlines jet, flying from mexico to dallas, hitting

severe turbulence while diverting to austin. eventually landing there. two people treated for minor injuries. airports across the country seeing scores of flight delays and cancellations from strong winds and flashes of lightning. this on the heels of one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season. the same storm dumping heavy snow and ice, from southern california to the mountains in new mexico, as millions hop in their cars to get home after christmas. this is the texas panhandle, near-blizzard conditions there. we're seeing that sort of thing across parts of kansas and the dakotas as well. blizzard warnings in fargo, and flash flood watches for the southeast. thldere we southern part of ti i heavy snow mostly north and west of minneapolis. in new orleans, down i-10, and nashville, you'll ge ars wille heavy,t just difficult s and tomorrow night, it eventually gets up and towards the

northeast, and even leftovers after that. we'll talk about the cold system later on, dan. >> thank you, robert. we'll come back to you throughout the course of the morning for the updates on this storm. we want to move to another story that's breaking this morning. the president and first lady arriving back at the white house just a short time ago after a surprise visit to u.s. troops in iraq. this was president trump's first visit to a conflict zone. the secret trip coming just days after the president stunned military leaders with plans to remove all u.s. troops from syria. abc's white house correspondent tara palmeri right there at the white house this morning. tara, the president strongly defending that syria decision while on the ground in iraq. >> reporter: good morning, dan, that's right. president trumpdecision, but sa pulling out troops from iraq. instead he is giving them new responsibility if isis becomes an issue in syria again, they'll handle it. overnight, the president returning home from ramstein air

force base in germany, his second stop in an unannounced tour that started with a visit in iraq to u.s. troops. >> if you would have seen what we had to go through, with the darkened plane with all windows closed, with no lights on whatsoever, anywhere, pitch black. >> reporter: the commander in chief, in a war zone for the first time during his presidency delivering new orders to the troops. >> the united states cannot continue to be the policemen of the world. we're no longer the suckers, folks. >> reporter: the president spent a total of three hours on the ground in iraq, speaking to troops for 20 minutes. after announcing the sudden withdrawal of 2,000 troops from syria last week, shifting the burden of handling what's left of isis in the region to the troops in iraq. >> we can do things from iraq. we can take over some of the slack but, as you know, we knocked out 99% of the caliphate. >> reporter: the controversial drawback met with swift

backlash from his republican allies and the resignation of his defense secretary james mattis. with the first lady by his side, president trump spoke to some of the more 5,000 troops stationed in iraq. stopping to take selfies with some at al assad air force base. the president even tweeting out this video of himself, reportedly with members of a special ops unit s.e.a.l. team. troop talking about taking down isis, the terrorist group. >> great job. i looked at a map, and two years ago, it was a lot of red all over that map, and now you have a couple little spots and that's happening very quickly. >> reporter: the president and the first lady are back at the white house and now he has to deal with the government shutdown. also, the search for the new defense secretary since mattis' resignation was moved up to jan 1st. >> thank you very much. whit, over to you. homeland security secretary kirstjen nielsen speaking out after the death of a second

child in u.s. custody along the mexico border. nielsen released a new statement, saying, quote, our system has been pushed to a breaking point by those who seek open borders. abc's chief national correspondent matt gutman is in los angeles. and dhs is now promising medical checks for all migrant children and calling in extra help. >> reporter: that's right, whit. after months of warning, they are finally asking for that help. i'm told the border patrol has already completed a secondary medical assessment of all children in its custody under the age of 10 partly because of fear of a flu outbreak in its facilities. now that as we learn that in his six days with customs and border patrol that 8-year-old boy was moved between four different facilities because of overcrowding. with the death of that 8-year-old boy, homeland security admitting the immigration system has reached a breaking point. the second death of a guatemalan child under the age of 8 in three weeks triggering a slew of investigations. one is already under way by customs and border protection,

democrats in congress promising another.seary of homeland secur kirstjen nielsen releasing a statement wednesday, calling the death a tragedy, blaming open borders and the children's parents for taking them on a perilous journey. the secretary has asked the pentagon for help and the cdc to investigate the possibility of a flu outbreak at customs and border protection stations. this, amidst an unprecedented surge of migrant families at the border. 25,000 families apprehended in december alone. most are funneled through facilities designed for single adult males. overnight, the father of felipe alonzo gomez said his son showed no signs of illness before christmas eve, the day he died. detained on december 18th, the border patrol took him to the hospital on christmas eve with flu-like symptoms. there he spiked a fever of 103.

but just 90 minutes later, the hospital released him. back to border patrol. later that night, his condition worsened and the guatemalan consulate saying with the father carrying the 8-year-old boy in his arms, border patrol rushed him back to the hospital where he died minutes before christmas. so, why that surge in migrant children? well, the cbp commissioner telling me smugglers are willing to exploit laws that prevents families from being broken. 98% of families apprehended are released on their own cognizance in the u.s. after about 20 days of detention and ahead of a future court date. amy. >> all right, matt gutman, thank you. the president doubling down on his demand for border wall funding. the government shutdown going on six days with no end in sight. as senate returns to session. abc's mary bruce is on capitol hill. a lot going on there, mary. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, amy. day six of this shutdown, and there are no signs of progress here. the negotiations are at a standstill, and while the senate

is set to be in session later today, it doesn't seem either side is really itching to end this. the president is holding firm telling reporters he'll do, quote, whatever it takes to get the funding for his border wall, and making clear he is not opening the government until he does. while on the other side of the aisle, democrats are adamant that there will be no funding for the president's wall, and they seem to be growing more emboldened with each passing day. the democrats, amy, growing closer to being in control of the house. >> all right, mary bruce, things at a standstill. dan? let's turn to the markets now after a truly miserable december wall street scored its best day in years on wednesday, and you can see the joy on the faces of the traders here. relief as well. the big gains erase some, but not all of the losses from earlier in the month. abc's rebecca jarvis right there at the new york stock exchange, and, rebecca, you told us yesterday that we might see a bounce. >> reporter: good morning, dan. well, this is time of year we

see a santa claus rally. worst christmas eve ever for stocks, yesterday, we saw the best point gain ever for stocks with the dow up more than 1,000 points. what changed? well, not a lot fundamentally. we received a lot of positive news on the consumer front. mastercard reporting that over the holidays, consumers spent a record $850 billion. that is a six-year record high as far as compared to last year. amazon out with positive news, showing they showed a record number of items over the holiday season. but if you look back over the course of the year at that nest egg and what's happened as of today, the market is still down about 8% this year meaning the nest egg is probably down too. dan? >> okay. but given the performance yesterday, does this mean that perhaps we're out of the woods? we can stop worrying about our 401ks.

>> reporter: here's the thing, dan. anybody who tells you they know the answer to that question without a doubt probably trying to sell you something. when you talk to the traders at the new york stock exchange, the one certainty is more volatility. dan. >> rebecca jarvis, clearly not trying to sell us anything. we appreciate that, rebecca. thank you. whit, over to you. >> that prediction was good. now to that prison break overnight. the search for this escaped inmate from san quentin prison in california. mendoza was reported missing around 9:30 wednesday night. he is serving a five-year sentence for the use of a deadly weapon during an attempted carjacking and attempting to evade a police officer while driving recklessly. >> also in california, the manhunt for a man suspected of killing a police officer during a traffic stop. police searching around the clock for the gunman. abc's will carr has the latest

for us from northern california. will, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, whit. this shooting took place just hours after christmas. it has ripped one family apart and really shaken this community to its core. you can see they have set up a memorial here with balloons and flowers outside of the police department as authorities are working around the clock to get a cop killer off the streets. >> the responsible vehicle is going to be a gray dodge truck. >> reporter: overnight, authorities in northern california on the hunt for this man, considered armed, dangerous and on the run. his truck ditched in a mobile home park with no sign of the suspect after police say corporal and canine officer, ronil singh was shot and killed during a traffic stop early wednesday morning. >> the officer here is telling me that the opd officer was shot. >> reporter: surveillance video capturing the suspect buying two packs of beer and cigarettes before jumping into a gray dodge ram just moments before the fatal shooting.en sofficer singt injuries.

>> reporter: corporal singh, a husband and a father later died at the hospital. the fiji native was a seven-year veteran of the newman police department. >> it's really honestly really scary because this has never happened. >> reporter: singh now the 52nd member of law enforcement to be shot to death in the united states this year, a 13% jump from 2017. >> we were friends. it's tough, you know, when it's somebody you know and one of my friends. one of my buddies has, you know, died doing his job. >> reporter: really crushing for this police department that has just over a dozen officers on staff. a memorial fund has already been set up to help this officer's family and while the search for the suspect continues, it's really unclear what led up to that shooting. dan. >> it's really sad. will, thank you very much. meanwhile, an emergency school board meeting overnight in the case of a high school wrestler forced by a referee to cut his dreadlocks just moments before the match. this case has provoked so much

outrage and abc's adrienne bankert is here with the latest. adrienne, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you too, dan. a special emergency meeting held to discuss the questionable actions of this referee, and a chance for the family of this young wrestler to speak through their lawyer about just how difficult this has been for their son. it's the controversy the world's been watching. a high school wrestler given an ultimatum -- to cut his hair before competing in a wrestling match. >> this should not have happened to andrew. this should not happen to any high school or student athlete in that position. >> reporter: on wednesday, the new jersey regional school board held an emergency meeting to announce an internal investigation into why a trainer cut off andrew johnson'sea at s the referee, instead of johnson's hair being pulled back and covered. >> he was drained emotionally, tears coming down his eyes as his locks were being cut off. >> reporter: the family says it was traumatic for the 16-year-old.

>> was there things that could have been done? yes. as i said, administrators were there that could have stepped up that did not. they did not try to plead with the ref. >> reporter: the school's superintendent says the referee, alan maloney will never officiate another match in the district. >> we don't want to be a part with the referee moving forward. he is done working with our district. >> reporter: the family claims in a statement that maloney was late and missed weigh-ins. the moment johnson's appearance would have been checked out and that the head covering johnson had was rejected by the referee. high school wrestling regulations state that an athlete's hair cannot hang longer than his shirt collar and must be contained in a head cover or hair net. for many in this community the controversy has hit a nerve. >> that never should have happened. it's going to take that kid years to get over that. and the referee, if there are racial overtones, he needs to be gone from the score forever. that's it, bottom line. >> reporter: new jersey civil rights division is also investigating this case, and the family's lawyer also tells abc

news that although the team have a match scheduled for today andrew johnson will not be present. >> adrienne, appreciate it. we move onto a heartwarming holiday story. it started when mike levy of ohio posted this message on facebook, which went viral with 30,000 shares. he wrote, i had the pleasure of sitting next to hal, and his daughter was our flight attendant who had to work over christmas. hal decided he would spend the holiday with her so he is flying on each of her flights today and tomorrow. by the way, that included six flights across the country and hal was there with his daughter for all of them so she wouldn't have to spend the holiday alone. his daughter there, a flight attendant for delta, later posted a message on her mom's facebook saying, we made it, mom, and thanking all the gate agents and the crew around the country that helped her pull that off. hal was even treated to first class on one of those legs. a really sweet story. i don't know how sweet today for travelers. >> no.

a lot of rain and snow on the way and rob is covering that. what can you tell us? >> if you are stuck with family -- at least family you like, that's not a bad way to travel. this is not a good way here in sioux falls, south dakota. ice and snow with this system. the cold side of it really can get up to a foot in some spots. there is rain across the southeast where it's very soggy. time for your rainy cities brought to you by burlington.

coming up on the show, kevin spacey's accuser now saying the alleged incident was all captured on video. and then, a christmas miracle. the dramatic 911 call that saved a 1-year-old's life after he was pulled from a swimming pool with no pulse. stay with us. we'll be right back. no matter how much you clean, does your house still smell stuffy? that's because your home is filled with soft surfaces that trap odors and release them back into the room. so, try febreze fabric refresher. febreze finds odors trapped in fabrics and cleans them away as it dries. use febreze every time you tidy up

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now from abc 7, live breaking news. >> i'm jessica mornings. we're tracking this out of marin county. a search underway right now after an inmate escaped from san quentin state prison. officials say shalom mendoza carjacked someone in the parking lot of the home depot in san rafael last night just after 9:15. it's unclear how he escaped the maximum security prison. again, that search is underway. mendoza got away in a silver toyota rav 4 with this california license plate, number 6s 6stz502. call police if you see him. we still have a few problems on the road. mostly we're green out there, which is greek we have an irmont, and apparently that is out of lanes. you've not seen a lot of slow traffic there.

here's a look at some of your mass transit options right now. guys? >> okay, sue, thank you. >> okay, sue, thank you. and meteorologist m ♪ ♪ ♪ connecting people... ...uniting the world. ♪ united. official airline of the golden state warriors.

we're about 26 minutes into our wind event. you can see already some 25 to 30-mile-per-hour gusts in our hills. and they'll get up to possibly 45 miles per hour. boy, from north to south, from 7:00 this morning, so we're into it until 4:00 tomorrow morning. so bridges and also the bay going to be breezy, but mass transit, just kind of chilly. here's a look at my accuweather seven-day forecast. bone dry all seven days with highs in the mid- to upper 50s. >>coming uonnk lidi, l not giving instructions. stay tuned for that on "gma."

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♪ ♪ if i could turn back time ♪ if i could find a way, i would take back the words that hurt you and you would stay ♪ welcome back to "gma." wow, that's cyndi lauper looking exactly like she did back in 1985 i think. turning back time at the kennedy center honors, performing a tribute to the one and only, you saw her in the audience, cher. and her reaction, not the one you saw, to cyndi's surprise was priceless. we'll save that for a little bit later, so stay tuned. you don't want to miss it. that's coming up in "pop," but first, here are the top headlines we're following. president trump arriving back from his first visit, his first to a conflict zone. he was in iraq. he and the first lady visiting u.s. troops over there. the suckers. that was in reference to his decision to withdraw american

troops from syria, a controversial decision. also right now, we're tracking this new major storm moving across the country and a tornado watch in the south after multiple rescues, due to heavy rain and severe storms, and ten states in the east under flood watches right now. plus, mall mayhem. shoppers sent running after massive brawls breaking out in two separate incidents. this is in connecticut. one involving hundreds of people. the manchester police department responded to the disturbance at the buckland hills mall and arrested three women. and take a look at this. fireworks going off inside a storage unit in pennsylvania. the flames started in another unit, triggering all of these explosions. luckily, no injuries have been reported. >> amazing. wow. we are turning now though to the new developments in the sexual assault case against kevin spacey. we're now learning that a social media video may figure as evidence in the case. gio benitez is here with the details. good morning. >> reporter: yeah, good morning. right as so many were celebrating christmas, millions

were tuning into a video that couldn't be more different. kevin spacey's nonholiday youtube video. now word this morning, another video believed to be showing the alleged assault may exist, and police suggest they already have a copy. this morning, we're learning more about the sexual assault case against actor kevin spacey. police now saying his accuser, then an 18-year-old busboy in nantucket, said he recorded a video of the alleged assault in 2016. the accuser saying he shot the video when spacey was touching him, sending it to his girlfriend on snapchat because she didn't believe him. the accuser telling police he didn't know what to do at the time because he thought he would get in trouble with his work for drinking. but police also say he told others at the time. >> you wouldn't believe the worst without evidence, would you? you wouldn't rush to judgments without facts, would you? >> reporter: spacey posted a video of his own, monday, pretending to be his former character on "house of cards." just as news of this criminal

charge surfaced, more than 7 million people have watched. >> if i didn't pay the price for the things we both know i did do, we both know i'm certainly not going to pay the price for what i didn't do. >> reporter: the backlash was fast and furious. actress alyssa milano called it creepy. experts wondering why bother with a video stunt? >> this video is strange and it also makes references to being, i guess, accused and convicted without there being due process. maybe it's his attempt to say to his fans not to rush to judgment. >> reporter: and spacey is charged with a felony, indecent assault or battery. he could face up to five years in prison if convicted. he has denied the allegations in the past, but has not commented on this specific criminal charge. >> so, is kevin spacey expected to show up in court now? >> yeah, he will be arraigned in court in less than two weeks. he hasn't really been seen in public since this news broke.

this is the first we've seen. >> other than this video. gio, thank you very much. on a very different note, we'll turn to a christmas miracle playing out on a dramatic 911 call. a 1-year-old pulled from a pool in florida with no pulse, but thanks to a dispatcher calmly delivering instructions to the child's neighbor, that boy was revived and he is now recovering. abc's victor oquendo is right there in miami. victor, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, dan. the call lasted a little over five minutes. in it, you can hear screaming and panic. but throughout, there's the steady voice of that dispatcher who helped save that baby boy's life. >> orange county fire rescue. >> my 1-year-old just fell in the pool. >> reporter: the frantic call came in on christmas day. a 1-year-old fell in a pool in central florida and had no pulse. >> he's not responding. >> reporter: a neighbor trying to perform cpr. >> do they know how to do cpr? >> he's just pumping. he doesn't know. >> tell him i need him to lay him flat on his back. >> reporter: help is on the way, but the dispatcher wastes no time.

she starts instructing them on cpr over the phone. >> i need him to place his hand under his forehand, the other hand under the neck and tilt the head back. >> okay. >> pinch his nose closed and completely cover his mouth with your mouth and then blow two regular breaths into his lungs. >> reporter: moments later -- >> he is gurgling. >> okay. >> reporter: the boy wasn't in the clear yet. the dispatcher guides them through chest compressions. >> push down about two inches with only one heel touching the chest. >> reporter: even counting with them. >> one, two, three, four. >> one, two, three, four. they're here. they're here. >> reporter: then firefighters arrive and resuscitate the child and take him to the hospital in serious condition. the baby boy is now in good condition. i spoke with the orange county fire rescue. they tell me they look at those call takers as the first first responders. and by giving those instructions, there's no doubt

she helped save that baby boy's life. >> absolutely. those call-takers do important work. victor, thank you very much. >> thank goodness for them. now to a story about real perseverance. an american adventurer, colin o'brady sharing the moment he trekked right into the record books. this is such a cool story. he is the first american trekking across antarctica solo, and unassisted by anyone. o'brady documenting his spectacular journey. it was over 932 miles long. it took him 54 days to complete the race, and on christmas day, while many of us were unwrapping represents, he made an 80-mile push in just one day. it took him 32 hours to reach the finish line in what he calls his personal antarctica ultra marathon. >> that's incredible.l for 80 miles. i wouldn't mind, like, flying in. >> we'll watch your video. >> all right. well, congratulations. coming up next, ben stiller firing back. why she is calling the director a liar and slamming the hit show.

firing back. why she is calling the director a liar and slamming the hit show. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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now to ben stiller firing back. the actor turned director is defending his hit tv series, "escape at dannemora." the story's based upon the real-life story of joyce mitchell, a prison worker convicted of helping two inmates break out of a prison in upstate new york back in 2015. mitchell is now slamming stiller calling him a liar. abc's janai norman has more on this. >> reporter: from behind bars, mitchell is slamming stiller and his portrayal of her in that hit show, bu in an interview with "deadline,"

he's saying a year's worth of research went into the project. >> i said, lights out. now. >> reporter: critics are raving about "escape at dannemora." the show chronicling the prison break in upstate new york that's already up for two golden globes including best actress for patricia arquette's dramatic transformation into prison worker joyce mitchell. >> i didn't do anything wrong. >> reporter: but the real-life joyce mitchell is fighting back at the series calling director ben stiller a liar. mitchell pleaded guilty to helping convicted killer david sweat and richard matt escape, and convicted to seven years. >> let me start by saying how sorry i am. >> reporter: mitchell claimed the inmates threatened to kill her husband if she didn't help them. admitting she snuggled in tools in hamburger meat including chisels, a punch and a screw driver that they used to cut through their cell walls. in the series, the then-51-year-old is portrayed as

a willing co-conspirator, and in the "new york post" she slams stiller. she said he doesn't care about the truth. all he cares about is making millions off me. he's an idiot. mitchell takes particular exception to how it shows her having a sexual relationship with both inmates, something she and sweat both deny. but stirl is fighting back, saying, my guideline was to try and tell what i thought happened. she can dispute it, but the reality is she was kicked out of the tailor shop for inappropriate conduct, for going in the back room with david sweat. the director tells "variety" how andrew cuomo granted permission to film at the prison and at the actual manhole cover the inmates daringly escaped through. >> it was a real commitment for ben stiller as a director. he devoted about a year of his life to filming the project inevitably in any of these true life, true crime stories, there will be people that come and

say, no, no, no, that's not my version of events. >> reporter: stiller also said he was trying to tell the story in as real and hopefully as entertaining way as possible without exploiting. adding, it can't be fun to be in prison, so it seems like no love lost between those two. >> it's interesting because in that interview with "deadline," stiller said he almost passed up the project. what changed his mind? >> right. so you guys remember the story. it lasted -- dragged on for about three weeks and cost upwards of millions of dollars for the state of new york, and stiller said it was the details of the brazen escape, the human relationships that were outlined in the report, that changed his mind and became so much of the material for the show. positive reviews. coming up though, a very different story. the new movie opening with a 0% rating on rotten tomatoes. it might be on track to becoming the worst reviewed film ever, even though it stars one of your favorite duos.

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♪ this is how we do it ♪ da da da da da da da >> hey. i never asked you. do you like guacamole? oh, god! >> that is a scene from the will ferrell/john c. reilly's film, "step brothers." a lot of people loved that movie, including the always high-browed amy robach. but the pair's new movie called "holmes & watson" is having a bit of a rough go. for awhile it had a 0% rating on rotten tomatoes. that has ticked up to a robust 4%, but it's still on track to being one of the worst-reviewed movies ever. we want to welcome maggie rulli to "gma." have you seen this turkey yet?

>> no, but i'm looking forward to it. big, big "step brothers" fan, and even though it's getting terrible reviews, i want to see it. it's now one of the worst reviewed movies in 2018, but it wasn't screened by critics ahead of time. fans went into the theaters unaware of what they were getting into. according to many moviegoers on twitter, this movie was so bad it prompted walkouts. >> reporter: this morning, the box office's biggest year on record has now also brought us this. >> what have you done with sherlock? >> why, watson, i never left. >> reporter: "holmes & watson," the new film starring will ferrell and john c. reilly. >> watson? >> oh! >> reporter: the movie savaged by reviewers for being full of terrible jokes and poorly choreographed physical comedy, earning the dubious distinction of opening with a 0% rating on rotten tomatoes, that is seen as a bellwether of critical acclaim. >> this movie was not screened for critics in advance.

but it is among one of the worst reviewed movies of the year. >> reporter: the last movie to open at 0%, "gotti." >> i nominate john gotti. >> reporter: the reaction to "holmes & watson," a surprise, recognized as one of hollywood's best duos. >> what are you doing? >> after the race? >> yeah. >> i don't know. i feel like we're wasting a lot of time. >> i know, i know. i'm excited man. >> yeah, i know. >> hey, i love you. >> what? >> nothing. shake and bake! >> reporter: but while critics might advise to steer clear, audiences aren't listening. it's been placed fourth at the christmas box office behind juggernauts "aquaman" and "mary poppins." this morning, some encouraging news. the meter has squeaked up to 4% with one positive review. 4%, it's amazing. here's that one, the only positive review. it's from the reviewer from "the new york magazine" saying no brain cells are harmed by "holmes & watson." it's a few hours to rest and regenerate.

with that glowing endorsement, what do you say? >> i'm going. >> i kind of want to see it now. i want to see it. >> we're all going. >> dan is not in. >> just buy three tickets, you're good. >> exactly. >> come on, dan. >> i'm kidding. i might go. >> every party needs a pooper. coming up, alec penix is here linking food and fitness. and faith. ss.

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"good morning america" is sponsored by subaru. love, it's what makes a subaru a subaru. subaru. good morning, south bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is abc 7 mornings. >> good morning. happy thursday. meteorologist mike nicco has7

our forecast. >> yeah, it's going to be a breezy one. we have a wind advisory above 1,000 feet for gusts up to possibly 55 miles per hour. so secure those outdoor objects, as they may fly away. could have some power outages, maybe some trees down. for the rest of us, everything's pretty good, other than the fact that it will be breezy at times. down in the lower elevations, we'll have breezes at 20 to 25 miles per hour. look at all that sunshine and temperatures in the mid- to upper 50s for the new year. sue? >> a couple of problem spots out there this thursday morning commute. this is westbound 580, as you're headed towards marin county near bay view. and apparently one lane is blocked there. i'm not seeing a lot of slow traffic, however, at that scene. we'll take a look at some of your mass transit issues. boy, ace trains have been delayed all morning long. >> sue, thank you. coming up on "gma," faith, food, and fitness. the secrets to shaping your mind along with your body. we have another abc 7 news update here in about 30 minutes and always on our news app and

abc7news.com. have a great morning.

good mo good morning, america.

it's 8:00 a.m. the major winter storm on the move. dangerous blizzard conditions wreaking havoc on the roads, and this morning, a tornado watch in the south. where will the winter storm strike next? we're tracking it all right here. say good-bye to belly bloats that may actually be making your tummy bulge. we'll break down simple switches to help you bid farewell to feeling bloated in the new year. food, fitness and faith. how spirituality fuels this trainer, revealing secrets for body and soul. plus, three simple moves to kick your core into shape without stepping a foot into the gym. demi lovato's christmas. the superstar sharing families of her family and pets just five months after an overdose. overc struggles and getting stronger every day. as we say, good morning,

america. ♪ good morning, america. thank you for being with us on this very busy thursday. >> yes. we have a lot of stories for you this morning, including how to keep your home safe for the little ones. do you know how to spot baby hazards? they can be everywhere and anywhere from the nursery to the living room, the kitchen. we put one young couple's knowledge to the test and have them take our quiz to find those potential dangers. >> i am so paranoid about this stuff. >> i have been there. my kids are a little older now, but we still have a couple of safety things in place still. >> then they turn 16 and you have to worry about the keys to the car, right? >> right. we begin with the tornado watch in the south. that dangerous weather expected to make its way up the east coast and rob will tell us about that line of tornadoes everyone needs to hear about. >> severe thunderstorms and snow. look at this video out of the panhandle of texas. snow blowing sideways and trying

to get the kids into the car seats. they are not moving on i-25 around santa fe, shut down for a time there because of some accidents and the warm sector with those thunderstorms amy was talking about. austin, texas, flooding overnight with some flash flood rescues there. houston got hammered. now it's in through louisiana. this tornado watch which stretches towards lafayette and alexandria, now in effect until 11:00 a.m., and they may extend this as it pushes towards new orleans. flood watches posted there. birmingham, alabama getting up as far north as virginia. the blizzard warnings continue. the rain becomes heavy at times and the biggest chance is through mississippi, alabama and it gets wet here in d.c., new york tomorrow. the extreme northern parts of new york and new england will see snow. only parts of new york and new england will see snow. that's the good news. the bad news is everybody is getting a piece of the storm, dan. >> thank you, robert. we know you will be on the story throughout the day. thanks again. we turn now to the president and first lady's surprise visit to iraq. the historic trip made under the cover of night. his first trip to a combat zone. the trumps arriving back in

washington early this morning. let's go back to our white house correspondent, tara palmeri at the white house. good morning again. >> reporter: good morning, dan. it was a long-awaited trip. a long-awaited visit for the commander in chief to speak to troops in a combat zone and once there, he defended his decision to pull out of syria. overnight, the president returning home from ramstein air force base in germany, his second stop in an unannounced tour that started with a secret christmas visit to iraq to meet with u.s. troops. >> if you would have seen what we had to go through with the darkened plane with all windows closed with no lights on whatsoever, anywhere, pitch black. >> reporter: the commander in chief in a war zone for the first time in his presidency delivering new orders to the troops. >> the united states cannot continue to be the policeman of the world. we're no longer the suckers, folks. >> reporter: the president spent three hours on the ground in iraq, speaking to troops for 20 minutes. after announcing the sn

withdrawal of 2,000 troops from syria last week, shifting the burden of handling what's left of isis in the region to the troops in iraq. the controversial drawback met with swift backlash from his republican allies and the resignation of his defense secretary james mattis. president trump is back at the white house and digging in his heels on the sixth day of a government shutdown. in his latest tweet, he is blasting democrats and saying we desperately need a wall along the southern border. dan? >> yeah, no end in sight for this one. hundreds of thousands of federal employees affected. tara, thank you. whit, over to you. dan, thanks. now to a mystery solved after a search of more than eight years. florida photographer joy groover, caught this wonderful moment of a couple getting engaged. they tried to catch up in the new fiances that day, but they got away.

her quest though just started at that moment. she posted the picture on her facebook page every single year for eight years. this year though, success. friends of the couple saw it. joy's annual post and they finally saw the picture of the moment that changed their lives. the couple, david and ashley barnosky got married and they have two little girls and now they finally know about that picture. >> that's really cool. >> incredible. >> eight years, that was tenacious. >> persistent. coming up next, superstar demi lovato posting intimate family photos from christmas. how the singer is recovering from that overdose earlier this year. plus, the battle of the belly bloats. find out the surprising healthy foods that might be causing you major discomfort. >> yeah. doughnuts apparently. big surprise there. and the celebrity trainer with a powerful message about food fitness and the in his llness regimen. that's all coming up on "gma." if you'd stop in a monsoon to help someone change a tire, save a whale that had beached itself... you're gonna be ok big guy. push! lend a hand in an old-timey barn raising...

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[ cheers and applause ] welcome back to "gma." tomorrow ryan seacrest and jenny mccarthy will be with us live for a preview of this year's "new years rockin' eve." . that's the 47th year for the tradition. here's adrienne bankert with "pop news" this morning. [ cheers and applause ] i love those introductions. check this out. we begin with the kennedy center honors and a tribute fit for a queen or an icon. cher honored in d.c. earlier this month. now we're seeing the performances that left her speechless. first up, adam lambert took to the stage and killed it with her 1998 hit, "believe." ♪ do you believe in life after love ♪ >> nice. i just want to keep listening.

i'll stop talking. cher took to twitter to express her emotions writing, try to write feelings about adam lambert singing "believe in words" but can't seem to. then came this moment between two legends. cyndi lauper took to the stage. take a look. >> you told me you were going to los angeles! >> i lied. >> cher later tweeted, i was shocked and over the moon when cyndi lauper came out rocking the house and rocked the house she did. singing "turn back time." listen. ♪ if i could turn back time ♪ if igd i could find a way >> can i just say that both cher and cyndi are timeless? how good do they look? >> they look great. [ applause ] >> cyndi lauper, i listened to her when i was a teenager.

>> i'm saying. i was like how old is cindy lauper? it's none of my business, but she looks amazing. >> one of my jobs was handing out bumper stickers at a cher concert. >> nice. >> yeah. >> fun fact. you had some interesting jobs. >> then it was olive garden after that. >> we will never forget that. >> breadsticks, ladies and gentlemen, coming up. >> that's right. >> congratulations to cher. it included lin-manual miranda and the "hamilton" creators. i know you want to clap. listen. did you hear about the rumor? liam neeson and miley cyrus. we first showed you these yesterday. hemsworth, i apologize. >> i was, like, so confused. >> i'm all excited about this. you can always correct me because sometimes i get tongue-tied. looks like they're about to cut a wedding cake. were they secretly married? yes, they were. miley confirmed the news with this beautiful photo, happy

couple. miley in a beautiful westwood gown and she posted these snaps from their ceremony in franklin, tennessee. they met on "the last song." mark ronson posted this special, here comes the bride rendition. we love that, and later miley celebrated their big day dancing to ronson's "uptown funk." congratulations. we are so happy for you. [ applause ] she is so cute. she looks amazing. oh my gosh. she looks so happy, and liam hemsworth, you don't look too bad yourself. finally, we have the story of two young sisters using origami to create a better future. the 12 and 18-year-olds learned the ancient art of origami from their dad when they were little, little kids. they convinced the four seasons hotel in dallas to sell two

trees of their donations. they are using it to fund efforts in kenya, as well as many other countries, including the u.s. to consult water pumps and wells for a clean water project. so far, they have raised a grand total of more than $1.5 million. >> that's great. >> i know you're a big supporter. >> that's right. yeah. everybody got an ornament. the girls were so sweet to share them. 12 and 15 years old and they are ceos. we all need to work on our resolutions after that story. >> we put one of those ornaments on our tree which will be coming down in april. >> you leave it there until april? >> we're lazy. thank you, adrienne. we appreciate it. let's turn to our "gma" cover story. it's an update on demi lovato. the superstar sharing intimate family photos after that frightening overdose. let's talk about how she is recovering. hey, janai. >> hello again. demi tweeted to fans, saying, i'm happy and clean. we can see how happy she is on those news on instagram

all snuggled up with puppies after a tough year. >> reporter: demi lovato chronicling her christmas on social media appearing happy an peaceful. lovato posting this photo of her christmas tree with the caption, merry christmas, guys. i love you all. >> this is so great. >> reporter: using her sisters, dallas and madison, all smiles opening their gifts. >> we have a present for you guys. >> reporter: even the furry family members scampering over to get their presents. lovato posting photos of the dogs donning bows in their hair and resting among the gifts. these warm and cozy christmas pictures coming off a tumultuous year for lovato. >> how old is she? >> we just need to get somebody out here. >> reporter: paramedics responded to an apparent overdose at her house. demi was in the hospital for two weeks before spending ninety days in a rehab facility. ♪ what's wrong with being confident ♪ >> reporter: in the days before the holiday, the grammy-nominated singer taking to twitter telling fans, i am

sober and grateful to be alive and taking care of me. i'm so blessed i get to take this time to be with family, relax, work on my mind, body and soul and come back when i'm ready. and lovato has been very open about her struggles with addiction and recovery telling have learned is this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. it is something i must continue to overcome and have not done yet. i will keep fighting and fighting she is. amy. >> all right, janai. thanks so much. we're rooting for her. now the surprising foods that may be making you feel bad in this new book "the bloated belly whisperer." it's written by dietician

fuhrman. >> reporter: it's that time of year when we're hoping a change of diet might help us lose pounds or change a digestive problem, but it's not so easy when it comes to belly bloat. >> our systems work a little bit differently, and not every nutritious food will feel good in every person's body. >> reporter: author of the new book "the bloated belly whisperer" says there are common mistakes we all make during meal times, especially when it comes to choosing foods for digestive health. we have serial and oatmeal here in front of us. why is that? >> some fiber cereals will add these special types of fibers to boost their numbers. that can be fermentable and cause gas in the gut. >> reporter: and an alternative to high fiber cereal? >> oatmeal. the texture is less like roughage. something more healthy. >> reporter: looking at lunch versions here, we two versions of kale. why is that? >> as your stomach is trying to current that coarse, big bole of kale into kale smoothie in your stomach, it is creating a lot of acid, a lot of churning and some people can experience that as reflux.

when you put it in a soup form, it's chopped up really, really fine. it's cooked down. the texture is really tamed. >> reporter: cauliflower is the vegetable everybody is eating. it's in, like, all forms from regular cauliflower to cauliflower rice. >> the problem for many people is when you eat it in larger portions, it can be incredibly gassy. zucchinis are much less gassy for people than cauliflower. you can turn them into noodles, put sauce on them. >> reporter: she said if fiber cereal don't cause die stress, don't stop eating them. listen to your body. >> there are healthy foods out there everyone can tolerate and your health and wellness mission should be finding those foods, having that diet and not wondering or worrying about what someone else is eating. >> let's bring in maya feller. thanks for being with us. >> thank you. [ applause ] >> this is not a one-size fits all.

it's so individual. >> right. >> the bottom line is many of us are eating what we think is healthy, but are causing problems. >> that's right. because of the one size fits all, if you have a sensitive stomach or constitution, you don't want to follow one of those trendy high fiber diets filled with vegetables. it might actually upset you. it's kind of contradictory to what you are hearing but if your stomach is sensitive, pay attention to what you are putting in and make choices that suit you individually. >> let's start with breakfast. we heard about the high fiber cereals. what's a good way to start the day if that's giving you problems? >> right. the reason we're not going for this high fiber cereal is it will create a lot of bulk. we'll go for something like blueberries or strawberries with a bit of oatmeal that has been well-cooked and you can choo a nondairy beverage or lactose-free milk. that might help. i like that quite a bit. >> lunchtime, we heard about kale. certain types of kale can be problematic. what's the alternative?

>> instead of this rough vegetables here, right? bulk, it's going in. we're going to go for some soup. something that has been cooked and the fiber has been broken down a little bit. maybe a spinach salad with cooked baby carrots. sushi is a great option if you are looking for something that's not incredibly bloating. >> now on to dinner. we have salmon, but with different sides and that's the difference between belly bloat and feeling much better. >> cauliflower is everywhere, right? it's, like, rice, pizza crust. people are all cauliflower, blt, gas blo cauliflower, but tl i'll say, try somethinlike zoodles that's less bloaty, and well-cooked green beans are tolerated well. >> the cooking i hear is a big part of this. once you cook it you break it down. >> that's right. you're taking that fiber and breaking it down. >> what do we do with the snacks? >> again, i'll say you see this high fiber cereal bar, you have to read the label. some of them have 46% of your

value of daily fiber. that is so much fiber. your body simply can't handle it. use clementines and these are amazing right now. a little bit of banana with nut butter, you know, really fantastic. >> thank you. these are awesome solutions for this. [ applause ] thank you so much. rob, over to you. what about candy canes? i think that will keep the bloat down. candy canes all year round. that's a fantastic way to do your diet. skiing santas are done. we found a couple rippers going through bend, oregon. here's your "gma" moment. check it out. fresh powder a couple of days ago. making nice turns. going to the jump, sending it. stopping it. yes. that's so soft and so nice even through the trees. coming through that. look at that open snow field. that deserves a fist bump. you better believe it. good snow season for the ski resorts out west.

just watching that segment, i'm feeling bloated. i'm going to button this up. >> get some zoodles. >> right after the show. now to the parenting alert about the hazards in the nursery. "gma" aired a spot the baby hazard quiz which we created along with the product safety commission. we had two expectant

august louis who was born in october and abc's paula faris brings us a refresher. >> when samantha and alex were expecting their first child, they had different feelings about baby proofing their home. >> you feel a little overwhelmed? >> a little bit. >> we have done a lot of pinteresting, but not a lot of doing. >> this is the acting chairman of the cpsc, the consumer product safety commission. a little intimidating? >> a little bit. it's like having the principal coming around to the classroom. >> reporter: she is here to provide potentially life-saving advice. >> most injuries and deaths can be prevented. >> reporter: "gma" teamed up with the commission to provide the spot the baby hazard in their home, setting up possible hazards in the nursery and kitchen. the nursery has at least seven. how many can you spot? >> the pillow and the blanket might be issues. >> we have got our lovely baby monitor. >> right. >> but it's attached to all these cords. >> reporter: that's correct. the cpsc says baby monitor cords

should be at least 3 feet from the crib. >> the baby could put it over their head. >> we didn't get that outlet cover. this is bolted in. >> reporter: all correct again. plastic bags can be a suffocation hazard. all furniture including the changing table and the bookcase should be anchored to the wall, and outlets should be covered. >> is that an issue? >> reporter: correct again. the cpsc says use cordless or inaccessible cord window coverings. check regularly cords are out of young children's reach and cannot form dangerous loops. that's a strangulation hazard. >> i think we're good. score. >> let's see. >> all right, mom and dad. >> let's start here. whether it's a crib or a play yard, bare is best. >> reporter: overall they scored six out of seven, but missing this potential hazard.

>> the pictures over the crib. >> oh. >> it can pose a danger if they just fall on their own or if the child helps them. >> reporter: next up, we head to the living room. they get a passing grade for figuring out they need to pad these coffee table corners, but the chairman points out the baby needs better protection from that fireplace. >> you can get screens that actually fasten themselves to the front of the fireplace. >> reporter: and other tip-over hazards. >> anchor the storage device against the wall and then the tv as well. >> reporter: then to the kitchen. spotting this hazard, the oven door made even easier to pull down with this hanging dish towel. and i give them a bonus question. what baby item is linked to the most injuries seen in the emergency room for children under 5? >> blanket. >> blanket and crib. >> reporter: it is the highchair. >> the straps are extremely importan we hav thousands of falls and injuries from the highchair. >> strap them down. >> reporter: overall they aced the quiz. >> you both did extremely well. >> reporter: for "good morning america," paula faris, new jersey.

>> thanks pa la. the products can be used safely if you follow the instructions. you want to check your nursery products haven't been recalled. we'll be right back.

that breaking news is from marin county. i'm alexis smith from abc 7 mornings. a search is underway after an inmate escaped from san quentin state prison. officials say shalom mendoza carjacked someone in the parking lot of home depot in san rafael last night just before 9:15. it's unclear how he escaped from the maximum security prison. mendoza got away in a silver toyota rav-4 with california license plate number 6stz502. let's turn to traffic with susan hall. >> we have a car fire, northbound 101 near 3rd in san mateo. the car fire is out, but chp has issued a sig alert for the area. and you can see traffic slowing now back to highway 92. and we continue to have ace train delays this morning. trains 5 and 7 are running about ten minutes behind. alexis? >> thank you,

now your accuweather forecast with mike nicco. >> still tracking some fog around livermore. visibility still below a quarter of a mile and it will be, about another hour or so. then we have the winds to talk about, above a thousand feet, all the way through 4:00 tomorrow morning. gusts up to 55 miles per hour. see the commute? that's what's going to be a bummer on east/west bridges and on the water today. >> all right. thank you, mike. we'll have another abc 7 news

♪ 24 karat magic in the air [ cheers and applause ] welcome back to "gma." the countdown to new year's eve is on and we want to help you get your party preparation started. we have lori bergamotto to break down the latest fashion trends, decor, food and of course, drinks to get your party ready. that's the most important part of all. >> especially for the new year to ring it in. >> what makes this year different? >> so right now what we're seeing at goodhousekeeping.com and on pinterest and in the marketplace is what we'll show you today. this is what you will see to ring in the new year. we'll start with decor. it's usually black and gold. that's what you see at parties. >> right. >> to ring in 2019, it's all about blush and rose gold. >> rose gold. i love it. >> don't you love this combo? it's a little bit softer. it's more elegant and that's the trend we're seeing throughout. >> so pretty. >> we love that you can get it really affordable. >> plastic rose gold. that's amazing. >> you don't need to go super

fancy and that's one of the takeaways here is that everything really is affordable and really accessible. >> i'm in love with these. i want to steal this idea. how did you do it? >> these are glass bottle candleholders. they are up 50% on pinterest and they are easy to diy. you take an empty glass bottle -- these are empty wine bottles. some of us may have those lying around. not naming any names, but you want to clean that out, fill it up with some water and what we did here was used pieces of nature. this is, like, a broken piece of your christmas tree. it's falling apart anyway. you can useheit's a a little bit chic. >> what if you have a fake tree? >> it will be fine. that's what's going on in decor, and we want to move to food. >> yes. snacks, right? that's a big thing. we have some doughnuts at the table here. >> doughnuts are up over 400% in

searches. it's all about serve a doughnut. forget cookies, cakes, cup cakes. it's all about a doughnut. >> these aren't your typical doughnut. >> exactly. you can go savory or sweet or be creative. we have one dipped in chocolate and one is a snowman. display them creatively, and really affordable and easy to procure a doughnut. >> moving over to the bar over here. obviously champagne -- yeah. [ applause ] the food is okay, but the bar. people start applauding. champagne always goes with new year's, but people are actua putting together bubbly bars now. what do we have here? >> we'll talk about the bubbly bar. >> i like saying that. bubbly bar. >> it is fun to say. >> come to the bubbly bar. >> to have your bubbly at your bubbly bar, you need decor, and we'll talk about the letter boards here as well. everybody sees these on instagram. >> yep. >> for back to school. recycle it. everybody's doing this right now. it's up to almost 500% on pinterest, where you can write bubbly bar on here if you wanted

to. >> whit's bubbly bar. >> right. what a bubbly bar is you can use champagne. because it's early in the morning, we'll use sparkling cider. >> i'm just going to work. we can be creative? >> yeah. cotton candy. make us something delicious and this is a really good way to get guests at your party to mingle. it's a good icebreaker and it takes a lot of pressure off the host because amy and i are just standing here. >> right. forgive me. i washed myhands, i promise. >> we trust you. should we not trust you? >> making it rain pomegranate seeds. >> all of this stuff really easy to get. really affordable. >> amy is questioning my choices. now i'm getting nervous. >> the lemon, whit. >> i want the cotton candy. while you're getting the bubbly bar in -- >> it's what we're wearing. squ

sequins are a big trend, right? >> yes, they are, but the new trend is velvet. i'm modeling that trend, and i'm modeling it here. it feels really regal and it's less flashy, but that's the theme of the night. it's an understated elegance and keeping it subtle. >> rose gold, velvet, champagne bars and doughnuts. >> i mean -- >> the new year. 2019 is going to be a good year. cheers to you. >> cheers. >> "good housekeeping" is on the newsstands now. did anyone see that champagne fail? >> yeah. i lost a piece of my cotton candy. it was just a garnish though. the champagne is good. >> you're an excellent mixologist. are you available to come? coming up next, we have the celebrity trainer hoar breaking down his spiritual approach to f fitness. he has the powerful strategies for everybody looking to shed

the weight and perhaps the doughnuts you ate.

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[ cheers and applause ] ♪ many of us are resolving to get fit. we are joined now by alec penix. he has worked with shawn mendes,

to gabby douglas. he has a new book out, where he talks about faith and fitness. >> thank you for having me on the show. i appreciate it. when i was younger, i was actually bullied a lot in school and it was because i was diagnosed with a learning disability unfortunately. so growing up, i didn't have a lot of faith or confidence for that matter. so i turned to exercise as a tool to shape my body and that led to be me to be fulfilled ultimately. going back and looking at it, i lowed the opinions of other people to shape my mind and to shape me, and one day it all changed and that's when i found god. it was because of my faith that i was able to break free from that identity and start walking it into my destiny ultimately. i don't say you have to be religious in order to be fulfilled, but i think it's important to have some type of faith. i ask people, what is your why? ask yourself, du nt you're able to identify that, that's when fitness changes from something that you have to do,

to something that you want to do. >> having a larger purpose can keep you on track. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> so you talk in the book about some diets you don't like, especially crash diets or fad diets. >> yes. >> why not? >> i want us to throw away the crash diets for 2019 and incorporate that balanced diet of protein, fats and carbohydrates. we overlook the fact that our bodies are meant to thrive and in my experience, i'm a witness of client that is go on and off the crash diets and they don't realize they have conditioned their body to survive and what i mean by that is that the body will store unnecessary fat and prepare itself for the famine or the crash diet. they are training their body to work against them rather than for them, and that's why i love a balanced diet. >> let's talk about specific foods here. >> yes. >> breakfast, oatmeal with a nut butter. >> i love -- oatmeal is, like, my favorite choice here.

it gives me that energy to sustain me throughout the day, and the most crucial part of my day. i'm not worried about food. i'm focused on what i have to do, and you can see the nut butter on top to give you the balance. >> and energy bites here? >> yeah. you can really just take what you have made here is then put it into a ball, but the only difference is you have cocoa powder and honey, and this is perfect for a snack before your workout or in the middle of the day when you need extra energy. >> what do you think about a doughnut before working out?u t. wer. >> trainers love tricks. i'm a firm believer. don't eat after 7:00. the thing that we do the most is that we eat after 7:00, right? we're in front of the tv. we're eating whatever, and so one of the tricks that i love to

do and i incorporate this with my clients is i do uncarbonated water into their diet and it makes you feel full so you're not turning to a bad source. put lemon or lime in it. >> also a doughnut. great. you have workouts you want to show us. >> yes. >> ignore me. keep going. >> i love doing circuits. i do this twice a day to keep my heart rate elevated and burn those calories. the first exercise we'll do. are you ready? >> when you say we -- >> i was hoping you would join me. >> show me first and we'll see. this is the way i like to work out. i watch my trainer do it. >> so what i'm going to do is get on the ground here and we'll do a bicycle crunch. i'll let you guys down here. open the hands behind our head and keep your feet on the ground. we'll move our opposite knee to the elbow. are you joining us? >> i'm grading you.

>> bring it here, boom. go right into the next movement like this, and as you can see, it's not injust -- it's in a cadence. it's not just an exercise, but it's cardio as well. >> show us as well. >> now we have the bicycle, which is the opposite -- i'm sorry. it's the mountain climber which is the opposite. we'll do this on the other side, guys. same thing. one two three, one, okay. keep it going. as you're ready. are you ready to go some squats? everybody's standing up. get the feet and hands in front of you. drop the butt. right before your butt hits the chair, go right back up. are you guys ready? here we go. three, two, one and go. woo! how's that feel? there you go. keep it going. hold on. hold. >> i think i just broke my pants. i'm just kidding. great job, alec.

your book is out now, and let's get it over to rob for a check of the weather. check out this handsome crew out here we have. not wearing a coat here. more folks from florida. folks from the uk. oh my goodness. what a great crowd we have post-christmas and they are excited about the warmer weather that's going to be coming towards the northeast as this system that we have been talking about all week long lines itself up and pumps up a little bit of moisture as well. might see some freezing rain across i-90, but look at tomorrow's high temperatures into the 50s for new york city on friday and saturday. this is brought to you by state farm. how are you doing? mind over matter?

what's the secret? >> you have to feel like you're in south florida, but you have to move down there too. it's too cold. >> chamber of commerce. the shades are part of it. back up to you, amy. >> reporter: it's not just the holiday season, but it's movie season, and one blockbuster getting a lot of buzz is the powerful film based on a true story called "green book," and you got to sit down with one of the stars, viggo mortensen. >> yes. he's a hollywood veteran and ritt literary aficionado. he told me that "green book" is one of the best scripts he has read in his 30-year career. >> reporter: viggo mortensen taking an audience on a road trip. >> it's past the limits of your first impression of somebody. that's for anybody you meet. >> reporter: it's a journey based on a true story. mortensen plays a streetwise bouncer hired to protect dr. don shirley. >> i'm about to embark on a

concert tour down south. >> atlantic city? >> no. the deep south. >> he is a great artist who could be playing europe, concert hall cathedral. but he chooses to go down south where he will be treated like dirt. he realizes that what don is doing is, like, a nonviolent protest. >> reporter: and the title of the movie, "green book," is based on a guide. >> the guide from the mid '30s to the mid '60s. white people would have the places you can stay. the negro owner's green book was there was not many places you can stay, and here's where you can stay so you don't get beat up or worse. >> my wife went out and bought one of your records. about the orphans. >> orfius. those weren't chish on the

cover. these. >> reporter: demons in the bowls of hell. >> reporter: central to the story are the people from two different backgrounds who form a close friendship. >> it's funny. it's a great buddy movie, like, a road trip, but they are also going to get something really profound. you can't help but thinking about the times we're living in and the value of communicating, of listening to each other rather that just yelling and each standing in their corner which is what's happening. >> reporter: the film has a lot of people talking and multiple award nominations. >> "green book." >> "green book." >> "green book." >> reporter: how do you feel now that there is so much oscar buzz around it already? >> all it says to me is well, there are a certain amount of people like our movie. that's all that means. >> it must mean a lot of people like your movie. >> yeah, and that's great, but it could happen. it might not happen. if it doesn't, it's not going to change one little bit how i feel about this movie. i think this is one of those rare movies that you could watch

a year from now, five years, ten years from now and not just make them laugh and cry and have a great time, but they will come out of the theater hopeful. >> oh, the world needs hope roogt n right now. that is for sure. viggo breathed a sigh of relief and the real life family of tony wanted mence characteat is leo all sorts of movies. >> we have to get to the movies. part of a holiday tradition. coming up next, also tradition, college football. the challenge right now. they are on 24/7 on top of a billboard. find out why when they j

whoa! the mercedes-benz winter event is back and you won't want to stop for anything else. [ barks ] ho! lease the c 300 sport sedan for $399 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. [ cheers and applause ] back now on "gma" on what may be the most adventurous

college football superfans. they are showing their team pride in a wild way, accepting espn's challenge to live on a giant football billboard until their team is either eliminated or heading to the championship game. >> that is commitment. they are joining us live from that very billboard in san jose, california right now. we have got llyas, nancy, rueben and jeanette. i have got to start with llyas. llyas, you are obviously all about alabama and i'm going to forgive you for that as a id mi one game, especially the georgia game. i'm sure you especially enjoyed that. what are you going to bring to this challenge? >> yes. i'm just going to bring the same spirit like when i was deployed. keep giving good faith and hope any team brings back another one of these right here. >> all right. llyas, and so nancy, two-part question for you.

you went to clemson and i want to hear about why you only eat orange foods during the game and i have to ask you, what is the bathroom situation on the billboa billboard? >> okay. yes. two of our concerns. one is absolutely you have to eat orange food. it's one of those superstitions so i actually brought it. i not only brought one bag, but i have another one because i didn't want to just chance it being in my checked luggage. you have to eat orange food during the game. the second question, the bathroom situation. it's better than we were told it was going to be. we actually have nice bathrooms to go to. so it's awesome. thank you. >> well, we are relieved to hear that. >> thank you. >> there we go. let's go to rueben now. >> dad jokes. >> you were a linebacker for the oklahoma sooners. you have friends on the team. did any of them give you a pep talk to prepare you for this big challenge? >> you know, i think they got bigger things to worry about.

i'm not sure -- >> bigger than the billboard? >> they're not watching me on the billboard, but i told a few of my friends on the team about what i'm doing and they thought i was crazy. it's all good. >> jeanette, we have to ask you. you're rooting for the notre dame fighting irish. will your fighting spirit help you win this one? >> absolutely. i think the team has been bringing a great attitude to the field. that's why we're undefeated and we'll win at levi stadium. i'm pumped to be able to support them. >> good luck to all of you. [ applause ] watch all the action streaming live on espn and then on saturday tune in to the semifinals on espn to see which

"good morning america" is sponsored by blue buffalo. you love your pets like family so feed them like family with blue. all right. tomorrow on "gma," ryan seacrest and yjenny mccarthy. >> it will be so fun to have them. o us will be back

do!ork w you this week. we'll see you tomorrow. have a great day. [ cheers and applause ]

♪

♪ connecting people... ...uniting the world. ♪ united. official airline of the golden state warriors. good morning, bay area. let's get up and get going. >> alexis smith from abc 7

mornings. let's check in with mike nicco for the forecast. hi, mike. >> hi, alexis. hi, everybody. still have some thick fog around livermore. visibility down to a couple a hundred of feet. it tlwill be that way for anoth hour. winds are starting to gust 25 to 35 miles per hour in our hills. that's why we have a wind advisory until 4:00 tomorrow morning. trees and power lines ca s coule down. some power outages possible. how about mid- to upper 50s with a whole lot of sunshine all seven days of the forecast. sue? >> we're looking at 80 westbound where at gilman, we have reports of an accident, third lane from the left. it's out of our screen here, but you can see traffic is very light headed that section towards the macarthur maze, it's a little bit farther up. an earlier sig alert lifted. >> time now for "live with kelly & ryan." we'll be back at 11:00 for the abc 7 midday news and our n >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan." today, star of the series "supernatural," jared padalecki.

and she's one of "the cool kids," vicki lawrence. and a performance from the rock band plain white t's. plus, we try and set a new guinness world record that involves one of the cohosts and a bunch of whoopee cushions. all next on "live." >> ♪ i wanna go out dancing >> announcer: and now here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest! >> ♪ when i go out ♪ i wanna go out dancing >> ryan: it's one of the great pleasures of hosting this show. >> kelly: it's really demeaning. >> ryan: really, i know. [cheers and applause] hello! hi, hey, guys. hey, schully.. got you in the back, hello. >> ♪ i wanna go out >> ryan: come on. morning. >> kly