year. >> yeah. for sure. it's paved over and looks so much better. >> welcome back. look at that beautiful shot of the golden g good morning, america. a powerful new storm on the move. the first snow in las vegas in a decade. los angeles seeing snow for the first time since 1962. >> oh, my god! >> now, 32 states on alert as the weather heads east. ginger tracking it all. also this morning, jussie smollett returning to the "empire" set overnight still defiant. denying he did anything wrong after being charged with staging that elaborate hoax. >> why would anyone, especially an african-american man, use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations? >> what his lawyers are now saying. on alert for major developments in the russia investigation. the president and his team bracing for the special counsel's report at any moment.

uber rampage. the driver who killed six people and now the never-before-seen video. the insane close call. a skier trapped in an avalanche. the whole thing caught on helmet cam and the remarkable rescue. >> we got you, buddy. ♪ we will, we will rock you >> and on the eve of hollywood's biggest night, what we're learning about the secret star who's really behind the music of "bohemian rhapsody "? and in the most unpredictable contest in years, which superstar will? ♪ leave you all behind and face the truth ♪ good morning, america.

s,uys. here. 's great to be we've got a little srn. syriy morning here starting with that powerful new storm moving east as we just said bringing snow all the way to california and las vegas. >> if you don't believe us, take a look at this. a snowman in front of the iconic las vegas sign and that is a rare sight. schools are shut down on a rare snow day. and ginger, you're tracking it all. good morning. >> school is closed in l.a. this has only happened for the third time now since the 1970s. you see those pictures of the palm trees just covered. i'm talking about inches of snow outside of vegas itself. malibu, california, you see either graupel or snowfall in the hills. now we will see it impact folks from denver to virginia. >> oh, my god, it's snowing! >> reporter: it snowed in los angeles. and the hills above malibu. and even where chris harrison

lives. >> reporter: the rare snow blanketing southern california, nevada, and arizona. it was plowable snow near lake elsinore. in las vegas, the most snow they have seen in more than a decade. and in parts of arizona, a foot of snow has left cars buried on the side of the road leaving some drivers stranded for hours on interstate 40. flagstaff got almost three feet of snow. that is their snowiest day on record. the winter weather now moving east. parts of the midwest preparing for whiteout conditions this weekend. this, after many in minnesota, wisconsin, have already seen their snowiest february on record. but the other danger, flash flooding and severe storms. northeast of knoxville, tennessee, rain destroying this highway. let's take this low pressure system to the east now. so it's denver today, tonight into tomorrow. and then it is the severe storms forecast that i want you to focus in on for saturday. saturday, you can see damaging

wind and even tornadoes for parts of tennessee, arkansas, and mississippi. that large area in yellow all has to look for a risk of severe storms. guys, as remarkable as this storm is, it is eventually impact us on the east coast with rain by the end of the weekend. >> okay, ginger, thanks very much. the latest on jussie smollett. he's free on $100,000 bail after being charged for staging his own attack. smollett declared his innocence overnight on the set of "empire." eva pilgrim in chicago with the latest. good morning, eva. >> reporter: george. jussie smollett left court and went back to work, returning to the set of "empire," where they're filming the upcoming season. we're told he gave a short speech to his fellow cast and crew. jussie smollett not backing down, this morning denying any wrongdoing. the embattled actor seen heading directly to the set of "empire" to film scenes after leaving court on felony charges including one count of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. authorities claiming smollett was lying when he said he was

the victim of a homophobic and racist attack, a story he told abc news last week. >> he said, this maga country [ bleep ], punches me right in the face. so i punched his ass back. i noticed the rope around my neck and i started screaming. >> why would anyone, especially an african-american man, use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations? >> reporter: outraged chicago authorities detailing what they call an elaborate lie that took weeks of planning. claiming that first, smollett sent this homophobic and racist letter to himself in an attempt to garner attention. when that didn't work, authorities say smollett paid brothers abel and ola osundairo $3500 in the form of a personal check. >> why this stunt was orchestrated by smollett, because he was dissatisfied with his salary. >> reporter: that salary while not public is reportedly in the ballpark of $100,000 per episode according to a source familiar with his deal.

the brothers turning out to be the same men in the surveillance video released days after the alleged attack. jussie identifying them in this abc interview. ndhat that's them. never did. >> reporter: it was this admission authorities say confirmed their suspicions. >> he identified who those two individuals were, you know, we knew that then but he didn't know that we knew, but, yeah, he helped us out when he identified them. >> reporter: prosecutors also say they have obtained messages that detailed the relationship between the men and the actor with one of the brothers allegedly providing the drug ecstasy to smollett on at least one other occasion. overnight confusion and outrage from those who initially supported smollett including movie and tv mogul tyler perry writing on facebook, i'm lost for words, adding that he is praying for smollett and his family. >> this publicity stunt was a

scar that chicago didn't earn and certainly didn't deserve. >> reporter: now, smollett's team maintaining his innocence, releasing a statement saying mr. smollett feels betrayed by a system that apparently wants to skip due process and proceed directly to sentencing. george? >> okay, eva, thanks. let's bring in our senior legal correspondent, sunny hostin, for more on this. the lawyers have been in talks with the police on wednesday night clearly fighting right now but what could a defense look like here? >> i think jussie has certainly been tried in the court of public opinion because this case has become so public and so big. and so if you are defended by someone like mark geragos, my good friend, i think you have to take on public opinion and that's why we're seeing these defense attorneys making these kinds of statements. and so i think that we're going to see more of that kind of offense. >> but they're not just taking on public opinion. they're taking on a boatload of evidence right there, the checks, the testimony, the pictures. >> we'll see more of that and i think we'll see them attacking the police department. and i think we'll see the

defense attorneys attacking the evidence. and i think that they have to do that because they only have three options. right? they either go to trial. they either strike a deal or they try to change the current trend which is everybody feels that he is guilty. >> i get what you're saying about attacking the evidence but what do you attack? i mean, there's a check. there's pictures of the guys buying the rope. there's phone calls. e chiclice department hasotoriously had a lot of issues. and so from the defense perspective, they are going to attack, attack, attack. because, again, jussie smollett is still entitled to the presumption of innocence. you are innocent in this country until proven guilty. i think that's what the defense is going to do in this case. >> we'll be watching for the evidence. thanks very much. on monday robin is going to have an exclusive interview with the superintendent we saw of the chicago police department, eddie johnson. cecilia? >> looking forward to that one. we will turn to the election stunner in north carolina. allegations of ballot tampering for forcing a new congressional election.

and the man at the center of it all, the republican nominee brought to tears by surprise testimony from his own son. our senior congressional correspondent mary bruce has more. mary, this is a case that could have pretty big implications for all those allegations of election fraud that we keep hearing out of washington. >> reporter: yes, cecilia. this is a pretty dramatic twist in what has become one of the most visible examples of election fraud, and this is different from those unfounded claims of voter fraud that the president is often repeating. democrats have long argued that that kind of in-person fraud by voters is actually very rare. and that, instead, it is cases like what has happened in north carolina allegedly that republicans should focus on. after fighting for his congressional seat for months, north carolina republican candidate mark harris making a stunning reversal. >> i believe a new election should be called. >> reporter: the state election board now preparing for a do-over. >> say aye. >> aye. >> i believe it's a unanimous vote. >> reporter: the results of the first election were stuck in limbo, rocked by allegations

that votes were stolen. harris has insisted he knew of no illegal activity within his campaign. >> neither i nor any of the leadership of my campaign were aware of or condoned the improper activities that have been testified to in this hearing. >> reporter: but at the center of the controversy his political strategist, mcrae dowless, accused of tampering with more than 500 absentee ballots to help harris win. testifying against his father, harris' own son said he warned him dowless was, quote, shady. >> i love my dad, and i love my mom. okay? i think they made mistakes in this process. >> reporter: john harris said he told his father it appeared dowless may have used illegal tactics in the past to win votes while working for another candidate. >> i told him collecting ballots was a felony. and i would send him the statute that showed that collecting ballots was a felony. >> reporter: his emotional testimony driving his father to tears. >> i raised red flags at the time that the decision was made

to hire mr. dowless. that's what i did. >> reporter: now, voters in north carolina are now going to have to start this process from scratch, beginning with an d,uy aho n election like this -- it is so rare we haven't seen it since 1974. >> wow. >> that's going to take months for this to work itself out. >> still unknown if that candidate will be back on the ballot, so thanks to mary for that. >> he hasn't said yet. we'll see if he's on the ballot. now to the russia investigation, apparently close to an end. with robert mueller poised to deliver his report to the attorney general in the coming days. one of the trump associates he's already indicted, roger stone, is facing new trouble in court. abc's senior justice correspondent pierre thomas in washington with the latest. good morning, pierre. >> reporter: george, good morning. there is every indication that the special counsel is finishing his investigation and could hand over his report to attorney general bill barr at any moment. this unfolding as some of the president's closest advisers remain in the spotlight,

including one who found himself facing a very frustrated judge. roger stone, the president's longtime friend, adviser, and outspoken defender, is now under a gag order and facing possible jail time if he speaks to the media about his case, period. stone in legal trouble for posting this image online of the judge overseeing the special counsel's case against him. federal judge amy berman jackson and a crosshairs target, and this biting statement from stone, noting that jagsckson wa an appointee of obama. in a dramatic move stone taking the stand and pleading with the court for mercy and forgiveness. i'm kicking myself over my own stupidity. this was an egregious stupid error for which i apologize. jackson asking stone, how hard was it to come up with a photograph that didn't have a crosshairs? stone maintained he simply reposted the picture really without looking at it. and that the mistake was an outgrowth of the extreme stress. but judge jackson was not buying

it, arguing the post could potentially incite others. roger stone fully understands the power of words, she said. in the world of social media, there really is no such thing as a take-back. as for stone's apology, thank you, jackson said, but the apology rings quite hollow. stone in court as michael cohen, trump's former personal attorney, was also here on capitol hill, preparing to testify next week on the same day president trump meets with north korea's leader. the president's men under scrutiny as mueller's investigation draws to a close. >> the man who leaked michael cohen's financial records facing indictment as well. pierre, thanks very much. cecilia. breaking news just in. a powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake striking ecuador near the border with peru. close to the town of montalvo. there were no immediate reports of injuries but the president says that the quake was felt all over the country, and we will be following this developing story. michael? >> all right, thank you. now to the latest on that coast guard officer accused of plotting a domestic terror

attack. we're now learning more about how authorities may have caught him. abc's terry moran is in washington with more this morning. good morning, terry. >> reporter: good morning, michael. prosecutors say that coast guard lieutenant christopher hasson was a domestic terrorist, a self-described white nationalist who was amassing weapons, plotting to start a race war and, quote, murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country. the 49-year-old is being held on drug and gun charges right now but in court prosecutors describe what they say were hasson's chilling plans, including he had a possible hit list. and on it, speaker of the house nancy pelosi, senator minority leader chuck schumer, candidates elizabeth warren, kamala harris, and cable news personalities like chris cuomo of cnn, our former colleague. last year coast guard

authorities discovered that hasson was using his work computer to research things like sniper attacks and the manifestos of previous mass shooters. that's when they brought in the fbi and have been tracking him since. his defense lawyer, however, she tells a different story and describes him as a loving husband and father and says it's not a crime to think negative thoughts. george. >> a lot to sort through there. terry, thanks very much. we have a reversal from president trump on syria with the white house announcing overnight that the u.s. will not withdraw all u.s. forces. instead a peacekeeping force of 200 troops will stay behind. after the president announced in december that all 2,000 u.s. troops would come home, he came under pressure from advisers, allies, and republicans in congress to maintain a u.s. presence. no word from the white house on how long the troops will remain. michael. we're going to turn now to the oscars. the 91st academy awards are two days away and chris connelly is outside the dolby theater. and chris has some predictions for us. this is looking like a toss-up actually. >> it is true, michael. good morning. you know, we had snow yesterday here in the l.a. area. and it's just as rare to have an oscar race with so much delicious uncertainty.

what is going to take home the night's biggest prize? everyone loves a wide open oscar race, and best picture -- >> had a bunch of kids sitting around a camp fire. >> orpheus. >> reporter: is anyone's guess. why? because this year everyone seems to have a different opinion. the golden globes picked "green book" as a comedy or musical. ♪ so you think you can stop me >> reporter: and "bohemian rhapsody" as a drama. you do you, golden globes. ♪ the critics' choice awards gave its thumbs up to "roma." the screen actors guild's best cast award went to "black panther." wa me cinematographers went for the foreign film "cold war." directors gave their top prize to "roma." film editors -- opted for the favorite and "bo rap." ♪ galileo

>> reporter: producers sound pleased their hostless cupcake won't have an opening monologue. >> jimmy was -- his monologue was 18 minutes. do the math. we saved 18 minutes. >> if there was nothing else in the show we have saved that much. >> exactly. >> reporter: a lot of that time was people, you know, laughing. and applauding. but whatev. remember, no matter what happens we won't know who will win best picture -- >> and the oscar goes to -- >> reporter: -- until the moment somebody opens that envelope. or, if it's like a couple of years ago -- >> there is a mistake. "moonlight," you won best picture. >> reporter: -- until a few moments after somebody opens that envelope. if you want to narrow it down, let's put it this way, "green book" has won a lot of competitions. "roma" is the most personal film and often described as a masterpiece and everybody loves "black panther" which became a cultural force beyond the movies. so one of those three will win on sunday. i narrowed it down to three, guys. what do i win? >> okay, 33% chance of getting it right. okay, thank you so much, chris. that's why we don't know and that's why you have to watch the oscars.

you can see the oscars live at 8:00 p.m. eastern right here on abc. and take a look at this. scary moment on the court. america's top college player injured when his shoe split right open. coming up, the big debate, should he keep on playing or wait for the pros? and the never-before-seen interrogation tape of that uber driver who went on a deadly rampage, he says his uber app made him do it. that is also ahead. >> but first back to ginger. the storm has a flash flooding potential. i want to bring you from columbia, tennessee, the duck river, one of the many rivers that are rising. schools there are actually closed because of how much rain they've had in the last week. a look at what's to come, unfortunately more rain there and snow for wisconsin and minnesota. your local weather in 30 seconds. first the weekend getaways. sponsored by expedia.com.

welcome to friday. i'm "abc7 news" metrologist mike nicco. run on sunshine today because increasing clouds but dry this weekend. good soakings coming next week. a little bit cooler than average but without the breeze of yesterday. 20s and 30s most neighborhoods. my seven-day forecast, we could touch the 60s with our stron it's a really busy friday here. we've got a lot coming up still. we'll be right back. we've got a lot coming up still. we'll be right back.

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good morning, east bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is "abc7 mornings." happy friday. it's 7:23. i'm reggie aqui from "abc7 mornings." today will be the second day of the teacher strike in oakland. teachers say they were impressed with the turnout yesterday and felt a boost of confidence from all the support. they are not happy with the current offer from the school district. district officials say it would be difficult to offer them any more. the two sides are going back to the negotiating table at 9:00 this morning. richmond-san rafael bridge, you can see it's backed up a little bit from about hasher way south. so friday light is not so light here. let's take a look at some drive times. to this mproblem spot is tracy

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now your accuweather forecast with mike nicco. >> we have some freezing cold neighborhoods this morning. good morning to you. we've got 28 in santa rosa and getting close in danville at 33 degrees. some 40s around hayward, san francisco and also half moon bay. let's take a look outside. all that sunshine today means a dry ending to the week for your commute. whether it's the roads, mass transit or the bay. let's take a look at my accuweather seven-day forecast because over the next seven days, we have increasing clouds, but monday and tuesday a good soaking is coming. >> coming up, chilling video of an uber driver who went on a deadly rampage.

we'll have another abc7 update in about 30 minutes. and we're here every

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♪ tell me all the ways from our store, to your car door. ♪ all the ways choose drive up, at target. ♪ in the shallow in the shallow ♪ >> welcome back to "gma." that's lady gaga and bradley cooper performing their hit song "shallow" in front of an audience in las vegas in january. and now, this sunday, they're going to do it again live for the first time on tv at the oscars. >> no pressure there. >> a little pressure there. >> we'll be hearing that song a lot over the next couple of days. >> there's some pressure but it's highly anticipated. we can't wait to see it. it is the front-runner for best song. >> great song. >> later on in the show we'll talk to another one of the nominees for best song, as well. so can't wait for that. >> good ones this year. >> that is all coming up. >> following a lot of top

headlines right now as well, including that winter storm op the move set to hit the midwest and northeast after bringing snow to california and las vegas, actually got a snow day in vegas this morning. and jussie smollett is out on $100,000 bail after being charged for staging his own attack. he returned to the "empire" set last night and declared his innocence. and take a look at this one. new video just in this morning. a driver lucky to be alive after a wood beam from a subway station here in queens, new york, fell and pierced his windshield right there. thankfully, he was unharmed. but there is now an investigation, of course, into how that happened. >> tough one. >> good thing that did not hurt him. now to those new questions, all those questions about zion williamson's future. the duke star hurt himself after he split his shoe open on the court, leading to a knee injury. some are now saying he shouldn't raurnd just wait for the pros. adrienne bankert is here with more. >> i would love to know your opinion on this, michael, considering your sports background. good morning to you.

everybody has an opinion about this. it was ugly. now people are debating whether he should hold off, heal up, or press through. >> slipping. and injured is zion williamson. >> reporter: when zion williamson's nike sneaker busted open on the court less than a minute into duke's wednesday night game, the star forward went down hard. and so did nike. the company's stock sliding on the news closing the day down nearly a point losing an estimated billion dollars in value following the injury of college basketball's number one player. williamson anticipated to be the top pick at the nba draft in june curled up in pain after his left shoe broke open. diagnosed with a mild knee sprain, he never returned to the court. the game, one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. ticket prices surpassed even the super bowl. famous fans like former president obama watching the drama from the sidelines. nike immediately apologized on twitter calling it an isolated occurrence and promised to look into what caused the shoe to

break. the sneaker giant partway through a 12-year deal as the exclusive supplier of duke's uniforms and shoes. reportedly the brand holds 90% of the basketball market. along with nike, adidas and under armour inked lucrative apparel deals for millions of dollars. money the players don't see. with rising stars like williamson using their college careers as a launchpad to go pro. this morning, many question whether williamson should return to the court at all and risk another injury or ride out the rest of the season on the bench while he awaits the draft. >> hell no he shouldn't play! of course he should sit down! >> if he's healthy you already started. you finish what you started. if you're going to quit you shouldn't have played in the first place. >> okay, it was a shoe that broke. man, duke plays syracuse tomorrow. no word whether williamson will play saturday. >> if he's hurt he shouldn't play. but i think he's on a team. he wants to not let his teammates down. it's a big deal. number one team in the country.

they want to continue that. >> and the players did say they had to adjust because, again, he is the star. and having him get out, 36 i think, seconds into the game, big deal. >> i always laugh at people who worry about the shoes. they're not playing like that kid. you don't have to worry about blowing your shoe. >> a little different on the sidewalk as it is on the court. >> yes. >> thank you, adrienne. we're going to move on now to the interrogation video of an uber driver who went on a deadly rampage, killed six people in 2016. the video has never been broadcast before and our chief national correspondent matt gutman also talked to some of the survivors. good morning, matt. >> reporter: good morning. that video shows uber driver jason dalton offering up a defense that shocked the nation. dalton had lived a completely middle class life in michigan. but now he told detectives that the devil in the uber app took control over him and commanded him to rain eight hours of terror on kalamazoo. >> i'm not a killer. and this is what -- and i know

that i have killed. >> reporter: you're watching never-before-seen video of uber driver jason dalton being interviewed by police explaining why he's just gone on a murderous rampage killing six people and severely wounding two others because he said his uber app made him do it. >> i know that you guys are going to have a hard time believing this, but it literally took over mind and body. >> the uber app? >> yes. it was red when i first started. i switched from red to black. when it's in that black mode it literally has control of you. >> i wasn't believing any of it, but if it's something that is going to make him talk, you're not going to want to shut him down. >> reporter: before february 20, 2016, jason dalton seemed like any ordinary family man in kalamazoo, michigan, a man who had just started to drive for

uber to pick up extra cash for a vacation. but that date, at 4:21 in the afternoon, he starts an eight-hour rain of terror. picking up his first rider of the day, matt melon. as he's going 75 miles an hour. >> swerving in and out of traffic. we were going so fast we blew right through this. at one point i even thought about hitting him. basically i was pointing out random houses, there's my friend's house, there's my friend's house. finally he like slammed on his brakes. >> reporter: melon has no idea how lucky he is. because right afterwards, dalton he woulds home, puts on a bulletproof vest, and picks up this glock semi-automatic. back on the road he drives past tiana carruthers walking with her daughter and a group of her daughter's friends, and he comes back and opens fire. >> i told the girls, run, no matter what, you run and do not come back. i tried to get under a car but then when i realized if i just keep moving, if i just keep moving, if i just keep moving.

then he just continued to shoot. so i laid there. and i pretended that i was dead. and i just kept telling myself, god, you're going to make it. you have no other choice. you're going to make it. and i just kept telling myself, i just hope the children are okay. lord, please, i can never forgive myself. just make sure that they're okay. >> physically blocked some of those bullets from where those kids were going. >> yes. and if one of those children were hurt, i don't think i could bear a child losing their life. would i do it all over again? hell, yeah, i'd do it again. >> some real strength there. we saw the interrogation video.

the driver blaming it on the app. and have investigators been able to figure out anything more about the motive? >> they have no idea why he did this. we're not going to know more about this because there's not going to be a trial. jason dalton this month was sentenced to life in prison without parole. he pleaded guilty. dropped the insanity plea partly because his mother told him to do it. but i'm pretty convinced that at some point during these interrogation tapes he was convinced that the uber app told him to do something. i think he believed it. >> just crazy. matt gutman, thanks so much. a lot more tonight on "20/20." that's at 9:00, 8:00 central. matt, you should pay attention to this one, because you're out in crazy weather a lot. that's what it looks like when you get caught in an avalanche. how that skier survived coming up next. urvived coming up next. ♪there's no escape... ♪...you better get moving. ready or not♪ ♪...it's about to go down here it comes now♪ ♪...get ready (oh oh oh oh), get ready♪

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we are back with that avalanche scare caught on helmet camera. the snow sweeping up a skier, burying him alive. abc's clayton sandell has the story and, clayton, this guy has got some good friends who jumped into action. >> reporter: good morning, cecilia. this video is really scary and it just goes to show you how quickly a fun time out with friends in the wilderness can turn into a near disaster. it's the moment a helmet camera captures a skier triggering an avalanche. sweeping him downhill in an out-of-control fury of white. the skier, who does not want to be identified, ends up under a

foot of snow as two friends rush in to help. >> i'm here! >> i was about to get my beacon out to start searching and i saw a ski sticking out of the snow. and as i got closer, the ski actually wiggled a little bit and that's how i knew where he was. >> that's my hand! >> reporter: those friends able to dig down and free him in less than a minute. >> we got you, buddy. we got you. >> reporter: avalanches can happen anywhere. at copper mountain resort in colorado, ski patrollers use explosives to trigger slides before they become threats. how much snow does it take to immobilize you? >> nothing, two or three inches. really? if someone is trapped, highly trained avalanche dogs can search for survivors. they show us how it works by burying me in a simulated avalanche. in a real avalanche, the snow

basically is like cement. it seals you in. it's really impossible to move even a finger. it's a claustrophobic few minutes. i can hear them barking up there. but finally -- hello. i'm saved. >> these dogs can cover, you know, big areas, the size of a football field, in 20, 30 minutes. >> hopefully you're giving off that strong scent for the dogs. >> that's right. carry around some bacon in your pockets. that's my best advice. >> reporter: these skiers were very lucky. but officials say they were also prepared. they came equipped with all the right gear including avalanche beacons, guys. >> thanks to clayton for that. bacon in your pocket. heard it here first. >> all right. okay. if that's what it takes, we'll do it. all right, everybody, coming up, we have the mystery man behind freddie mercury's voice in "bohemian rhapsody." we'll be right back. ♪ thrown it all away

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we are back now with our countdown to the oscars. the big show is just two days away. and this morning, we have the mystery man behind that big voice in "bohemian rhapsody." t.j. is there in hollywood and, t.j., that pun intended. talk about under pressure. >> reporter: yeah. ♪ dum dum dum dum that's right, strahan. good morning to you. it turns out one of the best performances in an

oscar-nominated film this year goes to a guy who won't get a chance to walk the red carpet. or make his way up those steps. or into the theater. or won't hear his name called. in fact, you don't see him in the movie at all. but you certainly hear him. ♪ mama >> reporter: rami malek belted his way to oscar front-runner status playing queen lead singer freddie mercury. ♪ pulled my trigger now he's dead ♪ >> reporter: millions of moviegoers wondered how did mr. robot -- >> i decided to hack you. >> reporter: -- pull off sounding so much like a music legend. well, he didn't. ♪ good-bye everybody ♪ i've got to go >> reporter: meet marc martel, a canadian who got his start singing christian music until his bass player remarked on a certain similar vocal style to a music superstar. ♪ love of my life ♪ don't leave me >> reporter: he now sings in a

queen tribute band. and producers of "bohemian rhapsody" sought him out to be the voice behind the voice in the film. mixing marc's singing together with original masters of queen's recordings. ♪ we are the champions of the world ♪ >> reporter: marc says his favorite queen song to sing is "under pressure," but unlike mercury, who had extra incisors, he doesn't have any extra teeth. malek also provided some of his own vocals but as he told "the new york times" last year, no one wants to hear me sing. so "bohemian rhapsody" could win the oscar for best picture. rami malek could win the oscar for best actor. so marc martel, what is he going to get? he gets a credit in the credits for the movie that says additional vocals. >> and he's in a piece from t.j. holmes. >> wow, i'm sure that means a lot to him, george.

>> thank you, t.j. and the oscars airs sunday right here on abc. coming up, speaking of music, we've got the ten-time oscar nominee behind one of this year's top songs, joining us live. so will this be her year? ♪ [music] yep. i'm doing this. we're really doing this grandma! [music] we're finally doing this [music] i'm so doing this! we're really doing this! you could be doing this when you sail with the #1 cruise line in alaska, princess cruises. 7-days from five-ninety-nine. visit princess.com ♪ oh, pete!?! c'mon man. what? we said pantyhose right? here, eat this... creamy snickers®. you could use a little smoothness. pete? pete zagorin? get smooth with the fresh-ground nut butters

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you ever just feel stuck in the mud? well, that's how rustin actually was. this was in east texas. i love this. holly, his grandma, said, just try to get out. >> come on. come on. >> and, no, can't do it and falls over. we love that. this segment sponsored by pure leaf ice tea. they're actually going to get more rain this weekend. coming up, we're counting down to the oscars. do you know who these nominees are? wait till you hear what they

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good morning, south bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is "abc7 mornings." good morning. it's 7:56. i'm reggie aqui and metrologist mike nicco is here with a look at your friday. >> dripping in sunshine today whether you're going to the beach, exercising or on the bay. no worries. just a lot of sunshine. temperatures below average, around 54 to 57 degrees. we'll have increasing clouds but a dry weekend. but a good soaking is on the way for monday and tuesday. >> we're going to take a look at traffic this morning. you can see there is some red on your screen, eastbound 780 before southhampton. watch out there. and taking a look at your other drive times this morning and you can see we're in the green everywhere except tracy to

dublin. coming up, county do down to th oscars. we're going to meet the mystery behind behind freddie mercury's amazing voice. now the news continues

good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. a dangerous and powerful new storm is on the move. 32 states from virginia to california under snow, flood, and high wind alers. as the snow hits vegas for the first time in decades. l.a. sees snow for the first time in years. ginger tracking the latest. also this morning, jussie smollett returning to the "empire" set overnight still defiant, denying he did anything wrong after being charged with staging that elaborate hoax. >> why would anyone, especially an african-american man, use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations? >> what his lawyers are now saying. sunscreen dangers?

the fda cracks down after a new study showing 14 of the 16 ingredients in drugstore brands aren't safe for use. what you should know this morning. burberry backlash. one of the world's most famous fashion brands apologizes after this design went down the runway. the model in the show who spoke out against it saying suicide is not fashion. now speaking out exclusively to "gma." ♪ have to have high high hopes and the envelope, please. it's almost that time. just two days to the oscars. this morning, one of the nominees is joining us live. lara revealing which dress "gma" viewers voted she should wear on the red carpet. as we get ready for hollywood's biggest night with fashion predictions. what to watch for in the big show. and how to throw an awesome oscars party at a deal. it's all ahead this hour. and loo who is saying --

>> good morning, america. that's a sweet way to start friday morning right there are melissa mccarthy. hope you're well this friday morning. >> yep. we are well, george. thank you for that. we're geared up for hollywood's biggest night. that's what we're doing and dj mos is here. there he is, he's official red carpet deejay for the oscars and he's getting the party started for our audience upstairs. and, of course, our friend, wolfgang puck, is giving us a sneak peek of what the stars will be eating, which is always a big question. and there he is in the kitchen. >> who has to clean that up? >> that's how i cook at home. >> we sat down with a number of the nominees. take a look. can you tell who these people are? that one looks like we just saw that one. wait till you hear what they would tell their younger selves. we've been asking that question. >> sam rockwell.

>> oh, good one. i think you're right. >> excuse me. >> we have news to get to as well, starting with the latest on jussie smollett. he is free on $100,000 bail after being charged for staging his own attack. the "empire" star declared his innocence overnight to his castmates and back to eva pilgrim in chicago with the latest. good morning, eva. >> reporter: good morning, george. jussie smollett back at work returning to the set of "empire" which is filming for this upcoming season. we are told that he gave a short speech to his fellow cast members. this morning, producers of the hit show "empire" saying jussie smollett will be removed from the two episodes of the season. the embattled actor seen heading directly to the set of "empire" to film scenes after leaving court on felony charges including one count of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. authorities claiming smollett was lying when he said he was the victim of a homophobic and racist attack. a story he told abc news last week. >> it was like 30 seconds, honestly. i can't tell you honestly.

i noticed the rope around my neck. and i started screaming. >> why would anyone, especially an african-american man, use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations? >> reporter: outraged chicago authorities detailing what they call an elaborate lie that took weeks of planning. claiming that first, smollett sent this homophobic and racist letter to himself in an attempt to garner attention. when that didn't work authorities say he paid brothers abel and ola osundairo a payment in the form of a $3500 penal check. >> reporter: his salary is reportedly in the area of $100,000 an episode. overnight, confusion and outrage from those who initially supported smollett, including tyler perry, writing on facebook, i'm lost for words.

adding that he's praying for smollett and his family. smollett's team maintaining his innocence. releasing a statement saying mr. smollett feels betrayed by a system that wants to skip due process and proceed directly to sentencing. >> on monday, robin has an exclusive interview are nate johnson, you saw him in the piece, the chicago police superintende superintendent. now a major storm heading east. we saw incredible snow in the most up lookly places. >> a lot of people throughout los angeles. hollywood. west hollywood, malibu, the hills, saying, oh, my gosh, it's snowing. it was snow, graupel, or ice pellets. they have a snow day. and this is the third snow day since the 1970s. so that's how rare it is.

you see this low pressure system though now headed east and so it will impact a lot of us from louisiana through mississippi, arkansas and even tennessee. there is an elevated risk of seeing damaging wind and even tornadoes on saturday. rain, on the top end snow all the way to iowa and minnesota, too. >> still can't get over snow in l.a. turning now to sun screen dangers. the fda proposed sweeping changes to what it considers safe for over-the-counter sunscreens. they consider mineral-based products, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide safe. but 14 of the 16 brands might not be safe to use saying they need further research. the fda is encouraging consumers to read the labels carefully on those sunscreen products. coming up, everybody, that burberry backlash over this sweatshirt and the model who warned them it was offensive. plus, how to throw an oscars party at home fit for hollywood royalty. and a ten-time nominee joining us live.

might this be the year her music wins gold? lara is upstairs. >> i am. and i'm not alone. look who's with us? >> hi, everybody. >> sam champion in the house holding oscar. coming up, we'll see what wolfgang puck will cook for the winders and everybody else and we have the best audience in the biz. come on back. "gma" not going anywhere. >> you look gorgeous. ♪ >> you look gorgeous. (vo) only verizon was ranked #1 by rootmetrics... #1 in 3 opensignal mobile experience awards... #1 in video streaming according to nielsen... ...and #1 in network quality according to j.d. power. and that's why the only network to win in all four major awards is the one more people rely on. choose america's most reliable network and get it on the best device: iphone. get iphone xr on us when you buy the latest iphone. (sigh)

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burning of diabetic nerve pain these feet raised a bouncing boy and climbed the ladder in the hardware business. but i couldn't bear my diabetic nerve pain any longer. so i talked to my doctor and he prescribed lyrica. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions, suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worse depression, unusual changes in mood or behavior, swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or blurry vision. common side effects: dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who've had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. now i have less diabetic nerve pain. ask your doctor about lyrica. ♪ if♪ darling, tell me me, loveall the ways ♪ay ♪ now i have less diabetic nerve pain. ♪ tell me all the ways ♪ all the ways at the store, or to your door. target run and done.

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thank you. real fender bender going on. fender bender. ♪ fender bender everybody remain calm! there's no reason to panic! go with the one that's here to help life go right. state farm. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] welcome back to "gma." and let's toast to the big oscars weekend, you guys. well, okay.

i just kicked mine over so i am not going to toast anything. >> you lead the toast. >> i knocked mine over. i spill i had it. i joined your club, lara. so here's a toast to the big oscar weekend that's coming up. also a toast to our terrific audience that we have with us this morning. [ applause ] >> welcome, sam. >> i'll tell you what. >> best way to start "pop news." >> apple juice as expected. yes, that's right. >> appropriate. good morning to you all. good morning. let's do "pop news," everybody. [ applause ] samuel, so we're going to begin with marvel and disney's first ever female superhero film. "captain marvel" starring brie larson. advance ticket sales already beating both "aquaman" and "wonder woman," and insiders predicting a huge opening weekend of up to $120 million

for this film. i hear she is phenomenal in it. the story follows carol danvers, an air force pilot who becomes infused with special powers and must use them, to, of course, save our planet. >> i have a question. >> oh, i thought you were high-fiving. >> yes, that's awesome, because i like our plant being saved. but how do you get infused with special powers? and what might it feel like? >> sam, sam. that's why you got to watch the movie. >> oh. oh. okay. >> learn how the infusion happens. "captain marvel" hits theaters nationwide on march 8th. and, by the way, big news. annette bening, one of the stars of the film, will be here live on "gma" on thursday. so everybody please tune in. she is legendary. speaking of which, diane keaton in "pop news" this morning. back on the big screen. always good to see her.

the incredible keaton starring in an upcoming film called "poms." which just released its first official trailer. you get a little bit there. keaton plays a woman who moves to a sunny retirement community and helps organize her fellow retirees into a cheerleading squad to take on teams 50 years younger. her buddies on the road to cheerleading victory? pam grier name a few. it looks funny, guys. opens in theaters may 10th. age is just a number. we are just two days away in case you hadn't heard from the oscars. i am packed and ready to go and you guys helped me. i'm leaving right after the show. i wish you were coming. >> me, too. >> but i'm missing one very important item. my red carpet dress. on tuesday here on "gma" we showed you the options that i found. each one $100. >> oh, stunning. i like this. at the housing wort shop. at their annual fashion for

action where they donate pieces. >> that's great. >> goes to those in need. >> if you could get down and get up in that, then, yeah. >> very important to know if i could do all my moves. so, listen, thank you so much. 40,000 of you voted to help me out. >> what's the one? >> four dresses. one winner. drum roll please. >> i'm so excited. >> and the winner is, thanks to you, dress number three. >> ooh. but also good. [ applause ] >> it is business in the front and a party in the back. >> george, it wasn't our pick. >> it was not our pick but it's very nice. >> i love that pink one, too, so you will see that down the road. i'll wear all four of those at some point. you will see me backstage in the dress you those when i talk to the winners as he or she comes off the oscar stage. i guarantee no one else is wearing a dress from a thrift shop. [ applause ] >> but you wear it well. and finally on this fabulous

friday, i leave you with this. koalas, known to be cute and cuddly. but not this guy. yes, that's not how this photographer describes this guy. he spotted the frisky fella posing seductively in a tree seeming to have a come hither look if you will. >> hi, there. >> yes. >> bow chicka bow wow. >> isn't that a koala? >> all i'm saying, george, is -- i mean, koalas aren't normally sexy. that is -- >> that is a sexy koala. >> that is one sexy koala. >> it is what it is, people. as he captured the shots of the manly marsupial he realized there was a reason. up in the trees nearby were three female koalas. >> wow. see. see? >> that this sexy beast was o hthe.trying to attr >> come here often?

>> come here often? oh, man. >> is it -- what was the move? kind of -- >> can you show it one more time? sam wants to re-create the -- now look at sam. [ applause ] >> like that? i don't know. can't hurt, george. >> let me just add the sound effect for you sam. >> thank you, lara. we have to switch gears now to our "gma" cover story about burberry. one of the models is speaking out on "gma." juju chang is here with that. >> good morning. liz kennedy is the young model who says this is no fashion faux pas. this is on fepsive. so when her protests backstage fell on deaf ears, she worked up the courage to criticize her own employer on social media. known for that iconic plaid, burberry is one of britain's

most recognized labels. but this morning, the company in hot water for showcasing this hoodie styled with a noose at their recent london fashion show. now, model liz kennedy, one of the women who walked that runway but didn't wear the hoodie is speaking out after taking her frustration to instagram. suicide is not fashion. adding, let's not forget about the horrifying history of lynching either. >> i was feeling very, very triggered actually and very sad kind of how i felt when i was going through an experience with suicide in my family. >> reporter: kennedy says she tried to voice her concerns about the design ahead of the show. but no action was taken. >> i was trying to think of ways that i could handle it backstage so that look wouldn't be shown. but unfortunately there was no way of doing that. and i just had to fulfill my duties as a model with them, and hope for the best.

>> reporter: burberry and their chief creative officer, ricardo tischi, has since apologized. the designer saying in a statement to abc news that while the design was inspired by a nautical theme, i realize that it was insensitive. it was never my intention to upset anyone. it does not reflect my values nor burberry's and we have removed it from the collection. i will make sure that this does not happen again. >> i think, you know, it baffles people when they see the end result and they think, how did it get this far and no one said anything? >> reporter: burberry whose ceo also apologized to kennedy personally and publicly is not the first brand to come under scrutiny for an insensitive design. gucci and prada recently pulled these items from store shelves vowing to make amends after many drew blackface comparison. >> brands like gucci, prada, burberry have gotten huge and operate if a wide array of international markets.

and they don't necessarily have people within their company who are adept at understanding the difference nuances of those markets. >> reporter: kennedy says she hopes that burberry's actions speak louder than words. >> i think the positive that came out of all of this was it's given the entiustry a lesson to make sure that they watch what they're producing and how it will affect other people. >> and now kennedy says she has been overwhelmed by the positive response and hopes that like gucci, burberry and other high fashion houses will really work to be more inclusive and culturally sensitive. >> good for her for speaking out. thank you, juju. cecilia? should we turn to the oscars, guys? chris connelly went one on one with some of this year's nominees before their big night taking them back to where it all began asking these stars what they'd want to say to their younger selves. ♪ >> reporter: what would you have

wanted to tell this young lady? >> ooh. ooh. maybe lay off the product. lay off that bristle brush. the first thing when i was like, it's asymmetrical, guys. >> how do you like that hairdo? >> look at this. oh, god. >> good hair. >> i finally grew into my nose or my nose got smaller or something. >> you bring this into a bunch of nuns in a catholic school and might be as well be coming in with switchblades. oh, boy. she's gone crazy. >> oh, my god. that's a high school picture. where did you dig that up? oh. >> i just found it under the chair. what would -- >> you ought to put it back under the chair. >> i was getting ready to graduate high school. and i had no idea what i wanted to do. and then -- boom shaka lacka and here we are. >> westchester high school. >> comet city. >> what would you want to say to this guy right now?

>> oh, god, get a job. >> be careful what you wish for, pal. >> you are truly a flower, young lady. and you never needed to compare yourself to anyone else. i know that now. but i didn't know that so much then. ♪ >> and speaking of high school yearbook pictures, yes, this is mine. i guess if i was going to say something to this young man i would say always keep at least one eye open. cecilia? >> good advice, chris. thank you. we'll take it. let's head over to ginger now. yep. i was in high school, too. aw. [ applause ] i just remember -- i don't think i look the same at all but thank you. thank you. you guys are very kind. i think i look very forced and scared. which

welcome to friday. i'm "abc7 news" metrologist mike nicco. run on sunshine today because increasing clouds but dry this weekend. good soakings coming next week. a little bit cooler than average but without the breeze of yesterday. 20s and 30s most neighborhoods. my seven-day forecast, we could touch the 60s with our strongege now the oscar nominee behind some of our favorite movie songs like this one you're hearing right now. it's called "i'll fight" from the ruth bader ginsburg documentary. and jennifer hudson will perform it live on sunday night at the oscars. and the woman who wrote it diane warren is up for her tenth nomination. and she is joining us now from her home in los angeles. diane, thank you for joining us. congratulations on your nomination as well.

>> thank you so much. >> if you win on sunday, what will it be like for you to win your first oscar? what would it feel like or to finally get that academy award? >> it will -- i'll probably pass out. i'll probably faint. it would just be -- yeah. >> you know, you're wearing your rbg sweatshirt/t-shirt. what was it about ruth bader ginsburg that -- what was it that inspired you about her? >> you know, her fighting spirit. you know, she speaks so softly but what she says is so powerful. and i wanted to write a song that captured that, you know, and having someone like jennifer hudson sing it became her vocal avatar. like if ruth bader ginsburg could sing, in my mind, it would be jennifer hudson. >> that brings us to the next

question. did you have jennifer hudson in mind from the very start when you thought of this song? >> i just thought, yeah, i thought she'd be the perfect casting, yeah, you know. to capture this. >> what a voice, right? >> yeah. >> what a voice. could not have picked a better, stronger voice. [ applause ] >> so you've been nominated ten times. >> that's unbelievable. >> just incredible. [ applause ] >> congratulations. >> isn't that crazy? >> get -- >> i'm now in the double digits. >> do you have any rituals before oscar weekend? >> you know, not really. but i have a ritual before nominations, which is stay up with my friends all night long. i have like a sleepless sleepover. >> oh, that sounds fun. >> i love when people said we went to sleep and we didn't care. huh-uh. not me. >> well, you know, three years ago, diane, you and lady gaga were nominated together for a song "til it happens to you" and you co-wrote one of the songs on

"a star is born" soundtrack so i'm just curious, you're going against each other this year. >> the very nonoscar song on this -- >> but do you have a little friendly wager now that you're going head to head in the category this year? >> no, but we don't have one technically but i think the money is probably on her this time. you know. not that i want to bet against myself. i always like to bet on myself. but maybe not this year but, you never know, you never know. >> you never know and i know that we're all hopeful for you. if you get it, french fries to celebrate? >> yes, yes. i drowned my sorrow in french fries when i lost before and i'll just have more to celebrate. why not? >> celebrate with the fries. diane, good luck on sunday. we'll be right back. diane, good luck on sunday. we'll be right back.

good morning, north bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is "abc7 mornings." good morning. i'm jessica castro with "abc7 mornings." and today will be the second day of the teachers strike in oakland. teachers say they were impressed with the turnout yesterday. they felt a boost of confidence from all of the support they've gotten. they are not happy with the current offer from the school district. district officials say it would be financially difficult to offer those teachers anymore and the two sides are going back to the negotiating table at 9:00 this morning. let's take a look at your drive times right now. in -- we have a crash reported on the eastbound 780 right

before southhampton and you see that there is some backup there and it's definitely affecting traffic in that area. it's a four car injury that's being reported. chp says a tow truck has yet to arrive. we'll keep our eye on that. and a live okay, so you've been to the it's great right? earth. but i bet you haven't done this. or that. or been here. i bet you haven't met her, or him, or them. ooo, dance-off! this is... incredible. you, see what i did right there. and when is the last time you felt like this, or that or (sighs deeply) i mean, come on- that's basically a perfect moment. it's time to make some magic for as low as $70 per person, per day.

i went on linkedin, i connected with someone, and they introduced me to my boss. there are people that are willing to help, and once you connect with those people, you can write your own narrative. now your accuweather forecast with mike nicco. >> we made it to friday. you can let the umbrella rest. but you'll need the heavier

coat. we're in the mid-30s to mid-40s. if you're going to be out and about, it's all good. ♪ welcome back to "gma." we've got dj mos on the ones and twos or the turntables. he's the official oscar red carpet deejay and we're all getting ready for sunday's big oscars show guessing what they'll wear. who will win and everything in between and sam champion is here with prop bets for the big show. so come on out, sam. >> i know i've already been on the show but i like a big entrance. here's what we're playing for. i know you like these games and the pop bets, last year robin roberts swept this, i believe and she did send us her answers

to the questions. >> that's why -- >> we're all playing against robin. the first one is, what we like to say what will happen during the show. so the first one is will any presenter go into the audience during the show? >> yes or no? >> yes or no? it's an easy one. any presenter, because you know like jimmy kimmel delivered candy, remember the big ellen moment -- >> right. >> there is no host. >> there is no host so like remember the big selfie moment. >> yes. >> we just lost -- >> every bit of food you thought would be in this segment is now on the floor. [ applause ] >> yes, it is. >> hey, five-second rule. >> i'm sorry. i got distracted. yes, yes, yes, so we feel like that's a thing now is there hey, george, stop looking at everybody else's answers. robin said no and, remember, she won. this isn't the first hostless oscars. it has been 30 years since we saw it happen. how many presenters will make the joke about the oscars not

having a host? how many presenters are there. >> oh, so many. >> hard. >> george. >> i heard someone say ten. i heard someone say ten. all right. robin said three. >> michael says five. >> i'm going five. >> george, you say one and two. >> i was going to go with two. [ applause ] >> little nod. >> here is what i think everybody plays this game. as soon as the show comes on everyone goes, how long is this thing going to last, right? how long will the oscars broadcast last? so is it under three hours and 15 minutes or is it over 3 hours and 15 minutes? now, we should have a category that says it's ten hours and 12 mens but under three hours so you say it's over. >> yes. >> you said it's over. >> i said under. >> george said under. we'll be split and robin said

over. it's lard to cut people off. they want to talk. all right. tiebreaker -- >> we see that. >> i'd like to tell you a little about my morning. i know, we're going. all right, so the anchor closest to the actual time without going over will win, how long -- wow, you really want them to answer in minutes. how long in minutes will the telecast be. there's math involved in this, players. audience, could you do this? could you pick -- >> 105? 195 minute. >> oh, wait, in minutes. >> in minutes. >> you can just write -- >> 3 thundershowers and 5 mens, 180 minutes. >> 3 hours and 37 minutes. >> 3 hours and 42 minutes. so we're all in that three-hour category. [ applause ] >> robin said 3 hours and 35 minutes just in case you're

playing so we -- >> she just wants to be highest. she's gaming the system. >> the highest without going over. >> 3:42. >> you think it's going to go 3 thundershow hours and 42 minutes? >> i'm hoping it does. >> no chance. >> i don't know about you but i like it when they let people have their moment. >> me dtoo. >> really strong effort so i think they'll try to keep it close. >> stay tuned and we'll reveal who won in this group right here on monday after the show. >> i can't wait. what do we win? >> you win that. >> i might be hosting. >> one of our favorite oscar tradition, wolfgang puck always has that incredible meal live for all of the honorees so let's bring him in. wolfgang, what are you working on? >> good morning. good morning, everybody.

[ cheers and applause ] >> hi, wolfgang. >> raise my hand and look how much stuff we have here. she's making 3,500 smoked salmon oscar. eric is making the apple sashimi roll over here and my favorite, the economiyazaki beef. the most amazing you will ever get and directly from spain with the ham here and look how beautiful he cuts it, like a flower, amazing, huh? it's so beautiful and eric, how is it going? >> i'm just wondering do you want to have it longer or shorter? >> everybody likes it longer. >> you know how to do that. >> absolutely. >> it's not the first time we are here. >> absolutely. >> we're good, chef.

>> you're right. fast. >> we are all under a lot of pressure. >> wolfgang, you've been a part of our family for 30 years. we're going to take a little clip of you 30 years ago here on "gma." >> so that's how it doesn't stick together. >> all right. >> a little bit of cream to a boil. and then you cook pasta. >> pasta. >> wolfgang, george said you look like mark wahlberg. >> a little, right. >> you really do. >> he and him have the same hair. >> you'll take it. it's been -- >> the same hairdresser. >> 25 years, wolfgang. it's been 25 years since your first governors ball. how has it changed over 25 years. >> you know, some things never change. we have some tradition like our smoked salmon oscar and our

chocolate oscar. we have that every year, tradition. and one thing changed. my son is working now with me. >> it last to be a ton of pressure. >> what do you think? we should put more in? >> yes, it sure is. wolf is really working. like this is really happening so, wolfgang, there is pressure but do you have a favorite part of this experience? >> my favorite part is when it's all over when i sit down and have a glass of piper-heidsieck. that's when i'm happy, my favorite champagne and i have a few truffles left and you know what, we'll make a little omelet with black truffles and a little champagne and then we all celebrate to another great year. >> you know, wolfgang, you always send us your chocolate oscars and we have some here on our desk. but we have a little gift for

you too. they'll bring it out to you right now. what do we have for wolfgang? >> a gift for me. >> oh, my god. look at that. >> okay. i have to thank my mother, my father and who else? my wife, my children. thank you. [ applause ] >> well, you deserved it, wolfgang. we appreciate you always taking care of us and i know everyone there at the oscars appreciates you of taking dare of them for the last 25 years. [ applause ] >> don't mess with that too much. it might break. you can see the oscars live on sunday. you don't want to miss it. and get your guide to the big show on our website, goodmorningamerica.com and coming up, going to tell you how to throw an oscar party that will get you a standing ovation.

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all right. we are jamming back here on "gma." i haven't been behind a deejay booth in a long time, dj mos but we are back with an interactive way to enjoy the academy awards on sunday that could win you $50,000. the official oscar game lets you compete for points by playing trivia and taking polls throughout the show. in addition to an interactive ballot, one top scorer will get 50 grand. go to oscars.com, forward slash,

game to learn more. we've made it to friday, our brightest day moving forward total sunshine will warm into the mid-50s. increasing clouds but dry this weekend and a good soakings coming monday and tuesday. [ applause ] oh, yeah, you ready? >> i was feeling good. >> you look good. >> thank you. it's been a while. >> it's been a while. >> oh, by the way, there's a sponsor here. got to tell you. downey unstoppables. oscar for sponsors goes to -- >> we're flustered and excited about the oscars. road to the oscars and this morning we have an inside look at the roosevelt hotel, one of

hollywood's most exclusive hot spots for the big night. want you guys to take a look at it. >> reporter: it's home to the first ever oscars back in 1929. the iconic hollywood roosevelt hotel. >> carol lombard and clark gable lived here. >> in this suite? >> in this suite. >> reporter: a celebrity sanctuary. celebrities get ready in the rooms here and walk over to the oscars. pieter hanson is the magic behind some of the most epic parties and can transform your at home oscars viewing party into an a-list worthy event. from inside the same suite where scenes from the oscar nominated movie "a star is born" is born check out these gold frame. >> we took all of the cover photos for all the nominated films and printed them out and made elegant frames to display within our table scape. >> reporter: in addition to a gorgeous charcuterie and cheese board must have olives and pint-size popcorn. how about these adorable and, oh, so gold diy snack bags.

>> surprise inside. you could put popcorn. >> this could be for -- >> candy. finally the champagne cocktail. an easy drink to prep ahead. >> nothing says oscars like champagne and we have lover the roosevelt '75. >> four simple ingredients, limoncello, bitters, and champagne to top it off. abbie boudreau, abc news, hollywood. >> cheers. >> and since most of us will celebrate at home or at whoever's here house, i was going to say lara, but you'll be there. we have melissa garcia with budget-friendly tips. thank you so much. you have some food here. >> i do. >> but none of this requires any cooking. >> i love that because it's sunday night. we all have work the next day and it's a long awards show so i like something easy to do ahead of time and watch the show and hang out with your guests. we pulled in some really fun oscar themed things so we have

our green book olive and black panther olive and our "a star is born" chips and dip. cookie cutter. cut them out. our "bohemian rhapsody" mozzarella. so cute and our sun-dried roma tomatoes and tuxedo hot dogs wrapped up ready to go. super easy, put this out ahead of time and hang out. >> you put bow ties on the hot dogs. >> isn't that cute? we dressed them up. they're so fancy. >> come on. >> it's the oscars. >> even the oscars are black tie. >> we don't mess around pulling out all the stops. super fun. >> i'm so sorry. i wanted sam to show everybody the dessert table. >> over here. >> it's so pretty. >> i love the idea of a grazing dessert table. something you can do ahead of time. occupy -- super easy. cake pops. >> look at them. >> little suction teed doughs. >> and the bow ties, of course, thank you. >> would you? >> i would. >> what i love, you can see we

basically just got candy from the candy -- any drugstore, supermarket. laid it all out and did some really fun decor designs too. so we did the tickets and got a roll of tickets which you can get at any craft store and -- >> very affordable. >> all for $10 or under. >> super affordable. how cute are these? >> super cute. >> i don't know if you can see them. >> mini marshmallows and broil it. looked like a little bucket of popcorn. >> this is one fine cake pop too. >> i want to eat it. >> sam, can you grab -- >> no, no, no. >> get some more. >> grab the mason jar. >> you'll love this. the mason jars -- >> the sparkly one. >> they're about a daughter and put glue and glitter on. the other ones we just spray painted and fun and festive. that's okay. you're ready -- >> oscar night you want to spark. >> you want to sparkle. >> you are all ready. >> you want to sparkle.

>> i sparkle every day. >> you have a little bit of extra sparkle. >> really great. >> easy and affordable and do it for sunday. don't wait too long. you have plenty of time to get all of this done and then the fun part is now you have time to hang out with your guests during the commercial and play games. >> play games. >> which is so fun. [ applause ] >> so we have -- >> charades as a party favorite. it really is a party favorite and coming up we'll play a game of charades. >> oh, no. >> oh, yeah, we'll play a game of charades and have a little -- >> yes, we are. >> teamwork will make the dream work. come on, ginger. you can get these on our website. look who is here. sara haines. where are you at? [ applause ] ♪ >> i saw food and said please, let me come out. >> get in here. >> hello, hi. >> my cupcake back there.

it's so funny. it never came back. >> i love you. >> give me kisses. i can't miss the champion. >> you guys, why don't we have this on our foodie can you bring some of it? >> our budget is a lot lower so we can't afford. >> no, i know. we'll have to take some with us. >> three of the cake pops that are left. >> exactly. but what you haven't eaten, you helped yourself like a very eager guest. >> who do we have. >> finishing up our housewives week. housewives all week and have a little fitness? a little fitness for -- >> for people with child. >> mothers-to-be. >> those that carry plus one. it'll be fun. >> interesting for me. i'll tell you that. [ applause ] enjoy yourself. eat on me. coming up next on "gma" we'll play oscar charades. you don't want to miss that.

it is time for charades. michael and ginger versus lara and sam. michael, you're up first. >> let's go. >> go, michael. >> you're showing me the card, jiet here we go. >> "black panther." >> moon. "the shape of water." >> wow. [ applause ] >> scared. fearful. oh, no. oh, goodness gracious. i'm scared of everything around me. "crash." >> these can be movies from other year. >> yeah. >> okay. >> you're creeping around. >> you made a noise. >> "silence of the lambs." that was a weird lamb. >> wait, what? -- >> can i guess? >> no!

>> what are you doing? >> can i help ginger? help me. >> can i help? "wizard of oz." >> oh, gosh. >> oh, that was good. "mary poppins." >> you were doing like happy feet. >> i was clicking my heels together. you want me to act. >> you do it. >> you're doing the acting. >> go, sam. >> i'm so confused. >> oh. >> the lamb. >> oh, "jaws." oh, "titanic." >> yes. >> happy feet. jazz hands. dinosaur. "dances with wolves." >> that was amazing. [ applause ] >> oh, i almost read it out loud. oh, geez.

>> sam's dance. >> i know this one. >> that's a bird. it's a circle. >> this is good. >> a clock. a clockwork orange. fw cuckoo's nest." >> yes. [ applause ] >> we'll be right back. >> is there more? >> no. >> and we're out of time. >> that was great, you guys. we're coming back. >> you pick, george. >> i'm exhausted. >> come back up. oh, no, michael won, they're saying. >> yeah!

the grled chickeclub is the multigrain'd d enyot g ou so if you but really slowly you can literally taste every level of the sandwich. i don't eat very slowly, but if you do. my name is leslie. well i love the grilled chicken club sandwich because the grilled chicken. like, it's actually been on a grill. as soon as you grab it to go take your first bite, it's like just like, "psscheew". insanely good.

♪ "good morning america" is sponsored by state farm. talk to an agent today at 800-state-farm. >> thank you all for watching. congratulations, michael, in case you didn't get the message, oscars sunday night at 8:00. after party monday morning. >> one more shot of the sexy koala and his twin, sam champion.

okay, so you've been to the it's great right? earth. but i bet you hane or that. or been here. i bet you haven't met her, or him, or them. ooo, dance-off! is is... incredible. you, see what i did right there. and when is the last time you felt like this, or that or (sighs deeply) i mean, come on- that's basically a perfect moment. it's time to make some magic for as low as $70 per person, per day.

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good morning, bay area. let's get up and get going. >> this is "abc7 mornings." good morning. i'm jessica castro with "abc7 mornings." let's get a check of our weather with mike nicco. >> thank you very much. i thought we would check on pier 39. this is the last totally sunny day we're going to have in the forecast. if you're in the beaches, it's chill. that's pretty much the temperature everywhere today with a lighter breeze than yesterday. it will feel like 54 to 57 degrees outside. freezing cold again in our deepest valleys tonight and then we've got some pretty heavy rain coming monday and tuesday. >> thank you. northbound 280 right past san jose, we have a crash between a the left lane is blocked. cws a. there is a two mile backup.

here's a live look at the bay bridge. no incidents to report on the bridge. looking nice there on your commute. >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan!" preoscar celebration. today, sandra bullock, gwyneth paltrow and more share stories of their time at the oscars. and in the studio, the legendary academy award-winning actress rita moreno. and carson kressley gives his tips and ideas for your oscar viewing party. plus, we look back at some of the memorable speeches from some of oscars memorable winners. also, to go lucky members will compete in "live"'s oscar countdown games. all next on "live!" and now, here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest!