good morning, america. as we join you on this friday morning, travel trouble for millions of americans as a powerful storm system moves across the country. holiday trav a major winter storm ripping through the west. snow shutting down california highways and life-threatening flash floods with millions hitting the roads and taking the skies. the major system on the move putting 14 states on alert this morning as the powerful storm moves east we're tracking the very latest. urgent search. the alabama woman disappearing with two unknown men a week ago. authorities searching for clues after her last text saying she's in trouble. now her brother is speaking out. lucky to be alive. the terrifying moment a 5-year-old girl was knocked down and run over by a school bus. the wheels just barely missing

her. post-christmas rush. the deals aren't done. the best bargains th you running to the stores this morning. surprise. the epic secret santa moment that has this military mom jumping out of her seat. my love ♪ my love and good morning, america. happy friday, guys. the last friday of the year. >> ah. >> we have to make it count. i can't wait to show you guys the rest of that secret santa surprise. so cute. >> that's all coming up. we have to start with some nasty stuff, the weather. it's severe at this point, in particular out west. it has put a delay on a lot of people's post-christmas and trying to get home plans, and also their pre-new year's travel plans as well. we'll begin with marcus moore. he's at los angeles international airport. how we looking out there, marcus? >> reporter: hey, t.j. it is the start of a busy day here at l.a.x. we have seen waves of travelers

coming in, lining up, some of them at 2:00 this morning to catch flights home. this morning, with millions of drivers heading home on the roads holiday travellers hitting the roads on the west coast are struggling to make it through. a massive snowstorm hit parts of california shutting down part of the 5 freeway for what's known as the grapevine for more than 12 hours, pummelling cities with heavy rain. >> it's pretty bad out there. windshield wipers full blast. you can't even see. that's why i pulled into the gas station right now. >> reporter: video of drivers stuck for hours on this california highway. people trying to push their cars out of dense snow. >> to go straight forward was getting too scary but it was horrible. it was crazy. >> reporter: this stretch of the ka hone pass, impassable. >> 30 years in the desert, i have never been stuck. this is bad. this is horrible. >> reporter: the brutal conditions turning deadly for one man. officials found a truck driver dead in the logjam.

the cause of death under investigation this morning. and near san bernardino, heavy this parking lot filled with weary drivers, and for those taking to the skies, another busy day for travel. the nation's airports already filling up as people return home. interstate 15 here in this area was one of the many crucial arteries that were shut down because of the ice and snow. tom, just adding to the travel troubles for millions of travelers who are hitting the roads here this holiday season. >> that's a big story this week. all right, marcus, thank you so much. rob marciano is here, and he's tracking the latest on that powerful storm making its way east. rob, good morning. >> good morning, tom. it is powerful, and also very compact. it will be expanding as it heads across the country. this is a precursor of what's about to go down in north dakota. this is i-29, some slick roads there. that's one of the many states that's under a winter storm watch or warnings, and it includes minnesota, north dakota, south dakota, nebraska

under a warning and i wouldn't be surprised to see blizzard conditions, and we have wind advisories out for california because the center of this low is still over arizona. phoenix will probably see heavy rain today, flash flooding with some snow in the higher elevations. denver will probably see snow out ahead of this. in st. louis, and chicago, you'll see flight delays in minneapolis as well, and this mess moves towards the east, probably some thunderstorms heading towards nashville and atlanta during the afternoon on sunday. cincinnati as well, and heavy rain eventually getting into the northeast. so kind of a mess across the board here, diane. >> thanks, rob. now to that plane crash killing at least a dozen people in kazakhstan with more than 90 passengers on board. let's go to ian pannell with the latest on the investigation. >> reporter: that's right, the kazakhstan plane with 90 on board crashed shortly after

takeoff killing at least 12 people with more than 50 hospitalized and at least 10 said to be critical. the bek airplane reportedly struck a concrete fence and two-story building after take off from kazakhstan's largest city. there was no fire, and the rescue operation was launched immediately. footage from the scene though shows the front of the broken up fuselage against the building and the rear of the plane lying in the field next to the airport. aircraft involved was a fokker 100, a medium sized twin turbo jet airliner reported to be 23 years old. all bek air and fokker 100 flights have been suspended pending on investigation. diane? >> such a tragedy. ian, thank you. tom? now to the missing tour helicopter in hawaii. the coast guard is searching for the aircraft after it went missing offer kauai's napoli coast carrying seven people including two that are believed to be minors.coeras, but as of right now, officials say no signals have been received.

we turn now to a major development in the murder that stunned new york city. the stabbing death of barnard college freshman tessa majors. police finding now the third teen who was wanted for questioning in that killing. erielle reshef is in morningside park where this brutal crime took place. erielle, hello to you. >> reporter: hey, good morning, t.j. police say that 14-year-old is believed to be the one who stabbed tessa majors to death. now after two weeks on the run, he has been brought in for questioning and swabbed for dna. the chief of detectives calling this a significant development. this morning, a major break in the chilling murder of barnard college freshman tessa majors. the nypd announcing the 14-year-old believed to have wielded the knife used to stab majors to death was located and questioned, ending a massive two-week manhunt that haunted the campus community. the city's chief of detectives tweeting, this was a significant development. although he has since been released to the custody of his attorneys, the investigation

the teor now, released wi police stressing his lawyers were present while he was detained. officials say the 14-year-old was found thursday morning in the bronx, tracked using electronic surveillance, brought in, photographed, fingerprinted and swabbed for dna. majors allegedly fighting back during the apparent mugging, leaving bite marks on one of her attackers. a 13-year-old in custody since the day after the killing now facing a felony murder charge, allegedly implicating himself and two other teens from his middle school in the grisly crime. >> i think it should disturb any new yorker when we have a child involved in something this serious. >> reporter: attorneys for the 13-year-old cautioning against any rush to judgment saying, our client is a 13-year-old child who is presumed innocent with no juvenile record. and that 14-year-old who was brought in for questioning and

later released has not been charged. he's now in the custody of his attorneys pending the outcome of that dna test. t.j.? >> but erielle, this case now has sparked a really disturbing development on majors' campus at barnard college, and also nearby columbia. >> reporter: that's right, t.j. this is bizarre. columbia university releasing a statement to students and staff addressing a series of robocalls believed to be tied to a white supremacist group. those calls referencing this tessa majors case. the university says those calls are viciously racist and they're saying they're working with the nypd to stop them. t.j.? >> all right. erielle reshef for us this morning. thank you so much. diane? now to that urgent search for a young woman missing in alabama. she was last seen a week ago and later sent a text message saying she was in trouble. abc's zachary kiesch is here za >> reporter: diane, good morning. a lot of concern this morning about that last text, and now the time that's passed especially over the holidays, detectives with the birmingham police dy'help.

overnight, the family of a 29-year-old woman missing since last friday now speaking out. >> you see it on tv, and you always feel for the families that it happens to, and you just never think it's going to be, you know, hitting so close to home. >> reporter: authorities say paignton houston disappeared after stepping out of an alabama bar with two unknown men. her brother speaking with "gma" overnight says his sister hasn't been heard from since. >> about 12:14 p.m. that night, she sent a text to one of the friends she was at the bar with, saying she didn't know who she was with and saying she felt like she was in trouble. >> reporter: her family is not giving up hope. paignton's mother sharing a photo of the two on facebook hoping someone can help find their daughter. without many leads, police are reviewing that surveillance video from the night, but are not saying if they believe foul play is involved. her brother sharing this message for his sister. >> mom and dad, me, everyone in

the whole community is searching for you. we're looking for you, and looking for answers and we won't stop until we find you safe. >> reporter: that last text saying she was with people she didn't know and she may be in trouble, certainly a red flag there guys. >> so eerie. what a nightmare for that family. zachary, thanks. folks, i want you to take a look at your screens now. i'll show you why some skiers are lucky to be alive. they had this dangerous close call. this is video we're getting from a swiss news site, and you can see an actual avalanche there barrelling toward people on the slopes. this is in the swiss alps. six people ended up buried. everybody was rescued. two people suffered minor injuries and were air lifted to the hospital, but they all survived this. >> glad everyone's all right. now to new information this morning about the sudden and tragic death of a 34-year-old espn reporter. his fiancee now saying he had another illness besides pneumonia, a rare immune system disease. janai norman here with the details. janai, good morning. >> tom, good morning. absolutely a shocking and sudden

death that so many are struggling to understand. and now we're learning more about the health issues edward aschoff faced before his untimely death. >> reporter: this morning new details are emerging on the shocking passing of 34-year-old espn reporter ed aschoff. >> this is just -- it's tragic. at 34 years old, just wow. >> reporter: aschoff's fiancee, katy berteau, revealing the health battles he faced leading up to his death, taking to twitter to say edward was at first being treated for pneumonia, but after failed antibiotic treatment with worsening symptoms, we took him back to the e.r. she says he was then diagnosed with hlh, an unregulated overactivation of the immune system that causes it to attack itself. three days later she says he passed away. >> i'm edward aschoff, espn. >> reporter: aschoff, a rising star in college football

reporting had been public about his health struggle which he began tweeting about in november, writing, just before thanksgiving, for someone who never gets sick, i have had some fever, cough, fatigue, flu thing for about two weeks now. but his condition only worsened. he passed away on his 34th birthday, christmas eve, just months ahead of his spring wedding. and aschoff's fiancee remembering the brightness he showed in life writing on twitter, he kept the doctors and nurses constantly laughing and even in the icu he was coordinating with her friend about wrapping christmas presents. tom, it is heartbreaking. >> what a great guy, and a sad story all around. janai, thank you. let's bring in dr. jen ashton with more on this. this is all so strange. ed aschoff's girlfriend says he suffered from hlh. >> what exactly is that? >> here's what people should know about hlh, tom. first of all, it's incredibly rare. there are thought to be only about 200,000 people in the united states with hlh. it can be hereditary. some people can be born with it, or in adults, it can be acquired oftentimes after another recent infection or cancer. it's when the immune system goes

on an all-out attack on itself, we make the diagnosis with a battery of blood tests and then a bone marrow biopsy, which was done in this case. >> you were telling me it's not that it's hard to diagnose, but it's just so rare. >> yeah, and i think we have to understand with something rare like this, the symptoms can be vague. a lot of doctors may not be on the lookout for it, but when you look at the symptoms, they overlap with things like the flu. swollen lymph nodes, skin rash, a yellowing of the skin or eyes called juan dis, lung, respiratory problems which you can see with influenza, and fatigue. when you hear about these kind of symptoms, it's important for people to understand just because you have those symptoms, doesn't mean you have something rare like hlh. in general, we treat this with a battery of things. chemotherapy, steroids, anti-viral medications, and anti-biotics if appropriate. again, it's incredibly rare. >> viewers are hearing this, and may be a little worried. how do you know when to get tested for this and, if you do get diagnosed with pneumonia,

will doctors automatically look for this? >> no, tom. that's the important thing. we have a saying in medicine, an increased risk of a rare event is still a rare event. uncommon things still happening uncommonly. the blessing in this, in this tragic death, we are increasing awareness about something that is rare. so i want to reassure people just because you have the flu or pneumonia doesn't mean it's going to lead to hlh. >> dr. jen ashton, thank you for that. >> you bet, tom. we turn to wall street now. stocks setting records as the year winds down. the tech heavy nasdaq topped 9,000 for the first time ever. this is the 11th straight session of gains on the nasdaq. the dow industrials, s&p also setting records, one of dozens they've been setting all year long. we have good online shopping numbers from amazon in particular and other retailers that helped push those numbers up. >> i certainly also helped push those numbers up by the way. speaking of shopping, those holiday deals are not done. some of the markdowns are being marked down again. gio benitez is here with a look

at the best end of the year bargains. good morning. >> markdowns on markdowns on markdowns. >> i like it. i'm in. >> on black friday, i told you better deals were on the way. this is that time for deals on deals. we're talking as much as 60% off, and we are doing the digging for you. take a look at what we're finding this morning. >> reporter: holiday celebrations may be winding down, but the deals are not done. whether you're exchanging a gift or snagging something left off your list, you can still save this season with those post-christmas sales. >> 50% off in some stores. the extra 50% off, that was the best deal. >> reporter: fashion lovers can still cash in on new year's clothing with those sales on sales. online shoppers can find an extra 50% off sale items at j. crew and an extra 60% off at the gap. macy's discounting fashion, handbags and jewelry up to 60%. even tech lovers can still snag the best for less with major deals on electronics. shoppers can save up to $500 on

smart tvs at best buy. here's a 55-inch smart tv as low as $299, and xbox one bundles up to $150 off. amazon offering up to $30 off those apple air pods and the echo dot on sale for only 25 bucks. good deals and we found more deals you might not think about. take a look at this. glasses usa, 65% off all frames. you can save 100 bucks on home chef, the meal delivery service. and you know lumi, that's the 20% off today, especially t.j. >> i was going to ask, what's that? i need that though, right? >> get your selfie on. you need it. >> you started your segment by saying, i told y'all. >> i told y'all. it happened, here we go. >> you get full credit, my man. >> a shopping trip after, gio? >> let's do it. >> all right. we need to go on a shopping trip with this guy because he just picked up a million dollars because of a slight, slight stat change. we're talking about the new york giants backer, markus golden.

this tackle, this was on sunday. he was credited with half a sack. he shared that sack with his teammate at the time. well, they went back and corrected this. he has now gotten full credit for the sack which puts him at ten sacks for the year and that triggered a lucrative $1 million bonus in his contract. if he reached double digit sacks, then he gets a $1 million bonus. slight decimal move on the stat correction. he got a million bucks. >> that is an important decimal. >> very important. we'll go shopping with gio with a million bucks. a lot of other big stories this morning. new questions after that texas mother was taken with her infant daughter. the latest on the suspect in that frightening case as that baby is now safe with her father. also this morning, the little girl lucky to be alive after this. yes, a school bus went over her. this is a frightening video to watch. the wheels just barely missed her body. i want you to know for sure she is okay, but we'll tell you more about what happened here.

plus, the one thing missing from the biggest blockbusters of the decade. first, let's go over to rob. as you know, gio and t.j., both southern boys. they may not like this, but you want to shop for snow -- this is southern california. just outside of los angeles, moment of silence baldy gettin . 28 inches of snow and that is a beautiful white christmas postcard. where you are going to see snow as the storm moves towards the east? new mexico will see snow, and denver. if you don't see snow, it will be the first completely snowless december since 1906, and here's the warmth. this does not feel like christmas here. temps in the 50s cooling off with rain on sunday. time now for your weekend getaways brought to you by state farm. farm.

stay with us, everybody. we'll be right back. we'll be right back. (paul) wireless network claims are so confusing. america's best network. the best network is even better. the best deals on the best network. how can everyone be the best? well, sprint's doing things differently. they're offering a 100% total satisfaction guarantee. while i think their network and savings are great,

you don't just have to take my word for it. try it out, decide for yourself. hurry in for exciting holiday deals and save your family money. get both an unlimited plan and one of the newest phones included for just $35 a month. for people with hearing loss, visit sprintrelay.com i'm christina stembel and i chose the spark cash card from capital one with unlimited 2% cash back on everything i buy why wouldn't i get this card?! i redeemed $115,000 in cash back, which doubled our marketing budget last summer. what's in your wallet? with the cd changer that's stuck playing limp bizkit. ♪ just sell it to carmax. we'll buy any car. even this one. the way it should be. carmax.

because you get matched with i la plan tailored to you!m, whether you're a dine outer, take outer, veggie person, definitely- not -just -veggie person, bread lover, or cheese lover... ...all you have to do is answer personal assessment questions and get scientifically matched with a proven weight loss plan. find out which new customized plan can make losing weight easier for you! e join for free + lose 10 lbs. on us. hurry! offer ends january 6th! hi susan!) honey? yeah? i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad... try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love... plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? robitussin honey. because it's never just a cough.

oh, come on. flo: don't worry. you're covered. (dramatic music) and you're saving money, because you bundled home and auto. sarah, get in the house. we're all here for you. all: all day, all night. (dramatic music) great job speaking calmly and clearly everyone. that's how you put a customer at ease. hey, did anyone else hear weird voices while they were in the corn? no. no. me either. whispering voice: jamie. what? it's time to stock up and! save... and spend your kohl's cash! take 50 to 60% off sweaters... and outerwear... and take 60 to 70% off holiday trim and decor! plus - stock up and save on bed and bath! plus - get kohl's cash!... and - kohl's takes your amazon returns too! kohl's.

good morning, east bay. let's get up and get going. this is "abc7 mornings." >> it is 7:23. i'm reggie aqui for "abc7 mornings." firefighters are working at west street between 40th and macarthur boulevard. the warehouse was red tag last month and supposed to be empty, but crews say six people were inside, and they were able to escape. one person taken to the hospital with minor burns. sue, how is traffic this morning? >> very light. good morning. we will take you to oakland and the nimitz freeway 880 freeway past the coliseum and the airport exit where if you have a flight to catch this morn, you won't be delayed at least not on the roadsment ba mentroads. back to the bay bridge metering and holiday light traffic there. and looking at the bridge drive times are all in the green.

>> well, no one is at work,

now your accuweather forecast with mike nicco. >> and look at the 30s in san ramon, livermore, fairfield and then the commute, look at how dry it s. it is going to be good no matter how you are getting around because of the lack of fog and rain. and now sunday, increasing chances of rain as we head from mid-morning through the evening hours, but we will wake up monday morning and a drying trend ends the year in a dry an wednesday, reggie. >> that is exciting. coming up on "gma," the man police accuse of stabb on nfl quarterback and wha could happen with his case today. we will have another abc7 news

a lot's changed since you were here. it's called the internet. i'm gonna hit start now, ok? back!

it's time for the great winter clearance dash! by sam smith] get up to 70% off clearance apparel, shoes, and more. up to 50% off toy clearance. and up to 50% off seasonal clearance. save on thousands of items during the great winter clearance dash. only at target. so josh, you going for our drive safe and save discount? ♪ yup, using the app. driving safe. you wanna go bro? do not mess with my discount. woooo! (sighs) get a discount up to 30% with drive safe and save™. a peaceful night sleep without only imagine... frequent heartburn waking him up. now that dream is a reality. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts for all-day, all-night protection. can you imagine 24 hours without heartburn? did you forget to pay for virus protection for like the 30th week in a row? ♪ it's switching time. ♪ now that's how you make an entrance. ♪ switch to built-in virus protection. switch to chromebook.

♪ ♪ confronting fear, it's the destiny of a jedi. >> welcome back to "gma." that is just one of the blockbuster franchises ruling the decade. "star wars" closing out 2019 with "the rise of skywalker," and we have more on why your favorite movies like "avengers" and "jurassic park" keep coming back to the silver screen. >> hm, money. sorry. didn't mean to give that away. my bad. stick around, we'll give you the answer. we have a lot more ahead. first, the top headlines we are following right now. major storm system causing all kinds of problems for travelers. it's on the move. 14 states are on alert right now this morning, and the travel trouble. millions of folks trying to get home after the holidays. the power system is ill movi also right now, the plane

crash killing at least a dozen people in kazakhstan. the plane was flying with 98 people on board and crashed shortly after takeoff this morning. 49 people were hospitalized and at least 12 said to be in critical condition. take a look at this. this is an eclipse here in the skies, but a special one. it's called a ring of fire eclipse. it happens when the moon moves in front of the sun, but not close enough to totally obscure it so it leaves that fiery ring around it. if you missed it, which i assume if you're hearing my voice you did, because it was only visibl east. you didn't get to see it here, so there you go. next to that horrible murder and kidnapping case in texas. memorial services are being held today for heidi broussard, the mother who was taken with her infant daughter. the baby surviving and now reunited with her father. kaylee hartung has the story. good morning. >> reporter: it was one week ago that the search for that missing mother and daughter came to a horrific end. there was shock at the news at who was arrested.

then joy for the family and the reunion with baby margot. now their focus turns to mourning heidi's death. this morning as heidi broussard's family prepares to celebrate her life, attorneys representing her best friend accused of kidnapping her and her baby are speaking out for the first time. magen fieramusca set to appear before a judge here in austin on january 2nd. her defense team saying in a statement they are proud to represent her and anxious to review the evidence collected thus far, adding, we are in the beginning stages of a very long process, but there are many questions that need to be answered. a week-long search for broussard and her baby ended when her body was found strangled in the trunk of fieramusca's car. the baby was found unharmed inside fieramusca's houston home. broussard's loved ones blind-sided. >> that was the biggest surprise of my life. that was insane. >> reporter: police say they suspect this was a plot to steal

the baby and pass it off as her own. mutual friends of the two women say fieramusca said she was pregnant at the same time broussard was and even claimed she gave birth. >> this girl, magen, just had a baby? >> yes. her name's luna. >> how old? >> 15 days old, 16 days old? her and heidi are best, best friends. >> did you see her baby? >> i haven't seen pictures of her. >> reporter: fieramusca is charged with two counts of kidnapping and tampering with broussard's corpse, but no murder charges have been filed. her attorney says they have no information from the travis country district attorney's office regarded additional charges. the district attorney's office tells abc news, all documents in this case have been sealed by a judge. police stress this is still an active investigation, but a critical moment coming just hours before christmas eve. >> she's coming home tonight and, you know, that's the best thing that, you know, could ever happen. >> reporter: the newborn returned safely to her father's arms. shane carey posting this saying simply, baby margot is home.

shane and baby margot will travel to lake charles, louisiana. her burial and funeral service are tomorrow. her mother says all services are open to the public because she wants everyone to be able to pay their respects to heidi. diane? >> such a sad story, kaylee. thanks. luckily this next story has a much more happy ending. a little girl lucky to be alive after being run over by a school bus. the wheels just barely missing her. abc's adrienne bankert is here with more. adrienne, good morning. >> good morning to you too, diane. wait until you see this video. it's very scary for any mom and dad. thankfully this little girl only had bruising to her face, minor injuries, and this story had a very happy ending. >> reporter: this video shows the terrifying moment that a 5-year-old girl escapes with her life after being driven over by a bus in this new york city suburb. >> i feel like it's a miracle. >> reporter: the child running in front of the vehicle on her way to school, the safety arm knocking her down as it retracts

and the bus driver then drives forward and the girl ends up underneath the bus. the bus passes over her leaving her miraculously unscathed, save for some bruises. this morning police are investigating this footage by yeshivaworld.com. >> that could have been a lot worse. thank god this little girl had god watching over her. she doesn't even have a broken bone. she's okay. >> reporter: the driver tells police he didn't realize he hit her but continued on his route. as kids head back to school in the coming days, they will once again face the daily danger of bus stops, mostly from other cars. a 2018 survey of school bus drivers in 38 states and washington, d.c. found that nearly 84,000 vehicles pass their buses illegally on a single day. that's an estimated 15 million violations during a sc in october, this lite girl was nearly run down as she stepped off an ohio school bus. >> come here. come here. come here. >> reporter: pulled back to safety at the very last second by her bus driver. >> i came in and started crying

because i knew that -- what could have happened didn't happen if my bus driver didn't call me back in. >> reporter: in march watch as a speeding semi possibly attempting to pass a school bus slams into the back of it just as two young children were stepping off. watch again. you see the students run to safety. the bus driver in this incident was cited, given a ticket for unsafe use of a vehicle. police are looking at more surveillance video as well as they investigate. you think about the chances. this little girl was underneath the bus and didn't lift her head or get hit by any of the tires. that family very thankful todays. >> incredible. all those cases are just so wild. >> so true. >> good for her to know to do that, but you think of how many ways this could have gone wrong. >> absolutely, and thankfully as they enter the new year, they have a lot to be grateful for.>. >> adrienne, thank you so much. we're going to turn now to the box office. maybe you're going to check out a movie over the holiday but you might have noticed a trend over the past decade really.

sequels and remakes are ruling hollywood. is that what we can expect in 2020 as well? let's hear about that from our trevor ault. >> reporter: at the box office, the 2010s belonged to characters we got to know really well. ♪ >> avengers! assemble. >> reporter: like that ultimate superhero matchup in "avengers: end game," the past ten years of the movies were stacked with familiar favorites in sequels, reboots, remakes and spinoffs. >> let's finish where we started. >> reporter: we saw harry potter finally triumph over voldemort in the series' eighth film. while in a galaxy far, far away -- >> getting good at this. >> reporter: "star wars" favorites returned in episodes seven, eight and nine. even dinosaurs conquered extinction again. the "jurassic park" franchise roaring back with its fourth and

fis. with studios btlin servihe committed to stories we already knew well. that fan service apparently paid off with billions of dollars in box office returns. >> you're going to see fans who go to certain franchise movies no matter what. if it's good, these fans are repeat customers, you know. studies show they're going to see the movie once, twice, three, four, five times. >> reporter: in fact, this decade only one film that became the top grossing movie of the year was an original idea. ♪ 2010's "avatar" which by the way, now has four sequels in the works. hollywood has been trending this direction for decades. in the 2000s, there were three non-sequel films on top, but in the '90s, there were six, and four of those have had sequels or reboots this decade. one major difference between then and now, franchises building an overwhelming and

active fan base online that gin up support for certain films. >> you have to look at social media. you have to look at the web. these are people who are sharing information. they're creating these communities together and they didn't have those communities before. >> reporter: as we head into 2020, this trend isn't looking to slow down either. in the next year alone, there are major sequels coming for "james bond," "wonder woman," "fast & furious," live action "mulan." plus we have sequels to old favorites "bill and ted," "top gun," "coming to america." we could fill the rest of the show with sequels. >> thank you for mentioning "bill and ted." fans all over the world are looking for that one. it's going to be the trilogy. >> yes. >> be excellent. >> trevor, thanks. coming up, preventing a crowd crush. with big new year's eve celebrations around the corner we'll show you how to protect yourself from a stampede in public places. brations around the corner, we'll show you how to protect yourself from a stampede in public places. >> there's nowhere to go right now. here we go...

♪ (little santa) somali...alika? (little santa) where's kiara? (little santa) i got this for you. (vo) when you grant a child's wish, you change lives. (vo) you can choose make-a-wish to get two hundred and fifty dollars from subaru when you get a new subaru. (vo 2) get 0.9% during the subaru share the love event.

i am not for ignoring the first sign of a cold. i am for shortening my cold, with zicam! zicam is completely different. unlike most other cold medicines, zicam is clinically proven to shorten colds. i am a zifan for zicam! oral or nasal.

back now on "gma" and those massive crowds that turn out for new year's eve celebrations. it's supposed to be one big party, but what if someone in that crowd panics? chief national correspondent matt gutman looks at what you can do to protect yourself. >> reporter: when masses of people rush to the same place fast, it can almost instantly become every man for himself. this is what can happen when it occurs indoors. people stacked 6 feet high after more than a thousand people tried to escape through one tcl.

21 people would die from asphyxiation in that crunch. to learn how to escape when a crowd turns to chaos, i dropped myself smack into the middle of the biggest one i could find. we are in new orleans and if there's ever a place with dense crowds, it's here during mardi gras. if panic broke out here, we would be in trouble. there's nowhere to go here. we're completely sandwiched. we brought along one of the world's leading authorities on crowd safety. he says always have an exit plan. when you are walking through this crowd, what are you looking for? >> i have to begin to pre-visualize. what if something happened? where will i go? >> reporter: he says when a crowd like this erupts, it will flow like a river. you won't be able to go upstream so if you drop something, leave it. move at an angle towards the side and look for cover, duckin light post. even a doorway can put a barrier between you and everybody else. >> anything. >> this is just a few inches,

but it helps. >> reporter: he says it's critical to stay on your feet. we recruit students at loyola university new orleans, and probably against my better judgment, i asked them to literally run me over, but before we get to that, the art of staying on your feet. just one small push, well, can be enough to throw even just a handful of people off balance. what's amazing about that is one person pushed and then a crowd of 15, 20 people gets pushed together and then your steps are so small we're all stumbling on each other. now our expert shows us a better way to stand. legs staggered for balance, and arms up like a boxer. in super dense crowds, that separation will help protect your heart and lungs from potentially thousands of pounds of chest-crushing pressure. it's a simple pose, but surprisingly effective, and even could be life-saving. that's a lot better, huh? if you do fall over, stay off

your back and stomach. here's why. >> lie down on me like you would if you got knocked over too. okay. the other guy -- i can't breathe. my lungs are compressed. i can't breathe and you're on my heart. >> reporter: he says, do everything you can to get up, but if you can't, lay on your side to protect your most vital organs, your lungs and heart, and cover your head. this is about living or dying. now it's my turn. here goes nothing. a couple of kicks to the ribs, but i'm okay. i could tell that nobody could see me. all i could see was feet. there are a couple of, like, stumbles. >> i stepped on you. i'm sorry. >> reporter: take it from me, if this were real, is is not where you want to be. for "good morning america," matt gutman, abc news. >> thanks to matt as always. coming up, our "play of the day." a secret from a fantastic santa. ♪ a secret from a fantastic santa.

♪ i'm your mother in law. and i like to question your every move. like this left turn. it's the next one. you always drive this slow? how did you make someone i love? that must be why you're always so late. i do not speed. and that's saving me cash with drivewise. my son, he did say that you were the safe option. and that's the nicest thing you ever said to me. so get allstate. stop bossing. where good drivers save 40% for avoiding mayhem, like me. this is my son's favorite color, you should try it. [mayhem] you always drive like an old lady? [tina] you're an old lady. thouwhich is breast cancer metastthat has spreadcer, to other parts of the body, are living in the moment and taking ibrance. ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr+/her2- metastatic breast cancer, as the first hormonal based therapy. ibrance plus letrozole significantly delayed disease progression versus letrozole,

and shrank tumors in over half of patients. patients taking ibrance can develop low white blood cell counts which may cause serious infections that can lead to death. ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs that can lead to death. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including trouble breathing, shortness of breath, cough, or chest pain. before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. common side effects include low red blood cell and low platelet counts, infections, tiredness, nausea, sore mouth, abnormalities in liver blood tests, diarrhea, hair thinning or loss, vomiting, rash, and loss of appetite. be in your moment. ask your doctor about ibrance. aso this holiday season treat yhim the best. show them love this holiday with tasty blue buffalo treats. available wherever you buy pet food.

we're proving the new keurig k-duo brewer makes any occasion the perfect coffee occasion. breakfast in bed! just add ground coffee for a carafe, or pop in a pod for a freshly brewed cup. exactly how i like my coffee. you've got your carafe. i've got my light roast. we're brewing the love. for your worst sore throat pain, try vicks vapocool drops. it's not candy, it's powerful relief. ahhh vaporize sore throat pain with vicks vapocool drops and try new vapocool spray. you can't fake the goodness the crunch of real almonds the taste of real raspberries we use real ingredients because you can't fake... delicious

special k ♪ do you recall, not long ago ♪ we would walk on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ all around the wind blows ♪ we would only hold on to let go ♪ ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we needed somebody to lean on ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ all we need is someone to lean on ♪ ♪ all right. it is time for our "play of the day." a secret santa making a california military mom's christmas wish come true. check this out. on christmas day, renee sanchez was with her family sitting with santa, sharing what she wanted most for christmas. listen to what she says. >> what do you want for christmas? tell santa what you want. >> i want jason home. >> oh, don't do that.

let's facetime him. you're going to make me cry. >> and just like that, santa makes that wish come true. that is jason under that enormous beard. he was stationed in colorado. his mom says, best christmas ever. coming up, why some kids -- ht ad getting those steps in? on it! dimitri thinks he's doing all he can to manage his type 2 diabetes and heart disease, but is his treatment doing enough to lower his heart risk? [sfx: glasses clanking.] sorry. maybe not. jardiance can reduce the risk of cardiovascular for adults who also have known heart disease. so it could help save your life from a heart attack or stroke. and it lowers a1c! jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration, genital yeast or urinary tract infections, and sudden kidney problems. ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may be fatal. a rare, but life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this bacterial infection, ketoacidosis, or an allergic reaction. do not take jardiance if you are on dialysis

or have severe kidney problems. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. lower a1c and lower risk of a fatal heart attack? on it... with jardiance. ask your doctor about jardiance. ♪ ♪ capital one knows life doesn't update you about your credit card. so, meet eno, the capital one assistant that catches things that might look wrong, and helps you fix them. another way capital one is watching out for your money, when you're not. what's in your wallet? ♪ quitting smoking is freaking hard.st,et? like quitting every monday hard. quitting feels so big. so, try making it smaller. and you'll be surprised at how easily starting small... ...can lead to something big. start stopping with nicorette

it's time for the great winter clearance dash! by sam smith] get up to 70% off clearance apparel, shoes, and more. up to 50% off toy clearance. and up to 50% off seasonal clearance. save on thousands of items during the great winter clearance dash. only at target. ♪ ♪ ♪ ( ♪ ) only tylenol® rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast, for fast pain relief. tylenol®.

this segment of "gma" is sponsored by consumer cellular.

good morning, south bay.

let's get up and get going. >> this is "abc7 mornings." >> good morning. it is 7:56 and happy friday to you. i'm reggie aqui from "abc7 mornings."this is meteorologist nicco. >> hello, reggie and everybody. not as rough at the beaches and the winter chill if you are out and about. we have a look sunday with a one on the impact scale, and drizzle to light rain as we head towards noon and you can see the steady to light and moderate rain and early evening hours and turns over to scattered showers by monday morning, and that is the last chance of rain, a new year's is getting dry and warm. >> light conditions this friday as we roll into another holiday week, and you can see the green out there, and the typically bad commutes are looking good this morning. we have one accident. this is the 380 via duct from sfo, and three cars involved and may slow the approach to and from the airport. >> thank you, sue. coming up on "gma," and how the parents can set screen time

limits for their kids. it can be a challenge. we will have another update in 30 minutes, and you can find us on the news app and it's the ikea winter sale. aka-the-up-to-50%-off- already-low-prices-sale. aka-the-look-we-can-touch-every thing-before-we-buy-it-sale. aka-the-i-can't-believe- you-draged-me-here- i-never-want-to- leave-here-sale. aka-the-if-i-never- get-out-of-here- it-was-nice-knowing- all-of- you-sale. aka-the-i'm-rethinking- my-position-on-shopping. aka-the-all-these-savings- can-reduce-stress. aka-we-can-get-storage- for-our-storage-sale. aka-the-btw-icymi.

aka-the-this-is-too-good- for-a-dad-joke-sale. fomo-irl-ftw-sale. what? yea meatballs, meatballs, meatballs. kerrygold has a taste so rich it can take you to ireland's lush, green pastures. where grass-fed cows produce rich, creamy milk for a truly delicious taste. kerrygold. the taste that takes you there. a lot's changed since you were here.

it's called the internet. i'm gonna hit start now, ok? me back!

through the west. snow shutting down california highways. with life-threatening flash floods as millions take to the roads and the skies. 14 states on alert this morning as the powerful storm moves east, we're tracking the very latest. cancer and exercise. the new study saying less than three hours of exercise a week can lower your chance of getting the disease. can getting moving save your life? bl>> the big money stunner. what your insurance doesn't cover. a surprise charge on your statement. how "gma" investigates wiped out one family's debt. what you need to know to protect yourself. ♪ this is what i live for teens and their screens. tech, a top gift this holiday season, but parents are worried

those presents are making their kids more dependent on screens than ever before. how you can help manage the screen time. # ♪ i think i want to marry you olympic skier lindsey vonn pops the question to her love. but they're already engaged. why she made the untraditional move on the couple's second anniversary. and the star of the new movie, "bombshell." he's live with us this morning, john lithgow, and he's saying -- >> good morning, america. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ hey. good morning to you all. looking forward to hanging out with john lithgow who is just upstairs, hanging out with our crowd. got a good one up there. hope you're having a good friday. we have got one holiday down. another one to go in just a few days. that's right. 2020 is just around the corner. we have some incredible looks to launch us into that new year's head to toe ensembles. all around $150.

we're looking forward to that. >> you said $150? >> that's right. >> the whole outfit. >> pretty good. first we have to get to the severe weather out west that could delay the post-christmas pre-new year's travel trend. marcus moore is at l.a.x. with more. good morning again. >> reporter: hey, tom. good morning. we're watching this steady stream of people filing right into this terminal here at l.a.x. we have been watching them come here in waves, and so far things appear to be running smoothly here, but take a look at what some of the drivers faced out on the roadways here in the west. a massive snowstorm hitting california, actually shutting down the 5 freeway through grapevine for more than 12 hours, and pummeling low-lying cities with heavy rain. we're seeing videos of people trying to push their cars out of the dense snow. interstate 15 also closed in the san bernardino desert area. we have seen that snowfall blanketing the terrain there. for millions of people taking to the sky and also hitting the

roadways today, their travel could be treacherous in some areas today. they certainly hope it will go smoothly, but as we have seen, it could be a slow go for millions today. >> all right, marcus. thank you. and the weather isn't helping folks one bit. and rob marciano has been tracking this latest powerful storm that's making its way to us on the east. what can we expect, rob? >> you can expect snow in the mountains. if you're traveling, you want to pack the chains if you don't have four wheel drive. winter storm watches or warnings from minnesota all the way through the west, and for southern california, gusts to 30 to 40 miles an hour. phoenix, heavy rain and thunderstorms. you'll get potentially some flash flooding and heavy snow across the san juans of southern colorado. denver might get snow finally this december. here's the problem areas. minneapolis, chicago tomorrow, severe weather across the mid and deep south and that gets into the east on sunday. so give yourself a couple of extra hours at the very least if you have to do some traveling. t.j., back to you. >> appreciate that.

thanks so much. diane? now to a study about exercise and cancer finding that even moderate activity can cut your risk to developing the disease. researchers looked at data from nine previous studies and concluded 2 1/2 to 5 hours of activity per week is enough to lower the risk of certain cancers. that mo that moderate activity can include playing tennis, mowing the lawn or even just cleaning your house. the more exercise you do, the better off. the more exercise, the lower the risks, but 2 1/2 can do the trick. >> every little bit helps. coming up here, a lot of folks getting blindsided by medical bills. we have some ways to protect yourself when you possibly get hit with unexpected charges. plus, the struggle with sleep is real especially during the winter. we're breaking down why that is, and the simple steps you can take to get a good night's sleep. and you heard t.j. say earlier, john lithgow is here talking about his new movie along with our incredible audience this morning upstairs. we cannot wait to join them. stay with us.

"gma's" morning menu sponsored by u.s. bank. hey, need a laptop that boots up as fast as 6 seconds when you're running late? shhhh. [whispering] it's switching time. ♪ how about a battery that lasts up to 12 hours? [bell rings] order up! ♪ now we're cooking. or how about one with virus protection built in? which... would be helpful... right... about... now... yeah, if you want all that, switch to chromebook. ♪ because you get matched with i la plan tailored to you!m, whether you're a dine outer, take outer, veggie person, definitely- not -just -veggie person, bread lover, or cheese lover... ...all you have to do is answer personal assessment questions and get scientifically matched with a proven weight loss plan. find out which new custized plan can make losing weight easier for you!

the new program from ww. weight watchers reimagined. join for free + lose 10 lbs. on us. hurry! offer ends january 6th! somebody burned down my she shed. nobody burned down your she shed, cheryl. well my she shed's on fire. your she shed was struck by lightning. zachary, is my she shed covered by state farm? your she shed's covered, cheryl. you hear that victor? i'm getting a new she shi-er she shed. she shi-er? mhhm. that's wonderful news.

state farm. it's time to stock up and! save... and spend your kohl's cash! take 50 to 60% off sweaters... and outerwear... and take 60 to 70% off holiday trim and decor! plus - stock up and save on bed and bath! plus - get kohl's cash!... and - kohl's takes your amazon returns too! kohl's. you have power over pain, so the whole world looks different. the unbeatable strength of advil. what pain? ♪ work so hard ♪ give it everything you got ♪ strength of a lioness ♪ tough as a knot ♪ rocking the stage ♪ and we never gonna stop ♪ all strength, no sweat. ♪ just in case you forgot ♪ all strength. ♪ no sweat secret. all strength. no sweat. if there's gonna be a sticker on it has to mean something. so we make sure this means something.

that we've done everything - to make your shopping, test-driving and car-buying experience the way it should be. carmax.

♪ [ cheers and applause ] welcome back, everybody. "gma." it is great to be here with you, and our audience warmup guy just reminded this audience they might be our best audience of the year. [ cheers and applause ] yeah, tom can lie with the best of them.. i want to talk about "gma"

saturday. they will tell you how to keep your home looking chic on a budget. what is a chic home? i'm curious about that. anyway, but ms. chic herself, janai norman here with "pop" for us. balling on a budget. i appreciate it. it is time for "pop news," and we begin this morning by saying congratulations to lindsey vonn. the olympic skier announcing she's engaged again. yep. let me explain. vonn taking to twitter to share the happy news explaining her unconventional move writing, merry christmas and happy holidays, everyone. on our two-year anniversary in a nontraditional move, i asked p.k. to marry me, and he said, yes. women aren't the only ones who should get engagement rings. [ applause ] okay. her fiance proposed back in august, but she wanted to do something special for him this

christmas going on to write on instagram, we talk about equality, but actions speak louder than words. men should get engagement rings too, and this is what p.k. deserves. i can't wait to marry you, babe. right away. you'r o the market. >> that's exat.. ily it's wonderful. but is that a play to make sure the ring is wearing a ring earlier on? like you were just saying. >> off the market. >> marking your territory. now the plot thickens in the case of the infamous viral peloton ad. you may remember the controversial ad triggered swift backlash after its premiere last month. many people felt it contained sexist elements, with the husband giving the bike unprompted seeming to suggest his wife should exercise more. others criticizing the awkward way the woman documented her year on the bike to she her husband. all right. well, the actor shaun

ay the husba in the ad iss real girlfriend for christmas. uh-huh, a peloton bike. the actog this goes over betterecd ti. merry christmas to my actual girlfriend adding in parentheses, please don't leave me. i hope she didn't think it was controversial. >> did she stick around? >> she's there right now. maybe. maybe not. >> gg. >> this is one you and i cannot touch. >> is it ever okay to give a woman who didn't ask any kind of exercise bike or equipment? it seems like you're making some suggestion maybe you shouldn't be making. is that ever okay? >> i thought it was thoughtful too. >> no exercise equipment and no cleaning products. >> cleaning products? >> yeah.

almost b t murd mryilm, "knives h fs ssg oe things about his character, that comfy-looking white sweater. who doesn't love a chunky knit? that might have been the breakout star from the film. one person tweeting, what was that sweater made of? oh, yeah. boyfriend material. there's even a hashtag, chris evans in a sweater. it was no surprise when evans took the obsession to the next logical step uploading a photo of his dog dodger in a similar chunky knit. who wore it better? dodger or chris? >> i think they both look good. >> that is now in evans' possession. when asked if he swiped anything from the set, he said, all the sweaters. but i had permission so it wasn't stealing. so not bad. [ applause ] >> the whole segment about a sweater. it's a beautiful sweater. it's a beautiful sweater. now to our "gma" cover story

about surprise medical bills. a pole fromr fil foundaon sayi, get this. 40% of consumers' surprise medical bills were more than $5,000. "gma" has an important update to the story we aired previously. kyra, good morning. >> reporter: some of these surprise bills are for huge amounts. $17,000 for a lab test. $50,000 for a stay in the neonatal icu. $70,000 for broken hip surgery. most of us assume that would be covered by health insurance if you have it, but as we found out in our investigation, that's not calls the case. -- always the case. tom saputo was an active snowboarder and his family was devastated when he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. he needed a double lung transplant to survive. >> it's like drowning. you can't breathe. >> reporter: throughout tom's

care, the saputos say that everything was in network. ys is newat >>ou r aeporter: but tom needed air ambulance to a medical facility where he could receive the transplant. the saputos did it, no questioned asked. >> how cld you even have the -- >> wherewithal -- >> -- yeah. to concentrate on that when your husband is dying. >> reporter: tom received that transplant, but then came the bill that blindsided them. the transplant, $36,000, was fully covered by their insurance, but the air ambulance that cost $51,000 was not. >> so we were shocked. >> reporter: "gma" became aware of the saputos' case through kaiser health news and npr series which investigates medical bills. >> air aanulmbsce single most common complaint in our data base. >> reporter: their insurance covered most of the air ambulance bill even though it was out of network but they say

they were told they still owed $11,000. >> how are we going to pay this bill? >> reporter: the insurer, anthem told "gma," the costs for his transport were paid in accordance with his benefits plan. after "gma" contacted the air ambulance company -- >> your account is at a zero balance now -- >> reporter: the debt now erased. air methods saying after that call, we engaged in the appeals process to receive the full payment because mr. saputo was extremely cooperative. we were able to provide him a zero balance. nearly 80% of americans want legislation to protect patients from surprise medical bills. the president also calling for regulation. >> they should be given a clear and honest bill up front. >> reporter: representatives are co-sponsors of one of the bipartisan bills before congress that would regulate the

practice. why hasn't a bill been passed? >> well, we are moving. the process takes awhile. >> reporter: ads criticizing some of the legislation began running earlier this year. they are not influencing you. >> we're going full force ahead. >> reporter: more than half of all ambulance rides are out of network, so we asked specifically about the saputos' case. why doesn't your legislation cover this? >> when you deal with ambulance, it involves so many different factors. the ambulance might be private. it might be the local government. so it's very difficult. >> clearly it's not working. >> that's true, but it is a different animal. we're taking on what we can here. >> since this investigation first aired, the bills were revised to include air ambulances and reached a deal with the senate health committee supported by the white house, but surprise medical bill regulation was not included in the government funding deal that was passed just last week. >> first off, great work by you

and the "gma" investigates team. does medical bill regulation stand a chance? >> it will be reintroduced more than likely next year, but stand alone regulation is tough to pass. >> so what kind of advice would you give? pause not everybody has the "gma" investigates team or kyra phillips at their side. what should you do? >> we were hounding and companies and made things happen. we can negotiate those bills. don't just pay it or write a check. call them up, challenge the bill and work out a deal. i did it with my son when i had to take him to the emergency room. they cut the bill in half, and also find out if your state has laws protecting from surprise medical bills because a lot of states too. >> great work. >> thank you. > rng noigver to you. asking.mpas ght be y can't your kidturn o those screens? phone under the seat there. another kid down here just trying to get on tv. it could be a difficult task here, but listen to what some of these kids told our parenting -- this parenting site sheknows.com

about their need for these screens. >> do you feel addicted to technology? >> yeah. >> all: yeah. >> i could stop if i wanted to, but i don't want to. >> i use my phone four hours a day. >> this week, it was five hours. >> i use my phone for six hours a day. >> my weekly total is 45 hours and 26 minutes. >> 44 hours and 3 minutes. >> 52 hours and 20 minutes. >> how long on tiktok? >> 16 hours and 20 minutes, and on youtube, 6 hours and 30 minutes. it's so addictive. >> i go down the youtube rabbit hole a lot. it's just, like, videos and videos and videos. >> i'll just, like, find myself spending more and more time on tiktok usually at, like, 2:00 a.m. >> what's addictive about it is it's an endless bowl of soup. you keep going and you keep scrolling. >> i feel like i wouldn't have any friends if i didn't have my phone. >> there's no way to, like, entertain myself. if i'm bored it's just, like,

well, my phone's there. >> joini unow,urd "gma" friend and mom.com editor, ericka souter with some advice on limiting the screen time. and at least it's not, like -- is that a good first step? it seemed like those kids were aware this is too much. >> these kids are spending half of their waking hours online, and that's a huge issue. so it's really important for parents to step in and limit the screen time. >> you can do it right now. short-term solutions to some of this. >> set yourself up for a battle. you're going to get pushback. that's inevitable, but one of the first things you can do, is or, you know, any meal times. that's an important first steppe. >> no devices in the bedroom overnight is one thing i have heard, and also no phones in the bathroom. >> it makes no sense. if you can't go those five or ten minutes, that's a serious problem. limit it right there. >> and the charging station, one for the family, why? >> one central charging station is great because it means the

kids are not using their phones overnight, and they're probably getting a better night's sleep because they are not disturbed by that phone. >> timing. is this how long they're on it? >> there are apps that can limit the amount of screen time. we have a two-hour limit on my son's ipad, and after that's gone for the day, he can't use it anymore. >> huh. long-term ideas. we talked short-term. what are long-term? >> there are great long-term solutions you can do. you might want to invest in a router that allows you to monitor each family member's usage time, and you can limit it individually based on that family member's needs. >> you can cut them off. >> yeah. you can cut them off with the router. you might want to also invest in some tech-free activities. your kid might be into art or sports or music or dance. put all you can into those, and emphasize and encourage them. >> it must be fun at your house. >> i know. know.w. >> we appreciate it as always thank what a crowd we have here over the "gma" holidays. what's up? what's happening, georgia? hello, tennessee.

[ cheers and applause ] illinois, happy birthday to my girl, judy. you don't look 50. amazing. thanks a bunch. thank you for coming out. look at this double rainbow out of los angeles yesterday with the rain and wind and the snow with the high elevations. you get a double rainbow, that is a sign of beautiful things to come in 2020. that's what's happening in times square. thanks now to our new series, the best sleep yet.

we're looking at some of the sleep struggles we face during the winter. that cold weather brings specific challenges and we have simple steps you can take to help. take a look. >> i can't find my phone. >> i think it's coming from the fruit bowl. >> it's sleep magic again. >> reporter: getting a good night's sleep isn't always easy. >> you look like you haven't slept at all. >> maybe an hour or two at night. i have tried everything. warm shower before bed, meditation, reading my operating systems user agreement. >> reporter: for many people getting enough shut eye in the winter is more difficult. what is it about winter that makes it difficult to sleep? >> days are shorter. there's no light in the morning and no light in the evening and as a consequence of that, people use more artificial light, and the screen and blue light, and that can impact people's ability to sleep later on. >> reporter: andrew vargas says it can make you feel less awake, less motivated to exercise, and

more tempted to sleep in, all of which can make it harder to fall asleep at night. >> it includes the dryness and increased risk for congestion. people that might be mild snorers during summer months could actually develop sleep apnea as a consequence of increased inflammation and congestion in the passageways. >> you can develop sleep apnea because of the season? >> absolutely. >> reporter: dr. vargas suggests getting a humidifier or a netty pot when needed. go easy on the thermostat. >> when you adjust the temperature of your room to make it too hot, make sure you don't have that natural decline in the core body temperature, and that can make sleep more fragmented. >> dr. jennifer ashton is here with me to elaborate on th more. when we don't sleep, we feel terrible. when we sleep, we feel good, but what's going on in the brain? >> i could talk about sleep for literally hours. i think it's so important to our medical well-being, but part of it has to do with sleep spindles.

people have heard about melatonin, the sleep hormone, but there's something called bursts odle which aelectricale f activity that occur during sleep that act like protect erers of our brain block out eternal environmental noise. when you don't have a lot of those, you can't learn as well so, not only could we be more tired in this season because of changes in day and light hours, but we might actually be less smart. it's just one more example of things that happen when we sleep. this is my book of the month club. "why we sleep" by matthew walker. he's one of the biggest sleep experts in the world, and he talks all about sleep spindles. >> i have read it cover to cover. i never knew that sleep apnea could be seasonal. what are the medical conditions people should look out for? >> we say, if i don't sleep well, it's just kind of unfortunate or it's totally behavioral. it could be medical, and i want people to look at this list because it's the tip of the iceberg. there could be medical conditions that disrupt our sleep ranging from depression,

heartburn, congestive heart failure, an overactive thyroid. things like chronic pain or restless leg syndrome. you should speak to a health care provider. don't just put a band-aid over it, and take something for sleep and walk away. >> how important is it for you to address these issues if you have them? >> there were benefits such as if you look at our skin, our cardiovascular well being, to our mood. prioritize sleep. you will not be sorry. >> thank you so much. great advice. coming up, the "bombshell" star, john lithgow is here with us. [ cheers and applause ] ♪

good morning, north bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is "abc7 mornings." >> good morning, everyone. i'm liz quartz, and firefighters are working to get a fire under control in oakland. the flames broke out at 2:30 between macarthur boule macarthh 440. it was red tagged, and there were six people inside though and they were able to get out. two people were taken to the hospital. what is happening in the traffic world, liz? >> well, we are taking yo now the southbound 101 near whipple and you see the slight stretch of the red sensors there, and it is blocking the two right lanes of traffic and expect the delays if you are headed sohbnd

now your accuweather forecast with mike nicco. >> other than the temperatures in some neighborho neighborhoods, it isrizzle and becoming steady and light and moderate in the afternoon hours and turning to scattered showers by monday morning that. the only chance of rain. liz? >> thank you, mike. another "abc7 mornings" update

minutes.in ♪inutes.in [ cheers and applause ] welcome back, everybody, to "gma." we have a room that's very excited because we have the legend here with us, legendary star. you have seen him in hits like "the crown," and "3rd rock from the son," and now he's playing roger ailes in the new movie, "bombshell." everybody, john lithgow. [ cheers and applause ] we have a habit of when we have stars here, we make them look at pictures of themselves from as far back as we can find. we want you to look at the screen. that's you in high school on stage performing. now you have had a 50-year career now. looking back at that kid, did you have any idea the journey you were about to go on? >> oh, so thin, and so much hair. [ laughter ]

no. i, you know, i grew up in a theater family, and became an actor stmoalspn iofit the first role i ever played was when i was about 2 1/2 years old, one of nora's children in "doll's house." i don't remember anything about it, but i'm told i was very good. >> besides that, you have had so many characters besides the one when you were 2 years old. all the characters you have played, do you remember having a favorite? do you have a favorite character you have ever played? >> oh, it's hard. it's like picking your favorite child, but i have to say the whole experience of "the crown," it was completely wonderful playing winston churchill. [ applause ] and "3rd rock from the sun." [ cheers and applause ] i mean, that was six years, six years of nonstop laughter. i think it prolonged my life by six years.

it was just so much fun. >> you have had such a great career. any project you mention will get that kind of response from the audience. >> you'll notice i didn't mention a few of them. >> now you're playing roger ailes. this movie is getting so much oscar buzz. how did you prepare for this role? >> i had lots and lots of people who helped me prepare. first of all, just they completely transformed my face and body. this is the great costume designer colleen atwood, and this genius hero who did not just my transformation but he spent justve rngmus achim w tith charlize td nicole kidman. i mean, look at those amazing transformations. >> it is uncanny. >> yeah. of course, in my case, he added about 300 pounds just to my face alone. >> you mentioned you grew up in the theater where the ensemble cast is so important. this movie, you really do have an incredible ensemble. you mentioned charlize theron,

nicole kidman, margot robbie. how was that? >> it was phenomenal, and i could go on. connie britton, kate mckinnon, allison janney, malcolm mcdowell. it really was wonderful. it was, like, the best c nypa you could put into a movie, and charlize incidentally was our producer. the movie never would have happened without her. [ applause ] it was a remarkable group. >> it's getting great reviews and we have a clip. let's take a look right now. >> i defy you to find any evidence that a single part of what these women are saying is true. get ready. more will come. we need to let rupert know what it means if i lose. gretchen carlson could kill fox news. this is a fight for your jobs. if i go, you go. >> wow. [ applause ] >> you talked about your transformation. we saw a picture of you in the

makeup chair, but we have a side by side now. wow. what did you think -- this really gave you an idea, but when you first saw yourself like that, what did you think? >> it was pretty startling. it takes you awhile to get used to yourself. it so completely changes your sense of yourself which is a wonderful big step forward when you are playing a role. it's -- it's extreme, goodness knows. i didn't use much makeup, oddly enough, playing winston churchill. it turns out i look a lot more like winston churchill than i realized. >> what was it like playing these two characters back to back like that? >> well, apparently people want me to play old, fat bald men. i certainly didn't think of myself as either of these men. >> they're also powerhouses. did that attract you to the role? >> well, sure. but, you know, when i was offered both these roles, i thought people were crazy.

but i wasn't about to say no. one known as one of the great men, and the other, one of the most disgraced men. >> we're all very happy you sai. coming up, we'll count down to 2020 with the perfect looks to ring in the new year. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ looking around here i see tablets, laptops, printers, smartphones. they're all connected to the internet. they're all connected. can your network handle all those devices? sometimes. comcast business runs on the nation's largest gig-speed network. so you can get the bandwidth you need to power all of your devices at peak performance. if all of my devices could have that kind of speed,

i would be dancing! get started with secure 35-megabit internet and one voice line for just $64.90 per month. call today. comcast business. beyond fast.

[ applause ] welcome back to "gma." we have a great audience this morning. we're back with the long time television hit "grey's anatomy." the show has been educating and helping viewers become better advocates for their own health, and in "natural geographic"'s january edition, ann clack gives us insight to the challenges women face in the medical field. let's take a look. >> reporter: for 16 seasons, "grey's anatomy" has tackled women's health issues. >> it's the job. >> reporter: meredith grey, the lead character on the medical drama shedding light on everything from miscarriage to depression and the pain of alzheimer's. >> it's me, mom, meredith. >> reporter: her character also tackling gender bias at every turn. >> did you just call me a nurse? >> the first episode she was called a nurse. there's nothing wrong with being a nurse, it's just the assumption that you are not a doctor is the problem. >> reporter: the show's

innatural geographic"'s su ttho true to life, frequently reviewing how women are misdiagnosed and symptoms are downpl. ouedayan put all the sy into one kind of catchall diagnosis which is gender bias, which is so entrenched in society and so insidious that people don't realize it's happening. >> reporter: it's depicted in scenes like this with miranda bailey who experiences a heart attack in season 14, yet struggles to be heard despite being a doctor herself. >> i am having a heart attack and i'm not going anywhere until you do a full cardiac workup and prove it. >> reporter: she was being misdiagnosed as anxiety or too much stress even though she was saying, i believe this is a heart attack. >> reporter: increased medical research is important, but so is education. peathoe s e th >> we like to be, what i like to say is a voice for the voiceless. we are able to put issues out

there. >> dr. jen with more about becoming an advocate for your own health. what shocked me doing this report is that women time and time a >> it happens even in my specialty believe it or not, but i want to get broader, tom, into the who. who needs a health care advocate. who should be one for themselves. if you look at this list, it ranges from children, the elderly, obese. there's classic bias in all of these populations. lgbtq groups, the mentally ill. this is basically everyone, so when you talk about the who, it's really who doesn't need a health care advocate? >> are we talking about a third party here or are you your own health care advocate? >> it could be either. i think when you talk about this we have to say, what does this look like? i don't think it looks like the patient fighting with their health care provider, okay? that's just unrealistic and it's generally a bad idea. what it does look like is the patient being involved, active,

informed, organized and collaborating with their health care provider. teamwork. it's not a dictatorship. you're working toward a common goal which is good health care, good outcome. >> sometimes you find people who immediately go to the doctor, and other people who never want to go until it's too late. what advice do you have? >> my perspective is skewed because i am a doctor, even though i have been a patient myself multiple times. my family is all doctors, so i wanted to reach out to some of my instagram followers and get their tips and advice. take a look. we got incredible comments back. one person wrote, there are no stupid questions. if something is unclear, you owe it to yourself to ask to clarify.elf. don't take a doctor's word just because they're a doctor. listen to your body, and finally, if you don't feel right, keep trying until you get a solution. >> thank you. always great to have you here. "natural geographic" january

special issue on the future of medicine, wellness, is available online, and newsstands december 31st. let's go to rob in our holiday t is.e. the square is bumping,. a white christmas. temperatures in the 40s. what a handsome group all over the country. people from belgium and amsterdam. i love how your sweater matches your phone case. what's your name? >> emily. >> emily keeps rolling. here's the new year's eve forecast in times square, so much better than last year where it was raining and miserable. dry and breezy temps at midnight. sound good to you guys? sounds good to me. time for a look at your local that is what's shaking from the "gma" holiday square. diane, back up to you.

thanks. it's the final countdown to 2020 which means if you haven't already, it's time to pick your outfit for new year's eve. jessica mulroney is here with the perfect looks to ring in the new year, and my favorite part, it's all affordable. >> all affordable, yes. of course. >> i know you have three rules that are easy to follow. what do people need to know? >> i do. no matter what you do on new year's eve, dressing up is always so much fun, but there are three rules because you want to shop smartly, right? wisely. exactly. so first rule, you can dress festive, but you don't need to be lit up like a christmas tree. okay? >> i thought we were going in a different direction. >> if you get something that's really over the top, it will end up in the back of your closet and you're never going to wear it again. find things that you will wear throughout the year. second rule, comfort. >> yes. >> that's right. comfort. >> yes, it is. >> it is a very long road to midnight, and you're not always

walking in a straight line. so you don't have to sacrifice comfort for fashion, and i'll show you how to do that. number three, make it affordable. >> every single one of these outfits are around $150. from head to toe. so let's go. >> very doable. let's look at the looks, sha ll>>we o kay.? so this is -- this is more of a dinner party look. >> this is the dinner party look, and you know, i want to just say there's no better way to celebrate new year's than around food in my opinion. this is the perfect outfit. it's so on trend. we're seeing the longer skirts, lots of gold lame. it's just the right amount of festive and this great organza sheer top. very much on trend as well, and what's great about this outfit is they're separates. you can wear the top with jeans later, and the skirt with a knit. you're going to get your bang for your buck, and this whole outfit from top to bottom, $129.

>> awesome. >> you like that, right? >> love that. >> yes. some people go tropical to celebrate the new year. >> i have to say -- >> this is great for that. >> i have done this the wrong way many times. sequins can feel like armor by the beach. you want to make sure you dress weather appropriate or else you'll look like a hot mess, literally a hot mess. find something beachy, tropical, easy to wear. i love this bold print. it's so fun and also these great little shoes. very much on trend, and not too high. if you end up dancing on the beach, you're good to go. >> cool, comfortable and still formal. >> you can wear this in the summer after you're done. this one, i have to say, very affordable. the dress $40, shoes, $40. $80 total. >> great. some people celebrate as a couple. >> yes. >> what's your suggestion there? >> no better way to celebrate love than on new year's eve, and i love this dress. this is what i say. this is sparkle done right.

it's not too much, and it's -- the slip dress is very in, but sometimes we want to be more modest. what i did is i put a white shirt underneath, and that means, like, any body type can wear it. it's very much on trend as well as these great little sparkly shoes. i think he's already in love. what do you think? >> so for the men? >> for the men, they feel like you have to be buttoned up and wear a suit. not the case. i love this monochromatic look. this is something we'll wear again, and my husband is probably jealous of this outfit because i want to date this outfit. do you want to date the outfit? >> i want to date the outfit. i have to be careful how i say this because my husband is watching but a lot of men feel like they have a wear a tux. >> both of these, very, very affordable. this, top to bottom, $128. for the man, blazer, sweater, pants and the shoes, $139. >> with the shoes. >> yes. >> amazing.

>> okay. for some people, they don't want to go out. they don't want to do the party. they want to celebrate at home, but they still want to look festive. how do you pull that off? >> this is my kind of new year's. you'll find me on a couch as well. even if you are going to a house party, the nice thing is that you can wear something still a little bit elevated, right? >> yeah. >> i love this little body suit. it's velvet. very festive which has a little bit of sparkred with denim. you are comfortable in a great pair of boots and my favorite part is her purse. this purse is actually -- you can put your own personal champagne bottle in it. guaranteed that you will make friends wherever you go. >> if you are not leaving the house, you don't need a wallet or credit card. all you really need the is the champagne bottle. >> all you need is this, and you will be making friends. >> all right. and some of us want to go all out. what's our glam look? >> this is our final look and it's black tie. we often think about black tie and we think we have to wear,

like, a long dress, uncomfortable. not the case. black jump suit, so chic. so easy to wear. this one is from h&m, and you know what? $60. >> wow. head to toe. >> $60. >> you look absolutely beautiful, and again, a look you can wear again. >> absolutely. >> to make sure everyone here can look their best on new year's eve, everyone in our audience is going home with a $50 gift certificate to h&m. now we know how to spend it, thanks, jess. coming up, the legendary clint eastwood talks about his new movie. you don't want to miss it. we'll be right back. >> announcer: "good morning america's" holiday square is sponsored by wells fargo.

♪ do you recall, not long ago ♪ we would walk on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ all around the wind blows ♪ we would only hold on to let go ♪ ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we needed somebody to lean on ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ all we need is someone to lean on ♪

[ cheers and applause ]

w the story ori fd jewe.ppe after he saved hundreds of lives and then was wrongly accused in the 1996 atlanta olympicark bombing. now the legendary clint eastwood brought it to the big screen. juju chang sat down with the cast, richard's real mother and clint eastwood himself. take a look. >> my name is richard jewell. >> reporter: the world first came to know richard jewell as the heroic security guard who saved countless lives during the 1996 bombing at the atlanta summer olympics. now his story is getting a hollywood treatment. >> i think richard had old school purist chivalry that came from his ticker. >> reporter: terror struck. a large pipe bomb killed one and wounded hundreds more. far more people would had ie dwere it not for the

hypervigilance of the man who spotted the bomb. >> we got ourselves a suspicious package. you better call it in. >> the fbi has a suspect. >> reporter: but within three days jewell went from the city's savior to prime suspect. >> they needed a fall guy and they took richard. >> did you do it? >> no, sir, i didn't do it. >> how did richard react to all of this? >> he was worn, torn and tattered. >> reporter: bobby ultimately made the difficult decision to face the press head on. >> my son is innocent. >> reporter: recreated in this powerful scene by kathy bates. >> my son is innocent. >> what she says at the end, mr. president -- >> mr. president, please clear my son's name. >> the very quality that enabled him to find that bomb, they turned against him. to me, that's the tragedy.

>> reporter: after 8 scruny a invtiga8 on, ysf o jewell's name was finally cleared. do you, when you see the movie, feel like your son will be vindicated? >> finally. >> do you feel that there's some vindication of a film, that's very humbling. >> reporter: juju chang, abc news, new york. >> and "richard jewell" is in theaters right now. we'll be right back.

(wholding you back? excessive underarm sweating qbrexza is the first and only once-daily prescription cloth towelette approved to treat excessive underarm sweating. also known as axillary hyperhidrosis. to treat excessive underarm sweating.

(man vo) do not use qbrexza if you have certain medical conditions. qbrexza may cause new or worsening urinary retention, problems with control of your body temperature and blurred vision. the most common side effect reported was dry mouth. call your healthcare provider if you experience side effects. (woman vo) imagine how life can unfold. ask a dermatologist how you may reduce excessive underarm sweating with qbrexza.

[ applause ] all right, folks. we're going to thank you all for watching and hanging with us the past couple of days. >> have a great weekend, everybody. >> thanks, guys. [ cheers and applause ] so what year is it about to be? tell them, barbara. >> this is 2020. >> this is 2020. >> and next week, "gma's" roaring into the '20s. live better, look better, feel better. now what's better than that? feel better. now whatter than that? et's b

a lot's changed since you were here. it's called the internet. i'm gonna hit start now, ok? back!

>> good morning, bay area. let's get up and get going. >> this is "abc7 mornings." >> good morning, everyone. i'm liz from "abc7 mornings." let's go to mike nicco with a look at the forecast. >> hey, liz. hey, everybody. it is friday and great weather. gorgeous this morning and comfortable with light winds and good visibility. sunday get the umbrellas out. at 8:00, drizzle and light rain will start and becoming steady to moderate in the afternoon hours and then in the evening, it turns over to scattered showers for monday's morning commute, and that is the last chance for rain for the possibly last two weeks. sue? >> we are in the green which is good for the friday morning light commute and a couple of problem spots. first, accident southbound 101 near whipple in the clearing phases, and also an accident approaginch the

>> all: road trip! [car engine starts] [upbeat music] ♪ road trip! >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan," from las vegas. today, award-winning recording artist christina aguilera, and a visit from standup comedian carrot top, plus the "live" show players invite you to join them on their vegas adventure. all next on "live." [cheers and applause] [percussive music] ♪