>> we'll add you on here to the group facetime. >> we could put her in the good morning, america. state of emergency.merica. catastrophic flooding in michigan. torrential rain causing two dams to collapse overnight. >> the dam is about to fail. please evacuate to a safe area. >> more than 10,000 people forced to flee their homes. the michigan governor lifting covid-19 restrictions to enable evacuations and rescues. we'll have the latest at this hour. re-opening america. all 50 states easing restrictions this morning as the country gets ready for memorial day weekend. virginia beach invites people just in time for the holiday, but not without a warning from the governor. >> i will not hesitate to reinstate phase one restrictions or even close the beach outright if necessary. >> some businesses protest after learning they still can't open their doors, and the new covid-19 hot spot in navajo nation that is now one of the

hardest hit communities in the country. the new coronavirus study just in. two big questions that could be answered. are you immune to the virus if you have antibodies and if you test positive for a second time, are you contagious? plus, cvs about to majorly ramp up testing across the country. the ceo joins us live. an abc news exclusive. the fraud alert. this morning the ftc warning about a surge in alleged fraud during the pandemic costing americans tens of millions of dollars. growing concerns over unproven cures and treatments. former "today" show anchor matt lauer takes aim at ronan farrow accusing "the catch and kill" author of publishing a rape allegation against him without proper fact checking. farrow responding this morning. and heroes in love. we're celebrating five engaged couples across the country working on the front lines,

staying strong for each other and all of us after postponing their big days. this morning their love stories and the big "gma" surprise you don't want to miss. ♪ i want you to love me now good morning, america. it's good to be with you on this wednesday morning. two big stories that we are following. that flooding emergency in the midwest, and the last state in the country is now lifting pandemic restrictions, robin. >> and that last state is right here in connecticut where i am. the beginning of a new normal for us in the u.s. and also overseas. want to show everybody a photo that just came in this morning from south korea. that's the first day of school since the pandemic closed schools there in early march. masks are mandatory. there are plexiglas screens on desks. daily temperature checks for students and teachers. >> and so many schools here are trying to figure out what our new normal is going to look like

now, as you said, robin, all 50 states are in the process of re-opening. there are now more than 1.5 million cases in the u.s. in the last 24 hours nearly 20,000 new cases. 1,600 new deaths. but we begin this morning with that flooding emergency. thousands forced to flee their homes overnight. alex perez starts us off in chicago with the latest. good morning, alex. >> reporter: hey, good morning, michael. take a look behind me. you can see just how swollen some waterways are across parts of the midwest this morning as people are struggling with problems created by relentless rain. >> be advised the dam is about to fail. please evacuate to a safe area. >> reporter: this morning cat catastrophic flooding in the midwest. central michigan one of the hardest hit areas after at least two dams collapsed under the force of days of torrential rains. the roaring floodwaters easily

taking down trees and barrelling towards towns downstream. >> oh my god. that's somebody's house. >> reporter: watch as the swift rapids carry away the roof of this home like a piece of driftwood. >> the dam has failed. 100% failure. evacuate the area. >> reporter: the rising waters stretching for miles as it's swallowing up entire neighborhoods and forcing more than 10,000 to flee their homes. >> all of that is soon to be up here. this is going to be underwater. >> reporter: with downtown midland expected to be under nine feet of water this morning, the governor declaring a state of emergency and lifting covid-19 restrictions to ease evacuations and rescues. >> we are anticipating an historic high water level. to go through this in the midst of a global pandemic is almost unthinkable. >> reporter: since last thursday, the midwest hammered by heavy rains with some areas receiving more than 8 inches, leading to flooded farms in ohio and in chicago, watch as this garage swiftly fills with water damaging almost 150 cars inside.

the cityxps wettest may on record. a whopping 8.3 inches here in chicago and in some areas, the rain is not done just yet. ginger? >> reporter: alex, they are so right. this is after the great lakes had their wettest five-year period on record. 3 to 5 inches. it's not just michigan. these flood warnings that are represented with that red there stretch all the way down to arkansas, through indiana, ohio into north carolina and south carolina. now, as this low slides up we will get more rain and could end up with 3 to 5 inches into virginia and west virginia and certainly western north carolina. you get some of that elevation you can have flash flooding. greensboro, durham, all on alert today. robin? >> okay, ginger. now to the latest on all 50 states that are now relaxing at least some restrictions amid concerns of new hot spots emerging. this as people get ready to head to parks and beaches for the

holiday weekend and whit johnson joins us with the latest from new york. good morning, whit. >> reporter: robin, good morning to you. the coastline across much of the northeast will be back open by memorial day, but beaches like this one here in new york city will remain closed. no swimming, no gathering as part of a complex and at times, confusing patchwork of re-openings happening now in every state. all 50 states now partially open. this morning, connecticut the final state to ease restrictions. >> i think we can proceed on a very thoughtful basis with those businesses that are least likely to be dangerous, most likely to have a real economic value for the state. >> reporter: but some businesses angry over being left out. connecticut salon owners protesting after learning they are not included in the state's phase one plan. >> the rug got pulled out from underneath us. >> back up! >> reporter: this gym goer in new jersey arrested. the gym owner fined for ignoring lockdown rules and multiple gyms

in washington are facing a similar fate after opening their doors against state orders. >> do business. get with it. >> reporter: coast to coast, other states preparing for memorial day weekend. virginia beach officials inviting people to bring chairs i will nohesitate to reinstate phase one restrictions or even close the beach outright if necessary. >> reporter: in dallas, mayor eric johnson saying residents shouldn't feel pressured to head outside if they don't have to. >> just because the economy is being re-opened so to speak does not mean you have to rush back into going back to restaurants and things. >> reporter: in new york, these flashing lights in subway cars and buses could help the city move towards re-opening as mta officials test out a new pilot program that uses ultraviolet light to disinfect mass transit.

>> the use of ultraviolet light in a laboratory setting has eradicated the covid-19 virus. >> reporter: but most of the city remains shut down including its beaches, other beaches in the state are planning to open. but this one on long island is only allowing residents of the county fearing it could be overrun by people from new york city. in california, joshua tree national park re-opening to visitors with new social distancing rules, but some local residents are concerned it's too soon. >> they're going to go in our stores and we still have to go shopping and live. >> reporter: in colorado they're warning residents not to violate public health orders as dozens gathered shoulder to shoulder at a creek on monday in boulder county. this as maryland reports its highest one-day rise with nearly 2,000 new cases and the state's first pediatric death. the governor announcing the state is expanding testing capacity to people without symptoms. and the other side of the country, california, some parts of the state have already moved into phase one. in l.a. county, the beaches are already open to some limited activity, but county officials

now say they likely won't begin their safe re-opening of businesses and facilities until the fourth of july. robin? >> so much varies across the country. whit, thank you so much. dr. jennifer ashton is going to join us from her home. and, jen, tell us about this new study out of south korea that says it's likely, it's likely that people who test positive a second time for covid-19 are no longer contagious. what's that about? >> very, very interesting study just released from the korean cdc. they looked at about 285 patients who were re-positive after being discharged from isolation anywhere from 8 days to 82 days after their initial onset of symptoms. and they did two important tests, robin. they checked the viral culture, meaning what they were able to detect from their nasal swab. none of it grew out suggesting that those people even though they were testing positive were not infectious or contagious and

then they checked their blood in a small subset and found neutralizing antibodies in most. however, some of these people did have symptoms. so right now, it's not clear whether they continue to shed virus or whether this is a reactivation just like we see, for example, in chickenpox or shingles. >> well, is there something that authorities can learn from this back here at home as we begin to re-open the country? >> well, it may be, robin, that this information can be used to help determine whether people who have been positive can go back to work or school. right now we're not using testing to help guide that, but we'll see if that evolves in the future. that's all to be determined. >> to be determined. all right. jen, thanks so much. george? >> okay, robin. thank you. to the white house and the fallout from president trump's announcement that he's been taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent covid-19 despite the fda's warning that it's not proven to be safe and effective.

our senior white house correspondent cecilia vega has the latest. good morning, cecilia. >> reporter: hey, george. good morning to you. even in the face of this lack of evidence of hydroxychloroquine's effectiveness in preventing covid, president trump, he is not backing down. he's slamming one critical study as anti-trump. he says the drug has become political because he's the one who has been endorsing it publicly. he also says so far he's not experiencing any side effects, but we've also now heard from the vice president yesterday who said that he's not taking hydroxychloroquine because his doctor has not recommended it. but, again, george, we have to underscore and emphasize that doctors that we have spoken to and even the fda warn of the potential dangers in taking this drug for covid outside of a hospital or clinical trial setting. >> right, don't do anything without checking with your doctor. meanwhile, cecilia, washington is also dealing with the economic fallout. the president and top officials on capitol hill yesterday -- and seems to be a real split developing over the next relief package from congress. >> reporter: exactly. we're talking about the top economic policy leaders in the country. they're delivering two

conflicting messages before the senate. treasury secretary steve mnuchin is saying america must get back to work. if a shutdown persists, he says there could be permanent economic damage. then on the other hand you have fed chair jerome powell saying an economic rebound would include needing to get the virus under control and developing a vaccine so americans feel safe returning back to work. he's also now questioning whether that $3 trillion aid package approved by congress is enough. >> all right, cecilia. thanks very much. michael? >> thank you, george. now to two of the biggest covid hot spots outside our borders. brazil on the brink of disaster with cases spiking threatening to overwhelm the hospitals and in mexico city the death toll might be much higher than reported. ian pannell is there with more. good morning, ian. >> reporter: yeah, good morning, michael. from the heart of mexico city and, look just how quiet it is. it's been said many times when america gets a cold, mexico gets pneumonia. well, this time it's hitting the

country doubly hard, economically and affecting the economy and the health of the nation as the number of case us continues to grow. this morning, serious questions being raised about the death toll in mexico. officials reporting just over 1,300 deaths in the capital, mexico city. but an anti-corruption group examining death certificates reporting the numbers could be more than three times higher. doctors here also say they're not just fighting the virus but widespread skepticism. a community, doctors saying, patients come here and i tell them it's probably covid. they say, no, the national government made that up. and further south this morning, a nation in the eye of the storm. brazil finding itself the epicenter of the global pandemic in latin america. its death toll nearing 18,000, the number of cases soaring beyond a quarter of a million, making it now the third worst hit nation on the planet only behind the u.s. and russia. brazil's health care system overwhelmed. this besieged hospital devoted

to covid-19 patients now beyond capacity. >> we need more nurses. it's really a war scenario. >> reporter: brazil's president continues to downplay the deadly virus saying people are dying but more will die if the economy continues to be destroyed by those measures. well, brazil just had its deadliest day and hospitals there and here in mexico are both struggling to cope with this rising influx of patients amid serious questions about how their governments are handling and reporting the crisis. george? >> ian pannell, thanks. now to an abc news exclusive. the ftc is reporting that fraud is surging during the pandemic and is sending letters stating false advertising to dozens of businesses who may be spreading misinformation looking to capitalize on fear. our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas has details. good morning, pierre. >> reporter: george, good morning. according to the ftc, covid-19-related fraud now totaling more than $35 million and counting. even medical officials are being accused of greed.

>> it can help us avoid being as sick or, if you do get sick, it's going to make it very, very minimal. >> reporter: authorities say this promise of a homeopathic treatment for covid-19 at $95 a pop by a dallas chiropractor, ray nannas, is misleading and potentially dangerous. >> it gives the body an immunological and neurological recognition of the energy of the frequency of a virus and this specific one being the coronavirus. >> reporter: the u.s. attorney's office in the northern district of texas recently hit nannas with a civil complaint calling his conduct egregious and accusing him of preying on customers' basic human condition, fear. he has no comment about the complaint, but has agreed to stop making unproven claims. the ftc and fda recently sent nearly 100 letters warning companies about allegedly false advertising, claiming to prevent and treat coronavirus. >> there are no fda approved

cures, tests, prevention mechanisms, vaccines. if someone is telling you that's what they're selling you, it's not true. >> reporter: in michigan the fbi raided this physician's office after several employees who allegedly tested positive for covid kept treating the elderly. dr. charles mock was charged with medicare fraud accused of selling a vitamin c injection to treat covid-19. his attorney's declined to comment saying it should be settled in court. and in san diego, dr. jennings staley was charged with mail fraud after allegedly offering a $4,000 family package to treat covid that included access to telemedicine, hydroxychloroquine, a tranquilizer and even viagra. >> he presented pros and cons of this medication. he believes in this medication. he had no intent to defraud. >> reporter: bottom line the ftc advises consumers to always consult the cdc website for information about medical treatments. it's too risky otherwise.

robin? >> it really is. that's good advice there. thank you so much. appreciate it, pierre. well, on the heels of that, we need to switch gears and show you what a truly wonderful world it can be. check out these second graders at the great hearts archway glendale school in arizona. ♪ i see trees of green, red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ ♪ and i think to myself what a wonderful world ♪ >> second graders, second graders performing that beautiful rendition of the 1967 classic, "what a wonderful world," as part of a schoolwide virtual concert. isn't that something, guys? >> just beautiful. >> well done. >> what a great song. thank you, robin. we are following a lot of other headlines this morning including former "today" anchor matt lauer accusing ronan farrow of publishing a rape allegation without proper fact checking.

we'll have what ronan farrow is saying this morning in response. one of the american communities hit the hardest by covid-19, the navajo nation. but first, let's go back to ginger. >> reporter: and, michael, we talked about the concern in western north carolina. this is why. they've already had two to four inch of rain. do not do that. when you see a flash flood warning, don't get in the car. that's how people get hurt. you will see heavy rain but there will be who pockets that have large hail in the high plains and isolated tornados in north texas in the panhandle. your local weather in 30 seconds. first though, we've got to get the rainy cities sponsored by verizon.

i'm abc7 news meteorologist drew tuma with your accuweather forecast. sunny skies. warmer compared to yesterday. 66 in the city. 70 in oakland. 73 in san jose. overnight tonight, mainly clear skies. temperatures in the mid 40s to lower 50s. here is the seven day forecast. warming trend hitting us today. look at the weekend on monday, 80s and 90s. we will hang on to that on tuesday. coming up, memorial day sales in this new age of shopping. we'll be right back. that's your weathered deck, crying for help. while you do nothing, it's inviting those geese over for target practice.

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safety, this is abc7 news. >> happy wednesday, i'm aq aq aq aqui. napa will move into phase two. dine-in restaurants, retail stores, shopping malls can reopen with adaptations effective immediately. sonoma county got the green light to reopen. they had to amend their local order. officials say that should be approved today. dentist offices are starting to reopen. there are major hurdles. some are having trouble getting the protective gear they need. a dental office in san mateo tells us getting masks has been difficult. dentists are worried about patients with covid-19 coming into the office. >> if you are coming in for a

routine procedure, you will need to be tested for covid at least three to four days in advance. we need to know you are negative before entering into the office. >> dental offices withd- testing policies say they are concerned about clients leaving them for our offices not requiring the testing.

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now your accuweather forecast with drew tuma. >> sunshine sharing the sky with clouds. we will find temperatures later on today warming up nicely. 60s by lunchtime going into the 70s in our warmest spots later today. 66 in the city, 70 in oakland, 73 in san jose. >> thank you. coming up on "gma" memorial day sales. how the pandemic is changing this year's deals. where you can find good

bargains. another abc7 news update in 30 minutes. you can catch up with us at abc7news

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♪ and i will love you ♪ until you learn to love yourself ♪ welcome back to "gma." that is ne-yo singing his hit song "let me love you." it is the perfect song for this morning as we get ready to celebrate five couples. some have been working hard on the front lines and had their wedding plans halted by the pandemic, and ne-yo is going to sing for them live. that's coming up in our next hour. there he is. there's the man. >> he is looking good. looking sharp on this wednesday morning, as are both of you. cannot wait for that. >> thank you. >> sure. we have the top headlines'r. catastrophic flooding in michigan. torrential rain causing two dams to collapse overnight.

the michigan governor lifting covid-19 restrictions to enable evacuations and rescues. also right now all 50 states taking steps to re-open. this morning. connecticut, where i am right now is the last state to relax at least some restrictions. this as the nation gets ready for memorial day weekend. and johnson & johnson announcing they will no longer sell their talc-based baby powder in the u.s. and in canada. this is amid thousands of lawsuits claiming it has caused cancer. the company claiming demand in north america has been declining due to changes in consumer habits and fueled by misinformation about the product's safety. that is from the company. that's what they said, george. >> big change there. we begin with matt lauer. he's taking on ronan farrow in a nearly 5,000-word article. the former nbc anchor has new details that call into question some of the explosive allegations. farrow is responding, and eva pilgrim is here with the details. good morning, eva. >> reporter: good morning, george.

yeah, matt lauer admits he had an inappropriate relationship with a fellow employee, but he denies that he raped anyone. he's now on the defensive. this morning, former "today" show anchor matt lauer is taking aim at ronan farrow and the journalist's best-selling book "catch and kill," which details allegations of sexual misconduct made against lauer while at nbc news. lauer, who was fired from nbc in 2017 for inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace, now writing a lengthy op-ed published on the website mediaite claiming farrow published allegations against him without proper fact-checking and verification. using excerpts from "catch and kill," lauer challenges farrow's reporting on the rape allegation from brooke nevils who said he sexually assauedt 2014 sochi olyic lauer said the two did have an

ongoing consensual affair but writes at no time did brooke nevils ever use the words assault or rape in regards to any accusation against me. he goes on to say ronan suggests that brooke nevils' accusations against me are valid because he writes, nevils told a million people about lauer. did ronan quote even one of those million people in his book? he did not. >> brooke nevils' claims checked out. nbc felt they checked out, and they fired him over it. >> reporter: lauer goes on to challenge farrow's reporting that lauer allegedly assaulted her in a dressing room while at work. farrow writes, crying she ran to the new guy she'd started seeing, a producer working in the control room, that morning and told him what what happened. lauer claims he tracked down and spoke to the new guy himself. he told me that brooke did not come crying to see him. ultimately lauer accuses farrow of acting as brooke's advocate, not as a journalist investigating her claims. he is breaking a cardinal rule of journalism. he has come to a self-serving conclusion first, and then he

sees everything through the prism of that assumption. lauer also criticizes farrow's sourcing. ann curry, who was lauer's former co-anchor, is depicted in "catch and kill" about knowing about a separate incident involving lauer and a different "today" show staffer and says curry was bitter because she believed i had a major role in having her removed from our show in 2012. >> do you believe that matt lauer abused his power? >> i can tell you that i -- i am not surprised by the allegations. >> reporter: lauer writes, ann tells ronan she approached two senior executives at nbc about a problem with me, but admits that she never told anyone at the network about any specific incident or accuser. ronan never names either of those senior executives at nbc, nor does ronan offer confirmation or quotes from either. lauer says he was motivated to publish his side of the story

after a recent "new york times" article critiqued farrow's investigative work claiming that until now, many in the media perceived farrow's work as inherently beyond basic questioning. lauer claims basic journalistic standards were ignored because of a desire to sell books and challenges a comment farrow made about his process in an interview on "gma." >> so if he or his allies were to say you didn't fact check those claims -- >> extensively fact checked as with everything in the book. >> reporter: farrow continuing to stand by his reporting tweeting, matt lauer is just wrong. "catch and kill" was thoroughly reported and fact-checked including with matt lauer himself, and telling abc news, we've called dozens of corroborators around the lauer allegations described in the book and more than a dozen around brooke nevils specifically. we reached out to nbc. matt lauer, ronan farrow, brooke nevils and ann curry declined our request to be interviewed for the story. michael?

>> thank you for that, eva. now to one of the american communities hit the hardest by coronavirus, the navajo nation. the native american territory now has the highest per capita rate of infection in the country. matt gutman is there for his second reporting trip in a month. matt, good morning to you. what's behind the spike in cases? >> reporter: hey, good morning, michael. epidemiologists tell us it's likely a combination of factors including poverty and big family units living under a single roof, but complicating it all is the lack of access to health care. for many people, getting to a hospital like this one means an hour's long drive. this morning, like every morning dr. eileen makes her rounds of covid patients. >> how have you been feeling? >> i feel good. >> reporter: her office is in those bags and this motel on the edge of the navajo nation is her clinic. amid an onslaught of covid infections four motels are now

being used as respiratory clinics. >> if you had told me three weeks ago that i would be starting elderly patients in a room by themselves without family members supporting them on oxygen and keeping them in a motel closed up in a room, i would never have believed it. >> reporter: when those motels filled up, they converted this gym into a clinic. the navajo nation now has a higher per capita covid infection rate than new york and new jersey, and the area's biggest hospital in new mexico is at capacity. from what we're hearing, this could be called the epicenter of covid in the country right now. >> yes, you're totally right. we have a higher rate per capita than any state in the united states. >> reporter: the poverty and lack of infrastructure in this area spanning arizona, new mexico and utah making it worse. navajo nation is larger than west virginia, but 40% of the ' why ter

one of the doctor's patients is dorothy scott. she was one of eight members of her immediate family to fall ill, including her son and husband. as you were burying your one son who had just died from covid, you heard that your husband had just died? >> i got a call saying that my husband passed away in the house. >> reporter: those left have been split into two rooms at this motel under strict quarantine. but for the first time in a week they were allowed out for that rod of deste hugs. finally able to hold each other. and it's only going to get worse. the peak here isn't forecast until the middle of june. now to flatten that curve, they have instituted some of the most strict closures in the country, including a 57-hour weekend lockdown. one thing that community leaders tell us, there is a lot of resilience in the navajo community. they have been through worse. they say they can get through this. michael? >> all right, thank you so much for that, matt.

coming you, we have an abc news exclusive with the ceo of cvs. he joins us live with how the drugstore chain is helping ramp up testing across the country. and next becky worley will give us memorial day sales in this new age of shopping. (♪) i came across sofi and it was the best decision of my life. we're getting a super competitive interest rate on our money. we're able to invest through the same exact platform. i got approved for a loan and it was a game-changer. truly sofi, thank you for helping me prepare for whatever the future has in store. (♪)

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in the new age of shopping, stores hoping for a boost after that record drop in retail sales last month. who else but becky worley is going to join us now from san francisco with so much more on all this. good morning, becky. >> reporter: good morning, robin. 2020 is the year of unpredictable events and memorial day sales are no different. >> memorial day sale, get up to 50% off. >> reporter: the start of summer means sales. but they aren't as extreme as you might think. why? quarantine has changed supply and demand. >> anything that helps make the home experience a little bit easier is very much in demand. you will not see discounts on things like home electronics. >> reporter: even though retail spending is down as a whole, demand online is surging. analytics from adobe show sales increased 49% from march to april, and walmart announcing web sales up 74% and some sites limiting orders. this is whatl

t.j. maxx has hit n max. aterprs. inclumbs of orders wea appliances, mattresses, t bes furniture, both indoor and outdoor furniture, and spring clothing. >> reporter: anything already in the sale section will be discounted even more. coats from macy's, more than 60% off and looking forward to summer, target with 20% off this outdoor dining set. and buy one get one free on swimwear. lands end with 60% off swimwear. >> mattress firm's memorial day sale. >> reporter: mattresses 20% to 50% off at mattress firm. lowe's with up to 40% off some appliances and rei with their biggest sale of the year with up to 30% off. many of these sales are live now, and this is important. i do think we will see some significant clothing discounts. banana republic 30 to 75% off

everything. old navy, 50% off shorts and other summery items, and madewell has 30% to 50% off a lot of their pajamas, because, robin, pjs all day, right? >> you beat me to that. there are some great savings. let me ask you something there, becky. what do you think is going to happen with sales later this year? >> i've been covering black friday, back to school, dynamic pricing for 17 years. the weirdest patterns i've ever seen to date were during the financial crisis in 2008. this one will be equally, if not, more unpredictable but know there are a lot of retail stores sitting on inventory and will busisswill seeso a lot of discounting there later in the year. >> all righty. let's hope. thanks, becky. take care. have a good day. coming up next is our "play of the day." come on back.

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♪ ♪ told me ♪ hold me closer tiny dancer back now with our "play of the day" and perfect song for this perfect moment. one virginia dad dancing his way into this tiny dancer's heart. take a look. ♪ ♪

>> she did a good job teaching him. >> she did a good job. that's brian dancing with his 6-year-old daughter abigail. she takes ballet classes on zoom and she was a little nervous about her upcoming performance so what did dad do? he stepped up to the stage to help her practice. then abigail's mom told him she was going to post it on facebook and he said, don't you dare. well, thankfully for us she did it anyway and even though he said don't you dare i think he's enjoying it more than abigail. that's right. great job you two. coming up, love is in the air this morning. we're celebrating five incredible couples. front lines and we have a big surprise for them all. we'll be right back with more "gma." ♪bang bang, there goes my bang bang,♪ ♪i want my bang bang,

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now your health, your safety, this is abc7 news. >> good morning. i'm reggie aqui. a mobile testing site is opening in san francisco's tenderloin neighborhood. this walk-through pop-up test site will operate outside the recreation center on ella street.appointments are strongly recommended. it will reopen next thursday. let's turn to drew tuma with a look at our day ahead. >> walnut creek because we find partly sunny skies there. a lot of sunshine later on this afternoon. it will be a nice afternoon as well. that live picture showing you that sun and cloud mixture out there. current temperatures in the 40s and 50s. slowly climbing to near 60 right now in oaklany,ot of light bez o t 70s in o

>> thanks. coming up, "gma" says i do. celebrating five front line couples who had their big day postponed by the pandemic and getting a big surprise. another abc7 news z3w6kz z1s6z y3w6ky y1s6y

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for more go to cdc.gov. good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m., state of emergency. destructive flooding in michigan. torrential rain causes two dams to collapse overnight. >> be advised the dam is about to fail. please evacuate wait. >> more than 10,000 forced to flee. the michigan governor lifts restrictions to enable evacuations. the latest right now. also, cvs about to majorly ramp up testing coast to coast. the ceo joining us live with the latest on testing plans, test shortages, the supply chain for all those wipes and toilet paper you buy at the drugstore and overnight headline about cvs returning millions in stimulus money. also this morning,owt's hitting vulnerable communities so hard. frontline workers struggling

with child care and who is stepping in to help. ♪ heroes in love. we are celebrating five engaged couples from across the country working hard on the front lineses. this morning, their love stories and the big "gma" surprise you don't want to miss. and martha stewart joins us live from her kitchen answering your viewer questions as we say go big or go home ♪a. good morning, america. it is day two of "gma's" -- "gma" says "i do." with so many weddings postponed we're giving couples the chance to celebrate. >> we certainly are. this mhavegad couples. count them, five, they're taking over times square. some of them essential workers who have been on the front lines. now this morning we're going to share their love stories and

they will be plenty of surprises. you can discount on that. >> no question. ne-yo as well. news we'll get to. the flooding emergency. thousands forced to flee their homes in michigan overnight. want to go back to alex perez with the latest. good morning, alex. >> reporter: good morning, george. you can see across the midwest waterways are swollen. the nonstop rain and flooding forcing thousands out of their homes. >> be advised that the sanford dam is about to fail. >> reporter: this morning catastrophic flooding in the midwest, central michigan, one of the hardest hit areas after at least two dams have collapsed under the force of days of torrential rains. the roaring floodwaters easily taking down trees and barreling towards towns downstream. >> oh, my god. there's somebody's house. >> reporter: watch as they carry away the roof of this home like a piece of driftwood. >> the dam has failed. 100% failure. evacuate the area.

>> reporter: the risingor miles swallowing up entire neighborhoods and forcing more than 10,000 to three their home. >> all of that is soon to be up here. this is going to be underwater. >> reporter: with downtown midland expected to be under nine feet of water this morning the governor declaring a state of emergency and lifting covid-19 restrictions to ease evacuations and rescues. >> to go through this in the midst of a global pandemic is almost unthinkable. >> reporter: since last thursday the midwest hammered by heavy rains with some areas receiving more than eight inches. here in chicago, we've had the wettest may on record and in a lot of places, there's more rain on the way. robin. >> i hope everybody takes care. okay, alex, thank you. now to our "gma" cover story and this morning, we are kicking off a new abc news series on the

pandemic and hard hit communities in our country. people of color are more likely to be essential workers putting their own lives at risk to keep everyone safe but with schools closed, they need health care, child care, and paula faris brings us the story of the unsung heroes making it possible for them to keep working. >> reporter: as the numbers of infected expose the unequal toll that coronavirus has had on communities of color, another disparity has emerged. >> i'm a caregiver. i work for a home care agency. >> reporter: nationwide black and hispanic americans are more likely to work jobs deemed essential. african-americans specifically are about 50% more likely to work in the health care and social assistance industry. things have changed for you, right, during covid? >> yes, a lot of things have changed. i'm working for instacart part time. >> reporter: the boys and girls clubs of america have stepped up pivoting to provide day care for

petr nearly 700 of them are serving more than 40,000 children while maintaining social distancing and monitoring the children's temperatures throughout the day. >> i love it here. they really help me a lot, you know. they give me a lot of time while i go out and work and, you know, it's from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. >> reporter: she drops off her two sons every morning at this boys and girls club in edgewood, maryland, just outside baltimore. what's the most rewarding part of this job for you. >> just being there for the kids and their families and hearing, you know, the success stories of us just being there for them, a place to come, a place for the kids to come and learn, grow and just give the kids the tools to navigate through life. >> reporter: giving parents peace of mind amid the uncertainty. >> all we can do is continue to push through, right?

>> reporter: for "good morning america," paula faris, abc news. >> our thanks to paula and more powerful reporting over the next three days on all abc news platforms and for ways to support the boys and girls clubs visit our website, goodmorningamerica.com. michael. >> need all the support they can get. thank you. coming up, our abc news exclusive with the ceo of cvs. he joins us live on how the company is ramping up testing for covid-19 across the country. we are celebrating five engaged couples who had to postpone their wedding. we've got a big surprise for these frontline workers. we'll be back with that. ♪ i have moderate to severe pnow, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are getting clearer, yeah i feel free ♪ ♪ to bare my skin ♪ yeah that's all me. ♪ nothing and me go hand in hand ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin ♪ that's my new plan. ♪ nothing is everything. keep your skin clearer with skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved

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♪ good morning, good morning welcome back to "gma." hope you all are doing great this wednesday morning. >> yes, we are. great to have amy, of course, as always. we just are two days away from katy perry kicking off our "gma" summer concert series and amy and i were talking about how much we're looking forward to this? very excited about it. >> robin, you have something special for us. what you got? >>. >> i do. it's time for our "gma" picture pop-in. you know i've been adding pictures of studio audience members to my home set until we can all get together again so my home crew is hard at work, actually they've been napping all morning long this. is denise and mark. they visited us a couple of months ago in the studio. they are a farming family from a small town in arkansas. it is a difficult time for farmers, this he say, but they are thankful they can keep going and denise and mark are also celebrating their fifth

grandchild. happy, healthy baby will was born in april. we send the entire family our love and we can't wait until we're all together again and going to have a special place in the home studio here. lara, time for "pop news." what you got going on there? >> robin, i can't wait to be together again with you. tell amber that was a really good strut with little man lucas through the shot. don't think i didn't notice. >> don't encourage her. >> too late. all right. so we're going to begin "pop news" on this glorious morning with music news. "rolling stone" released their list of the 100 greatest debut singles of all time and guess who is at number one? not the beatles, not the rolling stones, not michael jackson. guys, it's britney spears. and the song "hit me baby one more time." it was released in 1999.

britney was 16 years old. it's been 32 weeks on the hot 100 list, sold more than a million copies in its first week alone and it has nearly 500 million views on youtube. britney taking to twitter to share her excitement writing number one? thank you, rolling stone. what an honor. congratulations to britney spears, an honor, indeed. and this morning, we have a follow-up for you on colonel tom moore. the 100-year-old world war ii veteran, we told you about him last month. he set out to raise about $1500, he hoped, for uk's covid-19 relief fund by walking laps and captured the world's heart and received more than $40 million in donations. the queen herself acknowledging his efforts by first promoting him from his captain rank to colonel and now bestowing him with knighthood.

prime minister boris johnson applauding her majesty's decision calling sir moore a national treasure, a beacon of sending him over 125,000 birthday cards last month on his 100th birthday and today moore says of the knighthood i am absolutely overwhelmed. never for one moment could i have imagined to be awarded with such a great honor. i will remain at your service and he sure will. what a terrific man. congratulations, sir moore. and finally we want to you meet some special pups of people, animals, love. they usually serve their community in washington, d.c. by having volunteers bring their animals to health care fall, senior center, schools to provide comfort and company and they've come up with a really great idea. another group to serve in the pandemic with their young readers program on zoom.

pairing up kids who love a book or maybe reluctant read werst a therapy dog that they can read to. the pups provide a mostly captive audience as i can understand and then the kids get really great help in practicing reading and also bill confidence. the program helps kids also cope with isolation in these times by introducing them to these furry ou want to volunteer your pet for the program, please do sign up at peopleanimalslove.org. i know i'll sign riva up. i cannot promise she will be a captive audience but she will ab an audience. michael, we now send it back to you in the studio before she eats my bracelets off my wrist. >> every morning, lara. thank you for that. we want to turn now to the latest on covid-19 testing across the country. over 12 million tests have been conducted in the u.s. so far. our latest abc news poll found

nearly three-quarters of americans believe we lack adequate testing and according to this map the light pink states like new york, illinois and new jersey do not have enough testing capacity while other states say they have plenty but not enough people showing up for them. now we're joined by cvs ceo larry merlo as the pharmacy chain is looking to make testing easier and more widely available. good morning to you, mr. merlo and appreciate you joining us. so much talk about the availability of testing and cvs began testing in march and now you're increasing capacity. what are your expansion plans? >> yeah, michael, first of all, thanks for having me. you know, this friday we're going to be opening up another 300 testing sites across nine states including new york and new jersey, and, you know, these are at cvs pharmacy locations, however, they're not inside our stores but at our drive-throughs and individuals can be tested from the convenience of their vehicle. we plan to have about a thousand

of these testing sites operational by the end of may and beginning in june we'll have the capacity to test up to a million and a half individuals each month and it's pretty simple. the individual goes on cvs.com, they fill out a simple questionnaire that follows the cdc guidelines in terms who have is eligible for testing and then it points them to the low cal closest to them. they can actually schedule an appointment. they come into the drive-through and our pharmacists, nurse practitioner provides the test kit through the drive-through. they provide step-by-step testing instructions. the test is done through the nostrils. the individual actually self-does it themselves and they put the swab in a plastic bag in a receptacle off to the lab it goes for testing. we get the results back two or three days later and notify them and their health care practitioner and pretty simple and very accessible. >> you've made it as easy and

convenient as safe as possible i guess for all involved. there are places around the country still reporting testing shortages. what are you going to do to bring tests to those areas? >> great question. in addition to what i just announced, we're also going into the historically underserved communities partnering with community health centers, the national medical association, we're bringing our practitioners into those locations to provide testing for the minority communities. we've seen the population health data that, you know, these communities are being disproportionately affected by the virus and this becomes an important solution for them. >> what about the supply chain? are you still seeing stockpiling at cvs stores and this is the question everyone wants to know? when can we see wipes and anti-bacterial gel on the shelves again. >> the supply chain continues to evolve and there are many elements of the front store chain better today than they were two weeks ago, four weeks

ago, but, you know, we're still going to experience spot outages for, you know, the next several weeks and i believe it will be another few months before we get back to the in stock levels we had pre-covid. we're doing a number of things in terms of working with our supplier partners, as well as limiting quantities on some of those really hot items, the cleaning supply, paper products, you know, to ensure that we can supply as many customers as we can with those products. the other thing, michael, i would touch on the pharmaceutical supply chain because that is the one element that has not been a problem and it's a credit to the entire industry from ensuring making it easier for individuals to get their prescriptions refilled to the work of pharmacies, the work of wholesalers and pharmaceutical manufacturers and, you know, today we have two-thirds of our country that have one or more chronic diseases. those diseases are managed through medication therapies and there has been absolutely no

disruption for that supply chain and, you know, credit to the health care professionals involved with that. >> definitely credit to them as well. but before you go, i have to ask about the federal stimulus. cvs received over $43 million from the federal government but you're returning it. >> yeah, michael, we did not solicit those funds. we are a health care provider acknowledging the diverse set of businesses that we operate that go well beyond what we do at our cvs pharmacies and those funds were distributed to all health care providers from health and human services and, you know, we believe that those funds should be in the hands of other health care professionals who need it more and that's a decision we're making and proud of making that decision. >> all right, mr. merlo, thank you so much for taking your time in joining us this morning. we appreciate it. now we go to ginger. hey, ginger. >> michael, thank you. the "gma" moment today, it's one of my favorites in a while. we've seen the fruit snack

challenges. this one by far the best. >> wait till mommy comes back, do you understand? okay, i'll be right back. huh- huh-uh. nope. >> no. >> 2-year-olds haley and hayden from delaware county, pennsylvania. haley on the left, hayden on the right. hayden obviously showing her personality. i love that so much because that is so my miles who is 2 as well. i'm abc7 news meteorologist drew tuma with your accuweather forecast. sunny skies. warmer compared to yesterday. 66 in the city. 70 in oakland. 73 in san jose. overnight tonight, mainly clear skies. temperatures in the mid 40s to lower 50s. here is the seven day forecast.

warming trend hitting us today. look at the weekend on monday, 80s and 90s. we will hang on to that on tuesday. and now to our next guest who is known for helping people elevate their everyday and even a quarantine cannot stop martha stewart. her new show "bake away camp" is helping people achieve their baking best and martha is joining us from her home. thanks for being with us. we're doing great and i know you've been giving tips on how to make the most of this quarantine time by taking good care of ourselves. you said, i warn all of you not to attempt frivolous fixes during this time but i have to ask you have you attempted -- you are martha stewart after all. any grooming mixes for yourself? >> well, i cut my myself the other day with a little bit of instruction from my dear friend frederic fekkai. i follow all my facialist's --

whatever she tells me to do, i do it and use those masks, cbd masks at night to keep your face nice and glistening. i had one on this morning in preparation for this show. >> you look fantastic. >> she sure does. martha, you've been posting great nightly dinner posts, as well. seems like you have a pretty full house and farm out there. how have you been passing the time? >> i call them my detainees. my gardener, my housekeeper and my driver have chosen to live with me during this time so last night was dinner number 58 and, oh, th pies. every now and then we imbibe. s that a pomegranate margarita. we have flowers in the garden for the table, of course. and i bake and i bake and i bake but 58 dinners with the same three people every night. >> family.

>> after looking at those pictures, if this thing clears up, i'm coming over for dinner. let's talk about your new show. you'll put aspiring bakers to the test and since baking is so popular right now, we do have some of our aspiring bakers at home who have questions and need a little martha magic. our viewer kelsey from new jersey has a question for you. >> hello. i am always testing out new recipes like pies and biscuits but i have a little bit of trouble making the dough. how do i get that flaky texture? >> well, one way is to first of all my golden rule for baking is make it cold. bake it hot. cold butter, very important and if you want to get that butter -- don't have a food processor, just break the butter on a box greater like this. this butter is frozen. it's a vermont creamery butter.

look how beautifully that just grates it up into the perfect size pieces and then you will have no trouble getting the most beautiful flaky biscuits. i just happen to have a couple right here in front of me that i made, shaw berry shortcake. look inside. >> wow. >> that's how you get the flakiness, not only in biscuits and scones but also in pie crusts and in croissant and other kinds of doughs. now, another thing -- i'm sure you have another question. >> we do. i could watch you go on and on. i'm learning as you go there. we have our viewer question from jaclyn from new york. take a listen. >> hi, martha. i'm baking at home and a lot of the recipes call for buttermilk but my local grocery stores are out. any advice for making it at home? >> yes, i rarely make -- i rarely buy buttermilk any

longer. i find what i make at home out of whole milk and the addition of vinegar so if it calls for a cup of buttermilk. three-quarters of a cup of milk. a quarter of a cup -- i like rice wine vinegar. don't buy the seasoned kind, just pure natural rice wine. can you use a cider vinegar very nicely and look at the thickness. look at the thickness of this buttermilk. it's curdy in a couple of minutes. if you let it sit longer it gets thicker and thicker. isn't that great? >> it is great. we're learning so much. martha stewart, "break away camp" airing on the food network. get extra baking tips on our website.

now your health, your ws >> good morning. i'm kumasi aaron. san jose is one step closer to returning to outdoor dining. the city council last night unanimously approved plans for san jose alfresco. once the shelter in place orders are lifted, restaurants and retailers will be able to set up outside. three overseas airlines plan to resume flights to san francisco next month. they will resume from tokyo, and from zurich and flights from munich.

this virus is testing all of us. and it's testing the people on the front lines of this fight most of all. so abbott is getting new tests into their hands, delivering the critical results they need. and until this fight is over, we...will...never...quit. because they never quit.

now your accuweather forecast with drew few tuma. partly cloudy, sunshine across this view. a nice day out of this afternoon. look at temperatures right now, mainly climbing through the 50s. a couple of upper 50s like oakland at 59. 58 for san jose. later this afternoon, look at these temperatures. very comfortable. 69 in san mat. 77 in santa rosa. >> thanks, drew. another abc7 news update in 30 minutes of the y minutes.

"gma" continues right now. ♪gma" continues right now. and welcome back. time for our "open for business" series. lara, you're taking us to a great restaurant in seattle. >> reporter: i sure am, george. we're highlighting the small restaurants as you say. they're across the country. yesterday we did willie mae's scotch house in new orleans and they showed us how to whip up their famous mac and cheese and it was our top story on our website.ook. ♪ >> hey, welcome to mojito. i'm the owner. >> reporter: american owned mo bn tantal

taste buds with its flair in seattle, washington, for 20 years. >> it's more than a typical restaurant. it's a place where like you're family. >> reporter: now with the pandemic they lost about 80% of their business including catering orders which they relied on the most. >> i'm trying to maintain my payroll and pay rent and just supplies. >> reporter: but that hasn't stopped mojito from donating free meals to those who need the most. >> all the recovery centers, king county housing authority, ymca, you know, we've been providing 460 meals a week for them. >> reporter: currently open pickup and delivery they can still get the cuban sandwich. he starts with these ingredients and, oh, fresh orange juice. next, the pork legs head to the ov

roasting at 350 degrees. then it's time to assemble the sandwich. >> fresh onions. we put a nice generous mayo, mustard, pickles, sliced ham, swiss cheese, generous portion of pork. this is the best part. mojito cuban sandwich made with a lot of love. >> reporter: all right. so if you're in the seattle area you have to check mojito thought. they do curbside pickup. they'll do delivery. you go to uber eats, grubhub and can you get that delicious recipe on our website, goodmorningamerica.com. we thank you, mojito and wish you the best of luck. coming up we're celebrating five engaged couples from all over the country. they're working hard on the front lines and we want to celebrate with them. we got some big surprises for them as well. stay with us on "gma."

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♪ who's gonna kiss you when i'm gone ♪ all right. ckiss the special moment of "i do." before we get to "i do" i do need to ask michael something. my phone is blowing up. people want to say, okay, this

is very special what we're doing. but it's also what day is it? >> oh, robin. it is hump day! >> okay. now people can continue with their day. i'm not kidding you. that's all done. and now doing this on this very special day because we know all these weddings postponed downsized due to covid-19, well, all week long we're helping couples celebrate. we have received thousands of submissions. michael, this morning we have not one but, what, five couples taking over times square. >> we have five couples, robin. they're essential workers. they are on the frontlines of the pandemic. they had to inbit heren y know s righso this morning we're going to celebrate each of their incredible stories. take a look. ♪ >> every single day that i wake up and he's right next to me i'm like, it's going to be a great day. it's going to be a great week. a great life. >> five engaged couples from all

across the country, their wedding plans halted as the pandemic hit. >> i just have fallen apart. >> all frontline workers prioritizing saving others over their own wedding dream. >> if we can get through all this, we can get through pretty much anything. >> brittany, an er nurse in philadelphia. >> i see people going through such tragic times and just being for them and things could be worse than having to postpone a wedding. at the end of the day it just means that kevin will be there at the altar. >> reporter: throughout the stress her fiance kevin always putting brittany first. >> if it's helping her and it's helping her safety and like our family then there's no question, i just do it. >> reporter: while jontanna and gary's wedding have been decades in the making. >> let me be the rock on which you rest -- >> reporter: gary, an atlanta police officer risking his life but always putting jontanna first. >> your sacrifice, you're always putting others before yourself and i call know that i am your top priority.

>> reporter: and lauren and stacy have supported each other throughout it all. >> i am truly blessed to be by your side every moment every day. >> reporter: stacy is a nurse in ohio coping with the stress always turning to lauren for comfort. >> even though this can take our wedding away. it can't take her away. no matter what, i'm going to be with her. >> reporter: and lindsay and ten years. >> having someone like that in my life let all my emotions out os a man, that's the one i want to marry. >> reporter: now the focus shifted from wedding planning to staying safe. lindsay terrified every time she leaves her philadelphia hospital. >> knowing that i could potentially have it and then bring it home to him and then him get sick and that would just break my heart. >> i don't know if i told her this but i'm extremely proud of you, honey. >> reporter: while chris and kay's engagement put to the test when they were forced to isolate for weeks in their own home.

>> did not leave that hallway for a good two weeks. we talked on the phone when she was upstairs going to bed. >> it was actually a very stressful time. >> reporter: their love only grew, realizing each day is a gift. >> she always has this passion about helping people and the sincerity about her. >> reporter: in the end while their wedding plans changed, the focus for these couples is on forever. >> i promise to love you always and forever. you are my sun, you are my moon, you are my stars. >> we love love and i am joined gary, kay and chris, stacy and lauren and finally brandon and lindsay. good morning to you all. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> i feel like i'm running a school right now. good morning, class. we know brittany and kevin, had you to cancel your original wedding plans.

even as an er nurse you've been able to find a silver lining through this experience. yes. >> it's actually absolutely devastating seeing these people going through some tragic times and being alone during all this but it made me realize at the end of the day it's all about the person you're going to marry and who you love the most. >> jontanna and gary, you have been through so much and have known each other for decades. do you have any advice for the other couples going through what you're going through? >> well, something that's extremely important for gary and i, just to be supportive and always communicate and prayer. that's helped us get to where we are today. >> i like that. this morning, you guys, it's all about celebrating each of your love stories. while this may not be a wedding -- you all look fantastic, by the way. there's always room for gifts. am i right about that? always room for gifts. >> absolutely. >> absolutely. spoken like a true gentleman there. each of you have an envelope in

your pocket. take it out. inside that envelope is a wedding present. our friends at zola are giving each of you a $500 gift card. hopefully that helps and you guys enjoy it. uh-oh. we got a little shimmy, a little dance. >> speaking of dancing, michael, we know how much couples look forward to sharing their first dance with family and friends. so this morning, we want to tell all of you, you are going to dance, lucky you, in front of america. >> and with the ultimate wedding singer. three-time grammy award winning musician, let's bring him in. it's ne-yo. >> hey, hey, what's going on? it's ne-yo. >> hi. >> good morning. >> you are looking -- >> congratulations to everybody. >> thank you. >> and, ne-yo, you're looking good.

we want to thank you for being here to celebrate our five different couples. they've been working throughout the crisis in different ways and what do you want to say to them right now? >> first and foremost, i want to say thank you for even allowing me to be a part of this special moment for you all. i am absolutely honored. i want to thank you again for your work on the front line. i heard you're police officers and nurses and doctors and hats off to you. thank you so much for what you do and, yeah, man, that's pretty much it. congratulations, a million years of successful marriage to you. let's get it going. >> we love it. let's get it on. couple, are you ready to dance? >> yes. >> yes. >> well, here we go. this is ne-yo performing his number one hit song "because of you" for our couples. ne-yo, take it away. ♪ hey ♪ say, everybody clap your hands now let's go ♪ ♪ ooo, want to but i can't help it i love the way it feels ♪

♪ this got me stuck between my fantasy and what is real ♪ ♪ i need it when i want it i want it when i don't ♪ ♪ tell myself i'll stop every day knowing that i won't ♪ ♪ i got a problem and i don't know what to do about it ♪ ♪ even if i did, i don't know if i would quit ♪ ♪ but i doubt it, i'm taken by the thought of it ♪ ♪ and i know this much is true, baby, you have become my addiction ♪ ♪ hey ♪ i'm so hung up on you i can barely move but i like it ♪ ♪ so then it's all because of you, hey, all because of you ♪ ♪ so then it's all because of you, hey, all because of you ♪

♪ can never get enough, hey, hey ♪ ♪ take it to the bridge, come on ♪ ♪ no doubt, hey if you're in love clap your hands right now. let's go, hey. ♪ said there ain't no doubt ♪ you, you, you, you everybody put your hands together. come on. ♪ because of you congratulations to the bride and groom. ♪ oh never can get enough, hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ mmm, never get enough she's the sweetest drug ♪

>> congratulations. >> that was -- >> thank you. [ applause ] >> that was awesome. thanks to ne-yo. congratulations to the five couples now. we'll head over to somebody we love, going to go to ginger. hey, ginger. >> reporter: oh, you know i was over here clapping and dancing with them, michael. i want to say good morning to everyone and just show you this beautiful picture from new york. ahead of the high temperatures that we need to talk about because from del rio texas at 108 yesterday broke a record to college station where they tied a record, another hot day headed for you. denver was 92. about three weeks early. the warmth spreading by saturday afternoon. these are the numbers you'll end up seeing for afternoon high i'm abc7 news meteorologist

drew tee ma wiuma. 73 the high in san jose. seven day, warmer over the weekend. summer-like for memorial day. >> reporter: coming up we've got the author of our may "gma" book club pick, anna solomon getting rave reviews for "the book of v." so don't go away. that could mean an increase byin energy bills.. you can save by using a fan to cool off... unplugging and turning off devices when not in use... or closing your shades during the day. stay well and keep it golden.

hi, i'm katy perry. hi, i'm katy perry. >> announcer: friday morning. >> the "gma" summer concert series starts from inside my home. isn't that right, nugget? aren't you excited? >> announcer: friday sponsored by caesars rewards. we are back now on "gma" with our critically acc

whh described as an enri deborah roberts sat down with the author, anna solomon. she joins us with more. good morning, deb. >> reporter: good morning, amy. you know, there's so many conversations lately about women trying to find their voice and trying to own their power. and to millennials it might feel like a new conversation but anna solomon reminds us in her new book that women have shared the same struggles for centuries. anna solomon never imagined releasing a book during a pandemic. but luckily for her "the book of v.," her newest novel has captivated critics from "the washington post" to vio ts inme ptohe moh'"gma" ok whast likeo be c for the "gma" book club? >> oh, it was, amazing. honestly really a shock. it's an honor. i feel so grateful to have it introduced too people all over the country. it's a dream. >> reporter: her newest work of fiction delves inside the lives of three different women from three different time periods.

queen esther from 462 bce. vee, a senator's wife in 1970s washington, d.c. and lilly, a modern working mom in brooklyn. how did you come up with this concept? >> i wanted to explore, you know, how women's lives and choices have and have not changed over time. the obstacles they're each facing are very different but the sort of questions they're asking around desire, around identity, around power are very similar. >> what did you learn as a woman through studying the lives of these characters? >> i came to a n rpe for my mother and her mother and her mother before her and for sort of the struggles that all of them had gone through along the way that i hadn't been able to recognize myself as a girl. >> what's your message to women through this book? is it about power and owning your power? >> yes, i would say let's try to

get closer to our power. i also think let's try to connect with each other more and compete less and be more open to each other. >> reporter: like so many writers now, she's releasing her book during a very difficult time. "the book of v." is coming out during a pandemic. so that means lots of virtual book parties but anna says it's working out better than she might imagine. the only downside, amy, though, no book signings. so, you know, you'll just have to wait for that. in the meantime, "the book of v." is available now and can you follow along on our instagram @gmabookclub. >> the other good news is, deborah, we all have a lot of extra time on our hands. i'm excited to read this one. it sounds like a good one. >> you're absolutely right. >> thank you very much.

there are times when our need to connect really matters. to keep customers and employees in the know. to keep business moving. comcast business is prepared for times like these.

powered by the nation's largest gig-speed network. to help give you the speed, reliability, and security you need. tools to manage your business from any device, anywhere. and a team of experts - here for you 24/7. we've always believed in the power of working together. that's why, when every connection counts... you can count on us. >> announcer: tomorrow on "gma," steph curry, superstar nba champ and mvd. >> how is the home schooling going? >> first two weeks were rough. >> announcer: get ready for a surprise you never saw coming tomorrow on abc's "good morning america." >> you set me up. >> announcer: tomorrow on abc's "good morning america." "good ny. > absotely looe tomorrow will a lot of fun. we want to thank you guys for watching. >> have a great wednesday, everyone. >> bye. ♪ i feel good

thank you to the doctors, nurses, health care professionals. >> and first r thank you to the doctors, nurses, health care professionals. >> and first responders. >> thank you to everyone keeping our supermarkets, pharmacy, gas stations running. >> thank you to all the essential workers for all that you do. >> thank you. >> we thank you. >> we thank you. >> we thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> for all do you. >> and with every challenge, question, concern, we'll be here for you every day. >> every day. >> every day. >> because we will -- >> -- get through this together. >> hi, i'm katy perry. good morning, america. >> announcer: friday morning. >> the "gma" summer concert series starts from inside my home.ha rit, nugget?ited?>>nnou makes ue week of wedding magic. even in the face of social distancing nothing can stop "gma" from sharing the love and, yes, there will be spectacular surprises with all of america as wedding guests this week on abc's "good morning america."

>> announcer: right now in america where you live, the work you do, your raise or ethnicity can determine just how at risk you are of covid-19. why is this virus devastating communities of color and working class america at such a high rate? now from abc news, real answers, real solutions, morning through night, streaming 24/7 and then the "nightline" three-night event, "pandemic: a nation divided." starting tonight on abc.

now your health, your safety, this is abc7 news. >> good morning. i'm kumasi aaron. happening today, officials in santa clara county will announce free covid-19 testing is available for all residents. they will be administers in east san jose and the fairgrounds in san jose. screening and testing will be operated by project baseline. here is drew with our forecast. >> highs later today, it's a nice afternoon, 66 in san francisco, 70 in oakland, 73 in san jose. 77 in santa rosa with afternoon sunshine. look at the seven day forecast. warmer weather for the weekend, memorial day feeling like summer and we will do it again on tuesday. >> thanks, drew. it's fiem ftime for "live w kelly and ryan." good stories coming up.

we hope you have a wonderful morning. >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan!" today, award-winning actor darren criss. and find out what a 17-year-old high school student did to become an amazing helping hero. plus, relaxation and meditation tips as we continue "you in the q week." also, check it out. our "good news story of the da "good news story of the day." all next on "live!" ♪ and now, here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest! >> ryan: and good morning. wednesday, may 20th. kelly ripa, go to seo. how are you? >> kelly: good to see you too. did you get a new shirt? >> ryan: there is a 9-year-old boy who gives me his clothes.