good morning, america. catastrophic explosion. an entire city shocked to its core as a massive blast rocks beirut, leveling buildings. the devastating eruption killing at least a hundred people, wounding thousands. this priest runs for cover in the middle of his service. the sides ripped off homes. hospitals already overwhelmed by covid-19 now flooded with the injured in the disaster-stricken city. this morning new details and what may have caused the deadly blast as aid pours in from around the world. tropical storm isaias leaving millions in the dark. the deadly path of destruction turning roadways into rivers, powerful winds ripping down monster trees, a possible tornado tearing the roof off this day care center.

this church steeple toppling over. >> oh, my god. >> and power lines sparking an explosion with our reporter on the scene. the latest this morning. battle over back to school. the video of a georgia high school with packed hallways, some kids wearing masks, some not, drawing outrage from parents. in tennessee, multiple high school football players testing positive. mississippi now mandating face coverings for all students and teachers and a look this morning as australia imposes one of the strictest lockdowns on earth as a major city there faces a second wave. what it could mean for a second wave here in the u.s. stars standing with ellen. celebrity friends now coming to the defense of an embattled talk show host. this after those blockbuster allegations of a toxic workplace environment from staff. crying foul. the wife of nfl star matthew stafford after her husband's false positive covid test. why her family was harassed, she

calls the last few days a nightmare. and a very special tell t.j. surprise for some shining stars from tyler perry -- >> hallelujah. hallelujah. >> -- meeting two unsung heroes working tirelessly keeping hospitals squeaky clean. >> we have to do this because this could be your mother or your father. >> and just wait until you see their reaction when this guy popped in to make their day. >> tyler perry is on the screen, tina! >> hi. good morning, america. tell t.j. with tyler perry and look who we have at the desk. welcome. >> always good to be with you no matter what time i get the call to be here. it's good to be, but i'm here the day after a mess of a day for millions of folks in the country. we're talking about tropical storm isaias. 3 million people now without power. the latest on the cleanup from that deadly path of destruction. and then we begin with that

massive deadly explosion rocking the capital of lebanon. look at that. wow. all right. we have a live look now at this apocalyptic scene in the city of beirut this morning. >> it is just utter devastation. as rescuers search through the rubble, investigators are trying to determine if this was an accident or an act of terror. our senior foreign correspondent ian is tracking all of the latest. good morning, ian. >> reporter: good morning, george. lebanon's begun three days of mourning after what can only be described as a national tragedy. you know, we're all struggling to cope with the pandemic, but lebanon is also in the middle of an economic health and political crisis when one of the biggest explosions ever seen erupts in the capital of beirut. >> what happened? oh, my -- >> reporter: this is the moment the heart of beirut was shaken to its core. the blast at the city's port sending seismic shock waves through lebanon's capital picked up by earthquake detection

equipment. this video from a local church, livestreaming at the time, shows how devastating the blast was. the priest running for cover, as stained glass rained down from above. lebanon's health ministry says at least a hundred people were killed and more than 4,000 injured. already overwhelmed hospitals struggling to care for the wounded. >> the scenes around the city are apocalyptic. i mean, this is more than a catastrophe. >> reporter: president trump offering condolences and aid. >> our prayers go out to all the victims and their families. the united states stands ready to assist lebanon. >> reporter: the president suggesting without evidence that the explosion was an attack. >> they seem to think it was an attack. it was a bomb of some kind. >> reporter: and lebanon's prime minister vowing to find whoever's responsible, telling the public that this disaster won't pass without accountability, and that those

responsible will pay the price. the massive blast caused when 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded, the same material as the oklahoma city bombing in 1995, but reportedly a thousand times stronger. new york-based artist michelle abboud shot these videos showing the immediate aftermath saying the entire event was surreal. >> that's my car. >> as i'm walking, all of a sudden everything starts shaking and we heard a double bang and before we could think of what to do, everything exploded, and when i mean everything, i mean everything. as debris was falling i just hid under a car. the people -- they were literally standing right next to me, didn't get so lucky and a lot of them got hit on the head. some of them died. >> reporter: officials in the disaster-stricken city now searching for answers about what caused the enormous explosion and above all, who was

responsible. despite what the president said all fingers on the ground are pointing to a terrible accident, but given the economic mismanagement and corruption in the country, investigators are also going to be looking at whether this was just a mistake or perhaps negligence of the worst kind, amy. >> a surreal scene there. ian, thank you. turning now to the latest on that path of destruction from deadly tropical storm isaias leaving more than 3 million people without power this morning. new jersey alone with more than 1 million outages and that's where we find stephanie ramos with the very latest on that. good morning, stephanie. >> reporter: amy, good morning. this is what many people in new jersey are waking up to this morning, downed trees and branches, blocked off roads and no power after tropical storm isaias whipped through the east coast. this morning millions waking up in the dark after isaias raced up the east coast. the storm leaving at least six people dead in its wake

including one person in maryland when a tree fell on their car. the same thing happened to a 60-year-old man in new york. a man in rehoboth, massachusetts thankful to be alive after getting trapped under a fallen tree in the front yard of his home. heavy rains quickly flooding roads and trapping drivers close to interstate 76 near philadelphia. >> i was scared. she thought she was going to drown. >> reporter: images from google earth showing neighborhoods like this one in pennsylvania before the storm. but after, the same streets overwhelmed and underwater and the tornado warnings in birdie county, north carolina, a possible tornado mangling homes and flipping cars. two were killed, 20 hurt. tanisha thomas was home with her daughter clinging to her in the bathtub. >> we made it in the bathtub, and i put my body over hers and that's when it hit. one day at a time. >> did you lose everything? >> everything.

>> reporter: this children's day care facility's roof torn off when a possible tornado ripped through. no life-threatening injuries reported. other possible tornadoes like this one in ocean city, new jersey, and wind gusts causing downed trees, wild power lines and causing this church steeple to come crashing down. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: in cape may, new jersey, someone reported this sparking power line. this is basically a result of the storm. power lines down causing fires and explosions. >> that's correct. that's correct. so you saw what can happen. >> reporter: meanwhile, the damage being assessed in the south. in north carolina, the surge tossing boats like toys leaving them piled on top of one another in the morning. and along the areas where the storm hit hardest, coronavirus patients still filling hospitals. >> to say this is not an easy endeavor in the midst of a pandemic would be the understatement of the day. >> reporter: wind gusts here in bergen county, new jersey, reached 55 miles per hour knocking down power lines like these. this morning there are still a million customers without power

across the state. t.j.? >> stephanie, thank you so much. we have to go from one emergency to another. the ongoing coronavirus emergency, and the battle now over reopening schools. that's intensifying as millions of households prepare for their kids to go back to the classroom and we are getting a look at what some students are facing in those hallways. our steve osunsami joins us from atlanta with more. steve, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, t.j. for many parents it is not so easy to keep your kids at home even in the middle of widespread health concerns and for many school districts that are now allowing in-person instruction, it's a struggle to meet the new challenges. this is the picture from inside a georgia high school that flew around the internet bringing the debate over safety to people around the world. this is north paulding high school with crowded hallways as students were changing classes this week. most of them weren't wearing masks. the school superintendent had to email parents saying that in the middle of the pandemic there is

no question that the photo does not look good, but also sharing that his schools are following covid-19 protocols. he says the high school has more than 2,000 students so class changes are a challenge. he said students are only in hallways for a brief period and they're working on ways to keep students from gathering. about 30 minutes north four staff members at an elementary school have tested positive for covid-19 and the school is opening for in-person instruction today. another 30 minutes to the east a second grader in cherokee county received a positive test result a day after returning to classes and now the classmates and the teacher need to quarantine at home for two weeks. this family in georgia says they want what's best for their kids and are sending them to school with masks. >> i wasn't really happy with the people who weren't wearing masks. >> reporter: it's a decision many teachers, parents and government officials are struggling with. in greenville, tennessee, they've had to cancel the football team's first game after

kids on the team tested positive. in mississippi where a handful of high schoolers have tested positive for the virus, the governor is now requiring face coverings for everyone in all public places for two weeks. he's also delaying the start of in-school instruction for older children in areas with outbreaks. >> today i will sign an executive order that requires the use of masks by all adults and all children in our schools unless there is a medical reason not to. >> reporter: in central florida one teacher is doing it for herself, installing pvc piping in her classroom with a plastic shower curtain to try to protect herself and her students. >> i am nervous, and i've never felt this way. >> reporter: according to the federal government, the death rate from the coronavirus across the country is 24% higher this week than last week. 28 states plus d.c. and puerto

rico are seeing an increasing number of hospitalizations like in mississippi, where at the university of mississippi center in jackson, they ran out of icu beds weeks ago. >> any time a bed opens up there are multiple patients waiting for that bed. >> reporter: health officials here at the cdc say that we're expecting a very busy season of covid-19. we're already at the start of the school year seeing schools shut down classrooms and school systems tell us they are very prepared, george, to shut down entire schools. george. >> i hope they are prepared. thanks very much. as we face more cases in the u.s., the global death toll is over 700,000. in australia which had the virus under control a few months ago, they're locking down a major city in the face of a second wave, raising new questions about the course of the pandemic in our country. matt gutman has the story. >> reporter: the streets are empty this morning in australia's second biggest city, melbourne, where a strict lockdown is being enforced as covid cases there soar.

the hard-hit state of victoria declaring a state of disaster. two months ago victoria reported three new cases of the virus. today it's 725. australia, which once seemed to have covid under control, now taking what officials call a shock and awe approach to contain the surge of cases, enacting stage 4 restrictions in melbourne, and that means an 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew. just one hour of outdoor exercise and one household member allowed out for shopping. an official there saying where you slept last night is where you'll need to stay for the next six weeks. for americans living abroad like professor maria rubely, the inconvenience is unfortunate but necessary. >> while we feel depressed and really, do we need to go through this again we understand the need for it and happy to abide by it and support it. >> reporter: and the state of victoria is now sending out health or military teams to

door-knock people who are waiting for their test results or who have tested positive and should be in self-isolation. for those who break that self-isolation rule, they are handing out $3,500 fines. apparently, amy, nearly 1,000 of those citations have been issued so far. >> wow. my goodness. matt gutman, thank you. joining us is the director of the harvard global health institute. dr. ashish jha. dr. jha, thanks for being with us. we just heard about those extreme measures being taken in australia. the question is do you think we're looking at a similar lockdown here eventually? is this a predictor of what is to come? >> good morning and thank you for having me on. it's worth remembering that what is happening in australia is 700 cases. we're at 50,000 cases a day in the united states so we're at a wholly different level, and australia is taking this, you know, extremely seriously. i don't think that we will need to do anything quite that serious. excuse me. i certainly hope not, but i do think we should understand that when the weather gets colder,

people start spending more time indoors. we will see a number of cases starting to rise. so i think australia is indeed kind of a warning of what might be ahead of us in fall and winter. >> right. they're the opposite in the seasons for us and interestingly australia is reporting a reduction in flu cases and that flies in the face from what we've heard from medical experts here predicting it could be a nightmare scenario with flu season mingling with the coronavirus emergency. what are you anticipating? >> i'm hoping we have a milder flu season because people are social distancing and washing hands and wearing masks. if people don't do those things in our country, we will be in for a lot of trouble. in a normal flu season the hospitals start filling up under normal circumstances and if you throw in flu with covid we may end up in a very difficult situation. so it will be that much more important that people practice the things that we know can make a big difference. >> and dr. jha, we are already

seeing some of those images from inside the hallways and classrooms. down south, schools have reopened and many of them have been forced to close down. so what do you believe is the future? can we safely reopen our schools back open, and keep them open? >> yeah, so, look, we have very clear sort of scientific guidance on what we need to do. a lot of school districts are defying the science and you can't really ultimately win by defying the science. the virus will catch up to you. so people are opening up in schools in areas where community transmission is way too high and we're starting to see schools shut down and what i've been saying to school districts is you get one chance. if you do this irresponsibly and you have to shut down it will be very hard to open up schools again. people have to work on bringing community transmission down, preparing schools and get kids to wear masks. that photo had very few kids

wearing masks and if we do all of that i think we can bring kids safely back to school, but if we are irresponsible about it we will be home for a very long time. >> dr. jha, very important to remember what you said for everyone. thank you for your time and expertise today. t.j.? let's get a little good news about covid-19, particularly from a patient, a particular patient who was in the hospital for 132 days. chris rogan is now at home. he's from new york, was intubated twice, lost a leg due to blood clots and coded once and managed to stay alive and this morning he is recovering at home. and listen to this. this is what he says about it all. this is not the end of the world. it doesn't define me and i feel like my quality of life is going to be better because i appreciate it so much more. direct quote from that guy. so good to pass along a story of somebody who went through something but made it through. he has a good perspective now on life. >> so grateful to be alive. >> a real spirit right now. we are following a lot of headlines this morning including

the latest on the fall for ellen degeneres, and some stars are defending her amid allegations of a toxic work environment. also this morning, why the wife of nfl star matthew stafford is lashing out at the league after he received a false positive covid test, but first, let's go to ginger. i just have to note such a remarkable hurricane season in the atlantic. we've had two tropical storms pass through the northeast. now that isaias is gone we had fay earlier and there have been nine named storms. this is the earliest we've ever done that and usually an average date to see an "i" named storm, october 4th. this map shows everything close to the united states. in the next week or so we get a break before the tropics fire back up. that's good news. your local weather in 30 seconds, but first, the sunny cities sponsored by walmart. seconds, but first, the sunny cities sponsored by walmart.

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good wednesday morning. i'm reggie o'keefe. an armed suspect in an hour's long standoff in the south bay has surrendered peacefully. the santa clara county main jail in san jose was on lockdown overnight after officials say an arrestee with a gun started shooting. that suspect was inside of the basement parking lot of the jail by himself. the sheriff's office says that suspect surrendered peacefully just before 6 this morning. no one got hurt. nearby roads were closed for a while. there may be more cases of coronavirus statewide than we know. a technical problem is causing a lag in counties being able to report test rutesults. on monday the governor said the

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now your accuweather forecast with mike >> pretietty consistent temperatures. we do have some drizzle out there. there is a thick cloud deck out there. look at those breezes. they remain pretty stout during the overnight hours and will spread across the rest of our neighborhood and keep us about 15 degrees below average. just 50s, 60s and 70s inland. back to average by friday. warmer saturday and sunday. have a great day. reggie? >> coming up on gma, a massive e

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you will die pretending to be something you're not. >> yet here i stand proof that there is a place for people like us. welcome back to "good morning america." that's the trailer for "mulan" the new live action remake of the animated classic. our parent company disney has announced that the movie will premiere on disney plus on september 4th rather than waiting until you can see it in theaters. this thing has been delayed and delayed because of the pandemic and then march and moved to july and then august. you know what? here you go, folks. >> from the comfort and safety of your home. >> yes. now the top headlines we are following right now. we have the latest on that catastrophic explosion rocking the entire city.

the massive blast in beirut, leveling buildings, ripping the sides off homes and killing at least 100 people and wounding thousands of others. also right now, the latest on the coronavirus pandemic. in the past 24 hours the united states reporting more than 51,000 new cases and more than 1,100 deaths. hospitalizations have increased in at least 28 states. this as schools across the country get ready to open their doors, and you see there some hallways already crowded with kids. and tennis superstar rafael nadal announcing he will not participate in the u.s. open this year. the reigning champ deciding not to defend his title this month over concerns about covid-19, writing on instagram, it looks like we still don't have control of it. this is a decision i never wanted to take. the women's number one, ashleigh barty, also deciding to skip this year's tournament, but novak djokovic, serena williams and coco goff all plan to compete. >> a personal decision. >> yes.

we take a look now at the fallout for ellen degeneres who is looking at the accusations of a toxic work environment behind her daytime show. now some of her a-list guests are stepping in to defend her. kaylee hartung has the story. good morning. >> reporter: ellen has been widely criticized since the allegations were made about the culture of her show and some big names are rushing to her defense. >> be kind to one another. >> reporter: this morning celebrities standing by ellen degeneres on social media. kevin hart posting, i have known ellen for years, and i can honestly say that she's one of the dopest people on the planet. she's treated my family and my team with love and respect from day one. ellen came to hart's defense last year when homophobic tweets by the actor resurfaced, forcing him to step down as host of the oscars. >> there are so many haters out there. whatever is going on on the internet, don't pay attention to them. that's a small group of people being very, very loud. >> reporter: diane keaton also supporting the emmy-winning host writing, i've always enjoyed my visits to "the ellen show." i've seen how the audience

exudes happiness and gratitude. katy perry tweeting to her 108 million followers that she's only ever had positive takeaways on the show. >> when you have people like diane keaton and katy perry supporting ellen, it's good for ellen. i don't know if that will change the public perception because this controversy isn't about how ellen treated her guests. it's more about how ellen and her team were treating her employees. >> reporter: an internal investigation at the daytime talk show launched after buzzfeed published an explosive story. one current and ten former employees anonymously claiming they faced, quote, racism, fear and intimidation. the host apologizing and promising change in a letter to staffers writing, i told everyone in our first meeting that "the ellen degeneres show" would be a place of happiness, no one would ever raise their voice and everyone would be treated with respect.

obviously something changed. i am disappointed to learn that this has not always been the case and for that i am sorry. then a second buzzfeed report detailed sexual harassment and misconduct allegations against several of the show's top producers. the #istandwithellen trending on twitter. degeneres' wife, actress portia de rossi saying, to all of our fans, we see you. thank you for your support. not everyone is using the platform, actor brad garrett, sorry, but it comes from the top at the ellen show. no more than one who were treated horribly by her. common knowledge. >> reporter: multiple staffers accused of misconduct and harassment are denying those allegations and while ellen and warper bros. studios have not responded to any specific complaints, they vow that changes are coming. t.j.? >> kaylee, thank you so much. we want to turn now to the nfl facing some criticism from a wife of a star quarterback. matthew stafford of the detroit

lions, well, his wife says their lives were turned upside down by a false positive covid test. the league announced that he, the quarterback was put on their so-called covid-19 injured reserve list and that's when his wife says the family faced harassment. our will reeve joins us now with the story. will, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning, t.j. kelly stafford called her life a living nightmare for what she says her family has endured ever since her husband was very publicly put on that list. turns out it was a false positive. now kelly is criticizing the league and its protocols. this morning as the nfl fights to safely play during the pandemic using misting booths to sanitize players and gps trackers to enforce social distancing, one quarterback's wife is blasting the league saying their response to her husband's false-positive covid-19 test made her life a, quote, nightmare. kelly stafford, the wife of detroit lions qb matt stafford and survivor of a brain tumor last year, now taking the league

to task over publishing her husband's name on the covid injured reserve list when he tested false positive for the virus. his name on that list, putting his teammates on edge. >> it definitely hits home and it's scary, especially with stafford being such an important part of our team. >> reporter: but those results were wrong. kelly writing on instagram, we were all tested the day after and we were all negative including matthew. then he tested negative again and then again and again. the team waiting four days to take his name off the list. kelly saying that led her family to be both shamed and shunned, writing, even after we knew it was a false positive, our school told us they were not allowed back. i was approached in a grocery store and told i was endangering others. my kids were harassed and kicked off a playground. now she's demanding answers from the nfl, saying these are people's lives and livelihoods. stafford is not the only athlete to face a false positive. the nationals juan soto believes

he mistakenly got a positive covid test result and that cost him seven games of the shortened mlb season. >> even a well-designed test will generate some level of false positives. in a time when we have massive outbreaks across the country, we of course want to err on the side of caution. if someone tests positive we should assume they're positive until they test negative. >> reporter: meanwhile, kelly thanking fans for their concern saying, we are all absolutely fine and feeling great. thank god for that. >> reporter: the nfl and its union have yet to comment on kelly stafford's post but the league has said being placed on that covid list doesn't necessarily mean the player has the virus. amy? >> thank you so much for that, will. we will turn now to the couple at the center of the court case involving the deaths of two idaho siblings. prosecutors playing a recording of a conversation between chad daybell and his wife lori vallow on the day police found the remains of her children on his property. marcus moore has the story.

>> they're searching the property. >> the house right now? >> yeah. >> reporter: you are listening to a jailhouse phone call that authorities believe is the last known communication between lori vallow and chad daybell. >> what, are they at the house? >> no, they're out on the property. >> are they seizing stuff again? >> they're searching. >> reporter: authorities say vallow who was already behind bars called daybell while investigators were searching his idaho property in june. investigators there finding the remains of vallow's missing children, 7-year-old j.j. and 17-year-old tylee. less than an hour after this call, police arrested daybell. prosecutors played that chilling call tuesday during a preliminary hearing in daybell's case. >> people are constantly knocking on my door looking for me and i just don't want to be found. >> reporter: earlier this week,

they played bodycam audio from a welfare check when police showed up at vallow's house after a family member said they hadn't heard from the kids for a while. >> i look like a suspect, but i am a good person. >> reporter: during that welfare check, vallow also told police she moved around a lot in the past year, hiding from a brother who she says was trying to kill her for her insurance policy. also hiding from kay woodcock, j.j.'s grandmother, who she claims was trying to get custody of the 7-year-old. woodcock who made that call to conduct that welfare check seen shaking her head as the audio played. >> i just don't tell people where i am, and i don't tell her where i am ever. >> reporter: for months, suspicions swirled around the couple's involvement after the children disappeared last fall. the newlyweds moving to hawaii while authorities searched for the kids. daybell and vallow have each pleaded not guilty to the charges they face including

child endangerment and tampering with evidence. an arraignment date has been set for august 21st in this case. >> thank you very much. coming up next, why we are seeing a massive shortage of clorox wipes and when they'll return to shelves. 123450 you can show more skin. , so roll up those sleeves. and help heal your skin from within with dupixent. dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. so help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent.

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>> reporter: good morning, george. i had to laugh at myself this morning at all of the diy solutions we've come up with this sitting around our own home and it sounds like we will all be having to use them much longer. this morning, a warning for anyone waiting on clorox wipes. it's going to be a while before they're back on store shelves. the clorox president confirming in a company earnings call they will not be able to restock the sought-after cleaning product until next year. >> it will take a full year to get up to the supply levels that we need to be at. >> reporter: clorox boasts nearly half the $1 billion disinfectant wipe market. demand for its wipes and sprays skyrocketed nearly sixfold when pandemic-driven panic took root in march. customers wiping shelves clean of the disposable wipes. they were supposed to be back in stock this summer, but not so. the once ubiquitous wipes, once a staple of offices and millions of households nationwide, but as stores ran out, priority was given to hospitals and caregivers.

in new jersey, salon owner stacy wright says she's been using a homemade diluted solution in order to compensate for the shortage. >> i've been using a diluted mix of an antibacterial. the shelves still seem to be as bare as they were in the end of march and, you know, beginning of april. >> reporter: but clorox isn't the only company that can't keep up. lysol has also gone awol on shelves. reckitt, maker of lysol, is saying this demand has had impact on our retailers' inventory levels. the problem, many wipes use polyester spun lace, also used in ppe such as masks and medical gowns. the material now in short supply. and one way you might be able to get your hands on these products is by filling out an in-stock alert at a company like walmart

or amazon. they have this for people who are customers. the other thing is to talk to the grocer and the drugstore in your neighborhood. guys, i've had a lot of luck with this letting our neighborhood drugstore know i really want to get my hands on some clorox wipes. guys? >> rebecca is very focused. >> on a mission! coming up next, we have our "play of the day." stay with us. the day." stay with us. ♪ play of the day. stay with us. the new house is amazing. so much character. original crown molding, walk in closets... we do have a ratt problem. ♪ round and round! ♪ with love we'll find a way, just give it time. ♪ at least geico makes bundling our home and car insurance easy. it does help us save. ♪ round and round! ♪ with love we'll find a way, just give it time. ♪ ♪ round and round! ♪ what comes around, goes around. ♪ for bundling made easy, go to geico.com i wanted my hepatitis c gone. i put off treating mine. epclusa treats all main types of chronic hep c. whatever your type, epclusa could be your kind of cure.

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we are back now with our "play of the day" and how about some bubble ball buzzer beaters. yes, let's go to the nba bubble and the game with the phoenix suns. and time running down and the shot he makes now over two of the best defenders in the nba. the phoenix suns are 3-0 in the bubble after that shot, and if you saw his reaction there, he just laid on the ground while everyone celebrated around him. devin booker, a superstar but a humble guy. and this is the first buzzer beater in the bubble and they have an outside shot of actually making the playoffs. that was a very important win for them. >> buzzer beater playing bubble ball. >> again, guys -- >> three times fast. >> it was a bubble ball buzzer beater. >> what he said. coming up, tyler perry surprises some amazing health care heroes. you're not going to want to miss this one. s some amazing health care heroes. you're not going to want to miss this one. when considering another treatment, ask about xeljanz a pill for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis when methotrexate

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we talked about remarkable atlantic hurricane season, but how about this, remarkable heat. 28 cities had their hottest months in record including n york poughkeepsie to akron. so hottest ever. coming up here, more on "gma." the tiktok dancing queen will show us her moves live. this segment has been sponsored by the u.s. 2020 census. your local news and weather next. u.s. [upbeat music] ♪ today was the day that i put everything in perspective. ♪ ♪ i fell asleep but when i woke up. ♪ (boy) hi, do you want to share my sandwich? (vo) good feeds our connections. good feeds us all. hormel natural choice lunch meats.

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good morning. an armed suspect in an hour's long standoff in the south bay has surrendered peacefully. the santa clara valley main jail was on lockdown after officials say an arrestee with a gun started sthohooting. no one was hurt. nearby were closed for a time. we'll go to meteorologist mike nicco. >> hi, everybody. if you're about to step outside, be ready to be damp. there's drizzle, mist and a possibility of a light rain in some parts. it's good for outdoor k activities.

we'll try to jump back to average tomorrow. we'll get there for friday and especially inland this weekend. there could be some slick spots this morning, though, reggie. >> yup, i felt that mist out here

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good morning america, it's 8:00 a.m. catastrophic explosion. a massive blasts rocks the entire city of beirut, leveling buildings. the devastating eruption kills at least 100 people, wounds thousands. this priest runs for cover in the middle of a service. the sides ripped off homes. this morning new details of what may have caused the deadly blast as aid pours in from around the world. tropical storm isaias leaving millions in the dark. the deadly path of destruction turning roadways into rivers, ripping down monster trees. a possible tornado tearing the roof off this day care center. the latest this morning. major royal ruling. the latest on meghan markle's battle with the tabloids. how she fought to keep the names of five women described as being an essential part of her inner circle a secret. the duchess protecting the privacy of the friends who protected her.

kids, covid and masking up for the classroom. it's the problem parents are facing across the country. >> he has never worn a mask for five hours at a time and i don't know if he will be able to do it. >> the new must-need item for going back to school and the expert answers. ♪ everybody dance now get ready to dance with the high school secretary turned tiktok dancing sensation, the moves we all need right now. tammy joins us live. ♪ plus a very special surprise for two shining stars and two tyler perry super fans. >> hallelujah! hallelujah! >> meet the unsung health care heroes. >> i love my job. everything i do is from my heart. >> working tirelessly to keep hospitals squeaky clean and just wait until you see their reaction when this guy popped on to make their day. >> tyler perry is on the screen, tina! >> hi. >> as we say "good morning

america." ♪ good morning, america. great to be with you on this wednesday morning. we are very excited to see that "tell t.j." surprise with tyler perry. >> yeah. i'm right here. you're talking about me and i'm right here. >> i'm looking at you. >> this was a cool one. we've been honoring a lot of health care heroes, a lot of doctors, nurses and folks in the er, and this is a group of unsung heroes we haven't talked a lot about. really happy we'll be able to share that with you. >> tyler perry has been stepping up. >> he really has, and he took the time with them. you're going to love this one today and it's coming up in just a bit. also this morning, a person who decided to change up their lifestyle while spending all of that time at home. let me show you joe. this is joe and this is what we call the before picture. we will show you the after picture in a little bit coming up in our new series "quaran-lean." let me get that right. >> we are looking forward to that. we begin with the deadly explosion that rocked the capital of lebanon.

this morning an investigation is under way into what caused the devastating blast in beirut as rescuers search the rubble. let's go back to our foreign correspondent, ian pannell, with the latest. good morning, ian. >> reporter: good morning, george. lebanon has begun three days of mourning after what can only be described as a national disaster, and we're struggling to cope with the pandemic, but in lebanon they're struggling with an economic and political health crisis when one of the biggest explosions ever seen erupts in central beirut. this is the moment the heart of beirut was shaken to its core. this video from a local church livestreaming at the time shows how devastating the blast was. the priest running for cover as stained glass rained down from above. lebanon's health ministry says at least 100 people were killed and more than 4,000 injured. already overwhelmed hospitals struggling to care for the wounded. >> the scenes around the city are apocalyptic. i mean, this is more than a

catastrophe. >> reporter: president trump offering condolences and aid. >> our prayers go out to all the victims and their families. the united states stands ready to assist lebanon. >> reporter: president trump suggesting early on that the explosion might not be an accident. >> they seem to think it was an attack. it was a bomb of some kind. >> reporter: the massive blast caused when 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded, the same material as the oklahoma city bombing in 1995, but reportedly a thousand times stronger. officials in the disaster-stricken city now searching for answers about what caused the enormous explosion and above all, who was responsible. >> reporter: despite what president trump said, a u.s. official telling abc news that there are no indications that this was a bomb or attack. instead, investigators are focusing on this being a tragic accident. but given the endemic corruption

and mismanagement in lebanon, they'll also be looking at whether or not this was a case of negligence of the worst possible kind. t.j.? >> all right, ian. thank you so much. we turn now to the latest on that path of destruction from deadly tropical storm isaias leaving more than 3 million people without power this morning. i want to head back to our stephanie ramos for us in the hard-hit area in new jersey. good morning again, stephanie. >> reporter: hey there, t.j., good morning. the storm was so powerful, the wind from tropical storm isaias so powerful it knocked over this tree here, slamming it right on top of this car. as you see there, thankfully no one was hurt, but the storm leaving at least six people dead including one person in maryland when a tree fell on their car, and the same thing happened to a man in new york. now, tornadoes were also reported in the state of north carolina, and in ocean city, new jersey, and in long island beach, new jersey, wind gusts were reported at over 100 miles

per hour causing downed trees and downed power lines just like this. now, a million customers are without power across the state of new jersey, and it will be at least 48 hours before power is restored, amy. >> such widespread damage, thank you so much, stephanie. now to the very latest on the coronavirus emergency and the battle over reopening schools intensifying. we are getting a look at what some students are facing inside the hallways of those schools. let's go back to steve osunsami in atlanta with more on this. those pictures raising eyebrows, steve. >> reporter: they sure are. good morning to you, amy. health officials at the cdc say we should expect a very busy school year season of covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, forcing schools to shut down classrooms and in some cases shut down entire schools. this has made it a very difficult decision for parents and educators who in some cases are sending their kids back to in-person instruction beginning this week, and already in a number of states, in indiana,

mississippi, tennessee and here in georgia, students are testing positive for the coronavirus and schools are having to react. you know, this picture that you talk about of a crowded high school in paulding county, georgia has caused some alarm. the superintendent has had to send an email to parents saying, of course, this doesn't look good in the middle of a pandemic, but assures parents the school is taking precautions. also here in georgia, a second grader in cherokee county has tested positive and that second grader's entire classroom and teacher are now having to quarantine for two weeks. amy? >> all right. steve osunsami with the latest from atlanta. coming up next here we've got some breaking royal news, a victory for meghan markle and her battle against the tabloids and protecting the friends who protected her. ahead, the high school secretary whose dancing has become a tiktok sensation. she's going to join us this morning. and oh yeah, she's already dancing. >> a smile on your face every

time you see it. plus, we have a big tell t.j. surprise for two essential health care workers who are tyler perry super fans. wait until you see their reaction. we'll be right back. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [baby giggles] ♪ (vo) command strips remove cleanly so you can make your space your own. command. do. no harm. i know, but that "parker promo" saved me so much on my insurance, i brought you a little something special. parker, state farm offers everyone surprisingly great rates. you're the man, man. when you want the real deal...like a good neighbor, state farm is there. when you want the real deal..contactless deliveryr, trright to your car,et. designed for your day.

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♪ hey, got some tea off the set. >> i love that. >> that was from my daughter. welcome back to "gma." thank you for joining us. tomorrow on "gma," the very funny sherri shepherd will be joining us. always looking forward to her. >> that's right. we can laugh some more tomorrow.

looking ford to that. in the meantime, we have breaking news, and the victory of meghan markle and her battle against the tabloids. deb roberts joins us with that story. good morning, deb. >> reporter: yeah. it happened a day after meghan markle's 39th birthday and she got a gift of sorts from the british courts. for now her five closest friends can retain their privacy. though thousands of miles away, meghan markle is savoring a victory this morning in the battle against britain's tabloids. the judge siding with the duchess ruling the names of the women of being an essential part of meghan's inner circle cannot be released to the public at least for the time being. those friends anonymously defending markle in a "people" magazine article in 2019. her team saying, the duchess felt it was necessary to take this step to try to protect her friends. we are happy that the judge has agreed to protect these five individuals. >> this is a big victory for meghan. she fought really hard to keep these women's names a secret. having felt the full force of

the spotlight herself and feeling very much that she was unfairly treated, it was important for her to protect her friends in this way. >> attempting to block "the mail on sunday mt. mt. >> they see this as a fight against media intrusion in general. >> reporter: the paper arguing the names should be made public calling them important potential witnesses. in a witness statement, markle writing, these five women are not on trial, and nor am i. the publisher of "the mail on sunday" is the one on trial. it is the publisher that acted unlawfully, and is attempting to evade accountability to create a circus and distract from the point of this case. prince harry and meghan have battled the associated newspapers for nearly a year, alleging that the publication was on a campaign to publish false and deliberately derogatory stories about the couple and committed copyright infringement and a breach of privacy after printing a letter

the duchess sent to her father, thomas markle, after missing her wedding. >> meghan's legal team had to also make this about the media coverage of her. however, earlier on, the judge ruled that this case was going to be heard on copyright and privacy and wide ranging claims were not allowed to be a part of it. >> congratulations. >> the two have had a wrought relationship with the press. prince harry opening up last fall over the pain he feels over the death of his mother, princess diana. >> i will always protect my family and now i have a family to protect. everything that she went through and what happened to her is incredibly raw every single day and that's not me being paranoid. that's just me not wanting a repeat of the past. >> reporter: the associated newspapers have declined to comment on this ruling so far, but it's important to note that it is only temporary. the judge made it very clear that the identities of these women could surface later if this thing goes on to trial, if there's evidence and if they're called to testify.

no trial date set yet so this story is far from over. >> a long way to go, deb. thanks very much. we want to turn now to one of the challenges parents might be facing as they send their children back to school, making sure kids are comfortable wearing a mask, especially younger children. janai norman has the expert advice. >> this is my face mask. i wear it whenever i'm in public. >> reporter: this year parents are adding masks to their kids' school supply lists, but for some of the youngest children, trying to wear a mask may look like this. >> put it on your ears. >> reporter: it's a problem parents across the country are facing. >> it was too big for their face or too small for their face and they'd be constantly fidgeting with it. >> he has never worn a mask for five hours at a time and i don't know if he'll be able to do it. >> reporter: so we went to the experts to get answers and advice to help make the transition easier for everyone. first, they say start a conversation. >> say school is going to look a little different this fall and what have you heard about it and then you can sort of continue to

move the conversation forward and start telling kids that their friends are going to be wearing masks throughout the day for the entire day. >> reporter: and remember, parents set the example. >> it starts with their own mask wearing and wearing masks properly. >> reporter: they suggest letting your kid pick their mask and start by wearing the mask for a short amount of time. >> using a timer is a great way to do this and kind of make it a game. >> reporter: and make it fun and positive. >> say a child loves to play video games, you would not normally have a mask on your child playing video games in your home, but that is a great place to start practicing wearing it because they're doing an activity that they enjoy. >> reporter: that will make it easier for your kids to wear the masks at school. >> i want to reassure parents that their kids are going to show up at school and they're going to look at their teacher who is wearing a mask and they'll look around and look at their friends wearing masks and they're going to go, oh, okay, this is how things are going to be.

>> reporter: experts say don't punish or yell at your kids about wearing a mask. we know it can be hard for some adults so of course it can be challenging for kids also. they say stay positive and let your little one wear a mask with their favorite character, decorate it or even take a selfie if that helps. george. >> thank you, janai for that. >> let's bring in dr. ashton for more on that, and let's just start out with the latest science on kids and covid. how vulnerable are they? >> george, we are learning more and more every day about how this virus affects this age group. new released data just out recently showed high levels of virus in the upper respiratory tract of kids. that doesn't necessarily mean more infectious. we know that 0 to 18 years of age they are at lower risk of severe disease, complications and deaths. cdc says less than 1 in a thousand chance of death in this age group, but lower risk does not mean zero risk, and we have to also take into account the families of those kids and the

families of the faculty and staff in a school environment. >> the kids may not be getting sick, but they're spreading it asymptomatically and that is the whole question of masks. it's not important just to have the mask. you have to wear it right. >> 100%, george. when it comes to masks, it's about fit and fabric. fabric is a big variable, but fit, that mask has to be over the nose, not under. so, you know, that's going to take some practice because some adults are having a hard time with that, as well. >> it is. this does seem like a lot for little kids to cope with. >> well, george, you and i are both parents. we know that kids can learn anything. they are resilient. they will get through this with time, with patience, with practice. as a mom, i have total confidence in that, and as a doctor, i actually am optimistic and hoping that all of these new steps, new behaviors, mask wearing and distancing, more hand hygiene may actually result

in a drop in all the other infectious diseases that go around schools on a regular basis. so time will tell, fingers crossed, but there may be a silver lining somewhere in this whole situation. >> let me ask you a question that my daughter asked me the other day. she turned to me and said will we be wearing these masks for the rest of our lives? how would you answer that? >> i would say, smart question from your daughter. no one has a crystal ball. we don't know. we've never been in this situation before, but for the indefinite future, we have to take advantage of all tools in our tool box. it's a low risk, likely high benefit thing we can all do, not just to protect ourselves, but for the common good and protect those around us and that is an incredibly empowering message to send to kids of any age. >> sure is. jen ashton, thanks very much. we have more tips on getting children ready for back to school on our website.

now to ginger. such a good conversation. my 4-year-old does it with no problem. 2-year-old, we're working on him. how about we do a "gma" moment sponsored by verizon. four boys in one house, a lot of isolation. what do you do? ♪ >> dave, jack, owen, 8, 6 and 4 years old, look at how in sync they are, and then 11-month-old mack clapping for them. he's like yeah, get it, boys. i love this brotherly love. i wanted to share it with all of you and i'd love to share your "gma" moment and i need you to go to my facebook page or

we turn now to our "quaran-lean" series. we are meeting a dad who decided to take on the challenge of transforming his mind and body while spending so much time at home. >> i love this, and we are about to see the results of all of his work and healthier lifestyle, but first let's take a look at his journey. >> i started to believe that i didn't have a lot more next times left. i was absolutely on track for a heart attack by 50. >> this 43-year-old father of three transforming his toxic relationship with food. >> i was miserable. i spent a lot of time feeling awful about how i looked. i had no energy. >> joe moll making the ultimate

weight loss transformation, how did he do it? keto and staying active. >> the thing about quarantine is a lot of the distractions and temptations were no longer there for me and the weight just started falling off. >> reporter: and you'll never guess what he looks like now. well, you don't have to guess for much longer. now that you have heard joe's journey, let's see the dramatic change he's made in just a few months. >> we had that before picture. that's joe, 236 pounds. the big reveal now after keto and more exercise -- >> wow! >> joe dropped 45 pounds! joe! my goodness, my man, you look good! he's joining us live now. congratulations. you look great. >> you're transformed, joe. this is incredible, and i love how you did it because it's how i live my life, too, so props to you for that. for people at home who want to get inspired and do what you did, what do you tell them? >> well, thank you so much.

you know, i have to focus on making a small daily commitment which is ironic because i make a living speaking about commitment in the workplace and so i had to apply the same lessons to myself that i teach managers across the country which was to focus on making small changes to your routines and your habits that will produce the results that you want. so i started on march 9th with a commitment to keto and just took it one day at a time and i said i'm going to show up today and eat this way. i'm going to be active and at the end of every day i got to experience that feeling of accomplishment and then when you start stacking days together like that you get momentum. >> joe, you talk about some of the challenges there. it's a daily commitment, but what would you say the hardest part of this whole process was for you? >> it's resisting and recognizing the urges to snack or to eat the things that i've committed to not eat. i've got three kids at home under the age of 10, and so we have snacks and treats in the

house, and so i've had to learn how to recognize those urges, pause, walk away and choose something else and that will always be a struggle, but i have to take it one day at a time. >> you're a nicer dad than me. i just took all of that out of my house, and now my kids hate me. how have your eating habits changed since keto? >> so prior to going on a keto plan i would eat a big, heavy lunch. a cheeseburger, a double cheeseburger sometimes, fries and a coke or hoagie and fries and now i reach for something that looks more like this. today's lunch is a side salad and a low carb high-fiber wrap with turkey and swiss and some avocado and some lettuce. so choosing real foods, whole foods that are low in carbs and low in sugar. >> did you nap after lunch after a double cheeseburger? how did you get work done? that's a heavy lunch, my man.

>> i travel a lot for work and unfortunately i would often reach for something fast which isn't always the smartest thing to do. >> congratulations. you look amazing and thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. coming up next, we have tyler perry with a big surprise.

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♪ a parade of patriots. welcome back to "gma." some essential workers are putting their lives on the line to keep us safe. we just saw them. we are so thankful for people who have been brave from the beginning fighting covid-19. >> this morning we are shining a light on two of georgia's amazing essential workers who call themselves the cleaning warriors.

we have tina and miss lesa, they put their hearts and souls into keeping their hospitals safe and in turn, all of us safe, and t.j., you were able to give them a very special surprise. >> you know i love doing this during the pandemic, honoring the front line workers and these are two that are part of the staff that don't get a lot of love and are sometimes overlooked with everything going on in the pandemic, but they're absolutely essential so we wanted to give them some love. tyler perry wanted to give them some love and we might have a madea cameo. >> reporter: tina jones and lesa kelly are both health care workers in the atlanta area. >> how are you all doing? >> hi, t.j. >> reporter: and no, they're not doctors or nurses or er techs. they are, however, still on the front lines and without the work of these two and their crews, the system would crumble. >> it's not just a one-man job. it's an everybody job.

>> reporter: tina is a laundry team leader at emory decatur hospital. it's her staff that handles and cleans 9,000 pounds of used, contaminated linens every day including those from covid patients. >> it makes me feel special just to serve someone or make someone happy while they're sick and make a patient feel somewhat like they're at home. >> reporter: and that's not all. >> we do all of the gowns that the doctors and the nurses wear on all the floors. i love my job. everything i do comes from my heart. >> reporter: lesa kelly, or miss lesa as they call her, is the environmental services operations manager at emory hill hillandale hospital and what exactly does her team do? >> we clean every inch of the building. we're in operating room. we clean in patient rooms and the outer areas and the corridors, restrooms, do you want me to go on and on and on? i can go on. we want to make sure that when

our patients come in they feel safe in this environment. >> you all are providing a service that's absolutely critical. you all have to keep things clean and this is a safety issue. >> working in this kind of environment with this covid-19 it can be dangerous. >> reporter: when the pandemic first hit, and lisa's team was scared about entering patient rooms she led by example. >> i said we have to do this because this could be your mother or your father. i said i will be the one to go in the room and you guys stand on the outside and just hand me the items once i come to the door. was i afraid? yes, i was afraid, but i knew those patients need to be in a clean and safe environment. within two weeks my staff was going into the rooms with no problems at all. so we're exposed just like the nurses and the doctors. >> sometimes we don't consider all that goes into helping those people be okay and helping those patients even feel better in that room. >> everyone is important, not just one set or one group of people. it takes all of us together as one to get the job done. >> we are fighting to keep this virus down.

>> reporter: as miss lesa calls them, they're a team of cleaning warriors, but these two atlanta ladies wanted me to knows as well they're also members of team tyler. >> which one is the bigger tyler perry fan? >> probably me. >> me. >> me, i love tyler perry. i'm not going to joke about it. >> i love tyler perry. >> we'll just share him, how about that, tina? >> we could do that. you get half, i get half. >> we work good together. >> what would you all do if tyler perry walked into your hospital? >> can i go first? >> tyler perry is on the screen, tina. hi. hi. >> hi, lesa, how are you doing? >> wonderful! >> how are you doing, tina? >> i'm good. how about you? >> i'm good. i'm good. what you're doing is so amazing and i wanted to come on to say hey. so many people don't get credit for the things people do and they're magically clean. no, your responsibility is huge. i'm thankful for you. >> they made an agreement that if they saw you they would split

you. >> two halves of me is no good for nobody. you may want to keep the whole. >> a thank you from tyler perry is great. another thank you from you know who. >> hallelujah, hallelujah. >> was also in order. >> i appreciate what all y'all been doing for everybody. i really, really appreciate what y'all been doing. >> i wanted to come on here and make you smile and what you're doing, keep doing it. it does not go unnoticed because there are those of us who really, really get it and i'm one of those people and i wanted to honor both of you. >> come to hillandale, we'll be waiting you by the door. >> if it ain't by video, i ain't coming around nobody that ain't been tested about 5,000 times. i'm in the quarantine bubble. >> we waved good-bye to tyler and break time was over. >> oh, wow! >> we have to go back to work now. we have to save lives. >> yes, please! >> they both left me hanging and went back to work there. if you don't know, tyler perry is not getting out.

something they pointed out, guys. think about this, if you're in your hospital room with a loved one in that hospital bed they say how many times the nurse walks in you say hi and thank you, the doctor walks in and say hi and thank you and the person wiping down and handing linens do you ever say thank you and notice that person? it's very important do so. they say they're getting more love these days if you will, but it's good to acknowledge the work they're doing. >> and they know their work, saving lives. >> they are brave and beautiful. i loved hearing their story thanks to tyler perry, as well and thanks for sticking around. last man standing. coming up, millionaire match maker pat z

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we are back now with our series "summer of love in quarantine." this morning millionaire matchmaker patti stanger is dishing out tough love for finding love. pat zi -- patti schooled four singles in the art of virtual dating from everything from their photos for how long they should be swiping for. >> okay. that's baloney. that's very shallow and immature. bottom line is this is excuses. >> million dollar matchmaker patti stanger getting brutally >> reporter: million dollar match maker patti stanger getting brutety honest with four singles looking for love in quarantine. >> i want you to pull out your full-on denzel. >> does that look like denzel?

>> it looks like you're constipated. >> the expert doling out her signature tough love during the hour-long intervention with cameron, nicole and best friends, jackson and jake. >> how about getting on a phone call or better yet, a video chat. >> with strangers? >> the stranger will come into your house on facetime or zoom? excuses. excuses. >> reporter: patti giving nicole a breakdown of the type of man she's after. >> you want more of a take-charge guy. we need to attract alpha. someone that takes control. i should teach class on this. >> reporter: class was indeed in session. patti critiquing the dating profiles of each single dishing out her best piece of advice. >> most of you had a photo issue. >> foe -- photo problem. >> jackson made a mistake by putting another girl in the picture. that tells me you're trying to mirror that woman. nicole, you can put a picture in a black dress and wear a nice pair of heels and a by the courts and say just finished tennis. i like that idea.

i'll leave the paddleboard in and let you have that because it shows you're active, but don't do the one in the mirror. >> the only one that knows is nicole, apparently. >> nicole is winning right now. >> reporter: patti's takeaway, to get out there and get out there now. >> this is the time to meet people. they're lonely. you have to make a plan once a week to do something out of your comfort zone. >> we all learned something new today. >> class is dismissed. >> wow! patti means business! let's head over to ginger now. yes, and you know what, phineas and ferb, you guys know them, right? phineas and ferb have a new movie and it is called "phineas and ferb" the movie and we have a little sneak peek. >> phineas! >> where is she going? operation save candace is about to begin. >> hold on! >> all right.

so "phineas and ferb, the movie," candace against the universe does premiere on disney plus august 28th. i've got these guys for a reason with our new garden and you'll see it in a bit, but for now let's get a check a little closer to home. t, but for now, all right. we've been looking forward to this all morning. our next guest is a high school guidance secretary and she has danced her way into your heart likely. take a look. this is tammy. she is showing off her moves on tiktok. she's got 200,000 followers and a couple of more fans this morning, probably. she's joining us now. oh, my goodness. tammy, good morning. i don't even recognize you with you not moving. good morning. there she is! okay, tammy, you've got to tell us.

>> come on! >> do you have some professional training and where did you learn to dance like this, tammy? >> no, i do not have professional training. let me tell you, when i was a little girl my mom used to say, i used to stand in front of the tv watching "american bandstand" and i just started and she said ever since then i've always got the rhythm. i love to dance. nothing professional here, let mae tell you, nothing. i just enjoy dancing. [ laughter ] i'm no professional. >> you are officially a hit more than 25 million views of your videos. what does it feel like to be viral? >> it's -- i'm going to tell you, it's overwhelming. when i started this i just thought maybe a hundred people would like it, you know. my friends always known me to dance a lot, but it's just -- it's amazing. it's exciting. it's overwhelming.

it's awesome, baby, it's awesome! >> your friends know you're a dancer and how about everybody at school, is this a surprise to them? >> well, i've been with the school system going 16 years. i'm at a new high school and started a new high school in october, but the high school i was at earlier for 14, 15 years, oh, yeah. i was, like, on the dance floor at prom, green dance, after school pep rallies. yeah. i'm there. i'm the party animal, baby. >> big stars have taken notice. janet jackson posted you on her instagram. miley cyrus even re-created one of your videos with her boyfriend. how do you think she did? >> she looks fantastic. she's got a much better body than this, but i've got the better moves. come on! [ laughter ] >> i'll bet tiktok -- she looked

good. >> i'm ready, baby. bring it on. >> tammy, this is great. as you say, to perfectly tease us up. i'm ready, baby, bring it on. we can't let you go. what do we have in the control room for tammy to dance us off. oh, we have some mary j. blige! come on, take us home, tammy! take us home, tammy! ♪ ♪

and we are back with our "open for business" series. let's bring in ginger. i know you've been turning to your local business to help your garden grow and you got help

today, too. >> i do. these have been my helpers the whole time and i just told them to smile so that's what you get. yes, we know so many businesses were hurt in the pandemic and that included farms and garden cente centers, but once they reopened they saw what you would call a spike because people like me went into full survival mode and thought, oh my gosh. i have to make my own food and grow it, so we started gardens, and then we realized and said how do you do that? i went to stokes farms in new jersey for help. ♪ >> reporter: stokes fares where they have been growing this stuff for 147 years, seven generations now run by ronnie and his family. >> that's right. >> you'll help me. >> a lot of people don't know where to start, where to begin, what to do, and how much space do i need to grow a tomato plant and when is the good time to pick a pepper. it is encouraging that people are asking the right questions. >> reporter: ronny and i head to

my house for gardening 101. we put in a raised garden bed in a spot that gets the most sun. >> the more sun, the better, for almost any vegetable or herb that you're going to grow. >> reporter: the bed enclosed with wires so our plants are safe from rabbits and deer. how much does it cost to make something like this? >> this, with all of the stuff about maybe $200. >> people are home right now. >> yeah. >> and totally easy project. >> perfectly easy project. easy to do at home. >> reporter: we filled with garden with organic soil an inch or two below the wood. we're going with seedlings instead of seeds. >> it saves you an extra step from having to germinate the seeds. >> reporter: tall veggies in the back and shorter in the front. >> your taller ones will grow in the back and not shade the front. >> reporter: and pro tip, don't dig too deep. make the hole the same depth as the soil so the plant doesn't rot. this is a family that thank goodness loves peppers. this is one of the only vegetables that i can regularly get in my kids. these are critical.

>> i love peppers. these are bell peppers. even though the tag is green, they will get red. that's if you leave them on the plant longer. >> wait a minute. a green pepper is a red pepper? >> a green pepper is just an unripe red pepper. >> i did not know that. >> what's a yellow pepper then? >> a yellow pepper starts as a green pepper. and then will turn yellow. >> stop light. >> reporter: we plant corn, squash, pepper, eggplant, arugula, kale, tomatoes, strawberry, brussels sprouts. >> i know you wanted strawberries and we are running out of room. >> reporter: we add a window box to expand even more. after two months of watering and lots of checking, we had a bounty. >> this garden has exploded. i mean, look at the corn! >> the garden is doing great. i cannot believe how much we've already gotten out of it. >> and the explosion is my last tip.

this is a pickling cucumber plant. it has taken over the garden. i also had a zucchini that i had to take out because it was just too much so i will more carefully pick in the future what i'm going to put in here, george. >> ali had the exact same things. she built one of pens and the cucumbers have taken over. she's very proud of her cucumbers. what have you made from your garden? >> the salad. that's been the most useful for me that you see here, the arugula, the kale and the lettuce, and they regrow so i have had at least five salads out of them. they don't love the arugula because it's super peppery, but it's so delicious and i've had lemon thyme and i've used that for a cake, chicken and each drinks. look, buddy. he sees a bee. sorry. he's very excited by that. >> do the boys have green thumbs? >> oh, my gosh, do they ever? show them what you got just yesterday. open it up. look at that!

look at those huge pickling cucumbers and the corn came off. we are so excited. tonight's dinner will be extra special and i'll bring you guys some pickles. >> don't things just taste better when you grow them? i think so, ginger.

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we love helping out small businesses and tomorrow, amazing "deals & steals" on small business summer must-haves 20 bucks or less are yours. plus when sherri shepherd pops in anything is possible. tomorrow only on "gma". >> i hope you had a good start to your wednesday. >> have a good day. only on "gma". >> i hope you had a good start to your wednesday. >> have a good day.

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>> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan!" today, from the series, "world of dance," derek hough. and an angel from new jersey is our "good news story of the day." and available only to our viewers, exclusive bargains to make your life easier for under 20 bucks. plus, details on how an amazing health care hero you know could be a part of our 100 day giveaway. also, maria menounos is ryan's cohost. all next on "live!" and now, here are ryan seacrest and maria menounos! >> ryan: and here we are. good morning. kelly is on vacation and maria is back once again.