good morning, america. breaking news, sally making landfall as a powerful category 2 hurricane, lashing the coast with winds up to 105 miles per hour wreaking havoc on the gulf coast. florida and alabama hit hard. flash flooding, the dangerous conditions halting rescues. authorities warning of life-threatening conditions and telling people to move to higher ground. ginger and rob are live in the storm zone with the very latest. face-to-face, president trump and uncommitted voters in pennsylvania at the abc news town hall overnight. >> why would you downplay a pandemic? >> let me finish my question, sir. >> why don't you wear a mask? >> the president grilled on health care, race, taking tough questions on his handling of the pandemic, now changing course and saying he didn't downplay

it. >> well, i didn't downplay it. i actually in many ways i up-played it in terms of action. my action was very strong. record-setting fires. more than 5 million acres now burned in the west. dramatic new video of how fast the enormous flames took over. firefighters racing through the about that toxic air blanketing cities like portland. now the most polluted air in the world. fighting for justice. >> say her name. [ chanting "breonna taylor" ] >> breonna taylor's family reaching a historic $12 million settlement with the city of louisville after she was killed by police in her own home. what her mother is saying as the demand for the officers involved to be charged grow louder. apple game changers. the tech giant apple unveils the tch that can track blood oxygen levels and can keep track

of your kids. stunning defeat. jimmy butler and the unstoppable heat shutting down boston in an overtime thriller.the nug' ai overnit d setting up an epicamed the lakers. we certainly do say good morning, america. great to be with you on this wednesday morning. george, i know you're just getting back from philly. big night with the town hall with the president. >> that was a different kind of forum taking questions from voters who haven't yet made up their mind. some supported him in the past and this is not something he's done very, very often and you saw the questioners really revealed what's on the minds of i think a lot of voters out there in the country right now.t coming up. right now to that breaking news. hurricane sally has made landfall as a powerful category

2 hurricane lashing alabama and florida, winds up to 105 miles an hour. let's take a live look at pensacola. you see the winds whipping through, the rain ripping through, hurricane-force winds, 86 miles an hour. >> getting hit pretty hard and the storm leaving 375,000 people in the region without power this morning and it's moving very slowly at three miles per hour causing a life-threatening flash flooding emergency in florida and alabama. ginger is tracking the latest in mobile, alabama, this morning. >> repte ing, ginger. still getting blasted here in mobile and this is the left side of the storm. look behind me, that's the mobile river with white caps. that north wind has been pushing it out into mobile bay where they're actually seeing anti-surge. the storm made landfall earlier as a category 2 and sat there spinning as a category 2. it's still moving to the northeast and that eye is where

the gulf shore spent a lot of time this morning, where it made landfall, and that's 16 years after ivan back in 2004. the wind gusts have been upwards of 100 miles per hour. 74 was the last one we had in mobile, but my goodness, tornado watch is also something we're watching this morning and that flash flood emergency. this morning, hurricane sally crushing the gulf coast. more than two feet of rain already in the florida panhandle. add at least winds of 80 miles per hour and you have mayhem. rattling this gas station awning, ripping down this stairwell in orange beach, alabama. the police there telling people to move to higher ground if they can saying that the conditions have stopped them from responding to emergency calls. life-threatening storm surge hitting the state. >> this is bad. >> reporter: pensacola, florida, on the northeast side, the dirty

side of the storm. this car trapped in the water near downtown. a flash flood emergency issued for parts of florida and alabama. >> that's a lake in my neighbor's yard. >> reporter: sally just making landfall as it slowly inches into the shore with record-shattering rainfall and flooding. watch this moment when the power goes out in gulf shores, alabama. more than 250,000 people without power already. >> there will become a point in time during the storm that we would not be able to respond. >> reporter: powerful winds breaking this barge loose, slamming it into that bridge which is now closed. a couple who chose to stay put in their beachfront home showing how dire the situation is. violent waves crashing steps away from their porch. >> we literally have water coming in the windows and the door and he's having to hold the door shut to keep it from blowing open. >> reporter: although everybody focuses on the wind, i cannot emphasize enough with this prolonged water falling from the sky and pushing at the florida

panhandle, i'm really concerned about that life-threatening flash flooding. look at the emergency that includes pensacola, destin, panama city, you're all in those outer bands. not only could you see tornados but an additional 20 inches of rain. the path of this storm, hurricanes do not like friction so it becomes a tropical storm later this afternoon and then by tonight and tomorrow it moves into north georgia, dropping more than half a foot of rain possible. >> we are, ginger. as you said, this is far from over. want you and everyone to take care. we go from you to hard hit florida, the monster storm wreaking havoc in pensacola where we find rob. good morning, rob. >> hey, good morning, robin. we are in the thick of it right now. the right side of hurricane sally's eye wall, and it's been like this for hours on end. we lost power to our total about six hours ago. just to get here from our hotel we had to walk through waist

deep water. you can see it's up to my knees here. this is main street pensacola, what's usually a busy intersection, a ghost town filled with water and raging rapids. the winds have been ripping through here. we have lights that are down. we have a tree that's down on the other side of the roadway. we've seen all sorts of debris floating down this area, parts of utility poles as well. the police department saying there are too many roads to list that are closed because of flooding and debris. the sheriff's department saying they're sheltering in place until it's safe to go out which is probably going to be quite some time. we've seen at least five feet of storm surge. the winds are starting to shift but with the slow-moving nature of this system, this water is not going to drain any time quickly. robin? >> it is moving slowly. rob, please take care. our thanks to you and to ginger and we will have much more on hurricane sally throughout the morning.

now, let's go back to george. >> they were in rough conditions there. we turn to our town hall last night with president trump. he took questions from a mixed group of voters in pennsylvania, many who supported him in 2016. all were still making up their minds at the start of the town meeting last night and we covered the big issues from covid to health care, the economy and race. our senior white house correspondent cecilia vega is in philadelphia with the highlights. good morning, cecilia. >> reporter: hey, george, good morning to you. yeah, these were really tough questions from uncommitted voters in this crucial battleground. some say they made up their minds after what they heard last night. overnight president trump face-to-face with those uncommitted voters. >> why did you throw vulnerable people like me under the bus? >> why don't you wear a mask more often. pandeming of thend let me finisr enspbity to you downplay a pandemic that is known to disproportionately harm low-income families and minority communities? >> yeah, well, i didn't downplay it.

i actually in many ways i up-played it in terms of action. >> reporter: this is the opposite of what he said in a recorded conversation with bob woodward. >> i wanted to always play it down. i still like playing it down. >> yes. >> because i don't want to create a panic. >> reporter: the president also contradicting what even his own health experts say, still insisting covid will just disappear. >> it's going to disappear. >> not if we don't take action. correct? >> it is going to disappear. >> will it go away without the vaccine? >> sure, over a period of time, sure, with time. >> and many deaths. >> and you'll develop like a herd mentality. we're rounding the corner and i believe that strongly. >> as you know dr. fauci disagrees with that. >> but a lot agree with me. >> reporter: when pressed about masks -- >> why don't you support a mandate for national mask wearing? >> reporter: -- he instead criticized joe biden. >> a good question, you ask like joe biden, they said, we're going to do a national mandate on masks.

>> he's called on all governors to have them. it's a state responsibility. >> he never did it. >> reporter: even though biden has no such authority. and as the country approaches thnef nearly 200,000 americans dead -- >> so you regret nothing? >> no, i think we did a great job. >> reporter: -- the president also on the defensive over health care. >> mr. president, i was born with a disease called sar koid oesz and i was considered unsurable. i want to know what it is you're going to do to ensure that people like me who work hard, we do everything we're supposed to, can stay insured. >> we're going to be doing a health care plan very strongly and protect people with pre-existing conditions. i will say this, they will not do that. >> mr. president -- >> they have socialized -- >> i have to stop you. i just have to stop you. number one, joe biden ran against medicare for all in th primies but much more peopl ng buy insurance. you fought to repeal obamacare. you're arguing -- you're arguing

the supreme court right now to strike it down. that would do away with pre-existing conditions. >> no. >> you've promised -- >> so we can do new health care. >> you've been promising a new health care plan. i interviewed you in june of last year and you said it would come in two weeks. you told chris wallace this summer it would come in three weeks. you promised an executive order. >> i have it already. you'll have new health care and the pre-existing conditions aspect of it will always be in my plan and i've said that loud and clear. >> but you haven't come up with it. >> reporter: and this pastor born and raised in philadelphia taking this moment of racial reckoning directly to the president and not letting up. >> you've coined the phrase make america great again. when has america been great for african-americans in the ghetto of america? are you aware how tone deaf that comes off to african-american communities? >> well, i can say this, we have tremendous african-american support. you probably have seen it in the polls. we're doing extremely well. >> i mean, your statement is though make it great again. these things have historically been happening for african-americans in the ghettos

and we have not been seeing a change. because you say again, we need to see when was that great because that pushes us back to a time in which we cannot identify with such greatness and i mean you've said everything else about choking and everything else but you have yet to address and acknowledge there's been a race problem in america. >> if you go -- well, i ho there's not a race problem. i can tell you there's none with me because i have great respect for all races, for everybody. >> reporter: when it was over, we followed up to ask the question. >> i got to ask, who are you voting for? do you know? >> man, well, i'll say it won't be trump. i'll say that, you know, weigh my options, still undecided. >> as of right now if i had to vote tomorrow absolutely it would be for mr. trump. he showed that human side to him and that's really what i was looking for. >> reporter: well, joe biden certainly was quick to fire back especially at that suggestion that he didn't himself implement a national mask mandate. he tweeted saying to be clear, i am not currently president but

we can change that in november. so now, george, we look ahead to the first debate later this month. joe biden says he started preparing. president trump, george, he says he thinks his best practice is his day job. >> okay, cecilia, thanks very much. let's get more from jon karl. jon, maybe that town meeting was a form of debate prep for president trump, an unusual forum for him. >> reporter: this is something we almost never see, george, president trump interacting with voters who are not his most loyal and enthusiastic supporters. to his credit, he did not do what he often does when he faces tough questions from reporters in the briefing rooms, he did not lose his cool. he listened. he engaged. that said, he did almost nothing to talk about his vision for a second term and nothing to overcome what is his biggest weakness in this race, and that is his handling of the pandemic. in fact, as you heard in cecilia's piece, he once again suggests that it will just go away even without a vaccine. that is not going to overcome the doubts that a lot of voters have about how serious he is

taking this. >> jon, we have brand-new polls out from two key states. >> reporter: yeah, this is on one hand not good news for the trump campaign and terrible news for the trump campaign. first wisconsin, he's down six points. that's a state he won last time, pretty much needs to win this time, and minnesota which he lost last time, he is down 16 points. that is the trump campaign's number one target to pick up a state that he did not win last time. and the bottom line, george, is i've been trki statewide polls, in every battleground state that the campaigns say that they will -- that will determine the election donald trump is either tied or losing. he is playing defense everywhere. he's done it before and won but a tough place to be as an incumbent. >> jon karl, thanks very much. michael. now to those devastating wildfires, burning nearly 5 million acres along the west already this year. with thick, toxic smoke. i portland, oregon, with the worst

air quality in the world. kaylee hartung has the latest. >> time to move the hose line up! >> reporter: this dramatic video recorded on a firefighter's helmet capturing how fast the creek fire overwhelmed crews in california earlier this month. enormous flames engulfing homes and cars melting in the street as whipping winds and thick clouds of smoke plague overnight those walls of fire still moving. a ring doorbell camera capturing when it rages through the forest and closes in on this home. in oregon, toxic air blankets the state. you can see the destruction this wildfire left behind me. look around me. the smoke hanging so thick, this is the most polluted air in the world. the state already says one in ten visits to the emergency room

are related to this air quality. did those numbers line up with what you're seeing here? >> absolutely. we've seen an increase in respiratory illness, particularly in people predisposed to it. >> reporter: so the air quality index, it works sort of like a thermometer and runs from zero to 500 degrees. anything above 300 is considered hazardous and as we have traveled across the state of oregon we have seen readings off the charts upwards of 600. the warning remains here to stay indoors. michael. >> hopefully people heed that warning there, kaylee, thank you so much. robin. >> we sure hope that they will, michael. thank you. now to that big night in the nba bubble. the denver nuggets pulling off a stunning victory. they beat the l.a. clippers, epic game seven and now they're getting ready for that big showdown with lebron james and the l.a. lakers. t.j. holmes, you got more for us. >> reporter: look, there's another sports curse people don't talk about as much. it's called the clippers curse and it reared its ugly head

again last night in the worst of ways. the los angeles clippers, a heavy favorite to win the nba title, blew a 3-1 lead to the nuggets and lost by 15 last night and in losing to the underdog nuggets they have missed out on a chance to make it to the conference finals for the first time in the team's 50-year history. and they missed out on a chance for the battle of l.a. everybody was looking forward to. would have been clippers versus lakers, ain't happening. the nuggets now in winning, they are the first team in nba history to come back from 3-1 down in the same playoffs. now, everybody has given the clippers, the business. they have a history of blowing it in the playoffs including magic johnson saying they choked and look aths ee l s lo the lakers! >> magic. rise above that, magic. come on, magic. even though new york will always be for the giants and not the jets but anyway -- >> i want you to keep going. >> i want to see the clippers and the lakers, man.

>> ain't happening. >> congratulations to the denver nuggets. >> we are following a lot of other headlines this morning including the historic settlement reached in the breonna taylor case. we'll tell you what her family is saying now. a deadly elevator accident. a woman killed while loading boxes in her building, the investigation this morning, but first back to ginger in mobile, alabama. >> reporter: michael, obviously we've been gusting here more than 80 mile-per-hour winds but those winds will stretch 125 miles outside the center. even montgomery could see a gust of 44, birmingham close to 30. this is not a storm just for the coast. we are aegoing to keep an eye on that track and the life-threatening flash flooding but let's get to the rainy cities sponsored by walgreens.

we're still talking about basketball. all right. you guys stay there. we'll be right back. ere. we'll be right back. eliminate w, and you're going to find yourself where you need to be. ♪

the race is never over. the journey has no port. the adventure never ends, because we are always on the way. ♪ ♪ here's to the duers. to all the people who realize they can du more with less asthma thanks to dupixent, the add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. dupixent isn't for sudden breathing problems. it can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as 2 weeks and help prevent severe asthma attacks. it's not a steroid but can help reduce ormina oral stoids dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection

and don't change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma? talk to your asthma specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. if yi'm a and i'm partneer. of the team building... ...a powerful 5g experience for america. it's 5g ultra wideband, and it's already available in parts of select cities. like los angeles. and in new york city. and it's rolling out in cities around the country. with massive capacity. it's like an eight-lane highway compared to a two-lane dirt road. 25x faster than today's 4g networks. in fact, it's the fastest 5g in the world. from the network more people rely on.

this is 5g built right. only on verizon. thinking about your fi...so are we... prudential helps 25 million people with their financial needs. with over 90 years' of investment experience, our thousands of financial professionals can help. go to prudential.com or talk to an advisor. nature made helps you win the night. our melatonin gummies are scientifically developed to help you fall asleep faster, naturally. nature made.

the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. good morning. many businesses intra costa county will be reopening today as part of the county's updated health order like facials and waxings along with racetracks and car grooms. all have to operate outdoors. film and tv production can resume as well and the county will require two weeks before moving on to the governor's next tier for reopening. just two days after some businesses reoped in san francisco, health officials say the hospitalization ts up so they're chosely watching the covid-19 case rates following labor day weekend. the mayor says she doesn't want to turn back the clock and her goal is to keep the city open.

san francisco's director of public health warned businesses and patrons must follow guidelines including wearing

it finally happened. check it out. we're green everywhere. up to the north bay. green good air quality. bay. green, good air quality. until monterey bay, some yellow. it is the south and inland where we're worried about for those sensitive. but look what happens over the weekend. you can see those northerly winds bring ng whatever smoke is still being produced to the north, so unhealthy air is still possible saturday and sunday. >> thank you. another update in about 30 minutes. you can check us out on our on

we love our new home. there's so much space. we have a guestroom now. but, we have aunts. you're slouching again, ted. expired, expired... expired. thanks, aunt bonnie. it's a lot of house. can keep it clean. at least geico makes bundling our home and car insurance easy. which helps us save a lot of money oh, teddy. did you get my friend request? uh, i'll have to check. (doorbell ringing) aunt joni's here! for bundling made easy, go to geico.com. hello?

because i smoked. so i have to pace myself. my tip is, if you're having people over for thanksgiving, start cooking in october. (announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit now. for free help, we believe in good we can all afford ♪ sing it, yeah, yeah from coffee that opens more eyes to black business. ♪ all gold to me to a hundred shades of beautiful. ♪ yeah, good to me at 30 calories v8 is surprisingly filling. you can have yogurt for 30 calories too, but the portion might be a little less satisfying.

v8 the original plant powered drink. veg up. back here on "gma" and that is a live look at hurricane sally as you can see lashing pensacola, florida.hour thimo a flash flood emergency, that area also on tornado watch this morning. as we know, ginger zee is in mobile, alabama, tracking the very latest for us. good morning again, ginger. how are things now? >> reporter: robin, we are still getting battered here. we've seen winds gusting to 82 miles per hour and this is the weaker side of the storm. i want to show you the mobile river behind me. there are white caps on that thing and it's moving with the wind we've been seeing for hourm

though, see my arrows there. on the other side of the storm we have that push of water and 25-plus inches of rain. that's why the flash flood emergency from panama city, all of you, destin included, need to be on the lookout for these ridiculously high rain totals that could top 30 inches. i think we're going to see a very long morning, early afternoon until this finally pulls away. when it does, it slowly makes its way through montgomery and even atlanta could pick up close to a half foot of rain so flash flood watches are extended to the northeast as are tornado watches. much more to come from here in mobile. robin. >> moving so slow, that wind and rain like that.

okay, ginger, take care. you're there and rob is in pensacola. much more on it throughout the morning. >> thank you for that. we begin with that historic settlement in the breonna taylor case. the city of louisville agreeing to pay $12 million to the family of the emt who was fatally shot inside her own home during a place raid and agreeing to sweeping police reforms. alex perez is in louisville, kentucky, with more. good morning, alex. >> reporter: hey, good morning, michael. breonna's mother says no amount of money will take away the pain she feels from losing her daughter the way she did but calls the settlement a step towards justice. >> say her name. [ crowd chanting ] >> reporter: for months breonna taylor's name, a rallying cry across the country. [ crowd chanting ] this morning her family calling the historic settlement with the city of louisville more than six months after she was killed by police the first step in a long march toward justice. >> as significant as today is, it's only the beginning of getting full justice for breonna. >> reporter: the city of louisville, without admitting wrongdoing, agreeing to

pay $12 million to settle the taylor family's wrongful death lawsuit, one of the largest settlements in u.s. history involving allegations of excessive force by police. >> breonna was loved and i cannot begin to imagine ms. palmer's pain and i'm deeply, deeply sorry for her death. >> reporter: breonna's heartbroken mother, tamika palmer, calling the settlement which also includes several police reform measures just a start. >> we must not lose focus on what the real drive is and with that being said, it's time to move forward with the criminal charges because she deserves that and much more. r: d for th officers involved in breonna's death to be charged growing louder. the 26-year-old emt was shot and killed by police executing a no knock search warrant in the middle of the night at her apartment. the officers in the botched raid looking for drugs that were not there.

>> help! oh, my god. >> reporter: her boyfriend kenneth walker who told investigators he never heard police announce themselves says he fired a warning shot with his legally owned gun. police shooting back, killing taylor. an officer was also struck. walker initially charged with attempted murder but those charges later dropped. he is also suing the police department. >> there will be accountability. they can either accept it on their own or a jury will give it to them. >> reporter: one officer has been fired. the other two remain on the job. no criminal charges have been filed. now a louisville grand jury could hear the case this week. her mother anxiously waiting. >> imagine having a daughter, imagine your daughter being gunned down in her own home. what would you want to happen? i don't think that what we want is farfetched. it's just justice. >> reporter: and as part of the

reforms in the settlement search warrants must now be reviewed by police commanders before being sent to a judge and police officers will now face random yearly drug tests. michael. >> all right, thank you, alex. for more now let's bring in abc news chief legal analyst dan abrams. dan, thanks for joining us this morning. dan, the taylor family got a $12 million lawsuit that includes police reform, but without the city admitting any wrongdoing. can you explain that to us? >> yeah, so first of all this, is a big deal not just because of the enormous number with regard to the $12 million but because of all the changes here. typically in a civil lawsuit, it involves money damages and one person sues another person or the government, they get money damages and people say that will be a deterrent to prevent things from happening in the future. here they're going a lot of steps further by saying that's not all we're going to give. we're going to guarantee these changes are going to be made in how we do police work.

now, with regard to the admission of wrongdoing, i think that the amount of money and certainly the changes that they're making are in essence an admission of wrongdoing but in the context of these kinds of settlements, that's very often how the language is used. >> and we saw breonna's mother say this is a start because she said now it's time for the criminal case because there is a potential for a criminal case against the officers but what could the charges be and what would the grand jury have to decide? >> well, so the grand jury is going to decide whether there should be charges here and it could be anything from a relatively minor procedural crime to murder when you're talking about someone having died, and that is always the possibility. remember the grand jury is going to be looking at this officer by officer. it's not going to be lumping in three people and saying are they going to be charged. the question is, is that one going to be charged?

is that one going to be charged? is that one? and, remember, one officer has already been fired because he fired ten shots into the home. he is certainly the one that the grand jury, i would think, is going to be looking at first and foremost as they evaluate whether charges are warranted. >> all this being said, none of it can bring breonna taylor back. thank you so much, dan abrams. george. >> you're right about that, michael. we get the latest on a freak elevator accident that left a massachusetts woman dead. this morning we're learning more about the scary incident and the victim, a lecturer at boston university. janai norman has the story, good morning, janai. >> reporter: george, good morning. this is really an almost unbelievable story. this woman had just recently moved into the building. neighbors say there was an old-fashioned elevator that suddenly malfunctioned. this morning an urgent investigation under way into a horrifying elevator accident in a massachusetts apartment building killing boston ltureca o'connor. neighbors say the 38-year-old who had recently moved into the five-story building was loading

a box into the elevator when all of a sudden it plunged to the first floor trapping o'connor. residents describe the elevator as old-fashioned with two doors you have tolly close shut, the first a heavy metal, the second an accordion gate. >> what happens is she either put the box on or went on with the box and the box was tall enough to hit something and it started moving and she either panicked and went to jump off or panicked and didn't stay on. >> reporter: police say she died of accidental traumatic asphyxiation. the office of public safety and inspection saying in a statement the elevator was recently inspected and was certified in accordance with state regulations. according to the center for construction research and training, 31 people a year die in elevator or escalator accidents in the u.s. and about 17,000 people are seriously injured. elevators are responsible for about 90% of those deaths. and again, that elevator was

inspected and said to be up to code but there is an ongoing investigation into what exactly happened to cause it to malfunction and to cause this horrible accident. george. >> sure was horrible. thanks very much. coming up, apple is unveiling some game-changing new watches that can track your blood oxygen levels and keep track of your kids. i'm happy to give you the tour, i love doing it. hey jay. jay? charlotte! oh hi. he helped me set up my watch lists. oh, he's terrific. excellent tennis player. bye-bye. i recognize that voice. annie? yeah! she helped me find the right bonds for my income strategy. you're very popular around here. there's a birthday going on. karl! he took care of my 401k rollover. wow, you call a lot. yeah, well it's my money we're talking about here. joining us for karaoke later? ah, i'd love to, but people get really emotional when i sing. help from a team that will exceed your expectations. ♪ this was the theater i came to quite often. the support we've had over the last few months

has been amazing. it's not just a work environment. everyone here is family. if you are ready to open your heart and your home, check us out. y. ♪ hi susan! honey? yeah? i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad... try this new robitussin honey severe. the real honey you love... plus, the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? new robitussin honey severe. strong relief for your severe symptoms. proof i can fight moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis.

...with humira. proof of less joint pain... ...and clearer skin in psa. humira targets and blocks a source of inflammation that contributes to joint pain and irreversible damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. humira is proven to help stop further joint damage,... ...and it's the #1-prescribed biologic for psa. want more proof? ask your rheumatologist about humira citrate-free. want more proof? your dog is your best friend. ♪ ♪ but your dog's best friend is your ex-girlfriend... because she always has irresistible pup-peroni.

be your best friend's best friend. pup-peroni. we're back now with apple's

latest game changer. the tech giant introducing a new apple watch with enhanced health features that could not be more timely. becky worley joins us now with all those details for us. good morning, becky. >> good morning, robin. one in four americans are estimated to own a smartwatch. apple wants that number to be much higher, so adding new features, especially those related to health during a pandemic is a driving factor in the upgrades to the new apple watch 6. in a virtual presentation from the spaceship-like apple park -- >> let's get started with apple watch. >> reporter: -- the company updating their wearable device adding tracking for kids and an altimeter, brighter screen and new colors and bands but the main focus -- >> apple watch helps people understand so much about their health and fitness and to live a better day. >> reporter: specifically tracking blood oxygen levels. >> the new blood oxygen app lets you take a measurement in

just 15 seconds. >> reporter: an abnormally low reading could signal health issues and they say they're working with researchers at the university of washington school of medicine to explore how it could be used to more rapidly diagnose respiratory diseases including covid-19. >> what we're doing is we want to understand how measurements from your watch, physiological signals from your watch including heart rate and spo2 can be used to understand early signals or onset of respiratory conditions. >> reporter: but apple has caveats. it says the device which shines light onto your wrist is primarily meant to track fitness. >> being that the oxygen sensor isn't fda approved, how do you think consumers should use the information they get? >> i think it's just another piece of information that they can understand more about themselves. >> reporter: medical experts agree. >> we want to be sure we don't get false alarms or false

reassurance and as with any tool that may help human health we need to vet, validate and test. >> reporter: the watch already tracks sleep, sudden falls and irregular heartbeats but one more thing, apple is adding a surprising health monitoring service that could absolutely save lives. >> automatic hand washing detection recognizes the motion and sound when washing your hands and encourages you to continue for the recommended 20 seconds. >> notable in yesterday's announcements was the absence of a new iphone. apple has confirmed a covid related production delay of a week weeks. analysts speculate they will be released later this fall. but i'll tell you the power of these health devices in the watch is personal to me. i gave my mom the previous version of the apple watch and it alerted her to multiple heart events saying she was in afib. she went to her doctor, was diagnosed with the condition and she's now on medication for a disease that's known as a potentially silent killer.

>> wow. >> this new oxygen monitoring, michael, could be equally powerful. >> i agree. i'm glad your mom is okay. all right, thank you so much. coming up next, we have our "play of the day." don't go away. e are membershipsr all kinds of things today. but what about being a member of the family? what about being a member of the community? what about being a member of humanity? ♪ what if there was a membership that gave us the time to celebrate the things that connect all of us? ♪ who've got their eczema under control. with less eczema, 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. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. in making tea, is saying no.

in our real brewed iced tea, we say no to artificial flavors and sweeteners. which means, no settling. unless it is into a comfy chair. pure leaf. no is beautiful langi. (michael) my tip is, the worst lies are the lies you tell yourself. like smoking isn't that dangerous. (announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit now. jake from state farm... after you saved me so much dough on insurance with that "parker promo" i devised a promo for you. here's the deal parker, state farm offers everyone surprisingly great rates. yeh, right. pepperoni pocketz, atomic brownie, cuckoo crustiez...

there's no promo. just great rates. and a side of ranch. you're the man, man. when you want the real deal...like a good neighbor, state farm is there. when you want the real propit provides property taxr, mostfairnessble. for disabled homeowners like cynde, stuck living with a broken elevator. nineteen helps wildfire victims, like ellie, one of 24,000 who've lost their homes to fire. and seniors like pam who need to move closer to family or medical care, without a tax penalty. prop 19 limits taxes on our most vulnerable. yes on 19. ♪ we're back with our "play of the day" and what happens when a second grade class loses their teacher to wi-fi issues? take a look. >> is it just me or did she

leave the call? >> i think that's true. she actually left the call. >> she just left. without even telling us. >> do we just log off the meeting? >> she was like half done with the book. of course we're not done. >> my screen is back. >> can you see me? >> oh, yeah. >> they all stayed in class. >> they all stayed in class. she was only gone for like two minutes and, you know, they were well behaved, respectful to each other and little problem solvers. we love that. all right. we'll be right back, everybody. i'm a verizon engineer. and i'm part of the team building... ...a powerful 5g experience for america. it's 5g ultra wideband, and it's already available in parts of select cities. like los angeles. and in new york city.

and it's rolling out in cities around the country. with massive capacity. it's like an eight-lane highway compared to a two-lane dirt road. 25x faster than today's 4g networks. in fact, it's the fastest 5g in the world. from the network more people rely on. this is 5g built right. only on verizon. we believe in good we can all afford ♪ sing it, yeah, yeah from coffee that opens more eyes to black business. ♪ all gold to me to a hundred shades of beautiful. ♪ yeah, good to me so to breathe better, i started once-daily anoro. ♪ copd tries to say, "go this way." i say, "i'll go my own way, with anoro."

♪ once-daily anoro contains two medicines called bronchodilators that work together to significantly improve lung function all day and all night. do not use anoro if you have asthma. anoro won't replace rescue inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than once a day. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, glaucoma... prostate, bladder or urinary problems. these may worsen with anoro. call your doctor if you have worsened breathing, chest pain... mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes or eye pain, while taking anoro. the most common side effects are sore throat, diarrhea, and pain in the arms and legs. ask your doctor about once-daily anoro to start treating your copd. we're here for you during this challenging time--and always. find support at anoro.com. to give you the protein you need with less of the sugar you don't. [grunting noise] i'll take that. woohoo! 30 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar.

ensure max protein. with nutrients to support immune health. ensure max protein. (vo) and millions of americans are struggling to put food on the table. so wells fargo is helping our neighbors feed their loved ones. using some of our locations as drive-up food banks. and helping provide 50 million meals for americans in need. the unthinkable has happened. now it's time to rethink how to make a difference. wells fargo. knowinit's hard.re is hard. eliminate who you are not first, and you're going to find yourself where you need to be. ♪ the race is never over. the journey has no port. the adventure never ends, because we are always on the way. ♪

♪ here along the mobile river we've had gusts to now 82 miles per hour and look at the radar image of sally, made landfall earlier this morning. the mobile radar just went out so that's why you see that cut. that right side, the dirty side bringing onshore flow and more than 25 inches of rain, life-threatening flash flooding is still the number one concern. this is all sponsored by wells fargo. local news and weather next.

sponsored by the all new tech forward 2020 lincoln corsair. ll new tech forward 2020 lincoln course say.

good morning. we're expecting an update about a growing concern in the east bay. they say there's a problem with illegal fireworks and bonfires. they're kshed because of the high fire danger and the trash left behind ch police and fire officials in alameda county with expecting that address that issue today. >> have you smelled what's not there? look at this. everybody's green. whether you go to the north bay, central bay and into the south bay and because of it, it's going to be warmer today. mid to upper 60s along the coast and around the bay. 80s inland, a few 90s in the east bay valleys. saturday and sunday, most likely are smoky days.

reggie. >> another update in about 30 minutes. you can check us out on our free news app or abc7news.com. now, here's more good morning america. have a good day. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

we've learned a lot more about the covid-19 virus. it's real. and it's dangerous. so, on behalf of all of us working on the front lines, please take it seriously. and while we don't yet have a cure or a vaccine, we do know how to keep you and your loved ones safe. wear a mask. wash your hands. stay six feet apart. do your best to stay out of crowded spaces. and get a flu shot, it's even more important this year. we can do this. if we do it together. ♪

good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. breaking news, sally making landfall as a powerful category 2 hurricane, wreaking havoc on the gulf coast. florida and alabama hit hard bringing flash flooding, the dangerous conditions halting rescues. authorities telling people to move to higher ground. ginger and rob live in the storm zone with the very latest. face-to-face, president trump and uncommitted voters in pennsylvania at the abc news town hall overnight. >> why would you downplay a pandemic? >> let me finish my question, sir. >> why don't you wear a mask? >> the president on health care and race, taking tough questions on his handling of the pandemic, now changing course and saying he didn't downplay it. >> i didn't downplay it. i actually in many ways i up-played it in terms of action. my action was very strong.

cardi b calls it quits, the superstar filing for divorce from her hw rapper, offset. why the hip-hop power couple finally split. the latest details this morning. safer skies? the major airline giving us an exclusive first look at the powerful new cleaning technology designed to kill viruses and bacteria within minutes. natural hair movement. the pandemic empowering many people of color to embrace their curls, coils and waves, but why are so many still facing discrimination? and another layer of division being dubbed texturism. ♪ i am a material girl the material girl like we've never seen her before. madonna behind the camera of a new film that has fans freaking out. the pop superstar's big announcement putting her in a league of her own. all ahead as we say, good morning, america. ♪

that song will bring you back. good morning, america. i hope you're doing well this wednesday morning. >> we have a lot going on this morning, and we are kicking off our epic two-day "deals & steals" event. all the best bargains to help you get ready for fall, robin. >> epic, epic with tory johnson ahead. but first, we have a lot of news to get to this morning starting of course, with hurricane sally. the storm making landfall as a powerful category 2 with winds at up to 105 miles per hour leaving 375,000 people in that region without power this morning and causing a flash flood emergency in florida and alabama so let's go back to ginger tracking the very latest there in mobile for us again. good morning, ging. >> reporter: good morning, robin. it is still a category 2 at last check moving northeast at only 3 miles per hour. here in mobile this is the mobile river. that hefty wind, up to 62 miles per hour. we're on the backside of the storm, the relative weaker side

of the storm. the mobile bay is saying they're seeing anti-sue. e def e m,at nothe case. they've seen gusts to 92 miles the life-threatening flash flooding, already reporting 25 inches of rain and you can get another 20 in some of these bands. so we could end up with easily 30 plus in some spots. so additional rain. also, if you are in montgomery or atlanta, you have to be on the lookout as this moves your way tonight through tomorrow because that's how slow it is until it finally gets picked up in the jets. you'll see up to a half foot of rain. i want to get to rob now on the other side of the eye. we're kind of sandwiching the eye which went over the gulf shores. rob, how are you? >> oh, man, we're getting hit hard. this is the worst we've seen so far, ginger. this is main street in downtown pensacola. it is a river. i've got to squat low because the winds keep gusting and this is the worst wind we've seen and beginning to shift so around the building where our camera is set

up, it's whipping on this side too. you can see in the road we've got a streetlight that's down. these are dangling precariously, still are lit.own there.por is s the police department saying this morning that there are so many roads closed because of debris and flooding. there's just too many to list. they are not going anywhere until it gets safe to do so, and unfortunately, it looks like that will be quite some time with this slow-moving system. robin. >> rob, please, please, please be careful out there. wishing everybody the best and we're going to have so much more on hurricane sally throughout the morning, george. >> robin, that water just keeps climbing. we turn now to our town hall last night with president trump. he took questions from a mixed group of voters in pennsylvania, many who supported him in 2016. all were still making up their minds before the town meeting and we covered the big issues from covid to health care and the economy and race. let's go back to our senior white house correspondent cecilia vega. cecilia is in philadelphia with the highlights.

good morning, cecilia. >> reporter: hey, george. good morning again. no question nothing was off limits here last night. i got to tell you some questions had president trump on the defensive but he says his handling of the pandemic has been nothing short of perfect. overnight president trump face-to-face with those uncommitted voters. >> why did you throw vulnerable people like me under the bus? >> why don't you wear a mask more often? >> please stop and let me finish my question, sir. >> reporter: his handling of the pandemic under fire from the beginning. >> if you believe it's the president's responsibility to protect america, why would you downplay a pandemic that is known to disproportionately harm low-income families in minority communities? >> yeah, well, i didn't downplay it. i actually in many ways i up-played it in terms of action. >> reporter: this is the opposite of what he said in a recorded conversation with bob woodward. >> i wanted to always play it down. i still like playing it down. >> yes. >> because i don't want to create a panic. >> reporter: and as the country approaches the grim milestone of nearly 200,000 americans dead --

>> so you regret nothing? >> no, i think we did a great job. >> reporter: -- and this pastor born and raised in philadelphia taking this moment of racial reckoning directly to the president and not letting up. >> you've coined the phrase make america great again. when has america been great for african-americans in the ghetto of america? are you aware how tone deaf that comes off to african-american communities? >> well, i can say this, we have tremendous african-american support. you probably have seen it in the polls. we're doing extremely well. >> but you have yet to address and acknowledge there's been a race problem in america. >> so if you go -- i hope there's not a race problem. i can tell you there's none with me because i have great respect for all races, for everybody. >> reporter: and i spoke to that voter after it was over. he said he knows now he is definitely not voting for president trump, but has not made up his mind about joe biden. he wants to know no candidate will take his vote for granted. >> we are hoping joe biden accepts our invitation for a town meeting as well. thank you. coming up here, our

exclusive look at how one airline is using a high-speed robot to kill viruses and bacteria. also this morning, cardi b files for divorce from rapper offset. the new details on why they're calling it quits. and you're not going to want to miss our big "deals & steals" event to help you get ready for fall. we'll be right back. we'll be right back. ♪ premium products, from 12 countries, over 10 years. olay's hydration was unbeaten every time. face anything. find out more at olay.com removes ten years of yellow stains. colgate optic white renewal that's like all the way back to 2010. they're jeans. they're leggings. they're jeggings! whoa! remove ten years of yellow stains with colgate optic white renewal. 80% of bacteria in your mouth aren't even on teeth. 80 percent? colgate total is different. it fights bacteria in your whole mouth,

protecting 100% of your mouth's surfaces. colgate total: antibacterial protection for a healthier mouth. i have the power to lower my blood sugar and a1c. because i can still make my own insulin. and trulicity activates my body to release it like it's supposed to. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it's not insulin. and i only need to take it once a week. plus, it lowers the risk of cardiovascular events. trulicity isn't for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, belly pain, and decreased appetite, which lead to dehydration and may worsen kidney problems.

i have it within me to lower my a1c. ask your doctor about trulicity. they will, but with accident forgiveness allstate won't raise your rates just because of an accident. cut! is that good? no you were talking about allstate and... i just... when i... accident forgiveness from allstate. click or call for a quote today. with a recipe perfected over time. each chip toasted, then crisped for a delicate crunch. it's passion and craft meets sea salt and lime. late july. bring out the good chips.

it's a badge of armor of care of respect. because it means you fight for the safety of those you love. when you come into walgreens you get a flu shot that's right for you... and them you become a flu fighter.

do your part and defend your crew against the flu. ♪ walgreens [upb♪ i fell asleep ♪ tobut when i woke up. ♪i put everything in perspective. ♪ (boy) hi, do you want to share my sandwich? (vo) good feeds our connections. good feeds us all. hormel natural choice lunch meats. ♪ ♪ keep on keeping on you'll find ♪ keep on keeping on you'll find someday soon enough ♪ oh, yeah, welcome back to "gma." we are counting down to our big

alicia keys surprise less than 24 hours away. no, we cannot wait for that. she has a new album coming out this week. cannot wait for that either. right now, something else we can't wait for, it is time for "pop news" with lara and riva. i'm sure riva is there. there you are. hey, good morning. uh-huh. good morning, michael. good morning, guys. robin, i see you got the memo. glad to see we're sporting our fall colors already. and it is feeling like fall this morning as we get right to it. we're going to begin with the material girl writing her own material. that's right. i'm talking about madonna announcing she's co-writing an original screenplay based on what she calls the untold true story of her own life. madonna has been teasing this project for a couple of weeks now. she's haring some pictures on instagram, some videos as well. there you go, of herself working alongside oscar winner diablo cody who will co-write the project. amypascal who produced her in "a league of their own" on board.

no word on who will star in the still untitled film but madonna will express herself as director, yep. i said it. also this morning, so many teachers are going above and beyond for their students and we want to share with you this teacher in texas, second grade teacher using a very catchy song to help her students learn math. take a look at this. ♪ daddy shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo daddy shark, doo, doo, doo ♪ >> another teacher, you heard her singing in the classroom next door. she videoed the lesson which has 20 million views and counting, telling "gma" you do whatever it takes to engage kids, and one viewer who loved the video wrote, quote, if i had teachers like that i would have paid attention, had fun and gotten better grades. i couldn't agree more.

thanks for sharing that. then finally it's getting chilly outside as we said. here in connecticut before you know it, it will be time to celebrate a holly dolly christmas. yeah, that is the name of dolly parton's new holiday album and this morning, she is sharing her second track with us, it is a true christmas classic. listen up. ♪ i saw mommy kissing santa claus ♪ ♪ underneath the mistletoe last night ♪ >> the classic from 1952 getting dolly's magic touch. everyone, "a holly dolly christmas" is set to release in two weeks and two days on october 2nd. i can't believe october is two weeks away. unbelievable. guys, i'll throw it back to you in the studio because riva has

gotten her hands on some of our products for "deals & steals" which is coming up very soon. >> all right. thank you, riva. thank you so much for that, lara. we are turning to our "gma" cover story. cardi b filing for divorce from her husband rapper offset. adrienne bankert has the story. good morning, adrienne. >> reporter: good morning to you, michael. yes, after just about three years of marriage, cardi b and offset are splitting. this morning, one of hip-hop's most famous couples is calling it quits. cardi b filing for divorce from migos' offset. the filing in an atlanta court states that the marriage is irretrievably broken and there are no prospects for a reconciliation. >> they regularly are together io think this c a bit of a surprise.s tw2-arld kulture have on the rocks before. three months after marrying there were rumors of a sex tape cheating scandal involving offset. cardi said he had cheated. >> things haven't been working out between us for a long time. and it's nobody's fault. it's just like i guess we grew

out of love. >> reporter: days later offset publicly tried to reconcile begging her to take him back on instagram. >> i only got one birthday wish and that's to get my wife back. >> reporter: earlier that year cardi b was accused of ordering an attack on two bartenders after believing offset was having an affair with one of them. she entered a plea of not guilty on all charges, later charged and indicted by a grand jury for the incident. the couple made up as cardi admitted that she had been no angel herself. ♪ i could have did what you did to me a few times ♪ this track from the album "invasion of privacy" released during the ups and downs winning the coveted grammy for best rap album. the lyricist becoming the first solo female artist to do so, thanking her spouse and producer on stage. >> you, husband, thank you. [ laughter ] nah, seriously because he was, like, you're going to do this album, girl. >> reporter: you know what, we don't know if the two will continue any kind of collaboration in music even after the divorce but still have

to work out custody issues with their little girl. it's really sad. it's been a stressful year for a lot of people. it's been a stressful year for relationships. amy? >> it certainly has, adrienne. thank you. well now to an abc news exclusive about the efforts to make air travel as safe as possible amid this pandemic. one major airline is unveiling how they are using a new robot designed to kill viruses and bacteria, and gio benitez joins us from newark airport with more, and if this technology is going to lure back those frequent flyers. good morning, gio. >> reporter: hey, amy. good morning. this is the robot right here. it was actually designed for cruise ships before the pandemic. but now an airline has picked it up and "gma" has an exclusive look. this morning, united is giving us an up close look. at a powerful new robot praying a protectant intended to kill viruses and bacteria. here's how it works. the company says that within seconds a single spray covers anything within a 12-foot radius.

when it dries it creates a bed of microscopic pins. when viruses or bacteria fall on those pins, united says the cells burst killing them on impact. how can you be sure it works? >> well, look, this is one of the reasons we have complementary technology that we are using. the combination of this antimicrobial technology along with the disinfectant that we're using along with masks, all of that together provides for a really safe environment on board our aircraft. >> reporter: and it's happening at high speeds. the company says that it can disinfect a 737 within a minute and a half. it won't be used every day, that's because united says the chemical is effective for about a week. the plane will get a touch-up every seven days mist awaiting epa approval, some doctors would like to see more data. >> there should be caution here because the studies and the information is evolving. we don't yet know how this

impacts people's health when it's used for short, medium or long periods of time. >> reporter: nick federico created the microsonic robot. >> there is a reason why you're using this overnight. >> yep, so we do this overnight just to ensure customer safety. the chemical we use, once it's bound it's completely bound to the surface itself. it can't leave the surface. >> reporter: the airlines are desperate to get more people comfortable with flying. this time last year tsa screened nearly 2.5 million passengers daily. that number monday, just over 700,000, mostly visiting friends and family. still, united says, this new robot will not replace daily manual cleaning. >> can you promise that these protocols are going to be in place for a long time or forever? >> what we certainly know is that our customers' expectations are changing. when it comes to safety we won't cut corners. >> reporter: and a new harvard report says that when you wear a surgical mask on a plane, the risk of infection actually drops to less than 1% so it's just so important to wear these masks,

amy. >> yeah, another good reminder, thank you so much, gio. we'll head back over to ginger now. ginger. >> as we're being tortured by sally along the gulf coast and in central alabama and northern georgia i want to take you to the map. it is so active. we've got another tropical wave that could become a depression. that's the last letter in the alphabet if it gets named. several others though across the atlantic including teddy could impact bermuda by monday. at one point it looks like teddy will be a cat 4 and then by the time it gets to bermuda a cat 2. they just got hit by paulette so the active season continues. we will get into the greek alphabet if we blow through this alphabet for names.

our thanks again to ginger. we're going to turn now to the natural hair movement and how the pandemic is empowering many people of color to embrace their curls, coils and waves. we saw adrienne bankert in her report a short time ago. well, janai norman is now back and she's going to talk about how so many are still combating discrimination based on their natural hair. good morning again, janai. >> reporter: hey, robin. in a majority of states, black men and women can be fired. boys and girls can be sent home from school over how they choose to wear their hair. we spoke with experts about how that discrimination is based in racism and how that's even created division within the natural hair movement.

from kinks and curls to fros and locks, black people's choice to wear their natural hair freely is so highly political. >> in a time when we are exploring the psychological significance of race we really need to unpack the meaning of hair. people may not be using racial slurs but actually may be discriminating people based on their appearance. >> reporter: the term natural hair refers to hair of those from african descent that has not been straightened or altered by chemical products. >> i decided to get cornrows but then a few days later a white woman had came to me and was like, oh, you scared me. i'm like, why did i scare you? we work together. we're on the same floor. we have a rapport but subconsciously she was not used to seeing me with that style. >> reporter: whether manifesting as micro aggressions or explicitly policed in school policy, hair discrimination against black men and women is

intricately intertwined with racism. >> he kept saying, check it out, you got these bo derek braids. i was, like, bo derek braids? >> reporter: in the movement there's another layer of discrimination. a division based on type and texture of hair that's been dubbed texturism. the idea that looser straighter curl patterns sometimes called good hair are more acceptable than kinkier coils and traditional styles like afros. >> thi ateof racism where the people who have hair textures that are the closest approximation to whiteness actually are favored. >> reporter: both types of discrimination have real world impacts. according to a national study conducted by dove and the crown coalition, black women are 80% more likely to change their natural hair to meet social norms or expectations and are 1 1/2 times more likely to have reported being sent home because of their hair. >> it does get exhausting and sometimes you don't even realize and recognize that, like, oh, i'm spending so much extra time trying to, like, figure out if my hair is presentable. >> reporter: to fight the

prejudice against natural hair in professional and academic settings, california became the first state to pass the c.r.o.w.n. act in 2019 aiming to ban race-based hair discrimination, and six other states followed suit. >> the c.r.o.w.n. act is actually an extension of the civil rights act of 1964. there was a loophole. it did not protect black hairstyles. >> reporter: more and more you're seeing black women take advantage of the versatility of their hair creating a virtual community on social platforms to openly promote acceptance of all different natural hair types. >> i often tell women there's no such thing as good hair, bad hair. there's good scalp. good scalp. good scalp will definitely help you produce good -- so-called good hair. >> reporter: veteran celebrity natural hairstylist felicia leatherwood says quarantine has given women the time and space to experiment with their natural hair, and she's encouraging everyone to keep pinning, snipping and twisting.

>> your board meeting is on zoom so if your hair starts off here and then it shrinks back to here this is a good time to find out. so really be patient. >> reporter: the c.r.o.w.n. act which stands for creating a respectful and open world for natural hair currently has a petition with 185,000 signatures aiming to end hair discrimination nationwide. robin. >> and i'm telling you, hair is a daily conversation with women of color, and i remember when you came on the air, remember? you came on "gma." you were doing the overnight and you were natural and i made a comment in saying how beautiful it was and the reaction was so positive from folks. >> reporter: and, robin, that morning i felt especially self-conscious about my hair. you complimented it and i've pretty much have never gone back so thank you. >> yeah. we saw adrienne bankert earlier. hey, janai, thank you. i know you pitched the story and thought it was very important and i'm glad that you did it and this story is a part of "turning

point," that is a month-long special event on "nightline" that is focusing on racial issues facing the country. so thank you, janai norman. coming up here on "gma," kicking off our two-day "deals & steals" event with tory johnson. come on back. >> announcer: if you're alicia keys and about to drop a new album everyone is so excited for, what do you do to celebrate it big time? tomorrow alicia has an epic surprise for some great people who deserve it most and it is big. only on "good morning america." >> announcer: this friday, "good morning america's" concert series launches off big with the one, the only keith urban. ♪ baby i'm a superman >> announcer: friday, keith urban performs for you on "gma's" concert series sponsored by caesars rewards. >> announcer: friday, keith urban performs for you on "gma's" concert series sponsored by carmax.

good morning, everyone. we have developing news in san jose where police arsre are hur shooting happened just blocks from the campus of san jose state last night. police haven't said yet what led up to this incident. turning our attention to weather, we've got good news. you see green everywhere, whether it's up in the north bay as we e head through the bay and into the south bay, we're all breathing easier this morning and there's a little bit of drizzle for the morning commute. however, look at the winds coming in over the weekend and looks like the smoke, what is still being produced by fires to the north, will make the weekend the most hikely two days for smoke as today, tomorrow and friday should be increasingly

cooler with cleaner air and the breezes return monday and

♪ something big is happening welcome back to "gma" on this wednesday morningamy, if you can believe it, fall is less than a week away. >> i can feel it in the air already and "deals & steals" is helping us get ready for the new season, right, lara? >> hi, you guys. yes, very excited. when we think pumpkin lattes but a lot of products that can help us get ready for the new season. tory johnson is with us now with some incredible fall finds. hi, tor. >> hey, lara. so first up we're starting with a skin care favorite. this is elemis and all of the products are clinically proven to deliver very specific results depending on what your skin

concerns are, but i have to give a shoutout to the hero product, it is their pro collagen marine cream. the company says that worldwide they sell one of these every 20 seconds. it has been their best-seller for ten years and it feels pretty fabulous because it's ultra moisturizing. makes your skin feel fabulous. it's an anti-wrinkle formula and i can't say enough about it. plus, it's 50% off. all of the products from them today are $20 to $115 and from this company, free shipping. >> nicely done, tory. i'll get to the next product. dr. segals compression socks. i'll do a demo as i know you like. i'm sporting these fabulous striped ones. and tight and comfortable. tell us what the deal is. >> that's the idea of them. designed by a physician to kind of combat the sometimes clinical looking compression socks,

instead these are stylish and they do the job. they help with tired, fatigued feet. they also help to prevent blood clots and varicose veins and have an option specifically for diabetics so you'll go online and see them all. all 50% off and start at $6.50. >> nicely done, tory. your next product is -- i think e this is one of the best-sellers ever. poo-pourri. not only -- >> so everybody knows it. it's awesome. we have a huge selection but we also have their brand-new hand sanitizer and it is terrific. it is moistu, not sticky. it's great to also keep in the car or at the front door if people come in. this is the product that you want to spritz, especially because it just feels good so you actually want to use it, which i love. we've got all kinds of sets, 50% off and they start at $11. and then, lara, another

essential that i think we can't get enough of because we're always losing them in this house is from limitless innovations. there's a variety of chargers and both of the ones that i'm highlighting have all kinds of mul multiports. so there's one that will charge seven devices at once. it's great for the kitchen counter, it's great to have on the go so whether home or on the go, no more fighting for the charger. there's a wireless option. there's so many different things, this is -- these are great ones to have and also all starting a minimum of 50% off so $20 to $35. >> nicely done, tory. these are very cool phone accessories, i've never seen this one with the ring on it but i love it. >> it's so smart. it's the easiest way to carry your phone and it's also multifunctional so you can use it as a tabletop stand. you can use wit a car mount in the car. there's so many different ways and they also have options that

will hold credit cards and i.d.s and fit on any phone which is another great benefit. you don't have to worry about phone size for these to fit. we have singles and sets all 50% off, they start at $5.then lt o maybe the most fun one. modgy. "gma" viewers loofe this company for their reusable products. vase, luminaries, a dog -- i hope you have added some water to be able to do -- >> i'm showing a luminary right now. i have a candle in there. i also have the vase out. plowers from my garden. >> gorgeous. good idea. the best is that it's flameless so it's safe. you don't have to worry about the wind, you don't have to worry about kids. these products are gorgeous and they are all 50% off. so $4 to $7.00. >> and riva is enjoying the dog bowl from modgy. we love all of these deals.

guys, you can find these deals on our website. you can also get them by pointing your cell phone camera at the qr code on your screen and we'll have more fallinds tomorrow. so stay with us. coming up wnba star maya moore and jonathan irons join us live with a very special announcement. don't go anywhere. "gma" coming right back.

it keeps all your devices's running smoothly fast. with built in security that protects your kids, protects your info, and gives you 24/7 peace of mind. that if it's connected, it's protected. even that pet camera thingy. can your internet do that? xfinity xfi can. because it's simple, easy, awesome. get started with xfinity internet for $24.99 a month for 12 months and get advanced security free with the xfi gateway. switch today.

back here on "gma," and i

hope that you remembered this powerful moment, jonathan irons walking out of prison as a free man, 23 years after a wrongful conviction greeted by his family and his advocates that included wnba star maya moore. two months later they are paying it forward in a big way. we're going to talk to them both live in just a moment. but first here is more of their story. it has been two months since jonathan irons was released from prison after serving 23 years of hi wrongful conviction. a victory won with the help of wnba superstar maya moore. she stepped away from the game at the height of her career to fight for jonathan's freedom. >> i feel like i can live life now. i'm free. i'm blessed. >> reporter: their journey for justice continues. >> today i ask you again to stand with me and do everything

that you can to make your voice heard. >> reporter: the duo are teaming up to inspire others to fightam reminding us all that change starts in our own backyard. >> your vote is your power. >> vote for your family. >> vote for your community. >> both: vote for justice. >> reporter: and joining us live now, maya moore and jonathan irons. it is good to have you back with us here on "good morning america" with those big smiles. hey there, jonathan, maya. okay, this is very important that we're talking about the get out the vote campaign. yes, indeedy. there is something else, though, another collaboration if you will that you two are engaged in, so you want to share any announcement or anything with us, maya, jonathan? >> absolutely. so we wanted to announce today that we are super excited to

continue the work that we've been doing together but doing it as a married couple so we got married a couple months ago and we're excited to just continue this new chapter of life together. >> ah, yeah, jonathan put a ring on it. he's got a ring himself. you know, jonathan and maya, there are people that are jumping up and down right now because when they saw you on our air, they were like, is there something going on between these two? but remind people, remind people that you had no idea who he was, that you had family and friends who introduced you to him and how this all evolved. can you just tell us about this love story, how it began? >> yeah, so i met jonathan when i was 18. i was about to be a freshman at uconn and my godparents and my great uncle introduced me to him and his story and his case being wrongfully convicted. he had been in prison over a

decade at that point so i was just interested in learning, got to know him and over the last 13 years we have just developed a friendship and just entered into this huge battle to get him home and just over time it was pretty clear what the lord was doing in our hearts and now we're sitting here today starting a whole new chapter together. >> yes, you are and, jonathan, so how did you pop the question? >> well, a few years ago while we were -- we were on a visit in prison and at that point, you know, we acknowledged, both acknowledged that we had really strong feelings for each other. so much so that i wanted to marry her but at the same time protect her because being in a relationship with a man in prison, it's extremely difficult and painful. and i didn't want her to feel trapped and i wanted her to feel open and have the ability any

time if this is too much for you, go and find somebody. live your life. because this is hard. but at the same time she was like, well, i'm here now, i said, well, i want to ask you something. she says, what. i said, will you marry me? i said but don't answer that question yet. she's like, oh, i said, i just -- i just want you to wait until i'm hope because in my mind i didn't know if i'd be home and she is such an amazing, beautiful person. i can never trap her, you know, not let her fulfill her dreams of being a wife and being a mother one day. but then when i got out we were in the hotel room we had some friends in the room. it was winding down and we were extremely tired but we were still gassed up on excitement and i got -- it was just me and her in the room and i got down on my knees and i looked up at her and she kind of knew what was going on and i said, will

you marry me, she said, yes. here we are today. >> i know. here you are today. we've been seeing the beautiful pictures from the wedding and i also remember and first of all, congratulations to you both. i've known the news for a little bit and i've had to button up. i'm glad you're sharing with everybody right now but i know you didn't want to distract from your mission and i know that and i respected that very much. and, jonathan, the last time that you were here, you said you were so bless blessed and so grateful that you wanted to make sure you could go about change and teaming up with maya and her group, this is so important to you. can you tell us a little bit more about the work that you all will be doing? >> well, right now we're basically trying to just educate the public and, you know, just get them engaged in the voting process and just being more -- being more involved in what's going on with our country and our government and local

jurisdictions, prosecuting offices, just around the country just to have people just to be aware and pay attention because if you don't pay attention, things can get out of hand and become harmful to our country. another thing that we're thinking about and in the process of doing is how to help other people that are less fortunate and, you know, wrongfully convicted and don't have the resources or the blessings that i have been blessed with and like i'm actually in contact with a few friends because i know they're innocent and i'm contact with the lawyers and i'm just really engaged in that process and that's hopefully i can continue to do and whatever else, you know, that we can contribute to the fight because it's a big fight and the more hands involved makes the work easier. so we're doing our part. >> yes, you are. you both are doing it.

dynamic duo, you really are. i'm sorry, maya. i'm here, you know, a stone's throw from uconn where you played college ball. of course, you played in the wnba. folks want to know, will you go back to playing basketball? i know this is an important mission that you're working with jonathan but do you have any plans on returning to pro ball at all? >> so i'm still trying to be so present in this second year away from the game. i'm hoping sometime in the spring we'll be able to have a next step moving forward but right now i am trying to really just breathe from this long, long battle and enjoy and rest and, you know, again, just being in the moment, there's a lot of unknowns for a lot of us right now so i'm still in that camp. >> well deserved. we deserved. take all the time that you need. maya and jonathan, thank you so much for being here and with us this morning. your story has impacted so many.

there's still so much of it left to tell and i'm so happy that my company rock'n robin productions and espn films working together on a documentary about your story, thank you for your willingness to share and to be with us here this morning. continued blessings to you both. thank you, thank you. >> thanks, robin. >> thank you. >>th will. you take care. we'll be sharing more about you coming up in the future. take care. but now let's get back to ginger. ginger. >> yeah, robin, i have a very simple message for anybody here from mobile through the florida panhandle, do not get in your car. do not go look around at the storm. it is slow moving and you could see life-threatening flash flooding on top of tornadoes. there's a tornado watch up until 6:00 p.m. that's now extende

thank you, ginger. now to an army reservist and former miss usa on a mission fighting for women in the military through her new organization. this segment is sponsored by olay recognizing the service of these heroes as well. take a look. ♪ before she was crowned miss usa 2016 she was an officer in the u.s. army reserves. the first active military member to hold the title. >> it is important that we recognize that gender does not limit us in the united states. >> reporter: now captain barber takes that mission even further as a spokesperson for our sponsor olay and ceo of swan, the service women's action network, an organization that supports service women of the past, present and future. >> when we're talking about reproductive care, when you're talking about proper fitting uniform, proper fitting ppe,

this is what we need to do to make sure that the women we're serveing are taken care of. >> reporter: one of those women, rebecca lipe suffered internal injuries caused by ill-fitting equipment serving in iraq. years of misdiagnosis leading to fertility issues going through six rounds of ivf to conceive her 3-year-old daughter. >> s.w.a.n. has been an amazing organization in helping me advocate for myself and for other service women, specifically, to get the care and treatment that they deserve and need. >> reporter: now olay teaming up with walmart to celebrate the fearness women who served and continue to serve honoring their strength with a new limited edition jar of their microsculpting cream. >> for every limited dedecision print jar sold on walmart's website olay and walmart will donate $250 to service women's action network to continue our mission to empower and celebrate women serving in the united states military.

>> what a great mission. coming up on "good morning america," joel kinnaman is with us telling us about his new thriller. don't go anywhere. "gma's" saluting military women is sponsored

we're back with actor joel kinnaman. he is starring in the new dramatic thriller "secrets we keep." joel, good morning. thanks for being with us. so i understand you have something in common with your co-star, noomi rapace. you guys went to the same high school? how well did you know each other? >> yeah, no, we went to the same high school in the south side of stockholm and got to know each other in the theater scene and in stockholm many and became dear friends when both of our careers took us to the states. >> joel, it's good to talk to you and see you again, man. i'm glad to watch your career continue to soar. now you are a starring in

"secrets we keep" and you play a man who is kidnapped by his neighbor, a woman who is seeking revenge. we have a clip. let's check it out. >> wife, rachel, two children. i don't know who you're confusing me with. let me go, i won't tell anyone. i promise, i got hit in the head. i'm confused. i won't recognize your face. let me go. i need to see my family again. >> you'll never see your family again! >> whoo. i feel the tension building. wow, we know you've starred in a lot of films but you say this is one of the most demannges you'veve played? >> yeah, this was definitely the most emotionally tough role i've ever done. yeah, the physicality of the situation, like i was so tightly bound for a big chunk of this movie that my wrists were actually bleeding and the corners of my mouth were cut from the gag being, you know, so

bound, tightly bound and because, you know, the ropes were so intricate bound, they couldn't like untie me in between takes so i end up sitting on that chair being abused for just hours on end. it was a rough one and also like with my dear friend noomi, the thing with noomi is like she won't go easy on you. she won't. so it was pretty hectic. >> well, one good thing you get to go home to your new puppy which can soothe all the stress from the set. good to see you again. >> good to see you too, man. >> all right, "the secrets we keep" in theaters today and will be on demand october 16th. cannot wait for that.

have a great wednesday, everyone. or -- hump day! [ laughter ] see you.

dearand with summer here,these energy bills are rising. together, we can save energy and money... by taking steps to stay cool while using less. keep safe and keep it golden. another day, anotherbounce let's do this. by making internet speeds fast and reliable. so you can keep up with your customers. by ensuring those speeds have wireless internet backup. so if the power goes down, your connection doesn't. and by covering all your connected devices with serious security.

so we can handle this. and this. while you get on with this. and this. be fast, be secure. bounce forward. with comcast business. get started with a powerful internet and voice solution for just $64.90 a month. call or go online today. your shoulder seems to be healing nicely. well, dr. farrell, it feels really good... that's good. and... i'm sorry. baby, don't touch that... i don't want you to play with that... (singing) twinkle, twinkle little star. how i wonder what you are... (still singing) up above the world so high... like a diamond in the sky. i'm so glad that your shoulder is feeling better. but, how are you doing? i'm hanging in there... schedule a video visit with your doctor. and get quality care with no copay. kaiser permanente. thrive.

good morning, everyone. i'm kumasi aaron. that breaking news is in oakland where right now, crews are on the scene of a four alarm fire. we want to take you out there live so you can see what it looks like this is a live look from our emoryville camera. you can see the huge plume of smoke there to the left of your screen. it's at 7th and webster in oakland's chinatown and we are working to get more information. we'll give you updates as soon as we can, but for right now, this four alarm fire in oakland's chinatown. mike. >> devastating. thank you. keep an eye on the air quality. right now, everybody's green, the north bay, the bay and evenn into the south bay. a as we into the weekend after three days of clean air, i'm pegging saturday and sunday as a

return to the smoke before it leaves a >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan!" said, international recording artist, josh groban. and a lesson in sauteing and frying as we continue "live's cooking school @home." plus, get ready to meet a fantastic family of fans from new jersey. all next on "live." and now, here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest! w aryou doing?ripa >> kelly: i'm doing well. my pants didn't split.