featuring disney's mickey mouse and minnie mouse! good morning, america. just 12 days until the final votes and election warning from the director of national intelligence announcing russia and iran have stolen american voter data gaining access to names, addresses and more trying to influence the election, all this as we count down to the final face-off, the stage is set. the stakes are high for the critical last debate. president trump slamming the new rules designed to prevent a repeat of those relentless interruptions. >> i think the mute is very unfair. >> and blitzing the battleground states. >> we are going to keep on working. we are going to keep on fighting. and we are going to keep on winning, winning, winning. >> barack obama hits the trail for biden unleashing a blistering attack on trump. >> the thing is this is not a reality show, this is reality. covid catastrophe. the cdc's new definition of what

close contact really means when it comes to spreading the virus. and as the virus surges across the country this morning, we're inside one overwhelmed hospital in hard-hit montana resorting to convert offices into patient rooms. breonna taylor's boyfriend speaking out. kenneth walker responding to our exclusive with one of the officers involved in that botched operation. >> seemed scared to death as was i. >> what he says really happened that fatal night. critical danger in the west. overnight, a new wildfire erupts in colorado, still raging this morning. ginger tracking the latest. terrifying close call. a monster great white shark circling a kayaker in open water. the quick thinking that may have saved his life. ♪ and we are gulf coast strong. "gma" is live from louisiana in one of the communities that suffered a devastating one-two punch. powerful hurricanes, laura and delta, pushing hard-working

americans to a breaking point in the middle of the pandemic. we are live on the ground meeting some of the hometown heroes fighting to help their neighbors, a resilient army of volunteers striving to rebuild. >> this used to be someone's home and it's completely gone. this morning, what you can do to help pitch in. and don't miss our big surprise to remind them they are not forgotten. only on "gma" this morning. good morning, america. it is great to be with you, george and robin, on this thursday morning. robin said it right. we are gulf coast strong as she is in lake charles, louisiana. >> that's right. she's right there on the ground with just some of the people who are working so hard to do just that to stay strong and we have a big surprise for that community coming up in just a bit. >> that is going to be a special moment.

it's also a critical day in the race for the white house. the stage is set in nashville for the final debate between donald trump and joe biden. 12 days until the final votes. voters turning out in record numbers to cast ballots early. at least 44 million americans have already voted. that's approaching one-third of the total turnout four years ago. >> and with less than two weeks to go, we want to get to that new warning about russia and iran meddling in the election. our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas is in washington with the very latest on those threatening emails targeting american voters. good morning, pierre. >> reporter: michael, good morning. two of america's enemies, iran and russia, now accused of trying to steal voter information to influence the upcoming election. speaker of the house nancy pelosi will be briefed later today while other top democrats who have seen the intelligence are expressing alarm even as questions are being raised this morning about how this disturbing development was disclosed to the public last night. in a hastily arranged press conference, the directors of national intelligence and the

fbi announcing that russia and iran have stolen information about american voters in an attempt to meddle in the upcoming u.s. election. >> this data can be used by foreign actors to attempt to communicate false information to registered voters that they hope will cause confusion, sow chaos and undermine your confidence in american democracy. >> reporter: a senior government official familiar with the new intelligence telling abc news, iran and russia were able to target and exploit state and local election databases to obtain voter contact information including names and addresses. >> we are not going to tolerate foreign interference in our elections or any criminal activity that threatens the sanctity of your vote or undermines public confidence in the outcome of the election. >> reporter: abc news has learned some of the new intelligence centers around a series of emails to a number of unknown voters in florida that claim to be from the proud boys who sources say are actually

from iran. an example obtained by abc news reads, we are in possession of all your information. you are currently registered as a democrat. you will vote for trump on election day or we will come after you. one alleged recipient of the email fearing for her safety. >> you first read that somebody has your address and that they would like to come after you. my first thought was like, oh, my god, am i safe? >> reporter: some of the proud boys, an ultra right wing organization which critics have described as racist have embraced trump's re-election. >> trump 2020. >> reporter: a number of intelligence officials believe that framing the proud boys for voter intimidation would reflect poorly on president trump. some democrats disagree. >> i did not get the impression it was aimed at any political figure, and i'm surprised that dni ratcliffe said that at this press conference. it was rather done to undermine confidence in our elections. >> reporter: some critics of ratcliffe are pointing to his

admission of playing politics. authorities are deeply concerned with what the russians might be planning to do with the stolen voter information given their success in the 2016 election. george. >> we know they have been active. okay, pierre, thanks very much. now to tonight's final debate. donald trump, joe biden will take the stage in tennessee. new rules in place. likely the president's last best chance to change the dynamic of this race. mary bruce is on the scene in nashville. good morning, mary. >> reporter: george, good morning. the stage is set here and the stakes are high here tonight after the disastrous first debate, americans are looking for something better, more substance. joe biden's goal tonight is to speak directly to the american people and to do no harm to his campaign while president trump is badly in need of a win. 12 days to go and just hours from now the last best chance to change the direction of this race. >> we're going to win four more years in the white house. >> reporter: down in the polls and on defense, president trump is looking for a badly needed boost after their chaotic first face-off. >> you just -- >> here's the deal. i know a lot more about this than you do.

>> let him finish. >> reporter: the debate commission is trying to prevent a repeat of those interruptions with an unprecedented move -- muting the candidates for two minutes at a time when it's not their turn to answer questions. trump's not happy about it. >> i think the mute is very unfair, and i think it's very bad that they're not talking about foreign affairs. they're supposed to be talking about foreign affairs. >> reporter: but that's not the case. the topics are up to the moderator. ground rules trump agreed to. while the president has been blitzing key battleground states -- >> thank you, arizona, get out and vote. >> reporter: -- joe biden has been laying low off the trail. the former vice president telling our abc news affiliate wisn he knows the debate is going to get ugly. >> he's going to signal that it's all going to be about personal attacks. i'm going to try very hard to focus on the issues that affect the american people and talk to them. >> reporter: and while biden hunkers down in debate prep, he's deploying his biggest heavy hitter out on the campaign trail to energize voters. >> honk if you're fired up. >> reporter: former president barack obama at a drive-in rally

in philadelphia unloading on trump in a blistering rebuke. >> the thing is, this is not a reality show. this is reality. and the rest of us have had to live with the consequences of him proving himself incapable of taking the job seriously. >> reporter: going after his successor on everything from the pandemic to trump's finances and reports that he's allegedly hundreds of millions of dollars in debt and has a chinese bank account. >> listen, can you imagine if i had had a secret chinese bank account when i was running for re-election? do you think fox news might have been a little concerned about that? they would have called me beijing barry. it is not a great idea to have a president who owes a bunch of money to people overseas. >> reporter: now the white house

has not officially commented on those latest allegations and the president insists his debt is, quote, tiny compared to his overall wealth but, george, there is no question tonight is a potentially huge make or break moment for the president but already millions of americans have already decided and 44 million ballots already been cast. >> okay, mary, thanks very much. let's bring that to matthew dowd. mary just made the point, 44 million americans have already voted in this election. so can president trump turn it around tonight? what does he need to do? >> well, it's not only, george, the combination of the people that have already voted but the fact that joe biden is over 50% nationally, over 50% in pennsylvania. over 50% in florida and he's tied here in texas where i am today. i think what i look at is joe biden is like easy listening music and donald trump is like heavy metal and people have settled in right now and they're listening to the easy listening music and joe biden, all he has to do is convince

people you made the right choice, keep listening. donald trump has to convince people to turn the channel from easy listening back to heavy metal when they don't necessarily want heavy metal. that's his problem tonight is he has to convince people that the choice they've already made in this election and maybe not have voted already, they need to come back to him, and that's a tough sell at this point. >> and it won't happen with a repeat of the performance three weeks ago. >> no, the performance three weeks ago made people even more convinced of their choice for joe biden and that's the problem for donald trump. he can't just move undecided voters, george. he has to move people that are already with joe biden that haven't voted, already with joe biden back to donald trump at a time where the country thinks we're off on the wrong track. >> matthew dowd, thanks so much. of course, you'll join us for our complete of the presidential debate tonight. i'm anchoring with our team starting at 8:00 eastern. amy. well, george, now to the latest in the coronavirus emergency. at least 40 states reporting an increase in cases and the cdc is redefining what close contact means for the spread of the coronavirus.

our chief national correspondent matt gutman has the very latest. >> reporter: you're watching yet another patient being wheeled through one of the nation's busiest icu ward, its capacity, 24 beds. >> we probably are averaging on any given day somewhere between 28 to 32 icu patients. >> reporter: abc news got a tour at the billings clinic hospital icu in montana where they've converted offices into hospital rooms and started doubling up on patients. >> we've held people in the operating room until we could get a room open for their care here. >> wow. >> we're taking care of them on the cardiovascular unit. >> there are literally covid patients all over the hospital. >> there are covid patients all over the hospital. yes, correct. >> reporter: covid has made a hard landing in so-called "flyover country." in north dakota just 11% of hospital beds available. researchers at children's hospital of philadelphia forecasting a continued deteriorating situation throughout the mountain states and midwest that is if distancing and mask wearing does not improve. >> i want to remind everyone mask up, illinois.

>> reporter: the governor of illinois shutting down indoor dining at restaurants and bars in some chicago suburbs. in wisconsin today, a new record 48 deaths and in ohio another record, more than 2,300 cases in a single day. hospitalizations climbing in 40 states. in boston, following a surge in the positivity rate, the school district again putting plans on hold to ramp up in-person learning after nearly six of every 100 tested persons tested positive. >> i don't know what my old school looks like. >> reporter: but in places like montana, bars and restaurants were humming wednesday night, no social distancing. and here in billings, it's up to barbara to write a press release for each covid death, though she never knows their names. >> every time i write a press release, i think, oh, my gosh, am i going to be writing the press release that says a woman in her 70s and it's my mother who has passed away. >> reporter: so the cdc has

changed its definition of what close contact means. previously it said that if you spent 15 consecutive minutes with someone who had a confirmed coronavirus case, you were at risk. now they're saying it's 15 cumulative minutes over a 24-hour period meaning, you don't have to just sit next to someone all day in the office, you could pass them by in the hallway multiple times a day and be at risk unless, of course, you're wearing a mask, michael. >> thank you so much for that. now going to turn to the new fallout this morning over the trump administration's child separation policy. a new report shows the parents of more than 500 children separated at the border cannot be found. our chief national affairs correspondent tom llamas joins us now with the latest on this. good morning, tom. >> reporter: michael, good morning to you. we are talking about hundreds of children who not only had to live through the painful experience of being torn from their parents, they're now living in a terrifying limbo. in many cases, according to the

legal documents we've seen, the kids are here in the united states and the parents are somewhere in mexico and central america and no one can find them. this morning, a troubling reality check in the effort to reunite families affected by the trump administration's child separation policy. in a new court filing, the aclu says they have been unable to reach the parents of 545 migrant children taken from their families at the border. >> we have had to go almost door to door to try to find those families because the information the government gave us was largely stale. >> reporter: the department of homeland security describing this as a false narrative and saying, in some cases, the parts -- parents are refusing to reunite with their children. >> it's very sad, the administration wants the families to be reunited. but for various reasons the families have not accepted the children back in many of these cases. >> reporter: but the aclu says that's not a possible explanation saying their organization nor the federal government has even been able to locate these parents. under the trump administration's

zero tolerance policy, mothers and fathers were separated from their children during prosecution for crossing into the u.s. illegally. >> they just took me away and then we can't understand anything because i didn't know the language and i didn't know what was happening in the moment. >> reporter: at 14, james was taken from his mother after they entered the country illegally claiming asylum fleeing a domestic violence danger in their native brazil. jocelyn told me she doesn't like to think about it. she knows families are still separated and the experience still haunts her. she hopes and prays she's eligible for asylum so she can stay in the u.s. with her son. the children who have been separated from their parents are now living with sponsor families here in the u.s. the aclu says because of the pandemic trying to locate these parents in central america and mexico has become even more complicated. amy. >> what a complicated and sad situation, tom, thank you.

turning now to that critical danger in the west. overnight, a new wildfire erupting in colorado as more than 30 infernos burn across the west right now. ginger is tracking the very latest for us, good morning, ginger. >> amy, colorado's epic fire season grew again overnight. they burned more than 450,000 acres just this season. that is larger than the size of houston and houston is a big city. look at this. that's the east troublesome fire now 19,000 acres and 10% contained. grand lake, colorado, one of the communities that had to evacuate. you see someone there trying to view the fire before they got out. well, i want to share with you that you are going to have more problems today because from red flag warnings in colorado and utah back to california, gusts could go up to 50 miles per hour, george. >> okay, ginger, thanks very much. we're going to go overseas and stunning news from pope francis coming out in favor of same-sex civil unions for gay

couples signaling a new direction for the catholic church. james longman is in vatican city with the details. good morning, james. >> reporter: yeah, good morning, george. it sent shock waves around the world. the pope for the first time in the church's history has voiced his support for same-sex civil unions. in a new documentary pope francis is quoted as saying homosexual people have a right to be in a family. they are children of god. we have to create a civil union law, that way they are legally covered. now he has said similar things in the past, but never as explicitly and never as pope. it's a major departure from the position of the vatican's own teachings. the emphasis on the legitimacy of gay families is also notable although conservative catholics who rebelled before are calling for clarity. it's important to say that we're not talking about marriage nor has pope francis given any formal announcement but this is a big moment for those who want to see a more modern church, michael. >> big moment indeed, james. thank you so much. now to the world series and the tampa bay rays striking back overnight evening up the series with the dodgers in game two. the rays were powered by two home runs from second baseman

brandon lowe, striking in the first inning. and again he knocked it out of the park in the fifth. the rays winning the game, 6-4, and game three friday night. we're following a lot of other headlines this morning, including breonna taylor's boyfriend who is speaking out to abc news, after michael's exclusive with one of the officers involved in the operation. we're going to talk about what he says happened that night. then carpooling in the ages of coronavirus. expert advice to reduce your risk of getting infected. first let's go back to ginger. >> amy, from the new mexico fires to colorado, some good news, some moisture coming this this weekend. both in the way of rain and snow. your local weather in 30 seconds. first, the snowy cities sponsored by amazon.

good morning. i'm abc7 news meteorologist mike nicco. yep, we're under a fire threat once again until 8:00 tomorrow morning. a stronger more widespread event for sunday night, especially monday. that will usher in, though, our coolest temperatures of the season next week. today, 70s and 80s. while not as warm as yesterday, still above average. 40s and 50s tonight. look at the cloud cover sneaking up the coast. we appreciate you starting your morning with us. stay right there because we will be right back. stay right there because we will be right back. because we will be right back. this is hal. this is hal's heart. your morning with us. stay right there because we will be right back. and put back together.

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and good morning. i'm reggie aqui from abc7 news. morin county stopped their in-class learning weeks after reopening because of what the principal is calling disturbing news. back in june four students tested possible active for covid. that followed a sleepover. now, morin catholic is closed because another large party happened last weekend. the principal says there are no covid cases. they plan to resume hybrid learning next week. taxpayers will spend $30 million to fix san francisco's leaning millennium tower. there's a report that the

overall settlement comes to $100 million. the money's going to pay for 5 2 pylons to be drilled in because of the leaning.

hey, good morning. let's take a look from the east bay hills camera. you can see the cooling trend along the coast. look at the cloud cover oozing over san francisco. that's the biggest threat. we have critical fires spreading throughout the neighborhoods across the coast. temperatures will really tumble starts this week. we'll have morning clouds and limited afternoon sunshine. our strongest winds and greatest fire threat is going to be

monday morning. reggie? coming.

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dad! it's on the mcdonald's 123 dollar menu. get all your breakfast faves for a few bucks. ♪ i'm gonna stand by you welcome back to "gma." that is a view of lake charles, louisiana, all that destruction after two hurricanes just six weeks apart. there's still so much damage to clean up, so much rebuilding to be done, and robin is there. in lake charles this morning. good morning, robin. >> good morning to you, george. that one-two punch from hurricanes laura and delta in the middle of a pandemic has left such devastation here. i can't begin to tell you what i've already seen. i'm here at st. louis catholic high school. this gym building has been here for 90 years and on the outside it looks like everything is fine, but as you know looks can be deceiving. i want to take you inside so you can take a look at the gym floor, how it has buckled. how -- it's like wooden waves and this gym holds so many

memories for so many people and this is just -- it's just part of the devastation all around this region. but you know what, there are a lot of hometown heroes that are lifting each other up on that long road back and we're going to share their stories with you throughout the morning, michael. >> a lot of heroes down there, robin. you are right about that. we can't wait to come back to you with more in our next hour. but first, we have more fallout from the breonna taylor case. breonna's boyfriend, kenneth walker, speaking out this morning after our abc news/"courier-journal" exclusive. after we had one of the officers involved in her shooting death. alex perez has the latest. good morning, alex. >> reporter: hey. good morning, michael. kenneth walker was the only other person in the apartment with breonna that night. he says he thought intruders were trying to break in. this morning, kenneth walker, breonna taylor's boyfriend, is

speaking out just hours after one of the officers involved in the shooting told abc news and the "courier-journal" that police did announce themselves at the door. >> she had been sleeping, and i was kind of dozing off. there was a loud bang at the door. >> reporter: that bang, as we now know, was officers executing a search warrant. >> she was scared to death as was i. >> reporter: walker says they never heard police announce themselves. >> she is still saying who is it the whole time. i'm saying who is it now? it's too late for anybody to be knocking on the door. so i grabbed my gun, then we proceed to go answer the door, and when we get right in the doorway of the bedroom, the door flies open. >> reporter: one of the people rushing through that door, sergeant jonathan mattingly, who told michael in that abc news/"courier-journal" exclusive interview that the officers had identified themselves and that when he entered the dark apartment, he saw two figures in the hallway. >> and as soon as i turn the corner, my eyes went straight to the barrel of this gun. >> reporter: investigators say walker, who legally owned his gun, fired one shot striking mattingly in the leg, a claim

walker disputes. >> protect breonna, protect myself, that's what was going through my head, so i let out one shot, you know, at the ground figuring it's intruders or somebody trying to break in and harm us. >> reporter: mattingly and two other officers returning fire, 32 shots in total fatally striking taylor. >> we were doing our job, and we returned fire. this is not us going hunting somebody down. >> i don't know what's happening. somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend. >> reporter: a grand jury charged one of the then-officers on the scene, brett hankison, with wanton endangerment of taylor's neighbors, pleading not guilty, but no one was charged in connection to taylor's death. walker this morning responding directly to the officers. >> regardless if the people

responsible for her murder get charged or not, they got to live with that and feel that every day. >> reporter: and the judge has given grand jurors permission to talk publicly about the case. one juror has come forward to say they were never given homicide charges to consider. michael. >> i'm sure there's a lot more to come out in the future, alex. thank you so much for that. amy? michael, turning now to the short form streaming service quibi. the start-up is shutting down after just six months in operation. t.j. holmes is here with more on what went wrong for the platform that attracted some big celebrity names and nearly $2 billion in investments. t.j. >> reporter: you said it there, robach. big names, we're talking about dwayne johnson, j. lo, idris elba, kevin hart all contributed to quibi, and it didn't just have big names but buzz. this was the hot new thing in hollywood. a short form but now stunningly short-lived streaming service. it was the steaming service meant to change entertainment. quibi hoping to hook mobile users by offering five to ten-minute quick bites of content. the short-form clips backed by superstars like chrissy teigen

who hosted "chrissy's court." >> this is chrissy's court. >> reporter: a "punk'd" reboot starring chance the rapper -- >> get out now. >> reporter: -- and dozens of award-winning famous faces. sophie turner, liam hemsworth and "the marvelous mrs. maisel's" rachel brosnahan. >> can you make it out of gold? >> reporter: some of that original content cost upwards of $100,000 per minute to produce, and this morning, the billion dollar business has gone belly-up shutting down after only six months. >> i'll be there in a quibi. >> a what? >> a quibi. less than ten minutes. >> reporter: the streaming service launched in april backed by a who's who of hollywood power players like steven spielberg, queen latifah and reese witherspoon. but the a-list talent wasn't enough to save the service. ceos jeffrey katzenberg and meg whitman announced the shutdown and apologized to investors and employees. the executives acknowledged that maybe the platform

wasn't destined for success because the idea itself wasn't strong enough to justify a stand-alone streaming service or because of our timing, adding, we suspect it's been a combination of the two. according to "the wall street journal," the company has been riddled with problems from lack of viewership to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit for violating patents. still, how is it that with so much star power, quibi, the billion-dollar promise, could possibly flop? >> it's not enough to have stars. it's not enough to have original content. you need to be very aware of what the market will hold, what your audience is, what they're willing to pay. what are they watching? what are they talking about? ♪ you ain't seen nothing like this ♪ >> and they tried to find a buyer, but part of that problem is giving all these sweet deals to celebrities, they didn't keep the content. quibi doesn't own any of this stuff, so that's a problem. how is this supposed to work? ten minutes of content. you're supposed to look at it on your way to work, on your commute in the subway.

they launched during a pandemic. you're at home. >> people had a lot more than ten minutes on their hands. >> maybe a good idea but bad timing? >> thank you, t.j. we have a health warning now about carpooling in the age of covid. officials in at least two states caution that sharing a ride could increase your chances of catching the coronavirus. our transportation correspondent gio benitez has the details. good morning, gio. >> reporter: hey, good morning. yeah, this is something a lot of us don't even think about, but there are specific things that you could be doing to make sure the ride is safe and this morning, we're talking to the experts. whether it's getting the kids to practice or school or commuting to work with colleagues, carpooling is a popular option, but is it safe in the time of covid? >> they're shedding virus in their mouth and their nose and they're speaking and talking and in a small car, that individual is certainly going to transmit virus to the members of that car. >> reporter: experts advise on how to make it less risky. experts say just lowering the window isn't enough. you also have to mask up. and while wearing a mask is key there are other ways to cut some

risks like staying in the same carpool cluster. >> your additional contacts lead to potential risk. so, if you maintain the same contacts, you will reduce your own risk and the risk is of spreading to others. >> reporter: the cdc also recommends setting the air-conditioning or heat in the car on non-recirculation mode. this way you're bringing fresh air inside the car to dilute any possible virus particles in the air and make sure to use hand sanitizer or wash your hands after leaving the car. the same guidelines also apply for ride shares. but the cdc adds when in a ride share sit as far as possible from the driver, like in the rear seat diagonally across from the driver. >> when we think about the way we're preventing transmission it's not just one or the other, it's a multilayered strategy. >> reporter: so, again, if you're carpooling just try to stick with the same group of people. don't mix it up, and if you decide to drink some water or eat some snacks, listen, amy. you know this right now it is perfectly acceptable not to share.

>> sounds good. that's my plan, gio. i'm not sharing. thank you. coming up next, caught on camera. a kayaker's terrifying encounter with a 13-foot great white shark. his friend seeing it on his drone. he was too far away to help so what did the kayaker do that saved his life? saved his life? we live in uncertain times. however, there is one thing you can be certain of. the men and woman of the united states postal service. we are here to deliver your cards, packages and prescriptions. and also deliver the peace of mind knowing that what's important to you-like your ballot-is on its way. every day, all across america, we deliver for you. and we always will. i'm a talking dog. the other issue. oh...i'm scratching like crazy. you've got some allergic itch with skin inflammation. apoquel can work on that itch in as little as 4 hours,

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colgate total. antibacterial protection for a healthier mouth. largest catastrophe response teams, state farm will always be among the first to arrive and the last to leave. to help show that human nature is greater than nature. like a good neighbor, state farm is there.® woman: after covid, my hours got so we can't pay our bills. and now our family budget is gonna be hit hard with prop 15. the yes on 15 ads say it only raises taxes on big corporations. that's not true - we're all going to pay. $11 billion in new property taxes will get passed on to small businesses and farms. they'll raise prices... ...higher gas, health care, food...even day care. we can't make ends meet now. families can't afford 15. no on prop 15. we are back now with that terrifying close encounter with we are back now with that terrifying close encounter with

a 13-foot great white shark. you could see the fin circling a kayaker as his friend captures the moment on his drone, but that friend is too far away to help. victor oquendo joins us now with this incredible story. good morning, victor. >> reporter: good morning, michael. this man's friend said he saw that shark coming on the drone but was too far away to warn him. matthew smith just out fishing for snapper when he got a little more than he bargained for. >> holy [ bleep ]. holy [ bleep ]. >> reporter: this morning, the close encounter with a great white caught on camera. >> i just looked next to me and the shark was just gliding past looking straight at me. >> reporter: there wasn't much else matthew smith could do besides yell at that monster shark circling his tiny kayak. he was fishing for snapper off new south wales, australia, a camera attached to his kayak capturing the tense moments. his friend happened to be flying a drone nearby helplessly watching it play out in realtime. this was the split decision that may have saved his life. smith noticing the shark's

interest in the anchor attached to the back of the kayak. >> you can have it. >> reporter: he released it into the water and the shark took off. others in australia not so lucky. seven people have died from shark attacks so far this year. phil mummert escaping death in western australia this summer after a 16-foot shark chomped through his surfboard and part of his leg. >> yeah, i just grabbed that board with both hands and was just shoving it into its mouth just trying to kind of hold it in there because i figured that if he was biting on that board then he wasn't biting on me. >> reporter: while very rare, these shark encounters are on the rise across the globe including the united states, partly because of an increase in the population of their prey. >> as it recovers, you know, it's re-establishing its historic range and when you mix that with the recovery of the seal and a lot more people in the water, particularly in wet suits swimming around seals, now suddenly we look like their food

and we are swimming amongst their food, and so occasionally they'll make a mistake. >> reporter: now, if you're out kayaking and a shark approaches do your best to stay calm. don't start paddling frantically and this is easier said than done, but if it were to attack, you have that paddle, try whacking it across the snout. the chance of this happening are very rare. michael. >> impossible for me because i won't be in the ocean. but i can tell you, the whole report, amy is sitting there like this. >> aaagh. >> very terrifying to watch. >> oh, my gosh. >> he was smart to let go of the anchor. just untie the anchor. >> whoo, all right. i love it. the chance is zero. coming up next, this will put a smile on all of our faces with our "play of the day." ♪ ♪ ♪

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and measure rr helps essential workers like me get to work and keep our communities healthy. relieve traffic. reduce pollution. rescue caltrain. [all] yes on measure rr. ♪ we are back now with our "play of the day" and perfect song for this story. a california woman who took on her husband's wager and guess what, she crushed it. makenna myler's husband bet $100 and she took it on, and crushed that bet by 2 1/2 minutes. and crossed the mile marker at 5 minutes 25 seconds. an avid runner. makenna hits the track five or six times a week throughout her pregnancy. for anyone who is wondering, two doctors have cleared her running and her running program specifically, and i love this. proving once again that moms just get it done. the video racking up over

3.4 million views on tiktok and we have an awesome update. makenna gave birth on tuesday to a healthy baby girl so congratulations and, wow. >> i heard the girl is already running. >> i heard the baby came out running. that is amazing. >> we're tracking each other today. >> look at you two. >> that's absolutely amazing, though. >> it is. i'm happy if i get in the 7s. more power to her. love it. coming up, from strong women to gulf coast strong, robin is live in lake charles, louisiana. she's highlighting some of the hometown heroes who are banding together to rebuild their hard hit community after the record-breaking hurricane season there. we'll be right back. season there. we'll be right back. back off! you're not welcome here! get out of my face! hpv can cause certain cancers when your child grows up. get in its way. hpv can affect males and females... and there's no way to predict who will or won't clear the virus. but you can help protect your child by taking a first step. the cdc recommends hpv vaccination at age 11 or 12

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i can't. there's never been more divisiveness in this country. it's frightening and sad. that was trump's whole thing, you know, take the politics out of it and run it like one of his businesses. i know people were looking for that kind of change, but it's not working. you know, we've only gotten more in debt, we have this virus now out of control, people out of work, no healthcare. how is that helping people? we need someone that knows what they're doing, and i think it's biden. i know he will listen to the experts. that's what we need. i trust him 100% to get this under control. he has the capability to bring us back together. i'm joe biden, and i approve this message. and a little thing i love about the chick-fil-a nuggets he has the capability to bring us back together.

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welcome back to "gma." a quick snow in montana. four to five inches already adding up. some of it on those fall leaves. well, there is more where that came from. it's moving east too along the state line of north dakota/south dakota right through minnesota and wisconsin. coming up, robin and rob back in louisiana. i know we've been there a couple of times this season and they are highlighting hometown heroes who are rebuilding their community. remember, lake charles, one of those places hit twice. this segment sponsored by chick-fil-a. -- charles, one of those pl who's supporting prop 15? joe biden. biden says, "every kid deserves a quality education and every family deserves to live in a safe, healthy community. that's why i support prop. 15." vote yes. schools and communities first is responsible for the contents of this ad.

who'sgovernor gavin newsom. the governor says prop 15 is, "fair, phased-in, and long overdue reform", that "will exempt small businesses and residential property owners." join governor newsom. vote yes on 15. "good morning america" is sponsored by progressive insurance. save when you bundle auto, home or motorcycle insurance. ve when you bundle auto, home or motorcycle insurance.

good morning. i'm reggie aqui from abc7. happening today, people will come together to watch the presidential debate even during the pandemic in san francisco. they'll be doing it in their cars. it's a drive-in held in ft. mason. this is where drive-in movies were held over the summer. organizers believe this is the first ever drive-in debate in the city. tickets cost $35 to $65 and you do have to order them online in advance. all right. we're under a fire threat once again. check out the areas in red. new areas, places like peninsula coast and daly city through 8:00 tomorrow morning. temperatures cooler, 60s around the coast, 70s up the coast, and

80s inland. look at this. 60s and 70s. autumn is coming, reggie? >> we'll see how the community is rebuilding, and they

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. election warning. the u.s. director of national intelligence announces russia and iran have stolen american voter data getting access to names, addresses and more trying to influence the election. also this morning, the stage is set. the last debate between president trump and joe biden, the president on a nonstop campaign blitz to battleground states slamming the new rules attempting to prevent those relentless interruptions. biden hunkering down in debate prep while former president obama hits the trail for him. ♪ i got bills a special "deals & steals" morning. solutions for working from home. getting a good night's sleep and one of our biggest deals this morning, 18 full size products in one amazing deal. ♪ cause i'm gonna stand by you and "gma" is gulf coast strong. the region slammed by two major

hurricanes in the past few months. this morning, we're live in louisiana to say you are not forgotten. >> the people that have come through this line, they're resilient. they have hope. >> the people who have come together to rebuild. the hometown heroes going above and beyond and how you could help. plus, the big "gma" live surprise ahead. as we say from lake charles, louisiana -- >> all: good morning, america! >> whoo. good morning, america. we hope you're doing well on this thursday morning. >> and this morning robin and rob are live in lake charles, louisiana. good morning you two. >> we're glad to be here. part of the country i love and know well, grew up in the mississippi gulf coast, went to college in southeastern louisiana university, lion up. you worked here in lake charles. >> many years ago but lifelong friends here still. >> you had a good home cooked meal last night. >> some good gumbo.

>> we know, we know how resilient and hard working the people in this region are and this historic hurricane season when you think about this, rob, it's such a large area. we're talking about east texas all the way to southwest louisiana and in any other year two hurricanes hitting an area within six weeks would still be in the headlines but we know this is not a normal year. >> no, it's not. as you said i lived here and know this town, know this community, a community of faith, family and, boy, they like to have fun but it hasn't been that way the past two month, pandemic, hurricane, resurgence of the pandemic, another hurricane, even this self-reliant community needs help. this historic high school, st. louis catholic high school just came back to school yesterday. classrooms way too damaged. they're now in trailers. such a long road to recovery. >> hometown heroes. so many hometown heroes helping out and we'll share that and a lot more coming up, amy. >> we cannot wait for that. we could all use inspiration today. thank you.

with less than two weeks to go we want to get to the warning about russia and iran meddling in the election. our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas is in washington with the very latest on those threatening emails targeting american voters. good morning, pierre. >> reporter: amy, good morning, iran and russia now accused of illegally gaining access to voter registration files in a covert effort to influence the upcoming u.s. election. in a hastily arranged press conference, the directors of national intelligence and the fbi announcing that russia and iran have stolen information about american voters in an attempt to meddle in the upcoming u.s. election. >> we are not going to tolerate foreign interference in our elections or any criminal activity that threatens the sanctity of your vote or undermines public confidence in the outcome of the election. >> reporter: a senior government official familiar with the new intelligence telling abc news that iran and russia were able to target and exploit state and local election databases to obtain voter contact information

including names and addresses. abc news has learned some of the new intelligence says they claim to be from the proud boys who sources say are actually from iran. an example obtained by abc news reads, we are in possession of all your information. you are currently registered as a democrat. you will vote for trump on election day or we will come after you. one alleged recipient of the email fearing for her safety. >> you first read that somebody has your address and that they would like to come after you, my first thought was like, oh, my god, am i safe? >> reporter: even as iran is suspected in the effort to frame the proud boys, senior officials told us last night that russia is also in a dangerous ongoing threat situation. intelligence officials racing for what they might try, george. >> they have never stopped. okay, pierre. thanks very much. the stage is set for the debate. in nashville, tennessee,

donald trump and joe biden are going to take the stage. new rules are in place. this is likely the president's last best chance to change the dynamic of the race. i want to go back to mary bruce in nashville. good morning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, george. well after their disastrous first debate americans tonight are hoping for something better, for some more substance. joe biden's goal tonight is try to talk directly to the american people and do no harm to his campaign while president trump is badly in need of a win. 12 days to go and just hours from now the last best chance to change the direction of this race. >> we're going to win four more years in the white house. >> reporter: down in the polls and on defense, president trump is looking for a badly needed boost after their chaotic first face-off. >> you just don't -- >> here's the deal. i know a lot more. >> you don't -- >> let him finish. >> reporter: the debate commission is trying to prevent a repeat of those interruptions with an unprecedented move muting the candidates for two minutes at a time when it's not their turn to answer questions. trump not happy about it.

>> i think the muting is very unfair. >> reporter: the president has been blitzing key battleground states. >> thank you, arizona. get out and vote. >> reporter: while biden hunkers down in debate prep, he's deploying his biggest heavy hitter out on the campaign trail to energize voters. >> honk if you're fired up. >> reporter: former president barack obama at a drive-in rally in philadelphia. unloading on trump in a blistering rebuke. >> the thing is, this is not a reality show. this is reality. and the rest of us have had to live with the consequences of him proving himself incapable of taking the job seriously. >> reporter: now while tonight's debate does have the potential to be a pretty big make or break moment millions of americans of course have already decided and made up their minds, 44 million ballots already cast. george. >> nearly a third of the total vote in 2016, okay, mary, thanks very much. we'll have complete coverage tonight. i'm anchoring with our team starting at 8:00 eastern. and coming up, super bowl champ patrick mahomes is sharing

some big news. >> great guy. also this morning, tory johnson is back with amazing problem solvers this week for "deals & steals." simple solutions with super savings. now we'll go back to robin and rob. yeah, because we're here in louisiana with a look at the toll this hurricane season has taken along the gulf coast and the unbreakable community spirit is here as well. >> you know our viewers want to help. we will show you exactly how to do that when "gma" comes back. stay right there. ♪ 'cause i'm gonna stand by you ♪ subaru presents...the underdogs. older. physically challenged. these remarkable dogs will never slow you down. in fact, they're probably wondering if you can keep up with them. subaru loves all pets. so we're asking you to please consider adopting an underdog. and join us in celebrating all dogs on our second annual national make a dog's day. subaru. more than a car company.

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♪ ♪ uber and lyft are like every big guy i've ever brought down. prop 22 doesn't "help" their drivers-- it denies them benefits. 22 doesn't help women. it actually weakens sexual harassment laws, which are meant to protect them. uber and lyft aren't even required to investigate sexual harassment claims. i agree with the la times: no on 22. uber and lyft want all the power. so, show them the real power is you. vote no on prop 22. ♪ i'm gonna stand by you welcome back to "gma" on this thursday morning. robin is down in lake charles, louisiana. hey, robin. >> i met kevin, michael, yes, i met your friend that you've

known since he's been 9 years old. we're socially distanced, but he is here and he wanted to give a big shoutout to you, michael, because we are gulf coast strong this morning. the people who live here are so dynamic. they're dealing with the devastation left behind after two hurricanes on top of the pandemic as you know and we want them to know they're not forgotten. we have their incredible stories coming up in just a few moments but you do not have to wait any longer for "pop news" with lara. good morning, lara. good morning, robin. great to see you down there. good morning to all of you. we're going to get going right now with the great burt reynolds and the comedy "smokey and the bandit." remember that one? 1977 was the year it was a smash hit co-starring sally field, jackie gleason, well, that movie is getting a reboot. this time with comedian seth mcfarlane and danny mcbride behind the wheel teaming up with "pineapple express" director to adapt the movie to a tv series. green saying of the project, quote, a legacy of these

characters is a playground of swagger and sass that i am excited to dig into. i could not agree more. no word yet on who will play which role but no surprise this is happening. smokey was a monster hit second only to a little film called "star wars." looking forward to that reboot. also this morning, super bowl champ patrick mahomes sharing big news with the world. he is going to be a girl dad. the mvp quarterback sharing the great news alongside his fiancee brittany matthews in this adorable video on instagram. the reveal included some friends, confetti, dogs walking down a runway with pink paws. the high school sweethearts are over the moon about the news. mahomes writing simply, my heart as his instagram caption and commenting #girldad on brittany's post. the couple has had an exciting couple of months. he popped the question to

matthews at the beginning of september after the super bowl ring ceremony you'll remember, then they announced their baby news at the end of september and now this great news, congratulations to patrick and brittany. what a great couple. finally, comedian tiffany jenkins is taking on a subject most moms have never had to deal with. ♪ until we started homeschooling, and teaching to our kindergar n gartne gartne gartene garteners. you know the words that look like one word and sound like another. let's take a look. >> the problem is see this "k" in the front, doesn't exist. just pretend it's not there. that "w" on the end, gone. who needs it. ignore the first and last and say the two middle ones. no. do you know what i mean? what about this one? one. kids are just supposed to know this "o" sounds like a "w." i don't think so. it's not two.

i think someone wanted to add pizazz to it so put that right in the middle for no reason, you know what i mean. i'm not trying to be dramatic but if sight words had a face, i would punch it. >> jenkins says her son was sounding out the words as he saw them and dawned on her how weird the english language is. most important in that post she says she has a newfound respect for the jobs that teachers do with all of our kids. thank you, tiffany, for that. robin, i'll send it back to you in louisiana. >> all right, lara, thank you. we have our "gma" cover story right now because rob and i both know that the people here in lake charles, louisiana, are no stranger to hurricanes or hard work but this year it's a blue collar town, you know, really they get after it and they were already struggling with the economic impact of the pandemic when the storms, plural, storms came along. one after another and now they need help to rebuild.

august 27th. >> oh my god. >> reporter: hurricane laura crashing ashore in louisiana as a category 4. bringing with her 150-mile-per-hour winds. and leaving behind a ravaged region with more than two dozen people dead. communities near the breaking point, pushed closer to the edge. but mother nature was not done yet. just six weeks later another hurricane, this one named delta. smaller but no less severe, combined the two storms causing an estimated $8.7 billion in insured losses. an unimaginable loss for so many in this hard working community. in addition to having to face the pandemic. now, they're coming together to clean up after all this catastrophic damage that has been left behind and their hope

is to not be forgotten. >> we got to do what we got to do and, you know, it's like my nerves are a little shaken and everything, but i'm prayerful. >> reporter: a large number of homes in this area were uninsured and many with deductibles so high that the community is struggling to get back on its feet. >> not really one house in this particular neighborhood that hadn't been affected. >> what are your most immediate needs? >> probably for our lower income, some of them don't have insurance, some of them can't afford the high deductibles that they'll pay for their insurance so hopefully they can get some type of assistance either from the federal government or from private sources. we want our community back the way it was. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: thousands of families packing their cars and lining up for warm meals. >> any kind of help you can give is a miracle. especially for this area.

>> reporter: it's a monumental effort made possible by essential volunteers. kelly jackson is one of them. what do you say to america about not forgetting when people are in need? >> say, help as much as you can. there are people here who haven't forgotten about you. >> move on down. >> reporter: leida robinson has been volunteering for two months. >> from what i've witnessed from the people that have come through this line, they're resilient. they are people that are striving to help one another in unity. >> if you need something let us know, okay? that's right. that's right. >> one day at a time. >> that's what we're doing at lake charles. you see it all across town. >> reporter: what you also see across town from rooftop to rooftop are those unmistakable blue fema tarps signaling help is still needed here. sheriff tony mancuso take me through the hard-hit neighborhood of autumn run where cement foundations are the only remainder of homes that once stood. >> that's just gone.

>> yeah. you know what, we don't know that these people have the right coverage and, you know, a lot of people are suffering with insurance companies right now and -- >> yourself included. >> myself included and it's frustrating. that's the challenges that we have ahead of us now. dealing with our insurance companies, having enough workforce here to rebuild and dealing with just everyday problem, covid and whatever else is thrown at us in the next, you know, few months. >> reporter: no matter what life may throw them, these people will remain as always southwest louisiana strong. >> love has no color. love see no color. just reaching out and being there to support each other in this time of need. >> reporter: and it's that spirit of the people that never ceases to amaze but, rob, we both know they have a long road ahead of them. >> you know what i love about the mascot? it's an angel, a saint but has a black eye which means they get knocked down but they come right back up starting to line up for drop-off and the kids coming back for the second time since

the hurricanes struck and need our help. so many lost homes in the hurricanes, jobs, because of the pandemic, so this morning we are encouraging our viewers to donate to feeding america's hurricane disaster relief which supports food banks in southwest louisiana and eastern texas and if you want to donate you can go to feedingamerica.org/gma or just scan the qr code you see on the screen with your phone and it will take you right there. couldn't be easier. i know our viewers want to help. >> we do have a little bit of a surprise in addition to that, just a little bit coming up. >> it's going to be good. >> ginger, ginger, we are thinking about you. we know that you're here in spirit as well. good morning. i am and i've been down there along the gulf coast three times already this season, that tells you how epic it's been. this map does too. we've already had 16 billion plus dollar disasters in just this year, in just the first nine months so that ties with the most ever in 2011 and 2017.

you can see many of them here on the map, weather and climate disasters that have been an issue and so many other places that need help including iowa like cedar rapids from that derecho and so many in oregon and california from the fires. hope to help good morning. i'm abc7 news meteorologist mike nicco. yep, we're under a fire threat once again until 8:00 tomorrow morning. a stronger more widespread event for sunday night, especially monday. that will usher in, though, our coolest temperatures of the season next week. today, 70s and 80s. while not as warm as yesterday, still above average. 40s and 50s tonight. look at the cloud cover sneaking up the coast. now to "deals & steals" to make your life easier. in just a moment we'll show you our highly anticipated discover

the deal box, but first, let's get to the other savings and don't forget you can get them all by pointing your camera at that qr code on the screen. or the skp tory and amy, let's get started. >> we'll start with tory, a lot of people working from home. they may have those stiff legs, well, the vim & vigr compression socks are a great solution, yes? >> yes, you're absolutely right, amy. this is compression socks that actually are stylish so not only are they functional and they'll do the job to alleviate achiness, swelling, they're just good all around because the compression starts at the ankle and then works its way up and they're 50% off today. a big selection that's $18. >> amazing. now, this next deal, brow solutions by benefit, i love. i use every day. tell us what the savings is on these. >> so this is an awesome one. always highly anticipated among "gma" viewers because these are the easiest fastest kind of quickest way to get perfect fuller voluminous, whatever it

is you're looking for in your brows, there is a solution for you from benefit for brows and mascara. lots to choose from. we have all of their shades as well, and it's all 50% off, so $12 to $17. >> michael, ever get some sore muscles, stiff joints from football days? >> every once in a while but doesn't keep me from doing that. >> all right. well, we could even get you moving with this next product. tell us about what this massaging weighted heating pad is here. feels nice. >> so you said it, amy. those four words, weighted massaging heating pad. kind of that says everything that we need to know. it's awesome for just relaxation, soothing aches and muscles. it's four-pound weighted heating pad so adds just the right amount of pressure and six speeds to control the heat and massaging, great option for relaxation and 50% off at $30. >> if i get one of those i'm really sore.

that looks really good. >> need to keep michael dancing. i understand you'll help us get a jump on thing. >> yes, well played, well played. weather is getting cold and last thing you need is get to your car and it won't start. jumpstart helps with that, right, tory? >> it does. it will charge up to an eight cylinder battery. so that means most cars, suvs, trucks, motorcycles, even a boat and a lawn mower will be taken care of with this. all kinds of built-in safety functions, this is a great one for every car to have. you can never go wrong when you've got safety ready to go and it's 50% off so it's $60. >> definitely like that. >> one problem that so many people have especially us, myself, amy, anybody else who has to wake up this early is getting a good night sleep but these band, they really help. >> this is a pretty special product. it's called the hoomband, a

headband designed specifically to use while you are in bed to help you fall asleep faster. it's got built-in very thin bluetooth speakers, a breathable fabric, you'll get access to an app that has all kinds of meditation, hypnotic stories, ambient sounds, white noise, all the things to help you fall asleep faster and 50% off, it's $35. >> that's so clever. >> amy, you ever have problems your sheets moving around on your bed. >> all the time, michael. >> tell me about it. i can't stand it. you know what, somebody is going to help us. we have sheet holders from bed scrunchy. these are clever, tory. >> think about this as a big belt to put around your mattress. it will give you those perfect -- you know when you go into a hotel bed the sheets are tight and snug and feel comfortable. that's what this will do no matter what size mattress you have or what size sheets this is the product for you. it's slashed in half, $20 and then finally we've got our

discover the deal box, this is an awesome one. 18 full size products, everyone loves to treat themselves, that's a winner you'll find online. >> discover the deal boxes called the pamper me edition. thank you so much. you always bring us the greatest deals and always great to see you, by the way. we've partnered with these companies on these great deals. you can get them by heading directly to our website and now we'll go back to robin and rob. hey, you two. i'm with my partner, rob, and it's a drop-off here at the high school and they're staying distant. >> impressive. >> it really is impressive, and what is impressive is the community spirit after the aftermath of the disaster, and we have a few surprises for them as well. >> stay right there. we'll be right back. right there. we'll be right back.

a surprise police crackdown has led to san jose changing a popular program allowing diners to dine outdoors. many restaurants will be able to serve until midnight as part of san jose's al fresco program. that could change this weekend. san jose hopes to expand the al fresco program past december december 31st and into next year. hi, everybody. winds are starting to pick up on the marine layer. that will heighttown fire alert. you see the red flag warning

through 8:00 tomorrow morning. for some new places like peninsula coast, pacific is daly city, half moon bay also. we're going to have a greater ♪ i got it all from you ♪ i'm always pushing through ♪ i know we'll make it to the finish line ♪ ♪ i know you're waiting on the other side ♪ ♪ i'm like you on-demand glucose monitoring. because they're always on. another life-changing technology from abbott. so you don't wait for life. you live it.

hey, everybody. live from kelly and ryan is coming up. >> that's at 9:00. >> we'll have another abc news update in 30 minutes.

you can find more on our abc p news app and ♪ we can find a way to break through ♪ welcome back, everybody. want to thank you for being with us this morning. as we shine light on gulf coast communities still dealing with the aftermath of multiple hurricanes that hit the region this year. >> that's right so let's go back down to robin and rob in lake charles, louisiana. hey, guys. >> we are here, guys, with some of the students of st. louis catholic high school. they are smizing. they are smizing. don't worry. we have the tape out. we have our masks on taking all the protocols but even in the middle of a pandemic and aftermath of two hurricanes the community has really rallied and, rob, you met some of those wonderful hometown heros. >> great volunteers. a lot of these kids volunteered to help out their teachers and fix their hopes before they got to their own.

we see that all around this area. this is the epitome of gulf coast strong. they are coming together to help each other. sometimes when they've even lost everything themselves. take a look. >> every day we cook, i'm talking about every single day. my girlfriend will be like, we need a break but i knew in my heart people needed to eat. >> restaurant owner antonio duon helping to feed this close knit community in the wake of hurricane laura and hurricane delta. >> my plan was to cut trees but i noticed people were hungry. there was nothing to eat. a lot of people stayed thinking it wasn't going to be as bad. it was really bad. it was devastating. >> people eating fresh cooked food on site. >> reporter: antonio prioritizing his neighbors in need despite his own losses. >> it blew out the other side over there. and it took off the back wall. >> antonio was somebody willing to put his house to the side and worry about taking care of other people.

>> reporter: joining him all across the region a network of chefs, residents and an army of volunteers supporting their community with fresh food and vital supplies. >> y'all have a good one. >> reporter: it was an immediate response to the overwhelming need. the hurricane season adding an extra strain to the already stressed food bank network. >> we're handing out cleaning supplies, nonperishable food items. diapers, wet wipes, hygiene. >> reporter: nonprofit director jody farnum converting her food pantry and thrift store into a disaster relief site in the aftermath of hurricane laura. >> it was hot. it was humid. there was no way to get water. and people just started helping and the next thing you know, you know, we were handing out thousands of pounds of food and supplies. >> the amount of people that called and was donating items, the trucks started rolling in. we had no clue we would become that big of a distribution center. >> jody, four employees as well as 28 members of the national

guard living in cots and air mattresses at the center as she and her staff faced their own uncertainty back home. >> it's just hard to believe that we were facing such a disaster and all of us too were affected also. >> reporter: despite losing her own home to the powerful winds of laura, jody finding solace in lending a helping hand for others like mr. james who also lost his home in the storm. >> we couldn't do it if it wasn't for the community. the food donations, the monetary donations, that helps us help mr. james. that helps let him know that he's going to make it to the next time, you know, the next day, it's going to get better. it gives him hope. it just gives him hope. >> i just love that spirit. we are here with some of the incredible people that are doing just that. they are helping people before they help themselves. this community come together like i've never seen. so honored to meet you guys.

>> it is an honor to meet them and jody who you met in rob's piece, executive director which works with feeding america. your house was destroyed. you and your husband got there in the pantry living in the pantry like that. how do you find that spirit when you have lost so much to still want to help others. >> you know, helping other people makes you forget how bad your problems are and it's what we do. it's our faith in god and we step out and we help those in need. >> well, jody, you're an inspiration as are all of you. such an inspiration. i guess you're wondering why this truck is behind us here. well, let's open it up and have a look. we came with a little surprise here. boom, look at all these supplies with the help of abbott, the health care company, this truck filled with food and supplies that goes to feeding america. all across this region and not just that, look what i found in here, how dow like that, guys,

$500,000. you know, we've been encourages all of our viewers to donate to hurricane disaster relief and for the next 24 hours, abbott is going to match those donations dollar for dollar up to $500,000. so with the help of our viewers, we could raise $1 million. how about that? >> that could happen. jody, what does that mean not just for right here in lake charles but for this wonderful outlying region and community, what does this mean? >> people are going to be able to get help. people who face food insecurity will be able to get help. it's amazing. it's amazing. >> it's going to make a difference, isn't it? >> a huge difference. a huge difference. >> do you mind if i hand this over to you. >> absolutely. >> that's less than six feet. >> it's totally worth it. bless y'all for the work that you're doing and continue to work and we cannot thank you enough. we know our viewers will come through as well as they always do. and we will be right back.

got a lot more here coming up. ♪ 'cause i'm gonna stand by you even if we're breaking down we can find a way to break but i can't say i expected this. because it was easy.

to fight these fires, we need funding - plain and simple. for this crisis, and for the next one. prop 15 closes tax loopholes so rich corporations pay their fair share of taxes. so firefighters like me, have what we need to do the job, and to do it right. the big corporations want to keep their tax loopholes. it's what they do. well, i do what i do. if you'ld like to help, join me and vote yes on prop 15.

♪ what a morning here in lake charles. not only is it thankful thursday, it is also thriver thursday and this morning, we along with my production company

are bringing you the story of tiffany aliche, and you got to meet her. >> i love when you bring us inspirational stories, robin. during the 2008 recession tiffany lost her job. she faced more than $300,000 of debt. but now she has made it her mission to empower others as a financial educator providing the tools she used not only to survive but thrive through the recession. take a look. >> i created something called the challenge. >> it's me, tiffany. >> we named ourself like beyonce has the beyhive. we were, like, the dream catchers. >> she messaged me and said i went to homeless to home owner. when i talk about it, i was crying like a baby. >> wait, what. >> from that we started to form dream catcher chapters. women all around the country meeting up, working on their finances together.

we've had now over 900,000 women sign up for one or more of my challenges. we started a facebook group, almost 500,000 women strong and help each other and encourage each other and hold each other accountable. >> this month i paid off my last credit card. >> it created a safe haven, anyone who comes into this group should feel safe and comfortable enough to say like, this is my financial scar. >> reporter: over $200 million we've saved and paid off over $100 million worth of debt. >> wow, wow, wow. here now is tiffany aliche, i love the dream catchers. i had chills listening to all of that female empowerment you're providing. you have got some advice for our viewers though, and it's something. the first piece of advice is something you say you wish you had learned before. not just about how to budget, but to change -- change how you're budgeting your things. so give us your top two tips. >> sure, amy. so there are two budgets you

want to think about when going through a rough financial time. first is your health and safety budget. that's when you ask yourself do i need to pay this bill to maintain my health or to maintain my safety? if not and have you no income, it's okay to be late or not pay at all until you do. second budget is your noodle budget. sometimes we all have to drop down and get our noodle on. this is your bare bones budget. when you cut expenses so you don't eat out, you do your own grooming, you cut your subscriptions so that way you can pay just for what you have to pay for until your finances are back again. >> that makes so much sense. something that a lot of people do, tiffany, when going through some sort of financial hardship they try to do it alone, by themselves but you say that's not the right move. >> well, i think people think asking for help is weakness. it's really strength, amy, and asking for help is really important. you want to start with asking the people that you pay your bills to, oftentimes they have something called a hardship program where they are willing to help you if you're going

through financial hardship. next, reach out to your municipality. they might have help with housing, with rent, with food. you're not alone and last but not least definitely your family and friends. when i went through my financial hardship during the 2008 recession i moved in with my sister for a year and i was grateful for that your family and friends care about you and don't want to see you go through it alone. >> yes, let people love you. let meme help you. -- people help you. it's actually a very empowering thing to do. it's not weak. it's strong. i love that. your final piece of advice, you say identify lessons. >> yes, so before you identify your lesson, amy, you have to learn to forgive yourself. i don't know if you are anything like me, but i used to run through all the times i had fun and ate out when i didn't have money thinking to myself, i wish i had that money now, but being mad at yourself is not helpful. so you want to forgive yourself so you can identify the core lessons. the lesson i learned in the 2008 recession was that recessions are a normal part of the economic cycle.

every 10 to 15 years in the united states you're going to see a recession. so 2008 told me to be prepared and now i am ready in 2020. if 2020's recession caught you off guard, that means you can be ready for the next recession that is bound to come so forgive yourself, identify the lessons and prepare. >> i love your positivity and your message that you can do it and do it with other people helping you along the way, tiffany aliche, thank you so much. we appreciate your time today. >> thank you. >> all right, robin, we appreciate you. thank you for bringing us tiffany's story. it's going to help so many people. >> thank you, amy. and like tiffany, like so many of our thrivers they make their mess their message. watch tiffany's full episode along with our panel on my facebook page right after "gma." but now let's get right to ginger again. good morning again, ginger. good morning, robin. and it's time to help more because we are celebrating

national make a dog's day encouraging everyone to adopt a furry friend and this segment is sponsored by subaru. a day to shine a light on underdogs, that's what they want here, disabled, forgotten older pets that don't get adopted as often like the ones that you're seeing there on your screen. subaru of america and its over 500 retailers are holding socially distanced and in person as well as virtual adoption events with local shelters around the country this month and subaru and its retailers are donating $100 for every dog or cat adopted from october 1st, 2020 through the end of this month. that's up to a total of $3,100 per subaru retailer and all of that can add up to an incredible $1.6 million. you can go to good morning. i'm abc7 news meteorologist mike nicco. a little bit of fog along the

coast. pretty quiet morning, 50s and 60s. it will be warmer this and i have a little and i have a little programming note for you to help everyone get ready for the climate change questions that are posed for the debate tonight, you can tune in to my show, "it's not too late" that airs before the debate on abc newslive. we will go into what we do know about climate change and what we don't know. some of those things on the screen you're seeing there, what we do know. i'll detail it all and also coming up here on "gma," next, we've got the live performance from a two-time grammy nominee and louisiana native. you'll want to stick around. "gma's" adopt a furry friend is sponsored by subaru, who is proudly celebrating its second annual national make a dog's day.

♪ keep on moving everything will be just fine ♪

you better believe we're back, and we are gulf coast strong down here in lake charles, louisiana. >> oh, yes, wla, love it here. we want to thank everyone who has donated to feeding america's hurricane relief disaster relief and to the health care company abbott for matching donations up to $500,000. so psyched about this. to find out more go to our website, goodmorningamerica.com. >> those donations are rolling in right now. and right now we are here with lake charles native and two-time grammy nominee, sean ardoin. yes. and his son, they're going to perform for us in just a moment. but first of all when you hear about feeding america, when you see the country rallying around your community, how does that feel? >> you know, it's a feeling that we've been longing to feel here in southwest louisiana in lake charles because we -- the press cycle was so short on the coverage people didn't even think it happened.

we're sitting here and every street looks like a bomb blew up on it. it's devastation everywhere, no facilities, no power, no water and the world has moved on. so the fact that y'all are here, it means everything to the people in this area. it shows that you are, you know, that you are paying attention and, you know, y'all want to help. it means everything. >> well, it means everything to me that you're going to be performing for us. why did you choose this song you're about to play today? >> well, i picked this song because the time for being sad and mournful was two months ago, you know when, it came through and blew everything and turned our lives topsy-turvy. the people here are resilient, the indomitable spirit of southwest louisiana is everywhere and "keep on moving" is the mind-set that we have because we can't slow down. activity breeds activity. we got to keep going. we see the goal and say we got to get it then we get to work. >> all right. >> make it happen. you know what i'm saying. >> you just hit your preacher nerve. >> let's go. >> i want to hear it, sean in those iconic yellow glasses.

let's go to it. the album is called "coronation relationships" and this one is "keep on moving." take it away, guys. ♪ sometimes i feel i'm moving forward ♪ ♪ then something happens to remind me that ♪ ♪ that i can't stop pushing no matter what it's like outside ♪ ♪ my daddy said, boy, when you give your word, you better keep it or things gonna run dry ♪ ♪ and i didn't want to listen now i just got to wonder why ♪ ♪ why the plows keep coming and the flowers won't bloom ♪ ♪ just can't see my life, i don't know what to do ♪ ♪ but i'm going to keep on moving and everything will be just fine ♪ ♪ hey, well, i'm seeing clearer now momma and daddy done told me

how and the grass grows and comes back again the sun shining on my face my friend ♪ ♪ look right in the eye and roadblocks can't stop my pride ♪ ♪ i'll keep grinding and pushing along and out there playing ♪ ♪ clouds are parting and the flowers will bloom and now i love my life and i got stuff to do ♪ ♪ and i'm going to keep on moving everything will be just fine ♪ ♪ yeah, and the clouds and the flowers will bloom, now i love my life and i got stuff to do ♪ ♪ and i'm going to keep on moving everything will be just fine ♪ uh-huh. >> whoo! [ applause ] >> so good, sean, sean sean. >> yes, indeed. >> lucky to see that. these students holding up the sign, holding up themselves and we thank you, sean.

your son, question go now. he can go with that. >> rip it on the washboard. >> oh, my goodness. want to thank everyone, everyone involved and we're not just thinking here in lake charles, the outlying communities, town, parishes, we're with you as well. and st. louis catholic high school. >> beautiful school. good to have you back in school, guys. great performance. nice work. >> we'll be right back. whoo! ♪ and the clouds are parting and the flowers will bloom ♪

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>> announcer: she is a sensation, sofia carson. now tomorrow she performs her new single for you on "good morning america." wake up to sofia carson tomorrow on "good morning america's" concert series sponsored by carmax. ♪ i'm gonna stand by you michael, we found kevin. >> you found him! >> you were talking about him. i found him. >> there he is. >> friends since you were 9 years old. he is just an example of the resir resilient spirit we're seeing here. >> so psyched you came, robin. thank you for doing that and thank you to all our viewers for helping. this is incredible. >> hope, baby, hope. that's what we have. have a great day, everyone. >> have a great day. >> see you guys.

>> see you guys.

it's rising. the pain is coming.

i'm kumasi aaron for the park is at the eastern edge of the end of the bay bridge. its namesake john sutter was a civic and environmental leader. it includes a massive observation pier. here's mike with our forecast. >> all right, kumasi. thank you very much. let's talk about the critical fire conditions that stretch all the way to the beaches and pacifica and half moon bay. this goes until 8:00 tomorrow morning. we have that red flag warning. temperatures today a little bit cooler but still above average. mid- to upper 60s along the coast. much cooler this weekend, but our strongest fire event possibly unfolds monday. we'll keep an eye on it. >> thank you, mike.

now it's time for >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan." today, from the horror-comedy "bad hair," laverne cox, and we'll check in with mma fighter juan archuleta. plus, a woman dealing with wild animals and wildfires is our good news story of the day! all next on "live."the day! and now, here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest. [cheers and applause] >> kelly: good morning. >> ryan: hello, hello. >> kelly: hi. hi! it's thursday, october 22, 2020. welcome to the show, everybody. now, was that your voice announcing us? >> ryan: no, it was not. >> kelly: i couldn't really-- because now, it's--i don't know if anybody else at home is experiencing this, but i can't see or hear anything. and it's not--i mean, it could be my hearing, obviously, but i think it's more like mask wearing that'sin