good morning, america. the new phase of the pandemic. the cdc's warning about high level transmission. the alarming rate of positive cases. the plea for you to wear a mask the minute you step outside your door and the new hope for a stimulus bill. >> compromise is within reach. >> there is momentum. plus, the update on this patient who spent thanksgiving in the hospital. trial run. the hospital system testing its plan to distribute a coronavirus vaccine. >> can i have you please roll up your sleeve. >> "gma" getting a firsthand look at the complexities and who might be the first in line to get the vaccine. plus, the maine cdc director, dr. nirav shah, joins us live on the state's plans for distribution. ballot battle. president trump heading to

georgia today where both senate races are heading into runoffs that will determine which party controls the united states senate. republicans and democrats bringing out the heavy hitters ahead of the big vote. foul play. the legal trouble for a high school football player now facing assault charges blindsiding a ref. how the whole team is feeling the consequences of his actions. and weather alert. the nor'easter working its way up the east coast with heavy rain, powerful winds and up to a foot of snow. the winter storm warnings this morning. hey, good morning, america. great to have you with us on a saturday morning. we'll start with the latest on the devastating and escalating pandemic. cases and hospitalizations have reached an all-time high. hospitalizations on the rise, in fact, in 40 states, washington, d.c. and puerto rico. every region in this country has

seen a rapid increase. >> as the head of the fda vows to move very quickly on the review of pfizer's vaccine, russia has started vaccinating people with its sputnik v vaccine. this is video of those vaccinations at a clinic in moscow this morning. >> here in the u.s. concerns over rising cases in the nation's two largest cities. the mayor of los angeles calling coronavirus the greatest threat to life in the city saying, at the current rate, hospitals there will be out of beds in two to four weeks. abc's trevor ault is outside a new york city hospital with the latest. good morning to you, trevor. >> reporter: well, good morning, eva. we continue to shatter coronavirus records nationwide. as one report says this week, covid-19 became the leading cause of death in the united states, and that's as many health experts warn that thanksgiving surge we're expecting has not even arrived yet. this morning, the united states reeling from coronavirus as the

cdc report warns covid has entered a phase of high-level transmission. 120 americans testing positive every minute. the agency reiterating masks need to be worn indoors everywhere except your home because the consequences could be life or death. >> it's very hard to see someone's loved one trying to breathe and seeing them suffocating trying to gasp for air. we know that once you go to icu your chances are minimal. >> reporter: parts of southern california and six bay area jurisdictions, including san francisco, are now enacting regional stay-at-home orders, shutting down restaurant dining and hair salons and reducing retail to 20% capacity. but across the country some of the hardest hit areas right now are rural towns. >> when we started planning months ago for worst case scenario, we're now living it. >> reporter: in reno county,

kansas the positivity rate soared to 50%, while in ohio, it topped 10,000 new cases friday. health officials are pleading with residents to only leave home if it's absolutely necessary. >> more than one out of every two patients in the two rural regions of our zone that are in the icu have covid. that's not sustainable. >> reporter: as new mexico records a record high daily death count, doctors with the navajo nation say their hospitals are at a point of crisis. >> this projection says that this virus will be worse, four to five times more than what we faced in may. >> reporter: heading into that anticipated surge, hospital staffing is already a significant nationwide concern because of demand, burnout and health risks. texas dr. carlos araujo battled covid on the frontlines, only to succumb to the virus himself. >> he said, i'm not going to not go to work because i'm afraid. i'm going to go to work because i need to help other people who are afraid. >> reporter: on friday ten

states hit record high hospitalizations with new jersey recording numbers they haven't seen since may. governor phil murphy reacting to video showing a new york young republicans event in jersey where people appeared to violate social distancing and mask rules. the governor saying law enforcement is investigating calling the apparent guest of honor, florida congressman matt gaetz, a fool. >> i hope you're watching, matt. you are not welcome in new jersey, and i don't want you back in the state. >> reporter: congressman gaetz firing back, murphy will regret this tweet when he moves to florida like the rest of new jersey. for the health care workers enduring this historic fight, the victories are carrying them forward. dr. joseph varon seen hugging a lonely covid patient in a viral photo from thanksgiving says that man is finally heading home. >> he's doing fantastic. he was discharged yesterday morning to the care of his wife and he is doing quite well. finally he has his wish of being

with his wife. >> reporter: and here in new york, the positivity rate has climbed above 5%. though governor andrew cuomo has shifted his messaging a bit. he says he is no longer so concerned about the positivity rate and more focused on how much the hospitals fill up. now, here in new york they do have ample space in their hospitals right now, but like the rest of the country health care workers are bracing for some difficult weeks ahead. eva? >> trevor ault for us, thank you. with the fda advisory panel meeting in just a few days to review the first vaccine candidate, states are working on how to distribute the pfizer vaccine, if it gets approved. abc's chief national correspondent matt gutman takes a look at how one health system is testing its plan. >> can i have you please roll up your sleeve. >> reporter: sterilization, real syringes, the swapping of latex glove, lines of cars. >> this is my first simulation for today. >> reporter: this is a dry run.

one that phoenix's honorhealth system spent two months planning ahead of the most complex vaccine distribution in medical history. >> how did that feel? >> that felt good. >> i was really surprised, mary. you pinched the skin. you got the needle ready and a band-aid. are you trying to make it feel as real as possible? >> yes. >> reporter: when the vaccine arrives, dozens of sites like this across the country hope to vaccinate the first several million first responders and frontline health care workers and volume will be key. they cycled through 50 cars but when they get the real vaccine all of these lanes will be open and hope to get through 1,500 a day. but there are many unknowns. chiefly the timing and quantity of those first pfizer doses. >> we're going to have a lot of little details come up. the bones of the structure are good and the team has worked hard to get this together. now our work is going to be putting all those details in place and fine-tuning over the next couple of weeks. >> reporter: among those details, abc news has learned that pfizer and the government still have not hammered out

protocols for the specific handling of the vaccine once it's taken out of these freezers and thawed. governors across the country rolling out potential plans on who gets vaccinated first. in texas officials outlining the first week's allotment initially focusing on health care workers treating covid patients, essential frontline workers and vulnerable populations. in the hard hit midwest ohio's department of health prioritizing everyday exposure. >> this first tier is really targeted to the people who every day are facing the highest exposure and the highest risk to the virus. >> reporter: for "good morning america," matt gutman, abc news, phoenix. >> and pfizer hasn't commented on the specific handling of the vaccine once it's taken out of those freezers and thawed. whit? joining us now is dr. nirav shah, cdc director for the state of maine. dr. shah, good morning to you. thanks so much for speaking with us. i want to dive right in here because the deadline was

yesterday for states to finalize their plans for where doses of the pfizer vaccine will be sent. the moderna deadline next friday. tell us about the key components of your plan in maine and how confident are you that it will work. >> the two key components that we used, as we were thinking about where we should divert or pre-position the first doses of vaccine were as follows, we looked for hospitals where, one, there was the requisite ultra cold storage capacity and, two, the ability to make sure that they can vaccinate large numbers of their staff very quickly. our guiding principles for these first week or two of vaccines are to vaccinate the most vulnerable folks in our state as well as the people who care for them. health care providers. we've got a high degree of confidence in our plan even though we know it will be a gargantuan task. >> we know there are a lot of moving parts here. is there a date circled when you

hope people will get the first shots? >> we've been told by our colleagues at "operation warp speed" and the u.s. cdc to be ready to receive vaccine as soon as the week of december 14th. of course, there are many unknown variables there such as if or when the u.s. fda authorizes it and what the transport time may be. but our view this is like a relay race and any time you're passing off the baton to one person for the other, the first person in line has got to start running. we're starting to run so whenever the baton hits us we're ready to take off. >> good way to put it. you've been very vocal about the need for the federal government to step up and provide more funding to the states for vaccine distribution. you said this, quote, without those additional resources, it will be like putting up tent poles without having a tent. what do you mean by that? what is still needed? >> this will again be such a monumental logistical and communications task. the more resources that we can

have from the federal government, those will enable us to achieve our goals of vaccinating with velocity and equity that much more quickly and effectively. additional funding or resources are really needed to do things like making sure we have a sufficient number of vaccinators. making sure that we got the write i.t. systems to keep track and remind people of when they need to get the second dose. ensuring we have resources to set up the types of vaccine clinics you're showing on the screen now and making sure that we've got a plan in place to ensure we can communicate with folks. all of those things don't happen by accident. they happen because they were sufficiently resourced and planned through and that's where we are right now. >> quickly just to follow up, though, do you feel like you're getting those resources or, if you don't get what you need, could there be delays? >> we'll get the job done either way. that's what my department, what my agency do on an every single

day basis. we come in and achieve what seems like the impossible. so we'll get it done. i've spoken personally with members of our congressional delegation to advocate for the need for additional resources. we've communicated that to the administration right now. we understand that there are discussions in the works. but right now, it's nearing the critical phase. we want to again make sure that as soon as the baton gets handed to us we're ready to run. >> so much riding on this. dr. shah, thank you so much for your time this morning. we appreciate it. >> thank you for having me. >> dan, over to you. >> thanks, whit. the rise in covid cases is doing more damage to an already ailing economy and now a new round of relief may be in sight. leaders in congress are making moves to end a months' long stalemate but there are, we should say, major sticking points. so let's bring in abc's deidre bolton right here in new york city with much more.

deidre, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, dan. it is impossible to separate out the economy from the virus and as the virus spreads, lawmakers seem finally ready to act. this morning, millions of americans in a vulnerable position. >> people that i know that don't have food, they don't have nothing in their homes. nothing, absolutely nothing. >> reporter: but for the first time in months it seems as if lawmakers are close to passing another round of support. >> compromise is within reach. >> there is momentum. >> reporter: there are four key points of bipartisan agreement. more small business funding, more unemployment aid, more money for schools, and more money for health care. one point of contention most republicans are against another round of federal stimulus checks of up to $1,200 for americans earning less than $75,000 a year. most democrats support that idea. president-elect joe biden says he believes compromise is possible. >> we'll be in dire trouble if we don't get cooperation. i believe we will. >> reporter: while president trump insists the economy is strong, employers added fewer

jobs than forecast in november and in a troubling sign 40% of unemployed americans have been looking for work for six months or more. statistically the longer someone is out of a job the harder it is to find one. to be sure for many americans the clock is ticking. >> i just need help. i just want -- i just want help. >> reporter: ravi lost her job and is working two days a week, but that's barely enough for her and her daughter to pay for the hotel they're in. >> i only paid for another six days. >> reporter: millions are hoping congress will finally act. >> i'm deferring all my credit card payments and i'm one of millions of americans now concerned with food security. it's getting harder and harder out here. >> reporter: this kind of hardship is one of the reasons why senator sanders says he cannot support this proposed relief package, because it lacks direct payments.

eva? >> deidre, thank you so much. president trump is set to hold a rally in georgia tonight as democrats and republicans pull out all the stops in the battle for voters in the upcoming senate runoffs and president-elect joe biden focuses his attention on the economy. abc's rachel scott is in d.c. with this story. good morning to you, rachel. >> reporter: eva, good morning. as president-elect joe biden urges congress to act, democrats say the course of his presidency will depend on the outcome of those georgia runoffs where republicans are fighting to keep two seats and control of the senate. with coronavirus cases on the rise and federal aid almost out, president-elect joe biden warned the country will be in dire trouble if congress does not act. >> if we don't act now, the future will be very bleak. americans need help and they need it now. and they need more to come early next year. >> reporter: as lawmakers try to find common ground on the stimulus package, president

trump will be back out on the campaign trail to rally support for kelly loeffler and david perdue in two senate runoff. >> all eyes are on georgia. >> reporter: those races will decide control of the senate. >> what i'm trying to help you see is that you have power and it would be a shame if come january 5th you did not exercise that power. are you ready to stand up one more time? >> reporter: but some republicans fear the president's repeated false claims that the presidential election was rigged will backfire. >> they don't want to lose the trump supporters by acting this way. they'll lose another set of supporters. it's a box they can't get out of. >> hello, georgia. >> reporter: vice president mike pence urging their base to vote. >> i know we've all got our doubts about the last election and i actually hear some people saying, just don't vote. my fellow americans, if you don't vote, they win. >> reporter: that message a sharp contrast to what this conservative lawyer said to a large crowd in georgia days earlier. >> why would you go back and

vote in another rigged election? >> reporter: democrats are hoping voters who turned out for biden in record numbers will show up again for raphael warnock and jon ossoff bringing out their firepower, former president barack obama. >> the promise of the biden presidency and the harris vice presidency rests in part on their ability to have a cooperative posture with congress. >> reporter: it will be the first time that president trump is headlining a campaign rally since losing the election. president-elect joe biden is expected to campaign in georgia as well. those critical runoff races now just one month away on january 5th. whit? >> rachel scott for us, thank you so much. we want to turn to the weather and rob marciano in the studio this morning but following a big nor'easter slamming the northeast. rob, good morning to you. >> hey, good morning, whit. if this was temperatures that were at or below normal right now they're above normal, we'd

be talking about a blockbuster snow event. thankfully just enough warm air to keep it mostly rain then turning to snow for some. heavy rain along the i-90 corridor, flooding in some spots. this slow begins to intensify and snow beginning to turn. this sloe gins to intensify and may do it rapidly over the next 12 hours and see winds pick up as well and that dynamic situation will cause more in the way of snow falling in eastern massachusetts, eastern new england could see four to eight inches, maybe a foot of snow in parts of maine and new hampshire. winds are going to be 50, 60 miles an hour. so that combination of heavy, wet snow on tree branches and winds gusting 30, 40, maybe 50 miles an hour, we will see power outages across especially northeast new england. meanwhile flooding rain down across parts of the i-95 corridor as this nor'easter gets cranking today. good saturday morning, mid-40s right now in santa cruz, low 60s today, cooler afternoon as the clouds increase today for everyone, but we could see some sprinkles in the north bay, maybe some drizzle tonight, but overall as a wind shift to dry

and gusty offshore winds tomorrow, we'll be watching that. warms us up monday and tuesday. highs today underneath the high thin clouds low 60s in oakland, we have windows in the studio and, yeah, looks pretty nasty out there. pretty nice to be inside. this is how it feels inside when i'm outside? >> that's right. >> wait, rob. don't you need more sophisticated tools than windows to check the weather or am i missing something here? >> it always helps. this helps too. although with covid, you have to be careful. >> sometimes it's good to just look out the window. >> rob wakes up. his knee is hurting. he knows there's a storm coming. >> good to be back, guys. >> thanks, rob. well, an arizona police officer gave an incredible gift to a little girl he met while responding to a call. janai norman has that heartwarming story. >> reporter: it was a call on night shift that led this

arizona police officer to meeting the little girl who would one day change his life and lead 4-year-old kaila to finding her forever home. two and a half years ago lieutenant brian zach was a patrol sergeant called to check kaila's residence and he said he knew right away something was wrong. >> her injuries were definitely abuse and it needed to be investigated. so i took care of her, took her back to the station and we watched "wreck it ralph" and we just bonded. >> reporter: 4-year-old kaila was badly injured and this was the third instance her abuse was reported. zach, the father of two other children couldn't stop thinking about her situation. >> when i came home, i told my wife about this little adorable girl we got to meet and i wanted to just bring her home. >> reporter: when child protective services needed to find kaila a temporary home, without hesitation the zach family stepped in. >> we gave her love and care and not knowing when she would go

back, if at all, and just took each day at a time. >> reporter: days turned into months which turned into years. finally the sachs officially adopted kaila this august. >> the best thing to come out of 2020 is the fact that we gained an official member of our family. that was my christmas present. >> i love him. i love him so much. >> zach says within just a day or two kaila was calling his wife mommy. he says it took a little longer for him. she called him guy until she went to school and learned what dad was and then he was dad. such a cute story. >> so cute. >> beautiful. >> maybe that's why my son keeps calling me guy. >> yeah, hey guy, that's right. he'll love you soon enough. >> thank you, janai. still ahead this morning, though, health officials in massachusetts warning people to avoid in-person shopping because of the risk of covid-19. the advice on staying safe. here's a question. is the pandemic causing children to fall behind in school? what studies are showing about

failing grades and how teachers and students are handling the massive challenges of online learning. and you don't have to skip a visit with santa just because of this pandemic. we're sharing some unique experiences that will help your kids share in the magic of the season. we'll be right back. "good morning america" is sponsored by ancestry. come together this holiday over your family's story. your family's story. is that ireland...1953? how did you know? mom...that was taken at the farm. it was in this small little village. in connemara? right! connemara it is. honestly, we went there- oh, oh look at that! look at that. is important to me...

...so being diagnosed with advanced non-small cell lung cancer... ...made me think of all the things that i wanted to teach my kids. my doctor said i could start on keytruda... ...so i did. with each scan things just got better. in a clinical study, keytruda offered patients a longer life than chemotherapy. and it could be your first treatment. for non-small cell lung cancer that has spread, keytruda can be used... ...for adults who test positive for "pd-l1"... ...and whose tumors... ...do not havean abnormal "egfr" or "alk" gene. keytruda is not chemotherapy... it's the immunotherapy used to treat more patients with advanced lung cancer than any other. keytruda helps your immune system fight cancer but can also cause your immune system to attack healthy parts of your body. this can happen during or after treatment and may be severe and lead to death. see your doctor right away if you have new or worse cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, diarrhea, severe stomach pain or tenderness, nausea or vomiting, rapid heartbeat, increased hunger or thirst, constipation, dizziness or fainting, changes in urine or eyesight, muscle pain or weakness, joint pain, confusion or memory problems,

fever, rash, itching, or flushing. these are not all the possible side effects. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including immune system problems, if you've had an organ transplant, had or plan to have a stem cell transplant, or have lung, breathing, or liver problems. before, i'd think of the stuff i might miss. but now with keytruda, we have hope. it's tru. keytruda from merck. ask your doctor about keytruda. optum perks can save you up to 80%. and everyone can do it. it's from optum, a health care company that's trusted by millions of people. opt in and save big today. ♪ ♪

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. cross e'erbody off ♪ heyour gift list.e♪e-mas. ♪ ♪ the whole squad lookin' fly in the half-zips. ♪ ♪ it's the coziest fleece-mas that ever existed. ♪ shop cozy styles for everyone on your list. we holiday. only at old navy and oldnavy.com brushing only reaches 25% of your mouth. listerine® cleans virtually 100%. helping to prevent gum disease and bad breath. never settle for 25%. always go for 100. bring out the bold™

wish you were here. to see how bright the human spirit can shine. to see that no matter what nature does, people will do more. with one of the industry's 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.®

businesses today are looking to tomorrsetting the course.ating. but new ways of working demand a new type of network. one that's more than just fast. you need flexibility- to work from anywhere and manage from everywhere. advanced technology. with serious security. and reliable coverage, nationwide. forward-thinking enterprises deserve forward-thinking solutions. and that's what we deliver. so bounce forward, with comcast business. >> announcer: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future, this is abc 7 news. good morning, everybody, tim liz kreutz. happening today a group of parents and students will be rallying to reopen san francisco public schools. the group is calling for the district to open schools for face to face learning by january 4th. parents say remote learning is causing repercussions of isolation, and missed social

development of their kids. they'll be marching with masks on at noon from the san francisco board of education office, across the street to city hall. let's get a check of the weather now with meteorologist lisa argen. good morning, lisa. >> liz, good morning to you. hi, everyone. the hazy view from mt. tam right now, that's why we have a spare the air alert. it's 49 downtown, 37 in morgan hill and looking at those 30s in inland east bay, 34 by the delta and santa rosa. high clouds today for a cooler afternoon, low to mid-60s and gusty winds late tomorrow. liz? >> all r ♪ we have the power to harness california's abundant solar and wind energy, but it's not available all day long. use less energy from 4 to 9 pm

for a cleaner california. just how much visibility your car's headlight bulbs can lose before burnout, so we've taken away 50 feet of visibility from this walk home. don't wait until your headlight bulbs burn out. switch to sylvania, the #1 automotive lighting brand, and see better tonight.

[ singing in foreign language ] welcome back to "gma" on this saturday morning. it's been 25 years since selena was murdered. coming up, abc's john quinones talks with her family about how they're keeping selena's memory alive for a new generation of fans. >> big new show on netflix right now about her life. we'll talk about that coming up. let's first take a look at the other big stories we're following this morning. happening right now, coronavirus cases hitting record highs here in america as a new cdc report warns that covid has entered a phase of high-level transmission, that's the direct phrase, with 120 americans testing positive every minute. the agency reiterating that masks need to be worn indoors

everywhere except inside your home. the nfl, meanwhile, telling teams they have to close their facilities and hold all meetings virtually for two days after a game to try to stop the spread of covid. also right now, a high school football player in texas is back home after posting a $10,000 bond following his arrest for attacking a referee on the field. 18-year-old emmanuel duron is facing assault charges for slamming that referee to the ground moments after being ejected from the game. district officials have pulled the whole team out of the playoffs ending their season. and a federal judge in brooklyn has ordered the trump administration to fully restore the daca program. that protects undocumented immigrants brought to the u.s. as children. the judge ordering the department of homeland security to open the program to new applicants for the first time since 2017 and to grant two-year work permits to applicants already approved. we'll start this half hour with a look at how covid-19

might be spreading in your town. there are rising concerns about in-store shopping this morning especially during the holiday season and abc's elwyn lopez is in atlanta with more on that story. elwyn, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, dan. pushing through stores now considered a higher risk activity. some states even seeing a link between retail and covid-19 outbreaks. this morning, a dire warning as the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear. health officials in worcester, massachusetts, urging people to stay out of stores following a surge in covid-19 cases. >> make the switch to doing your retail shopping by home delivery or by curbside pickup. every trip that you take outside of your bubble at home is a risk. >> reporter: the cdc saying the virus is now in a phase of high level transmission. the public health agency already labeling shopping through crowded stores during the

holidays a higher risk. >> at first i was feeling anxious. i would go into the store feeling anxiety because it feels too overcrowded, but now i feel a little better. >> i always wash my hands. if i touch anything, sanitize right away. >> reporter: officials tying their outbreaks to retailers. in texas, el paso's mayor saying one week of contact tracing data last month showed shopping contributed to more than half of coronavirus infections there. and in colorado public health officials are seeing an increase in retail outbreaks, most of them falling on big box shops. >> indoors with poor ventilation and people close together is a recipe for cases to emerge. >> reporter: to keep cases low, many retailers now creating space between workers and shoppers with plexiglass at checkout and limiting in-store capacity. >> you should look at all opportunities that reduce the amount of contact that you have

with another individual. >> reporter: now if you can, health experts say stick to pickup and delivery. if you have to go into a store, go during off hours, wear a mask, keep your distance and spend as little time as possible inside. eva? >> good reminders for us, thank you, elwyn. joining us is abc's chief medical correspondent dr. jennifer ashton. good morning to you. >> good morning, eva. >> so we heard elwyn talking about in-person shopping. how do we assess the risk before we even head to the store or once we are actually there? >> well, i think the way we have to think about this is through the psychology of what we are all experiencing right now. this is a time of the year where we all want to be doing our typical preholiday behaviors and activities. it's just not smart or safe right now. so i think you have to ask yourself before you make that trip to the store, even if it's

going to be quick or it's so important if the worst case scenario happens, if you become infected with covid-19, will it have been worth it? and i can tell you because i have patients right now with covid in their family, with people in the hospital, the answer will be no. so it's horrible for those businesses. we want to support them. we have to think of other ways to do it. but risk versus benefit, this is just too high risk at this point. >> and we've mentioned that the cdc is out with a new report warning that the virus has entered a phase of high-level transmission here in the u.s. and that it's more important than ever to follow those public health guidelines like universal mask use and avoiding nonessential indoor spaces. what did you take away from this report? should people be concerned right now? >> i think absolutely people need to be concerned and if they're not concerned about covid, eva, you have to think of it in another way. the heart attacks, seizures, strokes, car accidents, those things have not stopped because

we're all focused on covid-19 so if or a loved one have to go to the hospital because you're in a car accident or have a heart attack and there is no staff, no bed, no icu availability for you, you're in a lot of trouble and we have seen all over the country our hospitals reaching capacity. there's a lot of focus on hospital beds right now. beds don't heal and care for patients. staff and personnel do and they are overwhelmed. they are getting exposed. they are getting fatigued and that's why we're in such critical condition right now. >> we are all hearing of people who have become sick in recent weeks. dr. jen ashton, thanks for your time. whit? we want to turn to the weather and rob who passes full background check, oiled his beard, put on a tie, ready for the studio this morning. rob, what is going on with the weather? looking fresh. >> yes, thank you. got some socks on. my shoes are not waterproof. they would need to be if i was outside. this ongoing nor'easter developing bringing heavy rain, even so we have startling video coming to us south and east of

where i stand in the east village of manhattan. this fire broke out in an abandoned building and spread to a nearby church. nobody hurt. 100 firefighters on this thing but even with the heavy rain look at the flames on that thing. a little bit of wind too. so we go from that to a wildfire, the bonfire in southern california, orange county just over 30% contained. still over 7,000 acres. let's go over the wildfire threat today. we have less in the way of winds across the west, but red flag warnings remain up. fire weather watch remains up as well. as we get to monday and tuesday back into the same offshore flow santa ana wind expected. i think we'll be in critical fire danger once again the beginning of this week. that's a check nationally. here's a look at your local forecast. good saturday morning, clear and chilly to start in the north bay, the view from mt. tam, we've got some haze as well. so clouds increasing, a spare the air alert today, cooling by about five to eight degrees. this weather report has been

sponsored by sleep number. i mean, if today is not a day to sleep in in the northeast, get your sleep number going. take an extra hour if you have the luxury. excuse me, i need a nap. >> it's early. >> life advice from rob marciano. thank you, robert. see you in the next half hour. coming up on "gma" troubling reports on whether students are getting all they can from online learning. the new ways kids are presenting santa with their christmas list this year. stay with us.

jake from state farm, that "maya markdown" saved me so much on my insurance. maya, everyone gets surprisingly great rates with state farm. how can i ever repay you? when you want the real deal, like a good neighbor, state farm is there. new aveeno® restorative skin therapy. with our highest concentration of prebiotic oat intensely moisturizes over time to improve skin's resilience. aveeno® healthy. it's our nature™. you can take advantage of $0 virtual visits. ♪ wow ♪ uh-huh $0 copays on virtual visits for primary care and mental health. it's time to take advantage. ♪ wow less oral steroids. taking my treatment at home. nucala is a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing.

infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your doctor about nucala at home. find your nunormal with nucala. 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.®

make yoat ross!ays happen... surprise! ahhh! yes! i love it! you don't have to spend a lot to give a lot to the ones who mean the most. you've got the holidays, and we've got you, with the best bargains ever... ...at ross. yes for less!

yep! get the gifts you love... yesss! ... for everyone on your list. you've got the holidays, and we've got you... with all the gift for less. at ross. yes for less! welcome back to "gma." the toll online learning is having on our kids' education is significant. a number of studies showing there are students who just aren't making the grade. abc's alex presha has the details. >> reporter: we've heard from parents. >> we have a lot of meltdown moments. >> reporter: we've heard from educators. >> all across the united states teachers are seeing challenges. >> it's very hard as their teacher to monitor if they're engaged and actively

participating in the lesson and a lot of times it's reflected in the work they turn in. >> reporter: when it comes to distant learning new data showing the troubling effects on students. school districts in l.a., houston and st. paul showing the rising number of students with failing grades. >> this number far surpasses any of those previous data points i've been able to refer to. >> reporter: in southeast d.c., "the washington post" reporting of an entire second grade class not a single student started reading on grade level. fairfax county reporting the percentage of middle and high schoolers failing at least two classes jumped 83% from last year. some of the most affected minorities in english language learners like the kahn sisters, a senior and a junior in high school. how do you guys even do classes? are you in the same room? >> yeah, we're in the same room. >> like sometimes we have same classes so we just like open one mic for our computer. >> really? >> yeah. >> reporter: their situation isn't unique. it's why teacher katie bishop says this year is the hardest she's ever had. >> we are so thankful every day our kids log in.

that's half the battle. there's no bell telling them to log on. they have to use their own time management. >> reporter: faculty here collaborate on mondays. they discuss what's working and what isn't. they're conferencing with student, checking on emotional well-being. as the principal says they have to be adaptive. >> i think it's important to recognize this is the first quarter of the school year. i'm confident as disappointing and troubling as numbers are, now that we have that information, schools and teachers will make adjustments and things will improve moving forward. >> reporter: something parents, students and teachers all tell us here is they're looking forward to being back inside the building. the principal tells me there is a tentative date for the end of january, a good chance that slides back but i want to say congrats are in order. toreen was accepted into villanova. she wants to be a pharmacist. dan? >> that's great news. heroic efforts being made on all sides here -- parents, students,

teachers and administrators. coming up on "gma" how your children's visits with santa may be a lot different this year. we've got some advice for parents. ♪ ♪ just one look at you. ♪ and i know it's gonna be... a lovely day. ♪ ♪ lovely day, lovely day. lovely day. ♪ ♪ lovely day. ♪ lovely day, lovely day. ♪ no matter how you celebrate this year, make this holiday extra special with a gift from pandora jewelry. and say hi to a giraffe. extra special ride a train in the sky... (bb-8 beeps) and visit far away galaxies. stay in the magic at a disney resort hotel. so close to the parks, you can make all your disney wishes come true. and now, you can save up to 35% on rooms

at select disney resort hotels. imagine the magic of staying here. don't settle for silver #1 for diabetic dry skin* #1 for psoriasis symptom relief* and #1 for eczema symptom relief* gold bond champion your skin 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.

♪ now more than ever our kids could really use a little holiday magic including for many families a visit with santa. how to safely visit with st. nick in the middle of a raging genevieve, good morning. >> good morning, dan. >> so our kids are -- many of them are eager to let santa know what's on the wish list

this year. how are things going to be different when it comes to consulting with santa? >> well, like everything 2020 expect social distancing, plexiglass, temperature checks and more from any place doing in-person santa visit. >> so let's get a little more specific. where can families go to see santa? >> bass pro shops and cabela's are doing a contactless claus program. uses a clear shield between santa and the children featuring elves in masks, temperature checks, social distancing and a santa terry squad that will clean up between every single visit. the program runs through december 24th. reservations are required. comes with a free digital download and brookfield mall, in-person visits are happens and varies from mall to mall. might see santa in a snow globe. it depends which one you visit. >> a lot of parents would be

worried about going inside at all. are there virtual options? >> there are. actually brookfield mall teamed up with jinglering.com and can you make a reservation and bring multiple devices. so what does that mean? you can have grandparents, uncles, cousins. have it a virtual experience and if you want to get a facetime call from the big man himself, invite santashop.com. my own kids got a call from him. absolutely magical. >> i believe it. genevieve, thank you so much. really appreciate the great advice on a saturday morning and we will be right back with our "play of the day." "good morning america" is sponsored by geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. , no tomatoes.. [hard a] tonight... i'll be eating four cheese tortellini with extra tomatoes. [full emphasis on the soft a] so its come to this? [doorbell chimes] thank you. [doorbell chimes] bravo. careful, hamill. daddy's not here to save you. oh i am my daddy.

wait, what? what are you talking about? choose the longest lasting thiaa battery...son (music) energizer ultimate lithium backed by science. matched by no one. visibly fades the dark spots away. new neutrogena® rapid tone repair 20 percent pure vitamin c. a serum so powerful dark spots don't stand a chance. see what i mean? neutrogena® less sick days! cold coming on? zicam® is clinically proven to shorten colds! highly recommend it! zifans love zicam's unique zinc formula. it shortens colds! zicam zinc that cold! she offered you a homemade cookie. so when she said your trade in was worth 12 thousand dollars, you believed her. but was it a lie? the cookie? the offer?

next time start with carmax and get a custom offer good for 7 days. the way it should be. carmax. nurtec odt has worked wonders for me. don't take if allergic to nurtec. the most common side effect was nausea. for more information, go to nurtec.com now, braava jet mops right where you need it with an adjustable precision jet spray and an advanced pad system. and offers personalized cleaning suggestions unique to your home. braava jet m6 and the irobot home app. only from irobot. braava jet m6 and the irobot home app. hey! yeah!? i switched to geico and got more! more savings on car insurance!? they helped with homeowners, too! ok! plus motorcycle, boat and rv insurance! geico's got you covered! like a blanket!

houston? you seeing this? geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more. for members like martin. an air force veteran made of doing what's right, not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right.

usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. ♪ usaa we're made for. the team's been working around the clock.wire, we've had to rethink our whole approach. we're going to give togetherness. logistically, it's been a nightmare. i'm not sure it's going to work. it'll work. i didn't know you were listening. ♪ the greatest gift ♪ the greatest "good morning america" is sponsored by geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. back now with our "play of the day" and we need this story. this is going to make you feel good.

one proud papa. take a look. >> he made the middle school basketball team, man. >> what? what? >> he is happy. dad is ecstatic to hear about his 12-year-old's accomplishment. mom with the steady hand laughing all the way as she chased the two up the stairs outside of nashville, tennessee. the celebrating continuing into their son caden's room. look at that. >> i'm surprised mom was able to keep up with the phone there. dad was on a full sprint down the hall. >> that tracking shot was like the scene in "goodfellas." that was amazing. so happy for that family and great camera work by mom. "gma," by the way, is now two hours on saturdays. coming up the latest from the cdc.

they say covid-19 has now entered a phase of high level transmission. tiffany haddish explaining what inspired her to lose 40 pounds and how she did it. then a double dose of "deals & steals". sensational bargains for your holiday shopping. y shopping. abc 7 mornings. >> all news, all morning. >> i'm liz kreutz, h today a nonprofit on the peninsula is giving away gift cards to thousands of families in need. visa gift cards being distributed to more than 2,000 registered children this holiday season. this is video from a previous food giveaway. community members and small businesses made donations to make today's event happen.

families will be dreeted with music, a center stage with santa and holiday decor in a festive drive-through. today the vta in san jose is holding annual stuff the bus event to collect toys for kids, drop off any new unwrapped toys for children up to 14 years old. organizers asked not to bring any plush toys for sanitary reasons. donations will be accepted today from 9:00 to 3:00 at san jose history park. and in the north bay, it may be more important than ever to donate food and toys for the needy this holiday. marin and sonoma county are holding last chance toy and food drives with some special offers, with your toys and nonperishables, the sonoma county dropoff is -- you'll get a little surprise from them as well. this is at railroad square in santa rosa from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. lisa, let's get a check of the weather too.

good morning, hi, everyone, it's nice and bright and sunny right now. mt. tam, there's haze out there. 41 along the coast, chilly in the north bay and east bay. this is the south bay where air quality is poor, 39 in concord. be advised of that today. things improve tomorrow, but we are looking at the increasing high clouds and cooler conditions today. >> all right, lisa, thank you, up next, five bay area counties are enacting stay at home orders early. we talk to people who are rushing to get those last-minute errands done. news at 8:00 coming up next.

we have the power to harness california's abundant solar and wind energy, but it's not available all day long. use less energy from 4 to 9 pm for a cleaner california.

: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future, this is abc 7 news. >> closing again. five bay area counties have decided to pull the plug early, and implement a new strict stay at home order, struggling business owners are reeling from the sudden changes that go into effect starting tomorrow night for four of those counties. good morning, everybody, it's saturday, december 5th. i'm liz kreutz. thank you for joining us, and we are joining you now instead of gma because we are bringing you college football on abc at 9:00 a.m. now, we have much more on the news restrictions that go into effect tomorrow and how businesses are dealing with these changes. first, though, let's start with a quick look at the weather. dry conditions out there with meteorologist lisa argen. hey, lisa. >> hey, liz, good morng