>> spread the cheer. >> yeah. >> they've been helping good morning, america. state of emergency. a winter whiteout as that monster snowstorm slams the northeast. sending cars spinning off the road. this out-of-control pickup truck ramming into the back of an ems vehicle. and this jet sliding off the runway. the powerful nor'easter colliding with a massive shipping operation, creating a nightmare, grounding planes, potentially delaying holiday packages and covid vaccine deliveries. our extreme team is on the ground tracking it all, where the storm is heading next and the coldest air of the season moving in right now. decision day. the fda panel set to vote on emergency use authorization for moderna's covid vaccine as extra doses are discovered in the

pfizer vaccine vials, and the new concerns after one person suffers a serious allergic reaction to the shot. this as a record 3,400 american lives are lost to the virus in just one day. california reporting more than 53,000 new cases. this morning, we're inside one hospital under siege. lawmakers closing in on an agreement for badly needed relief from the economic fallout of the pandemic with billions in aid including stimulus checks. can they get it done before christmas? trouble in paradise. the american teen facing four months behind bars, arrested for breaking covid rules in the cayman islands, leaving quarantine to see her boyfriend in a jet ski competition. her family speaking to "gma" this morning. also this morning, the new audio revealing what really may have happened on the set of the new "mission impossible." >> what are you doing? >> what some of the top stars like george clooney are saying about tom cruise's rant this morning. and blinded by the light

show. one of the biggest christmas displays in the country, nine months in the making with 250,000 lights. the brothers behind this magnificent show are joining us live for a spectacular performance. and we certainly say good morning, america. we hope that you are safe and warm wherever you are because what a night. as that monster snowstorm continues to whip through the northeast, new jersey is under a state of emergency. the blizzard-like conditions causing trouble on the roads for millions. >> let's take a live look at our snowplow camera in east rutherford, new jersey. they're just getting started this morning. winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour, and in hartford, connecticut, up to a foot of snow falling there and it is still coming down this morning. and, of course, the snow is still falling right outside our

studio here in times square. >> the storm is living up to its billing and colliding with one of the busiest shipping weeks ever as the pfizer vaccine is distributed across the country and it's hitting as we are facing the deadliest day of the pandemic here in the united states. a record 3400 american lives lost to the virus in just one day. more than 230,000 new cases. >> rob is going to start us off, george, with the latest on this powerful nor'easter in hartford, connecticut, for us. good morning, rob. >> hey, good morning, robin. as george mentioned, bad timing for this thing, the biggest snowstorm of the year really in two years for most places. here in the northeast all the big cities in place, some getting more snow than they did all last season. nearly three feet falling in binghamton, new york. here about a foot in hartford. this is the main street here which they've been plowing all night long. you can see in our wider shot but it's still covered in white. overnight, the northeast getting blasted with blizzard-like conditions.

the powerful nor'easter bringing winds up to 60 miles per hour. people in the streets battling the elements trying to make it home. the wet snow and freezing rain leading to massive power outages. plows working through the night trying to keep the roads clear for any commuters who may venture out. fedex and u.p.s. concerned the storm could delay covid vaccine deliveries. here where i am in connecticut, blinding conditions on interstate 95 overnight. this bus exiting an off-ramp skidding off the road. new york saw more snow with this storm than it did all last year. six injured on a 19-car pileup. cars spinning trying to get traction as they try to make their way down the highway. >> this is a serious storm. this could be the biggest storm in several years. >> reporter: streets covered with sheets of ice leading to wreck after wreck. in pennsylvania, watch this dash cam video captures the moment an out-of-control pickup truck slams into the back of an ems

truck. vehicles struggling to get traction as they try to make it up this hill and this car sliding off the road ending up on a front porch. in maryland, cars struggling to navigate the icy conditions there. visibility so poor this driver barely able to see anything in front of them. and in new jersey, wrecked cars littering highways. the governor warning drivers to stay off the roads. >> if you must travel, be sure you have an emergency supply kit for your vehicle and that it is up to date. >> reporter: and now we're getting word that there's been a major pileup on a pennsylvania interstate, 60 cars involved. at least two fatalities. it is so, so dangerous on the roads right now. they have stopped bus service here in hartford. there is a parking ban. i talked to road crews yesterday. they take 17-hour shifts plowing, three hours off then back on the road for 17 hours, and it takes them twice as long to clear the roads if there are

people driving on the roads so please stay home at least until this afternoon and give these guys and gals the space they need to do their job. michael. >> hopefully people heed your warning there, rob. thank you so much. as we know this storm is it on the move this morning with millions in its path. ginger is right in the thick of it with more on where the system is headed. good morning, ginger. >> michael, standing in the piles on the side of columbus circle here, we're getting the wraparound flurries and will keep getting this. here's the problem that i want to show you, as i walk into central park, this is the issue. you've got 8 to 10 inches likely falling. good morning. and this stuff is blowing back on the road so even once they clear them it's slick again. i think that's going to be a problem in a lot of place, but this is meager compared to some of the other pictures. out of binghamton where we've seen more than 40 inch, endicott, new york, buried with more than three feet in a lot of place, some of the numbers and totals go from philadelphia at

6.3 all the way up to that 40-inch category. litchfield, pennsylvania, in that 40-inch category. here's how much more you can expect on top of what you've got, pretty light until you get to southern new england into maine. 6 to 12 inches possible still and, guy, it's not going anywhere. those snow-packed roads will be icy even if they melt. windchills in the teens to d.c. as we go into the weekend. >> okay, ginger, thanks. of course all that means is a shipping nightmare during this week. our transportation correspondent gio benitez is at jfk airport here in new york with more on that. good morning, gio. >> reporter: hey, george, good morning. the major u.s. airlines have moved most of their planes out of the storm's path. it could take days to get them back in place but, of course, there is that concern over vaccine distribution. now, the major shippers, u.p.s. and fedex, are not specifically saying how the storm is affecting operations. meantime, take a look at 24 video for bros on the a spirit airlines sliding off the runway. spirit said that there were no injuries, exactly why hundreds of flights have been cancelled

in the northeast today. not just a big deal for passengers but for cargo too. these passenger planes also transport packages and mail so it's very likely it will cause some additional delivery delays. now, remember, this is by far the busiest shipping week. we are talking about 3 billion packages for the holiday, robin. >> all right, gio, got to keep that in mind, thank you. now to our other major story, more hope in the battle against coronavirus. an fda advisory panel set to meet today to discuss moderna's vaccine. our chief national affairs correspondent tom llamas joins us with that vaccine rollout. when that might be and that potential problem with the pfizer one. >> that's right. a lot of headlines to get to this morning when it comes to the vaccines. we could get a vote later today on the moderna vaccine from that advisory panel and some troubling news out of alaska concerning the pfizer vaccine and potential allergy issues. this morning, americans one step closer to possibly having two vaccines available. an fda advisory committee set to

review moderna's data from their clinical research trials. setting the stage for the vaccine to receive emergency use authorization just like pfizer. in documents released earlier this week moderna's vaccine showed to be 94.1% effective across age and gender groups and just like the pfizer vaccine, similar minor side effects like injection site pain, fatigue, headaches and chills. for moderna, this happened to most people after the second dose. as moderna awaiting authorization, news of another allergic reaction to pfizer's vaccine. this time right here in the u.s. two health care workers in alaska had an allergic reaction after receiving the dose on tuesday. one was treated and released. the other whose reaction was serious had no history of severe allergies to drugs, but it's unknown if she had other allergies. >> she was feeling short of breath, she was not weezy, her heart rate was elevated. and she had a red flushed rash

over her face and torso. >> reporter: the cdc advising those with a history of allergies to consult with their doctor before taking the pfizer vaccine. pfizer's vaccine already in more than 600 locations with thousands of hospital workers getting those first shots. two million more doses expected to ship out next week. and a promising development this morning. hospitals seem to have stumbled upon, while giving out doses of the pfizer vaccine, it seems in some vials there are more than five doses so the fda is recommending that they use them but not to pool various vials. don't combine two vials together. >> good to keep that in mind. we're ools -- also hearing that vice president pence is to get the vaccine publicly. >> this is new. vice president pence is set to get it tomorrow in a public ceremony. he'll be the highest ranking white house official to receive the vaccine.

as far as president trump, it's still unclear. he, of course, had the coronavirus. he says he's open to getting it. but it's unclear if he will. president-elect joe biden also expected to get the vaccine. he doesn't want to jump in front of the frontline health care workers but we're also expecting him to get the vaccine in a public manner sometime very soon. >> let's bring back dr. ashish jha. the overwhelming number of vaccines have gone out safely but we have had isolated allergic reactions. what's your take from that? >> good morning, george. thanks for having me on. i'm not worried. people can have allergies to medicines, vaccines, food, and the uk has administered more than 100,000 doses. only a couple, so people with severe allergic reactions should consult their doctor but most people will be fine. >> so the general population doesn't have to take any special precautions? >> no. no, i think -- i have seasonal allergies, i don't plan to do anything differently. for most people, i don't think

this will be an issue. >> the moderna vaccine approved by the fda as well. talk about the differences between the moderna and the pfizer vaccines and whether people will have a choice. >> they're very, very similar, george, and i don't -- from an efficacy safety point of view they're nearly identical. one is a little easier to distribute, doesn't have to be kept frozen, that's the moderna one. i doubt most people will have a choice and shouldn't matter. they're about the same. >> once you get vaccinated what's safe, what's not? if someone's vaccinated now, could they travel during the holidays? >> i don't think -- if you get vaccinated right now i don't think it changes what you do very much, because there's still so much virus in the community that i think people have to continue taking precautions. it's when we bring virus levels down, because of widespread vaccination, that i think we'll be able to do a lot more. >> thanks for your time this morning. as the vaccine rolls out, cases are still exploding across the country. california seeing record levels.

a top l.a. health official says "our hospitals are under siege." our chief national correspondent matt gutman is at one of those hard-hit hospitals in apple valley, california, with the very latest. good morning, matt. >> reporter: hey, good morning, michael. this is one of the overthrow tents at this hospital. in fact, the entire hospital has had to be reconfigured. the main lobby of the hospital split in half, a wall put up. half of that is now a covid ward which is full. there are also dozens of people lining the e.r. corridors waiting for hospital beds right now. this morning, patients on stretcher after stretcher jamming e.r. hallways, outside the traffic jam of ambulances that deliver had had em. providence st. mary's hospital in apple valley, california, hasn't been below capacity for weeks. >> i believe we have about 57 to 60 patients right now that are icu level care in the hospital. >> how many icu beds do you typically have? >> we have a 20-bed icu. >> so you're at basically 300%

capacity for your icu? >> yes, that's correct. >> reporter: over 113,000 americans are hospitalized with covid setting a record for the 11th straight day and a new record also set overnight for deaths, a staggering 3400 people. the nation's current epicenter, california, reporting over 53,000 new cases. dozens have spent days waiting for rooms at this hospital about 90 minutes from l.a. many of them are desperately ill and some charge nurse jamal willis tells us are dieing. >> this morning, we had multiple codes. we had three code blues at the same time. one of our doctors went up and ran those codes. >> meaning people were having a cardiac arrest. >> cardiac arrest. no pulse. >> code blue -- >> that's another one right now. that doctor was handling ten code blues wednesday morning. you're literally scurrying between three patients essentially dying at the same time.

>> yes, sir, yes, sir, and we were successfully able to get them back, but i mean the -- it's critical right now. this is kind of like -- it's like being in war -- i've never seen so many code blues all in one shift. >> reporter: the hospital quality director tells us that patient care is beginning to suffer. when there are too many patients for too few nurses it means you can't give the care you'd like to give. >> correct. we're doing our best. that's happening right now on every unit of the hospital. >> reporter: still this hospital has not turned away a single patient and that e.r. doctor we spoke to saved every one of them. ten lives yesterday morning. the biggest concern at hospitals like this is that people will take the vaccine program as a green light to go visit with family members or friends outside their immediate household. when they tell us right now the darkest days are still ahead. robin. >> need to keep that in mind, matt, thank you. to washington now where lawmakers may be close to a deal

on a relief package that would help millions of americans impacted by the economic downturn as well as businesses struggling to stay afloat. mary bruce has the very latest on where things stand right now. good morning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, robin. after failing for months to reach an agreement this morning congressional leaders are nearing a deal that could provide much-needed relief to struggling americans hit hard by this pandemic. republican leader mitch mcconnell overnight saying they are close and that they are going to get this done. now, the $900 billion compromise bill that's on the table would provide $300 in weekly federal unemployment benefits and $600 direct payment to most americans. that's roughly half of the amount of the check that went out in the first round. this bill would also extend protections against evictions and provide billions of dollars for vaccine distribution and small businesses but to reach this compromise, both sides had to give up on their main sticking points. they are optimistic here they

can get this done in the coming days, and once president trump signs off on it, it is expected to then take several more weeks for americans to begin receiving these checks so help is on the way but it is still going to take a little bit more time. george. >> and there is so much need out there right now. okay, mary bruce, thanks very much. we have a lot more coming up including the story of an american teen facing four months behind bars in the cayman islands. also this morning, the new push to help americans trust the vaccine and why vaccine mistrust among black americans is higher. we'll hear from the young african-american doctor at the center of development, but first, let's go back to ginger. yes, michael, as the snow starts flying -- still flying here, i'm seeing cars gingerly make their way around. the roads okay but look at this road cam outside of us here in new york and just plowing away trying to keep up with the storm. that's the thing is you had one to three-inch per hour rates and still happening in parts of massachusetts where they reported more than a foot. boston, this morning, looking like that. hey, you're going to end up somewhere in that 6 to 12

likely. and, of course, everybody gets rid of this storm tonight but it is what happens behind it, the below normal. we've been above normal for a month and a half but now we're slipping below. those are windchills for the next three mornings. how about feeling like 10, 12 or 14 in new york city? washington, d.c., barely making it above the feels like of 20. so get ready to layer up. i know i've got my heated vest on and i'm not taking it off for the next four days. let's get to those snowy cities now sponsored by walmart.

good soggy morning. i'm abc7 news meteorologist mike nicco. the showers will taper towards the end of the commute. most of us will be dry and breezy this afternoon. it is going to be much colder tonight with fog in the usual spots and mostly sunny and warmer than average this weekend. today 56 to 60 the range in our high temperatures. tonight, low there's nothing like a solid nor'easter that will remind you how hard core new yorkers are. guys, you should see the people out here on their bikes. >> going for it as are you, ginger. appreciate it. coming up, new audio from tom cruise revealing what may have happened on the set of his new "mission: impossible" blockbuster. that and a whole lot more when we come back. ♪

♪ with and eve and adam ♪ you get up and at 'em ♪ ♪ i'm ♪ ♪ oh, crossin' all your borders ♪ ♪ freein' freein' all the smalls ♪ ♪ oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, ♪ freein' freein' all the smalls ♪ bublé sparkling water. it's buble! a galaxy far awaya frgets closer to home. and a low price unlocks a high score. 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. who've got their eczema under control. with less eczema, you can show more skin. so roll up those sleeves. and help heal your skin from within with dupixent. dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe.

tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. so help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. 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. ♪

>> announcer: being a better bay area, for a safe and secure future, this is abc7 news. good morning, i'm reggie aqui from abc7 mornings. california's vaccine advisory committee is working on a plan to decide who is going to be next in line to get the vaccine. after the front line health care workers, there are still 11 million essential workers who will get priority. on that list, teachers, farm workers, grocery workers. also, firefighters, police officers, utility workers, transportation, communication, and technology workers. so far no, firm decisions. but they will meet on wednesday to take into consideration a cdc advisory that took effect sunday. starting today, non-residents will be allowed to use foothills park in palo

the council voted to endan a 1969 rule banning other respects from entering the park. the addition to over ♪ ♪ digital transformation has failed to take off. because it hasn't removed the endless mundane work we all hate. ♪ ♪ automation can solve that by taking on repetitive tasks for us. unleash your potential. uipath. reboot work.

people are saving hundreds on the most reliable in a land not so far away, network with xfinity mobile. they can choose from the latest phones or bring their own. and choose the data option that's right for them. they even get nationwide 5g at no extra cost. and since they are on the carrier rated #1 in customer satisfation, they live happily ever after. again, again! xfinity mobile. your wireless. your rules. your way to stay closer together. click, call, or visit an xfinity store today.

this round of showers just about over. so if you are one of our later commuters, at least there won't be any uponing on the roadways but they will still be wettan the morning commute. it was a one on the storm impact scale. we will take that down after the commute is over. expect partly cloudy conditions and breezy conditions and easier commuting weather after the morning commute ends. my accuweather seven-day forecast, actually fog, sunshine in the afternoon, and warmer through monday. coming up, the new audio revealing what really may have happened on the set of tom cruise's new movie. we will have another abc7 news

update in about 30 minutes. you can always find

i know, but that "parker promo" saved me so much on my insurance, i brought you a little something special. parker, state farm offers everyone surprisingly great rates. you're the man, man. when you want the real deal...like a good neighbor, state farm is there. when you want the real deal.at target, order today, and get it today! just use target same day delivery or drive up. for groceries, gifts and more on your list. it's the fastest way to get what you need, today. at target. 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. with an extra 20 or 15% off!... save on great holiday gifts... the way it should be. save on smart home must-haves... get up to 40% off family sleepwear...

and get up to 50% off fleece. plus, get kohl's cash! plus, free store pickup. give with all your heart. kohl's welcome back to "gma." you're looking live at our snowplow camera in new jersey. the plowing just gets started this morning. winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour. this is central park here in new york city. always gorgeous when the snow first falls. it is still coming down. >> pretty snow day here in new york city. we're following a lot this morning on the storm. also some other headlines, including the fda panel is set to vote on emergency use authorization for moderna's covid vaccine as extra doses are discovered in the pfizer vaccine vials. this comes as 3400 lives have been lost from the virus in just one day.

also right now, the major league baseball announced the seven negro leagues have been elevated to major league status and no longer feature segregated statistics. some records will start to look a little different. take a look at this. firefighters bringing cheer to a children's hospital in chattanooga. giving a little lift to santa. >> even santa needs a little help this time of year. >> now and again. >> that's right. we continue with hope and hesitation surrounding the covid-19 vaccine. recent surveys finding black americans expressing high rates of concern about getting vaccinated. the naacp hosted a virtual town hall last night hoping to overcome those fears featuring the african-american doctor at the center of one of the biggest vaccine breakthroughs. t.j. holmes is here with more this morning. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, and the community most impacted by covid, least likely to take the vaccine. to understand it you have to go back to one of the ugliest chapters, where the government deceived and then allowed black men to suffer and even die from a disease. so now there's a desperate effort under way to get the

african-american community to trust the science and the response is oftentimes, yeah, but we remember the history. a new push this morning to help african-americans in particular understand the coronavirus vaccine seen as the key to stabilizing the pandemic. >> these stages of these clinical trials and the outcomes of these clinical trials and what the fda requires has been driven by science and nothing else. >> reporter: the naacp assembled health experts that includes dr. kizzmekia corbett, a researcher and lead scientist in the development of moderna's coronavirus vaccine. dr. corbett imploring people to trust the science. >> just because it has been rapid does not mean that there has been any level of irresponsibility in regard to this development. if you know a health care worker or someone on the frontline who's getting the vaccine to ask

those honest questions. >> reporter: with 35% of black americans saying they wouldn't get it even if it was deemed safe by scientists, and 71% choosing to wait and see how it works for others, black doctors are at the forefront of this renewed push to build trust and ensure safety. some opting to take the vaccine with the world watching. >> on a certain level black americans have been traumatized so even if you are presenting people with this is the data, we're showing it's safe and effective, that's not enough. >> reporter: the skepticism attributed to a history of medical racism in this country, the tuskegee experiment, where for 40 years the government allowed hundreds of poor black men with syphilis to go untreated so scientists could study the effects. some died. went blind. insane and developed other serious complications and even passed the disease to their families and this resulted in a presidential apology. >> the american people are sorry for the loss, for the years of hurt.

>> reporter: there was also a mother of five who in 1951 sought treatment for a tumor. she passed away later that year. scientists without her consent or her family's knowledge harvested her cells for medical research, cells so rare they led to medical breakthroughs including the creation of a polio vaccine. black communities among the hardest hit by this pandemic and in order to slow the spread of this virus and build trust, doctors say these conversations must continue. >> it is at no fault of yours that you do not trust a system that has done you and your ancestors wrong for hundreds of years. the onus is on us on the side of science and vaccine developers to earn the trust back. >> let me say the name, ernest hinden, 2004, he was the last

survivor of that tuskegee study, and some of the children of those tuskegee participants are still receiving lifetime medical and health benefits from that. >> t.j., more proof of change. dr. corbett also said moderna slowed down their enrollment in order to get more black people to enroll. >> they were only at 6% enrollment in the study and they stopped it and got it up to 10%, still not representative of the 14% that african-americans are, one, you do want to see how a vaccine might react in different populations but it's important for black people to see that this was studied in black people. so it's very important to do that but trust the scientists but also trust the scientists is as big of a deal as trusting the science it several. the government did this to the african-american community so a little hesitant to say, okay, let's see how it works first. >> a lot of history to get past. >> important conversations to have. >> it sure is. we'll switch gears to the story of an american teenager facing jail time in the cayman islands for breaking the caribbean nation's covid rues. skylar mack left quarantine

early to watch her boyfriend compete in a jet ski competition and now she's paying the price. deborah roberts has the story. good morning, deborah. >> reporter: good morning, george. the caymans, an island of about 70,000, hasn't really been hit hard by the coronavirus, about 300 reported cases, a handful of deaths, but officials are determined to keep the virus at bay so they're taking a tough stance against this american teen visiting from georgia. this morning, trouble in paradise for an american teenager facing four months behind bars for breaking covid quarantine rules in the cayman islands. >> she was taken to court. she pled guilty to a single charge of failing to comply with regulation 3 of the covid-19 regulations. >> reporter: according to officials, 18-year-old skylar mack traveled to the caribbean island on november 27th and was required to quarantine for 14 days. but just two days later after testing negative, she allegedly

left where she was staying to watch her boyfriend, professional jet ski racer, 24-year-old vanjae ramgeet compete who was also arrested and charged with aiding and abetting. according to reports mack removed the wrist monitor given to visitors arriving on the island after calling on the public health department to have it loosened. >> was able to take it off and attend a jet ski event. >> reporter: this video capturing the event where mack and ramgeet are said to have interacted with people for more than seven hours without masks leading to the quarantine of several families at the event. officials detaining the two. the couple initially ordered to pay a fine and perform 40 hours of community service, but prosecutors ruling that is too lenient are now appealing the decision and pushing for a four-month prison sentence. >> skylar is the last person we thought something like this would happen to and the fact that this can happen to a kid like her is scary. >> reporter: her grandmother says skylar, a premed honor

student, has tested negative a few times since arriving on the island. both mack and ramgeet appearing before court apologizing each with a letter. mack writing, i made the biggest mistake of my life so far. i want to take this opportunity to express my deepest apologies to both the government and the community of the cayman islands. ramgeet saying, i should have known better than to put our community at risk as i did. >> four months for breaching isolation when you were negative. why did she have to be the example? >> reporter: mack's family is pointing to those negative tests and saying that she is extremely remorseful. they argue in this case the punishment doesn't fit the crime. george. >> okay, deb, thanks very much. and coming up here on "gma," the new audio of tom cruise revealing what really may have happened on the set of "mission: impossible 7." come on back. "mission: impossible 7." come on back.

♪ ♪ 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.

we've always done ththings our own way. charted our own paths. i wasn't going to just back down from moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. psoriatic arthritis wasn't going to change who i am. when i learned that my joint pain could mean permanent joint damage, i asked about enbrel. enbrel helps relieve joint pain, and helps stop permanent joint damage. plus enbrel helps skin get clearer in psoriatic arthritis. ask your doctor about enbrel, so you can get back to your true self. -play ball! enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections,

tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common. or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. visit enbrel.com to see how your joint damage could progress. enbrel. eligible patients may pay as little as $5 per month. savthis week...nute gifts only at target. save up to 30% on toys and games... select sweaters and puffers for the family... home appliances and more. now through saturday. this week only. save on last-minute gifts. at target.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ visit your volvo retailer for special offers during our holiday safely sales event. come on back. we're back now on "gma" with that new audio from tom cruise unloading on some of the crew over coronavirus safety and revealing what may have happened as some of hollywood's biggest names react. kaylee hartung has more on all of this. good morning, kaylee. >> reporter: good morning, robin. this recording went viral real quick and now we have more context to this tense moment as

hollywood asked the question, is tom cruise a hero or a villain after this behind-the-scenes performance? >> open the door when i tell you! >> reporter: this morning, we're hearing more from that leaked recording of tom cruise berating members of his "mission: impossible 7" crew for reportedly violating covid safety protocols. >> i trust you guys to be here. if we shut down it's going to cost people [ bleep ] their job, their homes. that's what's happening all the way down the line, and i care about you guys but if you're not going to help me, you're gone, okay. >> reporter: the audio obtained by the uk's "the sun" newspaper was reportedly recorded after he saw two huddled together near a monitor. >> do you see that stick, how many meters is that? people are standing around a [ bleep ] computer and hanging out around here, what are you doing? >> reporter: and while cruise is used to putting himself on the line for the franchise, as one

of the film's top producers in the midst of a pandemic, he's putting others on the line too. more than 2 million jobs are supported by the entertainment industry and in a year where the box office is getting blasted, estimated to rake in just $2.3 billion compared to 2019's 10.5 billion, every decision counts. cruise's been showing support for the suffering industry during the pandemic, masking up to watch "tenet" in the these they are summer. while they report five crew members quit since the audio was released cruise is getting public support for his message about protecting the film industry including from fellow stars like whoopi goldberg, ava duvernay and george clooney who spoke to howard stern on sirius xm. >> it's tricky. you do have a responsibility for everybody else and he's absolutely right about that but if the production goes down a lot lose their jobs. i understand why he did it. i don't know i would have done it quite that personally. >> a lot of people are saying he was out of line, he should not

be yelling at people like that. that, you know, he's the boss there, that's not the kind of set you want to run. then there are people who are saying, he's the boss there. and he's responsible for the health of everyone on that set. >> reporter: and in the uk, where they're filming "mission: impossible 7," they are on very high alert, tightening restrictions. if this movie shoot was to shut down again it would come at a huge cost to paramount studios and could cost a lot of jobs. guys. >> all right, kaylee. as you can see mixed reaction to what he did. >> no doubt. coming up next, you guys stay right there because we have a great "play of the day." >> look at that snow. it's pretty. jake from state farm, it's the least i can do. you really did me a solid with that "maya markdown" on my insurance. here's the deal maya, state farm offers everyone surprisingly great rates. right. no really. there's no markdowns, just great rates.

pull around back in 20 minutes. i'll hook you up with the good parts. when you want the real deal... like a good neighbor. state farm is there. ( ♪ ) ready to juvéderm it? correct age-related volume loss in cheeks with juvéderm voluma xc, add fullness to lips with juvéderm ultra xc and smooth moderate to severe lines around the nose and mouth with juvéderm xc. tell your doctor if you have a history of scarring or are taking medicines that decrease the body's immune response or that can prolong bleeding. common side effects include injection-site redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps, bumps, bruising, discoloration or itching. as with all fillers, there is a rare risk of unintentional injection into a blood vessel, which can cause vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs or scarring. ( ♪ )

juvéderm it. talk to your doctor about the juvéderm collection of fillers. merry christmas! ♪ ghirardelli peppermint bark squares. makes the holidays a bite better. to shodo you need power? ghirardelli peppermint bark squares. or this... optimum power. because duracell optimum makes this rc truck... ...even faster than coppertop. no! announcer: we have a winner. (duracell chime) my first zoom glam party on portal! hey! now, i need a super cute virtual holiday outfit.

so... wow! someone just flicked the switch! (humming) my body is truly powerful. i have the power to lower my a1c. because my body can still make its own insulin. and trulicity activates my body to release it, lowering my blood sugar from the first dose. once-weekly trulicity responds when my body needs it, 24/7. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it's not insulin. it isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include indigestion, fatigue, belly pain, decreased appetite, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting

which can lead to dehydration and may worsen kidney problems. i have it within me to lower my a1c. ask your doctor about trulicity. ♪ oh i wanna dance with somebody ♪ ♪ i wanna feel the heat with somebody ♪ that is a perfect or the perfect song for a throwback thursday and it's perfect for our "play of the day." getting ready to meet the pint-size star channeling the one and only whitney houston. take a look. ♪ oh, i wanna dance with somebody ♪ ♪ i wanna feel the heat with somebody ♪ >> got the passion. >> got the passion. and the voice, george. and warming up those lung, 2-year-old eva belt the whitney classic in her jammies. so cute. she's the daughter of "sportscenter" anchor elle duncan.

eva might be singing to celebrate the birth of her brother vander who was born yesterday. >> that's right. >> congratulations to elle. beautiful family. >> she is a beautiful young woman and she is going to be doing the evening "sportscenter." just heard about that when she comes back from maternity leave. >> going to make me sing like that on commercial break to celebrate. jamie foxx and his new movie "soul" when we come back. ♪ i wanna feel the heat with somebody ♪ at target, order today and get it today!

just use target same day delivery or drive up. for groceries, gifts and more on your list. it's the fastest way to get what you need, today. at target. man 1 vo: proof of less joint pain woman 1 oc: this is my body of proof. and clearer skin. man 2 vo: proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis... woman 2 vo: ...with humira. woman 3 vo: humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further irreversible joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the number one prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. avo: humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common

and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. man 3 vo: ask your rheumatologist about humira. woman 4 vo: go to humira.com to see proof in action. ♪ why not? y, l'eau de parfum. yves saint laurent. and then there's street smart. y, l'eau de parfum. like a hybrid with an available best-in-class, epa-estimated range of 582 miles. and ford co-pilot360 technology... to help you outsmart some of the things you'll encounter on the road. with an available best-in-class second row legroom. this is the completely reimagined, street smart, 2020 ford escape. hey!

welcome back to "gma." we still got the flurries flying here in manhattan, but let's check in on connecticut. this is a tower cam from middletown, connecticut.

a lot of places ended up with one foot or even up to 3 1/2 feet and counting in parts of pennsylvania and new york. also wanted to mention, we've got big-time problems in florida. there were five reported tornadoes right around tampa. the damage from those tornadoes pretty significant and luckily do not see many injuries down there. but we'll have more on this coming up and have our sixth day of our 12 days of christmas cookies. you don't want to miss it. your local news and weather is coming up next too. your local news and weather is coming up next too. than a holiday dinner table. gives you more options pick the speed that's right for you, with options faster than gig. and get reliable internet with top-notch coverage. plus, help keep your data safe and private with security included.

no antlers on the table. how come you get to eat first? get started with this great offer, or ask about our fastest speed, 2 gig up and down. switch today. "good morning america" is sponsored by quaker oats. good starts here. oats. good starts here.

>> announcer: building a better bay area, for a safe and secure future, this is abc7 news. good morning, i'm reggie aqui from abc7 mornings. it appears another person has been bint by coyote in the east bay a. grocery worker reported an attack on tuesday at this diablo foods. it is the fourth attack this year. on december 7th a man was bethen while doing pushups at a high school in ma raga. a 2 yearly was bitten and in april a 5-year-old girl was bitten at dublin hills regional park. be careful out there. let's go to meteorologist mike nicco. we will start with live doppler 7. good morning. you can see the widespread light to moderate showers are over. light showers are developing south of the san mateo bridge and heading south. we have a chance of rogue

showers this afternoon. if you can put up with the he'ses, a pretty nice day. coming up, how do top stores like amazon, target, and walmart stack up with

we're going to find the perfect tree. we're going skating. we're going to nana's. wherever you go this holiday, chevy can help you get there. which is why we're making our chevy... ...employee discount available to everyone. the chevy price you pay... ...is what we pay. not a cent more. so wherever you go, happy holidays from chevy. use the chevy employee discount for everyone to get over six thousand eight hundred dollars below msrp on this equinox. get the chevy employee discount for everyone today.

good morning, america, it's 8:00 a.m. state of emergency. as that major snowstorm blankets the northeast, sending cars spinning off the road, this out-of-control pickup truck rams into the back of an ems vehicle, the powerful nor'easter collides with a massive shipping operation creating a nightmare grounding planes, potentially delaying holiday packages and covid vaccine deliveries. our extreme team on the ground tracking it all. decision day, the fda panel set to vote on emergency use authorization for moderna's covid vaccine and the new concerns after one person suffers a serious allergic reaction to the covid shot. also this morning, the million dollar proposed class action lawsuit against this popular teeth whitening company alleging false advertising endorsed by a-lister like gronk and floyd mayweather.

the latest on the case. signed, sealed, delivered? with just eight days till christmas the holiday shipping crunch is in the home stretch. we're putting major retailers like amazon, walmart and target to the "gma" challenge to see which deliveries arrived on time. ♪ i am titanium royal glitch. >> you just disappeared. all of you. >> the queen on zoom dealing with tech trouble like so many of us, but still making the connection. >> thank you very much. ♪ ain't no mountain high enough ♪ jamie foxx dishing on his history of making role in "soul." how it helped him heal after losing his sister and a whole lot more and he's saying -- >> good morning, america. >> playing my jam. good morning, america. on this thankful thursday, happy

friday eve. oh, we cannot wait to hear from jamie foxx. >> wish he were here in person. we'll meet two brothers. they created a 250,000-light christmas delay and brings us a special performance. >> the light bill is the first thing that comes to mind. we have a lot of news to get to starting with the monster snowstorm whipping through the northeast causing trouble on the roads for millions. take a live look at our snowplow camera in new jersey where winds with gusting up to 60 miles per hour. let's go back to rob marciano with the very latest on this powerful nor'easter. he's in hartford, connecticut. good morning again, rob. >> hi, michael. boy, the snow is still coming down in hartford. got a foot on the ground. it is still coming down sideways. walking through it, this time of year it's beautiful but on the roadways it is horrendous.

i-08 had a 60-car pileup with two fatalities. this video also out of pennsylvania. pull over to the side of the road and try to help somebody out, boom, dashboard camera shows just how dangerous it is to be on the side of the road. we have that and westchester county, highway 22 a big wreck there and the capital -- from one capital to another, albany, still snowing there as well. dangerous to be on the roads winding it down but not till this afternoon. if you can stay at home to let the road crews do what they need to do, all for the better. robin. >> winding down but not there yet. all right, rob, thank you. let's go to ginger with more on where the powerful storm is headed. good morning again, ginger. >> good morning to you, robin. we turned over to central park here just show i could show you how thick it is. probably about 6 to 10 inches. we haven't gotten an official report but i'd say we're on the higher end and note this is meager compared to what has come

down west and northwest of us. more than 40 inches of snow, lots of people waking up buried in three feet. their cars not even visible. somebody said where is my murano? behind this i wish i could tell you it will natural melt, uncomfortably cold and below average. windchills in the single digits if not teens in some places all the way through the weekend. so it's not going anywhere, guys. >> it sure isn't. ginger, thanks very much. the storm is colliding with one of the busiest shipping seasons ever and it's hitting as the united states reports its deadliest day of the pandemic. a panel is set to meet and discuss moderna's vaccine and tom llamas has all the details. >> reporter: so we're expecting a vote on that moderna vaccine later today. if everything goes as planned that vaccine could be hitting hospitals and nursing homes within days. this morning, as hospital workers and now nursing home residents get those shots of the

pfizer vaccine. >> we got it? >> yeah, that was it. >> okay, we did it. >> reporter: americans are one step close story possibly having a second vaccine available. an fda advisory committee set to review moderna's data from their clinical research trials setting the stage for the vaccine to receive emergency use authorization just like pfizer. in documents released earlier this week moderna's vaccine showed to be 94.1% nic across age and gender groups and just like the pfizer vaccine, similar minor side effects like injection site pain, fatigue, headaches and chills. for moderna, this happened to most people after the second dose. as moderna awaiting authorization, news of another allergic reaction to pfizer's vaccine. this time right here in the u.s. two health care workers in alaska had an allergic reaction after receiving the dose on tuesday. one was treated and released. the other whose reaction was serious had no history of severe allergies to drugs but it's

unknown if she had any allergies. >> we have had these isolated allergic reactions. what's your take from that. >> i'm not worried. people can have allergies to medicines, vaccines, food. the uk administered more than 100,000 doses. so people with severe allergic reactions which they should consult their doctor but most people will be fine. >> another new development with the pfizer vaccine, they found in some vials there's bonus doses, more than the five. the fda recommending health care providers use those though more vaccine to go around is great news. >> thank you, tom. coming up a multimillion dollar lawsuit against the teeth whitening company endorsed by rob gronkowski and floyd mayweather. just over a week till christmas. how do top retailers like amazon, target and walmart stack up with speedy delivery? day six of our "gma" christmas cookie countdown. don't miss what we're making this morning. we'll be right back. ♪ seven swans a-swimming

did you know that geico's whole 15 minutes thing... that came from me. really. my first idea was "in one quarter of an hour, your savings will tower... over you. figuratively speaking." but that's not catchy, is it? that's not going to swim about in your brain. so i thought, what about... 15 minutes. 15 percent. serendipity. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. a galaxy far awaya frgets closer to home. serendipity. and a low price unlocks a high score. irish cream cold brew holiday a new way

festive is a tap away download the app today who've got their eczema under control. with less eczema, you can show more skin. so roll up those sleeves. and help heal your skin from within with dupixent. dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur,

including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. so help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. if your financial situation has changed, 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 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.

anna could only imagine a comfortable night's sleep without frequent heartburn waking her up. now, that dream... . ...is her reality. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts, for all-day, all-night protection. can you imagine 24 hours without heartburn? savthis week...nute gifts only at target. save up to 30% on toys and games... select sweaters and puffers for the family... home appliances and more. now through saturday. this week only. save on last-minute gifts. at target.

♪ everybody's waiting for the man with the bag ♪ ♪ 'cause christmas is coming again ♪ it is great to have you with us on this thursday morning. and we've loved seeing all the creative christmas trees that you've been sharing using the #gmaseeyourtree. >> let's take a look at this one from pat in omaha, nebraska. look at all those presents underneath the tree. >> wow, wow. >> here's a picture of a beautiful pinterest recreation tree from yolanda from stockbridge, georgia. so please keep sending us your creative photos using the

#gmaseeyourtree and right now it is time for "pop news" with lara. good morning, lara. good morning. yeah, there's mine. can you see knit the background? i love this time of year. so good to see you guys on this snowy morning here in the northeast and we begin with a bit of a beatles reunion. ringo starr has asked paul mccartney to give him a hand on "here's to the night" and here's your first listen. ♪ here's to the night we won remember with the friends we won't forget may we sing about it forever ♪ ♪ may we make some noise together make a beautiful one ♪ >> as you heard there are several voices in there in

addition to ringo and sir paul. those voices include lenny kravitz, sheryl crow, dave grohl, that's just to name a few. ringo telling "rolling town" the song is about all of us coming together saying about the lyrics, quote, we've all had a few nights we don't remember and we've all had them with friends we won't forget is what the song is about. it's a catchy tune, isn't it? and that's not all from the beatles. sir paul mccartney is releasing a brand-new number called "mccarthy 3" that comes out at midnight along with a brand-new video. meantime, ringo's new song is out now. check it out. next up, all of us have had to zoom or do video chats during the pandemic. most of us, let's face it, have had a technical problem or two along the way, frozen screen, no audio. it happens. it even happens to the queen. the royal glitch, if you will. her majesty, queen elizabeth, has been making virtual

appearances from windsor and, well, it doesn't always go as smoothly as one would expect. take a look. >> it's very interesting to hear about it. >> thank you, manual. i'm sorry? sorry, ma'am. i lost you. i wasn't sure actually if you could hear me. >> oh, you just disappeared. all of you. >> terrible. i'm still here, ma'am. >> good. >> blame it on the royal wi-fi. the queen as always, though, keeps calm and carries on. that call was with the accounting firm kpmg to discuss their efforts to promote diversity in their profession and so that the queen could celebrate kpmg's 150th anniversary in a very modern way. finally, as we've all seen on the news, a huge snowstorm has hit large parts of the country including right here leaving many schools closed this morning going for many but one

school official in west virginia had a very different idea in mind. jefferson county superintendent dr. bondy shay gibson writing a heart felt letter about today's snow day saying, for just a moment we can all let go of the worry of making up for the many things we've missed this year by making sure this is one thing our kids won't miss. so please enjoy a day of sledding and hot chocolate and cozy fires, we will return to the serious and urgent business of growing up on thursday, but for tomorrow go build a snowman. that letter going viral online being shared. isn't that greaty being shared by thousands on facebook with parents thanking the superintendent for her tone and her timing during this very strange time. so to all the kids out there watching, sledding, snowmen, snowball fight and definitely enjoy the hot chocolate and with that i'll send it back to you in the studio. >> all sounds good. >> a lot of good advice. we turn to our cover story.

sports superstars rob gone cow city and floyd maryweather sued by a popular teeth whitening product they endorsed. zohreen shah has details. good morning. >> reporter: one company promised their product would brighten your smile, even protect against bacteria and viruses and nearly a million people made the big purchase but a new lawsuit says the teeth whitening products backed by big celebrities are also backed by false advertising. >> what do celebrities, professional athletes and thousands of people just like you have in common? >> reporter: it's the popular l.e.d. teeth whitening kit popping up in your social media feed endorsed by rob gronkowski and floyd meriwether. but this morning snow teeth whitening llc facing a class action lawsuit. burton clause accusing its founder, gone cow ken and mayweather of fraudulent, false

and misleading advertising and marketing. based on what the plaintiff calls false claims that the lights they sell to consumers will dramatically improve the whitening powary and antiviral or anti-septic qualities stressing this type of lawsuit can be powerful if it is allowed to proceed as a class action. >> a class action lawsuit is essentially a lawsuit where rather than having one plaintiff, one person bringing the lawsuit, there are hundreds, could be thousands of individuals typically in the class action lawsuit such as this. >> reporter: the at home brightening kits retailing for about 2 roo evacuate $200 and touting they sold nearly 1 million. the lawsuit seeking class action status claiming the lights are in effective and are cheap lights similar to models sold online for less than $5. cause' attorney saying they're taking advantage of consumers and in march they began the efforts to profit from the

pandemic by falsely suggesting they had a virus killing option. we are trying to stop them from ripping people off. >> they believe what they say, they have credibility. they have trust built up in their name and in their brand and because of that trust, people go out and spend money. with the belief that what that celebrity or endorser said is true. >> reporter: now, the company's ceo says it's clear the lawsuit is to exploit the celebrities that the company has less than a 2% return rate and that they still insist their product works. no comment from the celebrity sponsor, though, robin. >> all right, zohreen, thank you. with just eight days to christmas we are closing in on the final holiday shipping crunch. becky worley is back with the results of our "gma" shipping challenge. we love a challenge. it's to see if amazon, walmart and target delivered those holiday gifts on time. good morning there, becky. >> reporter: good morning, robin. eight days, christmas is right around the corner. yikes. if you still need to order presents, you better get to it. right after black friday,

ordering on the 2nd we did our own experiment to see what shipping is like this busy season. attention, shoppers, online retail increases have led to massive shipping surges. >> this year already we've seen a 56% increase in orders that are being placed with free shipping. >> reporter: and with so many packages being delivered, some consumers are seeing delays. to see if we experience any ourselves we get to work. okay, i'm checking out. first i ordered three of the same thing, a board game, a tea kettle and pjs from three different big box retailers, amazon, walmart and target. at checkout they all estimate delivery within six days. first to arrive amazon. all of the other items are on time. they're here. except the pjs from target arrive four days later than originally expected. for the next part of our shipping challenge my producer ordered three sets of kids' pajamas from macy's, kohl's, old

navy and h&m and get a wide range of delivery dates anywhere from 4 to 19 days. h&m tellses shipping time is longer than usual. and all three of our items from macy's are delayed. one coming a day late, the others arriving two and five days after the original delivery dates. macy's tells us we are actively working with our shipping partners to best manage customer deliveries. so with this shipping uncertainty, many experts say curbside pickup is a good alternative. >> we see consumers shifting to curbside or in-store pickup largely because they don't have to worry about shipping delays. >> reporter: if you can't make to it the store, delivery services like instacart, doordash and shipt are all teaming up with big name retailers like best buy, macy's and target for local same day delivery. about those kids' pajamas from h&m, the company says it's working hard on getting

customers their packages as quickly as possible but we are down to the nitty-gritty on free shipping. a few retailers with deadlines,, u uniklo, an example. ticktock. >> you had delivered on time once again, becky. thank you as always. >> thank you. all righty, we'll get a breakdown of last-minute shipping deadlines on goodmorningamerica.com. let's go to ginger who looks like little red riding hood out there. good morning again, ginger. >> yes. looking for that big bad wolf. i just wanted to warn you, you got to get out here fast, we're already seeing graying of the snow in manhattan. we're still seeing flurries here but look at this. the numbers are unbelievable. newark valley, new york, 44 inches so approaching four feet. binghamton had 20 inches since 1:00 a.m. so easily got the three inch per hour snowfall

rates and wild to see that. a few inches left especially in new england. some of those places could see 6 to 12 n good soggy morning. i'm abc7 news meteorologist mike nicco. the showers will taper towards the end of the commute. most of us will be dry and breezy this afternoon. it is going to be much colder tonight with fog in the usual spots and mostly sunny and warmer than average this weekend. today 56 to 60 the range in our high temperatures. tonight, low time now for our series "the influencers." if you're ready for a vacation best tips for plan ago head for when it's safe to travel again from the bucket list family. they're joining us live in a moment but first let's take a look at their story. five years ago they packed up, sold everything and moved out of

their apartment in utah to start traveling around the world. >> hello from alaska. >> good morning from -- >> reporter: now a family of travel journalists. >> ten-hour flight. we got this. >> reporter: they take their jobs very seriously. the bucket list family's over 5 million followers journey with them across the world and while they've mastered the globe-trotting lifestyle. >> all right, guys. i'm driving the plane today. >> reporter: even expert travelers like the bucket list family can hit bumps in the road. >> what time is our flight? >> 3:25. >> look at what time it is. >> reporter: now with many of their travel plans on hold, they're finding new ways for adventure and they've got some tips for you. >> tell your friends. >> all right, will do. see ya. >> i'm here with jess and garrett gee of the bucket family and have more than 5 million followers on social media and their motto, adventure, culture,

service. good morning, you two. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> good morning. and you're breaking down some of your best travel tips for us this morning so we'll check our departure board and see where we're headed first. up first, traveling with kids. and you know what, traveling with kids is always tough. a lot of parents planning family trip, what's your advice for traveling with your children? >> my first tip is to always just be positive. kids feed off your energy. you have to be positive and happy and have a good attitude because if you don't, if you're stressed out they'll feed off that energy. >> we do have one secret tip we use to prepare kids for long flights that is bedtime stories, the night before we'll tell them a story about the magical plane that's taking them to a cool new place and that really helps prepare the kids. >> wow. >> and the next is pack light. there are diapers and formula and wipes and cribs everywhere. you can find those all over the world. can you rent a car seat anywhere you go and most hotels or

airbnbs or rental homes have crib as valuable. just call ahead. >> wow, great advice. i didn't think about those. our departure board to see what's next. booking a stay. that's what we got next. any vacation requires a place to stay, of course, what should families keep in mind when booking? >> well, the current time it would be to make sure you know the cancellation policy. check the details and know what you can cancel if you need to. >> you are doing your booking, especially for a hotel, you love to look local. maybe a small boutique hotel or bed and breakfast, some of those things can you find best when you're on social media, on our own instagram we will's make our bucket of list. >> google flight, something i use to find the best deals. i look at airbnb and lastly i organize everything in the trip-it app. >> trip-it app. we got one more rival coming in.

let's see what's coming in. pandemic planning. of course, people should still take precautions. we all know that. what is your advice to staying safe? >> i think right now it's important to stay places where you won't see that many people. camping, rv or rental home where it's just you and your small family in we recently returned from alaska and had a great time there. very isolated. it's important when booking to know the refund policy that your plans can change as needed. >> all right. and the thing, book a test before you arrive. when you get back home take those options. >> all right, thank you both for your time. you're taking over our instagram all day. check it out. we'll be right back.

♪ 'cause we are warriors and we will survive we are warriors ♪ ♪ we're stronger that's why we're alive, we will conquer ♪ love showing you those photos. welcome back to "gma." 2020, the year of health care workers. since the beginning of the pandemic they have bravely been on the front lines every single day for us. yesterday we introduced to you the woman who started a movement called adopt a health care worker giving people the opportunity to take care of health care heroes this holiday season. we received an incredible response since the piece aired yesterday. almost 9,000 additional people have joined the facebook group

bringing the total to over 26,000 members. christine told us there are so many people wanting to give gifts, they're now searching for more people to adopt and amazon also, also reached out to us in response to the story and, you know what, guys, they're doing something really special here. >> we were so inspired by yesterday's "good morning america" segment and seeing the community really rally behind our health care heroes and we are going to do the same, amazon is going to deliver smiles, they're going to deliver items in need to health care workers off their wish list this holiday season and hope everyone gets involved and gives back and spreads some love to these health care heros this year. they need it more than ever. >> amen to that. we want to you keep spreading the love. show us how you're helping out health care workers in your own community right now using the #gmahelping. heroes. >> love that. yeah. a little bit goes a long way. joining us now to help us count down to christmas we have the pratt brother, kyle and

sammy, they put together the biggest christmas celebration in arizona with 250,000 christmas lights. >> whoo. >> we'll see it live in just a minute but first we are going to chat with these two fellows and sammy, i'll start with you. this is your sixth year of putting together massive christmas light shows. is this the most extreme one you've done so far? >> this is by far the most extreme display we've done. in fact, this year we actually have six fire machines, two co2 jets and five bubble machines and hundreds of christmas candy and a quarter million christmas lights all programmed to probably about 25 to 30 different disney and christmas songs and by looking at the display you can see we're very disney inspired. fitting in the center of the gingerbread out we have the "it's a small world clock" face, and what we like to say it's basically a gingerbread house meets "it's a small world." >> since disney is our parent company we love hearing this so

thank you for that. kyle, so, okay, so you've got the bubbles, you've got the fireworks. we're hearing about the gingerbread. is it true you can smell the gingerbread? >> that's right. we actually took our biggest inspiration which is disney as my brother stated and they have machines in their park called smellitizers. if you go to their bakery you will smell cookies or bread. what we like to do is pump out the great smell of gingerbread. >> nice. >> nice. >> i hear you guys got so popular you had to shut down? >> that's true. to give you an example our street spans about a mile length and just recently we actually had 3,000 people trying to come to the show so had to shut down temporarily but it just proves this year has been more fun than ever before and it's really nice to get my brother involved, the family involved and the entire community. >> last saturday we actually had the same thing happen but this time it was 4500 people. now, the police have been

nothing but supportive and helpful in trying to get us a solution to get this going and actually open last night and will be open all the way through the 31st. >> let's hear one of your most popular songs. sia's "candy cane lane." >> thank you so much for having us on. and merry christmas, america. ♪ candy cane lane bring a friend this holiday ♪ ♪ bring a friend who loves to play ♪ ♪ we'll eat all the candy canes ♪ ♪ oh, candy cane lane, >> that is amazing. very well done. coming up, when we come back jamie foxx going to talk about his new movie "soul." ♪ that's just the way you make me feel ♪ ♪ that's just the way you make me fee

xfinity internet customers are saving up to $400 when they add xfinity mobile. they can choose from flexible data options. and get nationwide 5g included, all on the most reliable network! ...and they lived happily ever after. again! again! get an incredible offer on xfinity internet and you could save up to $400 a year when you add xfinity mobile. click, call, or visit a store today.

me ♪ that's just the way you make me feel ♪ back now on "gma" with jamie foxx who's making history as the first black lead in a pixar movie. the film is called "soul." it's about celebrating our individuality and the power of music, love and loss. jamie sat down to talk about it with deborah roberts. ♪ you were my dream >> reporter: jamie foxx is no

stranger story films with a musical backdrop. ♪ tell your momma, tell your pa ♪ >> reporter: the oscar winner now taking on a groundbreaking role. >> one, two, three, four, stay on the -- >> reporter: and a music teacher who dreams of making it big and new disney pixar film "soul." >> you know what it's going to say, joe gardner. >> reporter: your character joe gardner is very, very interesting. listening to him and watching him, at some points it was clear i was listening to jamie foxx and then there were times i just lost myself in the character and forgot who i was listening to but i was just immersed in the character s that a compliment? >> hey, listen, definitely. sometimes, you know, sometimes i had to go in there and unfold my arms, you know, and really go at it, you know, because the thing is when i went in i was doing facial expressions first and pete says, jamie, we can't see you. >> stop, i have something to tell you. 22, stop.

i have something to tell you. >> able to just watch the character and somehow, you know, that voice disappears. >> forget class. i'm in class, buddy. >> reporter: the first time a black lead was cast in a pixar movie. >> the first time a black lead and i got the culture on my back, no. but i was so happy to have that. i think this is the right progression. i was ready for something like this. i think we're all ready for it. ♪ >> i was struck by the beauty of the animation. his fingers. >> it's crazy. he had great fingers, i mean just the fact the way he touches those piano keys and the way he digs in, you know, it just -- it's just fluid. >> reporter: the movie sort of deals with love, loss, your character has lost his father. you've recently lost your beloved sister deondra. obviously you had already shot it but did that awaken anything and how are you doing?

>> yeah, you know what, i'm going to be honest. it's been unbelievably painful and anybody that knows my sister deondra, she was a light, man. and to have her not with us, it's tough. for "soul" to come out you can't help but think about where she is and knowing that she's still with us and we need this movie. >> what do you most hope people will take away? >> just a great feeling. i hope you get what everybody else gets. people who have seen the movie, i hope you get a chance to escape, just enjoy the film and merry christmas. >> reporter: deborah roberts, abc news, new york. >> ah, it looks and soups so good. disney and pixar's "soul" will be available exclusively on disney plus beginning on christmas day. what a gift. for now let's go to ginger with another update on the weather. ginger.

>> lara, i don't know if you can hear that clattering of the snowplow and the beauty. it really is almost romantic when you have this type of snow in central park here, wanted to show you the top of the statues at columbus circle and the visibility down, now i also wanted to share with you that there are going to be people super happy about this. west virginia, picking up at least a half foot of snow in places, snowshoe in the last week has had about 15 inches so skiers and snowboarders are rejoicing and i know my kids are this morning and i'm sure good morning. arch a good soaking last night, our showers will start ending around 9:00. partly cloudy, breezy and cool they are afternoon. mid to upper 50s. it is going to be a it is time now for our 12 days of christmas cookies. michael is going to head on over there and open our calendar, see what we're making.

what are we making this morning? >> ooh. >> vanilla coconut meringue swans? >> yes. >> it's perfect. perfect for this morning's seven swans a-swimming theme. our pastry chef author of "dessert person" claire saffitz joins us with the recipe. this looks delicious. you got to tell us how do we do it. good morning. >> good morning. thanks for having me. i'm very excited to show you. some meringue cookies are simple. sugar and egg whites and adding vanilla bean, shredded unsweetened coconut and salt. that's it. >> now, to get started you say you have to massage the vanilla into the sugar. how do you do that? >> it's really easy so i'm just working the seeds of vanilla pod into the gang lated sugar and this releases all of the flavors

and aromas of the vanilla so it perfumes whole meringue and easy. you just split the vanilla pod lengthwise and use the dull side of a knife to scrape away the seeds. don't throw away the pod. i put it in a jar filled with vodka and make my own infused vodka. >> once you get that mixture together, then you have to add the egg whites. but how do you get it to be a glossy meringue? that's the thing. i like mine glossy. >> yes, we want a glossy, smooth meringue always so we add the egg whites and a little bit of salt and the first thing i do is stir the mixture over a double boiler and that is to encourage the sugar to dissolve because it's by dissolving that sugar we get an ultra smooth really stable glossy meringue and takes a few minutes with the whisk and have simmering water in the pot. and then once you do that, that mixture gets transferred to a stand mixer and whip it to firm peaks with the whisk attachment. >> then you got to turn it into a swan.

>> over here. >> yeah, so we make our swan so with some of the plain meringue before i added the coconut i have it in a piping bag with an opening and i am tracing these question mark shapes that i drew on parchment paper and turned over so these are the necks of the swans so just start at the base and with my pastry bag make this half heart or a little question mark shape. once i've done that i go ahead and add my dried unsweetened coconut to the remaining meringue that's in the bowl then that meringue gets added to another pastry bag with a slightly bigger opening and now i go ahead and pipe the bodies of the swans so these are the base of the cookie and just give it right at the base of the neck a little kind of sweet mound of that coconut meringue. >> looks simple enough. >> so, claire, what -- >> really not too bad. >> what do you do to decorate

them? >> right, so these bake in a 275 oven for about 45 minutes and then we take them out and let them cool and to really give them some finishing touches for that swan look, i have a little bit of melted dark chocolate and i use that just to draw a stripe across the face of the swan and then with some melted white chocolate with a little red and yellow food coloring added to make orange i just paint it right on with a toothpick onto the beak and this is really the finishing touch of the swan then once that sugar cools and the chocolate sets you have your gorgeous meringue swan. >> so cute. you almost feel bad eating it. >> you had the meringue all over -- i had to hand you a napkin. claire, this is really delicious and it is pretty as well. >> very light. >> very light. very light. that means you can eat more. >> thank you for having me.

>> we're so glad you joined us. thank you so much and we'll let everyone know your recipe, claire's recipe is on our website at goodmorningamerica.com. so make sure you check that out and big thank you to the culinary institute of education here in new york city for having us this morning and tomorrow we have erin jean mcdowell on with her cookie recipe. coming up, alan alda. alan alda. there he is. >> live. >> the legend. >> joins us

we cannot be a strong nation unless we are a healthy nation. >> how could so few of us know about something that had touched so many lives and that had ended up saving so many. >> i don't think there's been anything quite like it before or since. >> the answer like the war itself is not an easy one. >> and strong because we invest in science that keeps us health? >> an excerpt from the audible

original podcast "soldiers of science" and about dr. anthony fauci, and alan alda joins us. what drew you to the story? >> it's such an amazing story and one i had never heard before and i'll bet most people don't know this story. during the vietnam war, all the male doctors who graduated medical school were immediately subject to the draft. they were drafted and other people had a lottery. but doctors were all taken up. but there was one chance they had to continue doctoring and become researchers and that was if they applied to the national institutes of health for a program that they had where physicians could become researchers and some of the greatest researchers that came

out of that period went through that program. they changed medicine in the united states and by extension around the world. it was an amazing thing. instead of serving on the front lines, they served in bethesda maryland at the national institutes of health and they came up -- it's a personal story. i think that's what attracted me the most about it. it's a personal story because, for instance, two doctors who we followed the story through the four episodes of the podcast, two doctors brown and goldstein met this 8-year-old girl who had cholesterol ten times the amount found in a normal adult. what was causing it? they really needed to know what was causing it, but she was in a clinic at the nih. right across the hall from the clinic was the lab where they went to do experiments and study what was the problem. that led to statins with the help of -- >> that changed everybody's

lives right there. >> helped millions of people, yeah. >> we just saw a picture of a young dr. anthony fauci. >> he was one of the doctors in the program and had a medical breakthrough while he was there at the age of 30 and then he went on to do groundbreaking work in aids and now he is our national hero. he's a wonderful guy. >> boy, he sure is. they achieved so much. nine nobel prize winning discoveries taking on heart disease, hiv-aids, cancer. >> yeah, the first onca gene and the first receptor on a cell. understanding that the cells have receptors that viruses can attach to was not known before. that was the basis of a whole revolution in medicine. and these -- out. the 2,000 doctors who were in the program during the vietnam

war, as you said, nine of them became nobel prize winners but many of the others, most of the others went on to head labs in universities around the country and they had learned all of the techniques of research so they were physician researchers. any researcher has the excitement of discovering something new, they also had the inducement of caring for a patient just across the hall where they were desperate to help and that double whammy was important to the discovery and to the later health of the patients. >> boy. >> it changed america. >> it is just a fascinating story that is taken too long to be told. i'm glad you're bringing it to us. alan alda, thanks very much. "soldiers of science" available today on audible and we'll be right back.

your shoulder seems to be healing nicely. well, dr. farrell, it feels really good... that's good. and... i'm sorry. baby, don't touch that... i don't want you to play with that... (singing) twinkle, twinkle little star. how i wonder what you are... (still singing) up above the world so high... like a diamond in the sky. i'm so glad that your shoulder is feeling better. but, how are you doing? i'm hanging in there... schedule a video visit with your doctor. and get quality care with no copay. kaiser permanente. thrive. and get quality care with no copay. ♪ ♪ digital transformation has failed to take off. because it hasn't removed

the endless mundane work we all hate. ♪ ♪ automation can solve that by taking on repetitive tasks for us. unleash your potential. uipath. reboot work.

you know to me you know to me the holidays mean faith, family and friends. >> sharing smiles and sharing love with everyone around you. >> and sharing cookies, got to have those cookies. >> uh-huh. from our "gma" family, happy, happy holidays filled with love and tell them, michael. >> cookies! >> we have been eating a lot of cookies. >> i'm excited because we're done now. thank you for watching. we'll go outside and make some snow angels. have a great day. >> stay safe.

people are saving hundreds on the most reliable in a land not so far away, network with xfinity mobile. they can choose from the latest phones or bring their own. and choose the data option that's right for them. they even get nationwide 5g at no extra cost. and since they are on the carrier rated #1 in customer satisfation, they live happily ever after. again, again! xfinity mobile. your wireless. your rules. your way to stay closer together. click, call, or visit an xfinity store today.

♪ do you recall, not long ago ♪ we would walk on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ all around the wind blows ♪ we would only hold on to let go ♪ ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ all we needed somebody to lean on ♪ ♪ ♪ the volvo xc90 recharge plug-in hybrid. ♪ ♪

>> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan!" today, from the film, "sylvie's love," tessa thompson. and a delicious sweet side dish for your holiday table. also, one of our most memorable trivia caller's is back with our "good news story of the day." plus, journalist and anchor anderson cooper returns as kelly's cohost. all next on "live!" ♪ [cheers and applause] and now, here are kelly ripa and anderson cooper! >> kelly: wow. >> anderson: you look amazing. >> kelly: thank you. if i sit straight up, i will slip my pants down. hey, it's thursday,