update in about 25 minutes. merry christmas. ♪ ♪ good morning, america. merry christmas. this morning, we're getting into the real spirit of the season with the pastor of one of america's largest churches. joel osteen on faith and family. he's here with his christmas message as you wake up on this wonderful holiday. ♪ santa tell me if you're really there ♪ now that santa is resting after a long night, you might be wondering how did he do it? ginger and the kids are bringing us the science of santa, and that home experiment all believers can try this morning. 12 days of chris-mas. the nba superstar giving back, tipping off the holiday with the opening lineup of all-star surprises for some incredibly deserving people. ♪ rocking around the christmas tree ♪ christmas connection. how to be present this year even if you can't celebrate with your

loved ones. the most popular tech items to help you stay in touch. plus, 'tis the season to make a return. the secret to sending back those unwanted gifts to the north pole without leaving your house. and if you are home alone like -- >> kevin! >> ah! >> the hottest movies out right now to warm up your christmas morning that you can enjoy right from your couch. from the song and dance of your dreams to the wonderful heroine rescuing your holiday. and we won't forget to bring the soul. yes! whoo hoo! ♪ deck the halls ♪ come on and deck the halls ♪ ♪ deck the halls with boughs of holly ♪ ♪ fa la la la good morning and merry christmas to everyone at home. we want you to know that we are

on tape this morning so all of us can celebrate too. we hope you're having a great holiday. >> we really do, and you're listening to the famous holiday chorus singing us into the holiday with "deck the halls." they will be performing for us all morning long, and we'll also have a special performance with the princeton tiger tones to get you into that christmas spirit. >> also ahead, we have some inspiring stories about people giving back in a year when so many need a helping hand, including nba superstar khris middleton's 12 days of khris-mas, and some amazing college students who have made it their mission to help the hungry. their goal is to deliver more than 20 million pounds of food in 2020. >> they have been doing great work all i do long. that is all coming up. first, we want to get the morning's top headlines from eva pilgrim. good morning, eva. merry christmas. >> george, merry christmas, and merry christmas to everyone at home. the cdc is out with a stunning new prediction this morning saying the coronavirus

death toll is suspected to pass 415,000 by the middle of january. california is passing 2 million confirmed covid cases and the crisis is straining hospitals far beyond normal capacity. so far just 1 million people have been vaccinated, not even close to the governments a goal of 20 million by new year's day. all of this as millions of americans are struggling financially, waiting for help from the government, and the fate of the covid relief bill is hanging in the balance. abc's rachel scott has the details. >> reporter: overnight, the $900 billion coronavirus relief bill flown to florida where president trump is spending the holidays, but it's still unclear if he will sign it. just days before christmas, blasting the stimulus package his own team helped negotiate. >> it really is a disgrace. >> reporter: the president taking to the golf course while relief for millions hangs in limbo. this christmas, many americans are barely scraping by. angela moore had covid-19. then she lost her job. now holding her breath, waiting to see if that critical aid

comes through. >> i just feel like we have been treated like a yo-yo, like we're being pawned between republicans, democrats and the president, and it's going to be too late. >> reporter: in just 24 hours, 14 million will lose unemployment benefits, the federal moratorium on evictions expires next week, and the government will shut down on monday. >> i beg the president to know how many people in this country are scared. >> reporter: the president demanded congress increase the amount of the stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000. democrats in the house tried to quickly meet that request on thursday. republicans rejected it. gop senator roy blunt saying it would be a mistake to try to renegotiate. >> i hope the president looks at this again and reaches that conclusion that the best thing to do is to sign the bill. >> reporter: the president is now using the crisis to

fundraise, sending out this email asking supporters to donate, to send a message to congress that the american people deserve better. but a group of bipartisan lawmakers releasing this statement saying, the best way to do that is for the president to sign the bill. calling it the best possible christmas gift to the american people. rachel scott, abc news, washington. the police killing of an unarmed black man sparked new protests in columbus, ohio. dozens of people rallied two days after andre hill's death. this followed the police chief recommending the firing of the

>> that's it from here. back to you, robin. >> our thanks to eva for working on this christmas morning. it's a time now to reflect and remember the meaning of christmas during such a challenging year. pastor joel osteen who leads one of america's largest churches always has an inspiring message. he's going to join us in just a moment, but first, take a look. >> we draw in what we constantly think about. you can't think defeat and have victory. you can't think weakness and have strength. your life is going to follow your thoughts. >> amen to all of that. joel is joining us now from the lakewood church there in houston, texas. he has a brand-new book. it is called "empty out the negative: make room for more joy, greater confidence and new

levels of influence." joel, always a pleasure to have you with us on "good morning america." merry christmas to you. >> hey. merry christmas, robin. great to be with you. >> oh my goodness, and from afar. usually you're in the studio with us for a morning like this. with your new book, and what you are talking to people about is to release the negativity that is weighing us down, and you say to start right there in the morning when you wake up. i don't know if you know, but this year i have been sharing a morning message and prayer often inspired by your words. it has been very well-received giving people that boost. so what is your christmas morning message to everyone, joel? >> you know, my christmas morning message, robin, is to celebrate this day. yes, it's a difficult year, but today, 2020, christmas is a gift from god. i think it's important that we find something to be grateful for, you know, i like to think about, don't focus on what's wrong. focus on what's right.

don't look at what you don't have. look at what you do have. take time to enjoy your family. i've learned when you start the day off in faith, your day goes better. >> and how -- what do you say to people -- how do you remain positive in times like these? there's a lot of -- just fatigue. they're being at home, not being able to work. there's so many uncertainties. how do you help people stay positive during a time like this, joel? >> you know, robin, i think it's important to take it a day at a time because when we look out a month or a year, i think we can't do that for this long. i can't raise these kids like that. i can't be in my house this long, but if you just take it for 24 hours. can i be grateful today? can i be good to somebody today? can i keep a good attitude? you have strength for today. you don't have strength for tomorrow. if you take it a day at a time, it will take the pressure off. god's given you grace for this day. you can live it to the full and be good to somebody. you can enjoy this day. >> what about people who can't be with loved ones for whatever reason? the pandemic and other reasons.

it's great to be in the studio with my boys right here, and you've got a big family there at home. but what do you say to people who have that feeling of isolation? >> you know, you have to know that god has you in the palm of his hand. maybe you can't be with your loved ones. hopefully you can reach out to them by phone. i think that, you know, rather than just sit around thinking about all that's wrong in our life, pick up the phone, and get on facebook and encourage somebody else. i've learned when you get outside of yourself, and be a blessing, that's a seed that you're sowing and that's when god can bless you. we were created to give, to be a blessing to someone else. >> 'tis the season. you should do that every day, but especially a day like today. we have a few more days left in the year. looking forward to 2021, and many of us are doing just that. what is your message about keeping the faith as we go forward into a new year? >> you know, robin, it's not just surviving this time. oh, we're in a pandemic, and when is it going to be over? you have to make up your mind,

you're going to thrive. you're going to expect good things. you're going to take the hand that you have been dealt and make the most of it. so i like to say, take the limits off of god. take the limits off of our life, and let's get ready for some new things in 2021. go into the year with expectancy. expecting to reach those dreams, break that addiction, get healthy. your expectation, that's setting the limits for your life, and releasing your faith. saying, god, i believe you have greater things in store for me. >> it's always great to have you here with us, joel osteen. my best to you, victoria, and the entire osteen family. be well. we'll see you in 2021. how does that sound? >> thank you, robin. love you guys. we'll see you. >> "empty out the negative" is out now. information on joel osteen's lakewood church sermon live stream is on their website. a few more days left in the year. i know we're celebrating on christmas and looking at new

year's. but looking ahead, michael, what are your hopes? >> my hopes are for health, for everyone. also for recovery for those who have had some difficult times. and i think because 2020 was such a trying year, just a rejuvenation of spirit which is kind of what joel osteen was saying right there. >> i think it'll start by having a relatively normal life feels like a great blessing. going forward, i hope we find new ways to really hear and listen to one another and talk to each other. there seems to be so much division right now in this country. >> my sister dorothy has a new phrase. for 2020, it was, my blessings will be plenty in 2020. we have been blessed in many ways. it's been a very difficult, difficult, challenging year. there's no disputing that, but we've seen a lot of good from people. you know, a lot of bad, but the good has come out and people wanting to help one another, and i hope that some -- we want to return to normal in a lot of ways in 2021, but i want to keep some of what we've experienced, some of what the closeness being apart has brought us together in

many ways. >> i can't wait to hear what the mantra is for 2021. >> gotta save that. can't give it all up. we'll switch gears now and move to the science of santa. looking at how st. nick delivers so many presents in one night. ginger has much more on the magic of christmas. merry christmas, ginger. >> reporter: merry christmas, george, and to everyone. my kids were so pumped for santa, but like me, they just had to know a little bit more about how it's all possible. so here's a little slide down a chimney into the science of santa. 'twas the night before christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring -- >> mom, how does santa come in the house? >> reporter: until adrian and his questions pounce. >> how? >> i think like tim allen. >> how many houses? >> like 92 million. >> all in one night? >> reporter: yep.

i'm going to need some help. >> well, i did a calculation. >> reporter: this is don lincoln. he's a scientist and an expert on how santa delivers the goods all in one night. he says there's 2 billion kids on the santa they don't all celebrate christmas. only about 15% of them do, but he still has to visit some 92 million homes, and because of time zones and variations in sunrise and sunsets, he has a little bit more time than you think. about 32 hours of darkness. but in order to span the 42 million miles in that time, he has to move really fast. about 800 houses every single second. >> which is fast enough to go from new york city to los angeles in six seconds. >> reporter: to travel that fast, he needs some special fuel. >> we think that santa eats the cookies, but, you know, what santa is doing is taking the cookies and using that energy to power his sleigh. >> that makes a lot more sense because we use corn and soybeans and pretty much everything at

this point. >> reporter: and the reindeer? well, we think they get their energy from reindeer toothpaste which, turns out, is pretty easy to make. >> who is ready to make reindeer toothpaste? >> me! >> yes. mix this together. that's the warm water and the yeast. once that gets mixed up, i'm going to take extra care in pouring some hydrogen peroxide. >> reporter: parents, you should handle the hydrogen peroxide. >> dish soap. >> reporter: after adding red and green food coloring, combine the mixtures. >> here it goes. whoa! feel the bottle. it feels warm because we're having an exothermic reaction. you know that energy is going to power the reindeer. >> reporter: what about the presents? all those gifts would weigh more than 300,000 tons. instead, i think he just uses a 3d printer.

and finally, how does he know if you have been naughty or nice? he gets special help with special santa software. it pings when you send a mean text or post something unkind online. he stores it all on a massive computer server and that has to stay cool. why else would he live at the north pole? there are two more factors to throw into that equation. the first, magic, and the second, imagination. scientifically speaking, both are infinite. guys? >> very well said, ginger. >> without a doubt. now to the nba superstar giving back with his 12 days of khris-mas. two-time nba middleton is tipping off the holiday with the ultimate lineup of surprises for some incredibly deserving people. t.j. has more. merry christmas, t.j. >> reporter: 12 days of christmas. lords aleaping, geese allaying. we're not talking about that list. we're talking about a different list of christmas items here from khris middleton of the

milwaukee bucks because i assure you, his list puts a partridge in a pear tree to shame. high-flying dunks, pristine passes. >> middleton, alley-oop. a beautiful pass. >> reporter: and that silky smooth jumper. >> middleton, good. boy, is he shooting well. >> reporter: just some of the tools that makes this 6'7" nba all star a dominant presence. but on this day -- >> thank you. >> reporter: -- khris middleton is garnering a whole new set of fans. >> sometimes people need uplifting during this holiday season. i feel like that's the most important thing to reach out. >> reporter: united health care and middleton teamed up to provide coats, hats and gloves dispersed to students drive-through style to gear up for the winter ahead. how is this different given that we're in a pandemic and the need is more this time around?

>> i had a coat drive where i helped out my elementary school by getting meeting the kids just to see what type of impact you have on, you know, the youth. i think what it's all about, to find some way to impact their lives in a positive way. >> reporter: here in milwaukee, all these students excited and grateful to welcome the nba all-star. >> there's always a need, especially during these times, during this pandemic to have coats and hats and gloves to give our students. it's valuable. >> hi, guys. how y'all doing? >> reporter: this event is just a handful of highlights during the 12 days of khris-mas, a year's long tradition where middleton celebrates by giving back to schools, essential workers and small businesses for his hometown team. this is the third year that he's actually done this.

guys, he actually sends out requests to people for nominees and he goes through that list and delivers on it. so he plans to keep this up for the nba cares initiative they've done over the holidays. they've delivered certainly in a year where a lot of people need more help than other. >> he is delivering without a doubt. thank you, t.j. nba fans can celebrate with a day full of basketball. five games from noon to 10:30 eastern airing right here on abc and espn. you can also see a cinco de msi the lakers taking on the mavericks at 8:00 eastern. >> before we move on, t.j., you couldn't wear any color to christmas? i mean, we got a red tie over here. >> there's one. >> that's -- >> you've got red behind you. >> look at michael's socks. he brought it strong. >> that's that you were saying you can't wait for 2021? >> i just had to. i had to. all right, t.j. coming up, our gift guide. how to get your new tech toys up and running and use them to connect with people you love wherever they are.

plus, the movies you can watch right now from your couch this christmas, including big new blockbusters like "wonder woman 1984." and the new york holiday chorus are here wishing you a merry christmas. we'll be right back. ♪ good tidings for christmas and a happy new year ♪ my name is michael owens. i'm with the 1st battalion 6th infantry regimen. i'm in the middle east. i would like to say merry christmas to my wife jasmine. who dat? go saints. >> happy holidays, and one, two, three -- >> all: merry christmas. ♪ and a happy new year ♪ good tidings we bring ♪ ♪ and never brought to mind ♪ should auld acquaintance be forgot ♪

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go to prudential.com or talk to an advisor. good morning, everyone. merry christmas. i am kumasi aaron on abc7 mornings. the capacity in the bay area is down to 9.7% according to state numbers, and that dropped from wednesday. we will be under tight restrictions until that number reaches 15%. california is the first state to confirm 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases and a surge in los angeles is driving that. happening today, the warriors in milwaukee are taking on the bucks this christmas morning, and you can watch it here on abc7. there's still 71 games left in the regular season.

green missed the first game with a foot injury, and he won't be on the court today but coach kerr suspects he will be on the floor for the bulls on sunday. nba countdown starts at 11:00 this morning, followed by

hi, i am you can see this hitting the north bay first, but we have heaven rain moving towards the peninsula coast and you will see that in the next half hour, and even light rain and virga, not making it to the ground. the bulk of the rain will arrive this afternoon and spread south.

kumasi? >> thank you, francis. we will have

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bublé sparkling water. it's buble! ♪ a merry little christmas ♪ make christmas ♪ ♪ make the yuletide gay welcome back to "gma." those are the tiger tones, an a cappella group from princeton university getting us into the holiday spirit on this christmas morning. they have a special performance for us all coming up later in the show. can't help but -- >> beautiful. >> can't help but get into the spirit with that. we are on tape this morning so we and our crew can celebrate at home, and we hope you're having a wonderful holiday as well. >> we certainly do hope that. now that the presents are open, it is time to get the most out of your gifts and use that new tech to connect with the

loved ones -- the ones you love, especially if you can't be together this holiday. becky worley has some great tips for us. merry christmas, becky. >> all: merry christmas. >> reporter: this year might be a little -- >> whoa. the squeakee? >> are they matching? >> reporter: -- a little different. while goodies may have arrived, big family gift exchanges have been curtailed. so we're focusing on all the ways you can get your gear up and running to connect with loved ones. we're going to start with an incredibly popular gift this year, the smart speaker. the smart speakers from amazon and google allow for a myriad of connections you may not have considered. for the echo show, you can place video calls with loved ones. my parents have one. >> all: hello. merry christmas. >> reporter: you need to create a contact for the person you're trying to call, and they need to enable video calling. you can also use skype to make a video call with an echo show. >> you can make voice calls with

the echo dot. i call my grandparents with this all the time. >> reporter: but connecting isn't just about the technology. sometimes it's fun to play games remotely instead of just talking. if your kids have a chromebook or got one for christmas, a fairly innocuous way to connect with friends is through the game "among us." we try to have the kids play together or over voice chat with friends. it's about as close to a play date as we can get these days. final point about connection, with all these new gadgets that log onto our internet in the days following christmas, it might be a good time to get your wi-fi coverage sorted out. the best solution is a mesh network that blankets the whole house in consistent coverage. consumer reports has picked the teepee link three-pack mesh network as their best budget option. it boasts 5,500 square feet of coverage and costs right around 150 bucks. >> ten. >> reporter: so from our family

to yours -- >> do not pass go. >> reporter: -- we hope this season of light brings you more connection and joy. merry christmas, and happy holidays. >> all right. thank you, becky. okay, and now that the gifts are up and running, what about the presents that may have just missed the mark this year? like everything else, returns will be a bit different this year. rebecca jarvis is here with everything you need to know about that. good morning, rebecca. merry christmas. >> reporter: merry christmas, george. we all know it is the thought that counts, but this year, if you receive something that's not quite right, you do have more options than ever to turn that lump of coal into something you love. 'tis the season to make a return. after a holiday unlike any other, a reminder that not all return policies are created equal. a number of the biggest retailers including walmart, target, best buy and amazon, extending return policies over the holidays, but make sure to look at those gift receipts and check them twice.

some stores giving you just 15 days. others as many as 30, 45 and even 90 to make returns. be sure to check the retailer's website. with an estimated $184 billion being spent online this holiday season, retailers are partnering to expand the amount of return dropoff locations. kohl's is now accepting amazon returns at their department stores, and third-party platforms like happy returns and narvar are teaming up with gap and levi's to accept returns at various locations including walgreens, nordstrom and even popup kiosks at the mall. if you don't want to leave the house and brave the post-holiday rush, have no fear. fedex, u.p.s. all offering free parcel pickups that you can arrange online. you can also turn gift cards into cash exchanging your gift

cards online without having to leave your home. if someone shopped small for you, but the gift isn't is the right fit, consider taking a store credit versus cash back. many small businesses have been battered by the pandemic and this could really help them stay afloat. keep in mind just because someone purchased that gift for you in-store doesn't mean you have to visit one to make the return. in fact, walmart says you can use their app, their website. you fill out some forms. you print a shipping label, and you can send it back so that you can do it safely this holiday season. guys? >> thanks, rebecca. >> no doubt. coming up, we have a bonus gift for the whole family. you don't have to leave your couch to get it. we have the biggest movies coming right to your living room on this christmas morning. ♪ >> hi. i'm sergeant kendall roberson from the 146 out of jacksonville, florida. i would like to wish my friends and family happy holidays. >> hi. i'm a veterinarian deployed in southwest asia in support of operation spartan shield.

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so does that get me off your naughty list? are you off the naughty words? yes. ho ho ho! i don't think so. capital one shopping. it's kinda genius. what's in your wallet? >> we're back now with the hottest movies to enjoy this holiday season, but this year you won't have to take a trip to go see them.

instead of watching them on the big screen, it's all about cuddling up to enjoy the latest stream. chris connelly has all the biggest movies you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home. good morning, chris. >> reporter: hey, good morning, michael, and merry christmas. it's not your typical holiday, and some of the sweetest cinematic treats will be ready and waiting for you from the comfort of your couch. everything from an animation standout to a superhero sequel to a much-missed star starring in a landmark performance. >> i did it. i got the gig. >> reporter: christmas day disney plus giving us "soul." >> what's your name, honey? >> i'm joel. i teach middle school band. >> go for it. >> reporter: jamie foxx and tina f fey. >> i don't want anything to do with it. >> reporter: to make you feel whole. one way to make sure this christmas is merry -- >> hello, interweb. my name is emma nolan and i'm 17. >> reporter: "the prom." >> we have got to go down there. raise holy hell. >> we will be the biggest thing

to happen in indiana since whatever's happened in indiana. >> reporter: features both meryl and kerry. >> who are you people? >> we are from broadway. >> reporter: "midnight sky" with clooney. >> i don't know the details. it started with a mistake. >> reporter: the arctic alone. >> you wanted to be an explorer. >> come to my voice. >> while you were doing all that, your own life is just slipping away. >> reporter: he doesn't want astronauts heading back home. his acting exquisite. >> i'm going to get me a band and make some records. >> reporter: so shuf sure and so deft. >> i know what i'm doing. i don't care. >> reporter: this actor's passing still leaves us bereft. chadwick boseman in all of his scenes as he comes to your living room screen. ♪ when i got there >> she said you're ready to go,

and that's the way it go around here. >> reporter: more oscar contenders? >> what is it a writer says? tell the story you know. >> reporter: well, have you seen this? >> please, call me mank. >> reporter: with fincher directing, that one's in the bank. >> they pay you to tell a story. i ain't never heard of that. >> it's not a rich man's occupation as you can see. >> reporter: hanks is in theaters now, there and at home. >> all you need is to want it. >> reporter: "wonder woman 1984" is a wow. >> the world needs you. you know what you need to do. >> reporter: pick the screen of your choice, a tv or a phone like kevin mcallister even life home alone. >> keep the change, you filthy animal. >> reporter: go couch surf a storm. watch until the day ends. watch what you love with your "gma" friends. so it should be a good day and a good night to celebrate with the latest releases from hollywood,

and this time they really will hit you where you live, for real this time. guys? >> that's a very good point. but it used to be a family tradition with us on christmas day. we would all go to the movies and see -- this is kind of nice. i can't even remember what we saw. i remember we were all together. >> i'm sure we're going to the movies right now. just on our couch. >> that's true. same thing. coming up, the princeton tiger tones are christmas with "little saint nick." we'll be right back. ♪ but i'm deeper than what you see. i'm craving something we're missing. the ceramides in cerave. cerave contains three essential ceramides, to restore the ones we've lost and help repair my natural barrier. so i can lock in moisture, and keep us protected. we're in this together, so we've got to have each other's backs... and fronts... cerave. now the #1 dermatologist recommended skincare brand.

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hi. i'm logan deployed in the middle east with the 146 esb, and i would like to wish my three baby sisters a merry christmas, and i can't wait to meet you girl. >> i'm located here in kuwait, and i want to wish my family back in the states a very merry christmas. and merry christmas to all those serving us all over the world on this christmas morning. and right now we're going to hear from the princeton tigertones spreading holiday cheer with a performance that was recorded in 15 different locations. here they are with "little saint nick." ♪ we wish you a merry christmas ♪ ♪ we wish you a merry christmas ♪ ♪ we ooh ♪ merry christmas ♪ christmas comes each time this

year ♪ ♪ well, way up north where the air gets cold, there's a tale about christmas that you have all been told ♪ ♪ and a real famous cat all dressed up in red ♪ ♪ and he spends the whole year working out on his sled ♪ ♪ it's the little saint nick, little saint nick ♪ ♪ it's the little saint nick, little saint nick ♪ ♪ just a little bobsled, we call it old saint nick, but it's a four-speed stick ♪ ♪ candy apple red and when santa hits the gas watch her peel ♪ ♪ it's the little saint nick, it's the little saint nick ♪ ♪ a run, run reindeer ♪ oh, run, run reindeer ♪ run, run reindeer ♪ run, run reindeer ♪ run, run reindeer ♪ you don't miss no one ♪ hauling through the snow at

freig frightening speed ♪ ♪ when what happened with rudy to lead ♪ ♪ he's got to wear his goggles because the snow really fights and he's cruising every path with a little surprise ♪ ♪ it's the little saint nick, little saint nick ♪ ♪ ooh, merry christmas ♪ merry christmas, merry christmas, ooh ♪ ♪ merry christmas to you ♪ merry christmas, merry christmas ♪ ♪ merry christmas, ooh, to you ♪ where grandson and grandad will bond this is the pool where cannonball records will be broken and, this is the kitchen where the new boyfriend will unofficially become family. these are the vrbo vacation homes waiting for you to fill with your family.

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♪ run, run reindeer ♪ run, run reindeer ♪ the holiday snow at a frightening speed, what happened with the reindeer with the rudy to lead ♪ >> reporter: coming up on "gma," holiday heros. the college students giving food to those who need it. and presents in a pinch. melissa garcia has last-minute holiday gift baskets that you can make right now. plus, how does cake doughnut bread pudding sound? duff goldman showing us how to make it. your local news and weather next.

>> announcer: building a better bay area, for a safe and secure future. this is abc7 news. merry christmas. today glide in san francisco will be having to go boxes with ham, turkey and all the fixins will be served. they have been donating delicious prime rib dinners. about 1600 meals were given out yesterday. now, here's francis. we have had light showers move through the area, and and d a rainbow brought to san francisco. we have moderate rain sweeping

through hayward and the dumbarton bridge. we will have another abc7 news update in about 30 minutes. you can always find us on our our great street, huge yard. there is a bit of an issue with our neighbors fencing. neighbor 1: allez! (sound from wind chimes) neighbor 2: (laughing)

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. some of the brightest stars are showing us the holiday spirit. college students on a holiday mission, trying to deliver 20 million pounds of food in 2020. we're celebrating the holiday heroes as we wake up on this christmas morning. ♪ presents in a pinch. the surprising places to find the perfect last-minute holiday gifts for everyone on your list. surprising santa claus. two lucky families get the surprise of a lifetime in the magica indiana. we're behind the scenes with total home renovations for the holidays you have to see to believe. ♪ sweet holiday treats to make

your christmas bright. food network star duff goldman is showing us how to whip up cake doughnut bread pudding. you heard that right, and you can make it just in time for your holiday feast. and a special holiday performance from for king & country to kick off your christmas morning. all that and more as we say good morning, america, and merry christmas. ♪ jingle jingle, jingle, jingle ♪ ♪ dashing through the snow ♪ in a one-horse open sleigh ♪ over the fields we go, laughing all the way ♪ that is cool. that is cool. good morning, america. we want to wish everyone a very merry christmas. i also want to let you know we are on tape this morning. so we all here in the studio in front of the camera, behind the

camera, in the control room, we can be at home too just like you. we hope that you are having a great christmas. >> merry christmas to everyone. we have some stories that are really going to inspire you this morning as well, including these college students that have created a pipeline between farmers and food banks. they have delivered 14 million meals. >> wow. >> that is amazing. and we have fun ideas for last-minute gifts and christmas desserts, and the new york chorus is keeping us in the spirit all day long. >> i would say this would be a last-minute gift because it is christmas morning so you know. we have all of that coming up. but first, we want to get the morning's top headlines from eva pilgrim. good morning again, eva. merry christmas. >> good morning, robin, again. a $900 billion pandemic rescue bill is on the president's desk at mar-a-lago. without approval, the government runs out of money midnight tuesday. it also includes unemployment benefits and payments of up to $600. in just the last 24 hours, over

3,000 people have died of covid, and a record of 120,000 americans are spending christmas hospitalized with covid. breaking news, a large explosion rocked downtown nashville. investigators are calling the blast at 6:30 a.m. an intentional act. windows were blown out and heavy black smoke can be seen around the city. the atf is responding to the incident. overnight, u.s. officials announced all air travellers from the uk will be required to have a negative covid-19 test before entering the country. it comes as the uk and the european union reach a post-brexit trade deal. the agreement avoids tariffs when the breakup takes effect. the pandemic is changing the way many people are celebrating on this christmas day. in new york, a scaled down christmas mass at st. patrick's cathedral, only about 500

worshippers were able to attend the typically packed event, and at the vatican, pope francis presided overa mass held to comply with the countrywide italian curfew. the changes also affecting one of the most famous families in the world, the windsors. abc's maggie rulli has more. >> reporter: all across the uk at 6:00 on christmas eve, thousands came to their doorsteps to spread holiday cheer, showing that even though london was plunged into a full lockdown just days before christmas, we are not alone in our isolation. this year, traditions are changing, and the world's finding a way to come together to celebrate a different kind of christmas. the pope's christmas eve mass, normally packed with the faithful at the vatican, now virtual. ♪ the royal family, normally the british photo op of the season as they walk into church on christmas day, won't make their iconic trip to sandringham for the first time in 32 years. like other families in the uk, they will be celebrating apart.

harry and meghan spending the week in california. the couple's holiday card this year, the first since moving to america. >> my grandfather broadcast the first of these messages. >> reporter: one royal tradition we can count on, the queen's annual christmas day message, joining people in their homes on christmas since 1952. >> with all my heart -- >> reporter: a world determined to keep living despite the toll the virus has taken this year. bethlehem still lighting the manger even though there are no worshippers inside. ♪ inside the notre dame cathedral for the first time since the fire almost burned it to the ground, a christmas performance. the moment of hope that the whole world will celebrate this christmas day. and we know so many of you are trying to find ways to celebrate together while staying far apart, whether it's smaller christmas dinners, extra long phone calls, i'm doing a virtual game night with my family back

in america, and eva, please put that cute dog walter of yours in a christmas sweater. put him up on instagram. the world needs to see it. everyone doing what they can to spread safely some christmas cheer so hopefully next year we can have that's it from here. now back to you, robin. >> thank you, eva. coming up, the last -- we do mean last-minute gifts you can still get today, and how to make

them personal. and food network star duff goldman will join us for his delicious christmas dessert, cake doughnut bread pudding. >> that sounds good. and lara's big sur price for the town of santa claus, indiana. the gift for two families. we'll be right back. ♪ >> this is director of military assistance. we're here supporting our partner forces in iraq and syria. we would like to wish our friends and family back home a happy holidays. >> all: happy holidays. >> hi. i'm a senior airman in germany. i would like to give a shout out to my family and friends back houster, california. happy holidays, merry christmas, and i miss you guys. ♪ lovely day, lovely day. lovely day. ♪ ♪ lovely day.

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♪ he ♪ hey. what's up? this is darius rucker wishing everybody a very merry christmas. >> happy holidays. good morning, america. >> it's bebe rexha. i want to wish you all a happy holidays. stay safe, and i'm sending you all my love. >> good morning, and merry christmas from our family to yours. >> garth. oh, how we love him. welcome back to "gma" on this christmas morning. >> we're wishing all of you a wonderful holiday. and lara's got a very special christmas "pop news" for us. merry christmas, lara. >> reporter: merry christmas you guys. look who's riding on reva's back today. santa claus is coming to town, and so is "pop news." we're going to begin with two guys i think that we would all be friends with. the christmas tree twins who aim

to spread christmas cheer by dressing up and strolling the streets of san francisco. the men have managed to keep their identities a secret for five years now, but they document it all on instagram under the handle treetwins. so cute. a couple of weeks ago when they reappeared for this season, they wrote, santa sent us back to spread socially distanced cheer and friendship. the holly jolly duo even sent a special message just for us. take a look. >> both: good morning, america. >> we are the tree twins coming to you from beautiful san francisco, california. we wish you the happiest of holidays, and a very merry christmas. >> santa sends us every year to make new friends and stir up holiday spirit. happy holidays, everybody. >> i love them so much. as for their identities, the tree twins will only say they were born in santa's forest of course, with costumes made from

candy canes and santa's magic. their mission, simply to spread joy, and to that, we say, guys, mission accomplished. thank you for making us smile on this christmas day. also in "pop news" this morning, according to the hit christmas movie "elf," starring will ferrell, the best way to spread christmas cheer is singing really loud for all to hear. that is exactly what this 43-year-old did in real life. there he is. doug henning. he was meeting his biological father for the first time, and he decided to break the ice by taking a page out of the movie. he met his dad, raul, and take a look at what happened. >> i'm here with my dad. yes. we've never met. i was adopted, but you never knew i was born. ♪ and now you found me, and you're here, and i ♪ guess what?

i love you. i love you. i love you. >> okay. henning also sang the exact song will ferrell. here's the unfortunate part. his dad never saw the movie so he didn't understand the reference. however, i'm happy to report it all worked out. ice broken. love flowing freely, and just like in the movie, doug's dad didn't know he had a son. raul getting the gift of doug and his whole family. now raul has grandkids as well just in time for the holidays. thank you, doug, for sharing that story with us. i love that. yeah. jingle, jingle. kelly the elf. and now if you are looking -- no. if you are no longer dreaming of a white christmas, the christmas tree farm in new jersey has gjut

what you need. purple, silver, pink, you name it. they'll do it. the owner spray paints these beauties with a fire-proof latex paint especially made for christmas trees. who knew? he tested the paint at the beginning of the season. so many people stopped to take pictures, and he knew he was onto something special. a new tradition was born. his green trees cost $8 a foot. he adds on $3 per foot for any painted tree. john tells us he just got requests for orange and lime green to be added to the offerings, george. let ali know. >> to each his own. >> you dream of a color, john can do it. >> that's true, to each his own. >> thank you. thank you. and finally, guys, i really want to share this with you on this christmas morning. the reunion that has melted our hearts. check this out. watch what happens when this big german shepherd named sam sees his soldier dad for the first time when dad returns home from service.

take a look. >> hi. >> oh my gosh. >> daddy. daddy. daddy. daddy. daddy. >> oh, my gosh. sam the german shephard. he knocked his human brother right out of the way to get to dad. that video has gone viral on tiktok. needless to say racking up millions of views. i'm sure the family is so happy to have dad home for christmas this year. i know we're so happy to see it. with that, i'll send it back to you guys in the studio. >> that was great to see. thank you, lara. we move onto our "gma" cover story. a story that will inspire you this holiday season. a group of college students saw people were struggling to put food on the table. they also saw that farmers had

product they couldn't sell and they created an initiative to connect farmers to food banks. take a look. this holiday season, food insecurity has reached record levels across the nation. >> prior to covid, we were serving about 15,000 families, but since the covid pandemic, our numbers have increased dramatically, and now we're at the point where we're serving 33,000. so it's absolutely off the charts. >> reporter: and the farmlink project is setting the bar high. >> this year, we set the goal of delivering 20 million pounds of food by the end of 2020. >> reporter: last spring, when the pandemic put millions out of work and the lines at local food banks stretched for miles on end, college students found a way to bridge the food gap. >> we started calling farmers and one of them had a surplus. so we rented a truck and delivered it to our local food bank. >> reporter: before they knew it, it went from a local effort to a nationwide initiative. >> three weeks in, i had emails in my in box.

a grandma in north carolina who had a vegetable garden or a man in texas had a pickup truck and wanted to help make shipments. >> reporter: they have partnered with more than 90 farms and counting. >> about 60% of this is volume was destined to go to the food service industry. when that was shut down, we were scratching our heads. if we had to donate it, our growers couldn't stay in business. they were paying for our crews and packing, the cartons, the cooling, the trucking, and that was a savior for us. >> reporter: sending that fresh food to nearly 270 food banks in 42 states. >> they were able to travel tractor-trailer loads of fresh produce to us. this is an absolutely challenging element of the emergency food apparatus. >> now is the time that we really need to be helping wherever we can. so this holiday season we're

doing everything we can to deliver as many meals as possible to people in need. >> we have unbelievable young people. really, really commendable. thank you very much. >> 20 million pounds of food. what an amazing goal. robin? time now for presents in a pinch. the most popular search term on etsy this year is personalized gifts. we're showing you how to make gift baskets that might be last second, but they're going to look tailor-made. we guarantee it. lifestyle expert melissa garcia has all the secrets. >> melissa, how are you doing today? >> good morning. >> good morning. >> let's start out with something for movie buffs here. >> yes. so the great thing is that all of these, you can get today on christmas day and make them and they'll look personalized. for the movie buff in your life, the supermarket is a great place to shop. start with a base of just any mixing bowl and fill it in with those things you love when you are watching movies. popcorn, movie candies. of course, i love these old-time

coca-cola bottles and you can add of course, a disney plus gift card in here to pick out the movies they want to watch. >> melissa, you scream, i scream, we all scream for ice cream. so how do we -- do we have to head to the supermarket for this? >> yes. so the supermarket again is another great place for the ice cream fanatic. i don't know anyone who doesn't love ice cream. i found a glass jar and put the base on the bottom with sprinkles to make it look fes sieve. we stacked the taller items in the back. your caramel, marshmallow in the front and we have hot fudge, an ice cream scooper and cherries and cones. this looks really thoughtful and put together. no one will think that you did it on christmas day. >> and melissa, you're not forgetting the college student because we have the college student care package. where do you pick up all these items? >> yes. yes. so 7-eleven, the gas station, another great place to shop on

christmas day. that is open. so here we just emptied out a coca-cola classic bottle case and we filled it up with sanitizer, some emergency advil, some pens and pencils, candy, and of course, a gas gift card, some coffee gift cards. everything for the college student that they would need, and it's in this really cute carry-all, and it looks thoughtful and put together. >> drink the coca-cola, and put the gifts in the carrier there. ginger, you have the next gift. what do you have, ginger? >> reporter: i do, michael. i've got this crafty collection. check this out. melissa, you have to tell us. where do we get this stuff last-minute? >> yes. so drugstores are another great place to shop. cvs, walgreens, walmart. all of these places are really great, and for kids this is really fun. so i love getting a creative base. so this is actually a lunchbox, so this is also usable, and we filled it with really fun crafts and activities. crayons, markers, construction

paper, coloring books, play-doh, cards, and the kids are hungry. a couple of snacks. really fun, really cute, thoughtful and easy to put together. easy to do. >> reporter: my kids can't wait to break into this. they saw it already. lara, tag. you're it. >> thank you, ginger. i don't know anybody who would turn down a spa day, and so we have created this whole spa moment. tah-dah. little cozy socks, masks, a little scrubber, scrub. i love bath bombs. tory johnson, we love you for introducing us to bath bombs and of course, a candle. melissa, how do we put this together, and what tips do you have on making a spa basket? >> yes. so exactly like you were saying. this again, you pick up at any drugstore and they will be open on christmas day, and get creative with your base. here we used a makeup bag, and it's something you can use again, and we stuffed it with all the things you can use

again. a nice candle, scrub, cozy socks and anything you think that will personalize it for the person you're giving it to. the greatest thing about all of these is you can get it on christmas day, but they're all really affordable. >> i love that. if you are super last minute -- not pointing any fingers, but you have a great idea. if you can't get the basket done, you say? >> gift cards are always a great gift. i mean, who doesn't love to actually pick out their own gifts? gift cards are the way to go if you are really in a pinch. >> great idea. >> thank you so much. great ideas. your backyard looks gorgeous. michael, i'll send it back to you. whoever told me to wear a costume for this, i owe you one. >> you look great in the costume. if it's last minute and you can't get anything, i'm sure just show up. your love will be enough. we want to say thank you to melissa for her last-minute gift

ideas. and you can see those at goodmorningamerica.com. coming up, duff goldman joins us with a dessert you can whip up right in time for christmas. >> mi >> i'm in jacksonville, florida, and i'm here to say, merry christmas. love you guys. >> i wanted to wish our friends and family in indiana a happy holiday. >> hi, grammy. ♪ up on the house top, reindeer paws, out jumps good old santa claus ♪ ♪ down through the chimney with lots of toys, all for the little ones' christmas joys ♪ ♪ oh, ho ho, who wouldn't go ♪ oh, ho ho who wouldn't go ♪ up on the house top, click click click, down the chimney, with old saint nick ♪ ♪ jumping up on the

♪ jumping up on the house ♪ she wants a rock and roll guitar ♪ ♪ ho ho ho, who wouldn't go ♪ ho ho ho, who wouldn't go ♪ up on the house top, click click click ♪ ♪ down through the chimney with old saint nick ♪ click ♪ ♪ down through the chimney with old saint nick ♪

building a better bay area. >> good morning. i am kumasi aaron from abc7 mornings. this is video of oakland police handing out toys and food to more than 100 families yesterday. officers identified the families in need during regular patrol. police have been organizing the giveaway now for the last 30 years. san francisco police brought holiday joy to kids in the city with a toy drive. they collected more than 2,000 toys in collaboration with walgreens. they had a drive funded

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good morning. this is just a little bit of a first wave of a preview of what is to come today. you can see this doppler looping over the last couple of hours, spotty showers making their way through san francisco and parts of the peninsula, and we see a few raindrops right now. here's a live view as we look out towards the bay bridge.

>> we will see you again ♪ jumping up on the house ♪ back here on "gma" wishing you a merry christmas. we are on tape this morning so our crew and all of us can celebrate at home, and we sure do hope that you are having a great holiday. >> and if you are still looking for a christmas dessert idea, look no further. celebrity pastry chef duff goldman the author of the recent book "super good," he has all the sweet tips and tricks we need for the perfect holiday treat. good morning, and merry christmas to you, duff. >> good morning. how are you guys doing? >> we are great, and we're going to be better because you're going to show us how to make a cake doughnut bread pudding. now i heard it's a great -- i heard it's a great recipe that

you can make with the kids and bread pudding is another form of custard, but a lot of people are intimidated and afraid of making custard, but you say it's super easy. >> it's super easy, yeah. the thing -- so a custard is basically a blend of eggs and sugar, milk and flavoring. because there's i think a lot of people are used to hearing, like, a plflan or, like, a crem brulee, which take a very gentle baking, but because of the pudding, and it's bound up if your bread, or in this case doughnuts, it's gentler to bake and harder to mess up. >> people usually use stale bread for this dessert, but as you call, you know, you're using doughnuts. can you use different flavor doughnuts? >> you can use any flavor you want. you could use, like, you know, chocolate cake doughnuts. i like using blueberry. it's one of my favorites. the thing about doughnuts is around the office there's pretty

gross doughnuts that have been sitting there for a few days and nobody wants to eat them, you know? >> that's true. >> this is, like, a nice way to say, let's use up those things and make something really delicious. all you have to do is chop up the doughnuts and put them in a pan and let them dry out and get even more stale. the more stale the bread is, and the doughnuts are, the more moisture is, and the more custard can go in there, and the yummier it's going to be. right? then what you are going to do, is the custard is simple to make. three cups of milk, seven eggs, this much sugar. then always, always, always a pinch of salt. always, every dessert. ice cream, pie, whatever, always a pinch of salt. that's real important. then you're really going to taste all the stuff. now we're going to pour the custard into the doughnuts.

now you want to let that sit for about 20 minutes. let all those doughnuts soak, and get all that good stuff up. then i took that browned butter and the brown sugar and mixed it all together. >> oh. >> yeah. >> danger. >> now you take this stuff, and you just kind of drizzle it on top. now this is a great last-minute dessert because this takes about 35 minutes in the oven, and when it comes out, it is ready to go. it's like the perfect timing. so then you put this in the oven, and then it comes out. >> voila. >> oh, yeah. >> ready to go. >> hey, duff. thanks for dressing for the occasion. >> yeah. you like it? >> come on. >> on point. chocolate cake. >> that's it. he has a hat at least. >> he did. >> oh, is it right here in front of us?

>> you can find this recipe on goodmorningamerica.com. check him on food network his new show premiering december

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♪ i had the great pleasure of hosting this year a great special for hgtv. it's called "surprising santa

claus." it's about a small town with a huge heart. this is where a team of volunteer elves help santa reply to children's letters every year. it's where we surprised two very deserving families with holiday makeovers just in time for christmas. here's your first look. ♪ >> hey, "gma." welcome to santa claus, indiana where it's christmas 365 days a year. >> reporter: and like their namesake town t people of santa claus are known for their big hearts. starting with santa's chief letter-writing elf, 90-year-old patricia cook. >> you, your dad, the townspeople, started writing these letters back to kids in the early 1900s, and it's still going on today? >> it's still going on with wonderful, wonderful volunteers. >> we're looking forward to giving you all a christmas gift this year. >> oh, wonderful. we love presents. >> reporter: and she's not the only one getting presents. there are the boys. you guys have not been allowed inside your house. are you ready?

>> we're ready. >> are you scared? >> not scared. i'm super excited. >> i'm scared. >> hi. >> reporter: we're surprising two families with home renovations. >> oh my gosh. >> hi. hi. >> reporter: decking them out to make this christmas the ultimate celebration. >> we understand your house could use a little christmas cheer. >> you have no idea. we have had to put so many things on hold from so many medical issues i have had, and this would just help us get through. >> reporter: to pull this off by christmas, we'll need jolly old saint nick himself. all his elves will have some heavy lifting. it's going to be a race to the finish, but we're hoping for a christmas miracle. "surprising santa claus" airs tonight at 9:00 eastern, 8:00 central on hgtv. now we throw it over to ginger. merry christmas, ginger. merry christmas, lara. can't wait to watch your

special. we showed you the science for santa, and the forecast of santa looking good. he's been spotted alrea

we are back now with a special christmas treat, a four-time grammy-winning duo for king & country are going to perform their version of a holiday classic, "little drummer boy," but first, they're joining us from the grand ole opry for a little chitchat. merry christmas to you both. how are you this morning?

>> top of the morning, robin. nice to see you. >> the rest of the day to you. top of the morning and the rest of the day to you. how about the fact that you all are selling out? you've got this concert, drive-in, people in their cars. what has that been like for you guys? >> it's a start. it's unprecedented, right? obviously, but what's beautiful is it feels like it is more important than ever to have these common experiences obviously in a safe and socially distanced way. we're partnering with the salvation army to do a toy drive to help kind of rescue christmas, and robin, we even believe that 2020 christmas is going to be unlike -- well, it is really unlike any we've ever experienced, and so we felt like as musicians, this was our opportunity to do our part. >> we appreciate that you are doing that, and doing it so beautifully. "little drummer boy," and the way -- your rendition of it. i remember it at the cma country christmas special last year.

you got a standing ovation. everybody was just so enthralled wi with it. it is time to put your spin on this christmas classic. get out there. okay. performing "little drummer boy" from their new album "a drummer boy christmas," this is for king & country. take it away. ♪ ♪ come they told me ♪ pa rum pum sprks pum, >> merry christmas, "gma" ♪ a newborn king to see pa rum pum pum pum ♪ ♪ our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum purks m pum ♪

♪ to lay before the king, pa rum pu pumpumpum ♪ ♪ so to honor him, pum pum pum ♪ ♪ when we ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ i play my drums for him, pa rum pum pum pum ♪

♪ i play my best for him, pa rum pum pum pum pum ♪ ♪ pa rum pum pum pa rum pum pum pum ♪ ♪ then he smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum ♪ ♪ me, and my drum ♪ me and my drum ♪ me and my drum ♪ oh, it's me and my drum ♪ yeah, oh, i can't give ♪

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we want to dwif a big thank you to forking & country, and everybody for serenading us all morning long. >> and we want to wish everybody at home a very merry christmas from all of us here at "gma." >> and i'm sure for many at home, it has been for us as

well. it's been a difficult year. we've lost very dear members of the "gma" family. if you would allow us, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate -- celebrate, some of the people who we lost here at "good morning america" in 2020. anthony greer. oh, in the studio, and he loved his music as well. anthony suarez. he's part of our security detail. another talented young person that we lost, kenneth. kenneth hengen. he was building services. and it's still hard to think about the passing of daisha riley. she was a spark plug in so many ways. such a talented producer. and you talk about -- >> powerhouse. >> powerhouse. you talk a little bit about it. >> thea trachtenberg. she was part of my team. she knew how to run a story, and

she cared so much. our thoughts are with all of their families this morning. >> yes. >> there are so many people behind the scenes here at "gma" who work extremely hard to get our show on the a every single morning. >> huge thank you to each and every one of them. we hope you have a very merry christmas. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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>> announcer: building a better bay area, for a safe and secure future. >> i am kumasi aaron from abc7 mornings. merry christmas. >> it has been a problematic year for the cdd, and while there are not any specifics, there have been numerous reports on fraud including a recent revelation that prison mates were given we are getting much needed rain and it swept through the bay area this morning. you can see here with live doppler 7 sweeping over the last couple of hours bg and the bulk of the rain will arrive later this afternoon and into the

evening. now it's time for "live with kelly and welcome to "disney parks magical christmas celebration" with your hosts, julianne hough and tituss burgess. ♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ ♪ with the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you ♪ ♪ "be of good cheer" ♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ ♪ it's the hap-happiest season of all ♪ ♪ with those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings ♪ ♪ when friends come to call ♪ ♪ it's the hap-happiest season of all ♪ ♪ there'll be parties for hosting ♪