>> you needed a whole strategy. >> have you all tried good m. breaking fuss for our viewers in the west. jo johnson and johnson have released new dethat. how soon it may be available. with hundreds of millions still waiting for the shot. plus, an alarming discovery. the first cases of the highly contagious south african covid variant detected in the u.s. americans urged not to travel. cdc director dr. rochelle walensky joins us live. wall street showdown. those young investors rocking some of wall street's biggest firms as they drive up the stock prices of struggling companies. shut out of trading by the same apps that were making them rich, the major backlash brewing. the northeast bracing for the coldest temperatures in years. windchills below zero for millions as a powerful storm pummels the west coast from dangerous whiteout conditions to

massive mudslides. we're tracking the latest this morning. on alert. the urgent new warning from law enforcement about qanon followers saying they could be plotting acts of violence in the coming days. the group now spreading a lie predicting president trump will soon return to power as one former follower speaks out. >> the constant state of fear and panic was awful. >> how this young mother says she managed to break free. battle over britney. ♪ hit me baby one more time ♪ >> an exclusive first look at the new documentary about the pop superstar, taking us inside the fight to control her finances and her multimillion-dollar estate. and celebrating cicely tyson. the award-winning actress gracing both the stage and screen with incomparable poise blazing a trail for black actors in iconic roles like "roots," "sounder" and "fried green tomatoes." >> the secret's in the sauce.

>> tributes pouring in for the pioneer from oprah, tyler perry to former presidents and beyond. good morning, america. we hope you all are doing well this friday morning. what a life, what a career, what an actress, cicely tyson. >> and what a sight. there you're seeing there in harlem the iconic apollo theatre paying tribute to an icon. this is where cicely tyson. performed countless times paying tribute to this trailblazing actress. this was last night and the marquee reading, rest in peace, pioneering icon. >> icon, legend, so legendary. we'll talk more about her coming up. but we want to get to our top story this morning, the latest on the coronavirus emergency. and the news that the first cases of a more contagious variant have been detected now right here in the u.s. and that is raising concerns about another possible surge and it is adding to this urgency that people get vaccinated.

>> more than 48 million doses have been distributed. more than 21 million americans have received at least one dose. we're going to be joined live by cdc director dr. rochelle walensky in just a moment. first, whit johnson is at a vaccination site. good morning, whit. >> reporter: george, good morning to you. here in queens, this is one of the hardest hit areas in new york. they are desperately trying to speed up the vaccine rollout with mass vaccination sites like this one behind me. take a look from above our drone camera right now. the problem, though, remains supply. amid fears continue to grow of that new south african variant, now landing here in the u.s. this morning, promising news from johnson and johnson releasing their trial data, their single-shot vaccine is very effective against covid-19. >> this is probably the single most exciting result in our entire clinical study that we have 85% protection against severe covid. what kind of variant you're talking about. even if you were to contract

covid on this vaccine, you have a much milder course. >> reporter: the announcement follows an alarming disovery -- officials confirming the first cases of that highly contagious south african variant detected in the u.s. two cases appearing in south carolina in different parts of the state. neither person has a history of travel and no connection between the two. >> the south african variant is quite concerning. it has spread relatively widely now. i believe it's in more than 20 different countries. >> reporter: the cdc urging americans to avoid travel, president biden adding south africa to the list of countries banned from traveling to the u.s., a ban that won't take effect until saturday. >> it takes a little bit of time to put these restrictions in place, to work with airlines, work with regulatory authorities to get them in place. we did that as quickly as possible. >> reporter: health experts saying early tests show the south african variant may chip away at the effectiveness of the vaccines. moderna already studying a possible booster shot.

and pfizer saying they won't make changes now, but are prepared to do so if needed. >> the race to vaccinate is now a race against these variants, as well. >> the race right now is really straightforward. we've got to vaccinate as many people as possible and we have to control the infections as much as possible before these variants become dominant. the data from other countries is that when these variants become dominant they can really wreak havoc on health systems. >> reporter: here's another look from above, this mass vaccination site here in queens and our drone camera. back to that news about the single-dose vaccine from johnson and johnson. not only they d they release the data but they are expected to apply for emergency use authorization next week, which the fda then would review and potentially approve by tend of february. george. cdc director is joining us. this south african, how far has

it spread, what's the latest on that, how dangerous is that? >> good morning, george. you know, we worry about many things with these variants, one is increased transmissible, the second is increased mortality and then, of course, whether our treatments and our vaccines will work against them. we have done an enormous amount of scaling up of our surveillance of these variants, and we always had been worried they were here and hadn't yet detected them and we now have detected two as you noted in south carolina. the thing that is concerning about these, one of the things is that as you noted they don't -- these people don't know each other. they were not in contact with each other and so the presumption is here -- and they weren't traveling -- so the presumption is here that they became infected from other people in the community and that there's community spread of this variant. >> so should we assume there are contagious variants in every part of the country right now? >> you know, yes, because i think we should be treating everyone as if they have a variant. we should be treating everyone

as if they should not be giving any disease to someone else. that is the way we're going to control this pandemic. quite honestly, we know that these viruses are going to mutate. they generally mutate to the advantage of the virus and that's how we get these more dominant strains and it takes us a while from the time of symptoms to somebody getting a test to that test being positive to us to be able to sequence it. that turnaround time could be up to 10 days to 14 days and so i think we should be treating every infection as if it's a variant. >> you said i guess. i know we have been ramping up the tracking as you just said, but why are we so far behind other countries in tracking these variants? >> there has not been a public health infrastructure to be able to track these variants. there has not been money, resources to be able to do mass sequencing at the level of infection that we have in this country right now. that is part of the american rescue plan, is to be able to use resources to finance a mass scaleup of these for variants.

zblnchtsd >> let's take a look at the other question raised, the effectiveness of the vaccine. we know moderna is developing a booster shot. explain what that means and what do we know about how the current vaccines, what kind of effectiveness they have against these variants? >> you know, the current vaccines we're still studying against these variants, we're studying them in the laboratory with pseudoviruses, that doesn't necessarily exactly translate to how they work in humans, and then we have the first study of a vaccine with these variants in south africa that demonstrated a bit of decreased efficacy as you noted in the novavax trial. although they were relatively small numbers for this trial, less than 5,000 people, so i think we are keeping a really close eye on how these data are going to emerge. what i will say, though, is that we have a 95% efficacious vaccine against the current strain. even if we have some diminution of that efficacy against the south africa strain, i still think we need to really go ahead, push the vaccination,

because this just is still yet another tool in our toolbox to fight this pandemic. >> final question, there's some confusion over whether the vaccine is safe for pregnant women. the cdc is giving out somewhat different guidance from what we're getting from the w.h.o. can you explain the situation there? >> you know, i think the confusion is really simply a lack of data. we don't have the data in pregnant women right now. what i can say is that, you know, there are different organizations, different agencies making different guidance in the absence of data. we have had -- we have a registry now of pregnant women who have been vaccinated often many in health care and we have over 18,000 women enrolled in that database so we're hopeful to have data on pregnant women soon. >> what's the best advice for pregnant women? >> you know, the best advice is really to look at the risk that the pregnant woman has in terms of their risk of getting infection.

in the absence of getting the vaccine and then the risk of not knowing thinking that we believe that this vaccine will be safe but we don't have the data so in my mind what i would probably advise is, if you can hunker down and not be exposed then that's -- perhaps wait until your second or third trimester, but if you have high risk exposure, i would probably recommend to vaccinate. >> dr. walensky, thanks for your time and information this morning. >> thank you. >> good advice there. we turn to that david versus goliath showdown on wall street and the wild ride for gamestop as amateur investors take on hedge fund billionaires prompting uproar, an investigation and also a class action lawsuit. rebecca jarvis joins us now with more on the major backlash. good morning, rebecca. >> reporter: good morning to you, cecilia. it's wild. this story has taken on a life of its own raising questions about fairness, about systemic risk for the overall stock market and how we should be handling it when investors, big

and small, are betting on stocks that are skyrocketing. this morning, the massive showdown erupting on wall street. what started with a group of young speculators banding together to buy shares in struggling companies like gamestop, taking on some of the most powerful hedge funds in the country, has triggered an investigation by the new york ag, a class action lawsuit and calls by congress for big changes. >> but make no mistake about it, you are going to see a great deal of regulatory scrutiny, it's just a function of whether or not they apply it evenly to kind of the legacy establishment guys and the new guys. >> reporter: for weeks, the new guys have pushed shares of gamestop up nearly 1,700% until yesterday when robinhood and other online brokerages decided to restrict trading in stocks like gamestop. effectively making it impossible for the newcomers like 19-year-old j.p. hurtado to buy more shares. gamestop tanked 44%. what did you think of

robinhood's move? >> i thought it was pretty unfair and unjust. >> reporter: that prompted a major class action lawsuit against robinhood, accusing the company of manipulating the open market. which forced robinhood's ceo in the hot seat. >> it was a difficult decision. we absolutely did not do this at the direction of any market maker or hedge fund. we're really in unprecedented times and in order to protect the firm and protect our customers, we had to limit buying in these stocks. >> reporter: many calling foul. even jon stewart weighing in who tweeted, the redditors aren't cheating. they're joining a party wall street insiders have been enjoying for years. despite it all j.p. says he's holding his investment. >> i think the stock's going to go up a lot, regardless of the new restrictions. >> you did not sell today. >> no, not a single share. >> reporter: holding at least

for now. j.p. hurtado told me he is confident, in fact, he said 100% confident that gamestop will eventually crash, but he believes it's going higher until then. cecilia. >> we will all be watching. okay, rebecca, we've been talking about this one stock, gamestop. but what does this mean and the effect on the entire market as a whole? >> there are two pieces to this. first of all, it can impact our psychology if you're not one of these investors or these you hedge funds, you're watching the story unfold and that impacts your confidence. it might make you nervous about your own i.r.a. and your own 401(k) and the funds and small investors are doing betting huge amount of money using debt and that can create volatility far beyond the individual stock. >> no one better than to break down the story for us than you, rebecca. thanks so much. want to turn to weather now. wicked weather across the country.

bitter cold in the northeast this morning. we have windchills below zero for millions of folks while the west coast still getting pummeled by that relentless storm. our ginger zee tracking all of this for us. good morning to you, ginger. >> good morning, t.j. boston dropped to 8. that is the coldest in two years. we are worried about windchills as low as 35 below here in the northeast. but in california and nevada, they have been slammed with a storm more prolific than any in the last decade. >> reporter: the sierra temporarily entombed, and up to seven feet of snow. plows outside reno working throughout the night. a drone revealing wreck after wreck along i-80. a line of truckers opting to wait it out. and in truckee, california, a firefighter rescuing a 14-year-old boy after a snow covered roof collapsed on him. cars creeping down the road. that sound of serious winter weather. chains on the tires as people try to navigate the frozen landscape and this truck stuck.

the only option, digging out. an avalanche careening over echo summit and farther south in california, up to 15 inches of rain triggered mudslides in salinas. trees toppled. buildings damaged. and in santa barbara, a woman rescued stranded between two creeks that filled so quickly, she couldn't escape alone. the piles of debris a stark reminder of the power of this storm. and on the east coast, a cold blast in north carolina after roaring thunder snow. only 15 degrees there and subzero up in new england. there's that wind. i have a got to show you the new storm coming. there are winter weather alerts all the way from chicago over into the northeast. this arctic blast doesn't just go away magically today, of

course, we're going to be plenty cold tomorrow but look at those windchills by tomorrow morning, 3 below the feels like in syracuse, it will feel like 9 in philadelphia and still 2 below in boston. george, i will track that storm coming up. >> and we will be bundling up all weekend. okay, ginger, thanks very much. we're going to go to washington now where anger is rising over threats to members of congress from one of their own. qanon supporter marjorie taylor greene is coming as the house republican leader tries to mend fences with president trump and democrats mull a go it alone strategy on covid relief. ore senior white house correspondent mary bruce has the latest. good morning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, george. well, you know, even as president biden is promising to unite washington, we are now seeing just astounding new levels of animosity in this town. this morning, speaker pelosi is calling for more security for members of congress saying, quote, the enemy is within. she is citing members who have tried to bring guns onto the house floor and have threatened other members and without saying her name it was clear she was referring to freshman republican

marjorie taylor greene. she has a history of endorsing violence, even threatening speaker pelosi's life, and democrats are simply furious that republicans have not come out and more harshly reprimanded greene and, you know, even as former president trump is about to face trial in the senate for his role in inciting the violent mob that stormed the capitol earlier this month, republican leaders are deepening their ties with trump. we saw house leader -- house republican leader kevin mccarthy meeting with president trump yesterday in florida. it was just two weeks ago that kevin mccarthy said that the president bears responsibility for the attack but now he's courting trump's support and helping the party going forward trying to win back the house. just goes to show how much power trump still has over the party even as republicans are going through this real reckoning, george. >> mary, on this covid relief bill, president biden wanted to get bipartisan support, but it's looking more likely now like democrats may pursue a strategy where they try to get it done with only democratic votes. >> reporter: and the president is still adamant he can get republicans to buy into his nearly $2 trillion covid relief bill but gop lawmakers say, look, that price tag is just too high.

democrats it seem aren't interested significantly slimming down this bill. they have the ability to go it alone and democrats are preparing to take that route. biden, though, is working the phones, really wants republicans on board because, of course, this is the first real test of his promise to be able to unite washington, george. >> okay, mary, thanks very much. we have a lot more coming up here including law enforcement's urgent new alert about qanon followers as one former believer speaks out. we'll terrell you what she wants everyone to know. first back to ginger. >> that atmospheric river has been focus on nevada, that deep south moisture just plowing in. a flash flood watch that extends into arizona with winter weather advisories. let's get to that weekend forecast now sponsored by allstate.

> we'll be right back. we'll be right back. we'll be right back.

trelegy for copd. ♪ birds flyin' high, you know how i feel. ♪ ♪ breeze drifting on by you know how i feel. ♪ ♪ it's a new dawn... ♪ if you've been taking copd sitting down, it's time to make a stand. start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd medicine has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy helps people breathe easier and improves lung function. it also helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it.

do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. take a stand and start a new day with trelegy. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy. and save at trelegy.com. for skin that never holds you back don't settle for silver #1 for diabetic dry skin* #1 for psoriasis symptom relief* and #1 for eczema symptom relief*

gold bond champion your skin shout out to the inventors, who took an old way and made it better. like stefanie from carmax. she suggested test drives should last... 24 hours. because sometimes the way it is isn't good enough. the way it should be. carmax. ♪ ♪ why walgreens? with copays as low as $0.... walgreens makes affording your medicare prescriptions... ...no sweat. so you can get back to the thing you'd rather be doing. ♪ everyone says i should fight my cravings. so you can get back to the thing you'd rather be doing. no. you know what i do? i snack on blue diamond almonds. oh, come on! sriracha? woo! don't fight your cravings. eat 'em. all the flavors you crave in a superfood.

blue diamond almonds. crave victoriously. >> announcer: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc7 news. it's friday. i'm reggie aqui from "abc7 mornings." health officials say they're on board with the state's plan to get students back in the classroom and that mean the county is not adding any extra requirements. pleasanton school board voted to return to in-person learning. it was focused on bringing elementary kids back, but the older kids say they want to go back too. >> i want to go back. i would do whatever it takes. i'll be -- i'll bring my hand sanitizer, wear gloves, a mask, stay six feet apart, whatever it takes. we need to go back to school. >> preschool will return after the county has been in the red tier for two weeks which

currently we are not. third through fifth grade will return after three weeks. and they're going to work on a plan to bring back middle and high school students. details on new year's resolutions come and go. so give your business more than resolutions... give it solutions, from comcast business. work more efficiently with fast internet and advanced wifi. make your business safer with powerful cybersecurity solutions. and stay productive with 24/7 support. make this year's resolution better solutions. bounce forward with comcast business.

get started with a powerful internet and voice solution for just $64.90 a month. plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a $500 prepaid card when you upgrade. switch today.

good morning. i'm still tracking a few really light rain showers especially in solano county and napa county. we'll keep a 1 on the storm impact scale through the morning commute. there's a chance of a random shower this afternoon, but no need for a storm impact scale. sunshine and drier weather is going to be the bigger story. we're in the upper 30s to mid-40s this morning. a chance of rain across the north bay this weekend while the rest of us are mostly cloudy and a little bit warmer. another good soaking coming monday. coming up on "good morning, america," law enforcement's new alert about qanon followers as one former believer speaks out.

what she wants everyone to know. we'll have another update in 30 minutes. you can alw

you have all the ingredients for this in your fridge but ask yourself this... of all the times you've made it at home... has it ever tasted like our mcmuffin? ♪ba da ba ba ba.♪ a must in your medicine cabinet! less sick days! cold coming on? zicam® is clinically proven to shorten colds! highly recommend it! zifans love zicam's unique zinc formula. it shortens colds! zicam zinc that cold!

♪ ♪ can't get you off my mind off my mind ♪ welcome back to "gma." the very talented miley cyrus with a larger-than-life performance of her hit song "prisoner" for npr's tiny desk concert modeled after the room she grew up in. more on that coming up in "pop news." lara will join us. >> love those tiny desk concerts. that highly contagious south african covid variant detected now here in the u.s., as health experts are warning it could impact the effectiveness of vaccines. the cdc is also now urging americans not to travel. also right now, the northeast is bracing for the coldest temperatures in years and it is cold here. that is for sure as that

powerful storm pummels the west coast from dangerous whiteout conditions to massive mudslides, and we're tracking the latest. the miami heat welcoming 1500 fans to their game last night but look at this with the help of covid-19 detection dogs. everyone in attendance was checked by the dogs. we do want to say there is no definitive evidence that this actually works but the team said this is one tool they're using to try to keep everybody safe. >> they'll try everything now. we'll continue with that new alert warning that followers of the baseless qanon conspiracy theory may be planning violence across the u.s. in coming days. t.j., you spoke with one former believer. >> and george, as we were all so many of us watching the inauguration, watching this peaceful transfer of power. there are so many qanon followers looking for something else, waiting on the military to come in and arrest democrats and keep trump in power. they were literally waiting on that. that's one of the conspiracy theories out there for qanon followers. when that didn't happen reality set in.

law enforcement concerned this morning that qanon followers could be plotting acts of violence in the coming days according to a bulletin obtained by abc news. the new misplaced qanon belief predicts that trump will be returned to power january 31st. but for some former qanon followers like 27-year-old ashley, the latest false theory won't lure them back. >> the constant state of fear and panic was awful. >> reporter: that's when she said she felt in the days leading up to president biden's inauguration. >> when the president was sworn in, i was crying. i was just heartbroken. i thought we were going to get taken over by china. i thought that christians were going to start being executed. like i thought we were going to die. i know it sounds extreme but i was so afraid. >> reporter: ashley later posted her thoughts on tiktok. >> well, i was wrong. and it sucks. i have spent the better part of the day crying. some of it out of disappointment, some out of anger and some of it out of

fear. >> reporter: now the young mother has become something of a qanon whisperer, trying to explain the mind-set of believers. >> everything was a lie. you were not in reality at all. >> reporter: the michigan native says she was first introduced in october when tiktok videos promoting conspiracy theories popped up in her feed. >> i just started reaching out to friends that i knew that they were bigger trump supporters, so i started asking them and they would send me youtube links and then groups to join and telegram chats. >> reporter: the lifelong republican said she latched on to the false belief that hollywood and washington elites are involved in a child sex trafficking ring and began delving deeper. ashley said she's trying to move on but she admits it's not always easy. >> i think it's hard to mentally unpack what you believe so much that was real that is not real at all. >> reporter: and she's not alone. some former qanon believers are

posting on reddit boards, yeah, i fell for it. yeah, i'm kind of embarrassed but it is what it is. another writing, confusion would be the best way to describe my current mood. a little disappointment. some embarrassment. maybe even relief? but ashley says the good days outnumber the tough ones. >> i can't explain how much lighter i feel to know, oh, my gosh, my daughter is safe. i'm not going to die. everything is fine. i mean, it's crazy. >> reporter: ashley said she's staying engaged in these conversations online because she actually wants to help other people and again, the fbi says groups like this are a domestic potentially a domestic threat to this country. >> do they think those former believers is the best way to combat it? >> the best way to go about it. it's almost like they feel you need a support group to rescue. people need to be rescued from it.

>> pretty scary stuff. we're going to switch gears this morning. we are remembering, of course, and celebrating the life of trail blazer cicely tyson. tributes are pouring in from hollywood, former presidents and beyond. chris connelly joins us with the very latest on all of this. good morning, chris. >> reporter: good morning, cecilia. revered for her timeless performances of uncommon depth and feeling, cicely tyson was an actress whose courageous and uncompromising portrayals reshaped how millions of americans looked at their nation's history and at themselves. cicely tyson utilized her exceptional abilities to enlighten audiences, to inspire pride and to advocate for understanding and fundamental change. >> there were so many issues that i felt that i had to address and i used my career as my platform. >> reporter: she had been acting for two decades when at age 47 in the 1972 drama "sounder" tyson would see her film career take flight. she'd be hailed for her fire and

indomitability. nominated for a best actress oscar, her character's sprint across a field to embrace her husband would become a defining image of '70s cinema. two years later the "the autobiography, of miss jane pittman" was a tour de force featuring tyson as she depicted a woman born into slavery living into the civil rights era. by 1977, when she played kunta kinte's mother in "roots," tyson had already done work of monumental significance yet, unlike white actors she'd not get nearly as many opportunities to showcase her artistry and insight. and as she told robin roberts in 2008 she turned down parts that she felt adhered to negative stereotypes. >> i felt very strongly that had i accepted any of those roles, i couldn't have lived with myself. >> reporter: from the '90s into the 21st century, cicely tyson would begin to receive the kind of acclaim which she had

deserved for so long. she'd appear in '91's "fried green tomatoes." >> the secret is in the sauce. >> reporter: 2011's "the help." she'd star with viola davis in "how to get away with murder." >> i'm happy because i make myself happy and i make myself happy by loving him. >> reporter: her collaboration with tyler perry would begin with "diary of a mad black woman" in 2005 and she received the presidential medal of freedom, an honorary oscar, and induction into the television hall of fame and in 2013 she'd win a tony for her performance in "the trip to bountiful." >> i'm the soul surviving member of my immediate family and i've asked over and over again, why? i now know why. >> reporter: overnight, an outpouring of tributes from oprah winfrey, her life so fully lived is a testimony to greatness. to tyler perry, always so regal,

always so classy, always a lady. always a queen. and president obama, cicely had a heart unlike any other. born in harlem, a model in her earlier days, she'd tell robin roberts that her parents hadn't wanted her to be a performer at first. >> and there is my mother standing at the door accepting congratulatory remarks, yes, i always knew she was going -- you know, ever since she was a little girl she liked to sing and dance and perform. i knew -- and i couldn't believe it. >> reporter: two days after the publication of her memoir, "just as i am," cicely tyson died thursday at the age of 96. her words and her work endured while her courage and commitment continue to cast a great light. >> they certainly do. thank you, chris. that was great. coming up next, our exclusive first look at the new britney spears documentary. inside the battle over her fortune. inside the battle over her

fortune. ...can become your big moment. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. i think the sketchy website i bought this turtle from stole all of my info. ooh, have you looked on the bright side? discover never holds you responsible for unauthorized purchases on your card. (giggling) that's my turtle. fraud protection. discover. something brighter. hey there, i'm jake, and a little thing i love

about chick-fil-a's new grilled spicy deluxe (giggling) that's my turtle. is that grilled chicken that we all know and love, with the grill marks, it's super juicy. the heat, the cheese, the multi-grain brioche bun, the flavor is just out of this world. hey, i'm amber, and a little thing i love about the chick-fil-a grilled spicy deluxe is the chicken. this is not your traditional spicy chicken sandwich, you get the grilled flavor, seasoning, spices, married all together to this perfect sandwich. it's literally like fireworks in your mouth. depression makes it hard for me to follow through with my plans. my antidepressant helps, but there are times i still feel depressed and make excuses not to go out. is it just me? no, many people taking antidepressants still have some symptoms. when taken with an antidepressant, rexulti was proven to reduce depression symptoms an extra 62% compared to the antidepressant alone. so you can stay on your current treatment and help build on your progress. rexulti can cause serious side effects. elderly dementia patients have increased risk

of death or stroke. antidepressants may increase suicidal thoughts and worsen depression in those under 25. call your doctor about fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, which could be life-threatening, or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be permanent. increased cholesterol; weight gain; high blood sugar; decreased white blood cells; unusual urges; dizziness on standing; seizures; trouble swallowing may occur. when depression sets you back, keep moving forward. make an appointment to talk to your doctor about adding rexulti to your antidepressant. ♪ ♪ make an appointment t(quiet piano music)or (loud music & noises) ♪ ♪ (quiet piano music) comfort in the extreme. the lincoln family of luxury suvs.

we have an exclusive first look now at the new documentary taking a deep look at the battle over britney spears' fortune. will reeve has the details. good morning, will. >> reporter: good morning, george. britney spears has been a global star for decades but for the past 13 years she's had no control over her own money and she's fighting against her own father to regain control of it. this documentary takes us inside that struggle. ♪ hit me baby one more time ♪

>> reporter: she's been in the public spotlight for nearly her entire life. britney spears delivering hit after hit after hit. ♪ oops i did it again ♪ >> reporter: but with immense fame came intense scrutiny. in 2008 spears appearing to spiral after a contentious divorce from kevin federline, she was hospitalized twice, once after reportedly barricading herself in a bathroom with her two young sons amid a bitter custody battle. ever since the pop superstar has been under a court-appointed conservatorship. her father jamie and others put legally in charge of much of her life to health and medical decisions to decisions about her finances. now a new documentary, "the new york times" presents "framing britney spears" examines that arrangement as spears fights to remove her father from his role controlling her assets which court documents say are worth nearly $60 million. >> there's a lot of provocative questions about, you know, whether or not everyone is

operating in britney's best interest. >> was she opposed to her dad as the conservator of the estate, the person or both? >> both. britney did not want her father to be the conservator for her. the person who makes decisions about her medical care and treatment and so on and so forth, and she also didn't want him controlling her finances. >> reporter: the documentary talking to insiders including one attorney spears tried to hire after she was released from the hospital 13 years ago. he says a judge looked at a medical report, would not tell him what was in it, but decided she was not capable of picking her own lawyers. >> i felt that based on my interactions with britney that she was capable of retaining me and directing me and that the judge should have allowed that to happen. >> reporter: the documentary also details the hashtag freebritney movement. a large and passionate group of britney fans who claim she's being controlled against her

will. >> do you ever question what if you're wrong? >> if i'm wrong and one day she comes out and tells us we're wrong and leave her alone, we will do just that. >> soon after that interview actually these court filings started which did indicate that britney wanted something changed and that she wanted to -- the role of her father changed and so watching that happen actually following some of these fans was really fascinating because they felt like, oh, my god, you know. we were right. >> reporter: neither britney spears nor any of the spears family participated in this documentary. but late last year jamie spears, britney's father, said in a statement, quote, i love my daughter and miss her very much. when a family member needs special care and protection families need to step up. i have and will continue to provide unwavering love and fierce protection against those with self-serving interests and those who seek harm to her or my family. george.

>> will reeve, thanks very much. "the new york times" presents "framing britney spears" premieres next friday, february 5th, at 10:00 eastern and on fx and fx on hulu. cecilia. coming up, everybody, it's our "play of the day" mr. it's a good one. stay with us. ♪ this is what community looks like. ♪ caring for each other, ♪ protecting each other.

♪ and as the covid vaccine rolls out, we'll be ready to administer it. ♪ when you want to power up, go pro at subway® for double the protein on footlong subs and the new protein bowls. and if you want to go pro like marshawn, don't let anything get in your way. here we go! yeah, appreciate you, man! whatsup, alice! hey, marshawn! good call! go pro and get double the protein for just $2 more on your favorite sub or new protein bowl. subway. eat fresh. dry, distressed skin that struggles? new aveeno® restorative skin therapy. with our highest concentration of prebiotic oat intensely moisturizes over time to improve skin's resilience. aveeno® healthy. it's our nature™.

♪ ♪ are you ready to join the duers? those who du more with less asthma. thanks to dupixent. the add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. dupixent isn't for sudden breathing problems. it can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as 2 weeks and help prevent severe asthma attacks. it's not a steroid but can help reduce or eliminate oral steroids. dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection and don't change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. du more with less asthma. talk to your asthma specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help.

ok everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. whoo-hoo! great tasting ensure with 9 grams of protein, 27 vitamins and minerals, and nutrients to support immune health. ♪ shining star no matter who you are ♪ that's a good song. we're back now with our "play of the day."

we all know by now working from home it is not easy and as one of our colleagues in los angeles found out it is especially tough when trying to do the news from home. take a look. >> we're waiting for that storm to arrive here in southern california. it looks like -- there's a baby down below. 66 degrees in encino. santa monica, 61. 55 in ventura and irvine, 64 degrees and 62 in pasadena. we'll talk about this storm. he walks now, guys, so i've lost all control. >> all control is lost. that was meteorologist leslie lopez at our sister station kabc in california. one person i thought about the entire time while watching that was ginger. >> yep. yeah, and if you'll remember, you guys, it happened to me a couple of months ago, miles walked in. he was showing me something he had made. my only regret is that i didn't grab it and him and say, breaking news, like, you know, but i didn't think on the spot that quickly. >> the struggle is real but you're doing a great job,

ginger. you too, leslie. coming up, everybody, tracee ellis ross, the one and only is joining us live. her around the ? or could it be a different story? i wanted to help protect myself. my doctor recommended eliquis. eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot. almost 98 percent of patients on eliquis didn't experience another. ...and eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. eliquis is fda-approved and has both. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical

or dental procedures. what's around the corner could be your moment. ask your doctor about eliquis. with the capital one venture card, you earn unlimited double miles on every purchase, every day. objection! my credit card doesn't earn double miles on every purchase. overruled! with the venture card, it's every purchase! what's in your wallet? nicorette knows, quitting smoking is freaking hard. you get advice like: try hypnosis... or... quit cold turkey. kidding me?! instead, start small. with nicorette. which can lead to something big. start stopping with nicorette

you have all the ingredients for this in your fridge but ask yourself this... of all the times you've made it at home... has it ever tasted like our mcmuffin? ♪ba da ba ba ba.♪ it's been...a year. and jackson hewitt knows your job description may have changed a bit. to say... account manager... third grade teacher... senior vice dog-walker... and all-around mega mom. but one thing you don't need added to your description is tax preparer. let the tax pros at jackson hewitt do it for you, and fight for every dollar you deserve. ♪ did you know the source of odor in your home... ...could be all your soft surfaces? odors get trapped in your home's fabrics and resurface over time.

febreze fabric refresher eliminates odors. its water-based formula safely penetrates fabrics where odors hide. spray it on your rugs, your curtains, your furniture, all over your home to make it part of your tidying up routine. febreze fabric refresher, for an all-over freshness you'll love. coming up, we've got the surprise of a lifetime. some brothers who are working at covid testing sites and helping their community. this is all sponsored by jackson hewitt. folks the world's first fully autonomous vehicle is almost at the finish line today we're going to fine tune the dynamic braking system whoo, what a ride!

i invested in invesco qqq a fund that invests in the innovators of the nasdaq 100 like you you don't have to be a deep learning engineer to help make the world a smarter place does this come in blue? become an agent of innovation with invesco qqq “good morning america” is sponsored by febreze. breathe happy. is sponsored by febreze. breathe happy.

>> 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." today the governor is expected to sign a bill providing rent relief for californians. it will freeze evictions for another five months. the state will cover 80% of the rent missed between last april and this march as long as the landlord forgives the remaining 20%. the plan will be bolstered by more than $2 billion in federal stimulus funds. hi, mike. >> we're going to take the storm impact scale down at the end of the commute. we had earlier showers. it's still a little slippery outside. you can see a rogue shower possible this afternoon but clouds and sunshine and temperatures below average in the mid-50s. a chance of rain across the north bay this weekend and the rest of us mostly cloudy and a

little bit warmer. and we have a 1 for that may be the last one for a while. coming up on "gma," kerry mulligan calls out a critic who commented on her looks. we'll see you again in 30 minutes.

♪ for skin as alive as you are... don't settle for silver 7 moisturizers 3 vitamins 24 hours hydration gold bond champion your skin

good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. breaking right now in the race for a vaccine, johnson & johnson releases new trial information. so how effective is the vaccine? when will it be authorized? dr. ashton here with the latest. bitter blast. the northeast bracing for the coldest temperatures in years. windchills below zero for millions. ginger tracking the latest. firing back. the "a" list actress calling out a critic who criticized her appearance suggesting margot robbie might have been a better choice for the role and the new critic arguing that discussing looks isn't only necessary, but fair game. the apps to help you save more. one could help you find all those subscriptions you may not even know you're still paying for. ♪ say you'll be free ♪ the surprise of a lifetime

for these everyday heroes. young brothers working nonstop at covid testing sites in their community, wait until you see what we have in store for them. ♪ good vibration ♪ and we are rocking into the weekend with tracee ellis ross as we say, good morning, america. ♪ good vibration ♪ ♪ it's such a sweet sensation ♪ good morning, america. tracee ellis ross will make for a happy friday. >> love her. and we are very excited about this story that we've got coming up. we cannot wait for you to meet jordon and lovonte adams, the north carolina brothers and s.t.e.m. students who have gone above and beyond for their community during this pandemic. >> their family of seven living in a hotel. we have a life-changing surprise. we can't wait to share their story and that is all coming up in a bit. >> looking forward to that. first breaking news on the vaccine front. johnson & johnson has just released its phase 3

vaccine trial information. it's effective even against the south african variant. first take a look at one of the company's executives and what he said. >> this is probably the single most exciting result in our entire clinical study that we have 85% protection against severe covid irrespective of where in the world you're talking about and what kind of variant you're talking about. even if you were to contract covid on this vaccine, you have a much milder course. >> that is good news there. dr. jen ashton to break it down. what can you tell us? >> george, here is the data, and i just got off the phone with a doctor, so i want to go through the numbers because it is encouraging news from johnson & johnson. first, overall 66% effective in reducing the risk of moderate to severe covid-19 disease. overall 85% effective in reducing the risk just of severe disease and these are people who

don't require hospitalization, just very severely ill and then, george, 100% effectiveness in terms of reducing the risk of hospitalization and death when they looked at it in south africa they saw 57% efficacy rate where 95% of the cases were in people with that variant that we are watching so closely and so concerned about. >> boy, that is great news. just a layperson's question. maybe i'm misremembering. some of the earlier vaccines, weren't they in the 90s in effectiveness overall? >> the number you -- glad you asked -- 66% overall efficacy versus 94% to 95% efficacy which pfizer and moderna but i want to be crystal clear in speaking to public health officials and infectious disease specialists, in a pandemic setting you do not need to have 94% or 95% efficacy to slow the virus. remember we heard dr. fauci and

dr. hahn, previous commissioner of the fda accept a basement level of just 50% efficacy so these are good numbers. >> when can we expect the vaccine to be authorized? >> they plan to submit their data to the fda at the end of next week. they'll take a couple of weeks before that hearing. it may receive emergency use authorization then in a couple of weeks and shots can start going into people's arms by the end of february. we have to remember this is a single dose regimen that does not require fancy refrigeration or freezing, so logistically this would be a huge tool in our toolbox. >> what is your advice to people looking to get the most effective vaccine? >> i think don't get bogged down on numbers, george. we need options and we need as many options as we can get at this point. so i think the name of the game is get a vaccine as soon as it's possible for you. we turn to the bitter cold blasting the northeast. windchills below zero for millions. while that relentless storm is pummeling the west. ginger tracking it all.

good morning again, ginger. >> good morning, cecilia. concord, new hampshire, feeling like 14 below, we feel about 7 below here north of new york city and boston dropped to 8, the coldest in two years. you know we will be cold through tomorrow morning. those are the windchills you're seeing there, 9, philadelphia, 10 below, augusta, and feels like 7 below in boston. my voice is going with the wind. west coast, they are seeing a storm that is rivaling the prolificness of a storm they had more than a decade ago so they really haven't seen up to 15 inches of rain where you saw that rescue happening, highway 1 being wrecked by all of the water and in truckee, california, trying to dig out. one part they got 45 inches in 24 hours, some spots up to seven feet. in one storm. i mean, pretty unimaginable and surreal but we're tracking a new storm. this one bringing chicago the potential for snow. five to even nine inches in some of the watches there. it's a little murky when it gets to the northeast, cecilia, but

we will be looking at some sort of storm moving through here and of course i'll be tracking it monday, tuesday. >> get inside. carey mulligan calling out a critic who commented on her looks. how she's fighting back against sexism in hollywood. also this morning, our series, "small victories, big results," a secret savings weapon. the app that finds small savings that add up over time. curtis stone is trying his hand at our dollar dinner challenge bringing two meals for a family of four for under $20. keep it here on "gma3." sorry, folks, just "gma." that's later. that's later. sorry, folks. that's later. that's later. lower their blood sugar. a majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. here's your a1c. oh! my a1c is under 7! (announcer) and you may lose weight. adults who took ozempic® lost on average up to 12 pounds.

i lost almost 12 pounds! oh! (announcer) for those also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. it lowers the risk. oh! and i only have to take it once a week. oh! ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) ozempic® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. do not share needles or pens. don't reuse needles. do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, itching, rash, or trouble breathing. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your doctor if you have diabetic retinopathy or vision changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. once-weekly ozempic® is helping me reach my blood sugar goal. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪

you may pay as little as $25 for a 1-month or 3-month prescription. ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®. ♪ would you like to try a breakfast sausage made with plants? plants it's delicious and i'm a kid so if i like it... mmmm. morning star farms, america's favorites made from plants. and try incogmeato. the secret to amazing hair? dove believes you get amazing results when you get the details right. that's why for our new dove hair therapy range we have selected ingredients so potent they instantly nourish damaged hair at a cellular level. 100% smoother hair after first use. ♪

♪ why walgreens? with save a trip refills that let you pick up all your prescriptions all on the same day... we make filling your medicare prescriptions... ...go like clockwork. so you can get back to what you'd rather be doing! ♪ shout out to the inventors, who took an old way and made it better. like stefanie from carmax. she suggested test drives should last... 24 hours. because sometimes the way it is isn't good enough. the way it should be. carmax.

some people have joint pain, plus have high blood pressure. they may not be able to take just anything for pain. that's why doctors recommend tylenol®. it won't raise blood pressure the way that advil® aleve® or motrin® sometimes can. for trusted relief, trust tylenol®.

♪ come on baby just pump it ♪ come on baby just pump it ♪ ♪ louder ♪ welcome back to "gma." tomorrow on saturday "gma" resolution reboot. how to reinvent your fitness work space and food goals in this new year. >> look forward to that. right now it is time for "pop news" with lara. hey, lara. >> hi, you guys, good morning to you. happy friday, everybody. we're going to begin with great music from miley cyrus. bringing her one of a kind magic to npr's iconic tiny desk concert, the live musical event which turned into tiny desks from home featured cyrus in a bedroom on a sound stage with a '90s cover all in a tiny princess themed bedroom. take a look. ♪ still can't get you off my mind ♪ ♪ lord knows i've tried a million times ♪ ♪ ooh, why can't you, why can't you just leave me go ♪ ♪ i can't live -- >> reporter: writing on

instagram, this bedroom was a near replica of her own childhood bedroom in nashville saying it was covered in elvis posters, hilary duff posters, nothing has changed, she says, except everything. we get it. you can see miley's npr performance on youtube where it's trending big and miley's instagram where her songs have already gotten over 2 million views. so talented. take a look. by the way, super bowl lv is around the corner with patrick mahomes taking on tom brady on the gridiron. there is another huge event that day where it may get even ruffer, emphasis on r-u-f-f hosted by martha stewart and her pal snoop dogg. take a look. >> it's a puppy bowl party hosted by me and my girl martha

stewart. we'll serve up our favorite drinks and bites. >> sit back and relax. >> let the puppy bowl begin. >> everything is better with puppies. >> yes, it is. martha, i fully agree. martha, by the way backing team ruff while snoop will be the adviser, he says, to team fluff. and let's meet some of the players, shall we. all of whom are adoptable through annenberg pet space, paw works and the aspca of l.a. first up, not todd gurley but terrier mix, todd furley. there's duke, a great pyrenees poodle mix who looks a lot like somebody i know, my goodness, riva and aaron, not rodgers but pawgers named after the green bay qb and i'd like everybody to meet chunky monkey, 15 weeks new england, the chow chow maltese mix is a bundle of energy on the field we're told and 53 other pups participating will also be available for adoption. please consider adopting, watch

the fur fly on puppy bowl 17 on animal planet or stream it on discovery plus sunday, february 7th at 2:00 p.m. finally, let's dance. weekend dance party, that's what 29-year-old stanley freeland is hoping to encourage. look at this video. the 29-year-old dad from atlanta started an instagram account, five years ago with his now 7-year-old son josiah. in addition to the smooth moves and matching outfits the pair say it's all about encouraging dads to be more involved in their kids' lives. stanley tells us his main goal is just to teach every dad to be in your child's life no matter your age. saying it's going to play a big part in their life. how true is that? and how does josiah feel? he tells us his dad is everything to him. like father, like son, keep on dancing, gentlemen. and with that, i'll send it back to you all in the studio. >> love that. lara, thank you so much. go, josiah. we turn to our "gma" cover story and oscar nominated

actress carey mulligan clapping back at a critic who implied she wasn't hot enough for a role and now speaking out and kaylee hartung joins us with more. good morning, kaylee. >> reporter: hey, cecilia, of course, film critics are expected to be critical when analyzing an actress' that's their job, but is a woman's appearance even fair game? this is causing an uproar. >> carey! >> reporter: this morning carey mulligan is fighting back against sexism in hollywood. >> can you guess what every woman's worst nightmare is. >> reporter: as the lead role in "promising young woman" she is earning oscar buzz. >> you seem nervous. >> reporter: but one critic took issue with something other than her performance passing judgment on her appearance writing she wears her pickup-bait gear like bad drag in the female revenge fantasy. >> i think it's important that we are looking at the right things when it comes to work and we're looking at the art and looking at the performance and, you know, the way a film is made.

>> reporter: known for her roles in "the great gatsby" and "drive" responding to criticism from "variety" freelance critic dennis harvey, following her review of the sundance film festival last year, he wrote, mulligan seems a bit of an odd choice as this admittedly many-layered apparent femme fatale. margot robbie is a producer and here one can perhaps easily imagine the role might once have been intended for her. >> it made me concerned in such a big publication an actress' appearance could be criticized and could be, you know, that could be accepted as completely reasonable criticism. >> it is a prevailing problem. what's new here is that carey brought attention to it and that's the first part of fixing the problem is bringing awareness to it. >> reporter: the actress first acknowledged the harsh comment in a "new york times" profile in december saying she felt like it was basically saying i wasn't

hot enough, but harvey says he did not imply that, telling "the guardian" he was appalled to be targeted as misogynist, which is something very alien to my personal beliefs. "variety" did not redact the statement from the review and a spokesperson from "variety" said, we read carey mulligan's comments in "the new york times." we agreed the language in our review was insensitive and we apologized. not everyone thinks an apology was warranted. an op-ed in "the washington post" says discussing an actor's appearance is not only fair game but necessary writing, reducing actors to their looks is a mistake, but beauty standards are real and powerful. the best way to push back against them and encourage people to see beauty in a wider variety of faces and bodies is talk about appearance more, not less. this isn't the first time an acclaimed actress has had to respond. like when viola davis was labeled less than classically beautiful by "the new york times" in 2014, or when renee zellweger wrote an open letter in 2016 after speculation she had plastic

surgery. >> moving forward i would hope that actresses, especially, might feel emboldened by carey to speak up if they feel like their performance is being reduced based on their appearance. >> mulligan says she was surprised and thrilled to receive that apology from "variety." she says she found it moving in a way to draw a line and know that it had an impact but in this post-me too era some say this review highlights how little has changed in hollywood, and how far we still have to go, george. >> big debate. kaylee, thanks very much. we turn to our series small victories, big results looking at the apps that can help you save more, spend less while you build up your bank account. rebecca jarvis is back to talk all about them. hey, rebecca. >> reporter: hey, george. that's right. it can feel like an uphill battle. most americans say they would like to save more money but then life tends to get in the way. it creeps right in and it causes those savings to fall. but thanks to these new tools, they are making it easier than ever without a lot of thought. for years janae parsons

struggled to become a saver. >> i would start and wouldn't stick with it. >> reporter: she's not alone. nearly a quarter of americans have less than one month of savings stashed away. but janae discovered a weapon, an app that does the work for her by finding small savings that add up over time. >> a lot of times we don't think of ourselves as savers and when we have these little wins, that can give us energy and momentum to keep going. >> reporter: there are an array of apps like trim and true bill that can help you find hidden savings in your bills compiling a list of all your subscriptions, ones you may have forgotten about so you can easily unsubscribe all in one place. and if you're hope to go sock away some of those savings in stocks, apps like acorns and qapital can make investing easier. >> i knew little to nothing about investing my own money up until starting out. >> reporter: lindsay starts saving with qapital after

graduating college five years ago, and now has become an investor through the app, rounding up her purchases to the nearest dollar and investing the spare change. >> it was very hands off and that was one reason why i liked it. >> the more automatic you can make things, the more likely you will be to have success. >> reporter: while investing can reap benefits in the long run the safest bet in the short term is a savings account. that's how janae saved $3,000 in less than a year utilizing qa qapital. >> i was surprised i hit the goal so fast. >> reporter: don't worry if you're not even sure where to start. >> i was overwhelmed. i was anxious about the idea of saving. >> reporter: shantel williams found her way with the app digit which analyzes your spending history and automatically saves what you can afford putting that cash into a savings account. >> it took a lot of anxiety out of trying to understand how to save. >> reporter: after four years, the small savings adding up to a big payoff. shantel says she was able to

sock away more than $40,000. >> i'm currently hoping to save more a home. >> reporter: way to go, shantel, jane and lindsay. that's what it's about. taking the first step and making it a habit in your life to save, george. >> what's the best way to get started? >> reporter: well, the best way to get started is to look at some of these apps and keep in mind, as you're getting started, think about initially putting aside at least six months' worth of expenses in your savings account. that should be an emergency savings account. it doesn't go in the stock market. it goes into a savings account, george. >> rebecca jarvis, thanks very much. now let's go to ginger. >> as i'm doing this shiverering dance i keep thinking about mt. washington. they are about 30 degrees colder than where i'm standing right now. dropped to 22 below zero air temperature. 61 below was the windchill.

that frozen look that they always do. they have those hard core meteorologists that get those and check out the icy tops of the mountain. let's check the lake michigan situation because the ice boulders are back. they come every year but they're late this year. remember the great lakes barely 7% ice covered. always an interesting sight there in holland. good morning. i'm abc7 news meteorologist mike nicco. some showers lingering this morning. we'll stay on the storm impact scale through the morning commute and partly cloudy with a random shower this afternoon and sunshine. tonight partly cloudy, cooler, expect some fog. a little bit of rain across the north bay while the rest of us are mostly cloudy. cooler than average today and much cooler tonight. in the north bay, a chance of light rain over the we want to turn to a mystery that has gripped the nation for years. arizona man who says he was sleepwalking when he murdered his wife.

this case is now more than 20 years old, but we are getting a fresh look at this landmark case, an exclusive interview including amy robach from the man himself behind bars. i've been waiting and fascinated by this story. >> you've been talking about it for weeks so tonight is finally the night, t.j., and the question remains the same as it was two decades ago. could a husband kill his beloved wife and not even realize it? that was the defense strategy which seemed to be right out of a science fiction movie. yes, i spoke with scott falater about what happened that night and to his son who still hopes his father may someday, one day walk free. a sign of the times. >> hi, scott. >> reporter: scott falater speaking to us from behind a mask via video call from an arizona prison. the world outside his cell may have changed but the father of two says one thing stayed the same. he maintains he has no memory of committing an unthinkable act.

have your thoughts changed at all about what you believe happened that night? >> i cannot swear on a stack of bibles that i was sleepwalking. all i can say is i do not know what happened. >> reporter: falater is serving a life sentence behind bars after what began as a typical evening back in 1997 turned tragic. a story he first told former "20/20" correspondent connie chung back in 1999. >> then the kids went to bed at 9:00. my wife was asleep on the couch with "e.r." on television. i kissed her good night and went up to bed myself. >> reporter: but less than an hour later, a neighbor would watch in horror as the former preschool teacher, yarmil yarmila falater is murdered at the hands of her husband. >> what is your emergency? >> her husband you threw i believe the wife in the water. >> reporter: police arrive at the picturesque suburban home

and find yarmila dead stabbed 44 times and drowned all while the couple's children slept upstairs. scott is taken into custody, not denying he killed his wife, just denying he remembers it. >> i'm sorry. i don't remember doing it. >> reporter: charged with first degree murder, scott falater's trial is a media sensation. >> he says he has no memory of the brutal attack. >> when he stabbed his wife to death. >> reporter: because of an extraordinary defense theory, he was sleepwalking. >> the evidence is also clear he did it without awareness because he was sleepwalking. >> reporter: a jury not buying it, sentencing scott to life in prison, and causing his son michael only 12 at the time of the murder to lose both of his parents. >> i went to bed as a 12-year-old kid with a happy life and i woke up to a police officer telling me that my mother died. >> reporter: now more than 20 years after the crime, michael is a lawyer and father himself. does he forgive his own father? >> we've had talks where he has

expressed a lot of remorse for what happened. we don't believe it was an intentional act, but he still has played a role in my mom's death. >> reporter: and to this day, many of the people we've talked to for this story continue to wonder what exactly happened that night, and still aren't sure all these years later, whether or not scott was sleepwalking that night. you can decide for yourself after our two-hour special. >> it'll be tonight looking forward to that so much. amy, thank you so much. two-hour edition of "20/20," 9:00, 8:00 here on abc. coming up, we have an incredible life-changing surprise. stay with us.

>> announcer: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc7 news. good morning, everyone. i'm kumasi aaron from "abc7 mornings." a horse and pony are safe after being stuck in mud for nearly 18 hours in monterey county. >> hold on. >> the animals were trapped by a debris flow. crews used this bulldozer with ropes attached to lift each animal out of the mud and now they're being cared for safely. check out live doppler 7. it's dryer than it was a couple of hours ago. i'm going to keep us on the storm impact scale through the end of the morning commute. most of us will have a mixture of clouds and sunshine. we're in the mid-30s to mid-40s,

on our way to mid-50s. the north bay has a chance of light rain over the weekend. another good soaking, not quite like what we had,

we will have another abc7 news update in 30 minutes. you can find the latest on our news app and abc7news.com. the news continues now with

"good morning, america." ♪ i'm alive i'm alive i'm alive ♪ welcome back to "gma." thanks for being with us on a chilly friday morning. it's cold outside. >> yes, but now we have an incredible story that will absolutely warm you up about two brothers who have made it their mission to help their community stay safe throughout the pandemic. all while privately dealing with an incredible struggle of their own. got a little something for them this morning. but first we want you to see their story. >> meet lovonte and jordon adams, brothers from raleigh, north carolina, but this 17 and 15-year-old are not your typical teenagers. >> i work in a covid-19 testing lab processing covid-19 samples. we're helping the community. we're helping people. >> reporter: these science-minded students help provide free covid tests to one of the most at risk and hardest

hit black communities in north carolina. >> i'm hoping that people realize that because of what we're doing in the community, that they should come out and take it more serious. >> reporter: diana powell, founder of justice served north carolina finds opportunities for at risk teens. but she says lovonte and jordon give back without having much for themselves. >> they've had struggle, you know, with the homelessness and, you know, sleeping in the car, sleeping in the van. in hotels and just struggling, but yet to see the energy and the work ethic that they have, it was just amazing. >> reporter: their parents were furloughed because of covid-19 and the family of seven has been living in a hotel but they're now facing homelessness once again. at the end of the month they're losing access to the hotel they've been calling home for nearly two years. >> they didn't know where they was going to go. they deserve more. they deserve better. >> reporter: but even in their struggle, the boys remain

positive. >> if your heart is still beating you can surmount any obstacle. >> they want to still give back and serve their community. i think that is a beautiful thing. >> reporter: and now that community they've given so much to coming together to give something back. >> jordon and lovonte, you have a village. >> what an inspiring story. we're so excited because we're going to meet these two young men. >> they are they are. let's bring them in. jordon and lovonte. lovonte on the left in full ppe because they are doing their work and doing covid testing. surrounded by family and some friends. but, fella, just give us a wave first of all. can't see your faces but how are you doing? lovonte on the left. hey, fellas, i want to ask you all, we have doctors on the air all the time and people all over the country trying to make sure people get this vaccine and trying to convince them it's safe. do you all have more success, lovonte, what is it like trying

to convince people yourself of that message and what is your message to folks right now about the vaccine? >> i feel like it's very comforting, it's really simple really. you just -- you just -- the best way to combat it is basically just to make people feel safe and i feel like the more you comfort someone the more they are likely to do something that you say. i know it sounds a little weird but when you relate to someone, you can help them. >> yeah, i think that is the perfect message, jordon, what is the most important thing you've learned there working at the testing lab and the diagnostic site? >> well, when i am at the site what i really learn is how to stay precautious about the virus and really, you know, be -- be more serious about it. and tell everybody else to come and get the virus and that science is really important. >> you have helped so many people. what kind of missions do you have in the future?

>> do you want me to speak or my brother first. >> sure. >> all right, so when i -- when maybe a year ago i wasn't too into science but now i see what's going on around me i feel more invested but i'm probably still going to shoot for being a doctor when i grow up. >> all right. how about your brother? >> and for me, you know, i really got interested in science in sixth grade. i was really interested in the different anomalies in the world so i can consider myself of being some sort of scientist later down the line. >> fellas, we have been so impressed and saw that story. you all keep 123450i8s on your face even though your family is going through some personal difficulties. a lot of people in the country are but you certainly especially and heard what's happening with the hotel so, guy, i want to you hear this. the people you work with at the testing site, the folks at vero diagnostic, the community has come together and i want to you hear this. they've come together and they

have now found your family a house, a place for you, your mom, your dad, your -- all your siblings fully furnished and all expenses paid for an entire year. fellas, do you hear me? [ cheers and applause ] >> lovonte and jordon, i want to bring you back in. we can't see your faces. we hear the cheering. lovonte, i want to get your reaction to those folks coming to the and providing this for your family because you've done so much. >> oh, i don't even know what to say. this is great. i would have never thought, you know. >> yeah, it's very overwhelming. i would have never thought this would happen. >> there's just a lot going on. >> this is a relief. opportunities of opportunities. >> you have been doing so much and you continue to do that work even though with your personal struggles and i think mom and dad are there as well.

can they hear us, amber and lavonta, mom and dad. i know your faces are covered but what does that mean to you all as well knowing your boys are doing such work that people wanted to make sure that your family was provided for and this could help out. >> well, to be honest i've been a bit jaded about humanity so this is really good timing. i just -- i'm very proud of them. i had no idea that they were so resilient and i appreciate their strength and they're really good boys and i'm really fortunate to have children like them. >> well. >> i'm very thankful and grateful to everybody. >> you said you didn't know they were so resilient. well, they're yours. you did it. congratulations to everybody, lovonte, jordon, we hope to catch up with you on down the road. thanks very much. >> thank you. >> thank you for having us here. >> fantastic. >> wonderful. didn't know her own kids were that great. stay with us, folks, on "gma."

tracee ellis ross joining us live next. ♪ when you're ready come and get

♪ come and get it ♪ welcome to one of our favorite guests, tracee ellis ross, the star of "black-ish," executive producer of "mixed-ish." welcome back. how is it going this morning? >> everything is wonderful this morning. thank you for having me. >> there's so much to talk to

you about but i want to begin with cicely tyson. you had the privilege and the honor of giving her awards on many different occasions. how are you going to remember her? >> oh, my goodness. where to begin. her dignity, the way she illuminated the humanity of black people. her expansive impact, she never compromised. i think of the fact that her presence created the possibility for the present that we're living in. and she offered a road map of sorts of great heart and it's so amazing because you see on instagram so many people had met her, touched her, talked with her and had intimate and special moments where those extraordinary eyes of hers allowed you to fall into the depths of who she was and in turn sort of make you stand up taller and want to be more yourself. so she leaves us with a lot of

gifts, a lot of gifts and i send all of my love and prayers to her family and those who really knew her intimately. >> very well put. >> the tributes have been just so lovely. i wanted to ask you about one of your friends and your "black-ish" co-star anthony anderson. he was here earlier this week and i need you to explain secret. so he claims that you've got this unusual way of counting. what is he talking about? >> first of all, i have since the day that we discovered this i have pulled so many people so it seems we fall down the middle. he thinks it's because i'm from europe. when i count to three and five on my hand i start with my thumb which my entire family does. one -- >> so do i. >> it's one, two, three. >> one, two, three, four, five. we are literally my mom, all of my sibling, i'm so tickled by this.

i laughed so hard when i was at work. he said he's been noticing this for seven years and has never said anything. [ laughter ] apparently i always do it in scenes and i go, one, two, three and then i show it to him. >> well, you're in good company, george does it too. >> i'm not even sure -- i haven't counted with my fingers and toes since i was 5, but that's another story. >> i think it's the sign of a creative human. >> there it is. now it makes sense. what else do you do on set? a lot of people had to adjust because of covid but you all have made -- this is an adjustment. some dancing takes place now on the set. >> well, listen, in order for us to be safe it's been military precision. we've shot 17 episodes. we have had an extremely safe set. everything had to change so seven years of routine and the practice we had all had to be rediscovered and in the beginning it was really difficult because all of this

spaces where we found joy and ease and efficiency all had to sort of change. and we now 17 episodes in our prop master has created a very special way for us to enter the stage because he can't hand us our wedding rings and glasses, et cetera, he's created a cart and we each have a drawer with our name on it that no one else touches and hand sanitizer inside, get my ring and on that cart, he has a boombox with disco lighting and whenever you enter the stage, we literally get to dance our way onto stage separately and it is brilliant and glorious. it is a wonderful change during the pandemic. i think i sent you a video of anthony dancing. >> yeah, we just saw that. we have a great picture. executive producer, there he is right there of "mixed-ish" as well, great picture of little bo and little tracee ellis ross there side by side.

pretty close. >> yeah. i mean, unbelievable casting. i think the picture you have of me i'm younger than erica who plays her but, yeah, definitely on the hair front, the eyes, the eyebrows, i think that we've done a really good job on that casting and "mixed-ish" is off to a wonderful second season. we premiered -- i don't know what day it is. who knows what day it is anymore. >> but you mentioned hair and i am always paying attention to your hair because i have a curly headed 8-year-old at the house and we have used some of your pattern products. yes, you actually have your own hair care line but you actually say this is self-care. hair care is self-care. >> yeah, hair care is self-care. as we watch through this pandemic, one of the things i discovered is the small ways that we get to honor ourselves actually are really important. it's how we get to have agency in our life and care for ourselves and find spaces of joy

and comfort in a time when honestly those are not moments that are easy to come by and we just launched our treatment collection that i'm so proud of. pattern is for curly, coily and tight textured hair and started with wash day and the styling products and treatment collection that harkens back to ancient remedies enremembering those moments as a kid, i'm sure you do with your 8-year-old where you sit them between your legs and have to braid it up and get them ready for school so we have a treatment mask and hair scalp serum and i'm so proud of the company. it's exciting. >> you should be. you should be proud of everything you're doing. thanks for always being such a joy when you come on "gma." thanks, tracee ellis ross. all new episodes air tuesday at 8:00 central followed by "mixed-ish" on abc. let's go to ginger. >> george, my friend nick lives in truckee, california. i said how much snow did you get with the storm? he sent this. that is of beckett worth, his

baby. the cutest way to measure snow or is it. in mammoth they had 45 inches in 24 hours and po, the good morning. any leftover showers should be fading away by 9:00. there's a slight chance of a random shower this afternoon but going to see sunshine and feel cooler than average, low to i just asked if we are getting food and i will tell you coming up we put chef stone tone to the dollar dinner challenge. i think i smell food, t.j. stay with us.

♪ here's to the duers. to all the people who realize they can du more with less asthma thanks to dupixent, the add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. dupixent isn't for sudden breathing problems. it can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as 2 weeks and help prevent severe asthma attacks. it's not a steroid but can help reduce or eliminate oral steroids. dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection and don't change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma? talk to your asthma specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed,

we may be able to help. ♪ we got the beat ♪ we're hungry and excited about being back with our dollar dinner challenge putting top chefs to the toast see if they can make two meals for four people under $20. the michelin chef of the pie

room, curtis stone, the one and only taking the challenge. hey there, curtis. >> how are you doing? ? we're doing well. it smells good in here so we're excited about this. tell us what you're making this morning. what is on the shopping list? >> you know what, when you first get a pie brought to you it's like someone comes and gives you a big hug. i'm glad it smells good in there. on the shopping list we have ground beef because that's the base of this pie and then we've got some onions and carrots and celery and tomato puree and paste and white wine, i at least have that in my pantry. i hope you do too. to make a good pie base you sort of starting and it can be anything, we're making pies out of rabbits and chickens and goat and lamb. you name it. we're turned it into a pie but what i have is ground beef. a bit of a staple. do this as a cottage pie with mashed potato on top or cover it with pastry. so first and foremost, we're starting with our ground beef.

just chopping that up. you want to get a little bit of color on that ground beef and get that caramelization because that brings out that lovely sweetness and then you add in your veggies so i've got onions, i've got carrots. i've got celery and this for all you parents out there that are trying to get your kids to eat healthy great way to do it because the truth is you get loads and loads of veg yis in here but they don't even know it. just feels like a beef pie to the kids when you serve it. this is the bolognese sauce from the north of italy which doesn't have a ton of chopped tomatoes by the way. i have a little tomato paste going into there. that was a little flour i sprinklinged over. roast that out for a little while, maybe five minutes or so then you deglaze with a little white wine and then there's some spice in here. this is an allspice that i put in, of course, you can use whatever spices you're into it, if you like thyme and cumin use those kind of things.

this will surprise you, adding beef broth, okay. let that come up to a simmer. goes for 30 or 40 minutes and then i add a little milk. i think you'll probably be like, what. yes, in bologna, not a lot of tomatoes so a lot think bolognese comes with a lot of chopped tomatoes but it doesn't and that milk makes it wonderful. i cheated and have one here for you that's been cooking down and it turns into this really lovely meat ragout which you can see which is quite delicious. so when it comes time to actually turn this into a pie, i'm just going to remove this pan for you and bring over a cutting board. i've got in beautiful induction top so it doesn't stay hot and i can put a board straight on over. so what i've got here is a disc of pastry. that will be my top. underneath you don't need to blind bake this, by the way. at the pie room which is a brand-new pop-up we're doing in beverly hills we make all our

pastry with suet or leaf lard. which is, of course, fat. we have a butcher shop in hollywood called gwen and utilize everything, not wasting anything and the key to getting that wonderful crust is you see how i let that meat sauce cool and now i'm just to go ahead and push it on in there. the key to getting that pastry really nice and flaky is you make sure that you use cold pastry and a really hot oven, right? i'll brush it with a little egg yolk around the outside of that and like i said, you know, this filling could be literally anything. it could be all sorts of different braised and stewed meats. you grab that pastry disc and place it on top and what we do in the -- then i just crimp that underneath ever so slightly. >> curtis, i got to jump in. you have a second recipe i'm going to tell everybody about and i believe that you're going to make a pasta with the sauce that you've got left over,

right? and after that -- >> i sure am. >> we have the receipt and find out what the total price tag is, let's see if we can get a drum roll, everybody. and there you go. $18.39. it is really delicious. >> thank you, curtis. >> i did it. i did it. >> thank you so much. the recipe is great, everybody. it was delicious. and also the pasta. find curtis' recipes on goodmorningamerica.com.

we want to let you know, folks, tune in to nba saturday prime time on abc premieres tomorrow night. big game between the lakers and the celtics. coverage starts tomorrow 8:00 eastern, "nba countdown" then tip-off at 8:30 right here on abc. >> i know what i'll be doing this weekend. watching that. >> have a great weekend. >> thanks for watching. i'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv. more love,... more adventure,... more community. but with my hiv treatment,... there's not more medicines in my pill. i talked to my doctor... and switched to... fewer medicines with dovato. prescription dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen.

with... just 2 medicines... in 1 pill,... dovato is as effective as a 3-drug regimen... to help you reach and stay undetectable. research shows people who take hiv treatment as prescribed... and get to and stay undetectable... can no longer transmit hiv through sex. don't take dovato if you're allergic to any of its ingredients... or if you take dofetilide. hepatitis b can become harder to treat while taking dovato. do not stop dovato without talking to your doctor,... as your hepatitis b may worsen or become life-threatening. serious or life-threatening side effects can occur, including... allergic reactions, lactic acid buildup, and liver problems. if you have a rash and other symptoms of an allergic reaction,... stop taking dovato and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis b or c,... or if you are, may be, or plan to be pregnant. your doctor may prescribe a different medicine... than dovato if you plan to be pregnant or if pregnancy is confirmed during the first trimester. dovato may harm your unborn baby. use effective birth control... while taking dovato.

most common side effects are headache, nausea,... diarrhea, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and anxiety. so much goes... into who i am. hiv medicine is one part of it. ask your doctor about dovato—i did.

>> announcer: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc7 news. good morning, everyone. i'm kumasi aaron. a homeowner on the peninsula wants to get the word out that there's a cougar running around the community. this was recorded wednesday night. the homeowner was told that california's department of fish and game is limiting calls because of covid. so if you do live nearby, just be aware. our valley rain and mountain snow showers from this morning, they're gone. i'm going to drop the 1 on the storm impact scale here at 9:00 and look forward to our next soaking which is monday. there's a chance of wet weather across the north bay over the weekend. temperatures are below average. so while the north bay is getting a little wet weather,

the rest of are warming up this weekend. now it's time for >> kelly: to say cicely tyson was an american legend would be too great an understatement. we were honored to speak with her on wednesday when we recorded the show and devastated to learn of her passing yesterday. she was a trailblazer who broke barriers for black actresses and women everywhere. cicely encourage dignity and grace. we feel very fortunate to share with you, her last interview. >> ryan: it is friday. we have made it to the end of the month. february just around the >> kelly: suddenly our two audience members are very excited. the end of the week. >> ryan: i was motivated this morning. i got up an extra hour and 12 minutes early to work