tv America This Morning ABC February 17, 2021 4:30am-5:00am PST
4:30 am
>> you morning. right now on "america this morning," round two. yet another storm slamming areas of the country already crippled by snow and ice. record cold, bursting pipes and leaving millions without power. some without heat for 36 hours. the mayor of houston losing power during a tv interview. the power grid and energy rich texas pushed to the brink. the governor demanding answers and resignations. how it could impact your wallet. plus, the snow and ice heading toward the big cities of the northeast. back to school. president biden explains when he thinks children can return to the classroom. his message to parents and the new delays plaguing the covid vaccine rollout. developing right now, the
4:31 am
princess overseas who says she's being held hostage. she describes her ordeal saying, i just want to be free. plus, a potential comproseag minimum wage. speaking out, the woman mauled by a tiger at this animal sanctuary explains how her fiance saved her. and ready for arrival, the excitement building as nasa prepares for a landing on mars. good wednesday morning, everyone. the second storm in three days could make this deadly week of winter weather even more historic. the same areas of the country crippled by snow, ice and record cold are getting hit again. the current radar shows snow and ice stretching from oklahoma into texas, and later today arkansas, tennessee and kentucky will be under the gun before sn arrivesn of the northeast tomorrow. meanwhile, the historic power crisis in texas drags on. the lights went out while
4:32 am
houston's mayor was being interviewed on tv, so he finished the interview in the dark. >> the weather has also taken a deadly turn in the pacific northwest. four people in oregon died of carbon monoxide poisoning as people used generators to heat their homes. but we begin our coverage with the dangerous weather conditions at this hour. this morning, parts of the country already pummeled by snow and ice now getting hit with a second round. overnight another storm moving into oklahoma where the capitol recorded its coldest temperature in more than a century tuesday, negative 14 degrees. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: bursting pipes interrupted lunch at this restaurant in tulsa. a similar scene at this apartment building in texas where people are shivering in their homes. >> it's pretty cold inside. last night the temperature g >> reporter: t s texas power grid to the brink.n losing power.
4:33 am
>> there is a huge demand, a very limited supply. it is a systemwide failure across the state. >> some homes losing heat for more than 36 hours in single digit temperatures. across the state long lines for food at stores that remain open. shoppers at this grocery store in dallas using their cell phone flashlight to see. in houston, a woman and an 8-year-old girl dying of carbon monoxide poisoning after a car was left running in a garage to generate heat. in galveston officials have requested refrigerated trucks to handle the influx of bodies they expect to see. >> the medical examiner needed a capacity of at least 20 and maybe as many as 50 in addition to the normal storage. >> reporter: adding to the blackouts, natural gas, wind and nuclear facilities also being knocked offline. but many are now pointing the finger at ercot, the nonprofit organization, which has controlled most of the state's energy since 2002 when they
4:34 am
privatized its electric grid. the governor now calling for an investigation and demanding ercot's ceo step down. >> this was a total failure by ercot. ercot stands for electric reliability council of texas, and they showed that they were not reliable. >> reporter: in the meantime, new storm watches and warnings are stretching to virginia with the threat of another round of damaging storms just one day after a deadly tornado in brunswick county, north carolina. abc's victor oquendo is there. >> here it was an ef-3 tornado with winds up to 160 miles per hour. it struck in the dead of night. the walls in the roof of this warehouse peeled right off. at least three people were killed.ny >> reporter:his next storm noaswith me ownd beginning late today through ro. to can't predict when the power
4:35 am
will be fully restored, but we'll take a closer look at today's weather forecast in just about five minutes. the severe weather is driving up grass prices. experts predict they could rise by 20 cents a gallon because of refinery shutdowns in texas and other challenges. officials in texas are warning of shortages in parts of the state. we turn now to the pandemic and the new message from president biden overnight. during a town hall in wisconsin he explained when he thinks kids will be able to return to the classroom, and he spoke about those $1,400 economic stimulus checks. abc's alex presha is in washington with the details. alex, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, kenneth. president biden says he thinks younger students can return to the classroom soon. as for those stimulus checks thld be way by next h. overnight president biden at a town hall in wisconsin laying out his goals for economic relief and getting kids back to class. >> hey, folks. how are you? >> reporter: the president says he wants the majority of students in kindergarten through eighth grade back in schools for in-person learning five days a week by the end of his first 100
4:36 am
days in office, which is the end of april. >> you'd have a significant percentage of them being able to be open. >> reporter: the president tried to reassure a second grader who said she fears being infected at school. >> don't be scared, honey. don't be scared. you're going to be fine. >> reporter: but biden says we have a long way to go before things return to a prepandemic normal. >> as my mother would say, with the grace of god and the good will of the neighbors that by next christmas i think we'll be in a very different circumstance, god willing, than we are today. >> reporter: the president also saying it's time to move on from his predecessor. at one point calling former president trump the former guy. >> i'm tired of talking about donald trump. i don't want to talk about him anymore. for four years all that's been in the news is trump. the next four years i want to make sure all the news is the american people. >> reporter: democrats hope to o covid relief plan including $1,400 stimulus payments that they say could be sent out by mid-march.
4:37 am
biden said he's willing to negotiate his proposal for a $15 minimum wage, a centerpiece of this bill, which has become a sticking point. >> knowing you work 40 hours a week, but it's totally legitimate for a small business owner to be concerned about how that changes. >> reporter: republicans say the plan is too expensive. meanwhile, the infighting in the gop has intensified after former president trump blasted senate minority leader mitch mcconnell calling him a dour, sullen and unsmiling political hack, adding if republican senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again. mcconnell voted to acquit trump during the impeachment trial but later blamed him for provoking the attack on the u.s. capitol. in a "wall street journal" op-ed mcconnell saying, there is no question former president trump bears moral responsibility. in his statement yesterday, former president trump vowed to support primary candidates who challenge republicans who did not support him during impeachment. kenneth and mona.
4:38 am
>> the former president still flexing a lot of muscle over the gop there. alex, thank you. one other note on the minimum wage, there is a possible sign of compromise. a proposal from republican senators tom cotton and mitt romney would require employers to verify the legal status of their workers and then gradually raise the minimum wage by tying it to inflation. more details are expected next week. the plan would not take effect until after the pandemic. president biden said last night that he expects all americans will be able to get two doses of the covid vaccine by the end of july. but abc's megan tevrizian reports there are some short-term delays. >> reporter: this morning, some short-term speed bumps in the race to vaccinate amica. productih e contractor relv quickly. but a bigger concern may be with johnson & johnson whose vaccine has not yet been approved. the company is now reducing its initial vaccine supply estimates
4:39 am
forcing dr. anthony fauci to push back his time line on when vaccines will be available to all american. >> it may take till june, july and august to finally get everyone vaccinated. >> reporter: but the biden administration says more shots are on the way. it's reporting a 57% increase in shipments sent to states in the last month, and it's doubling the number of doses sent to pharmacies. and now fema is preparing to open five more mass vaccination sites next week in new york and texas. >> i see only pros. if we need to vaccinate millions of people in a short amount of time, we need all hands on deck. >> reporter: severe weather across the country has also hampered vaccine shipments and distribution. this 90-year-old woman from seattle walked six miles through the snow to get her shot. >> then i was told i had to sit and wait 15 minutes to make sure there was no reaction, and i said, i'm delighted to sit. >> reporter: meanwhile, we're getting a new account of the long-term damage covid-19 can
4:40 am
cause, even on a professional athlete. boston celtics star jayson tatum says he is still feeling the effects more than six weeks after testing positive. >> i have experienced some games where i don't want to say struggling to breathe but, you know, you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal. >> reporter: and even as covid cases drop sharply across the country, many hospitals are still struggling to get their hands on n-95 masks. the associated press blames the shortage not on a lack of supplies but a communication and logistical breakdown. kenneth, mona. >> megan, thank you. let's get back to our top story. yet another winter storm. here's a closer look at your forecast. good morning. another major winter storm making its way through the eastern half of the u.s. over the next couple of days. today it's dallas to memphis and little rock with snow and ice. look at the ice threat for your wednesday through thursday
4:41 am
night. areas that don't need any more problems with freezing rain. the state of texas, millions without power. we're going to have more freezing rain there. once we get to thursday and thursday night the virginias will see accumulating ice once again. snowfall forecast, we're going to focus it on the red river valley wednesday and wednesday night. that's a 6 to 12-inch swath including little rock, arkansas, your second big snow of the week. that same storm moves its way to the northeast by the end of the workweek giving places like albany 6 to 12 inches of fresh snow. i'm accuweather meteorologist kevin coskren. coming up, the $900 million mistake at a major bank and the fallout. but first a developing story overseas, the princess who claims she's being held hostage. and later a woman describes being attacked by a tiger at a tennesse
4:42 am
my body is truly powerful. i have the power to lower my a1c. because my body can still make its own insulin. and trulicity activates my body to release it, lowering my blood sugar from the first dose. once-weekly trulicity responds when my body needs it, 24/7. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it's not insulin. it isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, ip endrine ndrome type stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swli changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy.
4:43 am
serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include indigestion, fatigue, belly pain, decreased appetite, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting which can lead to dehydration and may worsen kidney problems. i have it within me to lower my a1c. ask your doctor about trulicity.
4:44 am
delphia. thanks to this massive water main break, the water inundated a parking lot and trapped people in a storage facility. about a dozen people had to be rescued. no one was hurt. the reward has been doubled in the search for a person of interest in the killing of a yale university student. $10,000 is being offered in the hunt for qinxuan pan last seen in georgia days after the shooting of kevin jiang. investigators say they're making progress in the case, which they said could stem from a road rage incident. suspected child sex offender ghislaine maxwell is withering as she sits in trial. her lawyer made that statement as part of a new bid to relax the conditions of maxwell's detention locked up since july for her alleged role in the jeffrey epstein sex trafficking scandal. her lawyer says maxwell is suffering emotional abuse. overseas, a middle
4:45 am
eastern princess resurfaced in a series of videos claiming she's being held against her will. princess latifa, the daughter of dubai's ruler, has not been seen since 2018 when she was detained and brought back to dubai after trying to flee the country. she reportedly fears for her life and recorded the videos in the bathroom of a villa on a phone smuggled in by friends. >> this ville last has been converted into a jail. all the windows are barred shut. i can't open any window. there's five policemen outside and two policewomen inside the house, and i can't even go outside to get any fresh air. >> a u.n. official who met the princess after she tried to escape says she was tricked into believing latifa was safe. new fallout this morning after a major blunder in the banking industry. citibank accidentally wired $900 million to a group of lenders. the bank was trying to make an interest payment for a client but mistakenly paid the company's loan in full three years early. some lenders refused to return the money, and now a judge has ruled that they can keep the cash saying they were entitled
4:46 am
to it and didn't know it was sent by accident. coming up, the new volcanic eruption in europe. also ahead, the unusual circumstance surrounding the implosion of the former trump casino in atlantic city. 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. and don't change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor.
4:47 am
talk to your asthma specialist about dupixent. we may be able to help. hi, i'm michael bublé, now you can make your own fresh, sparkling water at home with sodastream and new bublé drops. cut! so, do you want it more like bublé? bubly. bubly! gotcha. let's go again. now you can make your own fresh, sparkling water at home with sodastream. making bublé water... (director off camera: cut!) no calories, no sweeteners, all smiles. make bubly sparkling water at home with sodastream.
4:48 am
find your rhythm. your happy place. no calories, no sweeteners, all smiles. find your breaking point. then break it. every emergen-c gives you a potent blend of nutrients so you can emerge your best with emergen-c. at panera, when we make a pizza... we don't just “make a pizza.” we use fresh, clean ingredients... to make a masterpiece. order our new pepperoni and four cheese flatbread pizzas for delivery or pickup today. panera. back now with another eruption on italy's mt. etna. the smoke and ash was shooting six miles high, and lava flowed more than halfway down the 11,000-foot volcano. it's the second eruption this month.
4:49 am
back in this country we're hearing from the woman who was attacked by a tiger at a tennessee animal sanctuary. she spoke to "good morning america" about how her fiance helped save her life. this morning a woman reliving a terrifying tiger attack. >> the nearest person from me had to have been at least two football fields away. i just had to scream and scream and just hope someone would hear me. >> reporter: 18-year-old summer stevens was working at this animal sanctuary in tennessee last month when she says she tripped over debris and fell toward the animal's cage. >> what's going on? >> somebody got grabbed by one of the tigers. >> reporter: in an instant the tiger latched on to her arm. >> grabbing my hand, he pulled my arm into his mouth, and he skipped this section right here and went up to my elbow, i suppose, and just worked his way up until he got all the way to my shoulder. >> reporter: stevens' fiance, who also works at the sanctuary, heard her screams and jumped into action.
4:50 am
ground and went to just put it down the tiger's throat. >> reporter: body camera video captured the moment officers arrived. you can see stevens lying on the ground. her co-workers using a tourniquet to try to stop the bleeding. >> can you hear me, honey? >> yes. >> okay. >> reporter: despite living at the sanctuary, stevens said she did not anticipate the danger of the job. stevens needed five surgeries to save her arm. and later on "gma" she'll explain what officers did when they first got to the scene. the former trump plaza casino in atlantic city is scheduled to be destroyed this morning. it will be imploded seven years after closing. the pandemic is limiting crowds but one wedding venue auctioned ten front row tables for the implosion. the auction raised $17,000 for a local charity. local charity. gesohe, one p, adam sandleis even with higher stroke risk due to... afib not caused by a heart valve problem. so if there's a better treatment than warfarin,... i want that. eliquis. eliquis reduces stroke risk better than warfarin.
4:51 am
and has less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis has both. don't stop taking eliquis without talking to your doctor as this may increase your risk of stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking, you may bruise more easily... or take longer for bleeding to stop. get help right away for unexpected bleeding, or unusual bruising. it may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. the number one cardiologist-prescribed blood thinner. ask your doctor about eliquis. my wheat farm in utah pays for my potato farm in idaho which complicates my taxes. wish i could hand 'em off to an expert. i'll file those taxes for you. hand 'em off. thank you! let an expert file for you. intuit turbotax live everyone says i should fight my cravings. no. let you know what i do?you. 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.
4:52 am
blue diamond almonds. crave victoriously. your dry skin story changes from one day to the next. try eucerin advanced repair and switch. it doubles your skin's moisture and repairs dry skin over time. so tomorrow can be a different story. eucerin — recommended and used by dermatologists. alright, i brought in ensure max protein... ...to give you the protein you need eucerin — with less of the sugar you don't (grunting noise) i'll take that. yeeeeeah! 30 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar drink, play, and win big in the powered by protein challenge!
4:53 am
♪ > tecul" we begin with a warm-hearted gesture in the midst of the bitter cold. >> a houston businessman known as mattress mack is turning his furniture stores into temporary shelters just like he did during hurricane harvey. he said anyone in need can drop by for two hours or two days. >> they also have free food and blankets. mattress mack says it's a good feeling in a bad situation, and mattress mack is pretty popular down there. >> he definitely is. next a record-setting success for the world's longest hockey game. >> it benefits cancer research. after nearly 11 full days of playing hockey in canada, the event raised nearly $2 million. >> at times windchills at the outdoor rink were negative 67 degrees. for the record the final score keeping cot? >> glad ey are. >>this week marks 25 y
4:54 am
e the andlerov"happyilhithbig >> he maasion by recrtingisswing om the movie.e i've yo and i'm not lying to you, that is smashed. >> well, shooter responded, actor christopher mcdonald, who played that rival shooter mcgavin responded with a shot of his own. yep, still no word if sandler plans to reenact the epic fight scene with bob barker, that's doubtful but "the price is right" will end it right there. and finally, krispy kreme has a treat to celebrate tomorrow's landing on mars. >> the chain has created a special mars doughnut for the occasion with a caramel icing and it's only available tomorrow. >> the warm doughnut sign will be on and everything. nasa has released images of how the landing should look. the "perseverance" rover will be searching for signs of and september life. >> you'll get some signs of life if you eat a caramel krispy kreme on mars.
4:55 am
we'll be rushing there. >> warm glaze dripping from the doughnut. >> the big red sign for the big red planet? planet? this is hal's heart. it's been broken. and put back together. this is hal's relief, knowing he's covered by medicare from blue cross blue shield. and with coverage you can trust, backed by over 80 years of healthcare expertise, we'll be there when it matters most. this is medicare from blue cross blue shield. this is the benefit of blue. ready to shine from the inside out? try nature's bounty hair, skin and nails gummies. the number one brand to support beautiful hair, glowing skin, and healthy nails. and try advanced, now with two times more biotin. crafting lasting fragrances begins in nature. air wick scented oils are infused and try advanced, with natural essential oils for fragrance day after day, up to 60 days
4:56 am
air wick scented oils. connect to nature. my plaque psoriasis... ...the itching ...the burning. the stinging. my skin was no longer mine. my psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff, swollen... painful. emerge tremfyant™ with tremfya®, adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...can uncover clearer skin and improve symptoms at 16 weeks. tremfya® is also approved for adults with active psoriatic arthritis. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tremfya®. emerge tremfyant™ janssen can help you explore cost support options.
4:57 am
it's time for the ultimate sleep number event on the new sleep number 360 smart bed what if i sleep hot? ...or cold? no problem, with temperature balancing you can sleep better together. can it help keep me asleep? absolutely, it intelligently senses your movements and automatically adjusts to keep you both effortlessly comfortable. will it help me keep up with mom? you got this. so you can really promise better sleep? not promise... prove. and now, save up to $800 on new sleep number 360 smart beds. if your dry eye symptoms keep coming back, plus, 0% interest for 24 months. only for a limited time.
4:58 am
inflammation in your eye might be to blame. looks like a great day for achy, burning eyes over-the-counter eye drops typically work by lubricating your eyes and may provide temporary relief. ha! these drops probably won't touch me. xiidra works differently, targeting inflammation that can cause dry eye disease. what is that? xiidra, noooo! it can provide lasting relief. xiidra is the only fda approved treatment specifically for the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. one drop in each eye, twice a day. don't use if you're allergic to xiidra. common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision when applied to the eye, and unusual taste sensation. don't touch container tip to your eye or any surface. after using xiidra, wait 15 minutes before reinserting contacts. got any room in your eye? talk to an eye doctor about twice-daily xiidra. i prefer you didn't! xiidra.
5:00 am
now at 5:00. 5,000 shots a day. that is the goal at a new mega vaccine site opening here in the bay area today. >> there is nothing that holds us back from getting to herd immunity, except the limited supply. >> one on one with governor newsom, when he believes most of us will be vaccinated and his outlook on the reopening of schools. and ash wednesday in masks. the holy day will look different this year because of the pandemic. what we can expect to see in san francisco. good morning everybody, it is wednesday february the 17th. >> and first a check with mike nicco and the weather today. hey mike. >> hey reggie. hi jobina, kumasi, hi everybody. thanks for joining us. a dry doppler 7, beautiful shot from crystal hills. livermore and napa some fog. visibility 3 and 1 mile.
80 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
KGO (ABC) Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on