>> i have a joke for you. >> bravo. bravo. >> do you want to hear a construction joke? >> uh-huh. >> sorry, i'm still working good morning, america.g covid crisis. the texas governor's order goes into effect this morning to lift the state's mask mandate, allow businesses to operate at 100% capacity. some cities are pushing back as los angeles strikes a deal to get kids back in classrooms. this as the race to vaccinate picks up speed. the new vaccine finder that can help you score the coveted shot and new calls for vaccine passports when it comes to travel. what will it mean for those who don't get vaccinated? this morning, the cdc director dr. rochelle walensky joins us live only on "gma." urgent manhunt. the search for the suspect who planted those pipe bombs at the

dnc and rnc headquarters as the fbi releases new video from the day before the capitol riot. the fbi saying now that the explosives were potentially lethal. also this morning, jury selection finally getting under way for the george floyd murder trial. what we know about the first three jurors seated and the questions they were asked about the high-profile case. state of emergency. catastrophic flooding in hawaii. devastating homes, submerging vehicles forcing towns to evacuate. >> i started panicking. my dad started panicking. the water just rose to the top. >> ginger tracking the latest on the flood threat. the queen breaks her silence, the crown finally responding to harry and meghan's bombshell interview and stunning racism allegations saying the whole family is saddened. and it will be addressed by the family privately. and the new report this morning, meghan markle contacted a british broadcaster to complain about the coverage of her mental health issues. piers morgan storming off his morning show after he was

challenged by a co-host for his remarks about markle. >> okay, i'm done with this. >> later quitting. the latest on all the fallout this morning. bear scare. th wild bear chase on the slopes. >> oh. >> how a group of skiers narrowly escaped. this terrifying close encounter on the mountain. ♪ bad to the bone ♪ the major no-no for one of president biden's first dogs. why the pups are heading from the white house to the doghouse. good morning, america. from the white house to the doghouse, huh? >> how is that for a white house scandal? >> you got it. >> yep. big scandal that is, indeed. good to be with you on this busy wednesday morning. we have a lot to get to including the latest on president biden's massive relief package. you are looking live at capitol hill where the house is gearing up to pass it today and send it straight to the president's desk. >> and we're going to tell you when you could see those checks

coming up. we begin with the pandemic and the race to vaccinate america. so far the cdc says more than 61 million americans have received at least one dose, nearly 24% of the adult population. but officials are now warning americans not to let their guard down as several states have started easing restrictions. >> so cdc director dr. rochelle walensky is standing by to talk to us, but first we are going to begin in texas where that statewide mask mandate in place since early july has been lifted. marcus moore is in dallas with the latest for us. good morning, marcus. >> reporter: well, robin, good morning. it is the start of a new day here in texas. the race to vaccinate people well under way and the texas gf n governor now saying the state is fully re-opened. this morning, turmoil in texas as the governor's orders to lift the mask mandate and allow businesses to operate at 100% capacity goes into effect. >> i don't believe the onus should be on small business. i think especially in the hospitality industry requiring us now to take a side on the

mask isn't right in my opinion. >> reporter: some cities revolting. austin still planning to require masks but the governor challenging the city's authority to enforce the rule. texas governor greg abbott insisting now is the right time to lift the restrictions because vaccines are increasing and hospitalizations trending downward. but according to the latest cdc data only 8.5% of adult texans are vaccinated. this comes as other states ease restrictions. in california, los angeles teachers unions and school officials striking a tentative deal overnight to get children back into classrooms next month, and disneyland hoping to reopen at the end of april. states are racing to vaccinate as many people as possible and as millions try to find those appointments, sites like vaccinefinder.org are helping people find those coveted shots, george. >> okay, marcus. thanks very much. let's bring in the director of the cdc, dr. rochelle walensky. dr. walensky, thanks for joining us. i know you're concerned about tek

texas and some other states easing restrictions. what is your biggest fear? >> good morning, george. great to be back with you. i want to take a moment to reflect where we've been over the last year. it really has been a year where we've seen so much death, people dying alone. we've talked about scarcity of ventilators and drugs and we've lost so many family milestones. it was a year of hopelessness when we started a year ago and now we have so much hope and i want to sort of just lead with that hope and say so many people are being vaccinated every day and yet we are still not yet at 10% of the population vaccinated in this country. we still have 90% of people who are unprotected. so what worries me about really lifting all restrictions, lifting mask mandates is that we still have a large proportion of this population that is not protected and we really do need to protect as we scale up vaccinations. >> so what should be the standard for easing restrictions state by state. >> you know, we're not quite ready to create those standards because we still have 90% of people unprotected.

what i will say, and we have said at the cdc, is schools should be the first place to open and so if your schools are not open, i don't believe that we should be opening other places because we really do need to get our children back to school. several weeks ago we released an operational guidance to safely get our children and teachers back to school. that's the first place to prioritize. >> you did release guidelines for vaccinated people. what are the most important things for those who are not should know about the guidelines? >> importantly they reflect what people should be doing in private settings. we are not suggesting people who are vaccinated can go out and take off masks and do things in public settings, gather in big gatherings. what we're saying is in the privacy of your own home you can meet with other vaccinated people. you can hug them. you can dine without wearing your mask in your own home. you can also meet with people who are unvaccinated but have low risk of severe disease in your own home in small settings but really we're taking baby steps to make sure we can still protect the 90% of people who

aren't yet vaccinated. >> some experts are saying you're being too timid with those guidelines. why shouldn't vaccinated people be allowed to travel? the airlines said being on an airplane is one of the safest places you can be. >> every time we have had a travel surge after every holiday, july 4th, labor day, the christmas holidays, we've had a surge and what we really want to do is while we are vaccinating people in critical times of march and april getting people protected we want to protect against those surges and this is really just a baby step from the cdc. we intend to update these guidances as more people get vaccinated and as case rates we hope continue to come down. >> for those vaccinated on the early end back in december and january, how concerned should they be about the possibility that their protection may fade over time, may have faded already? >> this is some of the data and evidence we are watching carefully. we want -- we are watching for breakthrough infections.

we are monitoring this really carefully, and some of the science we're waiting to emerge before we liberalize our guidance, it's the reason we're taking baby steps. >> you have pointed out we're ramping up the rate of vaccinations, over 2 million a day. now pretty consistently. does that mean something like herd immunity by the end of the summer? >> you know, i think a lot of what happens by the end of the summer depends on the rate at which people decide to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated. we know by the end of may the president announced by the end of may we will have enough vaccine for all people who are eligible and what we really need to do is make sure all people are eligible want to roll up their sleeve. what would be a shame is if we have more vaccine and we don't reach herd immunity because people are making the choice to not get vaccinated. >> dr. rochelle walensky, thanks for your time and information. >> thanks for having me. >> michael? >> thank you, george. now to the fbi releasing new images of a suspect wanted for planting pipe bombs at the republican and democratic

national committees the day before the capitol riot. the bureau is asking for the public's help. our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas has the very latest. good morning, pierre. >> reporter: michael, good morning. the hunt intensifying for the elusive suspect who planted those bombs at the rnc and dnc headquarters. the fbi making it official the bombs were potentially lethal. the new video gives a detailed time line for the suspect's movements. here you see the suspect in a residential neighborhood only blocks from the capitol where the riot would take place the next day. notice how in the video the suspect is walking with a somewhat odd gait. 12 minutes later here's the suspect sitting on a bench at dnc headquarters where he apparently plants a bomb in one of those bushes. a few minutes later you see him walking down an alley adjacent to the rnc headquarters where the second bomb is placed. michael? >> and pierre, the fbi gave tips on how to look for the suspect even if it's a family member or friend. >> well, the fbi says the suspect could be someone bragging about their time on capitol hill. their behavior may have changed

dramatically since the january 6th attack. for example, are they really emotional every time they see something about the bomber? did they make travel plans right before the attack? were they researching the rnc and dnc headquarters and fixated on the nation's toxic politics, michael. >> all right, pierre, thank you so much. robin? now to the murder trial of derek chauvin. the former police officer charged with killing george floyd. jury selection finally getting under way with the first three jurors seated after that delay. alex perez is outside the courthouse in minneapolis once again this morning. good morning, alex. >> reporter: hey, good morning, robin. yeah, because of the pandemic, the potential jurors are being interviewed individually which is making the process much slower, but three jurors have been seated so far. day two of jury selection in the trial of derek chauvin, the former cop accused of killing george floyd. the first three jurors seated tuesday. >> yeah, i don't love the black

lives matter organization. i do support the movement. >> reporter: the first, a white man who is a chemist who said he's never seen the video of chauvin pinning floyd, only photos, and was asked about black lives matter. >> you've not seen any of the social media videos or news stories with clips of the video or anything? >> no. >> okay. >> i've seen the still -- there is a still image that was pretty common. >> reporter: the second described as a woman of color who said she finds the legal process fascinating and reacted when selected for the jury. >> awesome. >> reporter: the difficult task for this high-profile case finding 12 jurors who can remain impartial and follow instructions. >> every single juror is going to have been exposed to the media in this case. so that makes it difficult on both sides to find people who are going to be fair who haven't come to a conclusion yet without hearing all the evidence. >> reporter: the third juror a white male who works as an auditor admits he has a police officer friend, but indicated he

has an unfavorable opinion of the pro-police movement blue lives matter. chauvin has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder and second degree manslaughter charges. still lingering and unresolved an appeals court decision telling the judges to reconsider reinstating a third degree murder charge sought by the prosecutor. >> all the prosecutor needs is one count of guilty so the prosecutors want to get more counts in there so they have more chances to get a guilty conviction. >> reporter: it's unclear how the lingering appeals could affect the trial process. the judge says he plans to continue moving forward. george? >> okay, alex, thanks very much. to washington now and president biden's merely $2 trillion covid relief package in the home stretch expected to pass congress today. our senior congressional correspondent rachel scott has the latest. good morning, rachel. >> reporter: george, good morning. the house is now gearing to pass this package in just a few hours. this is the last hurdle here in congress. the next stop, president joe biden's desk and here's what

americans can expect. $1,400 in stimulus checks to americans who earn $75,000 or less a year. those who make $80,000 will receive a slightly smaller check. $300 per week in federal unemployment benefits, those will run through september 6th. billions more for vaccines, for schools, state and local governments. not a single republican in congress is supporting this bill. still opposed to that $1.9 trillion price tag. democrats, though, plowing forward without them. those unemployment benefits are set to expire for millions of americans in just four days. president joe biden will be addressing the nation tomorrow on the one-year anniversary of lockdowns in the u.s. and as for when checks will start to go out biden said this month the white house wants americans to start receiving those direct payments as soon as possible, george. >> hopefully by the end of the month. rachel scott, thanks very much. michael? also out of washington, the growing crisis for the biden administration as they struggle to answer basic questions about the number of migrants at the border.

sources confirming to abc news that the numbering of children detained at the border has hit a record high. our chief white house correspondent cecilia vega has the very latest. good morning, cecilia. >> reporter: hi, michael. good morning to you. so the white house says they inherited a completely gutted immigration system from the trump administration and they are trying to do everything they can to figure out a way to safely and humanely house these children and the chief of staff is now calling this one of the most vexing problems this administration faces. this morning, the record surge in unaccompanied migrant children at the southern border is overwhelming government facilities leaving almost all the beds taken, but the white house continues to say it is not a crisis. >> i don't think we need to sit here and put new labels on what we have already conveyed as challenging. >> reporter: through a report obtained through anonymous sources abc news learned the number of children crossing the border without parents or guardians has swelled to nearly 3,500 in the last two weeks alone, including nearly 200 kids

under the age of 12. some 1,500 have been held beyond the three days legally allowed. children now being housed in facilities meant for adults. the biden administration conceding they need more space. yet despite promising transparency, officials have not allowed journalists in to see the conditions themselves. the press secretary pressed on the situation more than a dozen times in tuesday's briefing refusing to confirm even those latest figures on children crossing the border. >> i'm not going to confirm numbers from here. >> why won't you confirm that number? that's a very important number. >> those numbers are tracked by the department of homeland security. so i'm suggesting you talk to them about the specifics. >> we asked them, jen, they won't confirm the numbers. >> i encourage you to go back to them and ask them again. >> reporter: the texas governor calling it a crisis, deploying 500 national guard and patrol, blaming this squarely on president biden's immigration policy. >> this is creating a humanitarian crisis in texas

right now that will grow increasingly worse by the day. >> reporter: and that is the charge we consistently hear from the republicans right now. overturning trump's hard line immigration policies signals to migrants it's easier to cross the border right now. the white house has repeatedly said its message is crystal clear. do not come. here's the deal. given the numbers we are seeing at the border, that message clearly not getting through. >> such a perplexing dilemma. cecelia, thanks very much. now we celebrate the life of roger mudd, a giant in broadcast journalist best known for changing the presidential race in 1979. he asked senator ted kennedy what seemed like a very simple question, why do you want to be president? kennedy couldn't handle it. it crippled his campaign from the start. the heir apparent to walter cronkite's seat went to dan rather when cbs promoted him instead. he taught at princeton and hosted documentaries on the history channel and died at his virginia home with kidney failure at 93.

a real gentleman as well. >> quite a man. it was such a simple question. >> it really -- it ended the campaign pretty much before it started. it did. following a lot of other headlines this morning including the royal family in crisis. the fallout after queen elizabeth responds to meghan and harry's bombshell allegations of racism and the shocking blowup about meghan on britain's top morning show. also ahead, this frightening call -- close call on the slopes. a bear on the run down the mountain chasing after a group of skiers. how they narrowly escaped. first, let's go to ginger. good morning, ginger. >> reporter: good morning, michael. you know, flash flooding nightmare is happening in paradise. many of the hawaiian islands have seen one to even two feet of rain since sunday so in about 48 hours you have major flash flood issues. this is the town that was evacuated. thankfully those evacuations have been lifted, and the rain has become a bit lighter. one person rescued. another person is still missing. they're going to go ahead when it gets out light and start

looking again but my goodness, that rainfall, when you're talking about 19 inches since sunday, in maui, you've also got mudslides and can see the truck crushed there so things will get better. you can see that cloud, and now this is much different than yesterday. things are going to get a little lighter as far as the rainfall goes so more rain in the forecast, yes, but not quite as much. so watching all those flash flood warnings. local weather is coming up in 30 seconds. first spring-like cities sponsored by walmart. good

keep the wet weather gear handy. it's day three of wintery showers. the possibility of hail, snows on our peaks, it will be colder the next two nights. trending a little bit wetter sunday into monday. look at these highs today. around 51 to 56 degrees and 30s for most of us tonight. oakland, san francisco and your neighbors in the low 40s. temperatures coming up, a push for so-called vaccine passports. we'll talk about that.

the sun is incredible. it makes our lipton tea leaves better. which makes the smooth tea taste better, and time together even better. and drinking lipton can help support a healthy heart. lipton is a proud sponsor of the american heart association's life is why campaign. the dealer gives you a trade-in offer. lipton is a proud sponsor will you take it? it feels like you're in the middle of some weird gameshow. where did that music come from? wait, is that? what? next time, start with carmax... and get a custom offer good for 7 days. the way it should be. carmax.

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

i have it within me to lower my a1c. ask your doctor about trulicity. we do it every night. like clockwork. do it! run your dishwasher with cascade platinum. and save water. did you know certified dishwashers... ...use less than four gallons per cycle, while a running sink uses that, every two minutes. so, do it with cascade. the surprising way to save water. feel the cool rush of claritin cool mint chewables. powerful 24-hour, non-drowsy, allergy relief plus an immediate cooling sensation for your throat. feel the clarity, and live claritin clear. ♪ even the smallest surprise... can make a big memory... worthy of passing on. kinder joy treat plus toy a little surprise goes a long way.

>> 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." we're learning more about santa clara county's decision to not join the effort to have blue shield lead vaccine distribution. the largest county says it will not sign a contract with the company because it's another layer of administrative bureaucracy. one concern, is requirement to use the appointment system. >> it would mean that a private insurance company would be collecting all of the protected health information and personal information for all residents who are vaccinated. >> the county joins l.a. county in refusing to sign a contract. they say its goal is to build a network that reaches all of

california, especially communities that are are are disproportiona disproportionately hit by the pandemic. >> you can find our vaccine tracker at ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ receive a chargepoint home flex charger or a $500 pulic charging credit. see your volvo retailer for details. the power of three is everywhere. but you've never seen it like this. now with xfinity internet, you can also save on wireless and streaming. get internet that's packed with power... ...and up to $300 in savings with xfinity mobile. plus, stream your favorites with a flex 4k box included. it's three ways to get more and save more

starting with xfinity internet. can your internet do that? get started with xfinity internet for $19.99 a month for 12 months and get a flex 4k box for free. plus, save hundreds when you add xfinity mobile. switch today. are you managing your diabetes... ...using fingersticks? with the new freestyle libre 2 system, a continuous glucose monitor, you can check your glucose with a painless, one-second scan. and now with optional alarms, you can choose to be notified if you go too high or too low.

and for those who qualify, the freestyle libre 2 system is now covered by medicare. ask your doctor for a prescription. you can do it without fingersticks. learn more at freestyle libre 2 dot u.s. ♪ welcome back. it's day three of our storm, wintery showers out there once again. lightning, hail and even snow on our peaks and brief downpours. the low is going to pass over us as we head throughout today and it's going to see a decrease in some of the showers that are heaviest right now in the mountains and in the diablo range. here's a take a look at future radar. snow down to around 3,000 feet and if hail falls, it's going to be roads icy. 1 today and a 1 sunday. in between, we'll try to warm

back to average. coming up on "gma," the latest fallout as the queen latest fallout as the queen responds to harry and majestic mountains... scenic coastal highways... fertile farmlands... there's lots to love about california. so put off those chores and use less energy from 4 to 9 pm when less clean energy is available. because that's power down time.

♪ for every idea out there, that gets the love it should ♪ ♪ there are 5 more that don't succeed ♪ ♪ and so are lost for good ♪ ♪ and some of them are pretty flawed ♪ ♪ and some of them are slightly odd ♪ ♪ but many are small businesses that simply lack the tool ♪ ♪ to find excited people who will stop and say 'that's cool'♪

♪ and these two, they like this idea ♪ ♪ and those three like that one.♪ ♪ and that's 'cause personalized ads ♪ ♪ find good ideas for everyone ♪ mr. bublé, you can't keep breaking in here. bubly just came out with bubly bounce. a little kick of caffeine exactly what i need to fix these. yeah, bublé bouncé. no calories. no sweeteners. just a kick of caffeine. (dad vo) i saw them out of the corner of my eye. just a blur when they no jumped the median.eners. there was nothing i could do. (daughter) daddy! (dad vo) she's safe because of our first outback. and our new one's even safer. (avo male) welcome to the 2020 subaru outback. an iihs top safety pick plus. the highest level of safety you can earn. (avo female) get 0% for 63 months on select new 2021 models. now through march 31st. up at 2:00am again? tonight, try pure zzzs all night.

unlike other sleep aids, our extended release melatonin helps you sleep longer. and longer. zzzquil pure zzzs all night. fall asleep. stay asleep. ♪ i'm on the deep end watch as i ♪ i'll never leave the ground ♪ back here on "gma." love lady gaga and bradley cooper, oscar-winning song "shallow" from "a star is born." you know she's back. she's heading back to the silver screen for the first time since that blockbuster. lara has more on that coming up in "pop news." and don't worry, we won't show you the video of michael singing "shallow." >> thank you. i appreciate that. >> that's the least i could do. >> that movie was so thrilling. >> it really was. >> so great. we move on to the fallout

from the meghan and harry interview. the queen has broken her silence and there is a new report about meghan markle contacting a british broadcaster to complain about coverage of her mental health issues and james longman is at buckingham palace with the latest. good morning, james. >> reporter: yeah, good morning. we have had a response from the queen to that explosive interview. the palace wanted to wait until the interview was aired in the uk before making a statement and trying not to add fuel to an already fiery debate but it is short and critics asking is it enough? after a day and a half of silence queen elizabeth responding to harry and meghan's shocking interview accusing some inside the palace of racism and indifference to meghan's mental health struggles. the queen releasing a statement reading the whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for harry and meghan. the short statement ending,

harry, meghan and archie will always be much loved family members. the statement coming after meghan revealed she contemplated suicide while pregnant and accused an unnamed member of the royal family asking how dark her baby's skin might be. >> he's not going to be given security, not going to be given a title and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born. > what? >> reporter: royal experts surprised by her claim that archie would not have a title. as the law stands he will be a prince when charles is king. the world stunned by the allegations of racism. oprah says prince harry told her the comments were not made by the queen or prince philip. when asked tuesday prince charles dodged the question. >> what did you think of the interview? >> reporter: some royal watchers saying the response from the queen is too little too late. others saying her even addressing it is significant but noting the palace knows despite its statement this is not just a

family affair. >> the queen is saying we have a private tradition in this family and we're going to stick to it. now that doesn't mean to say that the result of whatever inquiry they make will not be made public. >> reporter: also in sunday's interview with oprah the duke and duchess called out racism in the british tabloids. >> from the beginning of our relationship they were so attacking and inciting so much racism really. it changed the risk level. >> what about the behavior of harry and meghan who are spray gunning his family on global television as philip lies in hospital? >> reporter: overnight british tv channel itv announcing piers morgan was leaving his program after a uk media regulator announced it was launching an investigation into comments he made following the couple's interview. >> who did you go to? what did they say to you? i'm sorry. i don't believe a word she says, meghan markle. >> well, that -- >> i wouldn't believe it if she read a weather report.

>> reporter: storming off the show while it was still on air when one of his co-hosts challenged his remarks. >> i understand you've got a personal relationship with meghan markle or had one and she cut you off. she is entitled to cut you off if she wants to. has she said anything about you since she cut you off? i don't think she has yet you continue to trash her. >> okay. i'm done with this. >> no, no. >> sorry. no. >> you know what, that's pathetic. >> see you later. >> i'm being serious. >> sorry. >> reporter: now, it's transpired there is the latest twist to this. meghan contacted herself itv, the broadcaster there and a mental health charity directly to complain about morgan's comments, specifically around her difficulties with mental health. now, morgan has responded and issued a statement, says he believes in free speech and the right to have an opinion. he says he doesn't believe a

word that meghan has said about any of this but does believe she has damaged irreparably the british mo narcoti monarchy and. george? >> okay, james, thanks very much. we don't have that kind of drama here. >> no, not that kind. thank goodness for that. we do have mor trouble for new york governor andrew cuomo. a sixth anonymous accuser is alleged inappropriate behavior. stephanie ramos has the latest. good morning, stephanie. >> reporter: robin, good morning. that woman has not been identified and has not filed a formal complaint. but her colleagues say she spoke openly about inappropriate behavior while being around new york governor andrew cuomo. this morning, new allegations of inappropriate behavior against new york governor andrew cuomo are reportedly being included in the state attorney general's investigation. an albany newspaper reporting a supervisor in cuomo's administration learned that a staffer said cuomo inappropriately touched her late last year during an encounter at the governor's mansion where she was working. cuomo in a conference call with reporters on tuesday said he was

not aware of the new allegation. >> i'm not aware of any of the claim. this is very simple. i never touched anyone inappropriately. i never made any inappropriate advances. >> reporter: according to the paper, the woman still works for the governor and has not filed a formal complaint with the governor's office. the paper stating the incident was reported to the governor's counsel by other employees and relayed to the attorney general's office which is coordinating an investigation into multiple allegations of sexual harassment made against the governor. ana liss, a former aide claims he gave her a hug and kissed her on both cheeks during a party. she says that interaction took a toll on her work, but she's not calling it sexual harassment, instead saying it was a toxic work environment. >> i saw evidence of sexual harassment and was on the receiving end of sexual harassment by individuals who worked for the governor in his

administration and had worked for his campaign, not from himself. so i believe that it was systemic and it was the culture. >> reporter: the new york attorney general says the investigation into those allegations made against the governor will be led by two attorneys. an employment discrimination lawyer and a former federal prosecutor who once prosecuted two former cuomo aides on corruption charges. robin? >> investigation continues, all right, stephanie, thank you. michael? we turn to the terrifying moment on a ski slope. a bear surprises a group of skiers in romania chasing one of them down the mountain. will reeve joins us with more. good morning, will. >> reporter: good morning, michael. this is the second time this year we've seen a bear chase a skier in romania. it was actually at the same resort and they say the bears are brothers. the footage of this incident is edge of your seat dramatic. a close encounter on the slopes.

a brown bear chasing skiers at a resort in romania. the bear first wandering onto the trail and appearing to let this group of skiers pass. but suddenly the animal taking off after the skiers. chasing the group for nearly two minutes. luckily something else grabbing the bear's attention and the skiers escaping unharmed. that scene similar to a january incident in romania, a man being chased by a bear. bystanders shouting and whistling in an attempt to distract the animal. eventually the skier throwing his backpack to the ground. the move distracting the charging bear long enough for him to escape. >> he did a pretty cool move which is a really safe one when you want to get away from the bear. he dropped his bag off then he started getting away safely. immediately afterwards the authorities come in. >> reporter: if you ever find yourself face-to-face with a bear, some expert tips here for

your survival. make yourself as big as possible. say something loud and firm and step back slowly. whatever you do, do not run. the bear's predatory instinct will kick in. also if you're at this specific ski resort, guys, you might want to keep your head on a swivel. >> yeah. might want to put the phone down too. >> all good advice there, will. thank you. coming up, could so-called vaccine passports be the key to opening up travel? we'll talk about that. come on back. we'll talk about that. come on back. it's ubrelvy. for anytime, anywhere migraine strikes without worrying if it's too late, or where i am. one dose can quickly stop migraine in its tracks within two hours. unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks cgrp protein, believed to be a cause of migraine. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. most common side effects were nausea and tiredness. serena: ask about ubrelvy. the anytime, anywhere migraine medicine.

what if i told you the best place to begin is within. with collagen, that supports our body from the inside, out. because when we feel supported from within (whir of treadmill, foot impact + heavy breathing) our confidence comes from way deeper. it's within us. we started with computers. we didn't stop at computers. we didn't stop at storage or cloud. we kept going. working with our customers to enable the kind of technology that can guide an astronaut back to safety. and help make a hospital come to you, instead of you going to it. so when it comes to your business, you know we'll stop at nothing.

a lot can change in a month. you could... meet the love of your life. and his kids. and their dog. which is why carmax created the love your car guarantee. with 24-hour test drives and a full 30 days to return and get your money back. the way it should be. carmax. (geri) i smoked and i have copd. my children are really worried. my tip is, send your kids a text. it may be the last time that you do. (announcer) you can quit.

for free help, call 1-800-quit now. ♪ ♪ for free help, [ birds chirping ] [ river flowing ] [ dragonfly wings ] ♪ ♪ ♪ pepto bismol coats and soothes your stomach for fast relief and get the same fast relief in a delightful chew with pepto bismol chews.

back now with the new push this morning for so-called vaccine passports. airlines saying such a program would make it easier for people to travel during the pandemic and our transportation correspondent gio benitez is in los angeles -- is at los angeles international airport with more this morning. good morning, gio. >> reporter: hey, michael, good morning. yeah, with the cdc asking americans not to travel just yet, the big question this morning is, if vaccine passports right on your phone could restart normal life? this morning new calls for so-called vaccine passports. u.s. airlines asking the white house to develop federal guidance for temporary health credentials that would keep track of travelers' negative covid tests and proof of vaccination. >> instead of hanging on to little pieces of paper or complicated pieces of paper, it's really just using your

phone in a way that we hope will simplify things for the government and for the passengers. >> reporter: so what could it do? while the airlines do not want vaccines mandated for travel, they hope the digital health pass will allow people to avoid domestic and international quarantine requirements. >> i know the state of hawaii is considering just that. if you're able to show you have the test and the vaccine, they're going to eliminate the quarantine. >> reporter: the popular app clear which allows users to skip long lines at airports and event venues announcing it'll soon start using its app to store vaccination records. the concept is a global one. the european union considering these passes for people to move safely across the eu or abroad. china launching its own version monday. and israel already using vaccine passes giving those vaccinated access to hotels, gyms, music venues and even cruises. royal caribbean restarting

vaccine-only cruises from israel in may. now, the cdc says that even those vaccinated should avoid travel right now but many experts believe that guidance is going to be changing sometime soon as more people get those vaccinations. guys, back to you. >> thank you, gio. rules seem to keep evolving. coming up, we'll tell you why the first dog is in major trouble this morning. >> i see what you did there. alright, i brought in ensure max protein...

...to give you the protein you need 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! man: condos, 150k. [ traffic passing by ] sorry, bud. thanks. switch to progressive and you can save hundreds. you know, like the sign says. alright, back to work. woman: i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are getting clearer ♪ ♪ yeah i feel free ♪ ♪ to bare my skin, ♪ ♪ yeah, that's all me ♪ ♪ nothing and me ♪ ♪ go hand in hand ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin, that's my new plan ♪ ♪ nothing is everything ♪

woman: keep your skin clearer with skyrizi. with skyrizi, 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. of those, nearly 9 out of 10 sustained it through 1 year. and skyrizi is 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. ♪ i see nothing in a different way ♪ ♪ and it's my moment so i just gotta say ♪ ♪ nothing is everything ♪ skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms such as fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches, or coughs or if you plan to, or recently received a vaccine. ♪ nothing is everything ♪ woman: now is the time to ask your dermatologist about skyrizi. plant-based surfactants like the ones in seventh generation detergent trap stains at the molecular level ♪ nothing is everything ♪ and flush them away. it's just science! just... science. seventh generation tackles stains. visible is wireless that doesn't play games.

no surprise fees, legit unlimited data for as little as $25 a month. and the best part, it's powered by verizon. but it gets crazier. bring a friend every month and get every month for $5. which is why i brought them. two $5-a-months right here. hey. hey. plus the players of my squad. hey. what's up? then finally my whole livestream. boom! 12 months of $5 wireless. visible, as little as $25 a month or $5 a month when you bring a friend. powered by verizon. wireless that gets better with friends.

♪ bad to the bone ♪ ♪ bad to the bone ♪ we're back now with the latest on the first dogs. major has gone from the white house to the doghouse. he bit a member of the security team, but fortunately the injury is minor. major and his canine companion champ are now in delaware where they normally go when the first lady travels and the white house press secretary saying major was startled by a new person and the dogs are still getting used to their new surroundings. this isn't a first for first dogs adjusting to the white house. sunny, the obamas' dog bit a guest of the first daughter, also making headlines for knocking down a little girl at a white house function. she was okay. and before him remember barney bush in 2008 bit a reporter and that reporter needed a band-aid and antibiotics but discovered as well. >> barney bush? >> barney bush. >> you put the last name. >> how is that for your history

lesson this morning, bad presidential dogs? >> you heard it here first. [ laughter ] >> i'll refrain from comment. >> there we go. >> leave it alone. we got wnba megastar maya moore on revealing her new fight for justice this morning for jonathan irons, the man she helped free from prison. they've got a new fight and they'll talk about it in our next hour. come on back. ♪ ♪ (quiet piano music) ♪ ♪ comfort in the extreme. the lincoln family of luxury suvs.

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.

many plug-ins are stuck in the past. they release a lot of scent at first but after a while, make an appointment to talk to your doctor you barely know they're working. new febreze fade defy plug works differently. it's the first plug-in with built-in technology to digitally control how much scent is released to smell 1st day fresh for 50 days. it even tells you when it's ready to be refilled. upgrade to febreze fade defy plug. >> reporter: welcome back to "gma." i know you saw me dancing to the springlike temps but, of course, this is march. we have to get a little bit of everything and nevada started off with the new storm, had a 17-car pileup that shut down u.s. 395 southbound for a bit. they've had those icy roads causing accidents and now

there's a snowy side to this storm and there's a severe side so from eastern south dakota up through minnesota you get some of that snow. you could even see tornadoes on the front end in parts of minnesota. on the southern side large hail and this is a pretty definite from wichita up into parts of missouri. coming up on "gma," our "bachelor" exclusive going one-on-one with emmanuel acho. he's taking over for chris harrison as host of "after the final rose." also this morning, stephen a. smith joining us live talking about his new show, plus, this movie looks so much fun, like so much fun. especially for the kids. the star of "yes day," edgar ramirez is joining us live. this segment sponsored by quaker oats.

"good morning america" 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." three more counties have moved from the purple tier to the red tier. more businesses are reopening today. you can see alameda, solano and santa cruz counties are joining five others in that red tier. restaurants can invite a limited number of customers inside. other businesses that can open, museums, movie theaters and gyms. retail stores and grocery stores were already open in the red tier, they can allow more customers inside. check in with meteorologist mike nicco. you might want to stay inside today. >> exactly. you can see the low spinning off the coast as it continues to steer showers and thunderstorms our way. you can see some heavier ones

just north of napa right now and look at all the snow in the higher elevations. it's a 1 and it lasts through storm morning. coming up on "gma," one one with the new host some climate experts say, time is running out to prevent disaster unless we seriously change our habits. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ small decisions make a world of difference.

ikea.

are you managing your diabetes... ...using fingersticks? with the new freestyle libre 2 system, a continuous glucose monitor, you can check your glucose with a painless, one-second scan. and now with optional alarms, you can choose to be notified if you go too high or too low. and for those who qualify, the freestyle libre 2 system is now covered by medicare. ask your doctor for a prescription. you can do it without fingersticks.

learn more at freestyle libre 2 dot u.s. ♪ good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. covid crisis. the texas governor's order to lift the state's mask mandate goes into effect this morning. businesses allowed to operate at 1 h 100% capacity. why the governor is insisting now is the right time to ease restrictions. cdc director dr. rochelle walensky weighs in on "gma" this morning. urgent manhunt. the search for the suspect who planted those pipe bombs at the dnc and rnc headquarters as the fbi releases new video from the day before the capitol riot. the fbi says now that the explosives were potentially lethal. inside the royal institution. expert insiders revealing how the royal family really works. the new questions about who's

behind the firm that meghan markle says failed to help her. unraveling anxiety. with stress soaring since the pandemic hit one year ago, this morning, one neuroscientist's top three tips to finally help you regain control. ♪ love and basketball. wnba superstar and activist maya moore and jonathan irons, the man she helped free from prison revealing their new fight this morning. ♪ one-on-one with emmanuel acho. before he faces bachelor nation, what he's saying about taking over after the final rose, race, racism and relationships in the franchise. all ahead as we say, good morning, america. with just one week until the final rose. ♪ bring me a higher love ♪ good morning, america. thank you for being with us on this wednesday. it is -- >> you do it. you do it.

>> hump day. >> thank you. don't be looking at me for that. only you can do it. >> waiting for it. one day i'll get it. >> no, no. >> george, i didn't even glance your way. but we will be glancing at our friend stephen a. smith later in the show. he's coming up. >> he has a lot to talk about because he has a lot of new projects including a brand-new show on espn plus. it is called "stephen a.'s world." that's a perfect title because as you know, stephen, well, it's his world. we're just living in it and we cannot wait to talk to him coming up. that is coming up. we begin with the latest on the pandemic and the race to vaccinate america. the cdc says that more than 64 million americans have received at least one dose, nearly 24% of the adult population but officials are warning americans not to let their guard down as several states have started easing restrictions. marcus moore in dallas where the mask mandate has been lifted. good morning, marcus. >> reporter: well, george, good

morning again. at midnight those restrictions were lifted here in texas along with the mask mandate that was also rescinded. the texas governor reopening the state here whether people like it or not. this morning, turmoil in texas as the governor's ordered to lift the mask mandate and allow businesses to operate at 100% capacity goes into effect. >> i don't believe the onus should be on small business. i think especially in the hospitality industry requiring us now to take a side on the masks isn't right in my opinion. >> reporter: some cities revolting. austin still planning to require masks, but the governor challenging the city's authority to enforce the rule. texas governor greg abbott insisting now is the right time to lift the restrictions because vaccines are increasing and hospitalizations trending downward, but according to the latest cdc data, only 8.5% of adult texans are vaccinated. george spoke to the director of the cdc, dr. rochelle walensky earlier this morning about covid-19 restrictions. >> so what should be the

standard for easing restrictions state by state? >> you know, we're not quite ready to create those standards because we still have 90% of people unprotected. what i will say and we have said at the cdc is schools should be the first place to open. >> reporter: states right now are still racing to vaccinate as many people as they can and people are using sites like vaccinefinder.org to secure those appointments and those shots, robin. >> you're right about that, marcus. thank you. and so much hope for so many americans as the race to vaccinate picks up speed. want to you take a look at this piece of video. that is 3-year-old trax running into the arms of his grandmother who he had not seen in over a year. now that jean finally got her vaccine surprised him after day care. i got the chills. >> that's sweet. >> very sweet and our thanks to our abc station in pittsburgh, wtae for that piece of video. >> that's beautiful. that's awesome. we turn now to the fbi releasing new images of a

suspect wanted for planting pipe bombs at both the republican and democratic national committees the day before the capitol riot. let's go back to our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas. good morning again, pierre. >> reporter: good morning, michael. that's right. the fbi is trying to generate new leads and it's making a direct plea for the folks at home to help. they released video giving a detailed time line of the suspect's movements. you've seen the suspect walking with an odd gait in a residential neighborhood only blocks from the capitol. you see the suspect sitting on a bench at the dnc headquarters apparently planting a bomb in one ofse bushes and heading down this alley to the rnc headquarters where a second bomb is placed and they really want to catch this person. the officially confirmed those bombs were potentially lethal, george. >> okay, pierre. thanks very much. coming up here, after harry and meghan's interview, the new questions about how the royal family really works behind palace doors. our experts will take us inside what they call the firm. plus, we are all feeling the stress of the pandemic.

one neuroscientist is sharing his three steps for tackling anxiety and helping us regain control. and we go one-on-one with emmanuel acho. what he's saying about stepping in for chris harrison for "the bachelor" finale. we'll be right back. ♪ so you're a tough guy like a reou 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. the dealer gives you a trade-in offer. hiv medicine is one part of it. will you take it? it feels like you're in the middle of some weird gameshow. where did that music come from? wait, is that? what? next time, start with carmax... and get a custom offer good for 7 days. the way it should be. carmax. no matter what sometimes keeps you up, nature made helps you win the night. our melatonin gummies are scientifically developed to help you fall asleep faster, naturally. nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. ♪ for every idea out there, that gets the love it should ♪ ♪ there are 5 more that don't succeed ♪ nature made. ♪ and so are lost for good ♪ ♪ and some of them are pretty flawed ♪ ♪ and some of them are slightly odd ♪

♪ but many are small businesses that simply lack the tool ♪ ♪ to find excited people who will stop and say 'that's cool'♪ ♪ and these two, they like this idea ♪ ♪ and those three like that one.♪ ♪ and that's 'cause personalized ads ♪ ♪ find good ideas for everyone ♪ the sun is incredible. it makes our lipton tea leaves better. which makes the smooth tea taste better, and time together even better. and drinking lipton can help support a healthy heart. lipton is a proud sponsor of the american heart association's life is why campaign. hey rodgers! look, i'm you! jake from state farm, you couldn't find a stand-in that looked anything like me? have you seen mine? like looking in a mirror, right? now that one makes sense. look guys, i don't even have a stand-in. of course, you do. hold on, is that drake?? that's right. drake from state farm. (in unison) like a good neighbor (in unison again) like a good neighbor hey, stand-ins don't have lines. oh, okay.

like a good neighbor, state farm is there ♪ welcome back to "gma" on this wednesday morning. tomorrow on "gma," we have "deals & steals" bringing us big bargains on home solutions. tory johnson always brings it. >> she does always bring it and always bringing it with "pop news" is lara. good morning, lara. >> hey, robin. good morning to you. we're going to begin with lady

gaga. sharing the first photo from the set of her new movie "house of gucci" and, yep, that's oscar nominated actor adam driver looking very different in character next to her. the duo play patrizia reggiani and her husband muurizio gucci and the film directed by ridley scott, depicting the dramatic events leading up to his murder and her conviction for the crime. lady gaga's post getting over a million likes in an hour with one person commenting -- i love this. kylo ren in da house, and another writes, future oscar winner. time will tell on that, but with a cast like this, a director like this, the fashion and the story of the gucci empire will certainly be fun to watch. won't it? also popping this morning

can we get theme music, lily? ♪ the story of a lovely lady ♪ here's the story of a man who made the chairs in the royal interview. yep, turns out the chairs that meghan and harry and oprah were all sitting in for their interview came from christopher knight's home collection also known as the man who played peter brady. the actor turned his attention to real estate and design after his famous show ended and started his furniture company a decade ago. we got a preview of his talents on "a very brady renovation." incredibly hands on in that project and this morning his chairs, yep, are sold out. gone. nowhere to be found online. the christopher knight club chairs made of weather resistant wood with plastic rope detailing sell for $555 a pair. they will be restocked soon according to the company. knight says he had no idea his chairs would be featured so prominently in the interview calling it a very pleasant surprise. guys, it looks like he'll just

have to make a bunch more. >> oh! >> oh. >> yep. yep. i'm bored. riva likes this next story. so, finally if you're single, listen up. have a dog, get a date. that is the conclusion for a comprehensive new study that shows putting a dog in your online profile picture greatly increases odds of finding a match. 70% of respondents believed that having a dog in their photos helped them get more matches, 60% of respondents said they were more tempted to match with someone who had a dog in their profile than not, but a warning to anyone thinking about borrowing a dog to do the job, lying about this will not lead to puppy love with the majority calling that a deal breaker. there you have it, guys. that's "pop news." riva and i send it back to the studio.

>> thank you, lara. we turn to our cover story. inside the royal family. as the palace deals with the fallout from meghan and harry's explosive interview, the couple called the royal family the firm, but what exactly does that mean? who makes up this institution behind the scenes? maggie rulli reports from buckingham palace. good morning, maggie. >> reporter: hey, george. good morning. well, we have to remember when it's not a pandemic and the weather is probably a little nicer than this, this area is just packed with tourists because after all, it's a business, and george, more than that, this family is also an institution with the government. the queen is head of state which means she fulfills a very specific role for the british government which makes all of this very complicated for the royal family. after that barrage of royal bombshells -- >> everyone in the institution knew it wasn't true. for a long time had been asking, the institution for help for quite a long time. >> reporter: this morning new questions about what exactly is the institution that meghan markle claimed failed to help

her and who is behind it. >> i went to the institution and i said that i needed to go somewhere to get help and i was told that i couldn't, that it wouldn't be good for the institution. >> reporter: royal historian and author of "battle of brothers" robert lacey says there are about 400 staff who could be called the institution. >> that refers to the people around the royal family, the private secretaries who advise them, who write their statements, speeches, who range their foreign tours. >> reporter: lacey a consultant on "the crown," says one individual is the character of martin chartiers on the hit show who served as the queen's private secretary. >> private secretary but almost companion to the queen in some of her finest years. >> long live, queen elizabeth. >> one thing that makes it so challenging, things said an done will filter into those personal relationships and vice versa. >> reporter: the duchess herself calling out the firm.

>> the firm would say there is an active role that the firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us. >> reporter: the firm is an expression has meant the royal family who receive money, taxpayers' money and some private money to do a whole range of duties like prince charles, like his sister princess anne. >> the phrase the firm legend says it was started by prince philip in relation to the family but it is also now widely used to mean the family and the business. >> reporter: at the head of the institution the firm the family sits her majesty, the queen, the matriarch who experts say is ultimately responsible for everything that happens at buckingham palace. but in the interview harry and meghan seemed to make a clear separation, voicing nothing but their love and admiration for the queen, harry grandmother, throughout. >> we saw a strange contradiction, harry and meghan spoke very lovingly of the queen

as a person. whatever the principles and beliefs and hopes of the queen, there's been some sort of failure. >> reporter: and now for their part, the palace seems to be doing kind of the same thing. in their statement, they made a point to say harry, meghan and archie remain much loved members of this family. >> maggie rulli, thanks very much. we'll move on to those soaring stress levels as we mark one year since the pandemic hit here in the u.s. well, this morning, we're taking a look at a new book, "unwinding anxiety" to help break the cycle of worry and heal our minds. deborah roberts joins us with more on that. good morning, deb. >> reporter: good morning, robin. and, boy, do we need it. the weight of this pandemic is being felt by so many of us with new levels of stress and worry and uncertainty and it's taking a toll. one study saying the number of adults who are reporting feelings of anxiety is up by 30%. but one expert says there's hope out of this if we're willing to begin healing our brains.

many of us know that uneasy feeling, the one that creeps in and leaves you feeling on edge and out of control. anxiety. >> the pandemic has probably brought me the most stress i've ever had in my life. >> reporter: for 33-year-old anthony perkins, it's been overwhelming. an essential worker he is a transit bus driver in washington, d.c. >> we're in contact with the public all day every day. i have a fiancee here at home that has a compromised immune system with ms. i have two young children. it weighs on you. >> when you pair uncertainty with fear, our brain starts spinning out into these what if scenari scenarios. what if this, what if that. >> reporter: in his new book, "unwinding anxiety," judson brewer, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist says recognizing our unease is the first step to helping change our brains at the core. a lot of people are overloaded either with work, with children at home, maybe they've even lost a job. they're anxious even thinking about the anxiety. where do they even begin the process?

>> it begins right there. so if somebody is anxious, it's simply about starting to wake up to, oh, i'm anxious as compared to that anxiety driving them to something to make them get away from it as quickly as possible. >> reporter: to ease the anxiety and regain control, he suggests three steps, first, figure out the anxiety loop, what's the trigger, the behavior and the result. then ask yourself if the result is actually rewarding. for instance, is avoiding your to-do list by scrolling through certainly media going to make things better. ask what am i getting from this? will it only temporarily make me feel better? and lastly, find what he calls, the bigger, better offer before entering the habit loop. be curious, ask things like what's happening right now? what am i feeling in order to get a better result? he adds using physical reminders like putting your hand over your heart to stay grounded can help

calm the mind and steer us toward better thoughts. >> i am hopeful in many ways. i know this from our own research that we can actually see significant reduction. this all comes back to helping people understand how their minds work, bring that awareness in and bring in curiosity and kindness. >> reporter: one big point here, robin, kindness can actually be an antidote to anxiety. dr. brewer says before you get all worked up, just remember that kindness can actually stop the worry cycle not just toward others, but also to yourself. so before you get all frustrated and worked up, remember to treat yourself like you would a good friend who's stressed out. >> be good to you. be good to you, hand on heart. >> that's right. >> all right, deb, my friend. thank you. appreciate that. "unwinding anxiety" is out now. ginger? >> robin, it's easy to give you kindness. you look great by the way today. haven't seen your outfit till just now. i am just reading a book like

that so i'm so into that idea of the let's share with you a weather headline that is taking over hawaii. maui had more than a foot and a half of rain. that flash flooding taking over streets, thankfully things are getting better. could still see two to three inches. some spots on the big island th good morning. keep the wet weather gear handy. it's day three of wintery showers. the possibility of hail, snows on our peaks, it will be colder the next two nights. trending a little bit wetter sunday into monday. look at these highs today. around 51 to 56 degrees and 30s for most of us tonight. oakland, san francisco and your neighbors in the low 40s. temperaturesee thank you, ginger, for that compliment. >> thank you, ginger. robin's outfit, i must say -- >> not no. >> it looks fantastic.

i said, wow! >> you did. trying to clean it up. we're going to turn to something now. the first tv interview with the man who has taken over the hoas host of this season's "after the final rose" special. emmanuel acho and t.j. holmes sat down with the former nfl linebacker and author. >> reporter: author of a book called "uncomfortable conversations with a black man." i don't know what was more uncomfortable than what i just saw with you two. the point here is really we could argue the past several weeks of "the bachelor" have been uncomfortable as we've watched the first ever black bachelor fawn over a woman we now know was engaged in past racist actions. her words now the host chris harrison is on a bit of an apology tour for defending her. so emmanuel acho stepped in to wrap up the season and he tells me he has a particular message and mission for his, quote, white brothers and sisters. >> it's going to be a long night i feel like.

>> oh, my god. >> the apologies are coming and it does not feel sincere. >> reporter: in a season that included accusations of bullying as well as an unprecedented racial controversy. >> it's not a good look. >> no, it's not -- well, rachel, is it a good look in 2018 or is it not a good look in 2021? >> it's not a good look ever. >> reporter: author and tv host emmanuel acho is now ready to step in tasked with closing out this historic season of "the bachelor" as host of monday's "after the final rose" series finale special. >> let's go into the controversy that's come this year. your reaction to the posts, to the pictures from the contestant who is now, of course, at the middle of all the racial controversy. >> my initial reaction was, yikes, that's not a good look. my secondary reaction was, everybody pump the brakes, because i believe her photos were racially insensitive and racially ignorant. racial insensitivity and racial ignorance can play itself out as racism but it doesn't necessarily classify someone as racist.

>> any difference as chris harrison said between racially insensitive in 2018 and racially insensitive in 2021? >> no. absolutely not. there's no difference. there is an awareness. in 2018, 2017, 2016, 20 -- as far back as i can go, celebrating or reenacting even if it's just by attire an antebellum plantation party or antebellum plantation festivity is wrong. >> reporter: acho is a best-selling "new york times" author for his book, "uncomfortable conversations with a black man," and host of a web show by the same name. >> welcome to another episode of "uncomfortable conversations with a black man." >> reporter: he's stepping in after chris harrison announced he'd step away from the franchise for a period of time in light of his comments,

telling abc news he made a mistake. >> i am an imperfect man. i made a mistake and i own that. i believe that mistake doesn't reflect who i am or what i stand for. >> would you like to see him come back as host of the show? >> is it in the best interest of chris harrison? is it in the best interest of the show for them to continue to mutually move forward? this is the most uncomfortable conversation in the history of "the bachelor" franchise because it's not just about relationships, but now it's about race. >> are you walking into this, would you say, with a theme and an absolute goal in mind to get accomplished at the end of it? >> my mission for "after the final rose" is very, very, very simple. allow my white brothers and sisters who watch the show and fell in love with matt's story to understand that matt's love story and his journey of love is different than other journeys of love, particularly because of his complexion and his skin color. >> and a reminder rachael kirkconnell has apologized for those past posts and "the

bachelo bachelor"'s two-hour season finale airs monday followed by the "after the rose" special at 10:00. it's usually live. it is going to be airing -- already taped but it will be taped this time. >> as much as you cover this we should give you an hour. >> the postgame show. >> i will take it, abc. >> you heard it. he'll take it.

>> 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." gig workers in san francisco are a step closer to getting more protection from the coronavirus. the board of supervisors passed an ordnance requiring companies to provide ppe to drivers. it also gives them paid time to disinfect their cars and wash their hands. the bill applies to workers at grocery stores, drugstores and restaurants. it's an active morning out there. check out our lows spinning and hurling wave after wave of showers, thunderstorm, hail and snow. you can see it peppering the north bay and the rest of the bay. even in the south bay, there's

mt. hamilton.inches of snow on this 1 is going to deteriorate and will be gone

we have the power to harness california's abundant wind and solar energy, but it's not available all day long. use less from 4 to 9 pm and we can protect california for generations to come. hey, bay area, "live with kelly and ryan" is coming up. >> we have kim raver from "grey's anatomy," plus kittens 101. >> that's at 9:00 on abc7. we'll have another update in 30 minutes. you can find the latest on our

news app and at abc7news.com. the news continues right now with "good morning, america." ♪ how you ♪ how you like me now ♪ ♪ how you like me now ♪ hope you're doing well this wednesday morning. joined by one of the busiest men in broadcast sports stephen a. smith launching three new shows here to talk about it all. good morning, stephen. how's it going today? >> good morning. good morning. how are y'all doing? >> we're doing great. tell us about the two docuseries on historically black colleges, "black excellence" and "why not us." i know they're close to your heart. >> well, i'm a graduate of winston-salem state university, and we want to chronicle the history of hbcus and speak to the excellence that emanates from them.

there's 104 right now in the united states of america. there is a lot of excellence that has come from hbcus throughout the years from the thurgood marshalls to the phylicia rashads, michael strahans, jerry rices, spike lees, samuel l. jackson, taraji p. henson. the list goes on and on not to mention black doctors and accountants and judges and congressional figures. things of that nature. a lot of excellence that emanates from hbcus, and a guy who attended winston-salem state university, after all clarence gaines had done for me, he asked that i bring as much attention to hbcus as much as i possibly could because there's a lot of incredible talent coming out of disenfranchised communities throughout this nation. a lot of talent attends hbcus, and there's a lot that we have given to the united states of

america in terms of our contributions and that's one of the things that he wanted me to highlight, and i have been on a mission to do that pretty much my entire career, and as a result, we've got this docuseries that we're putting together again in concert. "why not us" is chronicling a basketball team led by levelle moton, one of the great coaches in the united states. his first nine years at the school won four conference titles and four division titles, and considering being on tobacco road near duke and north carolina, and achieving the success he has achieved obviously devoid of some of the things they have available to them in terms of facilities, just monetary things and things of that nature, he's done a phenomenal job so myself in concert with chris paul, we wanted to highlight that as well along with roadside entertainment as well so very happy with everything that i'm doing and the way things are going and not only am i a talent on television but in this case i'm an executive producer and my production company is

co-producing it in concert with espn in terms of that so it's been a busy year but incredibly proud of the things that have been transpiring. >> and with the espn plus show "stephen a.'s world." we're just living in it. i just added that part. we're just living in it but it's more than just a sports show. how would you describe it? >> listen, espn has the sports world covered. it's the worldwide leader. any time you're doing something for espn preceded by those four letters, you're going to be discussing sports, but what i wanted to do was to extend it beyond the world of sports and bring pop culture into the occasion, and show the lighter side of my personality dare i say to show i know how to laugh and talk about things that extend beyond the world of sports so, again, i'm the executive producer of that show as well along with my production company co-producing that with espn so i'm having a ball doing it because it's a lot of laughs and i have been blessed to have, you know, jamie

foxx, steve harvey, snoop dogg, matthew mcconaughey, even brandy clark we're hoping will win a grammy this sunday at the cmas, i've had a slew of guests and intend to have a lot more and it's really about having fun, stepping back and showing my lighter side and having a good time and bringing noll just sports, but pop culture to the equation. it's basically my show, my vision, you know, the sports world through my lens and espn has blessed me with the opportunity to do that for espn plus, and i'm having an absolute ball doing it. >> you have a lot of fun and interesting segments on the show. one of my favorites, baby stephen a. we'll play a clip it of and after we see this clip, explain what we just watched. just check it out. >> i don't think you believe that, stephen a. bull! >> what? no, you can't. you can't -- you're a baby. you're like three feet tall. you're not dunking on anyone. >> yes, i can dunk. yes, i can dunk. what are you talking about? >> explain that, please. >> well, what happened is --

what happened is baby stephen a. is like an alter ego. he's like my mini adversary for crying out loud. i came up with the idea years ago because somebody took my face, one of the guys in social media took my face and digitized it to the point where you put a baby face on me and altered the voice a little bit. obviously it's me. there's a lot of people in the united states that actually think that's a different person. it's actually me doing that and what have you. >> really? >> i had a ball doing it. >> really? >> it's mini-me. it's like mini-me, stephen a. >> before you go, stephen a., before you go, "general hospital." how do you have time to have a recurring role as brick on that show? >> i'm always happy when i get your call. >> i'm not ashamed to admit this. i have been watching "general hospital" for 43 years. >> yeah. >> okay, i'm a huge fan of the show. they asked me to come on, did a couple of scenes, they loved it

and it literally asked me on the spot, the executive producer frank valentini asked me on the spot to make that character brick a recurring role. i am a surveillance expert for the mob, okay. there are scenes where -- >> why not. >> there's actual violence that takes place, you know, and i love it. i absolutely love it. and it is an honor and a privilege to be a member of "general hospital" and i got a couple of scenes coming up in a couple of weeks because i just taped them last week. >> of course, you did. you know what, i used to schedule my college classes around that schedule, around "general hospital." >> so did i. >> right? >> so did i. >> we didn't even have time to ask stephen a. about -- oh, well, stephen a., thanks. new episodes of "stephen a.'s world" available on espn plus monday, tuesday, thursday and friday at 5:30 and any time on demand and episode 4 of "why not

us" available on espn plus. >> he's still talking. >> "yes day" star edgar ramirez is next.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ receive a chargepoint home flex charger or a $500 pulic charging credit. see your volvo retailer for details.

we are back with an incredible story of sacrifice and strength. at the height of maya moore's career, the wnba megastar and activist made the decision to put it all on hold in order to help fight to overturn the wrongful conviction of jonathan irons who had served 23 years in

prison. it turned into love. i recently spoke to the newlyweds. it has been quite a year for newlyweds maya moore and jonathan irons. marrying shortly after irons' conviction was overturned and he was released after 23 years in prison. a lot of folks want the update so how is it, you two newlyweds? >> it's been full to say the least. we get to actually live together and live life together and fulfill some dreams together and have fun and just kind of relaxing after such a long stretch of battle and stress and striving. >> what have these months of freedom been for you after 23 years? >> it's been really good. the hardest time i had since i've been home i think is when i first came home and there was this menu in this restaurant that i didn't know -- i didn't know what was what.

what the names were and i was sitting there looking and the waitress was like tapping her foot, what are we waiting on? i have to wait for my wife to come back because she'll come and explain everything to me and helped me figure it out and ever since then i've been good. >> reporter: earlier this week irons filing a civil lawsuit against the authorities that investigated his case. >> i am not the only person that this has happened to. this lawsuit is about publicly exposing what has happened to me, sharing the truth and creating public awareness and hopefully creating a deterrent to stop this from happening to someone else. >> this year a lot is at stake. >> reporter: and together they are using their platform win with justice to continue their fight. >> you have said, you and maya both, it's not just about you, how do you get that message out when it comes to reform, criminal justice reform in this country? >> the way you change things is one person at a time. one community at a time. one story at a time.

making justice more about restoring things than just paying penalties. and so that's what we're really after. redefining what a win is in our justice system. >> i got to put on my sports cap because when i talked to you last time you said that in the spring you would start thinking about would you be returning to the wnba. a lot of folks want to know. are you thinking at all about returning to the game in any capacity? >> yeah, man, this journey has been quite wild, so i'm still trying to take that time to really get settled. you know, we just got married, so i'm still planning on taking some rest and really just leaning in to this season of enjoying jonathan and having this full year. >> reporter: part of that first year together celebrating jonathan's 41st birthday, his first since being a free man again. what did you wish for, first

time as a free man, blowing out the candle? >> i wish for everyone in the room to be blessed and to be happy because, you know, they sacrificed so much for me, to bring me home, to make me a part of the family. >> getting a puppy? >> yes, yes, yes. >> oh, robin, making me say yes on national television. yes, you can get a puppy. >> getting a puppy. >> very excited about the puppy. my production company robin -- rockin' robin productions in partnership with espn films has been following maya and jonathan's journey for a "30 for 30" documentary that will air later. what would you put on hold? something you have worked for all your life, what would you put on hold to go fight for and for maya moore it means she was at the zenith of her professional career and didn't hesitate to step aside to help free him. >> wow. >> did they really have a relationship before? >> no. >> that makes it even more amazing. >> look what's come of it. >> a puppy. [ laughter ]

hey, ginger. or is it two puppies. i heard you do that interview. i know he asked for another after she said yes. it's going to feel like april. we're all springing forward. look at the numbers. chicago, almost 70 yesterday. that's usually more like closer to april type of number and this is too. boston to the mid-60s, same thing new york city tomorrow. good morning. day three of showers and thunderstorms, hail, snow, lightning, it's all possible and most likely during the morning hours as this tapers during the we are here with edgar the ramirez. we've seen him in "american crime story" and "the undoing" and yes, he's starring in "yes day." thank you so much for joining us this morning, my friend. and, you know, yesterday based on a children's book, one day a year when kids make the rules, parents are not allowed to say no, but you feel like yes day

isn't just for the parents. >> no, i think that -- well, thank you so much, michael. great to see you. great to be on the show. i think that a yes day can apply to any relationship. i mean to any relationship that is meaningful to you, i think it's worth a yes day. it's all about being flexible, it's all about being able to say yes for a whole day and restore whatever imbalance there is in the relationship. so i do believe that any relationship can have a yes day. >> i know you have nieces and nephews. you let them have a yes day with you. what did they request? >> well, you know, it was so great because when i remember when i told them that i was going to give them a yes day i could see their faces like going like, oh, my god, what are we going to ask, and how are we going to manage this? and the beautiful thing is when i got the list and i went down through the list, it all boiled down to time because that's what yes day is all about.

it's asking for time, time and undivided attention and focus, and that is the reason why i do like that in any relationship, again, that is meaningful to you, that's deserving of a yes day. >> i love that. just time is the most important thing we have. you play a dad in the movie who agrees to his first yes day. let's take a look. >> hey, guys, one more thing, windows down. >> what? >> whoa, whoa, whoa. >> what? >> yeah, you have to. it's yes day. >> what do we do? >> it's your car. >> come on, mom. you can say it. >> one word, two letters, n-o? >> windows down! >> yay! >> whoo! >> no, no, no, no, no. >> oh, that is a big request right there to say yes to. i will say you do some pretty crazy things in the film but i heard you actually -- you

actually fulfilled a dream of yours in this movie. >> well, many, but, yeah, there's one in particular and it's that i'm a professional ice cream eater. you know, and -- i am. i am. since i was a kid i love ice cream and i remember -- i remember there was a commercial back in venezuela in the '80s when i was a kid. it was this little kid dressed as an adult that would come to this fancy restaurant, sit at a table and then he would be served endless amounts of ice cream. you know, i mean this waiter would come with a big silver bell then serve him an ice cream and that image stayed with me so little i knew that as an adult i would fulfill that childhood fantasy of eating -- because i ate all that ice cream. i wouldn't recommend it but i did it because i'm a professional. >> i'm a professional don't try this at home. thank you so much. big fan of everything you do and cannot wait to see you in your

first comedy which is "yes day," everybody. >> yes, yes. >> first comedy, "yes day" releases on netflix globally this friday. and this friday we've got some parents who took on our "gma" yes day challenge and wait till you see the wishes they granted for their kids. coming up, "snowf

safe, affordable housing, extending loans to people in our neighborhoods, bringing ownership back to black homes into our neighborhoods and not to mention putting a stop to decades if not centuries of systemic racism. >> calm down, franklin. >> i'm calm, but, damn, why does it always have to be a problem? why is nothing ever good enough? >> the one promise you made me, the promise i actually need you to keep, you're completely ignoring. >> that is damson idris. he is the star of the hit epix

-- fx show, "snowfall." he is joining us from his hometown of london. program. we weren't sure at the end of last season if your character was going to make it. >> i know, right? he took them bullets from melody. those that stuck with the show, a great payoff. so glad we have a season four and the pandemic as much as we've lost so much and people were able to stay at home and re-binge the show and developed new fans too. >> what do you enjoy most about playing this character? >> so many things. i like being in l.a. i'm in london right now. it's raining. so i like being in l.a. where it's sunny. but the cast and the crew, we really are like a family and making john singleton proud. that's the greatest gift. so i just love him. >> i love how he brought you -- oh, he brought you to the

neighborhood. he made you earn -- >> he did. >> he did but, you know, but you speak about the pandemic. and, you know, we've all had to change some things. i understand that you had a tough lesson when it comes to zoom. can you share with us what happened, my man? >> oh, man, so it started, the pandemic, i didn't know what zoom was, i was a skype guy, right? my friend, he says, hey, jump on zoom. it's our friend's birthday so i jump on and immediately everyone is laughing because i'm topless. i thought it was going to be four people in there. it's literally 40 people in there and i hear a distinctive voice and the voice is like, hey, man, this man on here is topless with his nipples out, and he got the -- who is in charge of this zoom? you in charge of the zoom. you see that guy damson, kick him out. i'm damson. i covered my nipples. i'm scrolling across.

there's not four people in here. there's, like, 40 people in here. it's like dave chappelle, kevin hart, tiffany haddish. the list just keeps going on. i land on a distinctive voice's face and it's jay-z. i am sweating. i'm so -- i'm so nervous. so then i'm like i'm going to charm my way out of this. hey, guys, you know, it's late in london, you know, let me just -- get on a hoodie. i'm going to bed. you know how it is. >> right. oh, my goodness. >> jay-z is like -- okay, so you wear a hoodie to bed? okay, well, you know, you know you busy like you said you're in london so obviously, you know, it's lenny's birthday so give your speech and be on your way. i was so angry. i was running out my house. >> you are multitalented. multitalented. multitalented. "snowfall" airs on wednesdays.

they said it couldn't be done... but you managed to pack a record 1.1 trillion transistors into this chip. whoo! yeah! oh, hi. i invested in invesco qqq. a fund that invests in the innovators of the nasdaq 100,

like you. you don't have to be circuit design engineer to help push progress forward. can i hold the chip? become an agent of innovation with invesco qqq. ♪

have a great day. don't miss out on the grand opening of floor and decor in pleasant hill! our expansive store is fully equipped with safe distancing guides, so you can browse our wide aisles and be amazed with our even wider selection.

or easily order online, and pick up all the products you need for your flooring project curbside! so come discover the perfect floor at the perfect price in whatever way is perfect for you. explore floor and decor's newest east bay area location march 18th, or shop our milpitas, burlingame or san leandro stores, now open.

>> announcer: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc7 news. good morning. i'm kumasi aaron from "abc7 mornings." santa clara county's board of supervisors wants to help small businesses out by reducing permitting fees for a year. the board voted to give small businesses with less than 50 employees this assistance. restaurants, gyms and hair salons have been the hardest hit. the county will be moving 5 1/2 million from its fund to offset the lost fees. here's mike with our forecast. >> thank you. i'm excited about this. look at that snow on diablo. in five minutes, i'll be out there staring at it. snow levels are down to 2,500 feet. here's a look what to expect. more wintery showers but watch

as they decline in coverage and intensity during the evening and overnight hours. >> thank you, mike. now it's time for "live with kelly and ryan." we'll be back at >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan!" today, from the hit drama, "grey's anatomy," kim raver. and new kittens in the house, as we continue "live's happy pet's week." and our "good news story of the day." all next on "live!" ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] and now, here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest! [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ >> ryan: we are here. we are here. >> kelly: chatting with my bestie. just having conversation. >> ryan: i appreciate you - -- you appreciate my opinion on things tma