good morning, america. wild weather weekend. a major storm targeting the central u.s. near blizzard conditions expected. denver preparing for one of its biggest snowstorms ever as reported tornadoes tear through texas. debris flying and the flash flooding threat. roads and cars swamped. our weather team tracking it all. stul crey on the way. ckbo. for ameri record pace across the country >> felt like i hit the lottery. >> as more states give the gree, but is it too much too soon?

pressure, new york senator chuck schumer and kristen gillibrand adding their voices for andrew cuomo to step down. the governor's defiant words as he addresses allegations of inappropriate behavior and sexual misconduct. breaking overnight, "bachelor" shake-up, the announcement that chris harrison will not be returning for host of the next season of "the bachelorette" following his defense of rachael kirkconnell. >> is it a good look in 2018 or not a good look in 2021? because there's a big difference. >> it's not a good look ever. >> the familiar faces who will be there in his absence. and a billion reasons to be ppy. what we're learnbiwinners scori ttpoanano with the money a good morning, everybody. great to see you on a saturday

morning. let's get straight to our top story. the major storm bringing near blizzard conditions, possible tornadoes and flash flooding. in colorado they're bracing for at least one to four feet of snow. the governor there has activated the national guard to help with potential search and rescue efforts. >> hundreds of flights have been canceled because of that storm and state health officials say vaccinations have been postponed for more than 10,000 people. and as the storm moved in, people rushed to food banks and denver opened up extra homeless shelters. rob marciano is in denver this morning where the city could see one of its biggest storms on record. rob, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, whit, good morning to you. the snow just about to start and it's likely to be the biggest snowfall they've seen here since at least 2003 so it's going to be heavy, wet snow as well. that's on the cold side. we've seen impacts for severe weather. this is one of three tornadoes touching down across the texas panhandle yesterday in shallow

water, texas. thankfully nobody got hurt. unfortunately these farm structures got torn apart. today's threat will expand and intensify with severe weather. snow? vegas and flagstaff, arizona, got a foot all heading this direction. winter storm warnings are posted and blizzard warnings for parts of wyoming and nebraska. flood watches as well. this is a wide-ranging and large and slow-moving storm. snows increase this afternoon. the wind does as well for the denver area. 1 to 4 inches of rainfall expected in the central plains and that will be significant across the texas panhandle and flooding rains push intoaly as weaken as it gets towards the east, one to two feet of snow in the denver area. two to four in some spots. eva. >> all right, rob, thank you. the covid stimulus package.

direct deposits are already landing inalice parks is on the lawn with how president biden says the relief will help struggling americans. good morning, maryalice. >> reporter: good morning, eva. the white house team here went and hopeful after president biden signed his covid relief package into law. it is now already taking effect. like you said, some americans starting to see those direct payments already hit their bank accounts. this weekend is really a pivot for president biden. he knows the real work starts now. his team needs to quickly deliver on the promises made in this bill. they need to get funds out the door fast, and they're also interested in selling this package. president biden, the first lady, vice president kamala harris all hitting the road next week too. biden himself is headed to key states like georgia and pennsylvania. they say they want to make sure americans know exactly what's in this bill, which benefits might be available to them, things like food assistance, rental assistance, health care subsidies. also on monday, the irs telling

us that americans will start to be able to use an online tool to track the status of those direct payments. i mean, the reality is last time around some of the most vulnerable americans had a hard time accessing those direct payments. the irs is also encouraging americans who don't normally file a tax return to consider doing it this time. not only for those direct payments but other benefits they might be eligible for. whit? >> as you mentioned, some direct payments already going into bank accounts this morning. maryalice parks, at the white house for us, thank you so much. a significant vaccine milestone. more than 101 million doses now administered. nearly 66 million americans over the age of 18 have received at least one shot, a quarter of all adults in the country. 13.5% are fully vaccinated. in the last two weeks alone 21 states have either lifted restrictions or have announced plans to do so later on this month. abc's will carr is in los angeles where indoor dining and

theaters are about to re-open a limited basis there. will, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, whit. over the last year we've done a lot of live shots. some surge tents outside of hospitals just like this, but this is the first time that i can say a hospital wants to break this tent down as those vaccination numbers are going up and we have the numbers going down and more and more states are set to re-open. this morning, california is giving the green light to many businesses. the state's preparing to re-open for the first time in months, and that news has some business owners singing for joy. ♪ need a cup of joe ♪ ♪ a fresh baked bagel you know where to go ♪ >> reporter: on monday los angeles county will let gyms, movie theaters and indoor dining at restaurants re-open. >> since our space is very limited, the indoor dining is a major ambience. >> reporter: this as

restrictions in other states are falling like dominoes. minnesota announcing, restaurant, bars, churches and gyms can expand capacity monday. >> we're winning and this thing is coming to an end. let's dig deep and make this work. >> reporter: with the vaccination effort charging forward with a new record pace of 2.2 million doses administered per day, these teachers in massachusetts are overjoyed. >> felt like i hit the lottery. >> i feel very emotional because this is a big day. >> reporter: on he heels of a prime time presidential address the white house is aiming for all adults to be eligible for the vaccine by may 1st, but declining to put a date on when everyone will be fully vaccinated. >> many factors are out of our control including individuals being willing to take the vaccine. >> reporter: concern is also growing about the more contagious uk variant that p as arepinfor . paick'brio tlas lik georgia, a big st. paddy's day draw, are canceling parades. the local officials are still expecting big crowds. >> i think it's absolutely

dangerous and irresponsible for folks to do that. we're trying to get past covid-19. >> reporter: here in california they're keeping these surge tents up for right now just in case there's another surge, but california's governor says he thinks the state is ready for an incredible recovery. dan? >> let's hope he's right about that. will carr, thank you very much. let's bring in abc news contributor tom bossert. he is a former white house homeland security adviser. tom, good morning. i want to remind everybody that early on, you predicted there would be 500,000 deaths in america in this pandemic. many people doubted you. here we are, though, a year later, and sadly you were right. can you reflect a little bit on where things stand right now from your point of view in the pandemic? >> you know, dan, there's so much jubilation and joy and hope right now, it's hard to go back to those times. i felt very frustrated along with a lot of others that planned for this for so long in trying to communicate a difficult and complex topic to

people who thought we were crazy or that we didn't know exactly how to make these predictions. so my biggest reflection is that we saw how does the virus spread among human beings in europe. now, we had seen some in china, but at the same, as you'll remember, in march we saw in italy the first western country affected, and what they went through was a harbinger for what we were about to go through. and so while i share a lot of the joy, we've got a lot of progress behind us and a lot of hope in front of us, i'm seeing in europe today some really devastating spread of this new variant. so i'm a little worried that we might be a few weeks ahead of ourselves here in the re-openings. but as i look back, i think it's a parallel that is almost exactly to the day and to the month what we saw in march a year ago. >> so you talked about re-openings there.there. do you think states should put the brakes on in terms of opening up movie theaters and

restaurants and gyms, et cetera? >> well, it's going to be really hard for them to effectively put the brakes on. what i'm seeing and what we're all reporting on here atabc, people are going to go to those event no matter what we do, and i think the responsible message from leadership has to be to reinforce what we heard in that last clip. let's not rush and let's not be irresponsible. i can't imagine how devastating it will be to our psyches, to our mental health, to our economy if we go this far, get two feet from or two yards from the end zone and then let up and get caught from behind. and make no mistake, this is really a race, not just with the vaccination against the original covid strain, but it's a race against this new strain taking a foothold. and as i've always kind of used as a rule of thumb through this, what would i wish i had done today two weeks from now, and i think two weeks from now we'll see the data on spread around us right now that we can't quite measure. and i think in two weeks we'll

see, unfortunately, some increased vaccines and adoption rates, but some really shockingly new outbreaks of the new virus. so there's a lot of positive and negative to analyze, but i can't really predict a bright july as the president did for at least another two or three weeks. >> this is not over no matter how you look at this. tom bossert, thank you very much. really appreciate your analysis on a saturday morning. eva, over to you. new york governor andrew cuomo facing mounting pressure to resign. senators chuck schumer and kirsten gillibrand have joined a total of 11 democratic members of the new york congressional delegation in calling for the governor to step dwn amid sexual harassment and sexual misconduct claims. abc's trevor ault is in albany with the latest. good morning, trevor. >> reporter: good morning, eva. albany has quickly become a lonely place for andrew cuomo. a year removed from gaining the national spotlight for his coronavirus briefings, and now the majority of congressional

democrats from new york want him to quit his job as these harassment allegations pile up. this morning, despite a growing chorus of new calling for his resignation, governor andrew cuomo is steadfast. >> i'm not going to resign. i was not elected by the politicians. i was elected by the people. >> reporter: late friday both of new york senators, chuck schumer and kirsten gillibrand, issuing a joint statement saying cuomo had lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of new york. they join at least 16 new york congress members now urging the governor to step down. new york state, and we must move forward with a l can be cfiandards. reporter: bt attorney general and new york assembly have launched investigations into allegations of inappropriate behavior and sexual misconduct against the governor from at least six

women. the accusations ranging from to in one instance allegedly groping a female aide at the vernor cuomo has apologized for comments that he says were misinterpreted but denies touching anyone inappropriately insisting that he has not had a sexual relationship that was inappropriate, period. >> i never harassed anyone. i never abused anyone. i never assaulted anyone now and i never would, right? >> reporter: since the accusations became public, "the wall street journal" reports cuomo staffers have been reaching out to former employees in hopes of allegedly gleaning information discrediting one of boylan, an effort some reportedly saw as an attempt to intimidate them, which a senior cuomo adviser denied. as the investigations play out the governor is now pleading for people to wait for the facts. >> people know the difference

between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture and the truth. >> reporter: and as more democrats call for cuomo's resignation seemingly every day, the biggest and perhaps final question is whether president biden will be next. the white house press secretary says biden wants the voices of these accusers to be heard. he supports these investigations, but says they have nothing further to add right now. whit? >> all right, trevor ault for us, thank you. we turn now to the death of george floyd. the city of minneapolis approving a landmark $27 million settlement with floyd's family. abc's elwyn lopez takes a look at the deal to end the civil lawsuit and the latest on the murder trial of former police officer derek chauvin. >> reporter: this morning, george floyd's family is waking up feeling one step closer to justice. >> even though my brother is not

here, he's here with me iny heart because if i could get him back, i would give all of this back. >> reporter: minneapolis approving an historic $27 million settlement for his family. >> no amount of money can ever address the intense pain or trauma caused by this death. >> reporter: the civil lawsuits filed last july against the city in the death of george floyd now one of the largest pretrial settlements of its kind in the u.s. >> it's not just enough for america to say that george floyd's life matters, we have to show that george floyd's life matters by our actions. >> reporter: after the announcement, floyd's family sat down with abc news saying there's still a long way to go. >> another step towards justice, i think history was made, and it felt good, but it's not the ultimate goal. >> $27 million is just money. i'll never get my brother back

and i'll take him back by giving all of that money back just to get him, but i can't. so it's good for his kids. to grow up and be dopportunity lawyer they'll be able to fulfill everything -- every desire that they want to fulfill, but they will forever have holes in their hearts. >> reporter: this comes after the first week of jury selection in the trial for former police officer derek chauvin. >> juror 44, you will serve on this jury. >> reporter: a total of seven jurors have now been seated, five men and two women. the court needs 12 and 2 alternates. >> would you have a difficult time serving in a case in which someone for whom you have empathy, would that make you uncomfortable? >> no. >> reporter: chauvin charged with second degree murder and second degree manslaughter in floyd's death last may. the judge reinstating a third degree murder charge this week..

that historic settlement also includes $500,000 for the community where george floyd died. floyd's youngest sister bridgett saying in a statement, while we will never get our beloved george back, we will work tirelessly to make the world a better and safer place for all. dan? >> elwyn, thank you very much. today, march 13th marks one year since breonna taylor was shot and killed by police while she was in her home in louisville, kentucky. to this day no officers have been charged in connection with her death. officers went to taylor's apartment as part of a drug investigation involving her ex-boyfriend. when they made their way in, taylor's then boyfriend fired a gun saying he thought the officers were intruders. the officers shot back, killing her mother recently "a3" th shes deerate r justice. >> i still don't have any comfort, and it's definitely not easier. it's a year for everybody else, but every day is still march the 13th to me.

>> every day is march the 13th. taylor's boyfriend, by the way, was initially charged with attempted murder of a police officer, but those charges have later been dropped. switching gears now, time for a check of the weather and back to rob marciano in denver this morning with more on the powerful storm hitting the central u.s. good morning, rob. >> reporter: good morning again, eva. of course, there are two side, the cold snowy part that will be here shortly and the warm sector and severe weather part with damaging winds and flooding. we saw that yesterday with some of these severe storms in the texas panhandle. flooding rains there with this one in cone, texas, missouri, you have already seen heavy rain and the flash flood watch continues for that area. as far as what we expect for severe weather today, the red is on the map, unfortunately, this afternoon and evening, amarillo and points into western parts of oklahoma could see not just tornadoes but strong long track damaging tornadoes. we're worried about that. from dodge city back to the rio grande, good chance of seeing

damaging storms with wind and hail. up to three inches of rainfall there across some of these storms into nebraska but two to four inches of heavy, wet snow just east of the c good saturday morning. i'm abc7 meteorologist frances. during the 7:00 hour, temperatures will be in the 40s, mostly sunny this afternoon but because of the sea breeze, things will be cooler compared to yesterday. so, inland areas warming up to the mid 60s at the bay only upper 50s and at the coast low 50s. sun sets at 6:15. grab a jacket if you're heading out, it will couldnol down. i know there was report-breaking warmth in the northeast. flip the switch and the cold weather this weekend. talk more about that in the next hour. guy, stay warm. back to you. >> thank you so much. we appreciate it.

turning gears we now know who is taking home that billion dollar mega millions jackpot. remember that? well, sort of. david wright spoke with the winners' attorney about their plans for the money in an interview u' oy see hereon "gm >> and tonight's winning numbers -- >> reporter: it was the biggest prize in michigan lottery history, but little was known about the winners until now. four friends are sharing the billion dollar jackpot, members of a lottery club named after the michigan wolverines who couldn't believe their luck. this morning their lawyer gives "gma" some exclusive details. >> i had daily phone calls with this group, you know, for the first three weeks. >> reporter: some of the lucky winners are in their 20s, others in their 60s. >> these are good people. they're going to be good stewards. they're going to be good neighbors and i'm really happy for them. >> reporter: officials say the winners chose the lump sum payment rather than the annuity for the january 22nd jackpot. roughly $776 million to share

four ways. after state and federal taxes, they'll split a total of about $557 millin. >> i really truly believe that they're going to do some wonderful things with the funds. we've already talked about setting up a family foundation, charitable foundations, doing some planning amongst the group to set up the ability to make some gifts to the southeast michigan area. >> reporter: a kroger store sold the winning ticket. they'll receive a $50,000 bonus commission, which they have promised to donate to the food bank council of michigan. for "good morning america," david wright, abc news, new york. >> doing a little good there. i like to see that. >> absolutely. >> see what else they do in the future. coming up on the show, fighting for justice in the death of a woman in california. why family and friends are pushing for upgraded charges against the teenager accused in the crash that killed this woman. chris harrison replaced for the next season of "the bachelorette." who is stepping in?

and a look at the impact of the new child tax credit. how some researchers say that it could cut child poverty in half. we'll be right back. "good morning america" is sponsored by state farm. like a good neighbor, state farm is there. 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 (vo) last year when people were going hungry, subaru and our retailers donated 50 million meals neighbor, to feeding america. and yet, one in four children may still face hunger.

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moving to the red tier. for sonoma county the first time it has been in the red since the state created the color-coded tier assignment. so, finally, a nice change for so many people. frances, a nice day today, too. >> looking forward to that change. the color coding and also a milder start this morning. temperatures right now in the 50s already for some areas like oakland 53 and san francisco 48 as well as san jose. this afternoon temperatures a little cooler with plenty of sunshine but we have that sea breeze and san francisco only 56 and san jose at 62. liz? >> all right, frances, thank you. th ♪ ♪ we have the power to harness california's abundant solar and wind energy, but it's not available all day long.

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♪ i think i need some medicine ♪ ♪ i can be your medicine ♪ ♪ yeah, i can give you some medicine ♪ welcome back to "gma" on this saturday morning. the bombshell reports now overnight that the wedding is off. j. lo and a-rod reportedly calling it quits. more on what could have led to the split and if the pandemic played a role in all of this. that's coming up in our "gma" cover story in our next hour. well, let's take a look at some of the other big stories we're following this morning. happening right now, a vaccination milestone here in the u.s. as more than 100 million doses of covid vaccines have now been administered many states now rolling back restrictions, but while 2.2 million doses of the vaccine are being administered daily, eligibility varies wildly by date leaving

some residents still struggling to get that highly coveted shot. also right now the desperate search for a hiker missing for more than five days now in los california.ional forest in - family members say 37-year-old narineh avakian set out for a hike sunday but never returned. the snow making the search that much more difficult. her car was found on thursday. guys, got a sports story to tell you about. listen up. this is one of my power alleys. seven-time super bowl champ tom brady wants another ring. we hear brady and the tampa bay buccaneers have agreed to a four-year contract extension. he initially signed for two years and $50 million. brady tweeted out a photo of himself signing the new deal saying, in pursuit of eight. he will be 44 years old next season. he said that he wants -- he has said rather that he wants to play until at least 45. we're going to start this half hour with the parents of a young woman demanding justice for their daughter.

she was killed in a car crash with a teenage driver behind the wheel of a lamborghini. they're wondering what is taking so long for this teenager to be charged. abc's zohreen shah is in los angeles on this story. zohreen, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, dan. this is the spot where police say a 17-year-old lamborghini crashed into monique munoz killing the 32-year-old when she was on her way back from work. you can see candles and flowers behind me. her parents are now speaking out. they are pleading for the person they believe is responsible to be held accountable. this morning, monique munoz's parents calling for justice after laying their only daughter to rest. >> she was an angel. she had a heart of gold. she deserves to have justice. >> reporter: three weeks ago the 32-year-old ucla clinic receptionist was killed driving home. according to lapd, munoz attempted making a left turn when a black lamborghini suv crashed into her. >> the hardest thing for me was i didn't get to go shopping with her for a wedding dress.

instead i had to find an outfit for her to be buried in. >> reporter: the car's unrecognizable. isaac cardona faced with a parent's nightmare. >> he pulls her license from his top left pocket, puts it on the table and pushes it towards me and my wife. he said, sorry to have to be the one to tell you this but your daughter was killed in a car accident. my heart was torn up. >> reporter: the lamborghini driver reported to be a 17-year-old, transported to a hospital and arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter. no official charges have been brought, but the cardonas desperate for answers. >> you were a 17-year-old kid driving an adult car acting like an adult, you should be tried as an adult. >> you haven't been contacted directly by police or by the d.a.? >> not at all, and that's really frustrating. it angers me. >> reporter: the l.a. district

attorney's office says monique's death is a giant loss for all angelinos and the case is under review, adding, because of the teen's juvenile status, no other information could be given. one factor officials will consider is how fast the cars were going. >> the investigation would not only look at the speed at which the teenager was traveling, but also if there were other vehicles involved. >> reporter: the car, which lamborghini dubbed their first sports suv capable of reaching 305 miles per hour going, 0 to 60 in nearly four seconds. the teen's father, a wealthy entrepreneur, not commenting on the case but addressing the family's loss. >> i am very, very sorry and no words can say how sorry i am because those are just words. >> reporter: monique's parents tell me she dreamed of being a social worker. she was always helping others. her goal, they say, was to help

juveniles. whit? >> and our hearts go out to that family. all right. zohreen, thank you. we move now to the outrage over a sports announcer using a racist slur during the live stream of a high school basketball game and how he's now defending himself. a shocking and disturbing moment caught on a hot mic. >> they're kneeling? [ bleep ] >> reporter: an announcer at a girls high school basketball game in oklahoma is heard using a racial slur aimed at the students. >> [ bleep ] them. i hope they lose. >> reporter: on thursday the norman high school girls basketball team was set to play midwest city high school in a state basketball tournament. a video of the game was live streamed and shows the players from norman high school kneeling during the national anthem. it's then that the announcer begins hurling racist insults at the players. >> i hope norman gets their [ bleep ] kicked. >> reporter: apparently not realizing his mic is on, he continues to berate them while members of the community watched

from home stunned. >> c'mon, midwest city. they're gonna kneel like that. hell no. >> reporter: speaking with "gma" overnight the school district superintendent calling the incident disgusting. >> to hear this during the national anthem, it just created then a lot of anger. >> reporter: according to local media reports, the announcer later apologized blaming his type 1 diabetes for using the racial slur, saying that when his sugar spikes, he says things that are inappropriate and hurtful. in a statement the broadcaster of the live stream says they're investigating and that they've cut ties with the announcer and deeply apologized to the students, their families and the entire community for having such ignorant and hurtful comments expressed during the broadcast. >> apologies don't really mean a lot at all. we just need to see actions. >> for obvious reasons that apology surprised a lot of people. >> yeah. >> everyone in this room sort of -- >> right. >> the excuse of diabetes and

blood sugar and everything, but there is strong reaction online. you can see the broadcaster cut ties with the announcer in that game but still an investigation coming. >> yeah. a lot of people upset in that community for seemingly pretty good reasons. the other big story we're following this morning, of course, and we led the show with this, the big storm moving in on colorado. rob marciano right in the middle of things in denver this morning. rob, good morning once again. >> hey, good morning again, dan. as we mentioned this storm has been crawling and it's the slow-moving nature of it that's going to make it such a high-impact, long duration event and guess what, another system in behind it. here's video out of southern utah, i-15. tough go with the snow there and it stretched into not just arizona but back through vegas got some snow as well but herem pacific northwest. rain event i e, portland, all tfr sthern cal which had high impacts from the last storm we're about to anticipate, they're getting more

in the way of rain and snow at the higher elevations. sierra nevada 6 to 12 inch, up around lake tahoe. 1 to 3 inches of rainfall is expected along the coastal range and some of the valley areas as this system slowly marches in. hi, i'm abc7 meteorologist frances dinglasan. bringing us cooler temperatures this afternoon and in san francisco high of only 56. san jose 62 >> reporter: this weather report sponsored by gap. talking to locals yesterday they said it didn't smell like snow yet. there are some farming operations just east of here and you need that east wind so when it starts to smell like a farm, that's apparently when the snow is going to pick up. one more way to forecast. >> are you sure you don't have to wash the beard? >> exactly.

i always know when it's going to rain because my hip gets sore. >> scientific process. >> we'll check back in with you later, rob. thanks. coming up, new host. who will be replacing chris harrison next season's "the bachelorette"? and how the new covid relief package is helping families through a major policy shift. labradoodles, cronuts, skorts. (it's a skirt... and shorts) the world loves a hybrid. so do businesses. so, today they're going hybrid with ibm. a hybrid cloud approach lets them use watson ai to modernize without rebuilding, and bring all their partners and customers together in one place.

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back now with news breaking overnight about "the bachelorette." chris harrison, whose comments about race pushed him to take a break from the franchise, will not host the next season of the show. a stunner sure to have a major reaction in bachelor nation and beyond. >> this really has been a wild season. >> reporter: this morning a major shake-up for "bachelor" fans, abc entertainment and warner verizon announcing longtime host chris harrison will not return for the next season of "the bachelorette" saying in a statement, former bachelorettes tayshia adams and kaitlyn bristow will support the new bachelorette through next season. >> hi, guys. >> when you're ready. >> reporter: harrison is under fire for defending contestant rachael kirkconnell. >> i already like completely am falling in love with you. >> reporter: kirkconnell sparked controversy when she liked photos containing the confederate flag on social media and pictures of her attending a plantation-themed college party went viral. kirkconnell's

actions to rachel lindsay, the franchise's first black bachelorette. >> it's not a good look. >> no, it's not a -- well, rachel, is it a good look in 2018 or not a good look in 2021? >> it's not a good look ever. >> reporter: the uproar pushing harrison to apologize and speak out to "gma." >> it was a mistake. i made a mistake. i am an imperfect man. i made a mistake, and i own that. >> reporter: the host was already forced to step back from the season's "after the final rose" special with producers choosing "new york times" best-selling author emmanuel acho to step in. >> i don't believe in cancel culture. i believe in accountability. i believe in understanding. i believe in growth. >> reporter: now the show's producers say they are supporting harrison with, quote, the work he is committed to doing. and the franchise saying they also plan to improve diversity not only in the crew but also in the executive producer ranks as well so the show is more

reflective of our world. coming up on "good morning america," how help for children in front and center is part of the new covid relief bill. these are real people, not actors, who've got their eczema under control. with less eczema, you can show more skin. so roll up those sleeves. and help heal your skin from within with dupixent. dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them

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back now on "gma" and the efforts to help families and to tackle child poverty with a shift in policy coming through the covid relief bill. abc's elizabeth schulze is on that story from washington. elizabeth, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, dan. well, the child tax credit in this new $1.9 trillion plan marks a big shift in how the government is trying to assist american families and research

shows it could help lift more than 4 million children out of poverty. this morning, millions of american families are set to receive a much-needed financial boost. >> help is on the way. half the children in america wi president biden this week designed to help families across the country, like this mother of two from washington state who amassed thousands of dollars of debt during the pandemic. >> we were struggling, but now we feel a lot better. we are happier that help is on the way, and we feel relieved and the money is going to be really a blessing. >> reporter: the plan increases the child tax credit to $3,600 a year per child under the age of 6 and to $3,000 a year between the ages of 6 and 18 per child. individuals making up to $75,000 annually or couples earning up to $150,000 qualify for the full payments. the extra money a lifeline for

single mother of two, jones. her husband died unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism three years ago. a medical social worker in south florida, jones says it's been a struggle to make ends meet. >> it was a huge financial strain because you go from having two household incomes and taking care of two children together to being the sole provider. >> reporter: starting in july the irs will start distributing the expanded child tax credit in monthly payments. that means an extra $550 per month for her. >> that would be a huge help for my household right now. >> reporter: now the expanded credit only lasts for a year under the current law setting up what could be another big debate here in washington about making it permanent. dan? >> so many debates in washington these days. elizabeth, before we let you go, just want to officially welcome you to the weekend "gma" family. we're delighted to have you. we spoke on the phone before your debut, and i told you what i'll say again, which is it's

all good, but you just have to be careful of whit. >> yeah. >> you always warn people about whit. >> elizabeth, great job. we're really happy to have you. thank you again. >> reporter: thanks so much. it's great to be here with you guys. >> i also like that you warn them on the telephone before they come on. perfect. >> i actually didn't say that on the phone. i kept that for the tv. we'll be right back with our "play of the day" and perhaps whit's revenge. struggling to manage my type 2 diabetes was knocking me out of my zone, but lowering my a1c with once-weekly ozempic® helped me get back in it. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic® ♪ my zone? lowering my a1c and losing some weight. now, back to the show. ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. and you may lose weight. adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles.

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♪ you probably think that you are better now ♪ ♪ better now ♪ ♪ you only say that because i'm not around ♪ "good morning america" sponsored by blue tastefuls. insanely tasty cat food from the natural leader in pet food. ♪ never meant to let you down ♪ rry, thawayo read.y da not mine. >> you can read it. go ahead. this one involves a fisherman with the catch of the day. take a look. >> easy, easy, easy. oh, my god, no. oh, my god. oh, my god. >> he showed up to help some

friends who locked their keys in the car, and he managed to hook them to his rod and slowly reel them up through a slight opening in the sun roof. >> wow. >> it may have been touch and go for a while, but this catch is one that did not get away. >> take him to the arcade and do the claw machine. >> yeah, exactly. "gma" is now two hours on saturday. coming up, the major storm hitting the central u.s. with heavy snow and rain. building a better bay area for a safe and secure future, this is abc7 news. >> good morn, everybody. i'm liz kreutz. dublin's classic st. patrick's day celebrations will take a different tune. this year's parade and festival are cancled for the second time because of covid concerns.

there is a socially distanced i bands and irish dancing lessons, cooking classes and more. you can sign up and get all the info at dublinsaintpats.com. a landmark making a show of support for the chinatown community. the ferry building is opening up to feature the most beloved local businesses. the chinatown kite shop and great house sauces and the fortune cookie factory and more will be there. also a chinatown inspired gate and handmade lanterns. r every this month from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. let's get a check of the weather with frances dinglasan. >> it will be breezy this afternoon and winds are light and gray skies over the bay and more sunshine this afternoon. temperatures are in the 40s and 50s right now. san francisco is 48. oaklanal a53 8 and half moon bay is

also at 48. highs today you'll notice cooler compared to yesterday and that's because we're going to see the sea breeze kick in. ncco only w up to 56 this afternoon and oakland 59, as well as palo alto and san jose 62 and a lot of stuff going on. don't forget to turn your clocks forward an hour tonight daylight savings starts tomorrow. we also have a storm arriving tomorrow afternoon bringing us some gusty and wet conditions that continue into monday and even a chance of some snow in the higher elevations but looking dry for st. patrick's day, liz. i'm a performer. always have been. and always will be. never letting anything get in my way. not the doubts, distractions, or voice in my head. and certainly not arthritis. voltaren provides powerful arthritis pain relief to help me keep moving. and it can help you too. feel the joy of movement with voltaren.

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♪ good morning, america. it's our second hour and happening right now, help is here. stimulus money beginning to hit bank accounts of americans in need. now president biden and vice president harris ready to hit the road promoting the benefits of the covid relief plan. what it all could mean for your family. breaking news this morning, central u.s. with near blizzard conditions. tornadoes and flash flooding. denver bracing for at least one to two feet of snow. more than a thousand flights canceled with warnings to stay off the roads. rob marciano is on the scene tracking the storm moving in this morning. stunning split. jennifer lopez and alex

rodriguez reportedly calling it quit