>> have a wonderful day. gma is coming good morning, america. race against time. as millions head home for the easter holiday, fourth wave covid fears are growing. fueled by concerns about a double mutant variant now identified in san francisco. this as the united states hits a record number of vaccinations. 4 million shots in 24 hours, and a record number of pandemic travelers pack airports hitting rental car companies hard. right now why one major airline is canceling dozens of flights and when to expect your ticket prices to skyrocket. state of emergency. the reservoir of toxic water on the brink of collapse, threatening hundreds of homes in florida. a wall of water as high as 20 feet containing polluted salt water could be unleashed. the national guard deployed hoping to avoid catastrophe.

we're there live with the latest on the evacuation. high alert. the new security concerns at the capitol after that deadly attack. one officer killed. another badly injured. the latest on the suspected killer and the search for a motive this morning. released. lori loughlin's husband leaves federal prison two weeks early after serving nearly five months for his role in the college admissions scandal, finishing out his sentence at home. why he hasn't been reunited yet with his family. fighting for his life. grammy-nominated rapper dmx hospitalized and on life support after suffering a heart attack reportedly due to a drug overdose. the latest on his condition. ♪ finally it has happened to me ♪ and the battle to the final buzzer. >> that is it! stanford survives again. >> the cardinal women winning their first title in nearly 30 years. with the stage set now for the men tonight. >> oh!

>> after undefeated gonzaga's epic weekend overtime buzzer beater. who will be dancing tonight? this morning, newly crowned live champion and most outstanding player, stanford's haley jones joins us live. good morning, america. we hope you had a good holiday weekend. t.j. is just coaching amy here on college basketball. >> what did we say in that final four? >> i said it was like a hail mary. i know that's football, but you know when you have that final, the buzzer beater. >> it was a buzzer beater weekend. it was a great weekend of basketball. last night's game unbelievable as well. it was a nail-biter, and what an ending for stanford. they're celebrating their first championship in nearly 30 years, and it came down to a last-second shot. we will talk to one of the superstars, haley jones. all about it. >> were they making confetti angels right there? it looked like it. i love it. all right. >> yes. we'll begin though with the fight against the coronavirus and the race to vaccinate.

106 million americans have received at least one dose so far, and a record 4 million shots were reported in a 24-hour period over the weekend. >> there are concerns over what's being called a double mutant variant. it's fueled cases overseas and now it's here in the u.s. as we're trying to get back to normal. kaylee hartung has more from arlington, texas. this afternoon it's going to become the first sporting event to allow full stadium events since the pandemic began. good morning, kaylee. >> reporter: good morning, george. there's a lot of attention on the rangers/blue jays game. it's not because of the matchup on this brand-new field. as many as 40,518 fans could pack this ballpark. that would make it the largest gathering of people in this country in more in a year, but president biden is already calling foul. this morning concerns about a double mutant coronavirus variant in the u.s. the variant first discovered in india, now identified in the san francisco area. >> this is the first time this particular double mutant has been found in the united states,

and it was found here at our stanford laboratory. >> reporter: this as covid cases across the country climb, and a fourth wave growing, even as more than 106 million americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine. >> it's kind of like a race between getting people vaccinating, and the more people on a daily basis you get vaccinated, the better chance you have of blunting or preventing that surge that we're all concerned about. >> reporter: millions of americans are now heading back home from easter holiday after families gathered for easter celebrations outdoors. >> i much prefer being inside on a pew so you can express yourself more, but it's better than nothing. it's better than nothing. >> reporter: and masked and socially distanced services. the nation's daily case average up nearly 2% in the last weeks. experts fearing the spread of variants will only accelerate it like in massachusetts where there were more cases of the brazilian variant than anywhere else in the country.

>> if we don't control covid-19, that gives the virus opportunities for new mew takes to arise. now is not the time to let our guards down. >> reporter: and as sporting events welcome fans back, concerns it could spread too. this man dying after attending the ncaa tournament in indianapolis last week. as the rangers prepare to welcome a packed stadium in texas today. the only major league ballpark in the country opening up at full capacity. in an interview with espn, the president calling it a mistake. the rangers' ceo says they are not hosting a superspreader event here. pretty soon they'll open up the roof and the side doors of this place to help with ventilation. they have safety protocols in place even though texas is a state that's opened up to 100% without restrictions. they will be requiring fans to wear masks here today. they say if you don't comply, you'll get a warning and then you could be ejected, amy. >> kaylee hartung, thank you for that.

we'll turn now to the toxic water emergency in florida as crews work desperately to cut off a potentially catastrophic flood from a wastewater pond. a 20-foot wall of water could be unleashed if that pond collapses, flooding neighborhoods. stephanie ramos is in palmetto with the latest on all of that. good morning, stephanie. >> reporter: amy, good morning. just about a mile down that road is where the leaking wastewater pond sits. authorities tell us they are making progress in draining that pond, but are urging residents to listen to the evacuation warnings because if that reservoir does collapse, it could be devastating. this morning, a state of emergency issued in florida after a man-made wastewater reservoir started to leak and is now on the brink of collapse threatening to flood nearby neighborhoods. the national guard deployed to drop massive water pumps to help pump millions of gallons of polluted saltwater out of reservoir. >> what we're looking at now is

trying to prevent and respond to if need be, a real catastrophic flood situation. >> reporter: if breached, a wall of water as high as 20 feet and contained polluted saltwater, storm runoff fertilizer by-products could be unleashed. if this were to completely collapse, what does that mean for the surrounding neighborhoods? >> that initial push of water would be very great, and if that wall were to give way, a full breach, then we're looking at life and human property damage as well. >> reporter: engineers now pumping out more than 30 million gallons of water every day, hoping to avoid that catastrophe. the less water in the reservoir, the less likely it'll collapse. michelle baron and her family live just outside the evacuation zone. they stayed put over the weekend. >> this ground is a little bit higher than down where the other areas are, so we feel comfortable to stay here. >> reporter: officials say the berms holding water back are

monitored for radioactivity. but the water being discharged is not radioactive. >> manatee county residents can be rest assured their drinking water is completely safe to drink. >> reporter: officials tell us they are optimistic they can prevent a collapse if they can just keep pumping that polluted water out into the port. george. >> okay, stephanie. thanks very much. we'll go to washington now and there are new security concerns after the deadly car attack on the capitol. the assailant who rammed the barricade and killed one police officer and injured another before he was killed by police. chief justice correspondent pierre thomas has the latest. >> reporter: this morning, capitol police admitting they're reeling from friday's vicious attack, which killed one officer and injured another when this car crashed into a barricade. >> please keep the united states capitol police family in your thoughts and prayers. >> reporter: after the death of 18-year vet rang of the capitol police billy evans, the only bit of good news this weekend is the release of fellow injured

officer ken shaver. today, authorities are still trying to determine the motive of suspected killer noah green. sources telling abc news police have been focused on green's facebook posts where he's discussed losing his job and being in a state of duress. green's family told "the washington post" he was not a terrorist, but suffered from depression and potential mental illness. according to sources, police are also looking into green's apparent obsession with nation of islam leader louis farrakhan and scriptures about the end of the world. the union representing capitol police this weekend saying the force is approaching a crisis in morale and that officers are struggling to meet their mission. the national guard remains at the capitol, but in the wake of friday's attack, the recent scaling back of fencing now in question. some congressional leaders say everything about security must now be reassessed, including how much fencing will remain. t.j., a lot of tension in this city. >> all right, pierre thomas for

us as always. thank you so much. we want to turn to the derek chauvin trial. week two getting under way today after five days of emotional testimony last week. alex perez is covering it for us. he's at the courthouse there in minneapolis. good morning to you, alex. >> reporter: hey, good morning, t.j. after a week of explosive testimony last week, the prosecution will continue to present its case before the jury later this morning. now, former cop derek chauvin has spent most of the trial taking notes during testimony. jurors last week's hearing from emotional witnesses including george floyd's girlfriend who detailed their opioid addiction and testimony from lieutenant richard zimmerman, the most senior officer on the police force and head of homicide who testified what chauvin did goes against everything officers have been trained to do, calling the use of force while floyd was already handcuffed totally unnecessary. >> pulling him down to the ground face down and putting

your knee on a neck for that amount of time is just uncalled for. i saw no reason why the officers felt they were in danger if that's what they felt, and that's what they would have to feel to be able to use that kind of force. >> reporter: and today we're expecting the prosecution to call other high ranking members of law enforcement to the stand. on that list expected to take the stand soon is the chief of the minneapolis police department. t.j.? >> all right, alex perez for us. thank you so much. we will be covering the latest on this trial. you can watch it on our streaming channel abc newslive starting this morning at 10:00 a.m. eastern time, george. we go overseas now to a royal feud that has caused a crisis in jordan, a close ally to the u.s. in the middle east. queen noor responded to accusations that her son attempted to overthrow his brother king abdullah and james longman has the latest. >> reporter: good morning,

george. the kingdom of jordan has been a stable presence in the middle east and a key ally of the united states, but this morning the royal family there is reeling from a dramatic rift between brothers. jordanian authorities accuse king abdullah's half hamzah of taking part in an attempt to overthrow the government. the former crown prince is thought to be under house arrest in his palace. his phone and internet lines have been cut off. he denies the conspiracy claims, but he's very critical of the king's leadership and what he calls corruption, nepotism and disarray. there's a deep split with the american-born queen, hamzah's mother coming out in defense of her son. she's been tweeting she's been praying about the wicked slander. this is potentially very destabilizing for the whole of the middle east, george. >> james longman, thanks very much. amy? well, george, now to the fallout over major league baseball's decision to pull the all-star game and the draft out

of georgia after that state's approval of a new voting law. the state's governor blasting baseball's decision and vowing not to back down. steve osunsami has the latest. >> uh-oh. darnell, left field. >> reporter: major league baseball is not alone. this morning, executives from dow, paypal, uber, lyft, estee lauder, under armour and-mile-per-hour are sending messages across the country. they've signed onto a statement calling on lawmakers to make it easy for americans to vote writing, our elections are not improved when lawmakers impose barriers that result in longer lines at the polls or that reduce access to secure ballot drop boxes. there are hundreds of bills threatening to make voting more difficult in dozens of states nationwide. >> we thought of an executive's job as simply running a company have long passed, and we're looking for executives to step into a leadership role and take

a stand on social issues. >> reporter: major league baseball is still holding firm. the all-star game will not take place in atlanta this year after the voting laws in georgia. the atlanta braves covered up the patch on their uniforms. the new law, for example, prevents anyone but a poll water from handing out water or food to voters waiting in those notoriously long lines with communities with larger black and browning populations and moves the drop boxes from outside to inside early voting locations. they're no longer available 24/7. georgia's governor accuses baseball of caving to fear. >> it means cancel culture and partisan activists are coming for your business. they're coming for your game or event in your hometown. >> reporter: the governor of georgia also points out that this law actually expands early voting. for example, there are now more days of early voting in this state than in the state of new york. this has put democrats in a tough position, supporting the businesses that are taking a

stand, but also disappointed in the money lost. losing the all-star game alone could cost this state, t.j., close to $100 million. that's by some estimates, t.j. >> wow. steve osunsami for us, thank you. we want to turn now to what was a maddening weekend of march madness. it lived up to the name. stanford winning its first ncaa women's basketball championship in nearly 30 years. that title decided at the last second on a shot that actually was missed. the stage is now set for the men's championship matchup tonight. baylor and gonzaga, the best two teams all year, are going to finally face off. will reeve joining us now. good morning to you, sir. what a weekend. >> reporter: t.j., good morning. that's why they call it march madness. am i right? seriously though, what a weekend. crazy saturday night, one of the best college basketball games ever, and then on easter sunday, arizona just falling short to stanford in a wild women's final. today we have a few more hours to catch our breath, and then we do it all over again tonight for

all the marbles. madness. >> five seconds left. mcdonald, two seconds. mcdonald, trapped. heaves. that is it. stanford survives again. >> reporter: overnight, after a battle to the last bucket, stanford crowned champion in the women's ncaa tournament. >> for the first time since 1992, stanford is your national champion. >> reporter: nfl superstar russell wilson there in the crowd cheering on his sister, ana, a stanford player. >> wilson able to hit and a little more aggressive on the offensive end which you know russell is going to love. >> reporter: the cardinal winning their third ever title and first in 29 years. by one point over arizona. the wildcats coming this close to their first championship in program history. stanford coach tara vanderveer, now the winningest coach in women's college basketball

history. >> it's surreal to be rehere rit now. i don't even it's honestly even still hit me yet. even standing up looking at the confetti, i'm waiting for it to kick in. >> reporter: tonight, all eyes are on the men. the top two teams in the tournament facing off in the national title game. two seed baylor blowing out houston on saturday afternoon while number one gonzaga needed overtime and freshman jalen suggs at the buzzer beater to make this shot. >> suggs with the win. >> yes. unbelievable. unbelievable. the perfect season. >> reporter: to keep the zags' dream of the first undefeated season in 45 years alive. stars like patrick mahomes, magic johnson and lebron james in disbelief in the way gonzaga beat ucla in a game many have deemed one of the best in the history of march madness. whoever wins tonight, it'll be historic. neither gonzaga nor baylor have ever won it all.

and huge implications if gonzaga can win that game tonight and be the first team to go undefeated in so long, and who's going to take home the most outstanding player to go along with counterpart haley jones of stanford? she won that award and the title last night. what a game, guys. >> she was so fun to watch during the tournament. we'll talk to her in just a little bit, will. she is going to be with us. the tournament's most outstanding player, stanford star haley jones will join us in just a little bit. that and a lot more coming up here on "gma" including lori loughlin's husband released from prison two weeks early. for the college admissions scandal. right now to ginger. george, tonight minnesota has to be on the lookout. damaging wind blowing through. mankato and minneapolis included. let's get the select cities sponsored by ubrelvy.

good monday morning. i am lisa argen in for mike nico. we'll get into some clearing for a mostly sunny afternoon. everyone under the clouds to start out. a quiet week with temperatures near average. we are talking 60s to near 70 inland. the fog will linger at the shoreline. mid to upper 50s from the shoreline to san francisco "gma" right back on this monday.

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to shoes with a lighter footprint. ♪ yeah, good to me ♪ building a better bay area for a safe and secure future, this is abc7 news . good morning. developing news, another variant of covid-19 has been found in the bay area. researchers confirm that one case of what is being called a double mutant. it carries two mutations in the virus. researchers do not know yet if that variant is more infectious or more resistance to vaccines. they say it originated in india and could be partially responsible for a new surge in that country. let's take a look at traffic with frances . >> good morning, everyone. it is looking pretty good. there is a win for the bay

bridge. you will see no delays right now at this point. another problem reported coming off the bay bridge, but that is not causing delays as well. a live shot at the san mateo bridge shows traffic is starting to pick up. westbound on the right-hand side . looking good into san mateo. there is also a wind advisory oh, you think this is just a community center? no. it's way more than that. cause when you hook our community up with the internet... boom! look at ariana, crushing virtual class.

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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. good morning. i am lisa argen in for mike nico. check out the fog here. improving conditions as we go through the morning hours. in fact, we have the clouds right now. looking at numbers in and around 50 degrees with highs today in the low 60s. as we get towards oakland this afternoon, mid-60s. become a mostly sunny by the middle of the day. in fact, we are looking at a

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the sausage, egg and cheese mcgriddles. ba da ba ba ba ♪ ♪ hip, hip-hop and you don't stop ♪ you know what? got a laugh out of george. we're going to be okay. we're back on "gma." just a little fun this morning. a couple of easter bunnies going at it on this monday morning. that's all i got for you, folks. i'm just showing you some video of a couple of easter bunnies going at it, and that's all i got. >> bunny boxing. who knew? >> that's why she's here. >> thank you. we have a lot of headlines we're following right now including the race to vaccinate. the pace is picking up, topping 4 million in 24 hours for the first time over the weekend. there are fears growing of a fourth wave that's fueled by concerns about a double mutant variant that has been identified

in san francisco, and there's a race against time going on in florida right now. the national guard is helping pump millions of gallons of polluted saltwater out of a reservoir near tampa. that's on the brink of collapse, threatening to flood nearby neighborhoods. hundreds evacuated. also, week two of the derek chauvin trial set to get under way this morning after last week's emotional testimony. we're expecting the prosecution to call other high ranking members of law enforcement to testify including the chief of the minneapolis police department and medical experts and the first helicopter on mars is now on the surface of the red planet. this morning the chopper called ingenuity was dropped four inches onto martian soil. the tiny four-pound helicopter will make its flight in just about a week. and we do have a lot more ahead, by the way, the new travel crush with bookings booming and some airlines canceling flights. and the latest on dmx. that's all coming up in just a bit, george.

right now we'll take a look at lori loughlin's husband, mossimo giannulli. he's being released from federal prison for his role in that college admissions scandal. zohreen shah has this story for us this morning. >> reporter: good morning, george. giannulli and his family became the face of the college admissions scandal. now all eyes are on the fashion designer and his next steps as he leaves prison early. this morning, mossimo giannulli released from prison under home confinement. abc news learning the fashion designer and husband of actress lori loughlin left a federal prison in california friday two weeks early after serving nearly five months for his role in the so-called "varsity blues" college admission scandal. according to "people" magazine, giannulli has not yet reunited with loughlin or their two children. a source telling "people" lori is relieved that he was released from the prison. giannulli and loughlin both pleaded guilty last year for their roles in the scandal,

admitting to paying $500,000 in a scheme to get their daughters olivia jade and isabella rose into usc. earlier this year, giannulli asking to be released halfway into his five-month sentence, requesting home confinement. his attorney saying he spent nearly two months in solitary confinement because of covid-19 protocols, and the isolation took a significant toll on his well-being. the judge rejecting it, siding with prosecutors who insisted his extended quarantine was necessary due to his contact with inmates who tested positive. as for loughlin, she spent nearly two months behind bars last fall. olivia jade speaking out about her parents on "red table talk" after loughlin reported to prison. >> it's been hard. i think for anybody no matter what the situation is, you don't want to see your parents go to prison. >> yeah. >> but also i think it's necessary for us to move on. >> right. >> and move forward. there is no justifying or excusing what happened because

what happened was wrong, and i think every single person in my family can be, like, that was messed up. that was a big mistake. >> reporter: giannulli likely got out of prison early because of the pandemic. jails are known as covid hot spots and because of that, the justice department is speeding up the process of releasing some inmates from low and medium security prisons. t.j.? >> all right, zohreen, thank you so much. we want to turn to the latest on rapper dmx. a hip-hop legend fighting for his life after a heart attack. eva pilgrim joins us from outside his hospital in white plains, new york, on his condition. good morning, eva. >> reporter: good morning, t.j. dmx was recently on tour and we're told that he was in the middle of making a new movie. this morning he is here in this hospital in grave condition. ♪ stop, drop ♪ this morning, rapper dmx is fighting for his life. tmz is reporting the rapper suffered a heart attack last friday night due to a drug

overdose. abc has not been able to independently confirm the cause of the heart attack. the 50-year-old on life support. his former manager telling "the new york times," he's in a vegetative state. over the weekend, his children apparently rushing to be by their father's side. >> i'm saddened about his health. i'm concerned about him. he is in grave condition. whatever that means, that's what i'm being told. >> reporter: rap superstar dmx known for hits like "party up." ♪ y'all gonna make me lose my mind ♪ ♪ up in here, up in here ♪ >> reporter: and "who we be." ♪ across seven albums list legacy in the hip-hop world, cemented. the rapper whose real name is earl simmons also starring in more than a dozen films. last july more than 500,000 fans tuning in to see him team up with snoop dogg for a verzuz battle. ♪ ♪ tell me how you feeling now ♪

dmx has openly talked about his struggle with addiction throughout his career, even appearing in this 2013 episode of "fix my life." >> do you have a drug problem now? >> i will always have a drug problem. >> tell me about that. >> just because you stop getting high doesn't mean that you don't have the problem. >> reporter: in 2019 after canceling concerts, he entered rehab telling his fans through instagram that he was focused on putting family and sobriety first. this morning, friends and industry colleagues sending their support and well wishes. hundreds of rough riders bikers gathering outside the hospital to show their love. and the family putting out an official statement asking for prayers, wishes and thoughts. the rough riders foundation is expected to hold a prayer vigil here in front of this hospital today at 5:00 p.m. t.j.? >> eva, thank you so much. certainly wish him and his family the best right now. he's a legend.

he's one of the guys i came up listening to when i first got into rap. that scratchy voice. >> see that smile on your face. >> classic. i'm going to be playing his music all day today. >> we are wishing him and his entire family the very best. coming up next, with the money tight due to the pandemic, how you can restart your retirement savings. and with travel spiking, why the industry from airlines to rental cars is struggling to keep up with demand.

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we're back now with the surge in travel over easter weekend as the cdc loosens pandemic travel restrictions. our transportation correspondent gio benitez joins us from newark airport with more, and why one major airline is now canceling flights right after announcing they will be filling those middle seats once again. good morning, gio. >> reporter: hey, amy. good morning to you. yeah. this was a record-breaking travel weekend for the pandemic. millions of people flying across the country, and as you said, at least one major u.s. airline overwhelmed. over the weekend, packed airports and packed planes as more than 5 million people took to the skies since thursday for the holiday. friday, breaking a pandemic record. tsa screening nearly 1.6 million people. this on the same day the cdc said fully vaccinated americans can travel at low risk to themselves while recommending against nonessential travel. >> while we believe in fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk

to themselves, cdc is not recommending travel at this time due to the rising number of cases. >> reporter: airlines are feeling the crush of travelers. delta announcing it's facing a pilot shortage, leading them to cancel about 100 flights sunday, and even temporarily open those middle seats on planes to accommodate passengers. the shortage caused by the fast uptick in travel combined with the need to retrain pilots who have been off the job, and fill in the gap after senior pilots took early retirement options because of the pandemic. the pandemic also hitting rental car companies hard. so many travelers trying to rent a car either can't find one or are paying a steep price. >> this is a perfect storm on multiple fronts because the car rental companies sold off their inventories when a year ago, no one was leaving their homes, and now that demand is coming back, they simply just can't get cars quick enough. >> reporter: with tourists racing to hawaii, some rental cars are reportedly going for up

to $1,000 a day. airports across the country seeing massive lines for cars. this was the scene in phoenix in march. >> we're seeing in general, a 30% increase in car rental rates and in some markets like hawaii and florida, we're seeing up to 300% increases. so you're looking at $250 and up in some markets. so the cost of your car can be way more than your flight these days. >> reporter: and expect a hike in airfare soon too. hopper telling us they're expecting to see a 12% spike in domestic ticket prices heading into the summer months. flights to long beach, california, already jumping 27% to $310. 16% to bangor, maine, to 268 bucks. and because prices are going up so fast, experts say that you should book your summer travel no later than the first week in may because after that, amy, you should really expect to pay up. >> all right. speaking of paying up, gio, we

know airlines said they were eliminating those change and cancellation fees. it was the silver lining of travel during the pandemic. now with so many people traveling, is that going to go away? >> reporter: yeah, you know what? the major airlines say they've eliminated those fees for good, but you have to check because there are exceptions, especially if you book the basic economy tickets, you have to read the fine print. amy. >> always good advice, gio. thank you so much. t.j.? coming up later, the big night at the s.a.g. awards to the actors making history. coming up next, the "play of the day" which involves a proposal which involves a flag and tape and farm equipment. stay tuned. >> that's a tease. [ crowd cheering ] [ engine revving ] [ race light countdown ] ♪ ♪

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lt. . . . . . ♪ back now on "gma" with our "play of the day." i want you to take a look at daniel. he's an air force pilot, and he's taking a leisure flight with his girlfriend jenna then he asks her to read a flight manual. see where i'm going with this? listen to how this plays out. >> can you read it to me. >> well, the pilot loves the co-pilot in command forever. >> look at the checklist. look at the right. >> will you marry the pilot in command? oh, my god. >> will you marry the pilot in command, and look at this.

he writes, marry me, jenna. now, how did he do this? this is a relative's farms in south dakota. he did it himself. he used farm equipment and tape and flags and made that, and he gets the ring out of his pocket. she says yes, by the way. we wouldn't do this story if it was going sideways. >> wow. a man of many talents. >> he's -- i don't know. i've never taken flight lessons, but do they tell you to keep two hands on the wheel? but he's trying to get that ring out of his pocket. >> i thought he was saying he was in command. but, no. [ laughter ] >> george. >> we all know who is in command in relationships. all right. >> let me handle "play of the day." coming up next here on "gma," we have ncaa player haley jones joining us live. plus the very funny ben falcone on his new movie with his wife melissa mccarthy. lots of laughs to come here on "gma."

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fire danger is high, and we're not just talking in california. look at these images out of wisconsin. on sunday alone, 41 brush fires just broke out. there were some evacuations which have been lifted, but in the last week, 1,248 acres have burned, and it's also in california. simi valley, you can see here, that's the westwood fire. it's now 90% contained but, of course, dry and very, very -- the relative humidity less than 5% in parts of the southwest. critical fire danger in parts of arizona over into the nrtheast. new hampshire even, vermont. coming up here on "gma," career choreography.

one celebrity coach's top secrets for jump-starting your career. and fashion. sprucing up your spring wardrobe. we'll break down the hottest trends and how to elevate the classic blue jean. plus, six-time grammy winner brandi carlisle joining us live next.

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. as millions head home for the easter holiday, fourth wave covid concerns are on the rise. fueled by concerns about a double mutant variant now identified in san francisco. this as the united states hits a record number of vaccinations. ♪ rain on me ♪ s.a.g. awards stunner. >> the actor goes to -- >> from the favorite cast of the night to the fierce backyard fashion, and the top four winners making history. plus, what it all means in the race to the oscars. retirement savings reboot. this morning, the apps to get you back on track, and the three rules for reassessing your money. ♪ you got me feeling emotion ♪ and all kinds of emotion.

mariah carey singing for her shot. how the superstar celebrated her big vaccine moment hitting our favorite high note. ♪ emotion ♪ plus, stanford surviving that last-second shot. >> heaves. >> the cardinal women crowned champions of the women's ncaa tournament. most outstanding player, haley jones, joins us live as we say good morning, america. ♪ you've got me feeling emotion ♪ ♪ higher than i have in so long ♪ spring is here in new york. good morning, america. hope you're doing well this monday morning. >> doing great, and nobody's doing better than the stanford women this morning. that team pulled off what was just a heart-stopping finish. but stanford winning their first national championship in some 29 years, and the tournament's most outstanding player haley jones is going to join us live in just a bit. you all know i am march madness crazy. i have been watching the men's and women's tournament. she is special, and i'm really, really looking forward to talking to her. we are excited about that as

well. also ahead, we have some career choreography to help you jump start your job hunt. the most important people to talk to, and how to make sure you let your future boss know, you know, just how great you are. first we're going to get to the news right now. we're going to start with the fight against the coronavirus. the race to vaccinate. record 4 million shots were reported in a 24-hour period over the weekend, but there are new concerns this morning over what's being called a double mutant variant. it's fueling cases overseas. it's now in the united states. kaylee hartung is in arlington, texas. good morning, kaylee. >> reporter: good morning, george. just imagine this. all of these seats could be filled later today. more than 40,000 fans could pack the rangers' ballpark for their home opener. that doesn't allow much room for social distancing. the decision by the rangers to open up to 100% capacity is a home run with fans, but it's drawing some criticism. this morning, as millions of americans head back home from the holiday after families gathered for easter celebrations

outdoors and at masked and socially distanced services, covid cases across the country climbing and fears of a fourth wave growing even as more than 106 million americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine. >> it's kind of like a race between getting people vaccinated and the more people on a daily basis you get vaccinated, the better chance you have of blunting or preventing that surge that we're all concerned about. >> reporter: the nation's daily case average up nearly 20% in the last two weeks. experts fearing the spread of variants will only accelerate it. concerns about a double mutant coronavirus variant in the u.s. the variant first discovered in india, now identified in the san francisco area. >> this is the first time this particular double mutant has been found in the united states, and it was found here at our stanford laboratory. >> reporter: and in massachusetts where there are more cases of the brazilian variant than anywhere else in the country. and as sporting events

welcome fans back, concerns over it spreading there too. this alabama basketball fan dying from covid complications after attending the ncaa tournament in indianapolis last week. this as the texas rangers prepare to welcome a packed stadium for their home opener today. the only major league ballpark in the country opening up at full capacity. in an interview with espn, the president calling it a mistake. pretty soon here they'll be opening up the roof and the side garage-style doors to allow for ventilation. and even though the texas' governor has thrown out the state's mask mandate, fans will be required to wear masks unless you're actively eating or drinking, which we know happens at baseball games. amy? >> it sure does. all right. kaylee, thank you very much. turning to breaking news, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake rocking the los angeles area. this was actually the third quake in just this past hour. kayna whitworth joining us with the latest on all this. good morning, kayna. >> reporter: amy, good morning. people across southern

california woke up with a jolt this morning. some people reporting significant shaking as you mentioned. a magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit just near englewood, california. that followed a 3.3 earthquake in that same area then an aftershock of 2.5 so a flurry of earthquakes this morning. at this point there is no damage or injuries reported but video from our kabc studios. you can see the studio shaking. now, this is the building that i was in when it happened. a lot of us felt the earthquake in here as well. dr. lucy jones is telling us this happened very deep and so people within at least a 12-mile radius would have felt this shaking. amy. >> i can't even imagine what that feels like. we know you'll keep us updated kayna. good to know no damage so far. coming up on "gma," the biggest history-making winner

from last night's s.a.g. awards. what this means for the oscars. and how to boost your retirement savings. expert tips on how to get your future back on track this morning. plus the newest denim trends for this spring going beyond just the blue jean. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ a little sunshine & big appetites walmart helps you bring it to the table for less bring the spring ♪

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♪ ♪ welcome back to "gma." hope you're doing well this monday morning, and tomorrow we'll kick off what we're calling ultimate pasta week. we have some twists on the classics that even the italian grandma in your life will love. >> good to know it's pasta week this week. exciting. all right. time for some "pop news" now, and lara spencer. hey, lara. >> hello, amy.

good morning to you guys. we begin with the s.a.g. awards. i know we're going to get to all the winners and speeches and all that good stuff in just a moment, but we wanted to take a moment to show you these backyard beauty shots. they are worth talking about. so many stars creating their own virtual red carpets at home. nicole kidman, for example, hanging out on her patio in giorgio armani. kerry washington poolside looking in a look byetrobyetrobo so grateful for the s.a.g. awards for giving me a reason to dress up, and then this happened. check this out. oh, yeah. doubling for a swimsuit for this shot. kerry writing, s.a.g. awards, going swimmingly. i'll say. you look great. amy adams chose to pose among the trees in a gown by celine, and glenn close used her front porch as her runway with her pup named pip looking on lovingly and on the men's side daniel kaluuya

wearing high-fashion loungewear. louis vuitton. how fabulous are these pajamas and robe look? leslie odom jr. was as proud as a peacock in his multicolor tie dye suit. i love that. we have so much more news coming up from the s.a.g. awards. look forward also to talking about the oscars and what it all means coming up in just a moment on "gma." also this morning, mariah carey hitting a high note. the singer posting this video on instagram, getting her first dose of the covid-19 vaccine, and hitting one of her famous octaves without even trying. take a look. >> ah! ah. ah. all right. okay! >> yay! >> there was a smile under that mask. carey captioning the video writing, vaccine side effects, g6. that is a note only carey can do.

she also took the opportunity to encourage her followers to get the vaccine when they are able to, and she wasn't the only one celebrating the shot this weekend. dolly parton received her second dose of the vaccine. there she is. she posted a picture to instagram writing, dolly gets a dose of her own medicine, and in parentheses, second. last year the queen of country made a million dollar donation for research into the moderna vaccination. and now tom brady proving he really is the greatest of all time. fresh off his killer super bowl win with the buccaneers, tom brady's rookie card from 2000 is more valuable than ever. how valuable, you ask? well, how about $2.5 million making it the highest all-time price paid for a football card. it happened at an auction over the weekend online. the card signed by brady beats the current record set by another tom brady rookie card.

hopefully michael can get some of tom's thoughts on the incredible price when he sits down with him today for an interview you can see right here on wednesday morning. back to you all in the studio. >> all right, lara. thank you so much. we're going to go on now to our "gma" cover story and a big night at the s.a.g. awards. from that fierce backyard fashion we just saw to the actors honored at a very quick prerecorded ceremony. chris connelly joining us from los angeles with the history-making moments and what it all means for the oscars. good morning, chris. >> reporter: good morning, amy. that's right. with no stages, no statues and the relentless pace of a school graduation ceremony, the s.a.g. awards needed only an hour's time to announce winners in 13 categories and make some history along the way. >> i like that. >> so do we. >> thank you. >> hasta la vista, baby. >> reporter: did last night's s.a.g. awards offer up to the oscars a new

front-runner? >> it goes to "the trial of the chicago 7." >> reporter: with that best cast win, the s.a.g. nominated "nomadland," now have a best picture rival and the oscars set to begin in ten days, and a very different academy awards ceremony to follow april 25th. >> viola davis. >> reporter: an outstanding female actor, viola davis earned the sixth s.a.g. award of her remarkable career in this year's most competitive category. >> this would be an empty world without the blues. >> reporter: winning for "ma rainey's black bottom," outstanding male actor going to davis' co-star, the late chadwick boseman. >> i'm going to get me a band and make me some records. >> reporter: his widow accepting it. >> if you see the world unbalanced, be a crusader that pushes heavily on the seesaw of the mind. that's a quote by chadwick boseman. >> reporter: the supporting category saw more oscar favorites winning. daniel kaluuya for his

powerhouse work in "judas and the black messiah." >> and the actor goes to, yeun for "menari." >> i don't know how to describe my feelings. i'm being recognized by westerners. i don't know. am i saying it right? my english is not perfect. >> yes. perfect. >> reporter: that victory for her and her emotional acceptance. a big part of a historic night. performers of color sweeping the four film acting categories for the first time in the 27-year history of the s.a.g. awards. now such virtual awards may now be virtually over because the 93rd oscars has made its intention clear to have a live, in-person zoomaverse ceremony in los angeles. a visual la la pa loose have with strict safety precautions in place and as many nominees and winners inside the house as possible and what a house. l.a.'s union station,

the city's gorgeous mission modern seen in such films as "the dark knight rises" where it was a courthouse, and "blade runner" where it was a police station. now comes the hope that the movies up for the oscars capitalize on viewer interest, stirred up by last night's s.a.g.s. >> my dad used to say what's remembered lived. i maybe spent too much of my life just remembering. >> reporter: truly a historic year for the s.a.g. awards. now on this earth-shaking morning, it's on to the oscars and the anticipation and excitement that a live event uniquely provides. amy? >> i love how you wove some of that breaking news into your tag, chris. not that surprised though. you're a wordsmith. thank you. t.j., over to you. >> all right, robach, we're going to turn now to truly an outstanding guest. joining us this morning fresh off that nail-biter of a game, stanford keeping arizona from scoring at the last second, winning the women's ncaa

championship by just a point and the tournament's most outstanding player, stanford's haley jones. there she is, she's joining us live. i have been watching you on the monitor as you were getting ready. i saw you yawn about 22 times and even smack yourself in the face because i assume you didn't get much sleep last night. how was sleep last night? >> oh, i had no sleep. i'm still on a high right now. so barely any sleep, but excited to be here. >> you absolutely should be on a high. congratulations. but you have to tell me, you're standing under that basket, and we can show this replay, but as that ball is in the air from aari mcdonald last night, what was going through your mind, and how was your heart pumping as that shot was up in the air? >> yeah. my mind was going. aari is an amazing player, so we knew the ball was going to be in her hands. we through as many defenders at her as we could. i knew it was out of my hands but thankfully didn't go in but it happened in slow motion, and i got to hug my team when i saw the ball come off the rim. >> you know what, how much --

there's a couple of things that could make this national championship even more rewarding. one, because of all you went through, and several teams with covid, but also it has been 29 years for stanford. tell me -- remind people. you all were literally displaced for about two months, your team. you all didn't sleep in your own beds for what was it, 86 days or so? >> yeah. i mean, we always made a joke we were homeless and kind of stuck by it. we've been through a lot. we were relentless this year, but, yeah, we were on the road for two months, and we grew closer and just resilient, and it feels surreal to be here now. >> stanford has been a powerhouse basketball team for a long time, but it's been 29 years since a win. you weren't obviously even born the last time they won a championship. what are your thoughts, and maybe you felt some pressure. you certainly wanted to bring it home for stanford since it's been so long. >> yeah. it was much pressure. tara is an amazing coach and this program is what it is

today because of her, and she's created such a legacy and we wanted to make our mark on this legacy. and it's already been such an historic year for us. we just wanted to finish it out with a bang. >> you make your mark and a lot of people have been paying closer attention to maybe the women's game. hopefully. i'm just a march madness fanatic so i watch every bounce of the ball. but it was great to watch, but how much was the controversy about the weight rooms and the inequities between the men and women? was that much -- did you try to remove that and stay focused on the game, or was that very much a part of your entire tournament experience? >> yeah. the inequities that we went through, i mean, they were very disappointing, but at the same time it unfortunately wasn't very surprising for us. that's just kind of how the game is, which is unfortunate, but i think we're kind of on the up right now, especially with how much viewership we had from the tournament, but i kind of want to make a point out of our weight coach advocating for us on social media. that's not the big focus of the

tournament. on one hand you want to bring out the inequities. on the other hand we're here to win a national championship, and so no matter what we're dealing with, we got to put that to one side and focus on each game. >> folks will always say there's an asterisk next to the champion this year because the year was just kind of a mess and teams do you find that maybe the but - asterisk should be there because you all overcame? like this is more rewarding of a championship than it would have been. >> yeah. i definitely think the asterisk is there because it's more rewarding. we have been through so much this year and been on the road for two months. we only played six home games all season, so i think it is more rewarding. every team has been through so much this year, especially us. it's more rewarding this season than any other, i think. >> haley, it has been an absolute blast to watch you. i have no problem fan boying out for a minute right now because you have been just a joy to watch with stanford. congratulations, and thank you for being up early with us. all right. >> thank you so much. >> all right. we turn it over to ginger now. ginger? >> t.j., a mild day

here in the northeast today, but the warmth all the way through the midwest is ahead of severe storms. if you are in minnesota tonight, i want you to be on the lookout. winds could go up to 70 miles per hour. we're talking twin cities, also st. cloud, mankato all included with the strong winds later tonight. that's not it. this severe threat moves to the south. look at this. with that cold front will come from arkansas back to shreveport, louisiana, up to memphis. that is both tuesday and wednesday's threat areas. that's t good monday morning. i am lisa argen in for mike nico. we'll get into some clearing for a mostly sunny afternoon. everyone under the clouds to start out. a quiet week with temperatures near average. we are talking 60s to near 70 inland. the fog will linger at the shoreline. mid to upper 50s from the shoreline to san francisco b b

now to our series, "money moves." this morning, a look at how to rebuild your retirement savings since so many had to dig into those savings during the pandemic. rebecca jarvis has tips to get you back on track. good morning, rebecca. >> reporter: good morning, george. yeah, the pandemic for so many families, they had to dip into savings, to postpone the retirement planning. but now the jobs are starting to recover, and the economy is starting to rebound. it's an important time to rebuild those savings. here's how. lauren had always been a savvy saver. >> i had been saving probably about 20% of my salary consistently. >> reporter: thanks to her aggressive savings habits and a thriving career as an event manager, the new mom was able to purchase her first home about a year ago. >> this is our house. >> reporter: while uncertainty loomed amid the pandemic, lauren continued to work and save, but

eight months later like millions of americans, lauren lost her job. >> i had been out of work since november. i went from putting away roughly 20% a month to absolutely nothing, except for college funds for sawyer. >> reporter: and lauren is not alone. about half of nonretired adults say the economic impact of the pandemic will make achieving their long-term financial goals more difficult. but experts say there are ways to get back on track once you start getting a paycheck again. >> you have to be really committed to contributing extra for a period of time so that you cannot just regain what you would have contributed, but also the compounding interest. >> reporter: farnoosh is a financial expert and host of the "so money" podcast. her tips for jump starting savings? tip number one, make a plan. >> if you are contributing 8% or 10% prior to losing your job, maybe you want to ramp that up to 12% or 15%. >> reporter: number two, make it

automatic. >> directly out of your paycheck, directly out of your checking account, the same time every month. >> reporter: number three, reassess your budget. >> if you do have to ramp up your contributions towards retirement, that may mean cutting back on some of your day-to-day or monthly expenses. >> reporter: as for lauren, she's continuing to search for her next job and plans to start saving again as soon as possible. >> whenever i have money that goes above my monthly expenses, it gets saved. that's what i always do. >> reporter: and that is how you do it. now one of the secret savings tips in addition to budgeting is making sure that every single penny you earn has a purpose. that means it goes to things like your rent, your groceries, but also even beyond that to things like saving for retirement, a dinner out, travel, a coffee shop budget and, george, there are some great apps out there that exist that will help you do this. things like pocket guard, mint, even a free one for couples

called honeydue where you can do this together in partnership, and that will help you keep those savings on track, george. >> this has become such a need for so many people after this tough year. >> reporter: yes, absolutely. such a significant need, and there's another app called dobot. it's a free app where you can make sure your pennies, everything you have in your account is going towards something, whether it's that retirement savings or that dinner out, and you can put pictures on each savings, and as well as make sure that you and your friends are all in on it together. it's social, george. >> lots of help on the internet. rebecca jarvis, thank you very much. coming up, ben falcone joins us live to talk about his new superhero comedy. it's called "thunder force" and stars his wife, melissa mccarthy. >> how can we not stop two chicks in their 40s? >> how can we not stop two chicks in their 40s?

good morning, francis ding dinglawsen is tracking the traffic conditions. >> there's a backup right now to the foot of the maze and also an accident has been reported in one of the carpool lanes. in the southbound, here's a you buckle up, start the car, put it in gear and take off. next thing you know, the phone is in your hand. stop! you should be holding the wheel, not holding the phone.

it's a busy world out there, and we're all in it together. go safely, california. i'm not sure if there's anything i can say to my family members to convince them to take the covid-19 vaccine. i'm not even sure if i'm convinced. hi darius, i think that people respond more to what we do than what we say. so after looking at all the data and the science about these vaccines, i got the vaccine. and i made sure my mom and dad got the vaccine. because these vaccines are safe. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

you buckle up, start the car, put it in gear and take off. next thing you know, the phone is in your hand. stop! you should be holding the wheel, not holding the phone. it's a busy world out there, and we're all in it together. go safely, california. hey there bay area, live with kelly and ryan's coming up. >> the cake boss, buddy. >> that's at 9:00 on abc7. there are a few sprinkles out in parts of the north bay. right now, we've got a lot of cloud cover, but it will break out to partly sunny conditions here in san francisco. right now, 51. more sunshine in san jose at 52. a few sunny breaks there, and this was the city, upper 40s, fog there. look for mid-60s inland.

>> thank you, lisa. we'll have another abc7 news update in about 30 minutes. as always, you can find us on our news app ♪ur news app we've got a fun guest joining us right now. he's the writer and director of the new movie, "thunder force." >> yes. this is a superhero film and it stars his wife, melissa mccarthy, and oscar winner octavia spencer. ben falcone, great to have you back with us, kind sir. how you doing? >> hi. good morning. i'm doing great. how are you guys doing? >> we are doing great this morning. we hear you have been during the pandemic -- you have been having these watch parties, these zoom movie party nights that have now turned into costume parties. what's with the costumes now? >> well, so i wanted to watch every oscar-winning movie and we started in 1961. >> wow. >> we'd gone all the way -- the

movie coming up this week is "a beautiful mind." i don't know how many movies that is, but i think we're up to 40. the costume sort of developed as we went, you know, we got a lot of film makers and actors and stuff that do -- once one person wears one, everybody wears one. it's been a lot of fun. there's been good costumes in the mix too. >> there's some cost soups umess new movie, the "thunder force." i love it because never before have we seen the superheroes be two women in their 40s. yes, all the 40-something women out there, we love it. did you always have your wife and octavia spencer in mind? >> you know, i did. i don't know if you know this, but we're really good friends with octavia. we've known her for a long time, and we've wanted to work with her forever. with her schedule, she's so hard

to book. we finally made this work schedule-wise for everybody, so basically i had in my mind, i wanted to do a movie with melissa and octavia, and i lovilove comic books and that's where it started. >> did it take awhile to get melissa into the costume? >> no. she wanted to make sure it was cool. she was, like, you're going to be superheroes. she was, like, yeah. we have to have cool supersuits. yes, you do. >> so you wrote the movie, you directed it and also appear in it. let's show everybody. >> hey, chief. you got concealer on there? is that what that is? >> yeah. i just moisturized it and then tried to touch it up a little bit. is it helping? >> not really. maybe get yourself a snack. >> i'm not hungry. >> preferably something, aloe. find an aloe plant and chew on that. hi. >> does this side look the same as this side? >> no. >> can you tell which side is different? one side has a small scab?

>> no, a large scab. >> jason bateman is half man, half crab? >> that's true. it's the role he never knew he wanted to play. >> how did you convince him? >> well, jason and i -- this was a really fun, you know, experience because we got to work with so many really close friends. jason and i and melissa are really good friends too. we were probably texting about baseball and in the middle of one of those text chains, i sort of threw in, like, hey, by t we were probably texting about baseball and in the middle of one of those text chains, i sort of threw in, like, hey, by the way, do you want to be a crab in our new movie? it was just like that radio silence that happens. we had been texting all morning and then five minutes later, what? so it didn't take much convincing with him either. i just said, hey, who else is going to let you be a crab in a movie? he said, probably not many people, and he did audition which after awhile because of his schedule is hard to work out too because he's so fancy, but he kept auditioning for me. >> you made jason bateman audition?

>> he auditioned. he came forward and said, look at this. just the hands. he said imagine what i can do. >> ben, we know in the movie octavia's character listens to her pump-up music to glen frye. curious what your pump-up music might be? >> my music -- it's similar to melissa's character, so it would probably be, like, van halen "jump" or, you know, high school tunes. >> i support that. i support that. >> you have to -- look. working with your wife, you all are together in the pandemic. you have been close, and you have a good friend, octavia spencer. how is it working with your wife and a very dear friend on a movie like this on set all the time? you have to direct them. >> you know, what's great about

those two is -- you know, really quickly, like, octavia is just the most lovely person. i'm sure you've spoken to her before, but, you know, you get why she's got so much hardware in her house hidden somewhere. you know, she shows up. she shows up hours early to work every day, and melissa hears -- melissa is always, you know, crazily prepared and crazily early. so it actually got to be kind of a joke between me and the crew because i did have to tell melissa and octavia, like, we do need time to actually light the scene. you can't just show you way early and, like, the cameras aren't ready. people are, like, getting breakfast and stuff. so it was just a delight because they're crazy professional and, you know, they love each other, and i think it comes through. >> all right. >> we cannot wait to see it. ben, thanks very much. "thunder force" premieres on netflix this friday. coming up, six-time grammy winner brandi carlile is going to join us live.

♪ across m as we continue to return to classrooms... parents like me want to make sure we're doing it safely. especially in the underserved communities hardest hit by covid. trust me, no one wants to get back to classroom learning more than teachers like me. using common sense safety measures like masks, physical distancing, and proper ventilation. safety is why we're prioritizing vaccinations for educators. because together, we all have a responsibility to do our part.

and together, we will get through this, safely.

♪ wow. i could listen to her all day. back now with six-time grammy winner brandi carlile, she's adding author to her resume with a memoir called "broken horses." we are so excited to have brandi with us this morning.

hi brandi. thanks for being with us. how are you doing? >> i'm doing great. thanks for having me. i'm really excited. >> we're -- i know my daughter is watching. she is probably your biggest fan. it was your daughter evangeline that came up with the name of your memoir. tell us how that happened and why you decided to write a memoir now. >> well, we were lying around in bed one morning trying to decide what we should name it and you're hearing a song called "the story." that seemed like an obvious choice, but maybe too obvious for me. we had other names in mind. she was overhearing this thing and she had been asking for a horse damn near since she could talk and i would always tell her they were too expensive. she said to me that morning, she goes, mama if you were so poor when you grew up, how could you afford to have a horse? i said, i couldn't. i was given broken ones. she said, your book should be called "broken horses." >> wow. >> swear to god that's just how it happened. >> wow, i love that. your daughter, your bandmates,

you guys travel on your tour buses with your entire families. correct? this isn't just what you would typically think of. what's that like? what's that tour bus situation like? >> well, at its worst, it was two breast-feeding infants and a toddler, three kids in diapers and three couples on a 45-foot bus. it was -- there were things about that that were really, really life altering and beautiful and humbling and it brought us all too close together i think. >> well, what do you want people when they read your memoir -- what do you hope the takeaway is? do you have a hope with what people will leave with after reading your book? >> i don't know. i wrote it in the same way that i write songs. it just sort of came to me. i was going to dip my toe in and see if i could write anything and i started. and i was, like, five weeks later i had, like, 100 pages, and it was really exciting mining my memories and watching the trajectory of what happened

to me, where i started and where i've come to in my life. so i thought that maybe it would do a lot of things for other folks that come from hard beginnings or humble beginnings. queer people sort of walking through their faith trauma. queer people sort of pioneering domesticity and queer parenting. but also, you know, making your way through not having means or being able to follow your dreams to a really beautiful outcome or just seeing that. having a glimpse into a pretty normal life turned not so normal, and maybe that would be inspiring and fun for some people to read. it was fun for me to write. >> it sounds incredibly inspirational. we know what an amazing singer/song writer you are, and it's not that big of a stretch to see you'how well of a writer

are, whether you're singing or writing them. you also say you're planning to work on your next album this fall. i know we're still a few months out, but can you tell us what we may expect from this new music? >> well, the album came quicker than i thought. it's done. so it's very dramatic. i think the book led us to some pretty dramatic places and unlocked some doors that maybe i didn't have access to before in my mind. so i will say that the vocals are, like, over the top and i'm a pretty over the top singer. so that's saying something. >> honestly i cannot wait, and we are so, so excited about your new book as well. "broken horses," a memoir by the one and only brandi carlile is out tomorrow, april 6th. >> thank you. >> thank you so much for being with us. >> you're so kind. thanks for having me. >> t.j., over to you. let's turn now to navigating the changes of the work force and making the right job moves with a series of helpful steps from the new book "career choreography." kayna whitworth sat down with

the author and career coach to the stars. good morning to you, kayna. >> reporter: hey, t.j. so he says the difference between trying and triumph in a highly challenging job market is a clear and effective plan of action. celebrity career coach ken lindner has been helping his clients for nearly 40 years, and he's sharing his secrets in his new book "career choreography." you said people need to have selective amnesia. >> we all suffer defeats. the key is we need to learn from them, and not be brought down by them. >> reporter: more than 4 million americans left the work force during the pandemic and getting back in can be challenging, but lindner says don't be discouraged. >> the four criteria you can keep in your mind, do what you believe in, do what you love, do what drives you and makes you so excited to go to work every

day and do what you are really good at. >> reporter: we heard from "gma" viewers trying to get back into the work force. this is a woman who has been employed and needs to get back into the same industry. >> when you take time off, you get a chance to say, you know, i could have done this better. first of all, assess what it is you bring to the table. two, explain to your employer why you took that time off and how it was beneficial. >> one man in particular said that his industry has been depleted by the pandemic. >> companies are trying to figure out where their place is. talk to people who work for those companies. see what they're being told that they need to do. if by some chance you've worked with people who are in one of those industries, contact them. >> what would you want to say to viewers that want to get back in the work force, but they lack confidence to do that right now? >> not everybody who is successful is confident. if you have a skill that makes you special, have a background or knowledge that makes you special, make sure that

potential employer knows that. >> reporter: and he says to make sure you know your potential employer's expectations and be patient. also, don't get discouraged along the way when you have to do tasks you don't love. t.j., he referred to that as slogging. sometimes you have to do some of that to find your perfect career. his book comes out tomorrow. >> yes. i've been slogging it for years. kayna, thank you so much. let's say good morning once again to ginger. >> reporter: good morning to you, t.j. you can't slog when you are outside on this beautiful spring day. getting green, the flowers are blossoming and you know what else is blossoming? the pollen, which means allergies. this is sponsored by zyrtec, and the pollen is bad here, but it's worse in south florida, all over the south really, but in the panhandle too. they're getting their fair share of the pollen. so this video that you are seeing there, that's a pollen storm at a florida state university baseball game in tallahassee. no, that's not rain. that is actually all pollen just

blowing in from the outfield. the wind did pick up before a line of showers moved through and blew in all that pollen. the pollen storm, though, didn't stop the seminoles. they took home the win that night which is wonderful to know especially since you had to deal with that. there's the pollen forecast for other states there. the south gets hit hard, and it'll be up here before we know it. th good monday morning. checking out the camera can see >> reporter: and now we've got an exciting announcement. we are bringing you "gma" gear. yes. for the first time you can get your phones out right now because you are going to be able to enjoy your morning coffee in a mug just like mine. there are also t-shirts, hats, beanies. you can check out all of it. all you have to do is point your

cell phone and the camera at the qr code at the bottom of the screen right now or if you missed that, go to goodmorningamerica.com. coming up here on "gma," we are breaking down the hottest fashion for spring, and we're doing jeans differently. stick around. "gma's" pollen report is sponsored by the makers of zyrtec. zyrtec, muddle no more.

mom needs help but, she doesn't want to move. we're mostly concerned about her safety. she's already had a couple of falls. we had this joke, 'oh, that's a senior moment, right?' but it wasn't. home care with an entire support team. she could live independently and do her own thing. and get really good, specialized care. and i could just be her daughter again.

back now with our ultimate fashion week series. time to freshen up the closet for spring after some of us have spent more than a year at home. we're being taken beyond the blue jeans for the classic denim. help us here. first up here, what are we talking about? talking about more than just blue jeans. what should we be looking out for here? >> yes. good morning, t.j., and amy. how are you? so with everybody slowly getting back into the swing of thing,

our jeans are finally coming out of our closets again. i don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but a lot of us are hesitant about that. luckily there's a trend beyond just the blue jeans. we're seeing denim pop up with shirts, with skirts, all types of different pieces of clothing. i'll show you how to do it. >> we know you are. you're going to use some of our amazing "gma" staff. first up, i know we have zoe showing off a denim skirt. tell us about zoe's look. >> yes. so what i love about this is typically when we think of a denim skirt, a short blue jean skirt. not wearable for many women. this is a modern silhouette. this is from loft, and it's under $40 right now on sale, and what's great is you can dress this up and wear to the office like we see here on zoe or you can dress it down. this is a great, again, a sleek silhouette and i love white denim. we're seeing a lot of colored denim this season.

we're seeing pinks and greens. i love white, crisp denim. there's nothing better than that for the summer. >> white denim. that's a thing. some of the fellas are looking at me here, like, we didn't know either. next up, we have nicole though. if you are not ready to put the jeans on, there's a jean jump suit? >> yes. so t.j., i'm sure you know all about this. so for me, jump suits are one of my favorite pieces of clothing. you can't mess them up. one and done and you're really just picking out your shoes. what's great about this one is it's that modern white. it's crisp, clean and versatile, and if you don't want to wear a jean yet, this is a great way to dip your toe into the water. it looks like a jean, but it's a little less restrictive. it's under $100. >> i knew all about white denim all the way. i want to say i love white denim and i'm glad it's a thing now. the men are perplexed. it's funny. i know you have a blue denim, thank god, option for the boys here. this is a dress that we -- we see nicole k. in this outfit.

tell us about it. >> yes. maybe we should get t.j. a pair of white denim jeans. that's a thing for guys. this is great. this is from h&m, and what i love about the silhouette is it's a more modern silhouette, and denim is more casual. it's a blend of both worlds. you can wear this dress up or down. here she's wearing it more casually, and she has a sandal on. you can elevate this with a heel as well. this is a great dress under $50. >> finally here quickly, our last model, melissa, you. that top that you are wearing. >> yes. so i am wearing a statement sleeve which is a huge trend this season. transitions back into spring and summer. this is from target and $29.99. really easy to wear and considerable, and a perfect blend between the acid wash and ruffles and make it feminine and edgy at the same time. >> you could wear that shirt with white denim and it would look really good, t.j.

>> so glad to have you back, robes. melissa, so good to have you. thank you for the help and the lessons and the educatio

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good morning. frances dinglasan is tracking the roads this morning. hi frances. >> good morning, everyone. in fact, it's looking better at the bay bridge toll plaza right now. not much of a backup at all, but there's still a wind advisory in effect. the san mateo bridge, traffic is moving well westbound, but there is slowing on southbound 880. lisa has our forecast. good morning to you. brightening up a little bit in santa cruz, but it is chilly. temperatures are in the 40s here, and we'll get into partly cloudy skies along the coast. 52 in san jose. the bay bridge still looking

pretty gray. time now for live with kelly and ryan. we'll be back live for midday we'll be back live for midday live. it's live with kelly and ryan. today from the hit series the walking dead, jeffrey dean morgan, and the cake boss, buddy valastro takes over the studio kitchen and whips up a beautiful rainbow cake, plus you'll meet a north carolina mom turned author who knows a few things about combs and brushes, all next on live. ♪ and now here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest. put it down. you're gonna make yourself crazy. you know what's gonna happen. you're gonna regret your decision. you're gonna lie on your dressing room floor and complain that you did it. i know how this ends. i know how this movie goes. i was looking for my frosting bag, and i found it in your dressing room. that is not my frosting bag. yes, it is. it says "ryan's frosting bag" right here. how badly do you want to just do,