idea i can't -- that's a check good morning, america. as we start this wednesday together, new concerns about the delta variant in the fight against covid. one in five new covid cases are now due to the delta variant. infections from the delta variant doubling every two weeks, and it's already mutating as health officials race to get younger people vaccinated. why that age group is the key to crushing the pandemic. voting rights showdown. senate republicans blocked the democrats' sweeping bill calling it a power grab. this as the president gears up to announce his plans to combat gun violence as we take an inside look at what could be the future of police training. inside afghanistan. over half of the american troops now withdrawn. no peace deal in place. the taliban rapidly taking back control responsible for the

worst violence in two decades. martha raddatz is on the ground in kabul. mile-high mayhem. american airlines still canceling dozens of flights a day as the july 4th travel surge looms, and even more passengers get unruly in the air. hot and cold. massive hail pummeling the midwest while the west braces for a historic heat wave. ginger tracking the latest. red-hot housing market. home prices going through the rof. what's behind the surge and what to know if you're buying. britney spears set to speak in court taking the stand in just hours at a hearing over her conservatorship. the new document saying she's been pushing to end it for years. swim at your own risk. the urgent warning this summer about the lack of lifeguards at pools and beaches. what to know before you jump in. ♪ pump up the jam ♪ pump up the jam. the unbelievable alley-oop buzzer beater with 0.9 seconds

left keeping the phoenix suns shining bright in game two. well, that was some play right there. good morning, america. hope you're doing well this wednesday morning. we have a lot of news to get to and we're going to get right to the news about the delta variant. there's so many questions and concerns. we're going to talk to dr. ashish jha in a moment as health officials push to get young people vaccinated. >> even though 62% of eligible americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine it's that crucial group of unvaccinated young folks that are the key to putting an end to the pandemic. >> and that new delta variant is already accounting for 20% of the new cases here in the u.s. doubling over the past few weeks. scientists are also concerned about the delta plus variant now emerging. eva pilgrim starts us off this morning. good morning, eva. >> reporter: good morning, robin. the delta variant now accounts for one out of every five new cases here in the u.s. and health officials say the

vaccines are key to stopping these variants and putting an end to this pandemic. this morning, concern growing over the delta variant which now accounts for about 20% of all new cases here in the u.s. the numbers doubling every two weeks. >> good news, our vaccines are effective against the delta variant. we have the tools so let's use them and crush the outbreak. >> reporter: the delta variant reported in at least 47 states already appearing to spark outbreaks in areas with lower vaccination rates responsible for half the new cases in parts of the midwest and west. >> what we're seeing now are the patients who are coming in who don't think that they're going to get sick from it. who aren't mentally prepared to make life and death decisions, do they want to be intubated? do you want cpr if your heart should stop? >> reporter: this as scientists say the delta variant is already mutating. a new delta plus variant being seen in india.

health officials watching to see how quickly it spreads. health officials say the key to crushing the pandemic, young people. right now only about a third of 18-year-old to 24-year-olds have been fully vaccinated. but that age group is currently seeing the country's highest rate of cases, tied with 25 to 34-year-olds. >> the reality is many younger americans have felt like covid-19 is not something that impacts them and they've been less eager to get the shot. >> reporter: meanwhile, the cdc is expected to meet today to review the risk of a rare heart condition among teens and young people after they took the vaccine. more than 300 cases have been reported. more than 20 million teens and young adults have been vaccinated. and health officials are trying to reach those younger audiences right where they are here on their cell phones on social media using tiktok and instagram influencers to spread the message hoping to encourage them to get the vaccine. george. >> so important.

okay, eva, thanks. let's bring in dr. ashish jha, dean of the brown university school of public health. dr. jha, thanks for joining us this morning. let's start with your take on the delta variant. how concerned should we be? >> good morning, george. thanks for having me back. i'm pretty concerned about it. it is a far more contagious variant than anything we've seen. it appears to be a little but more deadly, the data from scotland says it causes more hospitalizations. we've got to stop it, and we've got to stop it by getting people vaccinated. that's how we stop the variant. >> the fact if you're vaccinated it's very effective against the delta variant. >> yeah, i have been pleasantly surprised at how well our vaccines continue to hold up against this. the pfizer vaccine, 88%, 90% effective against the delta variant. i expect the data from moderna will be similar. they are working very well even against this variant. >> and how about these other possible mutations? we've seen it mutate pretty quickly. >> yeah, i mean, we've been hearing about the delta plus. we don't know a lot about it.

maybe a bit more contagious but we don't know. here's the bottom line. more outbreaks globally, more variants, more will land on our shoulders. so, yes, we have to get americans vaccinated but help get the world vaccinated to put the pandemic behind us. >> how do we convince the hold-outs? >> you know what, we've got to help people understand a couple things. first of all, we've got to counter the misinformation that young people never get sick from this. they do. thankfully less than older people and, second, we have to make it easy, i think colleges and universities as they begin to require vaccines will also make a difference. i do think we'll get there. it's going more slowly than i hoped. >> if we don't, how concerned are you about a surge in cases as we head to the fall? >> yeah, i think we'll do okay over the summer if we don't but the fall and winter will be tough. and that's what we saw last year and obviously people weren't vaccinated last year. but enough unvaccinated people that i would expect a surge in the fall, not anything like last year but enough to get us in trouble. >> dr. jha, thanks again for your time and information. t.j.

we turn now to the latest on that air travel mess, american airlines canceling dozens of flights today. other airlines falling short as well as this july 4th travel rush is now approaching us. abc's gio benitez joins us now from newark airport with the latest. gio, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, t.j., good morning. we're already seeing about 80 cancellations with american airlines today. that's a lot better than we've seen over the past few days but this issue is still far from over. american, of course, is still dealing with that pilot shortage and they're expected to cancel anywhere between 50 and 80 flights per day through mid-july. now the fourth of july less than two weeks away expecting a pandemic record of travelers. aaa believes 3.5 million will travel by air that weekend. that's nearly three times more than last year and almost as much as 2019. now, all of this as the number of unruly passengers is just growing. the faa now looking at 3,100 cases, more than 2,300 related

to masks, the faa also proposing more than $500,000 this total fines. airlines and the tsa are trying to hire more employees. delta says it plans to train 1,300 reservation and customer care employees to tackle long hold times that we've been talking about but those workers won't be on the job until the fall. >> gio, i want to bring up something that people have noticed at restaurants, something called a covid recovery charge but airlines, at least one airline is doing this now as well. >> reporter: yeah, and we're talking about frontier airlines. they quietly made this change back in may and we're just learning about this now, it's $1.59 per passenger per flight. now, frontier says it's to offset costs for increased sanitation and cleaning on board the aircraft and in the airport, shields at the ticket counters and gate areas and ppe for employees. but, t.j., a lot of people are wondering why this is happening and they're pointing to those billions of dollars in taxpayer

money that the airlines including frontier got during the pandemic. >> all right, gio, good information as always. thank you so much. george. we're going to go to washington and the latest on the voting rights. senate republicans unanimous in blocking the democrats' signature reform bill and rachel scott is tracking it all from capitol hill. good morning, rachel. >> reporter: good morning, democrats knew this vote was going to fail but for them this was about getting every single republican on the record, on the issue of voting rights. this is a top priority for president biden and it is a setback. this was sweeping legislation looking at everything from campaign finance reform to expanding early voting, but democrats needed the support of at least ten republicans in order to move forward and every single one opposed it. for republicans they label this a federal takeover of elections, a power grab but democrats point to 16 states that have already enacted laws that make it harder for people to vote. they said that this would counter it.

the pathway forward is unclear. president biden in a statement says the fight is far from over. senate majority leader chuck schumer is vowing to bring it back to the senate floor. but the reality here is that the optics on this have not changed. republicans are showing no signs of changing their position and democrats would need their support in order to get it passed, george. >> okay, rachel, thanks very much. as you know, also in washington, president biden is set to unveil a plan to tackle the surge in gun violence. chief white house correspondent cecilia vega joins us with more on that, good morning, cecilia. >> reporter: hi, robin, good morning to you. this comes as republicans have ramped up their attacks over this rise in violent crime in american cities and now fears as we head into the summer months that this rise could actually get worse so the president today is laying out this plan to tackle gun violence. he wants communities to be able to use millions from that covid relief plan he passed back in march to hire more police officers, invest in programs aimed at preventing gun violence like summer jobs for young people around the country. there's also a justice department plan to tackle and

to really crack down on gun trafficking in five large cities. this is where police say so many of the guns used in crimes are coming from outside the area. president biden is going to call on congress to pass gun control legislation and this comes as gun control advocates have really criticized this white house for not prioritizing this issue more. t.j., the reality, though, is this white house and this president are really limited in how much they can do on this issue given this lack of appetite we're seeing on capitol hill right now. cecilia, thank you, and on the topic of gun violence, we turn to detroit. a shocking and tragic shooting there on a highway of a 2-year-old boy, dead now. two men have now been charged with murder in what prosecutors are calling a case of mistaken identity. our stephanie ramos joins us now with the latest. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, t.j. police in detroit say they will step up patrols and use cameras to watch for incidents of violence on freeways so that what happened to little brison never happens again.

this morning, investigators in michigan confirming that the men who fired on a family's car killing a toddler and injuring his 9-year-old brother believed they were targeting someone else. the family was driving home from the 9-year-old's basketball practice when someone in a passing car started shooting. >> it was a mistaken identity of a car, an innocent family shot at by somebody too reckless to know who it was they had a beef with. >> reporter: 2-year-old brison christian who loved spongebob and oreos died from a gunshot to the head. two detroit-area men were arrested and now charged with first degree murder. police say the suspects immediately drove off from the scene in their vehicle and mistakenly targeted the christians' truck because of its color and make. brison's family devastated and in shock. >> i feel like none of us -- none of my family was supposed

to make it out that truck, you know, i was doing the right thing. >> reporter: so far this year 138 kids have been killed by gun violence, t.j. >> all right, stephanie, just a jarring statistic there you're giving us. thank you so much this morning. george? we're going to go overseas now to afghanistan where the taliban is taking back control of more territory as the u.s. withdraws troops heading towards full withdrawal by september 11th. chief global affairs anchor martha raddatz is on the ground in kabul, good morning, martha. >> reporter: good morning, george. more than 750 u.s. cargo planes full of equipment have now been flown out of afghanistan while the taliban is sweeping the countryside. this morning, with over half of the withdrawal complete and no peace deal in place, the taliban is rapidly taking over towns and districts. releasing video claiming it shows afghan soldiers peacefully surrendering weapons and military vehicles, what they

aren't showing, the hundreds of afghan soldiers that have been slaughtered. afghanistan's foreign minister now accusing the taliban of carrying out the worst violence in two decades. everyone is living in fear. abdul, we will use only his first name was side by side with u.s. marines in helmand province as an interpreter now with a wife and three children, he has yet to get a visa to leave the country despite the u.s. state department calling it a priority. >> i know that i will be killed by the taliban. >> reporter: we traveled to the home of a taliban elder. we just spoke to an afghan who was an interpreter for the american military. he is very frightened that he will be killed by the taliban when the americans leave. he claims the taliban won't harm anyone, but violence has been widespread. last month at this school more than 85 people were killed by

multiple bombs, mostly young girls. we met 17-year-old sadika mahmoudi out of the hospital still recovering from serious wounds and she fears it will happen again. >> i'm very scared about it. >> reporter: for many afghans who live here the feeling is hopelessness and for many of those interpreters and others, 18,000 of them, they are desperately trying to get a visa with no luck yet. george. >> we have a moral responsibility to help them. okay, martha, thanks very much. >> always has such strong reporting from that region. now to the booming housing market. the latest numbers showing record-breaking home prices. our chief business correspondent rebecca jarvis has more on what's behind it and what to know if you're thinking of buying. good morning, rebecca. >> reporter: good morning to you, robin. yeah, we are just seeing the largest increase in prices on record. the median price of an existing home in may above $350,000 for

the first time ever on record and prices are surging across the board, up 24% from this time last year, prices have been surging since last summer and there are two primary reasons for that. first of all, supply. the supply of inventory of homes for sale is at rock bottom levels today. the demand is surging since the pandemic which some might call the great reassessment, people have raced out to buy homes that is particularly hurting people who are new buyers to the housing market and lower income where we're really seeing the impact is at the $100,000 to $250,000 of new homes for sale and that is happening across the country in the northeast, west and in the south, robin. >> what does this all mean for prices going forward and for anyone who is in the market to buy a new home? >> reporter: that is the $100 question, robin. it is still a seller's market

and, frankly, economists believe it will remain that way for at least the rest of this year and going into next year. buyers are still facing bidding wars in so many cases. the average home remains on the market for about 17 days, robin. if you're thinking of buying the most important thing is not to overextend yourself as we saw in the pandemic, anything can happen, robin. >> good advice there as always. rebecca, thank you. george. we are following a lot of other headlines this morning including britney spears. she's taking the stand in court this morning over her conservatorship and there's a new report about how little control she has over her life. also, inside what could be the future of policing. how a virtual simulator, how this thing works and the major department using it to train their officers now. plus, that urgent warning as so many head to beaches and pools, what the severe lifeguard shortage means for your summer. that's ahead, but first we say good morning to ginger. good morning. good morning to you, robin.

i've got to start you out. we know it's dry and it's windy, but now we're going to the add the potential for all-time record heat in the pacific northwest so fire danger booming. we'll start with the fire there, silvan fire near eagle, colorado. evacuations happening now and you also have the creek fire in california. that one is 640 acres blown up there in central california. because of gusty winds that are going to be a big part of the issue, dry lightning has started a majority of the fires in arizona, so red flag warnings from kingman to ellensburg, washington, and big ridge coming in for the weekend. that means portland could see an all-time record. there's before, 107. seattle could see an all-time june record. big heat. sunny cities brought to you by consumer cellular.

bra san francisco 67. a lot of 70s until you get to the extremes. tonight we will fall back in to the 50s with a little bit of drizzle. the heat rising, so there's a risk of illness anananananananananananan i got to tell you when you n see the look, mom, i'm on tv, we're back, people. we're back.

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what we value most, shouldn't cost more. building a better bay area. moving forward and finding solutions. good morning to you. we hope that your wednesday is off to a great start so far. i am julian glover from abc7 mornings. eight variant s of the delta strain in -- variant infections detected in sonoma county as of june 21st. county officials say that the numbers are a remiengder that the pandemic is not over yet. now, we want to check in now for a look at the traffic with jobina. >> thank you, julian. good morning, everyone. the signal alert has cleared, and i am bringing you a live look at the bridges right now. it's going to be slow until you get to the center of the bridge.

the lights came on at 5:48, and we don't expect that to let up any time soon. we do have another crash that i want to point out. this is going to be on south bound 880. julian. >> thank you, jobina. m i am robert strickler. i've been involved in communications in the media for 45 years. i've been taking prevagen on a regular basis for at least eight years. for me, the greatest benefit over the years has been that prevagen seems to help me recall things and also think more clearly. and i enthusiastically recommend prevagen. it has helped me an awful lot. prevagen. healthier brain. better life.

we're back at 7:26 on this wednesday. it's been a little bit of a drizzle and higher elevations. if you're like on 280 on the penicillia maybe you run in to some of that. the temperatures this morning and afternoon as we continue the break from summer. look at that great air quality. look at the accuweather 7-day forecast. starting on saturday, summer is back. >> thank you. coming up, brittany spears set to break her silence at the court. that's a big story that a lot of us are following for some time. we're back in

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a lot of people react to that album. just gives us life. >> beautiful song right there. we're following a lot of top headlines including those growing fears about the delta variant responsible for one in five new covid cases and scientists says it's mutating and young people getting vaccinated is the key to finally putting an end to the pandemic. defense secretary lloyd austin is saying he will work with congress to remove sexual assault prosecutions from the military's chain of command. it comes after sharp criticism of the military's handling of sexual assault and harassment cases. also to that incredible reaction to las vegas raiders carl nassib after he put out revealing to fans that he is gay. the nfl is matching his $100,000 donation to the trevor project which focuses on crisis and suicide prevention for lgbtq young people. the trevor project also saying it's seen a substantial jump in online donations and we were just talking about this, great to see yesterday. his jersey was the number one selling jersey yesterday on many

sites and it ended up selling out, so it's been a wonderful reaction. >> the reaction has been so uplifting. a lot more ahead, including a major lifeguard shortage that we're seeing. what that is going to mean for your summer vacation and your safety, robin. that is ahead, t.j., but right now britney spears, the pop superstar, is scheduled to speak in court today concerning the legal battle over her finances which was put in the spotlight after that recent documentary. kaylee hartung is outside the courthouse there in california with the latest for us. good morning, kaylee. >> reporter: good morning, robin. finally a chance to hear from the pop princess herself. this date has been circled on the calendar for months. but a new report from "the new york times" says that britney's been fighting to end this conservatorship and get out from under her dad's control for years. ♪ stronger than yesterday ♪ >> reporter: just hours from now, britney spears is set to break her silence in court. this afternoon the 39-year-old pop star will appear virtually

at a hearing over her conservatorship and who will control her estimated $60 million fortune. "the new york times" reporting it's obtained confidential court records showing behind the scenes spears has been pushing for years to end the conservatorship, which has been controlled in part by her father jamie for the last 13 years. according to "the times" court documents allege it restricted everything from whom she dated to the color of her kitchen cabinets, they say a court investigator wrote in a 2016 report that spears said she feels the conservatorship has become an oppressive and controlling tool against her. >> there's a real irony in that britney was deemed uncapable of managing her own money, yet she was still allowed and promoted to go out there and perform and make money, so she in the last 13 years under the conservatorship has made millions of dollars and her dad makes a salary of over $100,000 a year and then additionally, he makes a percentage of several of

her multimillion-dollar deals. >> reporter: "the times" also saying in 2019 spears told a court she had been forced into a mental health facility against her will on exaggerated grounds which she viewed as punishment for standing up for herself and making an objection during a rehearsal. spears hasn't performed in 2 1/2 years, something her lawyer said she won't do while her dad is in charge of her career. last week the star answering a fan's question about if she'll make a comeback. >> am i ready to take the stage again? am i going to take the stage again? will i ever take the stage again? i have no idea. i'm having fun right now. i'm at a transition in my life and i'm enjoying myself. >> reporter: conservatorships are usually put in place for people whose courts find unable to make decisions for themselves. she was placed in one in 2008 following two hospitalizations and concerns over her mental health and substance abuse making decisions for her ever since brought back in the spotlight in "framing britney

spears," it's also the basis of the free britney movement. [ crowd chanting ] >> reporter: a group of loyal fans who believe she's being controlled against her will. jamie spears' representatives haven't responded to this latest "the new york times" report, but as we have heard from his lawyer here on "gma" before, he says he and his daughter love and support each other. as for how britney is feeling our best insight into that has been through her instagram. there she says she's extremely happy and totally fine but today we hope new light will be shed on how she's doing. guys. >> we really do and wish her all the best. kaylee, thank you. our chief legal analyst dan abrams is at the desk with us, injouging us with right now. >> welcome back. >> conservatorship. explain exactly what that is and how it's used. >> yeah, there are two sort of buckets, one is effectively a guardianship of the person to make sure that she's eating, to make sure that her mental health is protected, et cetera. really the very, very basics

about living. and then part two is the financial piece. right? so in effect there are two conservatorships in place with britney spears. it's not an either/or. it's both. it's both with regard to her health and with regard to her finances and let's be clear on this. this is really unusual, okay. a conservatorship tends to be for someone with dementia or someone who is having such severe drug problems that they literally can't make decisions for themselves. >> that's my question. she's out there performing and she's out there doing her job. how can she be called incapacitated? >> and she's created a clothing line and a new perfume line and judge on a reality show. i mean it is hard to believe, right, particularly putting aside the financial piece for a minute. just on the question of herself, the notion that she can do all these things and do them well, i'd be so curious to know what it is that's been presented to the court that has led a court

to say, yes, this very high standard of literally saying to someone, you can't make decisions for yourself has been achieved and that we don't know. we don't know exactly what was presented in court but do know that this has been a process that has been going on over a decade. >> it's been so long, so long, dan. >> you talk about what's been presented to the court. how important is her statement to the court be? >> more important than it typically would be. we're hearing behind the scene shoes it's been saying she'd like to end this. meaning, when she's talking to investigators and yet there's been no formal motion made by her to end the conservatorship. i think if she gets up there and says, i want this done, i want this over and here's why i think that i've changed and i think that i can take care of myself, et cetera, i think that would have a big impact. >> and the judge has complete power here? >> yeah, complete power, because, remember, a conservatorship is basically saying you can't make decisions for yourself. >> yeah. >> okay. >> she's paying for both sides'

lawyers. >> she's paying for both sides. >> because, remember, it's -- everyone involved -- >> it's all her money. >> right. >> wow. >> there is something -- there's a lot to be learned about this. >> good to have you with us in the studio. for more abc newslive will have full coverage starting this afternoon, t.j. we want to turn now to an exclusive first look at what could be the future of policing. a major city now using a de-escalation simulator to train their officers. abc's matt gutman joins us now from oakland, california, with how this thing works. matt, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning, t.j. the key here in simulators like this is realism so the guns feel like they're firing, the tasers feel like they're tasing and there can be real consequences to failing to properly de-escalate the situation. take a look. i mean, that can happen in an instant but the new notion in policing is that the best way to get an officer home safely is to ensure that nobody gets hurt. it was the encounter that launched thousands of protests

last summer. [ crowd chanting ] >> reporter: a minneapolis police officer wrapping his flashlight on george floyd's window. floyd is compliant but the officer had already pulled his gun. this and many incidents throughout the country showing a series of mistakes that officer mia cooper just out of the police academy in oakland is being trained to avoid. >> i make sure she's all right. >> reporter: in this simulated scenario another man is acting erratically and has a snapping dog. but cooper only pulls her weapon after he grabs that machete. >> drop the machete. >> reporter: and when he seems to comply she immediately holsters her gun. >> this is all i know, it's not just go out there and shoot. >> reporter: officers used to train almost exclusively at gun ranges like this. but the virtual 300 simulator offers scenarios which incorporates the officer's conduct and can yield different outcomes. >> get your hands up.

>> reporter: the simulator is increasingly being used in police departments across the nation, from orlando to oakland, and some of those scenarios like this mass shooting at a theater seem jarringly real. >> hey. >> reporter: but in oakland, especially in light of increasing tension with police, the focus is on using it to mend frayed relations with the community. >> it actually made me open my eyes more, because i was somebody that villainized officers so now it's my duty to explain that to others that don't understand what law enforcement is about. >> reporter: a directive from the very top. >> how can both people leave that interaction safely? how can we both live through this experience and make sure that nobody gets hurt? i think that's our objective. >> step away from her. >> reporter: and despite the fact that the murder rate in oakland is up nearly 90%, the chief here telling me that his top priority remains de-escalation and rebuilding trust with the community. guys. >> okay, matt, thanks very much. coming up next, summer safety alert. what the lifeguard shortage could mean for your vacation plans. hortage could mean for your vacation

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ask your doctor about eliquis. delicia: this is where all our recycling is sorted -- 1.2 million pounds every day, helping to make san francisco what's around the corner could be worth waiting for. the greenest big city in america. but that's not all you'll find here. there are hundreds of good-paying jobs, with most new workers hired from bayview-hunter's point. we don't just work at recology, we own it, creating opportunity and a better planet. now, that's making a difference. back now with a new warning as america heads back to beaches and pools this summer, there's a nationwide lifeguard shortage. victor oquendo joins us from miami beach with what's behind it. good morning, victor. >> reporter: good morning, george. the pandemic is mostly to blame here but now coastal communities and pools can't hire and train lifeguards fast enough.

let's go up to our drone. there are 36 of these lifeguard stations up and down miami beach manned by nearly twice as many lifeguards during the day but elsewhere across the country, stands like these are empty. this summer, swim at your own risk. that's the urgent message from several beaches and pools across the country that are left unguarded because of a critical lack of lifeguards. >> there's no substitute for safety and the lifeguards are a part of the safety chain. >> reporter: the pandemic is largely to blame. areas are not able to hire and certify lifeguards fast enough. just as more americans are flocking to waterfront destinations. no fun in the sun at this pool in lackawanna state park in pennsylvania, it closed due to staffing shortages. in ohio, notices like these on facebook turning away eager poolgoers, and in austin, they're struggling to stay afloat. just 250 lifeguards this summer compared to 750 in a typical year.

>> we just don't have the time to get the lifeguards trained and on payroll for the summer. >> reporter: we're seeing dangerous rescues and even fatal encounters in areas normally covered by lifeguards like along lake michigan where over the weekend a 14-year-old girl had to be airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. >> it sounds like a wave struck them and they ended up going into some deeper water and getting into problems. >> reporter: there were no lifeguards on duty. instead, these towers stand empty. experts say it's even more important to make sure there is a lifeguard on duty even if you're a strock swimmer. >> when they're on the lifeguard stands they're not waiting for the call. they're there to keep people out of trouble. people that think they don't need lifeguards are probably overestimating their abilities. >> reporter: in several places lifeguards are actually using drones in lifesaving situations >> hope everybody stays safe. >> thank you, victor. well, coming up here, another example why you should

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building a better bay area. moving forward and finding solutions. this is abc7 news. good morning, everyone. julian glover here. let's get a check of the traffic with jobina. good morning, everyone. i am starting with a look at the sensors because a crash that we're following has cleared. the back up is still there. south bound, you're going to start to run in to that slow down. speedings down to 14 miles an hour in the area. it's pretty slow on 80 for people traveling westbound to the maize. once you get to the toll plaza, once you're making the way in, check out that back up. the metering lights came up. . hi, everybody. just a handful of 80s out there. lakeport and otherwise a lot of 70s and 60s in to the coast. we're definitely at and below average, and we will continue through tomorrow and friday back to average, and then it's going to get hot. julianne.

>> thank you, mike. coming up, abc exclusion ivor with american idol star. how he found the courage to come out, and what he has been up to since. as always, the news continues on abc7 news.com.

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good morning, amer good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. could the delta variant derail our progress in the pandemic? now responsible for one in five new covid cases, with the numbers doubling every two weeks and the variant already mutating. why young people are the key to crushing the pandemic. amazon prime day score card. the sales numbers are coming in with amazon sales event, the biggest online shopping day of 2021. is it a sign that our economy is bouncing back? we're celebrating pride month with david archuleta. the "american idol" singer opening up in a "gma" exclusive. how he found the courage to come out. >> i would say please take these feelings away from thee because i don't want to feel things i shouldn't. >> his message to other people struggling. mary j. blige, her journey,

one-on-one with the singer looking back on her groundbreaking album "my life," nearly 30 years later. how the music helped her heal and sparked a movement. ♪ billy crystal live. >> i was being nice. >> joining us on "gma" just ahead with his scary good new show. >> scary feet, scary feet. >> he's saying -- >> hi, i'm billy crystal and, good morning, america. ♪ my mercedes-benz ♪ ♪ we have a big hour ahead for you on this wednesday morning. billy crystal, what more -- he is the best. he's going to join us live and the wonderful harlem samba band from the frederick douglass academy bringing us some music. >> and the guy leading them out there, you'll see him. there he is, that is the band

leader, dr. dana monteiro. he has influenced thousands of students over the years and he went above and beyond to keep everybody connected during the pandemic and coming up, an incredible surprise for him. do not miss it please. >> helping to bring times square back to life. >> out there on military island. the news, growing concern over the delta variant. it's being called the greatest threat to fully eliminating covid and eva pilgrim has more from brooklyn. >> reporter: good morning, george. yeah, the delta variant now accounts for one out of every five new cases here in the united states. and health officials say the key to stopping these new variants and putting an end to the pandemic, vaccines. this morning, concern growing over the delta variant, which now accounts for about 20% of all new cases here in the u.s. the numbers doubling every two weeks. >> good news, our vaccines are effective against the delta variant. we have the tools, so let's use them and crush the outbreak.

>> reporter: the delta variant reported in at least 47 states already appearing to spark outbreaks in areas with lower vaccination rates responsible for half the new cases in parts of the midwest and west. >> what we're seeing now are the patients who are coming in who don't think they're going to get sick from it, who aren't mentally prepared to make life and death decisions, do they want to be intubated? do you want cpr if your heart should stop? >> reporter: health officials say the key to crushing the pandemic, young people. right now only a third of 18 to 24-year-olds have been fully vaccinated but that age group is currently seeing the country's highest rate of cases tied with 25 to 34-year-olds. >> we've got to counter the misinformation that young people never get sick from it. they do but thankfully less than older people and secondly make it easy, i think colleges and universities, as they begin to require vaccines will make a difference. i do think we'll get there. it's just going more slowly than i had hoped. >> reporter: and public health

officials are trying to reach out to those younger audiences right where they are on their cell phones, on social media using tiktokers and instagram influencers to spread this message hoping to encourage younger people to get the vaccine. robin. >> whatever it takes, eva, thank you. massive sales numbers coming in, many hoping it's a sign of america's economy bouncing back. chief business executive and correspondent rebecca jarvis is back with that for us as well. good morning again, rebecca. >> reporter: hi, robin. nice to see you again. the lesson here is if you have a sale, americans will come and they will come especially if they don't have to get off their couch to do it. think about this. amazon prime day started in 2015 as a way to boost sleepy summer sales, adobe analytics believes amazon did at least $5.6 billion in sales on the first day of prime day, $5.6 billion on monday. and the biggest items that were

sold overall throughout the course of the sales shopping holiday were $30 and under, some of the most popular items include amazon's devices like the fire stick, an electric dental flosser, always popular instant pot and irobot roomba. i don't know if t.j. got his but a lot of americans got one. >> i was giving him the side-eye about that one. what about other retailers? >> reporter: everybody did well overall over the sales holiday. e-marketer is forecasting $12 billion in sales over the course of the last handful of days, a staggering number. 12 billion. >> that is. as always, many thanks. >> we got to chip in for a christmas gift. >> i know. i feel bad. >> that's months away. >> i said early. >> sorry, i missed that part. >> christmas in july. you never heard of it? >> whipping child this morning. coming up, "american idol" star david archuleta and how he

got the courage to come out. also, the great billy crystal talking about the new "monsters inc." spinoff. surprise for a very special teacher and the leader of the great harlem samba band. we'll be right back. ♪

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montana, taking to the beautiful big sky country and meet the incredible people helping that state re-open. >> truly is a big sky out there. now some "pop news" with lara. good morning, lara. >> hello, robin. hi, you guys, and hello to you all. we're going to begin with snow white. did you know that the original animated movie is one of the highest grossing of all time? so no surprise disney wants to do a live-action version of the story and rachel zegler is their lead. the 20-year-old is on quite a role chosen by steven spielberg a year or so ago to play the lead in his upcoming "west side story" as well, rachel confirming the great news writing, well, hello to a dream come true, and she also posted this video meeting snow white at disneyland, so cute. there she is, production on this live-action "snow white" set to begin sometime in 2022. also this morning a new look at steve martin, martin short

and selena gomez in "only murders in the building." steve martin takes to twitter saying, not a teaser, not a trailer, but a teaser/trailer. two for the price of one. take a look. >> are you associated with the deceased? >> no, no. we're neighbors in the building. >> just in passing. >> when we pass by him. >> before he passed. >> that's right. >> "only murders in the building" follows the story of three strangers, they live in the same new york city building, they all happen to be obsessed with true crime and then they find themselves in the middle of one. the upcoming series is also set to star the wonderful nathan lane and sting will reportedly make an appearance. "only murders in the building" premiering on hulu august 31st. cannot wait. and finally, i thought i would share with you two classic new york moments, first, a street artist paying homage to legendary actress meryl streep in a very new york kind of way and he transformed all of the

signs to read 72 streep to mark her 72nd birthday yesterday and then check this out. nothing to see here, no, nothing to see here, just a guy flying over times square. no big deal. yeah, that's 28-year-old engineer hunter kowald lifting about 30 feet off the ground taking to twitter and youtube with these videos showing his flight. he created what he calls his sky surfer himself. he says he did check with police before his times square flight. really? because my producer says that it's illegal to use a drone in new york city. i'm just saying, t.j. on that note, back to you. >> what does check with mean? [ laughter ] all right, lara, you know -- >> exactly. >> walking through times square i don't know if we would have noticed so much is going on. it just looks normal. all right, lara, thank you. we want to turn to our "gma" cover story. abc news exclusive as we

celebrate pride month. singer david archuleta found fame on "american idol" and he's opening now about coming out and we go to steve osunsami. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, t.j. what a kind spirit this young man is. he still even has the car that he won on the tv show all those years ago and he has fans across the world. david archuleta is sharing his truth this morning about his sexuality, his faith and where the two meet. ♪ we've been down that road before ♪ ♪ but that's over now ♪ >> reporter: he grew up a real "american idol" singing his way into the hearts of young girls, and no matter how anyone feels about what he wants to share here, david archuleta says he's still a man of faith and a child of god. do you feel now that the weight has been lifted off of your shoulders? >> yeah, there's so much relief to not feel like you have to hide a part of yourself like a secret.

>> how would you describe your sexual orientation? >> i would still -- i'd say that i don't know, i guess. some form of being bisexual because i still -- i'm still attracted to both. whether i want to or not. >> reporter: we sat down with him and it got very personal at city winery in nashville where he now lives, a venue where he's performed before. have you dated a guy at this point? >> i haven't. >> you haven't. no boyfriend. >> no. >> no guy? >> in my post i mention i still believe in saving myself for marriage. >> reporter: it was this post on instagram where the now 30-year-old devout mormon decided to tell the world that i came out in 2014 as gay to my family, but then i had similar feelings for both genders and that he identified on a spectrum of bisexual. he had just broken up with a girlfriend. he wrote that he is sharing this

to help christians like himself who are wrestling to follow their beliefs that are so important to them. did you pray over this? >> yeah, i've prayed. i was praying like, god, you can do all things, you are a god of miracles, and i know you've allowed the blind to see and you rose the dead to rise again, so i would say, at least take these feelings away from me because i don't want to feel things i shouldn't. i don't want to feel things that would be wrong and so that's been the process i've had to learn how to love myself even when i don't understand why i'm the way i am but to learn that that's how god has created me and i have to discover that and there's so many millions of other people who have gone through the same thing as me

where they've tried to change who they are. >> reporter: archuleta became a teenage star after placing second during the seventh season of "american idol" in 2008. tell me where are you with your music? what are you working on? >> last year i released an album during quarantine, and then, i'm releasing the children's book as well, which i'm so excited about. it's called "my little prayer" and it comes out in the fall. >> reporter: he said he shared his truth with a few leaders in the mormon church and has not felt rejected. as a mormon he completed his missionary service in 2012 in south america and that is where he was when he said he said to himself, the words. he says he still believes in chastity but isn't sure whether he's waiting to save himself for marriage to a woman or a man. he's super sensitive guy and could be a lot easier on himself

and is celebrating pride this month, t.j., his way. t.j. >> all right, steve, thank you for that. you can see more of his interview with david archuleta tonight on "nightline." robin. now to mary j. blige. it's been nearly 30 years since her groundbreaking album "my life" sparked a music movement. now, a new documentary is turning the spotlight on her life. janai norman, she got the chance to talk with mary j. good morning, janai. >> reporter: robin, i absolutely got they chance to, and it was an amazing conversation. she was so open and vulnerable, but if you're a mary j. blige fan, that's who you know her to be, authentically herself. and so inspiring. in the documentary, she said we did something powerful but inspiring each other to want to live to see another day and she turned that dark time in her life into a beacon of light to help uplift millions of fans for a generation. ♪ i'm going down ♪ ♪ i'm going down ♪

>> reporter: it's the album that sparked a movement, "my life" by mary j. blige. ♪ sleep don't come easy ♪ >> reporter: and nearly three decades later the queen of hip-hop and r&b is looking back on a new documentary on amazon. "mary j. blige: my life." >> "my life" is my darkest album at one of the darkest types i had. >> why do you think it still resonates with so many people all these years later? >> because so many people are still hurting. a lot of people can relate to another person going through it. you could feel it in the music. >> is there a song on the album that you could listen to on repeat? >> the whole album i can listen to, but i can't listen to it on repeat, because it's just -- at some point i will start crying. now not because i'm sad, because i made it out of that. i made it. i could have -- yeah, the triumph of it all is i'm alive

to feel it like i'm no longer dying. >> reporter: her sophomore release catapulted to the charts in 1994 and has reigned supreme as one of "rolling stone's" top 500 greatest albums of all time. this album was an anthem for so many people, but particularly for women struggling in relationships with family, through trauma, personal struggles. what does it mean to you to have it received that way? >> we're celebrating it from a positive perspective now. we're not crying and dying, you know, we're telling the story about how heavy and dark life was then, but it's a celebration because we're here because, you know, i didn't want to live when i was doing it. i just -- i always credit god for using me the way he did and allow me to be a vessel to help women heal. ♪ ♪ real love ♪ >> reporter: mary looks back on that road to healing once paved

by her past depression and suicidal thoughts. documentary where you are listening to part of the album and you break down crying. talk to me about what was going through your mind then. >> just of all the pain that i suffered. ooh, excuse me. just all the pain, why is all this happening to me? and just the pain of that alone is what i was dealing with, just why? why do i have to suffer so much? i'm sorry. >> that's okay. >> just painful, painful hating yourself. painful not loving yourself. i just was bouncing trying to survive. singing for my life literally. >> reporter: her musical success, a testament to her journey to self-love and survival. ♪ i won't change my life ♪

♪ my life ♪ ♪ just fine ♪ >> it's beautiful. it's the most beautiful thing to explore self-love for myself to know that i have it, to be by myself as much as i am and like my company, it is amazing. i'm still in the healing process bt the heaviness of it is gone. >> fill in the blank for me. today mary j. blige is -- >> strong. ♪ just fine ♪ >> and she talked about how despite all that she's overcome she still struggles in some ways. the healing process is a testament to the fact it's still ongoing. so i asked her when she's having a hard day, what does she tell herself? what does she tell mary to keep going? it's basic affirmations. you are strong, you are powerful and you are loved. robin, she is so loved. >> she is so loved. oh, my goodness.

what was it like to sit across from her when she was having so much emotion in talking with you about that time in her life? >> you know, robin, honestly and i didn't want the producers to show you, i actually started crying. to have someone who is this superstar mary j. blige but being so open and honest talking about the mental health aspect that we don't get a lot it was so powerful and so moving. >> thank you for bringing that us to. appreciate it as always, janai. "mary j. blige: my life" premieres this friday, june 25th, on amazon prime video. now checking in again with ginger. good morning, ginger. >> and, robin, good morning to you. you know i love mary sharing all and love "i'm fine." it's crisp and new storms to talk about. you can see some of the golf ball size hail that was flying in nebraska there and then in des moines decks covered in the pea-sized hail so thunderstorms with that. there's now a low and cold front that we'll be watching so kind of squeezing between both today and tomorrow, a risk for

bra san francisco 67. a lot of 70s until you get to the extremes. tonight we will fall back in to the 50s with a little bit of drizzle. the heat rising, so there's a risk of illness anananananananananananan now to one of the men who changed the idea of what a chef could be, the original celebrity chef, our friend wolfgang puck is at the center of a new documentary about his life and how he changed the way so many of us eat. kaylee hartung spoke with him. >> i'm going to go in the dining room. >> reporter: with more than 25 restaurants worldwide, chef wolfgang puck's vision for fine dining changed the industry, creating the term celebrity chef. >> we have to stretch the dough. >> reporter: wolfgang taking "gma" inside his kitchen to talk

food, family and his future. when you first opened spago in 1982, did you ever imagine how your brand would grow around the globe? >> it was a crazy time. nobody had done that before. i thought if people see what we cook, it's almost like theater. all right, look how beautiful. >> reporter: known as one of the pioneers of fusion cuisine, his first restaurant spago, now recognized among the top 40 restaurants in the u.s. >> you know, my favorite times of my life, the good memories as a kid was always in the kitchen and that's why i love to have my children with me in the kitchen too. >> are you going to prepare it? >> yeah. >> i'll help you. >> thank you. >> reporter: in his new documentary "wolfgang," the 71-year-old talks about his own difficult childhood and how he continued to persevere in the kitchen.

>> life with my stepfather was really rough. he would say, you're never going to be anything. if you are a real man, stay out of the kitchen. i am so glad absolutely that it came out because it really showed my life before i became well known. i didn't grow up rich. i didn't grow up having a lot. everybody has adversity, everybody has to overcome them and i think -- i hope i inspire some young people. >> "wolfgang" premieres on disney plus friday, billy crystal is next. >> announcer: tomorrow, this "gma" summer concert will light up your morning when dj denice and kiana lede perform for you. ♪ where i'd rather be ♪ >> announcer: tomorrow on "good morning america's" summer concert series sponsored by caesars rewards. rather be ♪ >> announcer: tomorrow on "good morning america's" summer concert series sponsored by caesars rewards.

building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc7 news. >> good morning, everyone. i am kumasi aaron from abc7 mornings. >> good morning, everyone, we are going to start out with a live look in oakland. so far, things are moving smoothly there. it's a little bit better at the bay bridge toll plaza. the backup is [ inaudible ] i do want to point out our sensors coming down from about el cerrito area through berkeley down into [ inaudible ] average speeds are tracking between 49 and 40 miles

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here's a live look at san mateo bridge. there was a little drizzle this morning yesterday. temperatures are pretty temperate today by summer averages. look at all this clean air that rolls through at least friday. friday is the day we finally warmed back to average after being below average today and tomorrow. inland heat wave will sometimes slip into the bay.

we are looking at 80s and 90s ♪ i need you to hold on ♪ nice summer morning in times square. we are back with billy crystal. he is bringing back the famous mike wyzowski in a new spin-off series. >> "monsters at work" picks up the day after the "monsters, inc." power plant used laughter to power the city, and mr. billy crystal himself joins us now. good morning, sir. how are you? >> i'm sleepy still. it's 5:30 here. i love the show so that's why i'm up. >> you can take a nap afterwards. you love mike wyzowski, don't you? >> i do.

he's like -- george, really he's my favorite character of anybody i've ever had a chance to play on stage or in movies, i love him because he's so positive and he doesn't let anything get in his way and i've always loved that about him and he's unpredictable. he can break out into song, he's romantic, he's outrageous, and he tries so hard to be better than he really is. and i have with me -- because it's the 20th anniversary of the movie, of "monsters, inc." and this was the first prototype when john lasseter came over to show me this character and told me the story of "monsters, inc," this was the first prototype that they made so i just wanted to show everybody that because it's one of my favorite possessions that i have, you know. i love this guy. >> it's early for you and you are still prepared with a little show and tell for us this morning. we appreciate it. >> listen, after the way that

clipper game ended last night i didn't sleep much anyway. >> that was supposed to be the question we were going to wrap with. let's stick with "monsters at work." >> i got it out of the way. >> given the career you've had it's something to hear you say this is one of your favorite characters, what are you excited now about this character, mike and sully. what are you excited about them doing next now? >> the series which is a ten-parter is really a continuation of "monsters, inc." it starts as you said the day after the movie ended and so it's not a sequel. it's a continuing story and john goodman and i are back, but there's also all these wonderful funny and inventive new characters and wonderful actors playing them. mindy kaling, henry winkler, young ben feldman and it's a really great story because we've now -- we're harnessing the laughs of children instead of their screams and young tyler tuskman who ben feldman plays thought he had a job as a scarer

only to come to the scare floor and find out that it's the laugh floor so you have these unfunny people trying to be funny which makes it really funny. >> and at the end of every episode mike teaches a comedy class. let's take a look. >> yeah. ♪ >> comedy can be dangerous, my friends, i'll tell you why. when you make kids laugh and giggle they can split a gut, so beware there's a chance you can make a kid laugh so hard they can pee their pants. >> you said your grandkids. i don't know the ages now, but you said they used to call you up and they wanted you to do mike over the phone with you. are they too old for that now? >> they're way too old for that now. if they did that i'd be worried about them. yeah, when the movie first came out and 20 years ago and then, you know, the thing about "monsters, inc." is that it's an evergreen. it just is out there and for generations to enjoy and new

ones will so when they were little, i didn't really tell them what i did, you know, i couldn't really explain it, you know, the deli scene from "harry and sally" to little kids, why is she screaming. the pastrami is too spicy. you couldn't really do that so they saw "monsters," and then they would call the house and i'd answer, hello, and they go, oh, is mike there and for like six months i had to be mike instead of grandpa b. >> you mentioned the deli scene. what happens when you go to katz's deli now? >> well, i don't because of a gallbladder issue but -- no, i sneak in there. i lived not far from there, and sometimes i'll sneak in, and if someone spots me it's a problem because they'll start faking orgasms and, you know, and when it's a guy it's very weird. it can get very strange.

>> okay, we'll pick another place when we go to lunch. >> is this too early for this? >> well, it was too early. we'll let you go here, but, yes, last night i assume you were watching the game. what are you going to do with your clippers? >> we're down 0-2 so we got them right where we want them. [ laughter ] >> billy, thanks for getting up. it's always great to have you on. "monsters at work" begins streaming wednesday, july 7th, on disney plus. new episodes drop every wednesday. coming up, we're revealing the u.s. women's national soccer team going to the tokyo olympics talking with the team's biggest stars. ♪ hey now you're a rock star get ♪ i'd do anything ♪ [ dog stomach grumbling ] ♪ for you dear anything ♪ [ dog stomach grumbling ] follow me. hill's science diet perfection digestion is one of the many 'anythings' petsmart provides.

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♪ hey now ♪ we're back now on "gma" and the face behind that soccer ball is one of the incredible women who will be representing the united states of america at the olympics in tokyo this summer. we'll reveal who that is in just a minute, but first, with the games just a month away, we have the honor of revealing the entire u.s. women's national team roster right here on "gma." take a look at these amazing players who will be going for gold. 11 players are returning from the 2016 olympics including julie ertz, carli lloyd and, wait, there's more. 17 are from the 2019 women's world cup. megan rapinoe, alyssa naeher.

look at that lineup. t.j., who's that mystery 18th player? who could that be? it is, ladies and gentlemen, there it is, yes, alex morgan, two-time olympian now headed to her third -- congratulations. so excited for you. >> thank you, robin. so good to see you. >> great to see you as always. oh, here we are again, here we go. now, you all have known just this past week, you played with a lot of these women, is it coming together? are you jelling on the field? >> we're feeling really good. you know, obviously we had some time off which was forced because of the pandemic. but i'm not going to lie, we could have used a little time away from each other so i think now we're really motivated. the roster is set and so all eyes are on tokyo now. >> all eyes on tokyo. and i have had the privilege of spending time with you all over the years, and you are such a tight unit. i can understand, i can relate that you need a little time apart.

it doesn't hurt, but now you are coming together going to tokyo but how is it going to be because there cannot be any u.s. fans, there can only be locals that can attend the games, so not having any international fan base, have you all talked about it? how you feel, the atmosphere may be different this time, alex. >> yeah, it's going to be different for sure. you know, initially i thought, oh, like it's no big deal. we show up. we tune out the fans anyways, but then playing in front of no fans and all of a sudden we get a sellout crowd in austin as you can see, with that game being shown right now, it was just so electrifying like it was so fun, so we're going to need to rope it back in and really like motivate each other on the field and hopefully we'll have some fans, even if it's some fans in japan, you know, domestic fans, some noise is better than none. >> and you all, you deserve that.

you really do. who do you think your biggest competition will be this time around? >> i mean, when you have 12 teams in olympics, you know, in comparison to overall you have double that, every team will be difficult. we seem to always find ourselves playing sweden in every major tournament so starting off playing sweden and last olympics they actually kicked us out of rio so that's going to be a big game. >> that will be a big game and, yes, you have been to the olympics before. but this is the first time that you're going as a mom. your little girl just recently turned 1. she's already -- she can't be 1 already. come on, alex. >> it's crazy, i know. >> it must be. so does this add a little something even more special now that you're mom and here and playing for the gold again. >> yeah, you know, just playing for charlie and being a mom and

kind of just being able to show that it's possible to be a mom, i'm actually the 13th mom on the national team, so i'm here representing all the future moms and i'm trying to show that, you know, we can do it all. as challenging as it is and, you know, you have to figure it out, you have to be mom and a professional athlete there's a lot of athletes going to tokyo that are also fellow mom athletes and i'm excited to catch up with them and kind of just represent all the moms. >> soccer moms unite. all right, alex morgan. >> i know, i'm officially a soccer mom. >> you're officially a soccer mom, no doubt about it. >> thank you so much in allowing us to reveal all your teammates. we're very excited. very, very excited for you. you take care. >> yeah, you too. thank you. >> hope to see you down the road very soon. alex morgan here on "gma" revealing the olympic team. pinch me. >> just love this.

>> i know. let's go back to ginger, ginger. thank you, robin. all right, so we know that seattle and portland this weekend could break all-time record highs, but look at st. petersburg, russia, where they had their hottest temperatures since 1998. people trying to cool themselves off in the low to mid-90s. that heat spread east into even siberia above the arctic circle, ground temperatures at 118. now, this is not just a heat wave for now. this has been going on for months throughout the spring and the arctic and russia, by the way, warming at 2 1/2 times the rate of the globe so big headline there. that's the big picture. good morning. i am abc7 news meet #3450e9 nick mike marc. with faster sunshine, temperatures average to below in the inland and neighboring neighborhohohohohohohohohohohoho >> stand up.hohohohohohohohohoho stand up. we're going outside, t.j.

we're going to go out to times square. our big surprise and a t-shirt for who leads the amazing harlem samba band you see right there. let's head outside, teej. we'll be right back. ♪

♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] wonderful. >> welcome back to "gma." how are you doing, young fella? welcome back. the harlem samba have been

performing for us all morning long in times square. you're not just here to entertain. this is dr. dana monteiro, a teacher who leads the band. good to have you with us this morning. >> nice to be here. >> life with drums. life with drums. it's been wonderful being back outside here with everybody. music that you are bringing to us, but that's not the only reason we are here, dr. monteiro. we want the country to know your story. this is a celebration for you. take a look. >> all right. ♪ >> reporter: this is the drum beat and heartbeat of frederick douglass academy in new york city. >> i would just walk down the hallways and you could just hear the drums playing and all the music in the background. i'm like, i think i want to be a part of that. >> reporter: known as the harlem samba, proudly led by dr. dana monteiro who is making music accessible through the rhythm of drums. ♪

>> samba is rooted in african culture and for us being in harlem, being in a place where most people relate to african culture, the drumbeat is a part of your dna. you can't help but support it and want to be a part of it. >> reporter: inspired by a trip to brazil 15 years ago, the classically trained trumpet player became motivated to learn and teach the language of samba. ♪ today dr. monteiro has transformed a music class into a thriving community. >> being a part of this community meant a lot to me because it was a family. >> as a student a lot of people did not have the opportunity to go outside the confines of harlem and music opened a lot of doors for us. >> video lesson for how to play the break. >> reporter: when the pandemic hit last year, dr. monteiro got creative going virtual, not missing a beat. >> dr. monteiro rented a recording studio during the

pandemic and recorded all the pieces of the sound of samba for students. ♪ there's a video online where he plays all the different parts of the samba. he told me that it took ten hours to record that video that was 30 seconds long. it's the epitome of going above and beyond for students. >> really motivated me even to push in my other courses i have dr. monteiro to believe in me. >> when dr. monteiro had emailed us that he was able to let us back into the school building to play again, that like lit something up inside of me knowing that i'll be able to go back and play with dr. monteiro was the best moment for me. >> reporter: dr. monteiro using the power of music to help his students succeed on stage and off. >> thank you, dr. monteiro. for everything. >> i just want to say thank you so much for being the best teacher and really just being there for us.

>> you've left such a huge impact on my life so thank you again, dr. monteiro. we love you. >> dr. monteiro, ladies and gentlemen. [ cheers and applause ] >> yes. >> what a surprise. >> you got a crick in your neck looking up at the jumbotron. but to hear what students, alumni have said about you, what does that mean to you? >> it's very special, especially this year. >> because of all -- >> it's been very difficult and everybody had a hard time and we've all -- we've all worked so hard to try to maintain what we had and to give back so it's very special. to be surprised like this. >> where does the passion come from? how many trips did you make to brazil? how many trips? >> 23 visits back and forth and also learning from people here in new york city and learning from people in other countries and it was tough. >> where is chloe? we talk about the music but it's

more than just the music this guy means to you. >> yeah, absolutely, so dr. monteiro has influenced my life in many ways, one being that he's taught me how to be a leader, second he has taught me the importance of knowing and getting to know the members and those that are around you, and lastly, he's taught me how to trust my own potential and my abilities and those around me. >> oh, wow. >> he's left a huge impact on my life. >> that is wonderful. i mean, to know -- that's what all teachers, just want to know you've made that kind of impact, don't you? >> yes, it's good to know. it's worth waking up every day. >> goodness gracious. i hope this is worth waking up for. >> yes. >> not just this, look up again at the jumbotron. we have a little something for you. guess what, guess what, guess what, well, the flag award for teaching excellence is going to you, sir. $25,000. [ cheers and applause ] >> oh. >> the mission to help celebrate, to help celebrate exceptional teachers such as yourself but, wait, there's more. in addition to the $25,000,

they're going to also award $10,000 to your program's art program. the art program. so $25,000 to you, $10,000 to the school. what will you be able to do with this? >> oh, we are going to -- we're going to try to get technology. we've been using technology the whole year. we're going to try to get it to be part of what we do and try to help us to bring -- to bring our program back as fast as possible. >> they were waiting on you to say we're all going to brazil. >> yes, i know they were. >> that's not it but really congrats. it is so cool. we've been out here -- we knew this was coming. you didn't. they all helped pull this off so thank you to the kids, as well. congratulations. >> what do you want to say to fellow teachers, especially what you all have gone through this past year? >> it was a difficult year and i think that next year will be better and one important message

i think that comes from my samba program is try to be different and try to do things not in a normal way. it's not normal for a school to have samba and it's been such a great thing for our whole school community to have something different, something new. >> it's wonderful. you all want to play us off a little bit? you want to hit a little something-something as we go to commercial break? can you? >> here we go. straight in. one, two, three. and -- ♪ ♪

congratulations again to dr. monteiro and the samba band, thank you from harlem. have a great day, everybody. ♪ ♪ ♪start spreading the news♪ ♪i'm leaving today♪ ♪i want to be a part of it♪ ♪new york, new york♪

♪it's up to you♪ ♪new york, new york♪ ♪new york♪ [ birds chirping ] oh. oroweat small slice. i wonder if this has the same quality ingredients as the original whole grains bread? great question, dad. and it does. it has all the same nutritious deliciousness as the original slice but only a little bit smaller.

just like timmy here. my name's lucas. it sure is bobby. enjoy family. enjoy. he looks smaller in person. i heard that. [hippo groans melodically] [iguana belts major 3rd] [gator reverb] [splash] [singing indri sings] [elephant trumpets] [buffalo punish timpani] [cassowary crescendo] ♪ [goat does a sick vibrato] ♪

building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc7 news. >> good morning, everyone. i am kumasi aaron. jobina is standing by to a look at the roadways. >> we are taking a live look at walnut creek. i have the blue sign appear because in pleasant hills, not too far away on south 80, there is a crash. things have really improved here on the bay bridge. >> thank you, jobina. great news there. if you don't like the great news here, 60s through 80s inland not only today inland from the coast, tomorrow as well. and inland heat wave develops with a risk of heat illness and fire threat enhancing over the

fire threat enhancing over the weekend. it's live with kelly and ryan! today, straight from the big screen, actress jennifer garner. plus, a good news story you don't want to miss. and, from da 5 bloods, actor delroy lindo. plus, the staff shows off their precious pups. all next on live. ♪ and now, here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest! ♪ hey, déjà! hi. good morning, hey guys! ♪ hi rips, how are you? hey guys. wednesday, june 23rd. good morning national hydration-- by the way, i was just airdropping, which is why i was running on my bad knee. that airdrop thing, i don't understand. that's bizarre, right? i've got four phones, i can airdrop to all types of people around this block. [laughing] look out if you're nearby,