yeah, he's not happy. >> poor oreo. >> upset about less screen time. >> there you go. good morning, america. as we start this thursday together, elsa is hitting the east coast. overnight, path of destruction, elsa turning deadly in florida, tornadoes touching down, one hitting a naval base in georgia. the storm now moving north with torrential rain and damaging winds. ginger and our weather team tracking it all. also breaking overnight, a shootout in haiti between police and four of the haitian president's suspected assassins, two other suspects in custody, as we learn more about how the ambush was carried out in the middle of the night. the president's injured wife flown to a miami hospital for treatment. tale of two americas. heroic frontline workers honored in the former epicenter of the pandemic as hospitalizations

surge in multiple states with low vaccination rates while japan reportedly declaring a state of emergency in tokyo ahead of the olympics. overnight, a moment of silence at the site of the surfside condo collapse. the operation there now a recovery effort as more victims are found. we'll have the l>>country club g suspect who shot three people including a golf pro. police now say the pro witnessed an active crime taking place as they identify the third victim. "real housewives" star's real trouble. why erika girardi may have to pay millions to her estranged husband's alleged victims. terrifying close call caught on camera. a tree crashing into a home narrowly missing a 5-month-old baby in his crib. thankfully he was unharmed. how you can tell if a tree on your property is in danger of falling. ♪ thunder, feel the thunder, lightning and the thunder ♪ and lightning does strike

twice. tampa bay winning its second straight stanley cup, beating the canadiens 1-0, and making tampa the official titletown usa. yeah, lightning striking twice. nice, t.j. holmes, nice. >> thank you. i was up all night with that one. >> i'm sure you are. good morning, america. great to be here with t.j. and george on this very, very busy thursday morning. we'll begin with severe weather. elsa making its way up the east coast, threatening major cities from washington to boston and tropical storm warnings for the northeast. >> this after elsa left a trail of destruction in the south. take a look at that. multiple tornadoes touched down. one at a naval base in kings bay, georgia. at least ten people killed there -- rather, injured, injured, i should say there. >> ginger and our weather team tracking all of that. let's begin with will reeve in jacksonille, florida, where another possible tornado touched

down there overnight. good morning, will. >> reporter: good morning, robin. as elsa made its way through florida it left a lot of damage in its wake. scenes like this, branches strewn all about. the jacksonville area where we are and this apartment complex, look at this, this tree narrowly missing two apartments right there. on the other side of town, a more tragic incident. a man was killed by falling debris. overnight, elsa turning deadly in jacksonville after a possible tornado touched down. >> there's the tornado right there, that is a big tornado. >> reporter: one person killed after a falling tree landed on his car. this security camera capturing strong winds barreling through the street. the storm wreaking havoc. >> i can't believe this happened and so fast, so much damage and just looked so violent. >> reporter: causing this tree to crash into an apartment building. >> this power line right here came down and hit right on this fence and, ba-boom, and then that porch came down. >> reporter: the storm also spawning a possible tornado that

tore through this rv park at kings bay naval base in georgia. >> it is utter chaos over here right now. >> reporter: flipping trailers upside down. >> debris everywhere. trailers knocked over. >> reporter: at least ten people were taken to the hospital with injuries. according to the navy, there appears to be damage to buildings on the base but a spokesperson confirms there is no damage to the submarine stored at the base. elsa now heading north after pummeling florida wednesday. leading to water rescues, flooded roads and thousands without power. the debris and damage here is pretty widespread. everywhere you drive there are scenes like this. there were thousands of people in the jacksonville area without power because of elsa and its lasting effects. here at the pinebrook apartment, the american red cross is offering assistance to anyone impacted by this damage. robin. >> good to hear that. all right, will, thank you. we're going to turn now to ginger with the track of the store, she's in the rockaways

here in new york where they are bracing for elsa's arrival. good morning, ginger. >> reporter: good morning to you, robin. different beach, different morning, same tropical storm elsa. you can see right behind me the surf already kicking up. surfers taking advantage but we're less than 24 hours from seeing impacts, talking about gusty wind, heavy rain and potential for tornadoes still on. let's look at what happened in south carolina, you can see them picking up from what could have been a tornado there. these outer bands are lashing up the east coast and they have already proven, they have the potential to cause tornadoes, so from myrtle beach this morning up through, say, wilmington and wrightsville beach, i want you to be on alert as they move north. north carolina, the outer banks, need to watch out and you'll likely see them extend northward. tropical storm warnings go from long beach, all the way through long island, rhode island, connecticut, robin, and even boston so we'll finally be done by elsa by the time we reach fr

>> all right, we'll check back with you in a little bit. we will go overseas to the assassination of haiti's president and police announced overnight that they killed four of the presumed assassins and captured two others as the first lady recovers in a miami hospital. marcus moore is there at jackson memorial with the latest. good morning, marcus. >> reporter: well, george, good morning. at last report haiti's first lady was in stable, but critical condition at this miami hospital after wednesday's attack. while back in haiti, a violent operation unfolding to catch the president's assassins. overnight, a deadly shootout in haiti. four of the suspected assassins behind the suspected slaining of jovenel moise killed after taking multiple police officers hostage. two other suspects were taken into custody. officials say all three of the officers being held were safely released. >> a lot of us are anticipating the next 24 hours to 72 hours at least to be quite volatile. >> reporter: haitian officials say the well-trained and heavily armed mercenaries ambushed the

own home at 1:00 a.m. wednesday morning killing the president, hours later the critically wounded first lady, martine moise was flown to a miami hospital for treatment. >> it was well-orchestrated attack. >> reporter: the unknown attackers allegedly spoke spanish and english and falsely claimed to be dea agents when they stormed the president's home before vanishing into the night. leaving behind a horrific scene and a country thrown into chaos without a leader. haiti's interim prime minister claude joseph now taking charge temporarily and calling for new elections. >> when you take charge, you need to go forward with organizing elections so we can have an elected president. >> reporter: president biden reacting to the assassination. >> we need a lot more information, but it's very haiti. >> reporter: moise had been ruling by decree for more than a year and facing calls to step down.

amid political turmoil and unrest, along with criticism of his handling of the pandemic, where not a single covid vaccine has been distributed. this morning, haiti's international airport remains closed and officials there declaring a state of siege for the country while many of its people are still in a state of shock trying to understand how this group managed to successfully storm the president's home and why, t.j. >> marcus, thank you so much. we turn now to the latest on the pandemic and overnight, the death toll worldwide from the covid-19 topped 4 million people. communities with lower vaccination rates right now are seeing a rise in cases but according to a new study, america's rapid vaccine rollout has saved up to 279,000 lives. workers honored with a ticker l- tape parade on wednesday. stephanie ramos covering it all for us. good morning to you, stephanie. >> reporter: t.j., good morning. it's been a long wait but new york city is in celebration mode as it sees success in the fight against covid. this vaccination site here, which was once a field hospital

early on in the pandemic, is set to close for good tomorrow. a sign that the city is back. ♪ this morning, cheers of gratitude. new york, once the epicenter of the virus, celebrating where daily hospitalizations and deaths are decreasing. honoring the heroic frontline workers led by nurse sandra lindsay, the first person in the country to receive the covid vaccine. >> i feel so proud, such progress has been made and we need to just keep it going. thank you, new york. >> reporter: but a tale of two americas emerging as new york celebrates nearly 73% of adults receiving their first shot of the vaccine, hospitalizations surging in multiple states with low vaccination rates linked to the delta variant. in missouri, where cases and hospitalizations are surpassing what they saw last fall, only 7% of icu beds are available in the southwest region of the state.

nurse emily mcmichael says it's the worst she has seen since the pandemic began. >> these patients are a lot sicker and a lot younger than what we saw the last go around. it's just really sad to see and a lot of the population is unvaccinated. >> reporter: in western pennsylvania, 73-year-old joe pucci is now battling the delta variant. he received his second dose of the pfizer vaccine in february. but got sick in late june. his family credits the vaccine with keeping him alive. >> i really believe that the vaccine helped, you know, save his life and help him kind of get better. any symptoms whether vaccinated or not, go to the hospital and get checked out. >> reporter: the white house says surge teams intended to help states handle these outbreaks will be deployed to undervaccinated states like missouri and colorado to try to help boost vaccine confidence.

robin. >> all right, stephanie, thank you. that delta variant is spreading across the globe. japan declaring a state of emergency in tokyo ahead of the olympics and james longman is in london with that. good morning, james. >> reporter: yeah, good morning, robin. the olympic games will be held under a state of emergency. that's the extraordinary decision that japan's prime minister announced earlier this morning. he said bars, restaurants and karaoke parlors that serve alcohol must close all to prevent the future spread of the virus, all this is due to go into effect monday and last through the games to august 22nd. cases there do remain relatively low compared to most other countries but they are now rising and crucially, and this is the key, only 15% of the population in japan has received a vaccine. the authorities there have been under pressure for months from a majority of the public who don't want the games to go ahead. while it was hoped spectators would be allowed to watch it's possible no members of the public will be allowed into any

of the events. this as the delta variant surges around the world. it's now the dominant strain in 92 countries, experts underlined that the vaccines do work against this strain, which is why they say it's just so important for countries across africa, asia and south america that are still so far behind on the vaccine rollouts they get os robin. >> we know you'll be part of our olympic team covering the games for us and we look forward to your reporting from tokyo. thank you, james. we'll have the latest on the surfside condo collapse. overnight, a moment of silence for the victims as authorities announce that the mission has moved on from search and rescue to recovery. victor oquendo is on the scene in surfside. good morning, victor. >> reporter: good morning, george. we were here as that difficult decision was announced. this was expected eventually but for anyone who was holding out hope and for the community here in surfside, this news is heartbreaking. overnight, the surfside rescue mission officially becoming a recovery operation. rescuers and officials notifying the families of the missing

before making the official announcement. the mayor overcome with emotion when translating her remarks in spanish. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: it's been 14 days around the clock searching in grueling conditions fighting fires, storms and intense heat, but now authorities determining there is no chance of life in the rubble mainly because of the lack of voids or spaces where someone may have survived. with the remaining portion of the tower demolished crews have been able to reach previously inaccessible areas, on wednesday alone 18 victims were found. the death toll now at 54 with more than 80 still unaccounted for. at sunset last night, rescue personnel and officials gathering for a moment of silence at the collapse site. so many people came out last night to pay their respects. the fire chief wants everyone to understand that this decision was based off of science and engineering, not emotion.

robin. >> but still a tough decision, i'm sure. victor, thank you. we're going to turn now to pope francis. this morning, the vatican announcing the 84-year-old had a fever episode last night three days after that planned surgery. maggie rulli has what we know right now. good morning, maggie. >> reporter: hey, robin, good morning, yeah, there were concerns and the vatican said last night the pope ran a slightly higher than normal fever for a short period of time and this immediately led to fears of an infection but, guys, the good news this morning, earlier today, we learned pope francis had routine tests and scans, all of those doctors say pointed to no signs of an infection and we know the pope is eating, on his regular treatment plan and seems as if he's on the road to recovery. he was even able to give well wishes to young patients in the hospital, so hopefully good news, robin. >> very encouraging. all right. th t.j. now to the surge of gun violence in chicago. this morning, a suspect is in

custody after three officers were shot during an undercover operation and this comes after more than a hundred people were shot over the holiday weekend. our alex perez is there in chicago with the very latest, alex, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning, t.j. those officers were actually not far from a police station in plainclothes headed to an operation when they were attacked. the scene chaotic, first responders scrambling after three undercover officers were shot. this morning, authorities questioning a possible suspect in the case. >> you've got three shot. >> reporter: the shooter opening fire on an unmarked vehicle carrying two federal agents and a chicago cop striking all three. >> they were fired upon while driving all in the same car trying to enter onto the on-ramp. >> was it a marked vehicle? >> it was not a marked vehicle. it was an unmarked undercover vehicle. >> reporter: thankfully authorities say none of the injuries life-threatening. this incident follows a violent holiday weekend in the windy city.

police reporting over 100 people shot and at least 18 killed. this as an alarming increase in gun violence plays out in cities across the country. >> our communities are under siege. our police officers are under siege. they're outmanned and outgunned. >> reporter: now, chicago mayor lori lightfoot did meet with president biden yesterday when he was in town briefly. we're told the two discussed special federal teams that will be dispatched to cities across the country to help tackle gun violence this summer. t.j. >> all right, alex, thank you so much. we turn now to something, another sign that we are coming to another side or another point of this pandemic. remember last year, the nhl, the stanley cup was played in a bubble. well, the tampa bay lightning had to win in a bubble last year. this year they got to win in front of their home fans, the scenes from last night, the tampa bay lightning have now won twice in a row. their second consecutive stanley cup championship. they beat the canadiens last

night, 1-0. this is a third championship in franchise history but second straight title but, again, nice to see them, all right, seeing these crowds and people being in front of the home crowds so something we're celebrating. tampa is celebrating, i don't know, should we call it titletown yet? >> a big year. >> calling them champa bay. because the buccaneers -- you like that? that's not mine but, of course, brady and the buccaneers just won the super bowl and the tampa bay rays, they got to the world series and they're on top of the standings now as well, so champa bay, maybe there's something to it. but congrats to the tampa bay lightning. >> something in the water there. following a lot of other stories including a close call. see this tree crashed into a home showering splinters into a baby's crib. we'll tell you what the parents are saying this morning. and with severe weather across the country, some expert advice on keeping your home safe. and the rise of shrinkflation. that's the subtle way you may be

getting less at the store for the same amount of money. becky worley will bring us that report. but first, back to ginger. ginger. >> hey there, robin. you can see the surf kicking up in the rockaways and do anticipate from long island all the way up through rhode island, connecticut and boston those tropical storm warnings to be up. even if inland there will be impacts from elsa. look alt the flash flood watches that extend anywhere from richmond to allentown, pennsylvania, to even rumford, maine. they are going to all be on the lookout for three to five inches that could fall quickly so that's well beyond where that tornado watch is now in north carolina anticipating heavy rain. even worcester could pick up some.

good thursday morning. i am mike nicco. more sunshine as we transition to the heat wave that hits tomorrow through the weekend with moderate to very high risk of heat illness. today 70 san francisco, 100s in lakeport, fairfield, antioch. most in the 70s and 80s around the bay. 50s "beautiful day" written by robin roberts and india.arie. >> i love the song. >> dropping some knowledge on you. we'll be right back. well, well, well. look at you. you mastered the master bath. you created your own style. and you - yes, you! turned a sourdough starter

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but for everyone. ♪ building a better bay area. moving forward. finding solutions. this is abc7 news. good morning. i am reggie agui . the san francisco unified school district will have a town hall to talk about return to full in person learning. the main take away has been that all students and staff will have to wear masks. >> with masking, and good fresh air, we can keep all kids safe. there are very few in my mind who really shouldn't be back in person. >> the district is encouraging everyone 12 and up to get vaccinated. they go back to school august 16. whatever happened to back

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to form a shield that's proven to keep killing bacteria for 24 hours... ...touch after touch. microban 24. we have unfinished business. we have to go back to where it all started. >> lucky us. >> lucky us. welcome back to "gma." we are counting down to "black widow" finally hitting theaters tomorrow. it is one of the most eagerly anticipated movies of the summer. fandango reporting that the marvel movie has already zoomed past "f9" in presales. industry experts predicting a massive weekend for the blockbuster with more and more people returning to the movie theaters. >> ready to get back to normal. >> yeah. following a lot of headlines this morning including some severe weather. elsa is making its way up the eastwarnings issued for the northeast. elsa did leave a trail of destruction in the south, multiple tornadoes touched down

including one at a naval base in georgia. ginger and our weather team tracking all that this morning. and the latest on the pandemic. the covid-19 death toll topped 4 million worldwide as hospitalizations surge in multiple states with low vaccination rates. but a new study shows that america's rapid vaccine rollout saved up to 279,000 lives. also, nba finals game two set for tonight in phoenix. the milwaukee bucks are down 1-0. so that means they have the suns right where they want them. >> right. >> the bucks have been down 1-0 in the past two series and moved on to win so ga tonight right he a lot more ahead here on "gma" including that close call. we've been seeing this, tree crashing into a house, some of the debris from that tree crashing goes into a baby's crib. see that. this was all caught on camera. also a "gma" investigation. some consumers saying they're paying the same price but they're getting smaller packages.

we're going to look into that coming up, george. right now we're going to get the latest on the georgia country club killing. the golf pro shot to death was witnessing an active crime. they've also revealed the identity of a third victim and trevor ault is tracking it from cobb county, georgia, good morning, trevor. >> reporter: good morning, george. these murders have really rocked this community. one neighbor told us before this, he thought the most dangerous thing about the area was crossing the street to get to the course. now, authorities are days into an urgent search for a killer that they still have not identified. this morning, authorities urgently searching for the suspect behind that bizarre murder scene on this georgia golf course. three men found dead, one shot on the green, two found deceased in the body of this truck. >> a white pickup truck drove onto the putting green. shots were fired, and now there's a man laying on the ground. >> reporter: eugene siller, a golf pro was killed by the

driver of this white truck, that siller happened upon a crime in progress and was killed because he witnessed an active crime taking place. the shooter who has not been named fled the scene before officers arrived. >> he believes that the shooter had a white shirt on, possibly a dark-skinned, hispanic male. >> reporter: police say the other victims are 46-year-old henry valdez and 76-year-old paul pearson. their connection to the suspect, if any, has not been made public. in a statement to abc news, the valdez family remembering henry as a caring man writing, henry was a loving son, brother, uncle and friend, a lover of music, surfing, traveling and made friends wherever he traveled to. his laugh could erupt a room and his big heart will be missed greatly. and this morning, the golf course is back open. we've seen the landscaping crews out here but the 10th hole behind me is still closed and you can see there leading up to the green friends and family have made a makeshift memorial laying down flowers, t.j.

>> all right, trevor, thank you so much. want to turn now to a terrifying close call that was caught on tape. tree crashes through a home. narrowly missing a baby in its crib. you see some of the debris falling onto the child there. this was as severe weather sweeping across the country. our janai norman here with more on what you can actually look for to keep your home and family safe. janai, good morning to you. >> reporter: t.j., good morning. tis is the stuff a parent's worst nightmare is made of. not only a massive tree falling on to your home but right in the area of young child's room. we spoke to experts about how to avoid it. this is the horrifying moment captured on a baby monitor. when a tree crashes into a home in louisiana, narrowly missing a 5-month-old baby. >> oh, my god. oh, my god. oh, my god. >> all of a sudden we hear a really loud noise. the weather had been bad for about an hour but nothing to

this, you know, magnitude. >> reporter: courtney and kale buchholtz had just put their son down to sleep friday night when they heard a massive crash. >> it felt like the longest time to get to his room. when in reality it was only just a few seconds. >> reporter: rafters, insulation and debris surrounding the baby. thankfully he was unharmed. >> i think the biggest takeaway is, you know, it makes you realize what's important and what's not. a house is just a house and family is what matters. >> reporter: experts say the family was extremely lucky in this case. collapsing trees cannot only be damaging but deadly. so how do you know if your tree is at risk? experts say you need to inspect your trees on a regular basis. >> it's really important to have your trees inspected by a certified arborist, one who's qualified in tree risk assessment. looking for these defects.

>> reporter: and before a storm comes, smiley says to be mindful about the placement of your home. >> if you're concerned about a big tree over a certain part of the house, so maybe move where you're sleeping during the storm. >> reporter: courtney says when they realized a tree crashed through the roof she knew they had to get to their son no matter what it took. thankfully they are all okay but extremely terrifying moments, guys. >> absolutely, so as you said, so glad that little baby is okay. all right, janai, thank you. now we have a consumer alert. a look at what you may be getting at the store or rather not getting at the store. some shoppers say manufacturers are putting less in their packages but keeping prices the same. consumer correspondent becky worley joins us with what to look out for. good morning, becky. >> reporter: robin, good morning. value is the measure of what you get for the amount you pay, yes, prices have been going up, but now another form of inflation, it's called shrinkflation. you pay the same amount of

for things but you get less. this morning, experts warn shrinkflation is on the rise. >> rather than explicitly increasing the price of a product, producers will instead change the size, usually making it slightly smaller. the conventional wisdom is that an explicit price increase might be noticed by consumers and might be met negatively to it but a small size might not be as observable. >> reporter: that's right, some manufacturers quietly shrinking package sizes and in some cases consumers paying the same price. edgar is a consumer watch specialist. >> paper goods, cookies, snack crackers, margarine, hot dogs. >> reporter: he says even doritos. one smart shopper alerting him in march that this 9.75 ounce package of doritos is now half an ounce smaller, 9.25 ounces. in june, we found walmart selling the smaller bag online

for 22 cents more than the larger one. >> now you're probably not going to miss it but think from the frito-lay standpoint. if they save half an ounce on every bag, multiply that times the tens of millions of bags, that's a big savings for them. >> reporter: another consumer reporting that wheat thins are also thinning out. >> wheat thins, real snacks for real life. >> reporter: the savvy shopper telling him the box was 16 ounces in 2020, but is 14 ounces this year, in may the shopper finding walmart selling the two different size packages for the same price. >> you're getting two ounces less. so in essence you're paying more. you're going to have to go to the store more often because the package empties quicker. >> reporter: when we rea mers o wheat thins we didn't get a response. in paper products these costco brand paper towels going from

160 sheets on a roll last year to 140 sheets this year. costco telling abc news the change is temporary due to increased demand and the price was dropped accordingly. >> so you probably lost a full roll in one of those large packages. >> reporter: to fight shrinkflation, experts say price per unit is more important to pay attention to than ever. we tend to remember how much things cost but can i tell just by look or feel that this is a few ounces lighter or 30 sheets fewer? i can't. price per unit is what tells you that, robin. that's usually listed right there on the shelf. >> sneaky, sneaky. sneaky. becky, you have a tip about buying in bulk? >> yeah, i mean as always, this is the way to save when prices start going up. so, even if you go in on paper towels or tp with another family down the street, it does help to keep the unit cost down on many of these household items. every little penny counts, right? >> it really does. are you having doritos for breakfast?

>> i will be. i will. let me break into those now. >> you got the paper towels to clean up. as always, thank you, becky. coming up, "real housewives" star erika jayne, why she may have to pay off her estranged husband's embezzling victims. we'll be right back. rinvoq a once-daily pill can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. and for some, rinvoq can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive immune system attacks your joints. rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious infections and blood clots, sometimes fatal, have occurred as have certain cancers, including lymphoma, and tears in the stomach or intestines, and changes in lab results. your doctor should monitor your bloodwork. tell your doctor about any infections... and if you are or may become pregnant while taking rinvoq.

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embezzling millions to support a lavish lifestyle and now some of his former clients can sue her to get the money back. rebecca jarvis has details. good morning, rebecca. >> reporter: good morning, george. yeah, this is a high-profile case and it's getting new attention this morning after a california bankruptcy judge has given the green light ruling that former clients of tom girardi can now go after erika jayne for up to $11 million in payments. >> i'm trying to motivate myself to get out and do things and not wallow. >> reporter: offering a glimpse into her thoughts on the new episode of bravo's "real housewives of beverly hills," reality star erika jayne now faces an $11 million lawsuit. a judge ruling the 49-year-old housewife known for her lavish lifestyle can be liable in a collection suit brought by three of ex-husband's clients, one telling "gma" overnight -- >> i just think it's a good step forward for not myself but other victims.

>> i entered this marriage at 27 years old which was 20 years ago. tom had everything set up so i just inserted myself in there. >> reporter: the ongoing scandal surrounds the 82-year-old trial attorney accused of embezzling millions of dollars from those he swore to help. >> that bothered me a little bit seeing them live this extravagant lifestyle and often made me wonder like i wonder if some of that money is mine. >> reporter: the recent original hulu documentary, "the housewife & the hustler" paints the picture of how girardi got involved with a personal injury case, which says he believes his famous lawyer won him the case then tricked him out of the compensation he's owed. erika jayne has not been criminally accused of scheming with her ex-husband to fund their life of comfort but the attention fell on her as millions worth of her ex-husband's assets were transferred to one of her businesses as purported loans in the middle of his bankruptcy proceeding according to court filings over settlement funds in

a different case. >> if you're not in charge of your own finances from the get, where are you going to go? what am i going to do? >> reporter: the court filings claim the duo's sudden split at the end of 2020 after 21 years was a sham to protect their money. neither has commented publicly on their legal matters. and those $11 million are just a small piece of an even larger pie. according to bankruptcy filings, tom girardi owes tens of millions of dollars to lenders and in many cases erika jayne is a co-debtor on those loans. george. >> rebecca, thanks very much. well, coming up here, folks, you want to get rich quick, how about this, clean your house. it's our "play of the day." we'll explain. we'll explain.

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. elsa turns deadly in florida. tornadoes touch down, one hits a naval base in georgia. the storm now heading north with torrential rain and damaging winds. ginger and our weather team tracking it all. new this morning, covid hospitalizations surge in multiple states with low vaccination rates. as heroic frontline workers are honored. the former epicenter of the pandemic. also this morning, juju chang brings us a "gma" exclusive. "glee" star naya rivera, her family one year after her tragic death. her final call. >> i said i love you and call me. call me when you get off the water. >> how it proved pivotal in finding her. how her son is coping and naya's legacy. britney's battle. the pop star's mother now

standing up for her daughter asking that britney be allowed to hire her own lawyer. and it's thursday and what could bring pancakes and lasers together? it's all part of setting a new world record live as we say, good morning, america. i got the pancakes. >> kind of mystified by that. >> pancakes and lasers. >> they're working hard upstairs. good morning, america. hope you're doing well on this thursday morning. it's not just any day, george and t.j. it is national blueberry day. and we are celebrating with a blueberry pancake palooza. chef george duran is here. you see him. oh, he's trying to break a guinness world record for the tallest stack. >> the chef is sweating. trying to break a record of 213 pancakes that will stack over three feet high. he's got to beat that. he's a little over halfway

there. >> why are you whispering? >> i don't know. they're upstairs. >> i didn't want my booming vice to vibrate the floor and mess up the stack. we're going to check in with him all morning. >> working to get that stack higher. we'll start with the news. hurricane -- tropical storm elsa makes its way up the east coast around -- and a tropical storm warning has been issued the northeast. it left a trail of destruction in the south. ginger and our weather team tracking it all. let's begin with will reeve in jacksonville, florida, where a tornado may have touched down overnight. good morning, will. >> reporter: good morning, george. that trail of destruction you mentioned is apparent here on the south side of jacksonville. the pinebrook apartments taking a major hit from that possible tornado. damage everywhere. this was a balcony yesterday and now it's a mangled mess as those possible tornadoes rip through this area in elsa's wake. on the other side of town, a man tragically losing his life in the incident. overnight, elsa slamming south carolina, a possible tornado

leaving destruction in its path. the tropical storm turning deadly in jacksonville, florida, after another possible tornado touched down. aornado right there. that is a big tornado. >> reporter: one person killed after a fa his car. >> this poor gentleman was just driving probably heading home and tree came down and hit his car. >> reporter: this security camera capturing strong winds barreling through the street. the storm wreaking havoc causing this tree to crash into an apartment building. >> this power line came here and hit right on this fence, ba-boom and then that porch came down. >> reporter: the storm also spawning a possible tornado that tore through this rv park at kings bay naval base in georgia. >> it is utter chaos over here. >> reporter: flipping trailers upside down. >> debris everywhere. eporte at least ten people were taken to the hospital with injuries. elsa now heading north after pummeling florida wednesday. leading to water rescues, flooded roads and thousands without power.

as elsa continues its path up the east coast, the damage here in jacksonville and the surrounding areas is apparent and will continue to be here for a little while. the american red cross is offering assistance to any residents of this apartment complex who have had anything like this happen to where they live. robin. >> okay, will, thanks. we're going to go now to ginger with the track. she's in the rockaways here in new york where they are bracing for elsa. welcome back, ginger. >> reporter: thank you so much, robin. yeah, behind me, you can see here in the rockaways the surfers are really getting decent surf. i'm seeing good surfing happening but this is 24 hours before we see those major impacts from elsa and so it is moving up the coast. it's already dropped more tornadoes than we even saw in will's piece. in south carolina, a likely tornado doing damage there. this morning, there is a tornado watch and actually a warning at this moment just north of myrtle beach, up to carolina beach and even jacksonville, north

carolina, and those outer bands have proven to us they can whip up tornadoes in an instant. please beware as you go through the day. let me take you through the timing, because tropical storm elsa is still a tropical storm. it held on to that classification. even if it doesn't it will get close enough to the water, the delmarva peninsula, so delaware, new jersey, robin, all the way up to boston so long island tomorrow morning, new york city torrential rains, gusts up to 40. >> t.j. we turn to the latest on the pandemic now overnight the death toll worldwide from covid-19 topped 4 million people. communities with lower vaccination rates now are seeing a rise in cases but, according to a new study, america's rapid vaccine rollout has saved up to 279,000 lives. our stephanie ramos has the latest for us. hello again, stephanie. >> reporter: good morning, to you, t.j. this vaccination site here in new york city which was once a covid field hospital early in the pandemic is empty. we have reported from here many

times over the last year, and tomorrow it will close for good. a sign of the times. new york celebrating essential workers and that nearly 73% of adults have received their first shot of the vaccine. but across the country some states like missouri and colorado are seeing a dangerous surge in covid cases fueled by the delta variant. especially where vaccination rates are low. in missouri, where cases and hospitalizations are surpassing what they saw last fall, only 7% of icu beds are available in the southwest region of the state. the white house says search teams intended to help states get a handle on outbreaks will be deployed to under-vaccinated states to try to help boost vaccine confidence. guys. >> all right, stephanie, thanks so much. coming up, we have juju chang's exclusive interview with the family of late "glee" star naya rivera. her mother's last conversation with her just before that tragic accident and her daughter's legacy. and the latest in the britney spears conservatorship

battle. the singer's mother is working for her daughter's behalf. the latest on that this morning. it's time to bring the whisper voice back because chef george dur i pancakes to go for a world record. can he do it? we'll check in all morning here on "gma." stay with us. ♪ if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and a high risk for fracture, now might not be the best time to ask yourself... 'are my bones strong?' life is full of make or break moments. that's why it's so important to help reduce your risk of fracture with prolia®. only prolia® is proven to help strengthen and protect bones from fracture with 1 shot every 6 months. do not take prolia® if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva®. serious allergic reactions like low blood pressure, trouble breathing, throat tightness, face, lip, or tongue swelling, rash, itching, or hives have happened. tell your doctor about dental problems, as severe jaw bone problems may happen,

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it's an exclusive interview with "glee" star naya rivera's family one year after her tragic death. juju chang spoke to her mother and sister. good morning, juju. >> reporter: good morning to you, george. you know, her mom says that naya rivera always had a cool swagger and that she poured her heart into everything in life from her acting career to her son josie and she told me for naya her little boy was the sun and the moon and everything in between. naya rivera was a triple threat talent on "glee." she could act, she could sing. ♪ girls ♪ >> reporter: and, boy, could she dance. ♪ but on july 8, 2020, everything would change. >> it was a beautiful morning. i missed two of her facetime calls and i called her back and i said, where are you? she's like, oh, me and josie, we're going to go to the lake and i was going to have him fish. >> do you remember what you said in those final facetime moments? >> i told her, i go, well, the water is getting choppy. i said i love you and call me. call me when you get off the

water. >> reporter: yolanda talked to her daughter from that rented pontoon boat as the devoted single mom sent out for adventure on the lake with her son but hours later the then 4-year-old josie was found by another boater. asleep. adrift. alone wearing a life vest. naya was gone. >> he told us, he said, don't worry, we have josie but your daughter is missing. and it was almost like a force, i don't know what it was, but i literally -- i was just pushed backwards, just screaming. >> reporter: for five grueling days rescue teams searched day and night. the "glee" family holding vigil lakeside. >> we saw people holding vigil, people holding hands sending prayers. what were those days like for you guys? >> those first five days were hell, awful. >> hell on earth. >> hell on earth.

my faith told me that nothing is missing, surely, not a person, yes, we just can't find them. so that was my thing. god, you know where she's at. just bring her back to us. thank god i took the pictures because they were able to look at the topography of the land to locate where they were. >> you took screenshots? >> i took screenshots of the facetime call. >> reporter: she was found six days later, investigators believe she managed to save her son but then drowned accidentally. her younger sister moving in with the boy's father, the fashion model now helping to raise little josie. >> he literally asked you to come be with him and live with him. >> uh-huh, yeah. i knew right when it happened and right when we got him, i knew the role i had to take. >> now i see josie and it's almost like -- it's so reminiscent because he's like a boy version of her in every

sense of the word. >> in what way? >> just his tenacity. his drive. his zeal, his adventure for life. he's just -- he's naya in boy form. >> loves entertaining. >> yes. >> he loves singing at the top of his lungs. >> reporter: from a young age naya was a force to be reckoned with, but her breakout role, "glee's" santana lopez, an openly queer latina. >> i want to kiss my girlfriend because no one can see that because there's an insane double standard at this school. >> you know, i honestly don't think she even knew the impact that she had. people would come up to her all the time and say, you saved my life. my sister even though she was acting, was touching people's real lives and helping them become who they really are and not being ashamed of that. >> reporter: today yolanda hopes that naya's life leaves one

lasting message. >> i would like my daughter naya's legacy to be one that teaches people to love, love who you are, because you don't get another life. >> reporter: of course, naya had no greater love than for her son josie. they say the 5-year-old is a talented performer just like naya, and while he misses his mother deeply, they tell him, mom's watching over you from heaven and we are going to take care of you here on earth and, robin, the family more than anything wanted to express their gratitude for the outpouring of love they've gotten over the past year. >> what a beautiful family even see how they light up when they talk about josie. >> absolutely. >> thank you for sharing that with us. >> it was my pleasure. let's go now again back to ginger. ginger. >> thank you, robin. i wanted to make the point even if you are not right at the beaches or coast on the east coast in that warning for the tropical storm, you will see impacts from elsa anywhere from richmond, virginia, up to

allentown, pennsylvania, say new haven or bridgeport, connecticut, into new hampshire and even maine. flash flood watches so on the order of 1 to 3 inches for everybody then some spots could pick up three to five. when that falls quickly you can have major problems, add a gusty wind and even trees could come down. i want to make sure everybody good thursday morning. i am mike nicco. more sunshine as we transition to the heat wave that hits tomorrow through the weekend with moderate to very high risk of heat illness. today 70 san francisco, 100s in lakeport, fairfield, antioch. most in the 70s and 80s around the bay. 50s let's get the latest on britney spears. her mother is speaking out backing britney's bid to break free from her conservatorship.

kaylee hartung has the story, good morning, kaylee. >> reporter: hey, george, so the fallout continues. ever since britney called into that l.a. courtroom and said everyone involved in her management and conservatorship should be put in jail, we've seen dominos fall. now, it's britney's mom who is pleading with the court to listen to britney. this morning, britney spears' mother standing up for her daughter as the pop star fights to regain control of her life. ♪ >> reporter: in new court documents obtained by abc news, lynne spears telling the court it's mandatory to allow britney to hire her own private attorney or to have the court appoint an attorney britney chooses before addressing the termination of the conservatorship, the petition saying her capacity is certainly different today than it was in 2008, and the conservatorship should no longer be held to the same 2008 standard, and she is capable of hiring her own counsel. hiring her own attorney was

among the requests britney made to the judge during her appearance. britney then telling the court, i truly believe this conservatorship is abusive and saying, i just want my life back. ♪ my life has been so ♪ >> reporter: members of her conservatorship including her longtime manager larry rudolph and court-appointed lawyer samuel ingham iii resigning. additional court documents obtained by abc news showing montgomery is requesting for security be hired to protect her. yet in that court filing, montgomery said she would not be resigning from her role, and she even said in a text message saying, i need you to stay as my co-conservator of person. i'm asking for your assistance to get a new attorney. thank you. t.j. >> all right, kaylee, thank you so much. study revealing how omega-3

supplements may help reduce the risk of a heart attack and stroke. dr. ashton, here to break this down. remind us, omega-3. what is this? why do we need it? >> the key word in what you said is may. this is the latest. put this one in the category of it supports moderate evidence to this omega-3 supplement in terms of cardiovascular death and events so talking about heart attack or stroke, past studies showed conflicting results. this one seemed to show a moderate benefit to the particular type of omega-3 fatty acid called epa. >> okay, omega-3, but we hear it all the time. why do we need it? >> this is something that our body doesn't make on its own so we need to get it from food sources. it is important for overall vascular function, cell membrane function, it helps with clotting, reducing inflammation and this is also known as healthy fats so when you hear nutritionists and doctors like myself and others say you want

to get a lot of healthy fats in your diet, this is one of the elements we're talking about, omega-3 fatty acids. >> what do i look for? >> supplements can be tricky. how do i get it? they can be variable in terms of their dosage so if you want to look at a supplement right now based on this study it suggests epa is the one you should look for. you can take too much. high doses associated with g.i. effects, potential risks of bleeding, you know i always say it's best to get it from the food sources so two to three servings a week of some fatty fish like mackerel, some nuts, some seeds, will do you right head to toe. >> okay, mackerel, nuts, seeds. >> i'll write you a prescription. >> my list is made. dr. ashton, thank you. i'll see you shortly. robin. it's time now for "pop news." good morning, lara. how is it going? >> hey, robin, good, how are you doing? he lot to tyoabout.he news. another sign the film industry is on the road to recovery

this morning, fandango announcing that marvel's latest "black widow" starring scarlett johansson is outpacing every other movie released so far this year. the advanced ticket sales before tomorrow's release date have already topped "fast & furious 9" and "a quiet place 2" and even more impressive than that though, "black widow's" presales are stronger than some pre-pandemic marvel movies like "dr. strange." fandango's managing editor eric davis saying there is a reason why moviegoers voted for "black widow" as the summer's most anticipated movie. i have seen it, and they will not be disappointing. "black widow" starring scarlett johansson, florence pugh and david harbour, all of whom by the way came to promote the film on "gma." hit theaters and disney plus with premiere access nationwide tomorrow. and now control room please, cue the music. ♪ all right ♪ >>epet's bk, all

right, after the band teamed up with 'nsync last month, the boys are taking it to the next level. nick carter, aj mclean teaming up with joey fatone and now being joined by boyz ii men's wanya morris as well for a show called the after party. four nights only, it happens in las vegas, august 19th to the 22nd. joey fatone saying working together brought up a ton of fun memories and added that being on stage has always been part of all their lives so having the opportunity to create a show with the best songs of their groups has been a dream come true. aj mclean says expect some wild surprises, so get out your overalls and your flannel shirts. tickets go on sale today. 10:00 a.m. eastern time. and finally this morning, possibly the coolest cat we have ever seen. check this out. standing at almost 1,700 feet tall, a billboard in one of the

busiest districts in tokyo showing this 3d video of a massive cat meowing, taking naps, seeming to toy with pedestrians below. the japanese company behind it is a website called cross space, livestreaming this futuristic feline, 24/7. even when the billboard is turned off so you can check it out right here in the u.s. what does this massive kitty selling? he's up there to show off the billboard technology. the website promoting the advertising space high above tokyo's busiest train station and the ability to seemingly bring your company's mascot to life. i can see it now looming above times square. very, very cool. can you imagine, guys, a giant riva? >> no. but thank you, lara. appreciate that very much and that image. boy, it's really high up there. >> can you imagine that at 3:00 a.m.? [ laughter ] >> all kind of thoughts running

through my head. coming up, our pancake palooza. chef george duran is hard at work flipping pancakes attempting to break the world record. will he or won't he? you'll find out coming up live. you'll find out coming up live.

building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. good morning, everyone is 4 sue is here with our traffic. good morning. we are heading straight outside and this is a live look at the bay bridge toll plaza. maybe we are looking at walnut creek. anyway, the lights are still on and it looks like a minor backup. we do have an accident northbound 101 near broadway. the lanes are blocked and you are backing up toward san mateo . if you are heading north on 101, you might want to

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and now, save up to $1,000 on sleep number 360 smart beds. only for a limited time. to learn more, go to sleepnumber.com. if there were a button that would help you use less energy, breathe cleaner air, and even take on climate change... would you press it? hey, bay area, "live with kelly and ryan" is coming up .'s back plus, foods to help you stay cool this summer. >> that is ahead at 9:00. the drizzle is drying up in the air mass is changing. look at these temperatures, 10 to 20 degrees warmer than yesterday but most dangerous friday, saturday, sunday and even monday in some bay area neighborhoods. heat risk very high over the weekend. thank you we will have

another abc 7 news update in about 30 minutes. you can always find our latest update at abc7news.com . always good seeing you. a lot of folks waiting for this. >> announcer: tomorrow on "gma," lebron, robin, all new exclusive and what led to this? >> you did feel added pressure. >> almost intimidated. i can't even sit here and lie to you. >> announcer: tomorrow. >> it's time to jam. >> announcer: only on -- >> "good morning america." >> and back here on "good morning america" today tomorrow is my conversation with lebron james, his new movie "space jam" is taking on a classic, a classic from 25 years ago and hopes the reimagination has the same impact as the original had on him when he watched it when he was just 12 years old. a lot of laughs. >> we all loved that movie. looking forward to this one.

also looking forward to checking in with chef george duran. you're up there hard at it. i'm almost scared to watch you a question. you're trying to set the world record. how is it going. >> excited and so pumped up to get this to the height of 3'4" but there's a lot of physics involved. i failed high school physics. my mom knows this. >> that is a good tease there. i'll come back up and check in with you. we have a representative on hand with the measuring tape. we'll see if he's actually going to become a new world recorder holder this morning. >> this is serious. >> this is very serious. legit, all right, equally excited to bring in our two next guest, superstar 50 cents megahit "power" is the most watched in starz history and "power book iii" is ten days away and fitty and patina miller

here. wonderful to have you on. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> hey, i know you know this, patina, tuesday was fitty's birthday, so you know, hit it, control room. you know what was playing. ♪ go, go, charlotte, it's your birthday we gonna party like it's your birthday ♪ >> so how did you -- that's what everybody plays on their birthday. how did you celebrate? >> i just relaxed. i just went to a spa and spent the day there and came back home and had a chef bake food for me so i didn't even go to the refrigerator myself. >> oh, okay. >> i'm curious, did you listen to your own song on your birthday? >> yeah, even when i don't want to. [ laughter ] >> patina, i'm not sure 50 will like this but you get to work with him now but you were a fan of his from back in your high

school and college days. you were a fan and listened to his music. >> oh, yes. >> so what's it like? >> oh, yeah. >> i guess now being in the position of working with him on such a project. >> i mean it's pretty surreal. you know, i have so many memories of being in college and like college parties, just chilling and vibing with my friends and doing the fashion she's and walks to "in da club" so, you know, i'm such a fan of his and it's very surreal that i get to be here right now with him talking about the show that we both love and are excited to bring to the public. really soon. >> this show is all about how your character came to be. you're not only the star but executive producer. how did you cast 15-year-old you? >> well, my character, i had -- we had casted in a smaller banff of talent looking for a male

lead. older and when he came in he didn't know he was auditioning for -- he knew it was "power" but not for that character and i look at him, wow, he looked just like in that time period when i see my younger photographs, definitely links up. at the time i had my hair cut exactly like his haircut. it was the same energy in the room and i was just like, he's the guy. >> okay, well, since you mention that, it is throwback thursday, so why don't we throw some of those teenage pictures up there. so tell us, tell us, what do you remember -- patina likes that too. what do you remember about most at that time of your life. >> i was at trouble at that point. i was a in a juvenile detention center at that point. i remember being there because it was a specific -- i visited my grandmother came to see me, had to wear purple shorts, stuff like that. i made a lot of mistakes in the

early stages of my life. >> it's throwback -- patina, we want to put up your pictures -- i'm just kidding. i'm kidding. we don't have pictures of you. >> i said -- >> i wanted to see what your reaction was. >> i started to sweat a little bit. >> don't sweat. it's all right but on this role you play raquel, a strong businesswoman. a strong single mom and loosely based on 50's real mom. how do you go into -- do you feel pressure trying to bring some of that real-life character, real-life woman into the character? >> no, because that's my life. i know raquel. i know that many would. i know so many beautiful, strong black women like raquel so for me it was very easy to step into those shoes to have the opportunity to play such a three-dimensional character like raquel, one who is not only strong but also is very loving and, you know, she has a lot on her plate. she's carrying a lot of people's stuff on her shoulders and to be

the matriarch of the family, the head of the business, making it happen and also making it happen for her son. i jumped at the opportunity because you don't get these opportunities a lot and why not do it, you know. it was the greatest joy to be able to play raquel. >> let's show everybody a little. in this scene raquel is teaching her young son a pretty tough lesson. >> why you crying, kanan? what happened? >> antwon jumped me for my money. >> how they know you had it? i told you not to show nobody your money. >> i didn't show nothing. >> you talking about it then. and you gave it up. >> hmm. looking forward to that. and, patina, you are also, of course, a tony winner on broadway and quite a performer on broadway. any chance of a musical collab, collab race with 50? >> yes. >> no.

>> why did you say yes. >> i would love it, obviously. many people want to do a musical. >> guys, 50, before you go, we got to get the update. you took up the yoga the past year or so. we've been getting updates. what's the latest. where are you on the yoga? >> i'll be honest with you. i can do it when i'm against the wall. >> the handstand. >> but i can't just do it out in the open and it's crazy because the girls just spring up into the position and i go how you do that like that? [ laughter ] just different portion -- like i do the weights but when you getting there by doing certain portions of the workout you need to practice. >> well, 50, you stick with it, man. we'll continue to get updates. it's good to see you both. congrats again, "power" keeps

hitting and a couple sequels have come out of it and, patina, congratulations on the role as well. >> thank you very much. thanks for having us. >> "power book iii: raising kanan" premieres on sunday, july 18th on starz and across all platforms. coming up, the company facing a working shortage, a worker shortage, the big bonuses being offered to lure new employees.

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♪ we are back with the surge in job openings as the country re-opens and employers scrambling to get new workers and some are offering unusual signing bonuses and rebecca jarvis back with that story. hey, rebecca. >> reporter: hey, george, nice to see you again. these are companies you might not expect would actually be giving out bonuses. they are retailers, restaurants, gocery stores, they are so strapped for workers this summer, that it is a great time to get hired. it was supposed to be hot covid summer but 2021 may actually go down in the history books as the summer of the bonus. >> i saw that they were offering a $500 signing bonus and i just saw that and thinking, okay, i can maintain this for the summer. >> reporter: jason who recently graduated from high school landed a job working at uncle julio's cafe and needed to save up for college next year but had no idea it could be so

lucrative. >> took me by surprise. a field i never worked in. >> reporter: he's not alone. restaurant workers, hotel cleaners, truck drivers and warehouse stockers are some of the many jobs now attached to signing bonuses of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. even amusement parks like those owned by palace entertainment. >> we employed wage rate increases but creative solutions and have ride nights and luau nights in our water park, we've implemented retention bonuses of $1.25 per hour for anyone who works through their work completion date. >> reporter: according to ziprecruiter, nearly 20% of all june job postings offered a signing bonus, that's one in five job openings. one reason -- >> we realize we'll need a lot more team members than we originally planned for 2021 and required us to be really flexible and to adjust our wages and also to adjust our

incentives. >> reporter: linkedin, ziprecruiter and indeed.com are great resources if you are on the hunt and indeed will flag how urgently an employer needs new employees so you know if you have real negotiating power. >> are these bonuses reason enough to take a job? >> reporter: well, you always have to read the fine print here. in some cases it's called a signing bonus but doesn't actually get fully paid out until three, six or even 12 months into the job. you also have to make sure that it's paid in cash. in some cases they are paid in store credit or a gift card. do the weighing yourself and make sure the bonus actually outweighs a higher hourly wage. in some cases a higher hourly wage will pay off more overtime and know what you are getting paid to do. where you need to be, when, what are the strings attached. >> thanks very much. to ginger. and, george, we haven't had a chance to talk about the heat out west and the fire.

the video came in from last week but more than 10,000 acres and you're seeing a fire whirl and smoke whirl. going to get hotter and see heat and a heat wave going into the weekend. phoenix, good morning. today is a transition day to heat. 20 degrees warmers, in the 70s now just for you, a special "deals & steals," $20 and under. tory johnson is here with great summer savings and they're all from small businesses. so just point your phone camera at the qr code on the screen and go straight to the deals. okay, tory, before i get to you, this is really great. this first one right here is an oprah favorite and we're going to hear from her, something she

hasn't been able to do in quite a while like many of us and that is visit her pedicurist. here's oprah. >> you know why this is a happy day? because it's my first pedicure with the footnanny since januarj maybe, february 2020 so -- >> february. >> these feet don't even know what's happened to them right now. >> reporter: many people are saying do not look at my feet right now. all right. but tell us about right now these footnanny products, tory. >> this is happy days for all of us because we have a deal on the products oprah was living her best life with. the brand-new olive collection. it is whipped with shea butter. so moisturizing and nourishing and have the olive soaks great for feet or the whole body plus all of the oprah favorites that you will find from the footnanny. every single one is at least 50%

off so starts at $15 and footnanny is throeing in free shipping. >> oh, free shipping. all right, these belts are really, really special. tell us what makes them so unique. >> we have a whole bunch of new patterns from bandi. a made in america modern-day family fanny pack. very sleek and holes all your stuff without zippers, latches, any kind of scratchy fasteners, perfect for on the go especially today because they are $17. >> great styles, all different like that. all right, this next one,f you like craft beer you'll love this product, right, tory? >> yes, beer can candle started as a hobby in a small kitchen in maine to upcycle beer cans. instead people wanted them and turned into a small business. every single item used to create this candle is sourced from a small business locally so that's a big plus, plus all of the scents evoke a kind of summer

feeling, cape cod cranberry shandy is a favorite. your choice today from among a lot of scents, $14. >> maine lobster pale ale. mm-mm. it's good. it's good. fonsi is giving me a hard time here. okay, we love to go green. and sometimes it's hard to do when you're looking how to wrap some food, right, tory? >> that's right and so these buzzee wraps are all reusable recyclable, an organic beeswax that shapes to anything you need to store in the refrigerator. bright pop of color. all are also reusable and compostable 50% off and start at $5.75 and then, robin, sticking in the kitchen we go to brinware, a c tke kids' tablewa instead of having e i food grade silicone and have a huge assortment from them today. their prices start at just $4.50. >> finally for summer travel,

ah, this is going to help out a lot, don't you think, tory? >> absolutely. pocket socks was created by someone pickpocketed from his pocket so creates socks to make it a little more difficult for those pik pocketers, a zipper built in. huge assortment for men and women today. your choice, $11. >> all right, tory, thank you as always. and we partnered, we did, with these companies on great deals. you can get them on our website at goodmorningamerica.com. coming up, the pancake tower. we hear it's getting higher. we're about to see we have set a new world record. come on back. ♪ don't

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we are back. on "gma" with chef duran. got us all sweating. taking on the pancake stacking

palooza for the tallest stack previously set at 3'4". we got a guinness rep monitoring all morning adding to the s fe aorning lly with a look o co on, now. these pancakes, of course, blueberry. why did you want to take on this challenge anyway for a guinness world record. >> i wanted to get my name in the book as something. obviously i'm not an olympian so i said why not pancakes, the best breakfast i love. >> kind of intense up here, man. it has. how is it going, first of all? >> it's very intense like i said there's a lot of moving parts to this and in this case it's moving this way and that way so i have to kind of use all my skills for physics and chemistry and gravity so make sure it stays still. >> have you your friend here. lasers here. what are the lasers for? >> the lasers make sure that we are absolutely straight. but guess what, we're not absolutely straight. so it just shifts and as the temperature comes down of the

pancakes it starts shifting this way and that way so, again, this is -- this is why i'm not a structural engineer. >> okay. chef, are we going to make it? we got -- less than a foot maybe. another foot? >> yeah. >> can we do it? do you think we'll make split do bey pancakes? make it, >> i do. >> a lot of extras. >> are they going to be on the floor. weirdo nating them to holy apostles soup kitchen. it's going to be fantastic. we'll try our best, final stack here. i don't even know. the things we have to hold it for five seconds straight and where is it going, this way, that way? let's see. is that bouncing? no, it's not bouncing. oh, my goodness. it's taller than me. >> here's what i'm looking for. i'm looking for five seconds of standing once released it has to be over 3'4". these are real pancakes fit for human consumption so we'll take a measurement when they're ready. >> how is it? >> guy, live tvwise i have 40

seconds here left. got no pressure, no pressure. >> all right. beautiful blueberry pancakes that may not make it for the record but -- how does that feel? >> take a measurement? let's do the measurement. are we even close? >> okay. so we are at 32 inches. >> how short is it. >> a few more inches. we need at least eight more inches. >> i got about 20 seconds. might as well give it a shot. >> let me give the final stack. see if we can get this -- >> it's got to hold for five. >> ready, hands off. ready? >> let go. >> five -- oh. >> all right. but, hey, like i say, the pancakes, blueberries, all donated to the holy delicia: this is where all our recycling is sorted -- 1.2 million pounds every day, helping to make san francisco

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.

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building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. good morning, everyone. here is sue with the traffic. good morning. problems on the peninsula. now it has turned into a sig alert. north 101, several lanes blocked near broadway and you can see that long stretch of red. that means very slow traffic all the way back to 92. you want to scoot over to el camino rialto. 90s and 100s the south bay. 70s and 80s around the bay and 60s on the coast. 10 to 20 degrees with warmer than yesterday. our air quality will be healthy and it will be at least a four

day heatwave through sunday. it will start to ease sunday and we are back to average on monday. now it is time >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan!" today, from what i found the "the god committee," kelsey grammer. plus, food to keep you cool as a cucumber as we continue "live's summer sun & fun week." plus, your thoughts and comments on another edition of the "inbox." all next on "live!" ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] and now, here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest! [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ >> ryan: morning, deja vu. hello, kelly rev. ripa. stay on ahead. say it.