good on it. reggie: i feel so unhip today. kumasi: good morning, america. on this thursday, my interview with president biden as he grapples with the chaotic exit from afghanistan. abc news exclusive. the president's first interview since the fall of afghanistan to the taliban. with chaos and fear in the streets of kabul. back in july you said a taliban takeover was highly unlikely. was the intelligence wrong or did you downplay it? as civilians scramble to flee the country, biden defends the united states' withdrawal. when you look at what's happened over the last week was it a failure of intelligence, planning, execution or judgment? and answers the question if american forces will stay past the august 31st deadline with tens of thousands of americans still desperate to leave the

country. some of our afghan allies hiding in their homes and afghan women faces the prospect of sub cue case again. we'll all commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11. the taliban are going to be ruling afghanistan. how do you explain that to the american people? >> now what the president expects from the new taliban. this morning only on "gma." also this morning, the plan for americans to get their third vaccine shot. >> it will make you safer and for longer and it'll help us end the pandemic faster. >> the rollout for pfizer and moderna's round three projected to start next month as covid cases climb across much of the country. california inferno. 10,000 firefighters battling explosive wildfires in the west. this record-breaking fire season raging out of control engulfing homes fueled by critical weather conditions, thousands fleeing the flames, more evacuations under way right now. extra, extra. hotels up-charging for amenities like the gym and the pool but could the new travel trend actually help you save money? what you need to see before you book your next stay.

we do say good morning. america on this thursday morning. it's great to have amy back with us at the desk and george getting back from the white house with his exclusive. >> that's right. his first interview since the u.s. troop withdrawal from afghanistan, and, george, we know you pressed the president on the aftermath of that withdrawal. those frantic scenes at the kabul airport. thousands of americans and afghans desperate to escape as the taliban tightens its grip. >> that's right, amy, and the president promised for the first time that the u.s. military would stay as long as it takes to get all americans out. he was also defiant insisting we had to get out now admitting no mistakes. back in july you said a taliban takeover was highly unlikely. was the intelligence wrong, or did you downplay it? >> there was no consensus. if you go back and look at the intelligence reports. they said that -- more likely to be sometime by the end of the year.

>> you didn't put a time line out when you said it was highly unlikely, you just said flat out it's highly unlikely the taliban would take over. >> the idea that the taliban would take over was premised on the notion that the -- that somehow the 300,000 troops we had trained and equipped was going to just collapse, were going to give up. i don't think anybody anticipated that. >> senator mcconnell said it was predictable that the taliban would take over. >> well, by the end of the year he said that was a real possibility. no one said it would take over then when asked. >> when you look at what's happened over the last week, was it a failure of intelligence, planning, execution or judgment? >> look, i don't think it was a failure -- it was a simple choice, george. when the taliban -- let me back up -- put it another way. when you had the government of afghanistan, the leader of that government get into a plane and taking off and going to another country, when you saw the significant collapse of the

afghan troops we had trained, up to 300,000 of them, just leaving their equipment and taking off, that was, you know, i'm not -- that's what happened. that's simply what happened so the question was in the beginning the threshold question was, do we commit to leave within the time frame that was set and extended it to september 1st or do we put significantly more troops in? i hear people say, well, you had 2,500 folks in there and nothing was happening. you know, there wasn't any war but guess what, the fact was that the reason it wasn't happening is the last president negotiated a year earlier that he'd be out by may 1st and that the return, there would be no attack on american forces. that's what was done. that's why nothing was happening. the idea if i had said, i had a simple choice, if i said we're going to stay then we better -- >> your military advisers warned against withdrawing on this time

frame and they wanted to you keep 2,500 troops. >> no, they didn't. it was split. that wasn't true. >> he didn't tell you they wanted troops to stay? >> no, not in terms of whether we were going to get out in a time frame all troops, they didn't argue against that. >> so no one told -- your military advisers did not tell you, no, we should just keep 2,500 troops, it's been a stable situation for the last several years, we can do that and continue to do that? >> no, no one said that to me that i can recall. look, george, the reason why it's been stable for a year is because the last president said we're leaving and here's the deal i want to make with you, taliban. we're agreeing to leave if you agree not to attack us between now and the time we leave on may the 1st. less than two months after i was elected to office, sworn in, all of a sudden i have a may 1 deadline. i have a may 1 deadline. i have one or two choices. do i say we're staying and do you think we would not have to

put a hell of a lot more troops? we had tens of thousands of troops there before. tens of thousands. do you think they would have just said, no problem? don't worry about it. we're not going to attack anybody. we're okay. in the meantime, the taliban was taking territory all throughout the country in the north and down in the south. >> would you have withdrawn troops like this even if president trump had not made that deal with the taliban? >> i would have tried to figure out how to withdraw those troops, yes, because, look, george, there is no good time to leave afghanistan. 15 years ago it would have been a problem, 15 years from now, the basic choice is, am i going to send your sons and your daughters to war in afghanistan, in afghanistan in perpetuity? no one can name for me a time when this would end and what constitutes defeat of the taliban?

what constitutes defeat? would we have left then -- let's say they surrender like before, okay, do we leave then? do you think anybody -- the same people think we should stay would have said, no, good time to go? we spent over a trillion dollars, george, 20 years. there was no good time to leave. >> but if there's no good time, if you know you'll have to leave eventually, why not have everything in place to make sure americans get out, to make sure our afghan allies get out so we don't have chaotic scenes in kabul? >> number one, as you know, the intelligence community did not say back in june or july that, in fact, this was going to collapse like it did. number one. >> they thought the taliban would take over but not this quickly. >> but not this quickly, not even close. we had already issued several thousand passports to the sivs, the translators when i came into

office before we had negotiated getting out at the end of august, secondly, we were in a position where what we did was we took precautions. that's why i authorized that there be 6,000 american troops to flow in to accommodate this exit, number one, and, number two, provided all that aircraft in the gulf to get people out. we pre-positioned all of that, anticipated that. now, granted it took two days to take control of the airport. we have control of the airport now. >> still a lot of pandemonium outside the airport. >> oh, there is but, look, but no one is being killed right now, god forgive me if i'm wrong about that, but no one is being killed right now. people -- we got a thousand -- 1,200 out yesterday, a couple thousand a day and it's increasing. we're going to get those people out. >> but we've all seen the pictures and seen those hundreds of people packed into a c-17.

we've seen afghans falling -- >> that was four days ago. >> what did you think when you saw those pictures? >> we have to gain control of this. we have to move this more quickly, we have to move in a way in which we can take control of that airport, and we did. >> you don't think this could have been handled better in any way, no mistakes? >> no, i don't think it could have been handled in a way that -- we're going to go back in hindsight and look but the idea that somehow there is a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, i don't know how that happens. i don't know how that happened. >> so for you that was always part of the decision. >> yes, now exactly what happened is not priced in, but i knew that they're going to have an enormous -- look, one of the things we didn't know is what the taliban would do in terms of trying to keep people from getting out, what they would do. >> all troops are supposed to be out by august 31st, even if

americans and our afghan allies are trying to get out, they're going to leave? >> we're going to do everything in our power to get all americans out and our allies out. >> does that mean troops will stay beyond august 31st if necessary? >> it depends on where we are and whether we can get -- ramp these numbers up to 5,000 to 7,000 a day coming out. if that's the case they'll all be out. >> because we've got 10,000 to 15,000 americans in the country right now, right? are you committed to making sure that the troops stay until every american who wants to be out is out? >> yes, yes. >> how about our afghan allies, does the commitment hold for them as well? >> the commitment holds to get everyone out that, in fact, we can get out and everyone that should come out and that's the objective. that's what we're doing now. that's the path we're on and i think we'll get there. >> so americans should understand troops may be there beyond august 1st. >> americans understand we'll try to get done before august 31st. >> if you don't?

>> if we don't, we'll determine at the time who is left. >> and? >> and if there are american -- if there's american citizens left we're going to stay till we get them all out. >> there was the commitment right there. we're going to stay until all americans are out. you know, there are a lot of americans right now who are outside of kabul. they're in a much more desperate situation. i should make one other point. as the president was pushing back against the intelligence, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff at the same time was saying the same thing, it is a united front now among the top military leaders and the president that the intelligence did not say that kabul would fall this quickly. they thought it would fall, just not this quickly. >> he is not backing down on that decision he made and i know we'll have more in the next half hour of your interview. right now what is happening on the ground, the race for u.s. citizens and afghans who worked with the u.s. to get out of the country as the state department and military say they cannot guarantee safe passage to the airport. ian pannell, as you know, is there live in kabul for us. good morning, ian. >> reporter: yeah, good morning,

robin. i wish i could report that things have got getter in kabul, but they haven't. we've been tracking one female afghan, siv applicant, all the papers in her hands and went to the gates, the american side of the airport last night. she stayed all night long, ate this morning, gave up, said the gates never opened. this morning, anguish and agony as 15,000 americans and many more afghans try to escape kabul. reports of more than a dozen injured in the crush at the airport. the taliban beating the crowds. fighters firing multiple rifle shots in the air to frighten and disperse people and right by the taliban checkpoint there a tense moment. taliban permission. >> abc news. >> okay. >> reporter: at first the fighters backed way, then more taliban appeared. >> tell them we have permission, we have permission. yes, abc. abc. >> reporter: ignoring the accreditation issued by their

own commanders. taliban permission. as gunfire erupted again in the background and with weapons drawn we were forced back into the cars. stop filming. stop filming. just put it down. inside the airport it's secure and calm but just yards away a completely different picture. new images from the air force showing the evacuations, including this image of an afghan child with an airman's uniform for a blanket. so far there have been nearly 6,000 evacuations but some flights leaving half empty because many people can't get to the airport because it's unsafe. >> i don't have the capability to go out and extend operations currently into -- into kabul. >> reporter: questions remain about how the country fell so quickly. >> there was nothing that i or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days. >> reporter: the taliban assuring us women's rights would be protected but on the ground the evidence is the opposite.

this female news anchor blocked from going to work. she was told by the taliban the regime has changed, go home. this journalist said women who lived under the taliban last time are now terrified. she says her neighbor is devastated. >> i was trying, ten minutes i was trying to make her understand, calm down, please, taliban won't do these things again, and she would say, no, i cannot, i cannot. >> reporter: just heartbreaking scenes and, robin, zara is one incredibly brave, heroic journalist and have been going undercover and tells us women are not allowed out of the house without a male member of the family and in some areas girls can go to school only up to the age of 9. robin. >> when you hear that, ian, thank you. amy. we're going to turn now to the coronavirus emergency. the biden administration announcing a plan for those booster shots, round three for americans who received the pfizer or moderna vaccines, expected to roll out september

20th, to be administered to people 8 months after getting that second dose, so let's go to trevor ault who has more at a very hard hit hospital in baton rouge, louisiana. good morning, trevor. >> reporter: good morning, amy. they have now opened eight separate icus just for covid patients in every corner here to the point one critical care nurse told me she legitimately doesn't even know where they all are inside. these healthcare workers are seeing the devastation of the delta variant and the hope is that these booster shots will help it from getting worse in the future. this morning, the biden administration telling vaccinated americans who receive the pfizer or moderna vaccine to start planning for a third dose. >> eight months after your second shot, get a booster shot. it will make you safer and for longer and it'll help us end the pandemic faster. >> reporter: health officials citing recent data showing the vaccine's protection against covid slowly decreasing over time leaving many more at risk for severe illness.

our george stephanopoulos sitting down with the president just hours after the announcement asking if he and his wife had received a booster yet. >> we're going to get the booster shots and it's something that i think, you know, because we -- we got our shots all the way back in i think december, so it's past time. >> reporter: the booster shots will be available for free with no insurance or i.d. required. the program rolling out the week of september 20th, a program already protecting many of the immunocompromised like 28-year-old christine smith. >> the cdc and fda recommended it on friday and i went and got my booster on sunday. >> reporter: we went inside baton rouge general medical center, where they're treating nearly 200 infected patients more than any other time in the pandemic, and more than 90% are unvaccinated. >> we want to take everybody that we possibly can and do everything we can for people. but we don't have the means for it. >> reporter: 39-year-old

disaster relief worker jessica cooper is fighting back from covid, at one point even typing a good-bye text to her 11-year-old daughter thinking she wouldn't survive. >> if i don't make it, just know that you will always be surrounded by love and mommy will always be here with you. >> reporter: and health officials continue to stress the unvaccinated are at the most risk and the doctors i spoke to said breakthrough infections are almost exclusively among the elderly and the immunocompromised, but it's a wise choice for everyone to plan on getting a booster shot to make sure your protection stays up to par. guys. >> all right, trevor ault, thank you for that. okay, coming up more of my exclusive interview with president biden. we dig into what he thinks of the new taliban. whether or not they've changed and how we're going to counter any possible threat to the united states. also, those fierce wildfires raging in the west, the massive evacuations that are under way right now as 10,000 firefighters

battle the infernos but first good morning to ginger. >> good morning to you. fred not leaving without a fight. we woke up this morning with tornado warnings just north of new york city. you can see the tornado from schuylkill county, pennsylvania, making its way across the field. no injuries reported, thankfully. now it's about flash flooding especially into new york, vermont, new hampshire and maine. that's what's left of fred, but we now have henri and a lot of the computer models are trying to take henri toward us, not just new york and new jersey but up toward the cape especially so in the cone and we'll be tracking it as we get later in the weekend, that's when we'll start to see impacts. i can promise high surf. will we have more? we'll know a lot more in the next 24 hours. your local weather in 30 seconds. first the sunny cities sponsored by target.

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mike: let's look at what is going on weatherwise. we have a red flag warning, and it continues for lake and mendocino counties through 11:00 this morning and 8:00 for the evening hours in solano county. here is a look at the smoke. it is hard to see the sun right now and the smoke could get unhealthy for some of us like yesterday in the east bay, south bay, and the north bay. the sea breeze is trying to set up and keep you cleaner. look at the rush tomorrow evening. that is a precursor of what is going to happen this weekend. hazy conditions. seasonal temperatures today and tomorrow. cooler than average saturday and sunday, but at least clear. reggie: coming up, more of

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walmart. makes getting it all easier. ♪ ♪ ♪ think three times when you feel it kicking in ♪ welcome back to "gma," and we cannot wait for lorde to take over central park for our "gma" summer concert series. live performances from some of her newest hits and thank goodness it's tomorrow and not today because the rain -- >> it's raining. should be good tomorrow. looking forward to getting back to the park finally after all this time. we do have the top headlines we're following for you, including the latest on the chaos in kabul as 15,000 americans and at least 65,000 afghans and their families now desperate to get out. so far there have been nearly 6,000 evacuations but some flights reportedly are now leaving half empty. the state department warning u.s. citizens there in afghanistan they are unable to guarantee safe passage to the airport.

also right now, the biden administration telling vaccinated americans who received the pfizer or moderna vaccine to start planning for a third dose. the program rolling out the week of september 20th. plus, the latest on that devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake in haiti. the death toll climbing for more than 2,000 hospitals. they're still extremely overwhelmed and the u.s. coast guard assisting with more than 200 medevacs so far. the epa now banning a pesticide sometimes used on food like corn and apples saying it is not safe citing its association with neurological issues most notably in children. we're going to have more about that chemical and the ruling in our next half hour. all right, but right now, we have more of my exclusive interview with president biden. we dug into what happens now in afghanistan since the taliban are back in charge 20 years after the united states kicked them out.

how we will counter any possible threats and whether he thinks the taliban has changed. what happens now in afghanistan? do you believe the taliban have changed? >> no, i think -- let me put it this way. i think they're going through sort of an existential crisis about, do they want to be recognized by the international community as being a legitimate government? i'm not sure they do. but, look, they have -- >> they care about their beliefs more. >> well, they do, but they also care about whether they have food to eat, whether they have an income that can make any money and run an economy, they care about whether or not they can hold together the society that they, in fact, say they care so much about. i'm not counting on any of that but that is part of what i think is going on right now in terms of i'm not sure i would have predicted, george, nor would you or anyone else that when we decided to leave that they'd provide safe passage for americans to get out. >> beyond americans what do we owe the afghans who are left behind particularly afghan women who are facing the prospect of subjugation again?

>> as many as with can get out we should. i had meeting and there were afghan women outside the gate. i told them get them on the plane, get them out. get them out. get their families out if you can. but here's the deal, george, the idea that we're able to deal with the rights of women around the world by military force is not rational, not rational. look what's happening to the uighurs and western china, other parts of the world, in the congo. there are a lot of places where women are being subjugated. the way to deal with that is not a military invasion but putting economic, diplomatic and international pressure on them to change their behavior. >> how about the threat to the united states? most intelligence analyses has predicted that al qaeda would come back 18 to 24 months after withdrawal of american troops. is that analysis now being revised? could it be sooner?

>> it could be but, george, look, here's the deal, al qaeda and isis have metastasized. there is a significantly greater threat to the united states from syria, there's a significant greater threat from east africa. there's a significant greater threat to other places in the world than it is from the mountains of afghanistan. and we have maintained the ability to have an over the horizon capability to take them out. we don't have military in syria to make sure that -- >> you're confident we'll have that in afghanistan? >> yeah, i'm confident we're going to have the overriding capability, yes. the deal is the threat from al qaeda and their associate organizations is greater in other parts of the world to the united states than it is from afghanistan. >> and that tells you that it's safe to leave? >> no, that tells me that we should be focusing on where the threat is the greatest and the idea we can continue to spend a trillion dollars and have tens of thousands of american forces

in afghanistan when we have north africa and western africa, the idea we can do that and ignore those looming problems, growing problems is not rational. >> in a couple of weeks we all are going to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11. the taliban are going to be ruling afghanistan like they were when our country was attacked. how do you explain that to the american people? >> not true. it's not true. they're not going to look just like they were when we were attacked. there was a guy named osama bin laden who was still alive and well. they were organized in a big way that they had significant help from other parts of the world. we went there for two reasons, george, two reasons -- one, to get bin laden and, two, to wipe out as best we could and we did the al qaeda in afghanistan. we did it. then what happened? it began to morph into the notion that instead of having a counterterrorism capability to have small forces in air or in

the region to be able to take on al qaeda if it tried to reconstitute we decided to engage in nation building, in nation building. that never made any sense to me. >> sounds like you think we should have gotten out a long tie ago. >> we should have. >> and accept the idea that it was going to be messy no matter what? >> well, what would be messy? if we had gotten out a long time ago, getting out would be messy no matter when it occurred. >> martha raddatz has more on this. one thing is very clear, the president as we have been talking about admitted no mistakes but he and the military leader yesterday really pushed back on this idea that they ignored any intelligence warnings about the taliban takeover. >> reporter: they sure did and they will say there were warnings about a taliban takeover, but later in the year and after all the u.s. military was out. they were adamant yesterday, chairman milley said nobody, nobody predicted in their 17 intelligence agencies, no one predicted it could happen as

fast as it has happened. the intelligence community has been defensive about this in the last week or so saying, yes, we said it could happen rapidly, but they made very clear that rapidly did not mean as fast as it happened, george. >> martha, the president also made this promise yesterday for the first time that american troops would stay as long as it takes to get all americans out. any idea from the military about how long that is going to take? >> reporter: you just look at the numbers every day and some of those planes aren't full. some are only half full. i think yesterday there were fewer than 2,000 who got out and they want about 9,000 a day. you can do the math. if that stays, they're going to be there longer than august 31st and until the state department can get those people somehow through the gates of kabul airport and into those planes, the military can take them as soon as they get into those fields, then that is going to be a lengthy process.

>> but the president more equivocal on whether we'd stay as long as it takes to get our afghan allies out of aghanistan. >> reporter: he certainly did not commit to that. he was very vague about that, george, as you know, and those are the people, those are the people who are so desperate. you have heard from all of us who know people there in afghanistan, how desperate they are. my phone is filling up with -- asking for help to try to get interpreters out. those are the people in the most danger right now, george, and who need to get out desperately. >> they certainly do. martha raddatz, thanks very much. >> people helping the u.s. for the last 20 years. turning now to the wildfires raging out west, a dozen burning as 10,000 firefighters try to get them under control. kayna whitwortr the caldor fire in el dorado county with the latest. good morning, kayna. >> reporter: robin, good morning. the caldor fire making a huge run yesterday. burning up dry vegetation like this. fire officials say this is the most dangerous and complex fire

behavior they've ever seen and more fires are popping up across this state testing our already exhausted crews. overnight, the french fire ballooning to almost 2,000 acres engulfing homes in kern county and flames bursting through the windows of this house as thick black smoke billows into the sky. the fire 0% contained and the dixie fire scorching over 635,000 acres. a historic start to the fire season, 1.3 million acres burned so far in the state. a more than 50% increase from this time last year. >> every acre in california can and will burn someday. just make sure that you're ready when it does. >> reporter: the cache fire torching homes destroying at least 25 buildings and the caldor fire still has no containment. exploding during critical fire weather. because it's such a dense forest the trees are catching fire,

landing on each other and then the wind is spotting fires miles away. thousands evacuated east of sacramento. the town of grizzly flats leveled by flames. and as you can see we are seeing this very critical fire weather early in the season. it's been an extremely challenging summer on our crews, and here in el dorado county, the red flag warnings are extended through today, guys. >> those images just devastating. >> they certainly are. coming up next, we'll talk about how some hotels may now be charging for perks like the gym or early check-ins. will this become the new travel trend and could it save you money? subway has so much new i ran out of time in the last ad... so i'll take it from here. sorry steph. spokesperson refresh! refresh wait, what? subway® just upped their bread game with the help of some world-class bakers. lookin' at you nance. gotta refresh to be fresh. how many people are in this ad?

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we are back with h we are back now with how a major hotel chain is now having guests separately pay for popular perks. perks we first saw in "the wall street journal," and rebecca jarvis has the story. >> reporter: this morning, you've probably heard of ordering a la carte. now some hotels are going the same direction stripping down room rates to the bare minimum and charging for amenities and services like the gym and pool if guests want them. one of the largest hotel owners in the country, mcr hotels says it's experimenting with this new feature at new york's high line hotel and the twa hotel at jfk airport. for example, want to use the pool on weekends? that will cost you $25. the same for a day pass at the gym.

early check-in? that's $20, breakfast will also run extra. >> there's business travelers, leisure travelers, some people want to go to the pool, some people want to go to the gym. some don't want to do either but by having all of the products together for one price, it forces some people to pay for products they don't want or never are going to consume. >> reporter: if you're not planning to use the amenities the new changes could actually save you money. >> by going to an a la carte model it unbundles the product. it allows us to charge a lower rate for those who just want a sleeping room and you can buy the products that you want. >> reporter: it's all part of a shift since the pandemic. hotels and travel, some of the hardest hit industries, and now facing labor shortages are experimenting with new options to recover their losses and win back business. so far hotel giants like marriott and hilton haven't

jumped on the a la carte train. >> i think the hotel industry is going to take a cautious approach. but certainly the more brands, the more major players if the hotel space that start to participate in this pricing model the faster it's going to take off. >> reporter: the important thing as a consumer is to know before you go, you can check the hotel website. there is a great website called resortfeechecker.com where you can search for a number of hotels and resorts and they will tell you if there are fees attached and finally, guys, it never hurts to call ahead, ask and in some cases, because these policies are new, if you ask if they will waive those fees they might just do it for you, guys. >> that's very good advice, thank you so much for that. coming up next, here on "gma," our "play of the day."

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♪ bring me a higher love ♪ we're back now with the "play of the day" laughing at the song. you'll see why, and this is a leap into the sky for one bold centenarian. take a look at tom rice celebrating his 100th birthday. there he goes, a commemorative sky dive. this is a world war ii vet. he survived -- he served with the 501st parachute infantry and landed in normandy on d-day. look at him jumping from a height of 7,500 feet landing on the beach in front of hotel del

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>> building a better bay area. moving forward. finding solutions. reggie: good morning. we are looking at your traffic. jobina: we are going to look at walnut creek and 680. look at that southbound traffic. it is going to be slow all the way from concord through walnut creek. we had an earlier crash on southbound 242 which caused some issues, and a live look at the bay bridge toll plaza. looking at a backup there. and then we just have slow speeds in the east bay, per usual. mike: and so much smoke out there, which unfortunately is pretty usual. we still have some critical conditions, lake and mendocino counties through 11:00 this morning. even with the haze and smoke, temperatures near 70, we are pretty close to average.

the seven day forecast is cleaner and bluer starting saturday. reggie: selena gomez talking about struggles with mental health and how embracing her mexican heritage is transforming her life and music. i'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv. more love, more adventure, more community. but with my hiv treatment, there's not more medicines in my pill. i talked to my doctor and switched to fewer medicines with dovato. dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen. with just 2 medicines in 1 pill, dovato is as effective as a 3-drug regimen... to help you reach and stay undetectable. research shows people who take hiv treatment as prescribed and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit hiv through sex. don't take dovato if you're allergic to its ingredients or if you take dofetilide. taking dovato with dofetilide can cause serious or life-threatening side effects. hepatitis b can become harder to treat while on dovato.

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. abc news exclusive. the president in his first interview since the fall of afghanistan to the taliban. with chaos and fear in the streets of kabul. back in july you said a taliban takeover was highly unlikely. was the intelligence wrong or did you downplay it? as civilians scramble to flee the country, biden defends the united states withdrawal. tens of thousands of americans and afghan allies still desperate to leave the country, only on "gma" this morning. health alert. the epa announces a ban on a certain pesticide saying it could be harmful, particularly to children. the foods it can be found in and what to know this morning. ♪ selena gomez gets candid. a first look at the superstar's cover story in "elle's" latinx

issue, talking mental health, growing up in the public eye, new music and how she's embracing her heritage. finding a job on tiktok. with companies now using the app to recruit employees, this morning, where to find opportunities and how you can stand out on the social media platform. val kilmer gets his voice back. >> you can be my wingman any time. >> how a.i. technology is helping the hollywood star after his battle with cancer. >> now i can express myself again. >> why critics are concerned following the uproar over engineering the voice of the late anthony bourdain. could it put unintended words in people's mouths. and meet "mahalia." taking you inside the emmy-nominated movie with the star and the director. ♪ i'm gonna move on up a little higher ♪ >> danielle brooks and kenny leon bringing the queen of gospel's story to life. and they're here to say. >> good morning.

♪ america ♪ >> whoo! ♪ oh, it is a lovely day. we are grateful that you are starting your thursday morning with us. great to be here with george and amy on this thankful thursday, and i am truly thankful to share my conversation with the star and director of the lifetime movie "mahalia." we sat down at the christian cultural center in brooklyn. we talked about the emmy nomination and the making of the film. >> we are looking forward to that and congratulations on that nomination. >> very excited. very excited. >> we're excited to see a lot more of that coming up. then we've got tory johnson here as well. she has "deals & steals" for the summer, something for everyone from beauty to fashion, to home goods, it's all coming up. first news, amy. we'll have more of my interview with president biden, he's defending the u.s. withdrawal from afghanistan admitting no

mistakes and vowing to stay as long as it takes to get american citizens trapped there back home. back in july you said a taliban takeover was highly unlikely. was the intelligence wrong, or did you downplay it? >> there was no consensus. you go back and look at the intelligence reports. they said that -- more likely to be sometime by the end of the year. >> you didn't put a time line on it when you said it was highly unlikely, you just said flat out it was highly unlikely the taliban would take over. >> yeah, well, the question was whether or not -- the idea that the taliban would take over was premised on the notion that the -- that somehow the 300,000 troops we had trained and equipped was going to just collapse. they were going to give up. i don't think anybody anticipated that. >> when you look at what's happened over the last week was it a failure of intelligence, planning, execution or judgment? >> look, i don't think it was a failure -- it was a simple choice, george. when the taliban -- let me put it another way. when you had the government of afghanistan, the leader of that government get in a plane and

taking off and going to another country, when you saw the significant collapse of the afghan troops we had trained, up to 300,000 of them, just leaving their equipment and taking off, that was, you know, i'm not -- that's what happened. >> we've all seen the pictures and we've seen those hundreds of people packed into a c-17. we've seen afghans falling -- >> that was four days ago, five days ago. >> what did you think when you first saw those pictures. >> what i thought was we have to gain control of this. we have to move this more quickly, we have to move in a way in which we can take control of that airport and we did. >> so americans should understand that troops might have to be there beyond august 31st. >> no, americans have to understand we're going to try to get it done before august 31st. >> but if we don't, the troops will stay? >> if we don't we'll determine at the time who is left. >> and? >> and if there are american forces -- if there's american

citizens left we're going to stay till we get them all out. >> as we heard martha raddatz say she does think military believes it will take longer than august 31st to get everybody out. >> you certainly covered a lot of ground with the president yesterday, thank you. now to that ban on a certain kind of pesticide that sometimes used on the foods we eat. the epa making the ruling saying it could be harmful to children. erielle reshef joins us with more on this. good morning, erielle. >> reporter: good morning to you, robin. that chemical chlorpyrifos can be used as a common pesticide, it's used on so many foods that we eat, broccoli, cauliflower, soybeans, tree nuts. now the epa says that it is unsafe citing several crrelations to child neurological issues. that decision is a reversal from the trump administration policy to allow its continued use. the farm bureau, though, arguing that this is a valuable crop protection tool with no viable alternative, but the epa suggests that there are several studies that would suggest that this product is potentially dangerous for farm workers and for children. so far the eu, canada and

several states here in the u.s., like new york and california, have taken steps to restrict its use on food. the epa saying its latest move is an overdue step to protect public health, robin. >> erielle, thank you. coming up next, selena gomez on the cover and guest editing "elle's" first latinx issue and the superstar talking about everything from mental health to embracing her culture with her new music. we'll get a first look here on "gma." and the new way to apply for jobs on tiktok. we'll break down the best tips to use the app to look for opportunities. plus, something else you might be seeing online. have you seen this, amy? the exercise dress. becky worley sees if it really holds up during a workout. all right. that's coming up. we'll be right back. ♪ people with moderate to severe psoriasis, are rethinking the choices they make like the splash they create the entrance they make, the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not a cream.

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♪ ♪ you know the sound, that is lorde right there, and she is going to be taking over central park tomorrow for our "gma" summer concert series. cannot wait for that. hope you are doing well today. all right, now to pop superstar selena gomez on the cover of the first-ever "elle" latinx issue, she's opening up about her first spanish language album navigating mental health and what really kept her going. kaylee hartung has that story and that's first on "gma." hey, kaylee. >> reporter: hey, amy. selena gomez never wants to stop making music. she's been performing since she was a child and for music to movies she does it all, but at 29 even after hit after hit she says she is still driving to prove herself and with this album a new challenge. ♪ took a few years to soak up the tears ♪

>> reporter: this morning, we're all looking at her now. ♪ look at her now ♪ >> reporter: selena gomez guest editing "elle" magazine's first-ever latinx issue. >> we had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with selena to shine a light on all of the latinx talent in this community. >> reporter: the star revealing how some of the most difficult moments in her life shaped her, including health battles and hea heartbreak. every time i went through something, i was like, what else? what else am i going to have to deal with? you're going to help people. that's what kept me going. >> i think people will take out of this issue how much she really cares. she does projects that are important to her, but that have a reason connected to them. >> reporter: gomez also revealing that she's removed instagram from her phone saying there's no temptation. i suddenly had to learn to be with myself adding now i get information the proper way. when my friends have something to talk about, they call me and say, oh, i did this.

they don't say, wait, did you see my post? ♪ >> reporter: all this in a year when her latinx heritage has become more central to her work. ♪ >> reporter: releasing her first spanish language album in march. it was a challenge, i think speaking in spanish is a lot easier than singing. i focused so hard on making sure that the language i was speaking and the way i was speaking it was authentic. >> in this issue i think she joins us in celebrating her mexican heritage, her latinx heritage. >> reporter: selena's grandparents crossed the border from mexico in the '70s and she recalls first being exposed to discrimination against her father at a young age hearing racial slurs hurled at him. selena says she is a proud third generation mexican-american. guys. >> every right to. all right, kaylee, thank you. now to how cutting-edge artificial intelligence is helping val kilmer express himself again. this after losing his voice during a valiant fight with

throat cancer. will reeve joins us with more and how some critics are worried this may be misused. >> reporter: yes, they do. they'll get to that. an actor's voice is like a tennis player's racket or a painter's brush. it is an essential tool one cruelly robbed from val kilmer in his cancer fight, but now, in a story we first saw in "the washington post," a british company has re-equipped him in a way, though critics say this could be weaponized in the wrong hands. >> you are still dangerous. >> reporter: hollywood star val kilmer is renown for playing the roles of iceman in "top gun." >> you can be my wingman any time. >> reporter: and batman in "batman forever," but in 2014 kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer losing his voice due to a tracheotomy which he discussed last year with our chris connelly. >> i feel a lot better than i sound. i feel wonderful. >> reporter: what do you miss most about your old voice, val? >> that i had one. and that i didn't laugh like a pirate.

>> reporter: but now through cutting edge technology kilmer has his voice back. >> people around me struggle to understand me when i'm talking. but despite all that i feel i'm the exact same person. still the same creative soul. >> reporter: british start-up has used advanced artificial intelligence to re-create kilmer's voice using recordings of the actor. >> ordinarily we have a voice engine where we onboard the actor and they record lines. but in this case we didn't have that. val's team gave us historical recordings, they couldn't get as much recording as we usually do. >> a soul that dreams ideas and stories constantly, but now i can express myself again and i can bring these dreams to you and show you this part of myself once more. >> reporter: they say kilmer is free to use the desktop speech technology however he wishes but

crtics fear the worse saying at its most nefarious, digitally produced audio could literally put words in people's mouths that they never intended to say. >> technologically there aren't any universal tools or any readily available tools for the average public to be able to tell if this is a.i.-generated voice or a human voice. >> reporter: in a recently released documentary about anthony bourdain, "road runner," viewers thought they were hearing him read this line from an email he wrote. instead it too was a.i. >> you are successful and i'm successful. i'm wondering are you happy. >> reporter: the director claiming he had the estate's permission, but his ex-wife ottavia taking issue tweeting, i certainly was not the one who said tony would have been cool with that. the sonantic's ceo says her company don't synthesize anyone's voice without consent and get signoff before

completing any project, but critics maintain this could be dangerous for anyone with bad intentions, guys. >> it makes sense. >> it's a touch one. it's a moral gray area but the technology exists so we'll go from there. >> you brought it to us, thank you, will. we look at how tiktok is helping people find jobs. rebecca jarvis back with that story and tiktok is being used by both sides in the job market. >> reporter: yes, hi, george. we've come a long way from waiting in line at kinko's to print those resumes. i did that, but these days a tiktok video could score you your dream job. >> hi. my name is elle woods. >> reporter: "legally blonde" may have popularized video resumes but tiktok taking it to a new height. it's how this woman scored her job as associate director at whaler, an influencer marketing firm. >> for me it was a really fun and unique way to show i can do social strategy, check it out.

>> reporter: she tagged wailer, and within 30 minutes the ceo of the company had sent her a message to interview the next day. >> i can't believe i did that but it worked. >> reporter: it's not just seekers, companies are also using tiktok to recruit. last month tiktok even piloted a program partnering with brands like shopify, chipotle and target allowing users to apply directly on the platform. >> people are on tiktok actually booking more jobs. >> reporter: zoe is with a company that helps freelancers find work. >> there is a shift of companies that are using tiktok to actually reach future employees. >> reporter: so how can you find a job on tiktok? first make it personal. >> companies aren't just looking for your traditional experience, your traditional resume, use it for creating a simple brand for yourself. >> reporter: then, make the first move.

>> before you would send in your resume, hope for a response. now we have a unique power to actually reach out to a company ourselves. >> reporter: finally make it unique. >> personalize videos. really knowing about the company, how you could add value to them, what skills you have and that will really give someone a full picture. >> reporter: and keep in mind these videos aren't going to work for every job listing out there. the best places to use them are in the creative fields, advertising, marketing, customer-facing jobs, some technology jobs. but if you are applying to companies that are more on the professional side a little less playful as far as their ethos as culture is concerned, like if you are applying to social services or to the cia, maybe skip the tiktok video for that application. >> what are some of the pitfalls to avoid? >> reporter: sure, well, you want to think of this in a professional way. make sure the quality is there. make sure that you're talking about the role and yourself. think of it like a mini interview and show you've done the work. do the research about the company itself.

that's going to show them that you really care and this isn't just the video you're sending around to everybody someday, george. >> a lot of good advice there. rebeck kansas thanks. now to ginger. i want to start out in rhode island. the waves already kicking up. this is from winds pulled in from fred's remnants but the flash flood watches from new york through vermont, new hampshire and maine are just round one we have to worry about. round two could potentially come from henri. as we see the weekend progressing here, look at the lines, that category 1 hurricane passing not too far off to the east of new jersey, but it looks like new england would see the most impacts especially sunday into monday, a lot of the spaghetti plots are starting to narrow in. a quick check of grace made landfall near tulum, mexico, now passing over the yucatan and should hit central m

time now for "deals & steals." tory is helping us close out up summer with some amazing self-care items for everyone in our summer grab bag of goodies. you can get all of these products by pointing your cell phone camera at the qr code you see there at the bottom of your screen. all right, tory, let's get right too it as always. this beauty company wants us to put our best face forward. and they have a unique way of producing their products, don't they? >> they do. this is laura geller beauty. they've got fan favorite formulas, incredible colors,

incredible textures, so whether you want a blush, bronze, conceal or correct, we've got something for your face. they make some of the very best shadow palettes i think in all of the industry. both in terms of color as well as value, they also have their baked collection which gives everybody regardless of your skin tone the most perfect sort of sun-kissed glow. all of the products are terrific. today's a good day to treat yourself. everything is at least 50% off, robin. our prices start at $4.50. >> it's always a good day to treat ourselves, right, tory? so let's keep that beauty train moving. >> absolutely. >> hair care next? >> hair care. this is christophe robin. it is luxurious hair care that's specifically formulated for color-treated hair. we've got a variety of their collections for volumizing, hydrating, as well as enhancing color. we also have their great -- their temporary color gels and

these are -- they're one of the first of its kind formulas that has natural ingredients to cover grays as well as roots without irritating your scalp so if your hair needs a little tlc, everything in the collection is 50% off. our prices start at $12.50 and from christophe robin, free shipping. >> we always love that. okay, how about a brighter, whiter smile? >> go smile. so that's the thing i think about you when i'm imagining that i can see you right now, i see those pearly whites, and so for those who could use a little extra boost for a healthier, cleaner, brighter, whiter smile, these products are terrific. everything from whitening toothpaste to their bluelight technology that helps to accelerate the whitening process. we've got a huge assortment from go smile today. everything is at least half price with starting at $25. >> you got me smiling. and, sal, these are approved by sal in our studio.

he attested -- these indeed are the most comfortable shirts around. is that true? >> it is true. i mean sal wouldn't lie. >> no. >> he's my wingman here but he always gives it to us straight. and so what's great about these, they were featured on "shark tank." they did declare themselves the world's most comfortable shirt and they have some pretty terrific features, so wrinkle resistance which is just great for convenience, six-way stretch, it's a fabric that's designed to fit and flatter. it's also incredibly comfortable. it is a cotton fabric that helps you stay cooler when it's hot out and then warmer when it's cold. we have a huge assortment from this company. it's 50% off, so if you want to indulge today, it's your time. >> yeah, sal is just bummed that none of these shirts are his size but we'll hook you up, sal. don't worry about that. this is a way to keep home close

to heart, right, tory. >> that's right. fish kiss. there are so many people who we love who we miss, places that we haven't been able to see, this is a great way to say i love you, i miss you, i'm celebrating something that matters to me. you choose your state, you can add personalized text, you can add an icon to a place that matters to you. it can be used indoors and outdoors, 50% off, they're $22.50. >> i like this. american robin, thank you. that is so adorable. you always think of us, tory. okay, this is the last but it's certainly not the least, what is our last deal? >> leesa. this is the hybrid mattress. it is a premium mattress, it's made to order, made to last, a couple great features about this, cooling premium foam plus a thousand active springs that help for both firmness, support and comfort. 50% off. huge assortment that you will find online, two different styles, and free shipping from leesa. >> you are the best as always,

tory. thank you. we have partnered with all of these companies on these deals. you can get them on our website, goodmorningamerica.com. coming up, my conversation with danielle brooks and kenny leon about our movie "mahalia." come on back.

>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> good morning. strictly bluegrass is going to be virtual because of covid. organizers of the music festival in san francisco say performances will be livestreamed online on the first weekend of october. >> i want you to look at this picture of the bay bridge on the western span as you make your way to san francisco. we have a car fire that we can clearly see. this has not been reported by chp yet. it looks like it happened in the last couple of minutes. active flames and smoke and it appears the people inside that vehicle are standing to the side. at least two lanes are blocked and you can expect delays. we will keep an eye on this

developing situation and let you know when everything clears out. active car fire on the bay bridge right now. >> thank you. i get it, maybe you can see just fine. but as a vsp® premier program doctor, let me tell you, everyone needs an annual comprehensive eye exam- like a vsp wellvision exam®. i see things you wouldn't expect to see in an eye exam, like the early signs of serious health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. it's about more than seeing well, it's about being well. schedule your comprehensive eye exam with a vsp premier program doctor.

>> we still have critical fire conditions to talk about. through 11:00 this morning. solano county until 11:00 this evening. please be vigilant. if the cash fire told us anything, it is that you have to be ready. it can happen in seconds.

we have smoky conditions once again. some of this will filter into some of our neighborhoods. if you sme ♪ i'm gonna move a little higher ♪ welcome back to "gma." we are very happy you're joining us on this thursday morning, or as we like to say friday eve, right? and, robin, you have something very special to share with us right now. >> i do. >> you can hear her right now. >> i know. i know, the voice is just incomparable. i had the pleasure to executive produce a film with my company rock'n robin productions about the queen of gospel, mahalia jackson. it was nominated for an emmy and we're truly humbled by this. after the news i wanted to sit down with the movie's star. wouldn't have happened without danielle brooks and tony award

winning director kenny leon, wanted their reaction and discuss mahalia's incredible legacy. ♪ i'm gonna live the life i sing about in my songs ♪ >> reporter: the mahalia jackson story, a project years in the making, resonating across the nation and scoring big with an emmy nomination. >> i could not have dreamed of a better team to help bring the legendary mahalia jackson story to life. how did you feel, danielle, when you got the news that our little old film got an emmy nomination? >> oh, my gosh. it took me a minute to process it. for us to collectively have this nomination, it feels just right and i'm over the moon. i called kenny first, kenny, you know we got nominated. >> how about you, kenny? >> when i got the news i was really -- i don't know if i cried like out loud but i was pretty emotional because i knew what it took to get it done and i am so glad that robin roberts

presented. >> yes. >> the mahalia jackson story. >> you're too kind. >> reporter: incredible cast and crew including tony award-winning director kenny leon and star danielle brooks. we teamed up for the queen of gospel's lifetime biopic, a huge role to fill but hit close to home for danielle. we're in this beautiful chapel. >> i know. >> mahalia grew up in the church, was her second home. much like yourself. >> very much my first home, i started singing in the church when i was 3. to praise team, to choir, everything. when i saw "mahalia," i saw myself. ♪ elijah, i'm coming home ♪ [ applause ] >> you were full on singing. >> yes. >> full on singing. >> every song, every setup, every take. >> you know what, miss robin, it's easier for me to lean into

the singing hiding behind a character, believe it or not, like, if you were to ask me to sing now, i actually would get really shy about it and nervous about it, but if you tell me to sing as mahalia then i'm like okay. >> can you sing now? >> yes. ♪ god is real ♪ ♪ he's real in my soul ♪ >> he's a good musical director. >> reporter: for many it's an introduction to mahalia jackson's glorious music, her health struggle, tumultuous relationships and in particular her impact as a civil rights icon. >> tell them about the dream, martin. >> i said i want every young girl to be empowered by watching that, say, you know what, there was a woman behind that "i have a dream" speech. >> reporter: the duo reminiscing over another scene that might make you do a double take.

>> again, from the diaphragm. with dignity. >> i ended up in the film because we didn't have time to get another american actor into quarantine and danielle said you act. >> my favorite scene. >> you're going to play the vocal coach. okay, get me a wig. put on a wig. >> look good. >> i was watching the daily, i was like, is that kenny? i want to play a little game. we're going to call it mahalia minute. ♪ >> oh, lordy. i'm nervous. >> danielle, preperformance ritual on set. >> pray. >> kenny, most likely to break scene on set? >> joaquina kalukango. >> that's your roommate. >> she will get you. she and i went to juilliard together and were roommates and

very close. >> favorite mahalia song to perform. >> okay -- ♪ i'm gonna move on up a little higher ♪ ♪ i'm gonna meet abraham and isaac ♪ >> all right, kenny, what was your favorite scene to direct? >> that's a good question. >> in carnegie hall because to hear danielle brooks in an empty theater sing that song in that space with just me and the camera crew, it was real special and i'll never forget it. ♪ i'm gonna move up a little higher ♪ >> one word to describe mahalia jackson's legacy? >> i want to say everlasting. >> kenny. >> faith. faith is getting knocked down 10 times and getting up 11. that's what she did. that's life is. that's the best we can do, keep getting up. ♪ >> keep getting up and hopefully moving up a little bit higher. kenny and danielle are magic together. >> you can see it right there.

>> and so there was so much to the conversation so we have an extended portion of that conversation that's going to be on my facebook page a little bit later today, but what we're really excited by, george and amy, people are learning about mahalia jackson. her full story, in fact, there is an encore presentation of the movie tonight on lifetime at 6:00 p.m. eastern and we'll also have it available on demand. >> i'm so glad you showed that iconic line. people forget that martin luther king's speech, she prompted what was probably one of the most memorable speeches in american history. >> we refer to it as the "i have a dream." she was the one that said tell them about the dream, martin. >> you learn so much and, wow, danielle's voice, who knew she could sing like that? >> and let folks -- every single take on set she sang, even though we already had laid down the tracks, i sound like a producer now. laid down the tracks. but also have to thank my fellow executive producer, linda berman, lifetime, the whole cast and crew, just beautiful.

so if you have a chance, please see the encore presentation tonight. >> again, congratulations, robin. co ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ security at your fingertips. control feels good. chase. make more of what's yours.

♪ i got you ♪ we're back now with how popular brands are making it easier to find yur fit. old navy is now pledging size inclusive shopping with their

new initiative. reena roy is joining us with more on that. good morning to you, reena. >> reporter: hey there, amy. good morning to you. yeah, millions of americans struggle with clothing sizes but that could soon be changing with old navy moving its plus sizes from the margins to the center aisle to make shopping easier for all. ♪ i'm 100% ♪ >> reporter: no matter shape or size it'll be a one-stop shop starting tomorrow, old navy will offer all sizes in store from double zero to 28 and extra small to 4x. >> uh-huh. >> reporter: all at the same price on the same rack, a major step since bigger sizes often cost more and get placed in separate areas around the store. >> being able to go in, get excited when you see a shirt and realize that there's not only a smaller size but your size as well and being able to take multiple sizes into the dressing room, try it on in the store and leave with it that day and one size that fits is huge.

>> by offering inclusive sizes you're offering clothing that fits the majority of americans today. >> reporter: the extended size market is an estimated $32 billion industry and it's growing fast. with more than 73% of all u.s. adults over age 20 expected to fit in this category. old navy adding to the growing list of companies looking to make all shoppers feel equal, target and walmart both have their own plus size clothing lines and victoria's secret's fuller figured mannequins helping pave the way in making fashion more accessible. >> as sizes increase, there are actually new patterns that need to be made. the cost of the product actually will change as well because fabric tends to be 50% to 60% of the cost of most apparel. >> reporter: in a survey of a thousand women sized 14 to 28, the majority said finding clothes that fit correctly and comfortably is their top

shopping priority. so for many, this couldn't have come soon enough. >> i have been plus size my entire life. i'm not going to lie. there have been tears in dressing rooms because you walk in and you can't find something. this is so much more than clothing. it's confidence. >> reporter: with social media influencers and the rise of the body positivity movement experts say we'll likely see a lot more brands become a lot more inclusive. >> big step in the right direction, reena, we want to mention by the way, welcome. this is your first report for weekday "gma." very, very, very happy to see you here with us. >> thank you so much. it is great to be here. >> all right, we'll be seeing more of you, i'm sure. reena, thank you. we move to ginger. >> thanks, amy. welcome to reena. i got to show you the french fire blew up to 200,000 acres burned. mandatory evacuations. the fire behavior as we have heard throughout the show, erratic.

really uncomfortable for at least the next couple of hours, but things will start to get a little better windwise. unfortunately, just a check in for you, you knew it was bad. california right now more than 1.3. at least that because that number hasn't even been updated acres burned. 1.3 million acres, much more than last year and certainly more than the five-year average. we're only halfway through what is the usual peak of fire season but as we know cal fire says there is no fire season any longer. it's all year. >> well, our next guest is an international superstar with more than 67 million followers across social media. you may recognize him from movies like "how to be a latin lover" and "overboard," now he's

starring in the new movie "coda." eugenio derbez is with us. welcome back to "gma" and thanks for being with us. i am so excited to talk to you. >> how are you? >> hey, good morning. so excited to talk to you about this movie. what a powerful movie. i want to have you describe it for us. it was a huge hit at sundance. talk a little about why you think it's resonating so much with so many? >> amy, a pleasure being again with you guys. well, first of all, this movie is about a coda, which means child of deaf adults, and it's about ruby who is the only hearing person in her deaf family. so i think this movie is getting a lot of attention especially because we don't see this kind of movies very often. the subject is very unique and the fact that we have real deaf actors like marlee matlin who won an oscar for "children of

lesser god," or troy, the fact we have real deaf actors makes this movie very special and talks about inclusion and diversity. so i'm very proud of being part of this movie. >> it's incredible, in fact, we want to share a little bit with our audience with a little preview. let's take a look. >> do you know what he said about bob dylan? a voice like sand and glue. there are plenty of pretty voices with nothing to say. do you have something to say? >> i think so. >> good. then i'll see you in class, bob. >> we see there you play a music teacher and you actually had to learn how to play piano, but i understand you had a coach who has taught a lot of famous

actors how to play piano. what was that like? >> it was amazing, amazing. actually i used to play piano when i was a kid but just the basics, for this role i really had to get back into it and i trained with the same coach who trained ryan gosling for "la la land." i was in good hands. she was amazing and taught me like five different songs, it's tricky because she teaches you song -- just the parts where you're playing the piano. you don't need to learn the entire six songs so it was -- i also had to learn how to lead a choir because i'm the choir master, how to teach singing lessons, so it was very challenging but i was in good hands. >> and i understand so the teacher that you play is tough on the students but really cares a lot about them. did you have a teacher who you channeled thinking back on when you were playing this role? >> absolutely.

i had a teacher who was teaching me law at high school and he was so -- i mean i think we all had, you know, a teacher who made our lives miserable in certain point at school. but then you realize that it comes from love. it's because they care and this is what happens with my character. i may come off as a cold and mean character, but then you realize that it's because he cares about this girl named ruby and he sees a lot of potential in her and he wants her to become what he couldn't be because he wanted to be a musician. so, yeah, but we all had a mean teacher in our high school probably. >> yeah, well, it's hard to imagine you as even playing someone mean or tough but this is such a powerful, powerful movie. "coda" is now in theaters. we want to let everyone know and streaming on apple tv. thank you so much, eugenio derbez, for being with us today, we appreciate it.

hope you come back soon. >> thank you, amy. good to see you. bye-bye. >> bye. coming up next, we have the exercise dress that has worked its way into so many summer wardrobes. we'll explain when we come back. wardrobes. we'll explain when we come back. ♪ ♪ unlock a summer of possibilities in a new chevy. expand your options...and your perspective. ♪ find new summer adventures. find new roads. enjoy the open road and make no monthly payments for 90 days on select popular chevy suvs. plus, get interest free financing for 72 months when you finance with gm financial. find new roads at your local chevy dealer.

ahhh. beautiful day in baltimore where most people probably know that geico could save them money on car insurance, right? you see the thing is geico, well, could help them save on boat insurance too. hey! okay...i'm ready to come in now.

hello? i'm trying my best. seriously, i'm...i'm serious. request to come ashore. geico. saving people money on more than just car insurance. ♪ amy and i are back with the summer trends. this is getting some buzz. the fashionable and functional so-called "exercise dress." becky worley tried on a couple to see if they, you know, pass the workout test. we'll see. >> can i hear a little commotion for the dress, hmm? >> reporter: it's the latest fashion trend taking over your social feeds, the athleisure dress, a one-stop shot outfit and hot ticket item. >> the fabric is amazing because it's usually a moisture-wicking fabric which makes it great for working out, running errands,

taking a walk and then going straight to either lunch or brunch. that perfect transition dress you can feel comfortable in and still run around in. >> reporter: with plenty of styling options. >> you can easily dress this up or dress it down pairing it with an oversize button down that's open or cute denim jacket and making it versatile and wearable for now and later. >> reporter: the fad expected to last, in fact, over the last year exercise dress sales have nearly doubled. these dresses run the gamut on price too. i found this one for $22. this beachy but professional dress was 59. here's tropical and tailored plus pockets, a must for a serious athletic dress and it comes in at 89 and for this slightly more sophisticated but very comfy t-shirt style. while you can wear sandals or more formal shoes with them, how about jumping into the chunky sneaker trend that looks great with an athletic dress and even more comfort.

now let's talk activity, walking, definitely. this dress is so billowy and cool it feels like wearing a t-shirt and nothing else. roller skating? sure, if that's your jam. clearly it's not mine, biking, definitely. this cool dress is made for it. it has a snap right here at the hem that basically turns it into culottes, or is it skorts. i never know. for something as active as this, i don't know. what do you do with all the extra fabric? are you going to tuck it in? i have little shorts or put it behind? no. >> reporter: for "good morning america," becky worley, abc news, oakland, california. >> oh, my. i don't know. i think it might be cute just to wear but i don't know if i want to sweat and then go to lunch. >> are the shorts in -- simone, can you confirm or deny? you say shorts are built in. it is huge with our younger staffers. with us not so much but the

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>> announcer: with america re-opening this summer, who will be performing in "gma's" first live concert in the park? ♪ think three times ♪ >> announcer: it's lorde, live tomorrow, the "gma" morning television event sponsored by caesars rewards. we're talking about sending kim to college and i just -- >> i made robin cry. >> i miss my mom and dad.

>> ah. dad. >> ah. >> announcer: now with so much hope for a brighter tomorrow filled with sunshine it's time to -- >> "rise & shine." >> announcer: we're celebrating traveling all across the country. >> "rise & shine." >> "rise & shine." >> announcer: so celebrate with abc's "good morning america's" great "rise & shine" tour. abc's morning america's" great "rise & shine" tour.

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announcer: building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. kumasi: good mo here is jolene with traffic. jobina: we have had a major issue underway on the bay bridge if you are traveling in the westbound direction, it is still shut down. all lanes are blocked because of the car fire. we watched firefighters arrived about 15 minutes ago. the fire now is out, but chp has not given us an estimated time as to when all lanes will reopen. there was at least one propane tank inside his vehicle. mike: thank you. pretty intense watching that. hopefully everybody is ok. let's talk about air quality and temperatures. 70 to 90 from san francisco to inland. our air quality will be improved along the coast and into the bank. all of us will clear out this weekend when it gets much

cooler. kumasi: now it is time for "live kumasi: now it is time for "live with kelly and ryan" deja vu: it's live with kelly and ryan! today, big screen star channing tatum. plus music sensation shania twain. also, how to spruce up your outdoor décor. and caroline rhea's here to make you smile. all next on live! ["man! i feel like a woman" by shania twain] and now, here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest. ♪ men's shirts, short skirts ♪ ♪ oh, oh, oh ♪ hi, déjà, good morning. kelly ripa! good morning, y'all! how's it going? what's happening? thursday, august 19th. it is thursday, august 19th, 2021. -my knee is back. -oh, it feels better? that's why i read from way over there by the wheel. i saw you do that, but i just assumed that you were in the bathroom again. no, no, no. it's back. it's back. i'm back to training. [claps] there's a manhattan field day that--