right now on "america this morning," black friday, millions of americans flooding stores in-person and online, with supply chain and shipping problems causing major headaches, we show you how to get the best deals and find that perfect holiday gift. a newly discovered covid variant that scientists fear could be more dangerous than delta. as cases surge across the globe, the drastic measures some countries are taking to combat the virus. breaking overnight, a massive fire engulfing almost an entire city block in los angeles as winds in southern california force electric companies to shut off power for thousands of customers. and all the highlights from the big game. >> plus the afghan woman from this iconic cover is back in the headlines. and history made at the

national dog show. who took home the honor of top dog for this second time? ♪ who let the dogs out ♪ all the trending stories on this friday morning. >> announcer: from abc news in new york, this is "america this morning." and good morning on this day after thanksgiving. i'm andrew dymburt. >> and i'm rachel scott. mona is off. we'll get to the covid variant in a moment. we start with the best black friday deals. >> some shoppers got a start early and snapping up major bargains at a new jersey gamestop. >> retailers are expecting record sales, but will buyers be able to find what they are looking for? abc's ann nguyen joins us from washington with more. good morning, ann. >> reporter: good morning, rachel. you may remember the long lines inside retailers, people waiting days to get the 30, 40, 50% off the holiday must-haves. this time around, both retailers

and consumers have much more to consider. black friday, one of the largest shopping days of the year, but this year many large retailers like target and best buy didn't open at midnight. instead, staying closed until morning. >> i kind of like it. it's not about shopping on thanksgiving. it's about family. >> reporter: some, though, in this line out side gamestop in the san francisco bay area kept it traditional. >> well, i am here for the ps-5. >> reporter: but on this second black friday of the pandemic, many stores are feeling the brunt of supply chain issues. shoppers can expect a triple whammy with fewer deals, more items out of stock and shipping delays. and with inflation at a 30-year high, some gifts are 5 to 17% more expensive than last year. still, people are expected to shop at least 8.5 to 10% more than last year. and retailers say they're ready for the crowds, even beefing up security at many stores after a string of reported >> we' also going

added uniform trolls. they're already out in the retail market areas. >> reporter: at thesame time, online sales are skyrocketing. so far this november, $72 billion in online sales. that's up 20% from last year. and another solution to supply chain issues, shop local. >> because then you don't have to worry so much about shipping and the supply chain because you can buy products in-store. i think that's another way around it. >> reporter: the best day of for that, this saturday. >> small business saturday is always a blast. i couldn't tell you how many people come through here. it's almost overwhelming in a good way. >> reporter: meanwhile, amazon employees are planning a strike today, calling on the retail giant to raise wages and pay more taxes among other demands. and amazon has yet to say how this might affect holiday shoppers. andrew? >> all right, em, thank you. now to the pandemic and fears of a winter surge in the u.s., but also causing alarm is a new variant discovered in

south africa. it's prompting an emergency meeting today involving a team with the world health organization. this morning concerns over a new covid variant that scientists warn could be more dangerous than the deadly delta variant. the new variant was detected earlier this week in south africa and more than 20 cases have already been reported. largely among young people. experts say the variant's mutations represent a big jump in evolution and worry that it may be better at evading the body's defenses. >> the early indications we have of this variant is that it may be more transmissible than the delta variant. and the vaccines that we currently have may be less effective against it. >> no cases have been detect in europe so far, but officials are not taking chances. the uk announcing it will ban flights from six african nations. the discovery comes as european countries announce new restrictions as cases surge. the czech republic ordering bars and clubs to close at 10:00 p.m.

and banning christmas markets. and the netherlands reintroducing mask mandates in stores and ordering bars and restaurants to close at 8:00 p.m. covid surges not just a problem overseas. 35 states have reported an increase in daily cases of 10% or more in the last two weeks with hospitalizations climbing in nearly half the country. >> we have a half dozen i.c.u. patients that are waiting for beds that don't have beds for them yet. >> but despite the surge, the revelers at the thanksgiving day parade showing little concern. >> everyone is masked, vaccinated, we feel safe. it's great to get things back. >> good news out of long island, new york. an e.r. forced to close earlier this week because not enough staff was vaccinated will reopen today. governor kathy hochul announcing state health officials managed to alleviate the staffing issue. back to that new variant, the world health organization will meet with south african scientists today and will assign it a greek letter. and breaking news from overseas, dozens of people have

died in a cole mine disaster in russia. at least 52 people are dead. that includes six of the rescuers. russian news report saying the mine filled with toxic fumes after a methane gas explosion and fire. three days of mourning have been declared in the region. british and french officials are set to speak this weekend with hopes of avoiding a repeat of wednesday's migrant disaster. 27 people tried to cross the english channel into the uk drowned. at least two survivors an iraqi and somali are in critical condition. prime minister boris johnson has asked france to take back anyone attempting to crossing. back here in the u.s. breaking overnight in california, a massive fire in a commercial building in los angeles filled with textiles. smoke can be seen coming from this 80,000 square foot structure from miles away. it was the second fire at the building in just three days. and it's not the only fire in that region that has officials concerne concerned. abc's kaylee hartung has more. >> reporter: for thousands of people in southern california faced with high fire danger,

power company shutting off electricity for 70,000 customers with 200,000 more at risk. >> i suppose i'd rather have excess wind and less power than burned out of my house and home. >> reporter: those inconvenient public safety power shut offs allow downed power lines from sparking more fires. as powerful santa ana winds rip through the area, wind gusts topping 70 miles per hour, strong enough to rip this tree from the ground. surveillance catching it as it comes crashing down in the neighborhood, that car stopping just in time. the winds fueling this fire in riverside co riverside county threatening homes and forcing evacuations in the middle of the night. in orange county winds knocking trees and power lines down, igniting several fires spreading to homes. california is suffering from decades of drought and dry conditions made worse by climate change. and with these powerful winds in southern california expected to continue through friday morning,

power companies warn they may need to shut off additional circuits. but with this fire threat they say as soon as they can determine it's safe to, they will restore power. kaylee hartung, abc news, los angeles. >> our thank to kaylee. dry winds ask dry conditions continue today. gusts up to 70 miles per hour expected in that region. meanti meantime humidity is a low of 2%. time now for a look at your morning weather. >> well, good morning to you as we head into your friday. get ready for cold, windy conditions throughout the northeast. great lakes. this cold means business and that does mean a little bit of impacts here if you're going to be doing shopping. and then a reinforcing shot of colder air through sunday. that is going to set the stage for a snowy set up for minneapolis into the northeast for the weekend. as for the west, it's remaining pretty warm in the inner mountain west. the northwest continues to see rain chances. for accuweather, i'm

meteorologist chris snell. and coming up, former president trump dropping a potential new hint that he'll run in 2024. also ahead, it's one of the most iconic nasaal geographic photos of all time. and now that woman on the cover is back in the news . tips of how to score like a high roller at this year's black high roller at this year's black friday sales. welcome to allstate. where you can pay a little less and enjoy the ride a little more. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ now, get new lower auto rates with allstate. because better protection costs a whole lot less. you're in good hands with allstate. click or call for a lower auto rate today. let's go walter! after you. walter, twelve o' clock.

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the national guard was called in to rescue a hiker who hurt his back and couldn't make it down from the arizona superstition mountains in time. the chopper had to land in rough terrain with just two front wheels and the tail hovering in the air. but they got that hiker out safely. >> it was gratifying.

i mean, it sounds kind of corny. this is what we live for. >> those guards men say they are grateful that the hiker was okay. the hiker grateful as well. he hugged the entire team after they dropped him off. >> glad he made it out of there okay. as part of their holiday president biden and first lady biden went to nantucket. it is a holiday tradition for the bidens. the president said he was thankful for all who served in the u.s. military. >> what am i thankful for? i'm not joking when i say i'm thankful for these guys. thankful for them, i mean it from the bottom of my heart. they make me proud. i really mean it, bottom of my heart. >> the commander in chief and first lady also had a video call with u.s. troops deployed overseas. and former president donald trump has shared a thanksgiving message of his own which hinted at another run in 2024. trump saying in a statement, we will be great again and we will do it all together.

the former president has enjoyed a surge in recent polls. this as president biden's poll numbers have dropped. thousands of strangers have stepped up to help a wrongfully imprisoned man in missouri restart his life. kevin strickland was exonerated from a 1979 triple killing. a gofundme account has raised more than $1 million. strickland had one of the longest cases of wrongful imprisonment in u.s. history. and an afghan girl featured on the iconic national geographic cover is now living in rome. the now 49-year-old was granted refugee status by italy's prime minister. she has been trying to leave afghanistan since the taliban took control in august. she was a 12-year-old orphan when the magazine hit news stands in 1985. all right. coming up, tips to find the best black friday deals whether you're shopping online or in-store. i want to hear that. also the new flu outbreak affecting jobs. what they say you should do. i'm still wowed by what's next. even with higher stroke risk due to afib

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i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so... ...glad we did this. [kid plays drums] life is for living. let's partner for all of it. i'm so glad we did this. edward jones back now with frightening moments caught on video in new york city. take a look. two officers wounded in a shootout. one of them still in the hospital along with the suspect. surveillance video shows a man opening fire as officers approach him. the suspect was wounded when police returned fire. officer alejandro jacobs was released yesterday. she was shot in the arm but will be okay. and now to a dog flu outbreak that is getting worse in southern california. that say the canine influenza is

airborne and extremely dangerous. they are urging owners to vaccinate their dogs. about 800 dogs caught the flu between july and october of this year, and things could get even worse during the holiday season. >> the fear is because of the holidays and dogs going into day care and boarding and flying, you know, maybe perhaps with other dogs, and other dogs coming for holiday, it can definitely continue to spread pretty rapidly. >> dogs with symptoms sneezing coughing and wheezing should stay away from other dogs. dogs cannot transmit that virus to humans. remember the fedex boxes dumped in an alabama ravine? they gathered them and loaded them back on delivery trucks. after they scan the labels they should zero in on who tossed the boxes. they say most boxes should be delivered today. if you're still tinkering

with your black friday shopping strategy, listen up. abc's andrea has tips on when and how to snag the best deals. >> this morning if you're planning to score big on black friday deals, being the first one inside the store is not the only way to win the day. 64% of shoppers are expecting to shop in stores today as compared to 51% last year. that means more competition. >> you have to be very creative this year because no one is giving away anything for nothing. >> reporter: experts recommend always having your spartmartphoo you can compare prices and download coupons. use cash back or credit cards that gives rewards. always use loyalty points, like this store in new jersey that rewards $100 for every $1,000 spent. >> we curate the selections for our customers and there's a lot of time, energy and love that goes into buying all this product and everything like that. and we like to share that with our customers. >> reporter: but if you'd rather

buy online, you're not alone. gone is the notion of cyber monday. shoppers have already been spending big online this month. more than $72 billion november 1st through this past tuesday. nearly 20% more than last year. but there are tricks to score some extra deals. experts recommend you like, follow and subscribe to your favorite stores before you purchase to often get a discount. if you see something you like, put it in your cart, but don't buy it. marketing bots may censor hesitation and incentivize you with a coupon. also download a browser extension that will search the internet for coupons and automatically apply them at check out. as for black friday, experts seri tailers often repeat their discounts. so if you see something you like today, buy it. because you may not get a better deal come cyber monday. rachel, andrew? >> get those gifts now. all right, andrea, thank you. football fans got their fill of turkey and the nfl as usual

on thanksgiving day. the final game of the turkey day triple header was in new orleans and buffalo's josh allen threw for four touchdown passes. the bills sent the home crowd home unhappy with a 31-6 rout over the saints. that game one was kind of the opposite. it saw the detroit lions misery continue. a 28-yard field goal as time expired gave chicago a 16-14 win. thenle ast eyie seas> in29d fidoa ended a 36-33 raiders overtime win over the cowboys. the game also included a fight. dallas's kelvin joseph and the raiders roderick teamer were kicked out of the game. rough going there for some of the home teams. coming up, the dog who made history at the national dog show. also ahead, jimmy kimmel's thanksgiving mishap that has us all saying deja vu all over all saying deja vu all over again.

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it's that time. we're checking the pulse. beginning with a toddler seeing the world around him clearly for the first time. >> levi was diagnosed with short-sightedness and stigma advertise many when he was just four months old. since then everything he saw was one big blur. >> but now he has a pair of glasses that should clear things up, and after a moment to adjust and refocus, levi was all smiles. >> i love to see that smile. next, to this year's best in show making canine history. >> let's call her a two-time top dog because claire, a 4-year-old scottish deerhound has scooped up her second consecutive win at the national dog show. that's the first time in the show's 20-year history that the same dog has won best in show

two years in a row. see if she can make it three. >> going to need some extra treats for that. next to another top dog licking his wounds this morning. >> we are talking about abc's own jimmy kimmel. and yet another painful cooking malfunction. kimmel shared this photo showing his face and arms dusted with black ash he says after a mishap trying to light the oven. >> yeah, but this was not the first time. last year he convinced the burning his bheeard in a barbec explosion has not learned his lesson. come on, jimmy. >> maybe jimmy should get out of the kitchen. if this is on your black friday shopping list, check your wallet. >> when the upgraded beauty like this hit the showroom floor, the asking price, wait for it, $96,000. >> that listing has vanished from the dealership's website. we're going to check the top headlines next.

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back now with a check on the top stories, the world health organization is meeting with south african scientists about a new variant, assigning it a greek letter. it could be more dangerous than the delta variant, and vaccines resistant. britain has banned flights from six african nations and now the eu plans to do the same. the tsa says it screened 2.3 million people at u.s. airports on wednesday, making it the busiest air travel day since before the pandemic. that's more than double the amount of people flying this time last year. and retailers say they are prepared for record sales on this black friday. americans are expected to spend as much as 10% more this year over last year. that's if the supply chain back up doesn't deplete store shelves. >> today's weather dry winds create fire concerns in los

angeles. dry and cold in the midwest. rain moves out of the south and a cold front brings rain and snow to the northeast. home for the holidays has a new meaning for one pennsylvania mother hospitalized for months with severe covid complications. >> this morning she is grateful to be back home with her family. [ applause ] >> this is the moment the fuentes family has been waiting for for 7 1/2 months. marisa fuentes walking out of a rehab facility in melbourne, pennsylvania, able to celebrate thanksgiving with her family after a series of medical miss fortunes. >> i'm not only thankful for my husband and kids, but today to be able to be with them. >> in april fuentes was hospitalized with the nearly fatal covid infection when she was seven months pregnant undergoing a c-section for her son who was born at 32 weeks. she contracted covid and put on an ecmo machine 5 1/2 months. the device acting as her heart

and lungs. her husband said making it to this moment where she walked out of rehab is nothing short of a miracle. >> it was such a lonely feeling every single day. >> fuentes received care from multiple hospitals before making it to the last step at a rehab hospital. >> i was very determined to get home for the holidays. >> this thanksgiving, a special one for the fuentes family. for another reason. it's little enzoe's first. it's a long road to recovery, but she's happy to have her family by her side. >> the best life i can live with my kids, being home with them means the world. >> just an incredible story. and if you're warming up leftovers this morning and spending your post-thanksgiving friday with us, we want to thank you so much. that's what's making news in "america this morning." >> stay with us for "good morning america." have a great day. >> and get those deals. remember, buy those

right now on "america this morning," black friday, millions of americans flooding stores in-person and online, with supply chain and shipping problems causing major headaches, we show you how to get the best deals and find that perfect holiday gift. a newly discovered covid variant that scientists fear could be more dangerous than delta. as cases surge across the globe, the drastic measures some countries are taking to combat the virus. breaking overnight, a massive fire engulfing almost an entire city block in los angeles as winds in southern california force electric companies to shut off power for thousands of customers. and all the highlights from the big game. >> plus the afghan woman from this iconic cover is back in the headlines. and history made at the