right now on "america this morning," the omicron variant of the coronavirus now confirmed in a dozen countries including canada. the new travel restrictions announced overnight and the big question, can the vaccine stop it? we hear from the top experts. plus, the jitters on wall street after friday's major sell-off. president biden set to speak this morning. our team coverage next. the trial of ghislaine maxwell. the socialite accused of recruiting girls for sex offender jeffrey epstein begins today. the key witnesses and wimaxwell's brother claims she's being used as a scapegoat. cyber onday deals and scams. the new warning for online shoppers about store surveys. plus, the one deal that can

apply to just about anyone on your list. a fashion icon and trail blazer dies at age 41. the rare heart cancer that claimed the life of virgil abloh and the mark he's left on the industry. caught on camera, a drawbridge rises with a pedestrian still on the bridge. from trash to treasure, the eye-popping value of a drawing found during an estate sale. good monday morning, everyone. i'm mona kosar abdi. >> i'm elizabeth schulze. andrew is off. we begin with global concerns about the omicron variant of the coronavirus discovered in south africa. >> dr. anthony fauci says it could be two weeks before enough data is available to know whether it's more dangerous. overnight japan became the latest country to ban foreign visitors as a precaution, and today new u.s. travel restrictions are being imposed affecting several countries across southern africa. the variant has now arrived in north america.

it's been confirmed in canada. doctors warn it's a rival in the u.s. is not a question of if but when. this morning more countries are taking drastic measures to avoid the spread of a newly discovered variant of the coronavirus. travel to the u.s. is now restricted from south africa and these seven other nearby countries. england is imposing a similar ban. the president of south africa, where the omicron variant was first detected, called the travel bans unjustified after dr. anthony fauci said it's inevitable the variant will spread to the u.s. >> we are deeply disappointed by the decision of several countries to prohibit travel from a number of south african countries. >> reporter: israel is now banning all foreigners for 14 days citing the new variant. japan issuing a similar ban overnight. in amsterdam dozens of people are staying at a quarantine hotel. they tested positive after

arriving on flights from south africa. 13 of them infected with omicron. now police have reportedly arrested a couple at the border after they allegedly fled that hotel. back in the u.s., new york state is preemptively declaring a state of emergency to boost hospital capacity and increase staffing even as doctors say the extent of omicron's threat remains unclear. >> we really have no data on severity, whether it's as severe, milder or more significant. >> reporter: the world health organization has classified omicron a variant of concern. doctors say it's behind a, quote, exponential rise and preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection. >> the big question we're looking for, how well do our vaccines hold up? i'm hopeful they will. we don't have much data on it. >> reporter: the south african doctor who discovered omicron said cases in patients she's treated have been mild but the former head of the fda is warning the data on omicron is still limited. >> there's some anecdotal

information offered physicians in south africa that this could be causing milder illness. that could be an artifact of the fact that the initial cases seem to have been clustered in younger people, perhaps in outbreaks around the universities. >> pfizer and moderna are working to adapt their vaccine to fight omicron if necessary, a process that could take three months. now to abc's em nguyen where president biden will speak this morning about the response to omicron. em, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, mona. so the president has a packed schedule this week, but the omicron variant is clearly the top priority. over the holiday weekend the president met with dr. anthony fauci and members of his covid-19 response team. it's unclear what specifically biden will say during his morning speech. the white house has already urged americans to get vaccinated and to get their booster shots saying boosters will offer a higher degree of protection from omicron. the administration will also be keeping a close eye on wall street.

stock futures were up overnight. the discovery of omicron rattled the markets friday with the dow posting its worst day since october of 2020 losing more than 900 points. oil prices also fell sharply friday. now, analysts say it's just too early to tell what if any long-term impact the omicron variants will have on the markets, mona. >> em, thank you. opening arguments are expected today in the trial of ghislaine maxwell. she's been in jail for more than 500 days in isolation for her alleged role recruiting girls for sex offender jeffrey epstein over a period dating back to the '90s. abc's christine sloan has a preview of the trial and explains wimaxwell's brother is now speaking out. >> reporter: this morning, ghislaine maxwell appears in a new york courtroom to face sex trafficking charges. the british socialite is on trial accused of helping her former boyfriend jeffrey epstein recruit and groom underage girls for sex. if found guilty, the 59-year-old maxwell could spend the rest of

her life behind bars. several women are expected to testify against her. the only alleged mining for victim in the case to publicly identify herself spoke to abc news describing an incident where epstein allegedly gave her a massage at his ranch. >> i laid on the table and i was very aware that the door was open and i could be seen getting a massage, and then at some point she just takes the sheet down, so she, you know, exposed my breasts, and i feel uncomfortable. >> reporter: epstein never stood trial. the convicted sex offender died by suicide in his jail cell in 2019. maxwell's brother says that's why prosecutors are using his sister as a scapegoat. >> but this is not quite a put up job but nonetheless has been cobbled together so that ghislaine is made to face the

charges that epstein never faced in place of him, and she is paying a heavy price, a blood price for that. she's treated as guilty. >> reporter: maxwell pleaded not guilty to all six felony charges after her dramatic arrest at this secluded home in new hampshire in 2020. "the daily mail" reports sources close to maxwell say she plans to take the stand saying, she has never shied away from the truth, and she has no fear about getting in the witness box. ghislaine's brother also claims his sister has been enduring inhumane conditions in jail, but she's been denied bail six times. the trial is expected to last six weeks. mona, elizabeth. >> christine, thank you. another major trial begins this week. jury selection begins tomorrow in the trial of kim potter, the

former minnesota police officer who shot and killed daunte wright. she said she meant to tase him. instead she pulled her gun. she's heard on body camera video saying, quote, i grabbed the wrong gun, i'm going to prison. potter charged with both first and second degree manslaughter. now to the latest on those brazen smash-and-grab robberies shaking up shoppers and retailers across the country. police in los angeles have arrested four people in connection with a black friday heist at a home depot. they say two of the suspects are teenagers. thieves also made off with $25,000 in designer bags from a nordstrom in l.a. some stores are now placing tracking devices on expensive items, and best buy is pushing congress to make it harder to sell stolen goods online. >> broadway stars and fans came out in droves to pay tribute to the late stephen sondheim. lin-manuel miranda and josh groban were among those thinesa" freimucal "sunday in the park e." the legendary composer

died friday at the age 91. his works includes "west side story," "sweeney todd" and "into the woods." sondheim won eight tony awards and a pulitzer prize. now time for a look at your monday weather. more snow will be flying around the great lakes today from michigan to pennsylvania and western new york but no significant amounts are expected. on the radar there's more heavy rain at times today for oregon and washington. 46 a flood watch is posted this morning around seattle. the rain could mix with snow at higher elevations. checking today high temperatures, unseasonably warm across the middle of the country. some areas 20 degrees above normal. mild in southern california and the southwest as well. coming up, hold on to your pancakes. the shortage of maple syrup and what's being done about it. but first the man who survived a flight from central

america to florida hiding in the wheel well of a plane. and the best deals on this cyber monday and the new warning

first gentleman dou led festivities. he led the menorah lighting outside of the white house. authorities are trying to determine how a man got inside the wheel well of a plane and survived a flight from guatemala to miami. the u.s. customs officers took him into custody after the 2 1/2-hour plane ride and took him to a hospital for evaluation. his immigration status will be determined in the next few weeks. we turn to a big day for online shoppers. the deals are different this

year. but cyber monday is still paying off. let the shopping begin. cyber monday is here and it's expected to be the biggest shopping day of the year. >> retailers are trying to spread out holiday sales across autumn. they were encouraging people to start buying. >> reporter: overnight, the biggest price cuts were for gamers. for smarthome products, alexa, nest thermostats and security cameras are discounted. and price cuts for travelers. 15% to 20% off hotel stays and 30% off cruisers. experts recommend taking advantage of last-minute deals. the most in-demand items could sell out quickly. >> this could be a last chance for people to get what they want and when they want it. with supply chain issues

with the proliferation e xhergs, it makes sense to start early. >> reporter: a warning of criminals taking advantage of people shopping online. the better business bureau says scammers are getting a link, asking for information. just clicking on the link could infect your computer with malware. >> here's one more deal to consider. for today, amazon is offering a $10 credit when you spend $40 on an amazon gift card. canada has a sweet solution to a crisis, a shortage of maple syrup. a warm spring and higher demand during a pandemic means supplies are low. canada is tapping 50 million pounds of syrup from its emergency stockpile. coming up, the rare heart

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bridge as it started to rise. he was not injured. actor jussie smollett's trial begins today. in 2019 he claimed he was attacked by a man making racist, anti-gay and pro-trump statements. police determined the claims were a hoax, saying the attackers knew the actor and received money from him. the fashion industry is mourning the loss of an iconic designer who was 41 when he died of a rare heart cancer this morning. will ganss explains why virgil abhol was a trend setter. >> reporter: one of the most influential powerhouses in fashion and art, passes away over the weekend, as he battled a rare form of cancer. he was a widely celebrated figure as the first black creative artistic director in

the 167-year history at louis vuitton. his instagram reading, he chose to endure his battle privacy, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions. he was first diagnosed in 2019 with a rare cancer that develops in the heart. >> living thaw journey of two years with this disease is quite frankly, a blessing. >> reporter: he was known for moving the needle in high fashion by celebrating black excellence with his designs on the runway. an indisputable culturl force. he became a dynamic renaissance man whose works came from deejaying to influencing a new generation of creators. >> to call him a fashion icon doesn't do him justice. i see him more as a cultural icon. he touched so many people on his short time on this earth. >> reporter: he was asked to

work alongside mercedes-benz in hopes of bringing luxury to electric cars. >> he leaves behind a great legacy. to sports. the baltimore ravens overcame four interceptions by lamar jackson. ended just enough to beat the browns 16-10. the win moves the ravens into the top playoff spot in the afc. coming up, the estate sale find that could be worth millions. also ahead, matthew mcconaughey's big de

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renaissance master. >> the drawing is on sale for $15 million. and get this, the man paid 30 bucks for it at the estate sale. next, matthew mcconaughey is ruling out a run for governor in his home state of texas for now. >> after months of toying with the idea, he announced his decision on twitter. >> as a simple kid born in texas, it never occurred that i would be considered for political leadership. it's a humbling and inspiring path to ponder. it's a path i'm choosing not to take at this moment. >> it sounds like he is leaving the door open for a future run. a recent poll had him leading greg abbott in a head-to-head match-up. next, a comedy legend revealing details about his career spanning seven decades. >> mel brooks' autobiography is called "all about me." he writes about growing up in new york during the depression and producing "spaceballs" and

"the producers." he tells our george stephanopoulos, he was always the center of attention. >> i sang -- ♪ you must have been a beautiful baby ♪ i was a little kid. ♪ must have been a wonderful child ♪ ♪ you must have been a beautiful baby ♪ ♪ because baby look at you now ♪ >> i was taken all over the school to sing "you must have been a beautiful baby." >> brooks tells george how being short helped his comedy career. a tough game for a lovable mascot. >> check out jackson deville taking the bungee leap off of the stadium. his cord got stuck. he was dangling midair. the jags say that says everything about their season so far.

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moving forward, finding solution, this is abc news. reggie: what health officials know about a new variant in dr. fauci with new information. jobyna: after such a beautiful weekend, we could see record warm this weed that mike is telling us what will be the hottest two days. reggie: it is cyber monday. jobyna: plus a first the white house as it's decked out for the holidays. reggie: good morning, it monday, november 29. jobyjoby holiday with some time off and we are starting with a check of our forecast. mike: it's nice to see everybody back together. we will take a look at some fog out there. we've got some thicker fog around center rows.