i recommend it. literally lit. [laughter] tes good morning, america, f our viewers in the west. at the start of a new week new travel restrictions and growing concern about the new covid variant. health officials bracing for the new variant omicron. first detected in south africa, it's now spread to at least a dozen countries around the world. the u.s. issued a new travel ban as millions of americans return from thanksgiving gatherings. scientists scrambling to learn more about the variant. we're talking to dr. fauci live and the chief medical officer of moderna joins us to talk about what this means for the vaccine. also, president biden set to address the nation from the white house outlining the u.s. response to the new variant. stowaway. how one man got inside the wheel well of a plane and survived a 2 1/2-hour flight.

the man now in custody. the trial of ghislaine maxwell in court this morning one year after her arrest charged with being part of jeffrey epstein's sex trafficking operation. as the victims get ready to testify, will maxwell take the stand? stunning loss. designer virgil abloh, artistic director for louis vuitton, passing away at the age of 41. what we know about his private two-year battle with a rare cancer. cyber monday is here. expected to be the biggest online shopping day of the year. what to buy, what to wait on and the hottest savings happening right now. we'll break them all down this morning. and giant honor.- >> he is the giants real-life superhero, please welcome michael strahan. >> michael's number 92 jersey retired by the new york giants. family, fans and football greats come together to celebrate and this moment resounds across the stadium and the internet.

>> we stomp you good morning, america. congratulations to michael. i love how he was just such a humble hero. >> he was into it. >> i love it. good for him. we are excited to see him later this week. george, by the way, big interview this morning. looking forward to it. >> mel brooks. you know him, the producer behind "young frankenstein," "blazing saddles," "the producers," and so much more. 95 years old. had the chance to visit him in his home in santa monica to talk about his new memoir, "all about me." there.an't imagine what's in - we have to begin with what you have been hearing about all weekend probably in your holiday gatherings as you turn the tv on, omicron, this new variant. here is what we know right now. first detected in south africa but now at least 13 countries have confirmed cases, at least 72 reported worldwide.

but one of the reasons this variant is causing this level of concern is that officials say the virus itself could have as many as 50 mutations. that is more than any other strain so far. >> but still there is so much we don't know. is it more easily transmissible than other variants? does it cause more severe illness? in a few moments we speak with dr. fauci but first to gio benitez who is joining us live from newark airport with the latest on the new travel restrictions that just went into effect. good morning, gio. >> reporter: hey, amy, good morning to you. a flight just landed here from johannesburg minutes ago and it is the last unrestricted flight from the region. the white house is now restricting travel from south africa and seven neighboring countries. this means non-u.s. citizens who have been in those countries in the past two weeks will not be allowed to enter the u.s. citizens, lawful residents and close family members can still fly into the country. it's not just the u.s.

canada, the uk and other countries around the world are imposing similar restrictions but the world health organization overnight criticized travel bans saying they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods. remember, to enter the country international travelers must be fully vaccinated and show proof of a negative covid test taken no more than three days before traveling. >> some countries are taking even more drastic measures, correct? >> reporter: absolutely. in fact, japan overnight announced it will not allow any foreign traveler into the country. israel also making a similar move. but it's morocco that's gone further. they're actually saying they are suspending all inbound and outbound flights for the next two weeks. >> all right. gio benitez with the latest there from newark, thank you. t.j.? robes, with this emphasis on this new variant, there's a new push now to get everybody vaccinated and maybe even ge want to turn to trevor ault joining us from a vaccination site in new york. trevor, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, t.j. beyond travel restrictions we're already seeing american

officials take some swift action over fears of what could be coming. here in new york we'll enter into another state of emergency this week, so hospitals can increase their capacity over fears of a potential winter surge. we were already worried about that with holiday gatherings and the delta variant but omicron has really ratcheted these concerns up to an even higher level. this morning, health officials around the world bracing for the potential threat of a new covid-19 variant, omicron. first detected in southern africa only weeks ago, scientists say it has a concerning combination of mutations fueling fears it could possibly be more transmissible than the delta variant. cases have now been confirmed in at least a dozen countries including scotland, portugal and canada. now both pfizer and moderna are working to adapt their vaccines to fight omicron if necessary, a process that could take two to three months. >> it does appear, again very

preliminary evidence, that it is more transmissible. we don't know for sure. we have no data on severity, whether it's severe or milder. >> reporter: the world health organization has said of high concern saying it's a highly divergent variant with a high number of mutations, some of which are concerning and may potential and higher mune escap- transmissibility. while no confirmed cases in the united states, the arrival here is a question of when, not if. the biden administration restrictions on travel takes effect today and many countries have instituted similar restrictions to try to slow the spread. over the weekend we learned dutch officials are looking into a an outbreak aboard a pair of flights out of south africa to the netherlands. the 600 passengers on board weren't tested on takeoff but were when they landed and 61 infections were detected with at

least 13 determined to be the omicron variant. “new york times” reporter stephanie nolen was on board and tested negative but is quarantining voluntarily. >> there were a lot of people just unmasked and standing too close and just really not taking any of it seriously. even when the ambulances and the guys in the hazmat suits showed at the back of the room to start taking away the positive cases, that didn't prompt anyone to put a mask on. >> reporter: now we should mention one of the first doctors in south africa to flag this variant says so far she has only seen it cause mild illness, but says, of course, that could still change. and the world health organization says while there's still a lot of uncertainty they know enough to say the global risk of omicron is very high. george? >> okay, trevor. thanks. let's bring in the president's chief medical adviser, dr. anthony fauci. still no confirmed cases in the u.s.? >> no, not at all, george. no confirmed cases but obviously we're on high alert. the cdc who does that kind of surveillance is very, very on top of this looking for this.

as you just heard from what we've just announced here, it's inevitable that sooner or later it will spread widely because it has at least the molecular characteristics of being highly transmissible even though there are a lot of things about it that we do not ,hat will able to be ascertained in the next week or two. >> what about reports out of south africa and israel, the symptoms that come with omicron could be milder? >> no, i think that's premature to say that, george. we just do not know. i was on a zoom call yesterday with our south african colleagues who have been extremely cooperative and transparent in helping us to understand this, that we really don't know. they have a bunch of patients they're following very carefully and when i asked them specifically that question, they said that they will know in the next week or so as to what the severity is.

remember, there are three different kind of individuals there. there are those who have not been vaccinated,vaccinated,vaccn been vaccinated and those that have been infected and recovered. so the real question is how does this particular virus affect with regard to severity any of those groups? that's going to be important and we'll know that as i mentioned in about a week or two. >> i know you briefed the president yesterday. we'll hear from him later this morning. should we expect more changes, more restrictions? >> no, i don't think so at all, george. right now the important thing i've been saying and that all of us have been saying on the medical team is that we just need to make sure that we know we have tools against virus in general. this sars-cov-2, a variant like this, although there's a lot we don't know about it, one thing we do know is that vaccinated people do much, much better than unvaccinated people and particularly when you boost someone, george, who's been vaccinated, you get the level of antibody very, very high, much, much higher than the peak level

following the initial vaccination, which is the reason why we're emphasizing right now that when you get a high level of antibody we'd known with delta that it spills over in protecting a wide variety of areas. so we don't know exactly what's going on with this variant but i would assume, and i think it's a reasonable assumption, that when you get vaccinated and boosted and your level goes way up, you're going to have some degree of protection, at least against severe disease. >> let's talk about the booster. if people are on the cusp of whether to get the booster now should they wait for the vaccine to be tweaked for omicron? >> no, not at all. if you are within that category where you are six months or more following the initial mrna, the pfizer or the moderna or two months or more following the j&j, i would strongly suggest you get boosted now and not wait for the next iteration of it which we might not even need.

we're preparing the -- the pharmaceutical companies are preparing to make a specific booster for this but we may not need that because we can find out -- and as i mentioned, george, we'll find out reasonably soon whether higher levels of antibody against the original vaccine that we've used, whether or not that can spill over in protection against this. at least against severe disease. i don't think there's any doubt from what we've seen in south africa that this has a transmissibility advantage. in other words, what they're seeing in south africa is that it has a high degree of transmissibility but the extent of that again still needs to be worked out. we'll know soon. >> dr. fauci, thanks as always for your time and information. coming up we talk to the chief medical officer of moderna about this new variant and vaccines. amy? the financial markets are on edge over the new variant. rebecca jarvis has the latest from wall street. good morning to you, rebecca. >> reporter: good morning, amy. and stocks are pointing slightly higher this morning.

after their worst day of trading they're higher this year after their worst day of trading this year with the dow down more than 900 points or 2 1/2% lower but the context here is what is so important. the s&p 500 is up 24% this year. even accounting for friday's sell-off stocks are up significantly for the year. the question is with this new variant what happens to the u.s. economy and the global economy? how do consumers react to this? are they reluctant to spend money at this time of year which is so important to retailers, travel, restaurants? this is the time of year where people spend, in particular now it's an important time for spending as so many people have been cooped in indoors.indoors.r

amy? >> we'll take that, rebecca. thank you very much. george? as we said president biden set to address the new variant from the white house today. at the start of a con ken shall week so let's go to cecilia vega. what more do we know about what the president will say? >> reporter: you heard dr. fauci lay out a lot of it. so much is about boosters and encouraging americans to get the shots, all adults eligible. the president is going to convey this message, don't panic but this is a good time to get those booster shots. he really wants to convey despite the unknowns they have this under control at least at this point from what they know about it. that travel ban that took effect today, the president said it's buying the country time to prepare for this. he returned to the white house last night from his thanksgiving vacation and met here with the covid team including dr. fauci. that's when that team told the president this is going to take about two more weeks to get the full picture of the severity of it, the transmissibility of it but that's when fauci told him he believes the existing vaccines will likely provide some kind of protection. you know this, for the white house and for so many americans it started to feel like we were turning the corner on covid. now you have the president saying this is cause for great concern.

>> no question about it. lots of deadlines coming up in december. the first one the end of this week on government funding. >> reporter: yeah, the government could shut down as of friday they run out of money, the deadline to keep the government open is friday. two months ago congress kicked the can down the road and punted till now and averted the shutdown then but here we are approaching another deadline so congress has just a few days to pass this. we could see them kicking it down the road again to january so we'll see. >> cecilia vega, thank you very much. abc news will carry the president's remarkers later today. t.j.? a winter weather blast. heavy snow, cold temperatures hitting the midwest and northeast and ginger is tracking all that for us. ginger, good morning. >> reporter: t.j., good morning to you. you probably saw some of that graupel. looks like dippin' dots. central park picking up a trace. look what was happening in erie county, pennsylvania. several spinouts. you can see right there on interstate 90. a problem with up to 17 inches of lake-effect snow falling in western new york. detroit picked up around 4

inches, up to 8 inches in northwest michigan. so the lake-effect snow machine has been turned on and all of it is fueled by that cold, cold air and there is a lot of it. look how far south it goes. did you know there is a fargo, georgia? i found that out this morning. they are in a frost advisory down into north florida as well. temperature feels like asheville, 19, 28, chicago, 19, detroit and here we feel sub freezing so it's certainly cold. george? >> it sure is. thank you, ginger. now to a very special moment for a member of our team, michael strahan. new york giants hosted an emotional halftime that retired his number 92. will reeve has all the highlights. good morning, will. >> good morning, george. success seems to follow our friend, michael around. a 15-year super bowl winning hall of fame football career followed by rocketing to the top of his next phase here in television. he's a businessman and family man. for michael strahan success is accompanied by its parents, hard

work and gratitude, evidence of both on display yesterday immortalizing number 92. >> he is the giants' real-life superhero. please welcome michael strahan. >> reporter: for 15 seasons michael strahan put fear in the hearts of quarterbacks across the nfl. >> reporter: for 15 years michael strahan put the fear in quarterbacks. >> michael strahan gets the record. >> reporter: 141.5 career sacks, 854 tackles, 4 interceptions and 1 super bowl championship. >> the sack by strahan. >> reporter: now his famed number 92 will never be worn again by a new york giant retired from circulation. >> when i came to new york to play football i just wanted to play football. i just was happy to have a job and i never figured that that job would transfer into like a career and doing what i love in the best city in the world and now to have my jersey retired, that's a really incredible honor. at a loss for words. >> i'm so grateful to have my family here because without them

i am not here. my father is here in spirit and my mom is here. thank you, mom, for giving birth to me, for encouraging me and for being the toughest person in my life. >> reporter: for michael this moment was also about his teammates. >> you don't do anything alone. everything is not always about you and teamwork makes the dream work. >> reporter: it was about defying the odds. >> you know what we did is? we won that super bowl in 2007, right? [ cheers ] they didn't give us a chance, did they? >> reporter: and never giving up. >> what did we do? we stomp you out! >> he's still got it. how about that jump? he's conquered football in pads, tv in a suit and now as he prepares for the final frontier next week's trip to space, michael's new team at blue origin tweeted their congratulations saying, they have a new uniform ready for him

and the winning energy that michael brought to the stadium yesterday translated to on field success. the giants beating the hated philadelphia eagles, 13-7. >> how about that? >> amazing. >> thank you, will. a lot more coming up including the trial of ghislaine maxwell. opening arguments set to begin today. then the tragic loss of one will jeffrey epstein's friend and alleged accomplice take the stand? then the tragic loss of one of the biggest names in fashion, louis vuitton artistic director virgil abloh, his private battle with cancer and the tributes now pouring in for him this morning. but first let's go to ginger. >> amy, we got select cities sponsored by kohl's.

all right, it's cyber monday. there's something you need to buy right now, right now. we'll wait to tell you later what you need to buy right now. also stuff you need to wait on. all this coming up. stay with us.

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creek, showing off 680. we talked about this earlier at 7:00 a.m. where the southbound traffic really started to crawl and we are already seeing it. no major blocking issues. giving you a look at the toll plaza, our camera is back. it had been frozen earlier. as you make your way across the bridge the biggest slowdown right now will be antioch to concord. reggie? reggie: take a look at that beautiful sunrise. mike [ sfx: ding ding ding ] [ phone buzzing ] [ sfx: bing bing bing ] [ sfx: bing bloop ding ding bloop bing ] the day can wait... enter the golden state, with real california dairy. ♪ ♪ ♪ easy tools on the chase mobile app. simplicity feels good. chase. make more of what's yours.

mike:mike: a little bit of fog in the north bay, light breezes. temperatures in the 40's with near record highs this afternoon , 60's and 70's without the threat of poor air quality. mid 70's is possible wednesday and thursday. it is warm everywhere this week. reggie: coming up, the gma cyber

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♪ if you're blue and you don't know where to go to, why don't you go where fashion sits, putting on the ritz ♪ classic scene from the movie "young frankenstein." there's a great story behind that classic scene as well. i spoke with mel brooks about it. he has a new memoir called "all about me." 95 years old, he's a delightful man. the book is packed with great stories about some of big hits. >> cannot wait for that. that's ahead. first the top headlines we're following right now including the growing concern over the omicron variant first detected in south africa. now in at least 13 countries. they've confirmed cases with at least 72 worldwide. the u.s. now issuing a new

travel ban as millions of americans return from thanksgiving trips. this morning, president biden is set to address the nation from the white house. also right now, federal authorities are investigating how a 26-year-old man was able to stash himself inside an airliner's wheel well on a flight from guatemala to miami. it was a two and a half hour ride. customs and border protection officers took him into custody after the plane landed bringing him to a hospital for evaluation. sunday marked the first night of hanukkah. menorahs lit around the world including hundreds gathering near new york's central park to see the lighting of the world's largest menorah. it weighs some 4,000 pounds so happy hanukkah to everybody. your cyber monday game plan. biggest deals live this morning. that is all coming up. right now opening arguments set to begin in the trial of ghislaine maxwell in new york. jeffrey epstein's friend and associate is accused of trafficking underage girls for sexual abuse. erielle reshef is outside the

courthouse with the latest. good morning, erielle. >> reporter: good morning to you, george. maxwell spent more than 500 days in jail in anticipation of this trial which gets under way today on those sex trafficking charges. this morning, more than a year after her dramatic arrest, socialite ghislaine maxwell on trial, accused of helping former boyfriend, jeffrey epstein, recruit and groom underage girls for sex. prosecutors say the misconduct allegedly took place between 1994 and 2004. for years maxwell was one of the disgraced financier's closest confidants, but prosecutors say there was a dark side to the globe-trotting pair. >> maxwell played a critical role in helping epstein to identify, befriend and groom minor victims for abuse. in some cases maxwell participated in the abuse herself. >> reporter: epstein, a convicted sex offender, never

stood trial. he died by suicide in his jail cell in august 2019. since then investigators have focused on maxwell. her accusers now say this is their last chance at seeking justice. >> maxwell was a really important part of the grooming process. >> reporter: four of her accusers expected to take the stand. annie farmer, the only alleged minor victim in this case to publicly identify herself speaking to abc news describing an incident when she was just 16 where maxwell allegedly gave her a massage at epstein's new mexico ranch. >> i went on the table and i was very aware that the door was open and i could be seen getting a massage. then at some point she just takes the sheet down, so she exposed my breasts. i feel uncomfortable. >> reporter: farmer also filed a civil case against maxwell who calls the allegations false and financially motivated. maxwell now facing six federal counts.

she has pleaded not guilty to all charges and her family says she's in the fight for her life. >> she's a patsy for epstein is the answer, whom they lost on their watch and they're taking it out on my sister. >> reporter: maxwell now faces decades in prison if convicted on the most serious charges. it's unclear whether she will take the stand in this trial that's expected to last about six weeks. george? >> okay, erielle. let's bring in our chief legal analyst dan abrams. what's the key to the case? >> they'll talk about these women and say they are going to tell you exactly what she did to them. that they trusted her and that she then recruited them and knew exactly what was going to happen and this was about more than massages. this is not the trial though of prince andrew. that's a separate issue with a >> we just heard the associate of ghislaine maxwell say she was a patsy for jeffrey epstein. is that the defense strategy? >> it's two-pronged.

number one will be going after the prosecutors in essence saying that they're going after her because they can't get epstein and then it's going to be going after the women and it's going to be interesting to see how far they go. we know they're going to say that they're wrong, right? this happened a long time ago. their memories are faded but they'll clearly go a step further and say that they're lying, which is that they're financially motivated. so it's going to be very interesting to watch how much they say these women are wrong, which is a little more careful when you're talking about women who are alleged victims, versus they're doing this for the money. that's going to be something to watch. >> do you think they know yet if maxwell will take the stand? >> i think they know. the attorney is clearly suggests she will, but in the case you

want -- of cowurse, my client wants to testify. if these women are powerful and persuasive, i would not be surprised if she testifies. >> thanks very much. t.j.? we turn now to the loss of a trailblazing figure in fashion. virgil abloh, the louis vuitton artistic director passed away at 41 years old after a private two-year battle with a rare cancer. deb roberts is here with more. deb, it's hard to put into context really just how much of an influence he had at such an early age in fashion. >> you're so right. the fashion world is reeling from this stunning news. he was only 41 years old but in his short career, virgil abloh smashed down barriers, blazed new trails going where few black fashion designers had ever gone before. his offbeat style shaking up an industry leading to major success as he collaborated with some of the biggest names, kanye west and louis vuitton, a first for that brand. he was the fashion designer whose creations were more than just clothes. they were about art and culture. >> try this language. >> reporter: from design to runway virgil abloh an architect and engineer would reimagine fashion and along the way break barriers becoming the first artistic director for men's

fashion at louis vuitton. >> he was a disrupter. he came in and he changed the way the industry looked at fashion and he was endlessly curious and endlessly creative, truly prolific, truly original. >> reporter: in a statement posted to his instagram, it was revealed that abloh, a husband and father of two young children, was diagnosed with cardiac angiosarcoma in 2019, a rare and aggressive cancer that attacks the heart. >> the signs tend to be fairly nonspecific. living through a journey of two years with this disease is quite frankly a blessing and probably a testament to the multidisciplinary care. >> reporter: the statement also revealing he underwent numerous challenging treatments all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art and culture. through it all his work ethic, infinite curiosity and optimism never wavered. he was also known for moving the needle in high fashion by celebrating black excellence

with his designs on the runway. his streetwear company offwhite rivaling gucci in sales. >> my collection is about not being fashion, but seeing the beauty in every day life. >> reporter: in a 2018 interview with hype beast abloh explaining his reason for designing. >> i would say at the core is humanity and education, like we could use design, we can use trends, we can use brands, good ideas to share information and so that's my main motivating factor and i just use it as proof. >> reporter: proof of his genius. so many tributes pouring in this morning. tracee ellis ross saying it is a devastating loss and sergio hudson expressing his sadness for a man who encouraged and supported him. abloh's legacy is surely going to be about determining to pull other designers along the way. he even created a scholarship fund last year in the wake of

all the social justice protests because he wanted to help other young designers. >> he was so busy and incredible to think he kept up that work and nobody knew. >> nobody knew. even over the last few months, amazing. what a legacy, though. >> yeah, certainly. thank you so much, deb, we appreciate it. coming up next on "gma," what you need to know about this cyber monday. we'll be right back. coming up next on "gma [energetic music throughout] what's strong with me? i know when i'm ready to run.

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welcome back. it's cyber monday predicted to be the busiest online shopping day of the year. black friday online sales hit $8.9 billion and today is expected to be even bigger than that. consumer correspondent becky worley joins us now from our strategic savings command center with all the deals. good morning, becky. >> reporter: amy, good morning. it has been a topsy-turvy buildup but the deals are alive now and worth paying attention to as the wild retail ride continues into december. doorbuster scenes of black fridays past have been replaced with an earlier, gradual and digital set of holiday discounts. new data showing that black friday sales were down, both in store and online compared to prepandemic levels with in-store foot traffic reduced 28%

compared to 2019. >> because of concerns about health hazards, generated by crowds and just because of supply chain issues that are ongoing this year, retailers were basically trying to spread out holiday sales across the entire autumn. so they were really encouraging people to start buying. >> reporter: so today shoppers making the most of the discounts they can find, price cuts live now on products related to the smart home, alexa, nest thermostats, security cams discounted from 15% to 50%. travel and events discounted. we saw 15% to 20% off hotel stays and 30% off and up on cruises. home items, both lowe's and home depot have sales up to $750 off appliances and if you need to buy a cell phone in the next few months, deals are out there today. walmart offering a $350 gift card with the purchase of a qualifying iphone 12 or a $500 gift card with a samsung galaxy z flip3. >> it may be the last chance for some people to get exactly what they want and when they want it. >> reporter: this is also a day where you stock up to save.

make-up and personal care items are significantly discounted across the board from many different brands. one big one, target has a 25% off sale on literally thousands of care and beauty items. also a rare sale over at the apple store. they are doing a gift card bundle. you purchase an apple tv, you get a $50 gift card. air pods get you a $75 discount. buy an ipad pro you get a $100 gift card. amy, every little bit helps right now. >> it certainly does. as i understand it, becky, you need to think about any big purchases you want to buy, the bigger the purchase, the bigger the discount? >> reporter: that's right. you want to think about the next two or three months and buy anything there you find discounted but only on things you need now like through january or february. economists keep telling us supply chain issues are temporary. we could even see a glut of products flooding the market when all these issues are resolved. as always, if you don't need it now, don't buy it. >> becky has a lot more in the

next hour. looking forward to that. t.j.? coming up we have a special sweet and singing "play of the day." sale is on now! score unbelievable savings with our biggest sale ever! like ge appliances up to 40% off rugs up to 80% off and lighting up to 65% off. plus get bonus savings with a wayfair credit card and free shipping on thousands of products. don't miss our cyber monday happening now through november 29th. only at wayfair.com.

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life and work by singing. lin-manuel miranda was among them, josh groban, many others performing "sunday" from his tony winning musical "sunday in the park with george." sondheim is behind broadway shows "west side story," "gypsy," "sweeney todd" and accolades include eight tony awards, eight grammys, an academy award, a pulitzer prize, he was 91. cool to see them come together for that moment. right outside here in times square. >> what a moving tribute. >> what a genius. coming up next here we have a "deals & steals" takeover. tory johnson bringing bargains to "gma," "the view," "gma3," all, of course, with free shipping. >> what was that last show? >> "gma3." "gma3." [ laughter ]

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so outside detroit they've so outside detroit they've had more snow than denver and minneapolis so here we go. even into the hills there and i mean the rockies, steamboat springs opened but most of this man-made snow. they've only had about a hundred hours which they usually have 300. why? it's been warm and dry. coming up here, george's one-on-one with mel brooks, his new memoir and stories behind some of his classic movies. plus, cyber monday deals, the bargains you can get now and your local news and weather is always a bargain, next.

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>> good morning. let's get a look at traffic. >> we're going to start with the maps because we have a number of problems going on starting in san jose with the freeway fire reported along southbound 101. oakland, we have a crash on westbound 580 before state route 13 slowing things down, run 12 miles per hour. also on southbound 880 four davis street, another crash. >> record high temperatures all week. thank you. 67 to 72 degrees. these temperatures are about 10 degrees warmer than average. our average highs rent-62. this is not even our hottest. we will likely break records

with hotter afternoons on thursday. >> the fight against omicron. the chief medical officer on the vaccines. are they strong enough to fight the new strain? the news continues now. there's never been a better time to switch to xfinity. get the fast and reliable internet you deserve for only $19.99 a month for 12 months for an epic deal this holiday season. and score 12 times the speed for the same price when you add xfinity mobile.

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good morning, america. good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. growing concern over the new covid variant omicron. first detected in south africa. it's now spread to at least a dozen countries around the world. the u.s. has issued a new travel ban as millions of americans return from thanksgiving gatherings. this morning, the chief medical officer of moderna joins us to talk about what this means for the vaccine in an abc news exclusive. new this morning, the white house christmas decorations revealed. 41 trees, 5,000 feet of ribbon, more than 100 volunteers, we'll show you just ahead. cyber monday showdown. "gma" has your ultimate shopping game plan. the biggest deals live right now, what to buy this morning and what's worth the wait. the informant. how one husband and father of

two became an fbi informant and helped foil a deadly domestic terror plot. the incredible story this morning. ♪ you're so golden ♪ one-on-one with mel brooks. >> please, please, don't make a fuss. >> the comedy legend behind "young frankenstein" and "spaceballs" talks his new memoir, his life in show business as he says -- >> good morning, america. ♪ i don't wanna be alone ♪ ♪ i don't wanna be alone ♪ and welcome, everybody, to "gma." glad you could start your day with us. can't help but smiling. george, you've been smiling for the past week as we've been talking about this interview. >> i had so much fun with him. he had me laughing from the minute the cameras starting rolling. it was great. >> we can't wait to see more of it. in the meantime, we got tory johnson kicking off her "deals & steals" network takeover. she's bringing bargains to "gma," "the view" and "gma3."

plus, we are launching our holiday season celebration. we're going to tell you how you can join in on the fun from home. that is all coming up. >> a lot coming up. let's start with the news and the growing concern over the omicron variant. it was first detected in south africa. now spread to at least 13 countries. the u.s. has issued a new travel ban and transportation correspondent gio benitez has the details. good morning, gio. >> reporter: george, good morning again. those travel restrictions are now in place. we're talking about travel from south africa and seven neighboring countries, non-u.s. citizens who have been this those countries in the past two weeks will not be allowed to enter the u.s. citizens, lawful residents and close family members can still fly into the country. there are no confirmed cases in the u.s. and even though a south african doctor said symptoms are mild, dr. fauci ll" this morning that is premature and that south african health officials will know the severity in a week or so. pharmaceutical companies are preparing to make a specific vaccine for omicron. but dr. fauci also told us those may not be needed.

george? >> gio, thanks. i spoke with dr. fauci earlier about the new variant and what it means for boosters. take a look. >> let's talk about the boosters. people are on the cusp of whether to get the booster now. should they wait for the vaccine to be tweaked for omicron? >> no, not at all. if you are within that category where you are six months or more following the initial mrna, the pfizer or the moderna or two months or more following the j&j, i would strongly suggest you get boosted now and not wait for the next iteration of it which we might not even need. we're preparing the pharmaceutical companies are preparing to make a specific booster for this. >> we'll be hearing from president biden later this morning. t.j.? we turn to cyber monday predicted to be the biggest online shopping day of the year. becky worley has been keeping us up to date and she has been hard at work at our strategic savings command center, a location that we cannot disclose right now but she has all the bargains you need to know about.

hey there, becky, you've been great. so where do we start? >> reporter: yeah, good morning, t.j., from my secret lair of savings. today is really about prioritizing big ticket gifts. it might be the last day for a big discount before the holidays. so a product that's really huge in the sales numbers we've seen, the oculus virtual reality headset, the 128 gig model selling for $299 pretty much everywhere. target, best buy and amazon today are offering a $50 gift card with your purchase. that's something that probably won't last. >> well, becky, is there an opportunity to buy things you might not need right now but maybe later because they're on sale and essentially stock up. >> reporter: stock up to save. our producer amy confided in me last week. she said i buy all my skin care on cyber monday and use it up slowly through the year. she made it sound like she was on an episode of "hoarders," but

it's a great strategy. big sales today on personal care items. you're looking at target, 25% off thousands of products. ulta has 25% to 30% off specific brands like lancome and philosophy. mac, 50% off eye and lip makeup. i want to turn now to clothing. it's generally going to be cheaper after christmas. if you need something now, old navy 50% off. victoria's secret has bras starting at 15 bucks, in many cases that's 50% off and carter's has 50% to 60% off the whole store including very special deals on christmas jammies and that idea right there, that image gets me in the holiday spirit. >> but the holiday spirit comes with some stress. people trying to find the perfect gift for the perfect person. then you run out of time. what's the latest on gift ideas? you got some suggestions? >> well, my kids are teens. they want money but how about a gift card that has a deal on it.

mom likes that better. so over at starbucks they have a give one, get one deal, buy a $20 gift card get another for $5, many of those out there, guys, so look for them today. >> becky, you have just been fan tactic on this holiday stuff. thank you. we'll continue to check in with you. check out more cyber monday deals on our website, goodmorningamerica.com. amy? now to washington, d.c. where first lady dr. jill biden is revealing this year's white house holiday theme, gifts from the heart. there are 41 christmas trees, more than 10,000 ornaments and we're told nearly 79,000 holiday lights. rooms there are decorated to reflect gifts from the heart and this afternoon the first lady will share a message of unity at a white house event. coming up our exclusive interview with the chief medical officer of moderna. what he's saying about the vaccine's ability to fight this new variant and the possibility of a new booster. another exclusive, mel brooks talking about his memoir "all about me," behind "young frankenstein," "the producers," "blazing saddles," so many

classics. first we kick off the holiday season here at "gma" and who better to help us do that, lara, good morning. >> hey, teej, that's right. we're giving back to you, our viewers. win holiday swag and cash every single day just by watching "gma." we'll tell you how coming up on "good morning america." oh, don't forget. gifts for the kids. -bye. -hey, give it back! that's mine. will you stop? get off my bed. hey, hey, hey. guys, guys. come on. i wish i had my own room. wake up! presents! where's dad? check the office. oh, my gosh. i love it! i love it! i love it! (laughter) -we get our own rooms? -uh-huh.

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don't miss out on walmart's deals for days. ♪ ♪ ♪ welcome back to "gma." now to the coronavirus crisis and that new variant that is circling the globe. cases have now been confirmed across 12 countries and many more are suspected. governments are now taking drastic steps to shut down some

international flights, but it may be too late. for more on the omicron variant, we're joined by the chief medical officer for moderna, dr. paul burton. dr. burton, thank you for being with us. so many questions surrounding this new variant, probably the biggest ones are do we know whether or not this variant is, indeed, more contagious and how is it holding up to the vaccines we have right now? >> amy, good morning. look, i think what we know today is that this virus probably emerged around mid-october of this year and between then and now it really has become the predominant strain in south africa displacing the delta variant. so i think we have to assume that this is a very transmissible virus and obviously we're concerned about it because of all the mutations that it harbors. >> with so many of those questions and also in terms of how it's affecting people, how sick people are getting, what are scientists doing right now to get those answers in terms of how it's holding up to the

vaccines and how contagious it is and how >> yes, so i think those are the key questions, amy. how transmissible is it? we think it's probably quite transmissible but how severe is the disease. we don't know the answer to that question yet and will it be neutralizable? can we contain it with the currently available vaccines so we have moderna and other vaccine manufacturers here in the u.s. and around the world are testing samples from people who have received our vaccines against the strains. >> is there any particular group that's more susceptible to this variant? do we know if older or younger people are more susceptible? >> i don't think we know that yet. we still have so much that we know about covid in general but we don't know about this variant but clearly our suspicion would be that people who are older, who have other diseases and co-morbidities will be at higher risk. >> you just mentioned, of course, the work that moderna and other vaccine manufacturers are doing to try to get variant

specific vaccine boosters out there. what's the timeline on that and if we know that this omicron variant is highly transmissible, will that period of time be quick enough? >> so, amy, while we think that vaccine effectiveness may come down based on the mutations seen in this virus, you know, with either our booster, we should be able to get antibodies up. that's a very important initial line of defense. we'll know from the tests in the next couple of weeks just how effective the vaccines are against this variant. if we need to manufacture an omicron specific variant it will take some weeks, two to three months, what we're looking at to test it and manufacture it. >> with that information you put out there and this few weeks' trial where you're figuring things out, what should people

do in the meantime, those unvaccinated, those who might be waiting to get their booster, what's your message to them? >> there are many things we can do. hand washing, social distancing, mask wearing. we're going into holiday season and have come out of the thanksgiving holiday so that close proximity is important to keep and take into account. we can do simple things. if you have not been vaccinated, get vaccinated. >> definitely important to remember all of those. dr. paul burton, thank you for your time. we appreciate it. >> thank you, amy. ginger? >> amy, thank you. we start in northwest washington state where, remember, they had epic floods. now we know they've had their wettest november on record in bellingham, washington. that's just one of the places. look at everson there, a lot of the rivers are still running high and unfortunately with this la nina pattern they will see more of that. 3 to 5 inches overall. some spots just 1 to 3 but either way you do not want to add -- unfortunately december through february, meteorological winter starts this wednesday, staying above average.

and let's say good morning again to lara spencer. lara has "pop news." >> hey, teej. >> some are remembering their favorite moments. sondheim songs, she's been singing a few. >> i would like to hear that. >> i'll save it for the commercial break. >> good, good. you're right, we do begin this morning by honoring the life and legacy of the theater giant stephen sondheim who passed away over the weekend at the age of 91. the composer and lyricist wrote the musicals "west side story," "into the woods" and so, so many

more. he's been credited with resetting the standard for the american musical. he won eight tonys, grammys, both eight, an academy award. barbra streisand tweeting, thank the lord he lived to be 91 so he had the time to write such wonderful music, and hugh jackman says, every so often someone comes along to shift an entire art form. stephen sondheim was one of those and his legacy living on. "company" is back on broadway. we will have a special performance from the cast right here on december 14th, a fitting tribute, indeed. >> sure is. he was working right up to the end. >> it sounds like it. also in the news this morning, keep an eye on cooper hoffman, the 18-year-old son of late actor philip seymour hoffman is getting rave reviews for his acting debut in "licorice pizza."

the movie is directed by paul cooper anderson. he also worked with dad. and his latest is being called the best movie of 2021 by "the new york post." his breakthrough performance is being compared to tom cruise in "risky business." it also stars bradley cooper, sean penn and maya rudolph and opens nationwide on christmas day. not a bad start. >> it's exciting. >> the son of a terrific, terrific actor who is so missed. finally this morning the "soul train" awards aired last night. they were held at the legendary apollo theatre in new york city for the first time ever. some of the biggest names in r&b took to the stage with powerful performances. bruno mars kicked it off with silk sonic singing "fly as me." ♪ with somebody as fly as me ♪ ♪ somebody that's fly and you deserve to be ♪ >> he is so good.

he and anderson paak won for song of the year for the song "leave the door open." maxwell was awarded the living legend award and ashanti was awarded lady of soul. congratulations to all the winners. we're going to turn now to the legendary mel brooks. he's going strong at 95. his new memoir, "all about me: my remarkable life in show business" tells all the stories about "the producers," "blazing saddles" and "young frankenstein." we spoke at his home in santa monica and it was a delight. >> ow. [ laughter ] >> just to scare you. >> still got it. >> good to be the king. >> reporter: with his ageless humor and sharp comedic insights -- >> the lord jehovah has given unto you the 15 -- >> reporter: -- he has

definitely still got it. >> -- 10, 10 commandments. >> reporter: in his new memoir, "all about me: my remarkable life in show business" -- >> may the schwartz be with you. >> reporter: -- mel brooks takes readers on the journey of a lifetime. >> it's packed with every adventure in your life. i was most struck by some of the scenes from the very beginning of your life. this image of your mom when you are a little boy heating your clothes on the radiator in the winter. >> yeah, i'm glad you caught that because that was so fabulous for me. in the winter being 5 years old, getting out of a warm bed was impossible. so she figured out she put my clothes on the radiator. she dressed me under the covers and i popped out of bed ready to go to kindergarten warm, toasty warm. >> were you funny in kindergarten? >> i was. i was a show-off ever since i can remember. i remember i once sang -- ♪ you must have been a beautiful baby ♪ i was just a little kid and i was -- i was singing it in class and my teacher heard me. ♪ must have been a wonderful

wild when you were only starting to go to kindergarten ♪ ♪ oh, you must have been a beautiful baby because baby look at you now ♪ and i was taken all over the school to sing, "you must have been a beautiful baby." >> you write in the book you think it had something to do with the fact that you're short, the fact you're so funny. >> being short meant that you could be picked on by other kids on the street, but if you had a couple of people who loved you because you made them laugh and they were big and they were strong, you had your army, you know. >> you started out as a drummer. >> that's how i became brooks. i started out as a drummer and i decided to use my mother's maiden name. my mother's maiden name was brookman. i said, that's a better name than kaminsky, my father's name. brookman. b-r-o-o-k -- no more room so i threw an "s." i was 14 and it was mel brooks.

i've been mel brooks ever since. >> reporter: he began in television as a writer in 1950 on sid caesar's variety series, "your show of shows." >> can't even get a glass of water in a place like this. >> water. [ laughter ] >> was he your big break? >> he was my incredible golden door, my entry into show business. >> you say you became a writer when you were a writer for "show of shows." we have a notebook here, corporal melvin kaminsky? >> this is my army -- my army notebook. >> you were writing back then? >> i was writing back then, yeah. i wrote on the way over -- we went over in february 19 -- the beginning of 1945 on a ship. there was a ship's newspaper and i wrote a column called "my floating day," a takeoff on eleanor roosevelt who had a column and hers was called "my day" and she would talk about what was happening. i wrote about crap games and smells.

>> i wonder if your time in the service, is that the root of your fascination with adolf hitler? >> maybe. i don't know. it was fearful. that's a good word. you know, carrying a rifle, wearing a helmet and worried about shells bursting and whatever. but i felt world war ii somehow -- first of all, they attacked us and we had no choice, but we were fighting for something good. we were fighting to preserve something wonderful in america. ♪ >> the original title of "the producers," "springtime for hitler." >> that was the original title. couldn't have a better title except joseph e. levine said a lot of the exhibitors are jewish and they've called me and said,

they're simply not going to put hitler on the marquee. you got to come up with another title. >> how can a producer make more money with a flop than a hit? >> it's simply a matter of creative accounting. let's assume just for the moment that you are a dishonest man. >> assume away. >> where did that idea come from, a hit that's made out of a flop? >> i worked for a guy -- you know, there were many producers that kind of hedged their bets. for a play to cost 10,000 to produce, he would raise 11,000 and their only problem was they had to be careful if they raised too much, then they couldn't -- if it was a hit, they couldn't pay all the backers. >> reporter: "the producers" was the first movie brooks directed. it won him an oscar for best original screenplay in 1969. over 30 years later he created "the producers," the broadway musical which won 12 tony

awards. still holds the record most tonys received by a single production. book about failure. line in the- it's like corn beef hash. takes a long time to eat, long time to digest but sticks with you. >> yeah. >> what have you failed at? >> plenty. you never saw me in the mountains leaving the stage amid a chorus of boos, you know, when i was doing bad jokes, when i had not yet found my way, which was reality was my way. tell the truth. >> you can see how sharp he is. he is still working. working on "history of the world, part 2" for hulu and just a remarkable man. >> what an experience for you. >> so much fun. >> you came back and you were smiling. >> really so much fun. we'll see so much more of the hits. part two of the interview on "gma" and his book "all about me" also out. when we're come back here, we're getting into the holiday spirit and giving back to our viewers.

kumasi: good morning, everyone. i am kumasi aaron from abc 7. jack dorsey has resigned. he cofounded twitter in 2006. in a tweet, dorsey says he will serve on the poor through may to help with the decision. he decided to leave, because he said he feels the company needs to move on from the founders. he said he is, quote, a couple of crashes that could slow you down as we head out the door. we still have a crash here. thankfully, no injuries have

been reported, but you can see that backup, speeds down there 17 miles an hour. southbound 101 at madera, we have a crash as well. small businesses like yours make gift-giving possible. now, comcast business has an exclusive gift for you.

introducing the gift of savings sale. for a limited time, ask how to get a great deal for your business. and get up to a $500 prepaid card with select bundles when you switch to the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses. or get started with internet and voice for $64.99 per month with a 2-year price guarantee. give your business the gift of savings today. comcast business. powering possibilities. mike: all right, let's take a look at what is going on with your commute planner. there's a little bit of a haze out there, but that is about it other than fog in the north bay

valley. it is really hazy, but no spare the air right now. moderate air quality. record highs possible today >> announcer: after the last 20 months who couldn't use a little inspiration? a little joy. >> thank you. >> announcer: and a whole lot of feel good. >> $50,000 to send more kids to college. >> announcer: that's why this december "gma" is celebrating and giving back to some of the most incredible -- >> for your food bank so you can continue to help the community. >> you'll meet the need in so many people's live. >> i'm tearing up and they're tears of joys. >> announcer: this holiday season "gma" gives back. >> and that feels amazing. hope your monday is off to a great start. that was just a few of our

favorite moments from 2021 when "gma" was able to give back to incredible people all across the country, making a difference. this morning we're excited how we'll keep giving back this holiday season. t.j., take it away. >> the video we were just seeing and the one playing behind robach and i is only a small snapshot of so many heartwarming moments. a lot of people will remember lumene "the lightning" montissol the special olympic athlete from boston, she was surprised with a slot in the 2022 special olympics use games. another moment, remember this, we surprised the incredible 9-year-old who donated more than 600 toys to a children's hospital in northern texas. you're smiling, laughing. >> look at his smile. his face. it lights up the world. so many amazing moments this year and all of that is inspiring our holiday themed "gma" gives back so in the window here behind us anyone in times square will be able to watch the full video any time any day and by scanning the

code, you see that right there on our window, you can watch the full video from home too and we've got ginger with another surprise right over there. >> i certainly do. right around the corner, we want to give all of you, our viewers a chance to give back as well. so look behind me here. this display, it is more than 70 years of disney and giving back to the marine corps and -- i'm sorry, i want to get it right. marine toys for tots program to help deliver new toys to kids in need. so this display represents, you see the number, more than 70,000 toys that have already been donated this season through the disney ultimate toy drive. if you shop disney or scan that qr code which i also have a qr code on my side, on your screen, you too can help spread holiday cheer and donate to a deserving child. >> very cool, ginger. in typical "gma" fashion, wait, there's more. lara has something going on upstairs. >> of course, there's more.

as part of "gma" gives back we want to give back to you, our viewers. these gifts, the gifts you see behind me are a clue. starting right now, you can enter to win a gift box full of some of tory's "deals & steals," a favorite and a $200 gift card every day. we'll pick four winners every single day. all you need to do is scan the qr code on our screen or visit goodmorningamerica.com/gi goodmorningamerica.com/giveback. yes, there's more. ginger, take it away. >> yes, lara, we did not want to waste any time. the sweepsstakes start today so everybody in line here has a card and if you all flip those over, the folks that are holding the santa hat on your card, guess what, you are a winner. yes, come on up, guys. please come up because here's what you've won. you are getting one of the "deals & steals" gift boxes. it has a bluetooth speaker, the

whatever pan, two silk pillowcases and a $200 visa gift card. they're just figuring it out. wait, i got money in this box? [ cheers and applause ] congratulations. happy giving back. "gma" gives back is going well, y'all. >> oh, yeah, you don't have to wait. we'll give it to you right on the spot. all month long we'll give back to people who have made an impact in their community to celebrate the holiday spirit and tory johnson, we always love our tory johnson around here. she will start her "deals & steals" network takeover on "gma." great gifts with free shipping when we come back here on "gma." [ cheers and applause ] ♪ pump it, louder ♪

♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪

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♪ pump it, louder ♪ i love it. we love our tory johnson here. we're back with "deals & steals" takeover cyber monday. tory taking over t network bringing the best deals to "gma," "the view" and a little show called "gma3" all with free shipping. you can go right to them by pointing your cell phone camera at that qr code on the screen. tory, always good to see you. good morning. we're starting with a viewer favorite. >> yes, a viewer favorite and a lara spencer favorite. >> i'm standing right here because i'm going to order all these things. look how fabulous this is. i'll do it while you describe it. i'm getting younger as we speak. >> light therapy, specifically for the neck and chest area and it's designed to help with dark

spots, acne, kind of all the problem areas that keep -- >> we don't have time. >> plus we have also from this board certified dermatologist line we have all of his peels and exfoliators that are simply amazing for head to toe glow. that's what dr. gross specializes in. >> robin roberts loves. >> fan favorite and everything slashed in half that starts at $36 and as we said free shipping. >> from the skin to the teeth. >> yes, so this is gloscience. what's great bt about this is -- >> here, t.j., open wide. >> no sensitivity. well, it's been touched a lot so that's why. otherwise, it is a fabulous product to try. so what's great about this is no strips, no rinse, no mess. you get with it seven of these glo vials, fast eight-minute treatments, you get whiter, brighter teeth. it is clinically proven to work. it is phenomenal with great reviews, today $67 and free shipping. the same technology used in a

lot of dental practices. for a then we get to a little beauty situation with butter. it's like butter. >> it's like butter. she does it for us. butter london. what's great here we have all kinds of options for your lips to your tips. all of their best nail polish products. tips, my nail tips, i'm pointing to that. look at these gift kits. this woman is going to drive me crazy. these little gift kits, how about that? so many amazing options including their vault. this big one here is called the vault. it's got everything that you need for beautiful nail treatments in here. everything is a huge discount. these prices today, $5 is the starting price and free shipping, of course. t.j., you got to save me here. >> teej, take it away. >> we're going to a fashion table kind of sort of here. >> this is mali + lili. we have three different types of

bags from them. a tote, a crossbody bag as well as a normal -- you could wear it as a handbag, you could carry it as a crossbody. >> look how cute that is. >> this is their sling bag that is really adorable. these are just fun for every day. they are functional, fabulous and a really good price because today these bags start at $29 and free shipping from mali + lili. >> all right. what do you have here? >> here you go, lara. take over, why don't you? >> here, teej. you talk. i'll demonstrate. >> this is reathlete. gary said he turned it on but he didn't. >> poor gary. >> from reathlete we have -- >> down there. >> we've got three different devices from them. we've got this that's portable. we have one that is specifically for leg compression and another that is for a chair. it is the most incredible device for massaging in a chair. these are not just pretty

devices, they're functional. they work. you tested it beforehand. >> it's fantastic. rave reviews. >> so depending on the option you want these are slashed in half and start at $120 and free shipping. >> free shipping. >> yes. then bring the juice bar home. so cold press juice is expensive. a great investment if that is something you like or one of your gift recipients from omega. what's great about this there's a lot of good function, less noise than a high speed juicer. cold press is an effective way to access the nutrients and all of the health benefits. this does it all and looks pretty on the counter. it is a nice one. $70 and free shipping. >> tory. >> the technology in it that you find in most professional grade juicers. >> again, you've done it. finally -- >> super coffee. yes, so a java jolt. two times as much caffeine, nutrient, antioxidants packed in here. a "shark tank" favorite. all of their best flavors,

vanilla, dark roast, mocha. a little shoutout to the white chocolate. all compatible if you have a k-cup brewer these are for you. depending on what you choose, 32 to 60 pods and starts at $17.50. >> free shipping. >> he is relaxed. >> these are great. >> merry christmas, t.j. >> thank you and, folks, we have partnered with all these companies on great deals. tune in to "the view" and "gma3" for more deals because tory is taking over the network, biggest digital gift guide ever featuring over 30 brands, at least 50% off. scan the qr code on your screen or head to our website to shop them all. thank you so much. just love you. ginger over to you. >> thank you, t.j. this morning we also want to thank grandin road for helping us bring the joy of the holidays to our set and they have a festive collection that reflects the spirit of the season.

we love it here when all the trees go up in times square. i also want to share the opening day, park city, utah, they are getting ready for five months of fun and they haven't had much snow so a lot is man-made but they got out and enjoyed it. max informs me important note they got hot cider and cookies, what a way to kick off as i stand by the fire. the documentary "the informant: fear and faith in the heartland" tells the story about an ordinary man in kansas became an fbi informant that stopped a deadly act of domestic terrorism. the author dick lehr has an account of it in "white hot hate" a true story of domestic terrorism in america's heartland and he joins us now. dick, thank you so much for joining us. congratulations on the book and for -- thank you for being such

a big part of "the informant." tell me how you came up with the title "white hot hate." >> i did. in the course of researching i didn't have a title but the deeper you got into the tapes which you're familiar with, george, you realized how white hot these conspirators' hate was towards the muslims living in garden city. >> one thing you say one reason you were so attracted to the story is because the bombs didn't go off. explain that. >> yeah, no, i mean, you know, there's a lot of darkness here and -- about the hate and the fear that is consuming america i think at this time and this case is a deep dive into that. but the bombs did not go off so this also becomes a story about justice, justice that wouldn't have happened without the informant and his heroism and it's also about hope because in the end the bombs did not go off garden city in southwestern ty,-

kansas that was really tested, but didn't break. after the plotters were arrested, there was a real effort, local police, the city managers, the community, working very hard to make it clear to the somali refugees that they're welcome in garden city. >> that was one of the most eye opening things to me about doing the documentary learning about garden city, kansas. you don't expect this small town in southwest kansas to be such a mecca for immigrants from all over the world. >> i know. it's a fascinating community and you realize once you are on the ground as you were that it's got a long history of immigrant and diversity in the community going back to mexicans then in the '70s the vietnamese population and more recently, muslims and somalis from africa

filling the shifts at the meatpacking plants, you know, that surround the area and, you know, there are more languages spoken in -- at the high school in garden city than there are in, you know, many -- where i'm live outside of boston where there are high schools in boston so it's a fascinating community. >> what a fascinating man at the heart of it, dan day. what an unlikely hero. >> oh, absolutely. yeah, i mean you've met dan. i spent plenty of time with dan. he's a regular guy. easy to be around, really friendly guy, devoted to his family, devoted to his christian faith, like a lot of people struggling to make ends meet, you know, he found himself through a confluence of events in a position to become an informant for the fbi, infiltrate a militia movement. become the fbi's eyes and ears which would ultimately require putting his life at risk and he didn't blink. he didn't blink. he did it.

>> it really is incredible and, you know, one thing i've been thinking about, he did it first out of a little bit of a sense of adventure. then it got real and got quite scary and he's living now knowing that there are at least three people in jail who wish him the gravest of ills. >> i know. there's a steadiness about him which is kind of remarkable and extraordinary given, you know, all that he's been through. and i think it's what carried him through all the stress of being an informant for nearly ten months. there may be a lot going on inside, but on the outside, you know, he just -- he's steady as it goes. >> dick lehr, thank you so much. the book "white hot hate" comes out tomorrow. stream our documentary "the informant: fear and faith in the

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>> announcer: t-minus ten days and counting. michael strahan. liftoff, rocket to space. see it live thursday, december 9th, starting on abc's "good morning america." are you ready for this, michael? ♪ ♪ back now with our final "gma" book club pick of 2021, we are wrapping up two years now of sharing unforgettable stories from superstar authors and our own superstar, deborah roberts is here with the last pick of the year. >> iisgone.r cemb pick and it's oua powerful matriarch who has secret, not just secret, global secrets and, of course, the joys and frustrations that come with family. let's take a look at the book.

♪ it's "dava shastri's last day" by kirthana ramisetti. >> i'm beyond delighted that my book has been chosen as a "gma" book club pick for the month of december. my novel follows a philanthropist after learning she has a terminal illness decides to leak news of her death early so she can read her obituaries but it backfires when coverage of her death reveals her two biggest secrets to the world. i'm so excited to speak with deborah roberts and look forward to sharing my book with all of you. >> a clever plot in a cool cover. the book has that unique plot as you just heard. it'll grab you from the beginning. twists and turns and a cozy read for the holiday season. can't wait to sit down with her this week and in the meantime, you can use your phone to scan that qr code that you're going to see right there for an excerpt of the book and as always keep reading along with us on our instagram and you can tell us what you think for the

instagram for "gma" book club. >> i love that plot. a good one. >> is it already a movie? >> i think it's probably going to be in a couple of days. >> uh-huh. >> we'll be right back, everyone. movie? movie? >> i t ♪ ♪ ♪ movie? >> i t ♪ ♪ ♪ deposit, plan and pay with easy tools from chase. simplicity feels good. chase. make more of what's yours. hi honey! hi mommy! oh i missed you! you just want to video call the kids. ok. hush little baby...don't say a word... but if slow upload speeds turns your goodnight call into an accidental horror movie... can you hear me? shut it down. just remember. you're not a bad mom. you just need better internet.

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back this december giving back to you, our "gma" >> announcer: "gma" is giving back this december giving back to you, our "gma" family. every morning watch "gma" and when you see the qr code, scan it for your chance to win incredible gifts selected by tory and even get a $200 gift card too. this holiday season, "gma" gives back to you. and we want you to check and we want you to check out monday night football tonight, you got russell wilson and the seahawks up against the washington football team. that starts at 8:00 eastern over on our network espn. >> the cast of "west side story" will join us ahead of the premiere. >> very exciting. >> thanks for watching, everyone. have a wonderful monday. ♪

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>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. kumasi: good morning, everyone. i am kumasi aaron with abc 7 mornings. here is jobina with traffic. good morning. jobina: good morning. we have a crash. you can see northbound traffic on 880 has just about stopped because of a crash between a big rag and a motorcyclist. unfortunately, injuries have been reported here. it is going to be slow all the way into oakland, like. mike: i saw a lot of haze in jobina's shot. that is because air is stagnant, allowing us to warm eight to 10 degrees above average. record highs are possible today, more so tomorrow, wednesday, thursday, and the chance tapers off this weekend, kumasi.

kumasi: >> good morning. it's great to be with you after the holiday. we're coming on the air because president biden is about to brief the country about the pandemic and the new variant, the omicron variant. the world health organization labeled it a variant of concern. it was first detected in southern africa. confirmed cases in 13 countries, including canada. the president meeting with his covid team at the white house this morning. president biden ordering a travel ban for visitors coming from south africa and seven other african countries. canada and the eu, also the uk all taking the same action. health officials say this variant has many concerning mutations. of course there are many questions surrounding all this.