>> thank you. good morning, america. for our viewers in the west on this friday my exclusive interview with alec baldwin. baldwin insists he never pulled the trigger and that someone is responsible for the deadly weapon on the "rust" set. abc news exclusive. alec baldwin speaks out describing the moments leading up to the deadly film set shooting, killing cinematographer halyna hutchins. >> i was told i was handed an empty gun. >> asking the question at the heart of the investigation -- where did the live round come from? >> the notion that there was a live round in that gun did not dawn on me till probably 45 minutes to an hour later. >> the actor takes us step by step through what happened on the set. why did you choose not to check the gun yourself? and opens up about the emotional meeting with halyna's husband

and son after the tragedy. fight against the new variant. omicron now in at least five states. overnight, five cases reported in new york, another in minnesota connected to a convention in new york city attended by thousands. as president biden announces new efforts to combat a winter surge, cdc director dr. rochelle walensky joining us live only on “gma.” sheriff's deputy indicted for murder in the fatal shooting of casey goodson jr., as goodson's family speaks out this morning. new overnight. shutdown averted. the last-minute deal by lawmakers to keep the government running. breaking overnight. emergency landing. passengers fall sick on a plane, treated for potential carbon monoxide poisoning. the latest on the flight's "fume event." no contest. the mind-blowing memphis victory. the grizzlies' roaring record-breaking nba blowout. memphis scoring bucket after bucket after bucket, racking up

more than 150 points. ♪ when you wish upon a star ♪ and t-minus six days until michael becomes a spaceman. this morning, we're breaking down each moment from launch to landing as we send him on his out-of-this-world journey. good morning, america. thank you for joining us. we have a very busy friday morning including the latest on a new covid variant now confirmed in at least five states. >> yeah, and one of those omicron cases is linked to the javits center right here in new york city. a convention attended by thousands and cdc director rochelle walensky is standing by with the latest on the new variant and what we know right now. we begin with alec baldwin. this was his first interview since the film set accident that took the life of cinematographer halyna hutchins. i have known baldwin for years and never seen him so crushed. baldwin says he did not pull the trigger of the prop gun which shockingly contained a live bullet.

>> i'm handed a gun and someone declares it's a cold gun. in my years cold gun meant there was nothing in there. when he's saying this is a cold gun what he's saying to everybody on the set is you can relax. the gun is empty. >> that's what cold gun means. >> well, cold gun means there's there could be dummy rounds. >> reporter: a dummy round looks like a real bullet but contains no explosive charge. you were rehearsing that scene. was it a natural rehearsal? there's some disagreement about that. was it a formal rehearsal? >> this is a marking rehearsal. she has a monitor. the camera is filming that way. she's guiding me through how she wants me to hold the gun for this angle and i draw the gun out and i find a mark. i draw the gun out. and what's really urgent is the gun wasn't meant to be fired in that angle. >> so, if you're shooting directly into the camera lens, you're not aiming -- >> i'm not shooting into the camera lens. i'm shooting just off. >> shooting just off --

>> in her direction. >> in her direction. >> i'm holding the gun where she told me to hold it which ended up being aimed below her armpit. this was an incidental shot. an angle that may not have ended up in the film at all, but we kept doing this so i said to her in this scene i'm going to cock the gun. do you want to see that, and she said yes, so i take the gun and start to cock. i'm not going to pull the trigger. just cheat it down and tilt it down and i cocked the gun. can you see that? can you see that? can you see that? she says -- then i let go of the hammer of the gun and the gun goes off. i let go of the hammer of the gun and the guns go off. that was the moment the gun went off. >> it wasn't in the script for the trigger to be pulled? >> well, the trigger wasn't pulled. i didn't pull the trigger. >> so you never pulled the trigger? >> no, no, no, i would never point a gun at anybody and pull a trigger.

never. that's the training i had. you don't point the gun and pull the trigger. halyna and i had something profound and common and that is we both assumed the gun was empty. other than those dummy rounds, bang, the gun goes off. everyone is horrified. they're shocked. it's loud. they don't have their earplugs in. the gun was supposed to be empty. i was told i was handed an empty gun. if there were cosmetic rounds, nothing with a charge at all, a flash round, nothing. she goes down, i thought to myself, did she faint? the notion that there was a live round in that gun did not dawn on me till probably 45 minutes to an hour later. >> 45 minutes to an hour? >> well, she's laying there and i said did she get hit by wadding. sometimes those blank rounds have a wadding inside that packed -- like a cough -- that packs the gunpowder in and sometimes it can hit people and

feel like a poke. no one could understand, did she have a heart attack because, remember, the idea that someone put a live bullet in the gun was not even in reality. >> did you go up to her? >> i went up to her and we were told to immediately get out of the building. >> so you didn't know how serious it was. >> one of the police officers at the conclusion of my interview, i was there for like an hour and a half or so, she takes her phone and she slides it across to me and says that's what came out of joel's shoulder, a .45-caliber slug, a real bullet. she didn't make it. i called my wife to talk to my wife. >> reporter: director joel souza is also wounded. his shoulder hit by the same bullet that traveled through halyna. >> she was someone who was loved by everyone who worked with and liked by everyone who worked with and admired. sorry. admired by everybody who worked

with her. there's only one question to be resolved, only one, that is, where did the live round come from? >> and that is likely the key investigation which is still - going on. baldwin told me he doesn't believe he's going to be charged and he's not worried about that but the investigation is going on and we'll talk to dan abrams. also a weapons expert about those claims, you know, holding back the -- holding back the hammer but not pulling the trigger, can that lead to a deadly discharge on a set? >> so many questions. you can see just how broken he is through this. >> so clearly. >> all right, thank you, george. we're going to turn now to the latest on the new covid variant. five states here in the u.s. are now reporting omicron cases. whit johnson is live at the javits center here in new york where a man from minnesota attended a huge convention before experiencing symptoms.

good morning, whit. >> reporter: michael, good morning to you. experts point out there's still so much we don't know about the omicron variant, including its impact on vaccines, whether it's more contagious or more or less severe than the delta strain, which is now dominant. what we do know is omicron has officially arrived in the u.s. and officials from coast to coast are bracing for community spread. this morning, the new omicron variant discovered in at least five states from hawaii. >> the hawaii department of health has confirmed our first reported case infected with the omicron variant strain. >> reporter: to new york where overnight the governor announced five people have now tested positive all experiencing mild symptoms, at least one had received a vaccine. >> we suspect there will be more cases emerging and the best thing that everyone can do is realize we're not defenseless against this variant at all. that vaccine we know is going to ensure that there's less severe symptoms. >> reporter: in minnesota, officials are connecting a case

there to an anime convention in new york city, days before thanksgiving. the man was fully vaccinated and got a booster shot in early november. 53,000 attendees at javits center were required to have at least one vaccine dose and wear a mask. but the event organizers later apologized in a letter to fans saying, it was packed and they underestimated how many fans would come early. several of the omicron cases involved people who traveled to southern africa including a woman in colorado who was also experiencing mild symptoms and is isolating at home. she too was fully vaccinated. >> i was thinking, oh, great. we don't have that variant here yet and then i guess we do. >> reporter: this as a new study from south africa which has not been peer reviewed suggests that omicron could be more likely to cause reinfections than prior variants like delta. >> we move forward in the face of covid-19 and the delta variant and we'll move forward in the face of omicron variant as well.

>> reporter: president biden thursday announcing new efforts to combat a winter surge including free at-home rapid tests for americans with private insurance and 50 million free test kits to be handed out to those without coverage. now, the biden administration has also extended the mask requirements for planes, trains, buses and at major transportation hubs, and then starting next monday, all international travelers coming into the u.s. will have to show proof of a negative covid test within 24 hours of departure regardless of vaccination status or where they're from. cecilia. >> and the president has said this is cause for concern, not for panic, whit, thank you very much. joining us, the director of the cdc, dr. rochelle walensky. always great to have you. thanks for being with us this morning. i want to start with what we seem to be hearing about these early omicron cases. at this point anyway people seem to be showing mild symptoms. can we conclude yet that perhaps omicron will be less severe than the delta variant?

>> good morning, great to be with you. first, let's just back up for one second and comment on the fact that today we have 90,000 new cases of covid-19 every day, and that about 99.9% of them continue to be delta, so we can't lose sight of the fact that the vast majority of what we have here in the united states is delta and we know how to tackle delta with vaccines, with boosters, with masking and all of our prevention measures that we have been using all along. it is the case that we have the tools now and we're in a much better place now to tackle new variants. and it's because of those tools that we're able to find these variants right now and so now we have this new variant, we have omicron, and that's going to lead to more questions and more science that we need to do. as you know, we've seen omicron in about five states now and we're continuing to do investigations with other states as probable cases emerge. but what we can say based on what these cases are showing some have mild disease, some may have more severe disease, many

of them are vaccinated and what we're seeing now is that many of the people with mild disease were the vaccinated people so we still have a lot of science to do to understand how these vaccines are working against omicron except to say that we know for every variant that we've had, it's better to be vaccinated than unvaccinated. >> we have been told by experts like yourself that it could take up to a couple of weeks before we know more, so this morning, are we any closer on that? >> yeah, you know, as we examine disease severity associated with omicron we need to take into account, of course, your age, of course, your background comorbidities and history of prior disease and importantly your history of vaccination and those are the studies that are actively ongoing. not just to understand how our vaccines are working but to understand our disease severity and also to understand transmissibility. >> are we at the point in this now nearly two years in where vaccines need to be changed in order to act more like umbrellas and cover all of these emerging varying strains?

>> you know, i think that -- i'll go back to what i just said which is it's always better to be vaccinated than unvaccinated with every variant of delta -- of sars-cov-2 that we've had so far. i think we really do need to follow the science here and understand how our vaccines are going to work against omicron. what we can say, though, is that we are actively doing the science industry and pharmaceutical companies are actively looking at whether they need to alter the vaccines in order to tackle this. it may very well be that our vaccines actually work quite well and continue to work quite well against severe disease and those are the studies that are ongoing. >> president biden announced his plan to combat covid as we head into the winter months. part of this new focus is focused on at-home testing making it free and making it more accessible to people. how do you envision this changing the fight against covid? >> you know, we're doing active surveillance in lots of different ways. we're doing rapid at-home tests

so people can take control of their own symptoms, to do that at home test, to self-identify and self-quarantine, to potentially come forward for a pcr test if their rapid test is positive and then we can potentially do genomic sequencing of your pcr test and we're also scaling up tests in airports and we have scaled up tests in many of our major international airports, atlanta, newark, san francisco, jfk and l.a. as well as doing, you know, 10,000 sites that have free pcr tests all over the country. so we're doing a lot to scale up testing and we're really asking people to come forward when they have symptoms to get a test. >> dr. walensky, thanks so much for being with us this morning. george. >> always gives such good information. we turn to the case of casey goodson jr., the 23-year-old fatally shot by an ohio sheriff's deputy. that deputy now retired has been charged with murder and is set

to face a judge. alex perez has the story. good morning, alex. >> reporter: good morning, george. casey goodson's family says these charges are the first step on their mission to get justice. this morning, the former ohio deputy sheriff who shot and killed 23-year-old casey goodson jr. charged with murder and expected in court today. >> casey was wrongfully executed and he did nothing wrong. >> reporter: the charges come nearly a year after the fatal shooting. columbus authorities and goodson's family providing different accounts of what happened that day. >> this day could not come soon enough. >> reporter: an autopsy revealing that goodson was shot six times. >> my grandson just got shot. >> reporter: five of those bullets entering his back, goodson had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. his family insists he had no firearm in hand when he was shot. they say he had subway sandwiches he was bringing home to them. meade told investigators he saw goodson waving a firearm and then pursued him until he got to

his grandmother's house. meade says goodson was entering the back door with a weapon in hand and allegedly ignored commands to drop it when he shot him. meade's attorney telling abc news in a statement that goodson was pointing the weapon at meade and that he acted within his lawful duties an officer. and jason meade is due in court this afternoon. his attorney says he intends to plead not guilty. michael. >> thank you, alex. we're going to turn now to that breaking news overnight. passengers falling sick on a flight taking off from las vegas prompting an emergency landing. and then treated for potential carbon monoxide poisoning. our transportation correspondent gio benitez is tracking the latest. good morning, gio. >> reporter: hey, michael, good morning. there are still lots of questions about this this morning, but here's what we do know, frontier airlines had to make an emergency landing in el paso on a flight from las vegas to san antonio, quote, as a result of both a passenger medical emergency and a fume event.

now, we don't know what that fume was but first responders mentioned the possibility of minor carbon monoxide poisoning and said several passengers reported nausea and vomiting. they also said those passengers refused to go to the hospital. now, frontier says that all of the passengers were eventually rebooked on another flight. cecilia. >> all right, gio, thank you so much. guys, it's friday so you know what that means, sports. here we go. in the nba last night, let me tell you, friends, memphis grizzlies setting a new record, absolutely destroying the oklahoma city thunder by a score of 152-79. that 73-point victory as i've been saying all along, that's the largest margin of victory ever, and to add insult to injury memphis did it without their best player, ja morant. nine players finished the night in the double digits and scoring, and it goes down in history as the worst blowout. almost exactly 30 years ago, that, of course, as i told you all along, michael, is when cleveland beat miami by a mere 68 points. none of this was in the teleprompter.

>> that was an incredible cold read. >> yep. that's my new strategy. i'm not even going to prepare for the sports before i comment. i'm just going to read it to america blindly. >> very impressive. a lot more coming up on "gma" including more of my interview with alec baldwin. we'll talk to a weapons expert. and gio is live in texas at the blue origin training facility. less than a week until my liftoff but first let's go to ginger. hey, ginger. cecilia, we've been sharing basketball cards and stats for like a decade so don't leave me out of it. i'm kidding. that wasn't happening. your local weather coming up in 30 seconds, first the weekend getaways sponsored by progressive insurance.

i also know a ton about curling, hockey, all of those things. coming up, a big surprise for an inspiring little girl. "gma" gives back on this friday morning. stay with us. i can get live tv and on demand anywhere. look, serena williams... matrix... serena... matrix... serena... matrix...

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living life to the flavor-fullest? heck yes. panera. live your yes. now $1 delivery. annoucer: building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. reggie: a spare the air alert is in effect. a thick layer of haze covering the bay area. a temperature inversion is concentrating air pollution to the ground in many neighborhoods. you can help by not using your fireplace are cutting back on how much you drive. air quality officials say they will keep a close eye on additions and call an alert for the weekend if needed. how is traffic? >> there is a fire being reported by chp on the shoulder along southbound 101 past the robin williams tunnel. speeds dropped to 40 miles per hour. check this out in walnut creek,

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wealth management is planning your path together. and, it's guiding you along the way. ♪ start a relationship with citi and earn a cash bonus when you open a new eligible account and complete required activities. mike: fog covering most neighborhoods and keeping temperatures in the mid 40's to mid-50's. milder than yesterday. you can see visibility down to a quarter-mile. it is going to take a long time for it to evaporate. it will be around through at least 11:00 or maybe noon. reggie: coming up on gma, an exclusive interview with aloe

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last night to keep the government running ahead of a looming deadline. the money lasts through mid-february. and "laverne & shirley" star eddie mekka who played shirley's love interest has died. the actor had been hospitalized for blood clots prior to his death according to his brother. cindy williams tweeting about her co-star saying my darling eddie. a world class talent. i love you dearly. i'll miss you so much but, oh, the marvelous memories. mekka was 69 years old. a great actor at that. and we've got a lot more ahead including the countdown to michael's out-of-this-world journey. maybe you've heard about it. gio is live in texas with what michael can expect for the big launch. >> t-minus six days. >> and counting. >> we are getting close. we move to more of my interview with alec baldwin. here baldwin talks about the relationship with the young armorer responsible for the guns

on set and the key question, how did live bullets get on that set? how could this have happened? it's the key question now, why was there a real bullet in the prop gun used on the "rust" movie set? >> i have no idea. i have no idea. i take that back. i have some ideas but that's not for me to say, not even supposed to be on the property and this is what i hope the sheriff's department doesn't give up on, that they follow this to the ends of the earth. where did that bullet come from? somebody brought live rounds, plural, onto the set of the film. and one of them ended up in that gun. i've spoken to the sheriff's department multiple times. i don't have anything to hide, you know what i mean. the facts as i see them are what i've stated on the record. >> you're not worried about being charged? >> i don't -- i've been told by people who are in the know in terms of even inside the state that it's highly unlikely i would be charged with anything criminally. >> why did you choose not to check the gun yourself?

>> what i was taught by someone years ago was, as i said, if i took a gun and i popped a clip out of a gun or i manipulated the chamber of a gun they would take the gun away from me and redo it. the prop person said, don't do that. when i was young. and they'd say, one thing you need to understand is we don't want the actor to be the last line of defense against a catastrophic breach of safety with the gun. my job is to make sure the gun is safe and that i hand you the gun and i declare the gun safe. the crew is not relying on you to say that it's safe. they're relying on me to say it's safe. when that person charged with that job handed me the weapon i trusted them and i never had a problem. >> this was from the beginning of your career. >> from day one. >> reporter: the armorer in charge of weapons on the "rust" set was 24-year-old hannah gutierrez reed. this was her second film in this role. >> we spent an hour and a half shooting. her giving me safety instructions. >> did you think she was up to the job? >> i assumed because she was there and she was hired she was -- she was up for the job.

>> and nothing she did raised any red flags with you? >> no. she said things like, remember, this is a blank round. she'd say to you, when we're done point the gun down, when we're done you give the gun to me or to halls, only those two people. sometimes we'd be on a set that was a very, very cramped set and they wanted people in that room on an as needed basis. if i'm holding the gun and they say, cut, i then hand the gun to halls if she's not there. >> why halls, not hannah? some people have said that only the armorer should be handling -- >> no, no, no. that's inaccurate. meaning, in the protocols of the business meaning hannah to hand me the gun 99% of the time, whatever, the preponderance of the time. when we say cut, if hannah was away from the set i would hand halls the gun. >> reporter: some crew members have claimed the set of "rust" was riddled with safety concerns, allegations the producers exploited.

someone quit the day before the tragic misfire. >> it wasn't just one individual, everything had to fall into place perfectly for this one in a trillion thing to happen. >> reporter: baldwin says he never heard about any safety concerns. >> the first time i heard that there was any problem with anybody in the crew of the film was when luper said we have some issues here. >> he didn't say anything about the accidental discharges on set? >> he said my men need better hotel rooms. >> reporter: in the aftermath of halyna hutchins' death baldwin says he's not sure he'll ever shoot a film with guns again. >> i have dreams about this constantly now. i wake up constantly where guns are going off and these images have come into my mind and kept me awake at night and i haven't slept for weeks and i've really been struggling physically. >> is this the worst thing that's ever happened to you? >> yes, yes. yeah. because i -- i think back and i think of what could i have done?

let's talk more about it with dutch merrick and dan abrams. dutch, let me begin with you and first, let's talk about the gun baldwin used and as he walked us through it, this idea he was simply pulling the trigger back, the hammer back and when he let go it went off. talk about both those issues. >> the function of the trigger is to release the hammer and so the hammer was essentially released. was it his finger that slipped from his thumb or the trigger? the hammer is designed on those guns to have a halfway stop point, sort of a safety, if you will. so when you pull it all the way back it's supposed to catch and if for some reason it doesn't it should stop at the halfway point which leads me to believe was the gun not functioning properly but, again, the point of the trigger is all a trigger does is release the hammer so if he released the hammer on itself that may have set off the round. >> so it's possible, his claim is possible is what you're saying? >> it is possible. >> and, dan, legally, baldwin

said to me he's not worried about charges. is he right not to be worried? >> well, he may be right legally but it's not a good thing for him to say. meaning the investigation is ongoing and he's basically saying, well, i have sources on the inside who are saying i'm not going to get charged criminally. that's not what people on the inside want to hear publicly right now from alec baldwin. you also see the sheriff making a public statement that seems to be contradicting what baldwin had said about how the gun could have gone off. so the last thing he wants right now is in any way, shape or form to be at odds with the authorities. >> dutch, let's talk about the protocols for checking the gun. i mean, our team and i did a lot of research ahead of this interview and there doesn't appear to be a set standard codified protocol for what the actor should do. when you're an armorer on set what is your best practice? >> our best practice, we have a chain of custody that the armorer handles the gun from

start to finish. it goes right into the actor's hands only between us and the actor. nobody else should be involved. >> no first assistant director as we had in this situation. >> yeah, they shouldn't be inserting themselves in that process. they can oversee it. they can take a look at the dummy rounds or check the gun that it's empty under the supervision of the armorer but there is a relationship between the armorer and the actor. that relationship is in a way sacred because that actor puts their trust in the armorer that the armorer is setting the gun properly for that scene and then making sure it's safe and the armorer is telling them where to point it, when to put their finger on the trigger, how many rounds they'll fire. it's a relationship that nobody should be inserting themselves into other than the armorer and the actor themselves. >> and then ultimately is it the armorer's responsibility to make sure there is no real bullet in that gun? >> for sure, absolutely.

the armorer is responsible to provide the blank rounds, the dummy rounds and there should never be any real rounds whatsoever. >> where do you think this criminal investigation is going? >> remember, so far alec baldwin is mostly talking about alec baldwin the actor and his role there and as we always talked about, if there's going to be any possible criminal charges here and certainly with regard to any civil lawsuits, it's primarily going to be the producers, the people or the director who allowed -- >> criminal for them as well as civil? >> potentially, yeah. that's what the investigation is. the investigation -- look, i don't know if there's going to be any criminal charges here, but the investigation is going to be into who allowed this to happen? how did it happen and it's not just about alec baldwin, the actor, who was holding the gun. it's about who allowed that live round to get on the set and into that gun? those are going to be the key questions. >> dan, dutch, thanks very much. michael. >> all right, george, thank you. coming up next, gio is at

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febreze. ♪la la la♪ maybe you've heard we're back with michael's countdown to liftoff. less than a week to go until his journey to space on a blue origin rocket. >> i've definitely heard about it. let's go back to gio benitez in texas for the launch and with what's in store for me on the big day. good morning, gio. >> reporter: hey, michael, good morning again.

well, it's too late to back out nw because your name is on the door here at the astronaut training center at blue origin. let me give you a bit of tour here so you can see this. you're basically going to be here all week long and take a look. right over here this is where you'll get your safety briefings and right here behind me, of course, we've got that training capsule. through that launch simulation.- but right here, on "gma" this morning, we're getting a minute-by-minute preview of what that launch is actually going to look like. it's now just t-minus six days before michael will be launching out of this world on a journey to space with blue origin. so what happens during this 11-minute exploration? we went to the experts. >> welcome to the astronaut training center. >> reporter: kevin sproge and the others soon-to-be blue origin astronauts and sarah knights capsule communications between mission control and the crew between their space journey. they're breaking down each moment for us. >> the morning of launch

astronauts will be up for breakfast around three hours before our takeoff time. >> then we get the call to start driving to the tower at about t-minus 45 minutes. the astronauts will cross the bridge, they'll ring the bell to indicate they're about to fly on new shepard and get into their seats. >> the engine starts and then you immediately start to feel this acceleration pushing you down into your seat. >> it's going to go supersonic and it tops at about 2,200 miles an hour on its way up and once the capsule separates, that's essentially where they are at zero velocity. >> and his body will be completely weightless and then he can unharness and very seamlessly just move around. >> 100% guarantee that he's going to bump into someone in zero g or someone is going to bump into him and that's kind of part of the experience. the capsule lands. we open the hatch. we welcome them back to earth and we start their celebration. as newly minted new shepard astronauts.

>> reporter: so, michael, when will you be considered a true blue origin astronaut? once you cross what's called the carmen line, that's what blue origin considers the edge of space, 62 miles above the earth and, michael, i was just told you're going to 66 miles. >> 66 miles. >> michael, what does it feel like to have a space coach like gio? >> it feels great. it feels great. gio was really the inspiration for me to do this, george. i'm excited. i'm glad gio will be there with me. thank you, gio, for keeping us all in tune to what's going to happen over the course of the next six days. and we'll have much more on my space journey coming up. you can watch me take off live next thursday starting at 9:30 a.m. eastern right here on abc. >> you know what i like about that, we will be watching you, the operative phrase. >> you're next. coming up everybody, our "play of the day." stay with us. stay with us. ♪

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they believe in their magic, to build bigger things. soar to new places as an adventure begins. because a gift has the power to take them further than before. what we value most, shouldn't cost more. [ music ends ] coming up on "gma," the apps to help manage your holiday budget while protecting your savings. your local news and weather too is coming up next. savings. your local news and weather too is coming up next. mrs. claus the shopping boss here to help you merry savers decorate with the best bargains ever! ross has savings on everything you need to get the party started. because who waits for shipping anymore? or guests?! i love saying yes to more merry for less at ross!

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annoucer: building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. reggie: good morning. how is friday traffic? jobina: flow-through walnut creek. starting -- foggy through walnut creek. you can make out brake lights through everything. it is under 20 miles per hour, average speeds southbound on 680. a live look at 880 at the coliseum, northbound traffic slow. mike: it is the fog creating cooler conditions today. two degrees cooler in redwood city to seven degrees cooler in place like napa and oakland. feeling more like the season. if you are shopping, you may need a coat all day.

sunshine in the afternoon.rnoon. cooler days on the way. today will be -- tomorrow will be like today. a slight chance of rain monday and thursday. reggie: we will have another update in 30 minutes. update in 30 minutes. you can always check us out the classic hollywood story. we meet the hero, the all-new nissan frontier hero faces seemingly impossible challenge. tension builds... the plot twist the hero prevails in hollywood, this would be the end. but our here, we are just getting started. introducing the all-new nissan frontier. 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?

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. the fight against the new covid variant. omicron cases now in at least five states as president biden announces new efforts to combat a winter surge. alec baldwin. more of my exclusive interview with the actor and producer on the tragic shooting on the set of his movie "rust" speaking about his emotional meeting with halyna hutchins' husband and son. >> i think to myself, this little boy doesn't have a mother anymore. ♪ "gma" gives back. this morning, meet the incredible 6-year-old on a mission to help her community grow. >> welcome to my farm. >> how she's inspiring other kids and the holiday surprise we have in store for her. ♪ i don't want a lot for christmas ♪ budgeting for the holidays, as gift giving season gets under

way we've got the best tips and tricks for stretching savings and how you can make money while you spend. ♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ and one-on-one with the queen of christmas. all we want on this friday morning is more mariah carey. singing us into the weekend and telling us all about her big holiday special. and she's saying -- >> good morning, america. merry christmas. ♪ good morning, america. mariah carey, we cannot wait to hear more from her. and we cannot wait for next thursday when michael goes into space. ♪ rocketman ♪ >> ah, there it is. on cue. >> it's rocketman. we have a special message for you this morning, michael. >> michael strahan, bill shatner here. i'm going to wish you good luck. you don't need good luck.

i tell you the most difficult thing that you're going to do as you make your way into space is getting up. it's 11 flights of stairs at 4,000 feet. i paused every so often to look at the beautiful thing. michael, you're in shape. just run up those stairs and you're good as gold. take care and good luck. >> oh, i wish they would build an elevator. 11 flights. >> want to see some pep in those steps. >> you know what, i'm happy that he went before i had a chance to go. i did speak to him briefly about it yesterday. he's just so excited and so excited for me so mr. shatner, thank you so much. i'm looking forward to it. >> we are looking forward too. a lot of good advice. first, a lot of news starting with the latest on the new covid variant. five states here in the u.s. are now reporting omicron cases, let's go back to whit johnson there at the javits center here in new york city where a man from minnesota attended a huge convention there before experiencing symptoms. good morning again, whit. >> reporter: cecilia, good morning to you. the javits center here behind me

was once a covid field hospital then a mass vaccination site. now possibly linked to a case of the new omicron variant. health experts insist there's still so much we don't know about this strain. but say community spread is inevitable. this morning, the new omicron variant discovered in at least five states from hawaii -- >> the hawaii department of health has confirmed our first reported case infected with the omicron variant strain. >> reporter: to new york where overnight the governor announced five people have now tested positive, all experiencing mild symptoms, at least one had received a vaccine. >> we're not defenseless against this variant at all. that vaccine we know is going to ensure that there's less severe symptoms. >> reporter: in minnesota, officials are connecting a case there to an anime convention in new york city. days before thanksgiving. the man was fully vaccinated and

got a booster shot in early november. but 53,000 attendees at the javits center were required to have at least one vaccine dose and wear a mask but the event organizers later apologized in a letter to fans saying, it was packed and they underestimated how many fans would come early. cdc director dr. rochelle walensky telling cecilia the delta variant is still the main threat to the u.s. >> what we can say based on what these cases are showing, some have mild disease. some may have more severe disease. many of them are vaccinated and what we're seeing now is that many of the people with mild disease were the vaccinated people. for every variant that we've had, it's better to be vaccinated than unvaccinated. >> reporter: now, the biden administration announced starting next monday all travelers coming into the u.s. will have to show proof of a negative covid test regardless of vaccination status or where they came from. cecilia. >> they are warning of a surge this winter. okay, whit, thank you.

michael. we're going to turn now to college football and the biggest weekend of the season, number one ranked georgia set to take on number three ranked alabama for the s.e.c. championship. rob marciano is live in atlanta, georgia, ahead of a big showdown at mercedes-benz stadium. good morning, rob. >> hey, good morning, michael. i know last weekend was a big weekend for you and the nfl with your jersey being retired but now it's conference championship weekend for the college football playoffs. what happens tomorrow will determine who is in and who is out of the playoffs and our friends at espn "college gameday" are here to cover it all. this is the fourth time they're covering a georgia bulldog match-up and for good reason. it's been over 40 years since they've been undefeated and this good led in part by their defensive leader jordan davis. his counterpart in alabama, will anderson, a big boy, fun to watch as well as the quarterback. saban against smart. saban and the crimson tide need

this win, 4:00 p.m. is the start of that game. big 12 match-up at noon on abc, oklahoma state against baylor. oklahoma state needs to win this game and baylor will be tough to beat for sure and the undefeated cincinnati bearcats go off at 4:00 p.m. for the championship. in the acc. they are undefeated but they need this win. a much smaller conference and they need to go undefeated to remain in the top four and it all kicks off by our friends at espn "college gameday" live from atlanta at 9:00 a.m. eastern on espn. it's going to be a great week and a lot of fun. you know amy is all over it too with her bulldogs back in the s.e.c. championship. >> she's going to be there. i hear she's going to be there. a lot of big college games this weekend. a lot more coming up including more alec baldwin. he reflects on halyna hutchins. his conversation with her husband and son. and what he thinks about the lawsuits being filed. also how to manage your holiday budget while protecting your savings. >> and we can't wait for you to meet 6-year-old kendall rae johnson, the youngest certified farmer in georgia. we have a big surprise for her.

you do not want to miss it. we'll be right back. >> look at that smile. >> yeah. little christmas. ♪ urself a merry ♪ ♪ make the yule-tide gay. ♪ ♪ ♪ from now on our troubles will be miles away. ♪ ♪ and have yourself a merry little christmas now. ♪ celebrate the season together with a holiday gift from pandora jewelry. ♪ can i get ten large fries please? i'm gonna need like ten egg mcmuffin sandwich things? night, or the next morning, you've been loyal. mymcdonald's rewards is for you. now, every order earns points redeemable for free mcdonald's. ♪ best of my love by black pumas feat. sofia reyes ♪ at target, shopping has never been easier — use same day delivery,

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whoa. floor and decor is amazing. look at us. we're shopping alongside real-life designers and contractors. i love this tile. and this one. and, these prices! look at this, durable and water-resistant. we should do the kitchen next! oh, yeah, we found where the pros go. now, we're unstoppable. explore floor and decor in person or online at flooranddecor.com we're back with our "g we're back with our "gma" cover story. more of my exclusive interview with alec baldwin. here he describes his wrenching meeting with the husband and son of halyna hutchins after those tragic final moments. halyna hutchins lost her life on october 21st. she was 42. a rising cinematographer, a wife and a mother. >> when this happened, her husband comes to town. her husband matthew. and i met with him and their son and he was as kind as you could

be. he was as kind as you could be. >> what could you possibly say to him? >> i didn't know what to say. he hugged me and goes, i suppose you and i will go through this together, he said, and i thought, well, not as much as you are and his little boy was there who is 9 years old. i have six kids now. i have my older daughter ireland but of the six kids that hilaria and i have, i have a 9-month-old baby. our youngest 8 and this mother doesn't have a mother anymore. and i know that in my life i'm with my kids and i'm doing quite well with my kids. my kids and i are having a great time right until my wife walks in the room and then i become invisible. my kids all go and they jump on top of their mother and this boy doesn't have a mother anymore. and there's nothing we can do to bring her back. and i told him, i said, i don't know what to say.

i don't know how to convey to you how sorry i am and how i'm willing to do anything i can to cooperate. >> reporter: two crew members have filed civil suits. one alleges that producers failed to implement appropriate safety standards on the "rust" movie production and the other that there were warning signs of the dangerous conditions that existed on set. >> i find odd because those two people are lunging toward making sure their suits are filed before the husband files his suit? they couldn't wait until matthew on behalf of his son filed his suit first. >> so you expect matthew to file a suit? >> how could it be otherwise? his wife was killed as a result of someone's -- i mean i don't want to say negligence, it's not for me to use that word. that's a legal term but something happened here that resulted in his wife's death. he's entitled to something as far as i'm concerned. >> reporter: baldwin says there is a finite pool of insurance money available. >> i just found the filing of

the two lawsuits, civil lawsuits in advance of matthew filing his lawsuit, i found that to be unsettling. my family is all i have. i mean honest to god, i couldn't give a [ bleep ] about my career anymore. >> is it over? >> well, it could be. it could be. if i decide that i -- i mean could i work? i'm going to make another movie in january but i say to myself, do i want to work much more after this? is it worth it? >> he's got so much to think about and so much to deal with right now. you can see more of my interview streaming on hulu right now. ginger. >> thank you, george. we've had all-time december heat records smashed from nebraska to montana, great falls made it to 69 degrees and then you had wildfires breaking out. this is the west fire. you can see denton, montana, there, fergus county and the sheriff captured these buildings among 25 structured torched by this fire, it has burnt more than 10,000 acres. the good news, the pattern is

shifting and we will see more moisture. it is active so the wind was up and that was not good, but, watch, as we start to see some snow finally make its way into the rockies. all right, we'll turn to holiday budgeting with tips on how to keep your spending in check during the holiday season while boosting your savings. we are joined by personal finance expert jamila souffrant. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> it is such an important

conversation to be having, especially this time of year. i know you talk about this. we all want to buy all these presents for our families but you're saying we can do this in a smart way. you can budget and save money too. >> yes, my top tip, do not lose sight of your long-term savings goals and life goals while we enter into the season. >> i have the heavy lift here. you're going to walk me through. first one up here. >> this is what i call be careful of the yolo atp mentality, it stands you only live once after the pandemic. acronym i made up. we have to be careful as we enter into this new world and, listen, we've been through a lot so we want to spend our money and enjoy our lives but not at the detriment of our long-term goals. in order to keep it in check i suggest for short-term savings to use budgeting apps and allows you to see where you're spending and to be intentional. >> yolo -- >> yolo atp. >> we'll commute down here. there are actually ways you say you can reduce spending but you can also make some cash? >> yeah, if you're going to shop and you can earn some cash with

that, why not? so i suggest using free apps online. >> shall we show them? >> yes, let's do that. >> let's see. free apps. >> there are tons of apps that allow you to get cash back or save like rakuten. if you're able to do that, then you should. flip allows you to put your zip code in, it pulls up local circulars and shows you all the best deals in one place while shopping. >> this is really important. a lot of people are using these. one more down here. you say, and i'm surprised to hear you say this, you can actually -- you should actually be re-thinking potentially gifts this time of year. maybe we've already committed. help me re-think. >> it's never too late to switch things up. activities and experiences are where it's at. someone said i don't do gifts anymore, i do experiences. pizza or for movies, i love that. did you also know that you can actually gift your travel points, so instead of actually transferring them in the person's name that is more costly, you can book the ticket

for them in their name. you save more points that way and it allows them to travel. >> if my brother is watching he should plug his ears. this may or may not be happening for christmas. thank you so much. these are all really great tips. we appreciate it this morning. michael, over to you. >> giving away the presents already, cecilia. we turn to the queen of christmas herself. mariah carey sat down with our kaylee hartung to talk about her fabulous new special that she says is her biggest production ever. good morning, kaylee. >> reporter: good morning, michael. the one and only mariah carey has built upon her very success ever since "all i want for christmas" became an instant holiday classic nearly 30 years ago. now she's delivering more magic with a new christmas tv special. ♪ i don't want a lot more christmas ♪ ♪ there is just one thing i need ♪ >> reporter: it's the holiday anthem that has only gotten betterwith age. ♪ underneath the christmas tree ♪ >> reporter: with that timeless chorus everybody knows.

♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> reporter: written by the queen of christmas herself, mariah carey. >> i didn't know when i wrote this song it was going to be what it is. but truly as a songwriter, it means the world to me. >> reporter: since its debut in 1994 "all i want for christmas is you" smashing every single record imaginable. topping the charts, reaching a billion streams on spotify and now going platinum ten times over making it the first holiday tune to ever earn the coveted diamond status. >> people ask like how did you do this? and what was your scientific secret in writing this song? i'm like, it's called realness bcause i actually love the holidays so much. >> reporter: mariah's latest musical endeavor a christmas special on apple tv. ♪ the snow's coming down ♪ >> reporter: complete with new renditions of festive hits.

♪ christmas, baby please come home ♪ >> it's a bigger production than i've ever had. i think anywhere. ♪ let's fall in love again this christmas now ♪ >> reporter: how much glamour do we get to see out of you in this special? >> first of all, my dress weighed 60 pounds. there were six men carrying the train, because i couldn't walk in it. >> is there only one dress? >> oh, i don't know if a 60-pound dress counts as only one dress. >> there are no quick costume changes when your dress weighs 60 pounds. >> if i could have put one in there, i would have. >> reporter: and mariah will perform her newest holiday song for the first time, "fall in love at christmas" featuring khalid and gospel legend kirk franklin. ♪ gonna fall in love again ♪

>> khalid had put his vocals down. he did his thing. i think he sounds so great on this song. ♪ let's go ♪ and then kirk came in and he took it to church. ♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> reporter: if the queen of christmas tells us it's time to give love at christmastime. >> time to give love, come on, and surprises for next year and something i'm not going to say but it's coming up soon, excited about it. >> okay, you heard it here first. >> yes, you did. >> so what does the queen of christmas count among her own holiday traditions? santa makes an appearance at her house and her family even takes a two-horse open sleigh ride under the stars. mariah's christmas, the magic continues premieres tonight on apple plus. i'm going to be turning it on as i decorate my tree. time for our day two of "deals & steals" holiday gift train.

you can go right to the deals by pointing your cell phone to that qr code. tory johnson, the one and only is here with these gifts. they're all about comfort. >> they are. i liked our sound effects. the first time i heard that. >> choo choo train. >> we're going to go down here -- >> starting with everybody's holiday favorites. >> softies, yes, it's softies and lives up to its name. i walked into the studio and every guy on the crew said, this is really, really soft. kind of like they were surprised but what excited them the most is that it's just as soft on the inside as it is on the outside which is one of the marquee features. it also has a hood, two pockets and an attached belt. this is a winner. we've got a variety of colors, your choice, $59. >> was the crew wearing the robe when you walked in? >> i think they would have if they could have. >> i heard the train sound, so that means we're moving down. you need fuzzy slippers for the holidays, come on. >> these are floopi.

one of our favorite companies. and they're extremely soft. we've got a couple of styles. we have both clog slippers as well as the fleece closed back ones right here, slip-ons, just a nice assortment. what's great about all these, they have an outsole so you can walk outdoors with them or use them inside. they also have really great memory insoles so they feel good and kind of mold to your feet. really great prices on these, again, huge assortment, they range today from 16 to $19. >> there we go.'sur ticket to m. wh dweotre? we upitut >>r ld brew and so this is coffee concentrate. what's awesome about this company, first of all, i do love the packaging so it's really gorgeous for gifting, but there's four caffeine levels from decaf to fully loaded extra caf, depending on the morning or evening that you are having, this is a winner. what's great about this is that you use one to two ounces of concentrate mixed with six to eight ounces of either hot or cold water or milk depending on

the kind of beverage that you want to make and you can really make delicious coffee beverages in seconds, again, perfect for gifting. really fun start at $10. >> great stocking stuffer. don't drink this before you put these on if you're going to plan to go to sleep. >> exactly. this is night and what i love is these are all of their satin gift sets so this pillowcase is super soft. brad gave us some tips on this. he said if you use this you're not going to get wrinkles. so there's sets here, pillowcase and eye mask, or pillowcase and scrunchies, again come right in the box ready for gifting. this is fun because everyone can use it. these start at $20 and from night, two favorite words, free shipping. >> cha-ching. cha-ching. this time of year we always need a little extra oomph for our skin. >> yes, with such dry air, so this is hey dewy making its "gma deals" debut. it's a portable humidifier.

>> great for a hotel if you're traveling. >> great for a hotel. you can have it on your desk. wherever you sit for work or by your bedside. what's great about this is that no matter the environment it's going to be helpful for your skin to give you that little freshness, and also great if you keep it by your bedside if you need to help with sinuses while sleeping so it's also a chic piece. so a lot of times, humidifiers aren't so pretty. these happen to be very pretty and we've got two styles. there's the wireless as well as the wired. somebody who doesn't mind using usb to charge it or rather plugged in all the time we have an option for you and from hey dewy, these are $20, start at $20. >> down to the last train, caboose. >> these are cute. >> these are really cute. mahogany is always one of our favorites. we have a huge assortment from them and what i love, cecilia, where can i see you? where are you? >> hi. >> what i love about this is this is a double-brushed cotton so it's a very nice weight for this time of year for colder weather. but we've got a huge assortment

of vibrant patterns as well as everything from two-piece to one-piece in the pants. these range today from 20 to $44. i love these. they're just great to gift yourself as well as a loved one. >> you can do a cute family picture in all of these. >> yes, so sweet. they're really sweet. >> thank you so much. >> of course. got even more great holiday deals coming your way so stick around. a big "gma" surprise for an inspiring little girl. you don't want to miss it. stay with us.

announcer: building a better bay area, moving forward and finding solutions. this is abc7 news. kumasi: good morning. we are checking on traffic. jobina: good morning, good news, no major blocking issues. we are focused on the fog. emeryville, this is 80, the left-hand side traveling toward the bay. lights are on. wrapping up in walnut creek, 680 southbound, that is our busiest spot right now. the average speed around 30 miles per hour. miles per hour. kumasi: ok, thank you. ♪ ♪ ♪ miles per hour. kumasi: ok, thank you. ♪ ♪ ♪

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invis is faster than braces and the clear aligner brand most trusted by doctors. invisalign. >> coming up, rachel zeigler from west side story. that is at 9:00 right here on abc7. mike: and right now i have a ton of fog outside. temperature is about 48 in santa rosa, 46 in danville and 50's around the bay. the visibility is dangerously low, and it will take a long time for the fog to burn off, up until lunchtime. and we still may have some over the bay. cooler today. same thing tomorrow, cooler weather. wet weather on wednesday and

thursday. kumasi: another update in about 30 minutes, but you can find the ♪ bring it on home bring it on home ♪ friday morning, that means it's time for "gma's" buzz pick and we're passing the mic to jonah and ellen who own words bookstore in maplewood, new jersey. take it away. >> good morning, america. >> in 2009 we opened up words book tore because we have a son with autism and felt it was important to have a program where people with autism can learn how to work. here we are where we were named one of the top bookstores in the country. >> for this buzz pick we chose "our country friends" by gary shteyngart. a group of unlikely friends spend six months waiting out the pandemic in a country estate in the hudson valley. hilarious drama unfolds. it's the latest hit from

best-selling author. his books are beautifully crafted with wry humor that will make you laugh until you cry. we hope you'll love "our country friends" as much as we do. >> i sure did. i read that book over the thanksgiving holiday. it's a terrific, terrific book. it is very funny, sad in places but captures the spirit of the pandemic and our country friends is out now. you can read an excerpt on our website. if you're in the new jersey area check out words bookstore. looks like a really great place. keep reading along with our instagram @gmabookclub. and we're keeping the holiday spirit going with our initiative "gma" gives back honoring deserving people all across our country. >> yes, we are. it is all about uplifting those who have helped others so this segment is sponsored by honey bunches of oats and they are helping us to celebrate people making an impact in their community. michael, you've got the story of one really incredible kid. >> yes, i do. kendall rae is a 6-year-old certified farmer, the youngest in her state of georgia working

with her mom and dad to produce healthy foods with a mission to create a space for other kids to learn about gardening and helping her community grow. take a look. >> welcome to my farm. >> reporter: meet kendall rae johnson, she may be little but she's making a big impact in her community. >> my goal is to meet new friends, make new things and inspire other kids. >> reporter: the 6-year-old has a growing passion for harvesting fruits and vegetables in her backyard. >> this is a bell pepper. look how shiny it is. it's amazing. >> reporter: her parents first planting the seed when she was only 3. >> this is my dad trimming okra. daddy. >> hi. >> reporter: since then her garden has flourished. >> come on down to miss kendall's farm. >> reporter: not just as a hobby but a thriving business. >> come on, everybody.

>> reporter: kendall rae now inviting students to learn in her garden and share in the fruits of her labor. >> she's invited her community to come into her backyard. we've had plenty of people to come and dig in the dirt with her. as she grow they grow with her. >> reporter: the city of south fulton taking notice honoring kendall rae as georgia's youngest certified farmer. >> people say, take one step at a time. in her case it is plant a seed at a time. we want her to thrive and enjoy what she's doing and that's number one. >> i am here now with kendall rae and her mother ursula. i want to thank you both for being with us this morning. and, kendall rae, you're 6 years old, right? i just want everybody to know that all these vegetables that they see here on our set, they all come from your garden so what is your best-seller this season? >> sweet potatoes. >> oh, really, the best-seller this season. there are people at home who are watching this, who may want to

learn how to farm and do this to have their own garden. what do we need to get started? >> first you take this pot then put the soil in there, put nutrients, then mix it all up and then put your finger in the hole, then you put a pinch of some seeds in there, cover it up and put some water in there. >> okay. can you do it? we've been talking about -- show me how it's done. cau show me how it's done? there it is. i'm lazy. >> put your finger in. show him. >> like that? >> yeah. just that simple? >> yeah. that simple. >> just that simple. all this time. >> yeah. >> ursula, for you, kendall has been selling her products since may. >> yes, yes. >> so where has the money -- what are you doing with the money she's earning?

>> so we are gearing up for our outdoor science lab and we're also partnering with university of georgia and 4h. she is the first to charter her own 4h program for her neighborhood so she can teach them how to grow their own food. >> holy smokes. so, kendall, do you grow enough to feed me? >> yeah. >> i eat a lot. you grow enough to feed me? yeah. >> okay. all right. that's good. but you know, i want you to know this, though. you're not here to teach us about gardening, really, you are but you aren't because we're so inspired by your story and so inspired by your passion for gardening and farming that we want to help you get that agriculture science lab going so we have a surprise for you and ginger zee is going to help me with that. so, ginger, take it away. >> all right, michael. hi, kendall. how are you? i have a little something for you because honey bunches of

oats wants to celebrate you because you've done a bunch in your community so here's a check for $10,000. >> oh, yes. [ screaming ] >> so that you can do a bunch more in your future of farming. that was a good scream. >> there we go. that was a great scream. >> thank you! >> you're excited? >> yes! [ applause ] >> yes. ursula, ursula, how are you feeling? >> this will be awesome. this is a great start. we are excited about this. thank you guys so much. we can't wait to see the kids' faces when they come to the farm. >> oh, i love it. you know i'm a big fan of eating local and growing local so congratulations. we also wanted to make sure that everybody knows that we are giving you our viewers the chance to win a gift box full of some "deals & steals" goodies and $200 gift card as well. you can give back and be part of

all this fun by donating a toy to the disney ultimate toy drive. just scan the qr card you see on the screen to learn more. >> she's going want to hold that. >> right in front of you. we can't see you. i want you to hold that so they can see what doing good work for your community can do for you. thank you so much for what you're doing for everybody. >> thank you, michael, and thank you, everyone. >> aww. >> so sweet. coming up, "deals & steals" is back. don't go anywhere. hang out with kendall all morning. [ applause ] "gma" gives back is sponsored by honey bunches of oats cereal. go be the unique ingredient the world needs to make a bunch happen. who's on it with jardiance? we're 25 million prescriptions strong. we're managing type 2 diabetes... ...and heart risk. we're working up a sweat before coffee. and saying, “no thanks...” ...to a boston cream. jardiance is a once-daily pill that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular death for adults who also have known heart disease. so, it could help save your life

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only 6% of oback to "gma." lc t on 6ofnt is go to hawaii to get snow. they've got blizzard warnings so, yes, they're nearly 14,000 feet and they do get this, but they could see up to a foot of snowy again we don't have in many places at all. the dip in the jet stream will make things wavier here. it's a big-time roller coaster. i look at minneapolis dropping into the teens by monday morning. and, yes, there will be some snow coming but really only for

♪ frosty the snowman ♪ frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul ♪ >> it is time again for "deals & steals." tory is back. she's fast-tracking our holiday shopping. you can go right to those deals by pointing your cell phone camera at the qr code. she already warned me, these are not chocolates, don't eat them. we are starting with soap. they smell so good. you say it's sal's favorite smelling soap. >> this is sal's favorite brand. he sees every single "deals & steals" company that comes into this studio so if he says it's a winner -- >> it's a winner. >> you know he knows what he's talking about. this is finchberry. all handcrafted in their studio in florida. they do use food grade ingredients, so, you know, it makes sense that you were into these. what's great is there are soaps that are gorgeous and decadent. bath salts, fizzies. this is the first time they did mini soaps and gift boxes.

this is a delightful gift of self-care but smells good and the prices today start at $2.50. >> great gifts and great stocking stuffers. exfoliating towel. >> that's what it is. you take this into the shower and you see it's long enough, wide enough you could use it easily on your back. a lot times loofah are and scrubbers are difficult to get to your back. what's great about this it will replace all of those. you can use it everywhere. it's that gentle soft exfoliation that leaves you with clean super soft skin. it's a winner. it's easy to clean to. you rinse it and let it hang to dry. you'll get two of them today for $15 so you can gift one, keep one. >> my kind of holiday gifting. you got a big brand here for hair care. >> yes, fekkai, everybody on our glam team is already online shopping for this line. what's great about this, it's everything for kind of winter hair problems right now. so typically we see dull, damage, dry, brittle.

there is a solution for you. frederic fekkai's personal favorites for winter solutions, think green and blue. the super strength repair rescue bundle as well as the brilliant gloss anti-frizz so defrizzes and shines, two winners. we also have their tsa-approved minis, which is really great for travel as well as stocking stuffers. the prices today start at $4. >> good stuff. >> stock up, baby. >> it's like you planned this out. once you wash your hair you need to dry it. >> yes, aquis. this is my absolute favorite brand of these hair towels and turbans, lots of brand-new colors that are, again, will add a little pop to your holiday gifting. we also have their kids turbines for men, beard towel here. these are great because they're good for your hair as opposed to putting a big heavy towel and the material is specifically designed to be good for your hair. they start at $6 and we've got a huge assortment online, not just what you see here. >> wait, there's more. >> not done. >> spongelle. if you want to get your hands dirty this is a -- can you see it's like infused --

>> whoops. >> that's okay. it smells good. so what's great about this is, it's an infused body wash so already in here comes with this, they've got unique scents. it's a really delightful, kind of an instant upgrade to your shower or bath. so many different fragrances to choose from and hand creams and diffusers that is a gentle home fragrance so this rose will turn the color of this fragrant oil so it looks pretty and it will make the room smell really good. this is a beloved brand. this is your last chance before the holidays. everything starts at $6 and free shipping from spongelle. >> last chance, the key phrase there. >> yes. >> you've got a deal favorite down here. >> if lara is watching she is online already shopping for this one, perricone md. we've got their plasma plus collection. what's great about this is, the neck and chest is popular for smoothing and hand therapy. when my grandma died at 95, she had no wrinkles on her hands and she told me it's because hand cream is the secret.

you heard it here. >> this hand therapy is fabulous. everything here starts at $14.50 and free shipping from perricone as well. >> you gave me one of these and i swear by it. tory, thank you so much. we have partnered with all these companies on these great deals. you can get they will all plus, more amazing deals from tory johnson on our website. coming up, everybody, you heard about this? michael is about to trach off on his incredible space journey. we have a few surprises to send him on his way, stay with us. ♪ what you can truly be what you ca ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music)

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earth, wind and fire here. >> michael strahan, this is huge. this is -- amazing. michael.bigger than big, - >> you are definitely a true shining star. >> william shatner and earth wind & fire in the same program. how about that?

>> that's pretty amazing. >> that is pretty amazing because we are just six days from your official launch to become a blue origin astronaut. can you tell we're excited? >> i can tell. >> let me tell you we're not the only ones. take a look. >> to infinity and beyond. >> reporter: ever since he was a little boy michael's dreamed of reaching for the stars. >> strahan to the end zone, touchdown. >> michael strahan. >> 50 is the new 30. how about that? yeah. ♪ shining the light on you ♪ >> i wouldn't have considered doing this until i saw you today. >> two, one. >> reporter: his next dream is taking him out of this world. >> i will be blasting off in the next blue origin space launch. there we go. i'm going to space. >> reporter: he's been fitted for his spacesuit. >> a few adjustments and we are a-okay perfect fit. >> reporter: testing his flight seat. >> oh, this is comfortable.

>> reporter: many famous faces excited for him. >> michael strahan, i can't believe you're going to space. i wish you good luck. make sure you wave from up there. i'll be down here waving back at you. >> i just want to wish you well wishes. i did it in "fast and furious" so i feel like i'm a good perso be safe careful. calling him space stray. reggie bush calling him the first black news anchor astronaut. but some not quite as brave as michael. >> you're a brave man, michael. >> would you go to space? >> would i go to space? >> he has lived a big awesome life so higher and higher. >> before michael heads to texas on sunday for special training? >> check this out here, because this is your special screen. we have your name on there. >> reporter: someone wanted to wish him well. >> tim allen here. congratulations for going into space. you might want to use the restroom before you go because you know where you're heading.

>> michael strahan, to infinity and beyond! >> a lot of tips. >> a lot of tips from a lot of good friends. i like tim allen with the very practical advice. go to the restroom first. >> okay, this is the last morning we'll see you here in studio and you know us, we could not let you go, head off to this liftoff without sending you off with one of our famous "gma" care packages. so, guys, bring on the care package. >> all right. what we got? >> oh, oh. >> want to warn somebody before you do that. >> open it up. let's see. >> look at that face.st of all >> you have to take a look inside. >> all right. what we got inside, astronaut food. okay. >> have you had that before? the ice cream? >> nope. i've never had it. i don't know if i'm up there long enough to eat it but i'll try it. a little globe. a christmas tree. michael's liftoff to space, okay.

>> this is more than the three pounds you get to take -- >> i got a space tie. >> wear it when you come back. >> how much time do we have left on the show? this thing is full. there's no place like space. dr. seuss. >> as you're approaching, this is going to be on your resume. >> i don't know what you consider this on the resume. i don't know if it helps me get another job. kind of happy here with this one. as long as i can keep this one, i'm a happy man. >> they really stuffed that backpack. >> how much am i taking on this trip? >> we know you can't bring all this but a lot of people have asked you to bring them. if you could bring one person who would it be? >> i'd bring my mom. just because she wouldn't want to do it. >> i was going to say, but would she go? >> just to torture her a little bit but so many people -- i've really been amazed and surprised at how many people saying it's the coolest thing you are doing and i wish i could do it.

not everybody feels that way, which i understand, but i was surprised at how many people really are excited and wish they could do this. >> it's not just the backpack. we have one more gift. let's bring it in. >> yes. >> wow. that's a cool jacket. hold on. >> let's see. let's see. >> get it ready. >> all right. >> that's official now. >> whoa! whoa! this is nice. >> people will see that all the way up there from down here. >> somebody must have got my size right. >> it looks good. >> all right, so, i'll wear this proudly in representing "gma" and everybody here and i am off. see you guys later. >> he's out. >> captain strahan reporting to duty. all right, you guys. bye! >> off into the thermosphere. >> safe travels, michael. we're rooting for you. we'll be back, everybody. ♪ rocket man ♪ n ♪

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>> announcer: thursday morning, celebrate the holidays with "gma" and norah jones performing for you. thursday only on "good morning america." sponsored by carmax. have a great weekend, everyone. >> see you later, guys. guys.

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announcer: building a better bay area, moving forward and finding solutions. this is abc7 news. kumasi: good morning. here is traffic. jobina: hello, thank you. good morning. we will stick with our walnut creek camera. i have been showing it all morning, for either the fog or traffic, but the traffic is what is sticking around. no major blocking issues. the average speeds around 25 miles per hour. mike: hello, everybody. do not expect the fog to go away quickly, it will lead to cooler temperatures today. seven degrees cooler today in napa. oakland in the 60's, closer to where we should be. as far as what is going with air quality, we had unhealthy air yesterday. possible again for the weekend, but for the most part the forecast is moderate, which is ok. chance of rain on monday and thursday.

kumasi: ok, thank you. it is time for "live with kelly and ryan." >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan!" today, she plays maria in the new "west side story." rachel zegler. and holiday gifts bargains exclusively for our incredible viewers. plus an update on the omicron variant. all next on "live!" ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] and now, here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest! ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] >> ryan: very flexible. >> kelly: yeah, flexible. ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] >> ryan: oh, yeah. >> kelly: thank you.