eating? mike: right. [laughter] reggie: say good morning, america. for our viewers in the west, as we take you through this new week, the search for survivors after dozens of tornadoes ripped through the heartland. tornado terror. at least 40 twisters tearing across nine states. the damage stretching over 200 miles from an amazon warehouse ripped apart in illinois, to a candle factory in kentucky destroyed with people working late to fill christmas orders. this morning, the long road to recovery for thousands without homes. the heroes who came to the rescue, and the resilient communities banding together. our abc news team is covering all the angles of the deadly path of destruction. david muir live on the ground in hard-hit kentucky, linsey davis

with miraculous tales of survival, rob marciano on the scene of the devastation in illinois. victor oquendo with the neighbors going above and beyond to help each other, and ginger zee breaking down this rare, catastrophic event. overnight, the emails sent by former president trump's white house chief of staff mark meadows the day before the attack on the capitol. the new revelation as the committee investigating is about to vote on whether or not to hold him in contempt of congress. racing uproar. in formula 1's biggest race of the year, the drama for lewis hamilton. this morning, the controversy with the championship on the line, and the shocking finish that's revving up so many fans. ♪ get down on it ♪ ♪ get down on it ♪ and touchdown! strahan goes where few have gone before. >> hey! we did it! >> we were there seconds after he landed. >> almost like an out-of-body

experience. >> now, where to next? >> astronaut stray, going to the moon next? >> yes, if they invite me, i'm going to the moon, and i'm going to walk and talk, moonwalk. and it is good to be with you on this monday morning after a very difficult weekend for many americans caught in the path of those powerful, powerful tornadoes. >> thousands are homeless this morning. thousands more without power. that's a live look over mayfield, kentucky. the governor called it devastation like we've never seen before. and the destruction extended far beyond kentucky. here's what we know right now. 40 tornadoes reported across 9 states, winds up to 155 miles an hour. 34 confirmed dead. that number certain to rise. >> six of those victims were at an amazon warehouse in illinois. you're looking at a live look at the devastation there. this is the scene in the town of edwardsville.

so many towns like this one picking up the pieces this morning as they, robin, begin the road to recovery. >> and we have team coverage starting with "world news tonight" anchor david muir in one of the hardest hit communities, mayfield, kentucky. good morning, david. >> reporter: robin, good morning. and the scope of the damage here is just unimaginable. to be honest with you it's hard to put into words what we've witnessed here over the last 24 hours. this town nearly completely destroyed and the first christian church, more than a hundred years old. the force ripped the brick walls right off the building. the organ is the only thing remaining and the drone aerial view, it gives you a better sense of just the scope of the damage here in the town of mayfield. that neighboring candle factory as we all know where workers were working the late shift on friday night trying to fulfill

those christmas orders when the tornado hit. workers said when they arrived on the scene, rescuers at the scent of those candles, the vanilla scent, they could smell it in the air as they tried to get people help. this morning, the harrowing images from above. the devastating aftermath of that catastrophic tornado otbreak. at least 40 reported tornadoes tearing through nine states. here in kentucky, one tornadic supercell carving a path more than 200 miles long. at least 34 lives lost in 5 states. among the first names confirmed, district judge brian crick in kentucky. >> we have lost far too many of our brothers and sisters. the damage is devastating. the entire -- blocks -- more than one block, with nothing standing. >> reporter: this morning, thousands here are waking up without homes. the governor telling me his own

father's town, half of it destroyed. he lost two of his own relatives. >> what does this state need tonight from this country and from the federal government? >> we need prayers. we are still hoping for miracles. every person we find or locate, we're just getting cell service back up in some places, so we are finding people, and every single moment is incredible, but then we need commitment because a lot of people want to help today. this is going to take years to rebuild. >> reporter: from above, you can see the town of mayfield is destroyed. inside the candle factory here, 110 people were working late into the night trying to fill orders for christmas when the tornado hit. this was the factory before the storm, and this is what's left after. the factory finding some of its missing workers overnight, now saying at least eight were killed in the factory, and eight more are still unaccounted for. >> the whole building fell. we are stuck. >> reporter: this woman was working inside the factory. she posted this video, trapped,

pleading for help after the tornado hit, before being rescued. >> please, y'all, pray for us. get somebody to come and help us. >> reporter: overnight, she spoke with us, telling us how she remained calm during those harrowing moments. >> i definitely had my panic moment. it came, trust me, but i mean, somebody had to kind of be the voice of reason. >> reporter: also rescued, jamarion hart. >> i kept yelling, this person has died. this person is not responding. >> reporter: and as we made our way throughout the town, damage as far as the eye can see. you can really see the destruction just about, you know, everywhere you look here, and, in fact, you go home to home and you see the same marking, a spray painted "c" on the front of the home. this one completely sheared off by the tornado. obviously they marked cleared since there's nobody inside. this father, james moore, was huddled with his six children under a stairwell inside their home. >> you could hear stuff being

ripped off. it was scary. >> the top of the house is gone. >> yeah. the whole top. we was pretty blessed. could have been a lot worse. >> wow. all the walls ripped off the house. >> on both sides. >> reporter: and the home where keanu and her aunt lived is now gone. both survived. she told me she is grateful to be alive, and grateful to the person who rescued her. >> some gentleman came through and brought me out, and -- >> do you know his name? >> roy lavell. >> you got his name? >> uh-huh, yeah. >> so if roy is watching, what do you say to him? >> i love you and thank you. >> reporter: we're not surprised. she'll never forget that name, aim sure. roy who helped her get out of that home and we're glad she and her aunt are okay. when you look around at the damage it's stunning that there were as many survivors as there are. they're all miracles given just the level of damage we've

witnessed here, robin. >> david, as you said there were so many stories of survival. can you tell us about the grandmother you spoke with who huddled over her grandchildren. >> reporter: yeah, that was really something, you know, that grandmother told us the story about how she huddled over her grandchildren, one 3 years old, the other just 14 months ole and over a niece and she's credited with saving all of their lives as this tornado hit and as we walked through her home, we were struck by one of the only things left standing, the christmas tree in the front living room. so many other walls were ripped off the home. the christmas tree with the wrapped gifts sitting beneath that tree, really something. >> a sight to see. david, as always. thank you. we'll check in with you in our next hour. joining us is the mayor of mayfield, kathy stewart o'nan, and madam mayor, thank

you so much for being with us, and i hope you know that we and others are thinking of you, your community, everyone who has been impacted by these tornadoes. ma'am, can you tell us what the situation is like there this morning, and in particular, with that candle factory we heard in david's report? >> yes. i think that we are so glad that the reports first of how many people were in the candle factory at work, the report i've heard from my fire chief is that there were 130 there. so that made the projection of how many that would be lost higher than it actually is, and we are so, so thankful that we have a lower number to report than what had been a projected, higher number. >> such encouraging news at a time like this. can we go back to the night of the storm? where were you, and what did you experience? >> i live about four blocks from the center of downtown, and i had been watching the news and knew that this was different. this was not a storm that us

kentuckians like to go out on the porch and watch roll by, and so i did go to -- i'm lucky enough to have a basement, and i went to the basement and heard it pass overhead. that is a horrifying sound that i hope i never hear again, and for about two minutes after that sound ended, i thought, oh, my gosh, we have -- we have made it, and immediately the fire chief called and said, he couldn't get his -- he couldn't get his trucks out, he couldn't get his ambulances out. he couldn't get his fire trucks out because the doors to the bays, he couldn't open them, and so he took a chain and attached it to his truck and pulled the doors open so we could get our emergency vehicles out, and those doors of course, are still open today. our fire trucks are parked in the street. our ambulances are parked in the street. so we have an amazing, amazing emergency services provided for our fire department and throughout the county, and to watch them work tirelessly as

they have during the last two days so far has just been heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. >> just jumping into action. so quickly like they did. what is your greatest need for your town right now? >> right now, we lost a water tower. our sewage treatment plan is gone. we have the power -- there's no power. there's no natural gas. there's no flowing water. we have a lot of bottled water, and for that we're extremely grateful. pallets and pallets have been brought in. the immediate needs of our -- our city people, and our responders are being met with just wonderful donations. i understand that in the shelters the immediate needs are being met for those people there, but our infrastructure is damaged so severely that getting that up and running is our absolute greatest priority at this time. >> and many people want to help out in every way that they can, and the final question to you, madam mayor -- >> absolutely.

>> -- what can you tell this nation about the incredible people in your beloved town? >> i serve on the board of the kentucky league of cities, and so i meet with mayors from all over the state frequently, and when i'm ever asked what's the greatest asset of our community, it is always our people. we have had small tragedies before, and every time immediately the people bond together. i've seen that so much now, but we're joined by so many people from all across the commonwealth, all across the united states, and that is the feeling that comes when you see -- i was at the candle factory on the day -- the morning after the tragedy, and i saw firefighters and emergency workers from louisville who had already gotten there, who had gotten in their trucks as quick as they could and come to help us, and the offers from all over the united states are overwhelming. we are so blessed with the state and federal support that was so

evident yesterday when the secretary of homeland security and the head of fema and the governor and our congressman all were meeting with us. that was at the eoc, and that is something -- well, of course it's unprecedented for our community. we are very fortunate to get a visit from the governor on a good day. we love it when he comes, but to have him here two days in a row with the support from the federal government is just priceless. >> all coming together. madam mayor, thank you so much, and we will continue to think of you and lift up you in our prayers. we thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> thank you for telling our story. >> yes, ma'am. george? we have more stories now, robin. survivors describing heroism in the face of overwhelming winds. abc news live anchor linsey davis is also in mayfield, kentucky, with those stories. good morning, linsey. >> reporter: good morning to you, george. in addition to talking about the heroes i planned on talking about just the stunning visuals

that you see block after block of houses that look like they've gone through paper shredders but i cannot stop thinking about a woman we met yesterday named brittany. she describes being so overwhelmed that she cries every day. brittany is nine months pregnant with her first child. her baby boy is due on january 10th and she has nowhere to go. this morning, harrowing stories of survival after tornadoes ripped through nine states across the country. the sheer force of the tornadoes, flattening forces, -- churches, shredding homes, and causing unprecedented damage in dozens of communities. >> we lost everything. we lost our home. we lost all of our vehicles, all of our belongings. we basically have nothing. >> reporter: jasmine parrott was home alone when the storm started ripping through her neighborhood in mayfield, kentucky. one of the main epicenters of the storm. >> my mom was like, just get in the bathtub right now. >> reporter: she says minutes

later, she went from being in her apartment to crawling out of the woods with no memory of how she got there. >> that's when i heard a loud noise, and that's when i started rolling, and ended up in the woods, dug myself out and went to my neighbor's, and she let me in. >> reporter: jasmine says that's when she realized how serious her injuries were. >> i didn't know my head was busted open. i didn't know i had a fractured ankle. i didn't know none of that until i got to my neighbor's and she let me in. i was losing a lot of blood. once i got in her house, then i seen it. >> reporter: also in kentucky our victor oquendo spoke to dr. grant fraser who said people immediately came pouring into the hospital despite having no power or way to call 911. >> multiple people came in by pickup truck, pulled up to the ambulance bay and ended up getting hauled out by staff. they showed up, they were pounding on the door over there. >> reporter: among the injured, scores of victims who were crushed under the weight of their homes and buildings. brittany thomas who is nine

months pregnant and her family have another story to tell. one of survival after they sheltered in the basement of her home. >> you could hear the windows breaking all from the basement. >> reporter: mayfield christian church pastor dr. milton west says even though his church was destroyed, he still has faith there is opportunity in the midst of the rubble. >> i don't know what will come out of all of this. i'm hoping it will make us stronger. >> reporter: brittany and her husband were originally staying at the church and the church did put them up in a hotel for last night. but, t.j., they like so many here are just taking it one day at a time. >> all right, linsey davis for us. i want to say thank you so much. we want to turn now to that destroyed amazon warehouse in illinois. our rob marciano live on the scene in edwardsville. rob, hello. >> reporter: hey, good morning, t.j. this is the nearly new amazon facility that got a direct hit from that ef-3 tornado. it's still too dangerous to get close but our drone shows you just how that twister cut through the steel and concrete.

they brought in heavy equipment to take down what's left of these walls but the hurt here remains. the ferocious tornado with winds up to 155 miles per hour tore into this amazon warehouse in edwardsville, illinois, ripping off the roof and collapsing the 40-foot-high concrete walls. >> i walked out of that building after they told me my dad was gone. i dropped to my knees and i screamed at the sky at the top of my lungs. >> reporter: justice verdon's father lahr which was among the six dead. >> i said, no. my dad's coming home. he can't leave.my daddy.- >> reporter: her dad, one of the many drivers returning to the facility after finishing their routes right when the tornado struck. ashley deckard was asked to work overtime that night but declined. >> i feel helpless. you know, i wish i would have worked. maybe that would have helped get everybody out of the building sooner. >> reporter: the building less

than two years old now left with a gaping hole the size of a football field. other casualties include etheria hebb, a delivery driver who had a 1-year-old son, and deandre morrow whose mother told us his goal was to own his own business and provide for his family. there are two shelter in place rooms within this facility. employees are told to get to them when the alarms go off as it did friday and that may have helped the other 45 employees in this area survive friday night. george. >> okay, rob. we're going to have much more on the resilience and aftermath of the tornadoes throughout the morning. also coming up, michael's journey to space. right now, let's go to ginger. >> we have to get straight to your local weather in 30 seconds. first, the select cities sponsored by amazon alexa.

we'll have much more on the devastating tornadoes coming up right here on "gma."

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>> i want to tell you what is going to be the hardest part, 10:00 today to 6:00 this evening, an eight hour window. here comes the heavy line of showers and thunderstorms. the more likelihood of wind damage, the more likelihood of flooding and also the possibility of some of the trees coming down and taking out power lines. the wind advisory was extended through 4:00. you can up these one category for the northbay because you have already received four inches. tuesday, wednesday, thursday we have some snow possible during those times down to about 3000 feet. >> images from inside michael

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back here on "gma," and you're looking live over hard-hit mayfield, kentucky. those powerful twisters tearing through that town, and through at least nine other states, including illinois. the scene of this devastating image, an amazon warehouse as you can see, just ripped apart by a tornado. we'll have much more on the destruction and how communities are banding together this morning. lot more on that coming up. we're also following a lot of other headlines this morning, including new york state. new york state is bringing mask mandates back. governor kathy hochul requiring face coverings in all indoor public spaces without a vaccine requirement. in addition tomorrow new york city will require all children 5 and over will have to show proof of vaccination for most indoor

activities. also right now, the investigation on the january 6th insurrection at the capitol. the house set to vote on whether to hold mark meadows in contempt. documents were released saying he sent an email the day before the rally saying the national guard would be present to, quote, protect pro-trump people. an abc news ipsos poll shows 69% of americans disapprove of biden's handling of the inflation. 57% disapprove of the economy recovery. and we're celebrating the life of iconic mexican performer vicente fernandez. a legend of the mexican genre known as ranchera influencing generations of latin singers. he told tens of millions of albums in his 60-year career. many of them among the mexican and latino communities here in the u.s. he also starred in more than 30 films and he has a star on the hollywood walk of film. fernandez was 81 years old. we'll have a whole lot more on his incredible life and

career in our next hour. >> we will honor him then. but right now, the latest on those deadly tornadoes that left dozens dead this weekend. we're going to go back to "world news tonight" anchor david muir. he's there in hard-hit mayfield, kentucky. good morning again, david. >> reporter: robin, good morning again from mayfield, kentucky. the scope of the damage here, it's really hard to describe, although i'll tell you as the sun comes up here this morning, it's back-lighting the buildings that do remain partially intact here. what a sight, indeed. the church behind us, more than 100 years old and those brick walls not strong enough to withstand the force of the tornado. up above, you get a sense of the real damage throughout this town, just about every building damaged, the homes in neighborhood after neighborhood simply wiped off the map here. it's a miracle there are as many survivors as there are.

at the candle factory, there are eight workers still unaccounted for. they were there as part of the late shift friday night trying to fill christmas orders to to get them done in time for the holiday. governor beshear telling me that difficult task of going door to door will continue today. we've seen that spray painted "c" on so many of the doors meaning cleared as they look for people inside those homes, robin. >> david, thanks so much. we'll check in with you again at the top of our next half-hour. thank you. t.j.? all right, robin. we want to turn now to what was another step, another chapter in space history in this country, and along for this ride, one michael strahan. yes. blue origin, that rocket, blasted off going to the edge of space with six crew members on board, and among them, one we know so well around here, our friend, our family, our colleague, michael strahan.

amy robach here with us now. we watched this together, i had a different seat than you did. you were right there in the desert to watch this thing take off saturday. >> i was. it was an incredible moment for me, and even more momentous for michael strahan, and it brought a whole new meaning to the word touchdown. i went there. for our friend stray. when we asked him about his trip, he said it's almost like an out-of-body experience. >> hey! we did it! >> reporter: michael along with his five fellow crew members blasting off into space saturday morning on the new shepard capsule beyond the 62-mile-high carman line marking the edge of space. >> this is so much fun. >> reporter: back on earth, i spent the morning reporting live from blue origin launch site 1 with my fellow abc colleagues. there was nothing i imagined quite like experiencing a rocket blastoff here on earth. >> yep. >> reporter: thrilled, yet full of nerves watching it all unfold. >> robach, yes, we are covering an event, but this is a friend of ours. >> reporter: for michael, it was like game day feeling upbeat and

ready to embark on an out-of-this-world journey. >> i actually feel confident and calm, prepared to do it. it's going to be fun. it's going to be epic. i think everyone else outside is probably a lot more nervous than i am. >> they're on their way. >> reporter: the crew made their way to the launchpad with some cheering from friends, family, and mission control. then up the stairs to the launch tower. all the training and practice coming down to these moments. >> astronaut stray, how do you read me? >> stray is good, loud and clear. >> ladies and gentlemen, it is time to launch this rocket. >> engine start, two, one. >> mission control has confirmed new shepard has cleared the tower. our original six are getting the ride of their lives right now. they have practiced for this,

and now it's really happening. >> whoo-hoo. >> we're doing it, guys. >> check this out. oh my god. >> reporter: while in space, posing for pictures, and enjoying that breathtaking view. >> holy -- >> moly. >> reporter: just more than ten minutes after liftoff, the capsule making its way back. >> oh, there it is right there. >> reporter: touching down safely back on earth. >> we cannot wait for that door to open and for us to finally see cuz lightyear back on earth. >> welcome back, guys. [ cheers and applause ] >> oh, my god. >> michael strahan is out of the capsule. >> reporter: this crew now bonded by this rare, monumental experience. >> thank you, and you were my -- always there for me. [ applause ] >> aww. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: getting pinned with his astronaut wings, the final civilians to receive this honor from the faa.

>> i am so proud of you. oh, my god. you have no idea. so tell me. how do you feel right now? do you feel different? >> i feel -- it's surreal, like, it's such an -- almost like an out-of-body experience. you know? it's hard to even believe it happened, and it's such a -- the feeling of almost being completely out of control. you completely trust your life is in the hands of other people who are -- you deem smarter than you, know exactly what's going to happen at certain points and how to take you up and bring you down safely. they couldn't have been better here. it was fantastic. but it's a crazy feeling. like the feeling of weightlessness, the feeling when the booster goes off, the rocket goes off and it detaches, and you don't know what's up from down. your body just goes like this, and you take off your seat belt, but naturally -- it feels natural to move in zero gs. >> you're like swimming in the air. >> if you swim, you don't go anywhere. you actually have to push off

things, very gently, but it feels very natural, and to see the curvature, the atmosphere, blue, the earth, just -- it was too short. the trip was too short. >> do you have a new perspective? >> it's transformational in the way -- this transformation in a lot of ways happens before you even go because a lot of your family, a lot of your friends, a lot of people who, you know, for me being a football player, all the tough talk with your boys, when you're getting ready to do something like this, then the i love yous and all the things that come out that you would not expect to hear before this trip happened, which in a lot of ways was transformational, and my understanding of how much i love people here, how much people love me here, and my relationship in their life and their relationship in my life and the importance of it. >> is astronaut stray going to the moon next?

>> yes, if they invite me, i'm going to the moon and i'm going to walk and talk. moonwalk. it's a special -- that's a journey that i wish as many people as possible can go on and will go on. >> and you're paving the way. so cool. all right. michael sent us a message this morning. so take a look, everyone. >> hey, everybody. hope you all are good. i will be in tomorrow. i cannot wait. robin, george, t.j., i cannot wait to tell you all about my trip to space, and also, everyone there at home, and i'm looking forward to it. it's exciting. >> by the way, i asked him what he did right before the liftoff when they were counting down. i said, did you pray? he goes, i actually was taking a nap. >> that sounds like stray. can i just say, your expression, both of you during the special coverage, because as you said, it's our friend, it's our colleague, and we know he's

in great hands, but it was those anxious moments, but your expressions were something else. >> the moment when he was walking up the steps of the tower. that's when it first kind of -- >> when you said that, i went right back into how i was feeling that morning where my heart was pounding, but he was cool as a cucumber. >> we weren't, but he was. >> great experience for him. incredible. >> yes. he'll be here tomorrow. looking forward to it. looking forward to it. >> thank you, guys. coming up next, showdown on the track. the big questions about one of the biggest races of the year, and why who won is being challenged.

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back now with a big story in formula 1 racing. a new champion unseated seven-time reigning champ lewis hamilton after one of the most controversial race finishes in the history of the sport. will reeve here with the details. good morning, will. >> reporter: hey, george, good morning. this was a walkoff home run, a buzzer-beater and a hail mary all wrapped into one. it was the final lap of the final race of a frantic formula 1 season. it brought chaos, controversy, and a new champion. four-time defending champion lewis hamilton and his fierce rival, 24-year-old max verstappen, entered sunday's abu dhabi grand prix tied on points. with hamilton seeking a record eighth formula 1 world championship after tangling with verstappen over the season, including this dramatic crash in italy. on sunday is looked like hamilton had the victory and title in hand, leading almost

the whole way, with verstappen a distant second until things got crazy. near the end of the race, the crash forced the safety car onto the track to limit the drivers' speeds. >> why are we getting these lap cars out of the way? >> reporter: while the safety car was out front, verstappen was able to make a pit stop for fresh tires while hamilton was not. once the race restarted, on lap 58 of 58, verstappen caught, overtook and sped by hamilton to win the championship in a shocking, unprecedented finish. unbelievable. hamilton's mercedes team protested the result. they argued the rule is the safety car should have still been out front on that final lap to allow all the cars in the bottom positions to drive ahead and get out of the way. that would have ended the race with hamilton the winner. mercedes lost that protest, and on his in-car radio hamilton could be heard saying, this has been manipulated. guys? >> did you get all that? i got to read that formula 1 rule book again. we appreciate you, will. >> thank you, will.

coming up next, we have a remarkable discovery in the aftermath of those powerful tornadoes. we love our new home. lots of windows, great light- but the birds. they're back. yes, i hear them. uh-oh. why are these birds so angry?! at least geico makes bundling our home and car insurance easy. we save a lot. i'm going...i'm going. aaaahh! hurry, hurry! i know, i know! for bundling made easy, go to geico.com. no one can deliver your mom's homemade short ribs. that's why instacart helps deliver the ingredients. and you add the love.

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[ 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. we're back now on "gma" with we're back now on "gma" with an incredible discovery outside of a home in indiana. a photograph dated back to 1942 found by katie posten. she said she instantly realized this has to be from a home that was hit by the tornadoes. that's right. this small piece of precious

family history, whipped up from the debris of those deadly tornadoes in kentucky, traveling more than 150 miles through wind and rain to katie's driveway in new albany. she shared her find on social media on saturday morning, and within hours the family was found, and she said she plans to drive and hand deliver that potograph herself. wants to make sure it gets there. >> those stories are always amazing of how far things end up. >> and how much it means to a family to get back something like that. >> good for her to drive it back. stay with us here on "gma." ginger will be along, and she'll give us more on this historic outbreak. "gma" concert series is sponsored by the love your car guarantee from carmax.

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united states postal service. we won't know if the one tornado was on the track for 200 miles for quite some time until all the surveys are done, but i have to tell you, no matter what, this was a remarkable event. average path of a tornado is three to five miles. the longest on record was from march 1925, and that was 219 miles. no matter what happens, here's how it happened. you had those record high, all that heat. that's one of the major components of making a tornado. you had the lift in abundant moisture, cold front, lot of moisture coming up from the gulf and most importantly you had wind shear. gois isomething hasowllsdorecris relavely rare.

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>> good morning. the roads, not pretty. >> they are not. look at this, traffic in the southbound direction is not moving. we have a crash on southbound 680 before 24 with at least one lane blocked. traffic is crawling. also on the upper deck of the bay bridge, we have a crash just around treasure island in that area. the toll plaza is packed as well. metering lights came on at five. -- at 5:45. >> from 10:00 to 6:00 from the northbay to the southbound, winds will be gusty. locally more intensity to these storms. mounted snow starts in the northbay about 5:00.

south bay, about 10:00. you can see this is a three of a strong storm. >> coming up, the secret to getting a good night sleep. getting a good night sleep. the news continues 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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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. the search for survivors after dozens of tornadoes ripped through the heartland. at least 40 twisters tear across nine states. the unprecedented damage stretching over 200 miles long. this morning, we're live on the ground in hard-hit kentucky with miraculous tales of survival. plus, how neighbors are going above and beyond to help each other, and how you can help from home right now. green monday. it's one of the busiest shopping days before christmas. we're breaking down where you can find the best deals. three big stores offering big scores. plus, the clock is ticking on free shipping. ♪ so wake me up ♪ the sleep fix. secrets to finally getting a good night's rest from the brain dump method to reverse curfew, and can screen time actually help you at bedtime?

♪ it's christmas ♪ plus, the stars joining us here live in times square. >> will you ever quit? >> all: no! >> the one and only denzel washington. plus, ricki lake is back on the screen with a new christmas movie. ♪ underneath the tree ♪ and it's time for "gma's" christmas cookie countdown. padma lakshmi is here live with her creative twist on a beloved classic and she's saying -- >> good morning, america. ♪ on christmas day ♪ ♪ what a beautiful sight ♪ good morning, america. glad to start our week with all of you and we're looking forward to hearing more about all those heroes who are lending a hand in the aftermath of those tornadoes. >> we see so much loss, so much destruction, and now there's so much need, and we're going to tell you how you can help this morning, but here is what we know right now. at least 40 twisters were reported across nine states. winds reached up to 155 miles per hour. and at least 78 people confirmed

dead. >> but there's so many people as you said, t.j., reaching out and who want to help. we're going to go back to "world news tonight" anchor david muir on the ground there in mayfield, kentucky, with the latest. good morning again, david. >> reporter: good morning, robin, and i've got to tell you. we saw that firsthand, that generosity. almost immediately, neighborhood after neighborhood, there was a pickup truck filled with young people driving through, and they told us they survived this, and they have a duty now to bring food to those who otherwise don't have it because their homes have been simply destroyed. it was extraordinarily moving to see that within hours of the disaster here. you can see the first christian church behind me, and now that the sun has come up, you can actually see that organ. that's all that really remains inside that church. the walls, the brick walls, more than 100 years old, ripped right off the church, and that drone aerial shot of the town of mayfield. we have been showing you this precious town all morning long, virtually gone, wiped off the map. just one of many communities hit

by these tornadoes, and as you mentioned, at least 40 tornadoes across nine states. at least 34 people believed to have been killed, and of course, that number could change throughout the day, and when you think about the strength of these tornadoes, that tornadic supercell, and they're not completely clear whether it was one tornado or a series of tornadoes taking virtually the same path, but they do know on the ground for 200 miles straight, that's just incredible to think about. the neighboring candle factory right here in mayfield, we know at least eight workers have died. and when you think of what they were there doing, they were there on a friday night working the late shift, trying to fulfill those christmas orders, and the people who reported smelling those candles in the aftermath of the tornado, that vanilla scent in the air as rescuers were just simply trying to get to those workers. we do know this morning that at least eight of those workers are still unaccounted for.

governor beshear telling me here on the ground with daylight and now a few days since these tornadoes initially struck, that they're having better luck trying to reach some of these families. the cell service has been so difficult here so we remain hopeful on the ground that more people will be found. it's not just kentucky as you know, robin. it's a number of neighboring states. edwardsville, illinois, the amazon warehouse that was struck, and the nursing home in arkansas, so our thoughts are with so many people just trying to rebuild, robin. >> as you said, david, we are going to remain hopeful. thank you for being with us this morning, and we'll be watching you tonight. we know that you'll be there in mayfield, kentucky, tonight on "world news tonight." thank you, david. >> thank you, robin. >> george? >> okay, robin, we're going to switch gears now, the national retail federation predicts the sales will be surpassed. becky worley explains how the save on last-minute gifts. hey, becky. >> reporter: green monday is the second monday in december, historically one of the biggest shopping days of the month, so of course, there are sales. let's get right to it.

at target, spend $100 on toys and you can get a $20 discount. more specifically, legos, spend $50, and you get a free $10 gift card from target. over at walmart, they have the apple watch 7 for $50 off, and at jcpenney, it's 30% off. and that's at their website or in store a little more. >> and there are -- you have to keep in mind the deadlines for free shipping. >> reporter: that's right. procrastinators be warned, myself included. tomorrow is free shipping day. it's not the drop dead end of this perk, but it signals that our beloved free shipping is now kind of iffy. so tick tock, gang. >> becky worley, thanks very much. t.j. >> george, we turn now passing of mexican performer vicente fernandez. the singing legend leaving behind an incredible legacy. john quinones joins us with more on the passing of the king of ranchera music. john, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, t.j. this is such a heartbreaking loss, not only in mexico, and

latin america, but here in the u.s., and really in every corner of the world. he was a musical megastar, and for people like me who grew up here in texas, his songs were the soundtrack of our lives. ♪ >> reporter: vicente fernandez. ♪ they called him el rey, the king, and he was a powerhouse in mariachi music, but this morning, his family announcing his death. it was an honor and a great pride to share with everyone his great musical career, they wrote. he gave everything to his audience. fernandez's career spanned nearly six decades with his first record deal in 1966. from there, the man who began singing on street corners released more than 75 albums and sold tens of millions of copies in mexico and the united states.

his ballads considered the musical soul of a people and culture. he wrote about love, loss, and his beloved mexico. ♪ >> reporter: that talent for singing leading him to a successful movie career, starring in some 37 films. he leaves behind a musical dynasty. his son, alejandro fernandez, and his grandson, alex fernandez, building on that family legacy. ♪ vicente fernandez was 81. and this morning, fernandez's star on the hollywood walk of fame is blanketed with candles and flowers, and a multitude of latino stars, everyone from ricky martin to gloria estefan to maluma are calling him a musical titan who defined the

very heart of mexico. >> what a legacy. what a legacy. thank you for sharing that with us. >> that was a great piece. thank you, john. coming up, how you can help people in the path of the dri instructive tornadoes to heal. >> and the secrets of shut-eye. can smart screen time help you get the rest you need? and also, ricki lake is in the building. she has an exciting new holiday movie to tell us about. also, padma lakshmi is here with some christmas cookies. stay with us here on "gma." we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ ♪ olive: wait wait wait! ♪ mom: wait honey, that's that's... ♪ ♪you and i,♪ ♪wait for each other♪ ♪you and i,♪ ♪ ♪stronger than lovers♪ ♪

♪you and i,♪ ♪ ♪so much to discover♪ dad: oh boy. ♪for you and i♪ ♪ ♪oh, i hope you feel it♪ ♪you and i♪ ♪we wait for each other♪ ♪

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a closer look at the communities hit hard by those deadly tornadoes. victor oquendo is in bowling green, kentucky, where people od, ctor >> reporter: good morning, george. even before the storms had cleared, people were jumping in to help. the donations started rolling in on saturday, and they just haven't stopped. take a look at the cars behind me. they are packed to the brim with everything from water, food, clothes, furniture, you name it. this was organized by the warren county school district here in bowling green, and all of this will go to those who need it the most. we visited this donation center in bowling green where an ef-3 tornado killed 12 people and left behind catastrophic damage. there was a steady stream of folks stopping by all day. >> thank you. >> reporter: car after car, unloading trunks filled with supplies for those in need. >> sweatshirts, winter coats. a >>nything that will help? >> anything. food. yes. i've given my number out to many people.

people that lost their homes so they can call me and i can be there for them at the drop of a dime. >> reporter: this is a tight-knit community, so when hospital officials announced the desperate need for blood, people from all over the region traveled through debris strewn roads and streets to answer the call. what does it say about the community here in bowling green that this many people out here willing to give blood? >> it just shows how strong the community is and how much people are wanting and willing to help. >> heartwarming. >> yes, very heartwarming. >> reporter: 2 1/2 hours east in mayfield where the devastation is complete, volunteers are on a search and rescue mission for these lost pets. >> right now we have a little over a hundred animals with us. the animals here will all be up for adoption if we cannot find the owner. >> reporter: celebrity chef jose andres also diving in to help. he and his team at world central kitchen have provided food for people all over the world following natural disasters. >> we have a lot of people coming. we are reporting to ground zero.

you see, it takes a village to take care of everybody. here you have an example of the best of that village. >> reporter: and there are several organizations here on the ground that could use your support. i want to make sure we get these right. there's team western kentucky tornado relief fund, and of course, the kentucky red cross. those are great places to start. we also just heard from world central kitchen there. also, the turnout was so large at that blood drive yesterday, there will be another one today. that is at tristar greenview regional medical center. every little bit helps, george. >> okay, victor, thanks very much. ginger? >> george, there was also a deadly avalanche over the weekend in the mountains. look at snoqualmie pass, you can see the roads covered in snow. this new storm could bring 6 to 8 feet in total for the sierra, and we're already seeing in truckee about a half foot or so. some of the schools closed there.

so we'll see this action move through the pacific northwest and northern california, and then make its way through the plains again. unfortunately, you've only got a couple more days in that same region that got hit before you get another storm system looks like thursday into fr we have insight now on how we have insight now on how to stop tossing and turning all night long. our own diane macedo has done a deep dive for insomniacs out there, and her new book, it is brilliant. it's called "the sleep fix: practical, proven, and surprising solutions for

insomnia, snoring, shift work, and a whole lot more." good morning. welcome back into the studio here. >> it's so good to be back. >> are you getting much sleep with the little baby? >> the irony of releasing a sleep book when you have a newborn at home. right? no, but not because i can't sleep, just because my baby needs me. >> look at that mohawk. looks good. >> i love it. she's adorable. she's 2 months old now, and the big fear with having our daughter was not so much what are we going to do with another baby? it was how was our 3-year-old son going to react to this? luckily he's been great. we actually did a scavenger hunt the first time we introduced them where we asked if he could find his baby sister, so he ran around the house. when he found her, he was so excited and this is the first time that he held her. >> precious. >> scavenger hunt for anyone wondering how to introduce a new baby. so far so good. >> you could write a book about that. but right now you wrote a book about sleep. it's been a true journey for you to find rest. explain it to folks. >> for years i had trouble sleeping and i always assumed that's how i'm built and it got

so bad i couldn't ignore it anymore. i started trying all the typical sleep tips out there, and i just kept getting worse and worse. eventually i went to my doctor. she prescribed ambien and i started taking that and then that stopped working. i got tested for sleep apnea, and i started reading books about insomnia written by sleep clinicians and that's where i found my answers, and i was surprised how practical they were. and i just kind of thought, why isn't anybody talking about this stuff? i ended up writing the book that i wish had existed when i was struggling. >> and you really -- you gave me an early copy and i read it and it's really, sincerely has helped me with my sleep. >> i'm so glad. >> the brain dump. let's go through the solutions that you have. explain the brain dump. >> i want to preface by saying, the pollution that works best for you is going to depend on your problem. the book is not just about insomnia, but this is a great technique if you have that racing mind when you try to go

to bed, and it's really simple. just take a notebook, divide the page down the center. on the left hand side of the page, you jot down anything that's on your mind. just dump it all out onto the page. on the right hand-side, you write down just the very next step to resolving that issue. you don't even need to know the ultimate solution. the next step might even just be call a friend, do some research on it. if there is no resolution, accept and move on. write that down. when you can't think of anything else, you're done, and i, in reading about this was, like, seriously? ambien doesn't put me to sleep, but this notebook thing is going to? but i was surprised it worked. and there are a few reasons why. one, by giving yourself an opportunity to process your thoughts and feelings of the day before you get into bed, you eliminate the need to do it in bed, and when you do that enough, your brain starts to form an association, where, oh, this is where we worry and process our thoughts. not when my head hits the pillow. >> and tell people also about -- and that's brilliant, i'm telling you. i can't wait for people to read this because it's just -- what

you are just saying right now, but also talk about what was it? the reverse curfew? >> the reverse curfew. so many of us respond to trouble sleeping by trying to go to bed earlier. but that just means you're not that sleepy when you are trying to go to bed, and now that makes it even hard to fall asleep. the method i love is the reverse curfew. that's my nickname for it. you do the opposite. you say, i cannot go to bed until x time, and pick something maybe a little later than your usual bedtime, and it sounds bizarre, but by challenging yourself to stay awake, instead of trying to force yourself to go to sleep, you can alleviate some of the anxiety that fuels insomnia, and you're boosting your drive, so it makes it more likely that you will fall asleep and stay asleep, especially if you continue do it over time, and you wake up at the same time anyway. >> it's not just about earn someny yaks. it's for everyone. >> it's been a labor of love, and i can't tell you how happy i am to have it out in the world.

>> you birthed this. this is your third baby. >> lots of babies. >> i know. but, diane, thank you in all sincerity. thank you so much. "the sleep fix" is out tomorrow. >> yay. >> t.j. oh, my goodness. welcome back. you're not going to believe -- she said she's nervous right before we go on. we are kicking off our 12 days of christmasooki gs tethhostth " paa lakshmi. you're on tv all the time. >> the recipe we're making today is based on these cuban pastries. they're called -- [ speaking foreign language ] >> you did an episode on your show about the cuban community? >> yes. >> kind of inspired by that. >> exactly. "taste the nation" holiday edition goes to four communities. we want to cream the butter and sugar here. >> tell me the title. the type of cookie we're making. >> we're making thumbprint cookies with guava paste, but you can use any kind of jam that you want. you can use sour cherry jam, you can use whatever preserves,

marmalade, and you can even use fig jam if you want. these are so easy. so you want to cream the butter for about three minutes. if you are doing this by hand, it'll take you a little longer, but you really want to get the sugar and butter nice and creamed and fluffy, and add into that another tropical bit of flavor is the zest of one lime which is just going to be about, like, a teaspoon. once that gets amalgamated, you're going to turn this off and you're going to lower this, and we're going to put in the flour and salt. about a cup and three-quarters of flour and a pinch of salt. i'm using this so that i can better direct it. you know, you don't want to have that thing where you're just, like, you have flour everywhere which i might do anyway. let me get this guy in there. there we go. you just want to put all the flour in there oh, please. >> and then, we're going to turn that's all that goes in here. now there's two sticks of butter

if you wanted to make it more fluffy and light, you can replace half the butter with cream cheese. cream cheese is also an ingredient in these, they're a beautiful flakey pastry. >> softens it up a little bit. >> exactly. once that gets nice and amalgamated, you're going to have a little cookie dough like this and you just want to take a little scoop and you're going to take about a walnut size here. you can try it with yours here. go ahead. >> all right. >> and if you feel like your fingers are sticky, just add a little flour, and you're going to roll them like this, and then just put them on a baking sheet, and you want to preheat your oven at 350, and press them down, and then you're just going to take the back of your spoon or a little thumbprint, and that's why they're called thumbprint cookies, and you're just going to make a little reservoir in there. can you see that? >> that's easy enough. >> it doesn't have to be perfect, and you're going to take a little jam, about a teaspoon, and put it in the middle there. >> oh, that's easy enough. >> exactly.

so you just want to make it a little neat, but this is a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen. >> we're doing this pretty quickly for tv time, but how long would this take you? >> it doesn't take you long. the thing that takes longest is just for the dough to come out. it's only, like, 13 or 15 minutes in a preheated oven of 350. this is something that you can do even, you know, at the last minute. what i would say is double this recipe, and just keep some extra cookie dough always in some wax paper like that. >> that's a good way to go. >> that's all you're doing. >> this is our finished product. again in the oven how long, did you say? >> 15 minutes, just until the edges get a little golden you can see there. >> can i have one of these with my cuban coffee as you tell us about what's here though? your book here. >> this is my children's book called "tomatoes for neela." and it is a labor of love. it's a story about a family like me and my daughter who cook and taste recipes for -- test recipes for a living and it's

all about getting kids involved in food because the earlier you get kids involved in food, the more they are to enjoy the food they eat and make and if a kid has a hand in making her food, she's more likely to feel proud of that dish and eat well for the rest of her life. long after you're gone. >> you put salt on top? >> i did. i did. so i'm using a flakey sea salt. i cannot tell you. this little touch makes this cookie go from great to extraordinary. it complements the tart notes in the guava jam, and it balances the sweet. when you have something sweet, you want a little sweet and you want something salty and vice versa. >> this went well. >> i'm glad. >> you can get this recipe on goodmorningamerica.com, and you can see the holiday show of padma's show "taste the nation" streaming on hulu. thank you for coming. we have denzel washington in the house. stay with us on "gma." >> tell him you love him. >> dear, jordan.

announcer: building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 eyewitness news. >> let's look at traffic. >> we have multiple issues on our roads this morning. we have two sigalert's, one has been canceled. fremont has been the hotspot since 5:00. speeds are down to seven miles an hour. the crashes involving a big rig and injuries. the second in fairfield on westbound 80 at state road 12. check this out. so many raindrops. southbound traffic is around 10 miles an hour. that is because of the crash on southbound 680.

>> thank you. ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪ from one moment to the next, our kids become the most important part of our lives. and even though the years pass, that never changes. we never stop worrying about them. that's why it's important to have health insurance. with covered california, we got a plan we could afford. it includes free preventive care, like cholesterol and blood-pressure checkups. because even though they grow up, they'll always be your baby. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by december 31st at coveredca.com.

mike: we are experiencing widespread ponding. that will continue through at least 10:15. you can see rain everywhere. we are not even into the hardest part of the storm yet. that starts at 10:00 this morning and goes through 6:00 when we have the better potential for heavy rain and damaging winds. >> thank you.

we will have another abc 7 news update in about 18 minutes. you can always find the latest at abc7news.com ♪ ♪ back here on "gma" live in times square. we are thrilled to have our next guest in the studio with us. oscar-winning actor, producer, director extraordinaire, denzel washington, ladies and gentlemen. but, wait, there's more. pulitzer prize-winning dana canedy best-selling memoir, "a journal for jordan" has been turned into a movie directed by mr. washington. dana, it's so good to see you. good to see you both. the memoir came out in what? >> 2008. >> y'all have really gotten to know each other over the years.

you have taken your time with this, and thank you for that. what was it about the journal that stuck out for you? >> todd black is my producing partner. we worked 20 something odd years, and dana can tell the story better than i. he approached you 15? >> mm-hmm. 15 years ago. >> 15 years ago. you tell the story. he bought the rights to the story first. >> he did. he did, and then came and told you about it while i was writing the book, and then you and i started the dialogue where i said the main thing is there is a real jordan who is 3 years old at the heart of this, and denzel invited us to the set. >> pelham 1, 2, 3. >> sorry. >> i'm sorry. we were shooting, god rest his soul, tony scott, and todd, my partner, brought dana and 3-year-old jordan to the set, and he was curious about ut d i'm like -- >> he doesn't tell the story the same way i do. >> okay.

>> he said, the boy's shoes -- >> the bottom of the boy's shoes never touched the ground. >> i said, you carry him everywhere. but then he carried him all day on the set so -- >> and he -- i fell in love. i fell in love, and, you know, she -- i can't really say it. it's just such a beautiful love story, and a never-ending love story because jordan now is -- >> 15? >> 15. he came to the premiere with his boys, tuxedos, all good students. >> yes. what was he wearing on his feet? he was wearing his father's shoes. >> oh, dana. > he fits them now. they have been on a shelf forever, and he just used to clomp around in them when he was a little boy. i said, one day, baby. one day you'll fit them, and i forgot to get dress shoes for him for another event, and i

hear him come walking in the living room and i look and see these shoes, and i said, oh, my god. he didn't say a word. he just looked at me and they were his dad's shoes. >> this is very much -- as i watched it, it's you all's love story. you had a chance to see the movie, right? i mean, what did you think? this is your love story that's up on the big screen. >> i am incredibly humbled by this, and grateful, and, you know, denzel and i spent a lot of time talking, and one of the things i said to him as i got to know him is we're no longer characters to you. we're people, and you can see pal paably in the performances of mike and others how denzel led this, that he made it personal, and it shows. so i'm just grateful to share the story. i think, you know, there are hard moments in it, but it's also funny. it's uplifting, and i think it's the perfect movie to see in 9 the holidays with the

people that you love. hug them when you come out. >> for people who are not familiar with your story? just give them a synopsis. >> my fiance died in combat in iraq in 2006 when jordan was only six months old, and he wrote a 200-page journal to him, how to choose a wife and on the last page of the letter that essentially said, this is everything i can think of to be a man if i don't make it home. he had 30 days left and he was killed and i needed to do something with my grief, so i wrote about it. >> that's an amazing gift. i could listen to you talk about this all morning long. what an asset it must have been to have dana on set. >> yes. [ laughter ] she's tough though. listen. dana's a boss. what do you run -- simon & schuster, senior editor of "the times." you know? >> i did, and he was gracious. >> beautiful story. i was in prayer early in the morning. went down to arlington and started -- i would always call

on charles. i would say, what do you want me to do? where should we be? a group of deer are under a tree. i say, okay. we'll shoot the scene over here, charles, and i walk over, and the deer were looking at me like they weren't concerned. i said, we're going to shoot it right here. >> mm-hmm. >> nobody was out there, and it was 4:00 in the morning and i called dana and said, all these deer showed up. da, da, da. >> and i said, you're kidding. i thought he was joking. the last time i took jordan to visit his father in the cemetery, we were met by a group of deer. >> wow. >> he showed us where he wanted us. >> he showed us where he wanted. >> he did. >> we'll show everybody a bit of a clip right now. here it is. >> dana, thank you. i love you. >> i love you too. >> you guys want to know the sex? >> both: yes. >> it's a boy. >> i knew it. it's a boy. what's up, little fella? how you doing? it's papa.

i knew it was a boy. i knew it. >> what a beautiful cast. they really brought out the story so remarkably well, and michael b. jordan was here last week, and he said, you directing it was like watching -- it was a master class. so how was it to direct mr. jordan? >> he's about to direct now "creed iii." >> mm-hmm. >> he's going to find out. [ laughter ] we have been talking, and he's, like, another son to me, and just a bright, loveable, intelligent, hungry young man, and -- >> he said he's never worked so hard since he started working on this preproduction. >> yeah. i had the opportunity to do a master class with one of the greats, you know, joel cohen in preparation for "a journal for jordan," and i just tried to share a little bit of what i know and what i've learned with michael b., he'll be fine. >> can we just say, your proud mama is right over there? she's in red as well. miss penny. oh.

such a -- look at just the joy. he's directing. i should have known that mr. washington would direct her over here. i know how proud you are of your daughter and of this production, and thank you. thank you, denzel, dana, miss penny. aww. we want people to know that "a journal for jordan" is -- it's perfect. christmas day. it's christmas day, and it's about service, sacrificing, letting people know what families of our service people, what they go through. bless your heart. we'll be right back. >> thank you. >> yeah.

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we're talking with ricki lake back in front of the camera for the holiday movie "under the christmas tree." she joins us now. welcome back. > i love you guys. great to be here. >> so many interviews start with, can you believe it's been 30 years now since your breakout role in "hairspray"? >> 34 years. >> 34 years. >> it's wild. it opened every door for me. john waters just, like, through seeing gay people as normal people in my life, it paved the way for my beautiful life that i have had. thank you, john. >> it's paved the way for this movie that you are in right now, and welcome back on-screen. >> thank you so much. >> welcome back here. we saw you a couple of years ago. >> thank you. one of the most transitional moments in my life both physically and emotionally was sharing my story with you about my hair.

>> i know, and that meant so much to viewers, and here you are. fast forward -- >> acting again. >> i know. what was it about this production? >> can you believe it's the first lesbian love story on lifetime? out of, like, i can't believe how far we've come, but really, like, it's about time, you know? it was a beautiful story, and we right now with what's in the news, we need stories like that. so lifetime did some amazing holiday movies, and i'm happy to add my name to it. >> you play a matchmaker in the film. let's see you in action. >> you deserve this. take my advice. say yes. >> i always take your advice. >> oh, really? then why are we still having this conversation? >> she's just here for a few more days. she's just passing through. >> i don't recall an expiration date stamped on her forehead. >> what if i'm not ready? >> nobody's ever ready. that's when the magic happens. trust me. >> that was good. robin, you just said while the clip was running, you made a great point. >> as you were saying earlier, it's like any love scene that you would see and a matchmaker.

it just so happens that she's bringing together two women. >> love is love. >> it's the same scenario no matter what. >> my old talk show back in the day, almost 30 years ago, i treated every couple like any other, and i pride myself on that. i didn't think it was that much of a groundbreaking thing, but it was at the time, and so we were able to really represent all different types of love. >> and speaking of love and matchmaking, you have a match that was made of your own not too long ago. >> i don't know what you are talking about. >> how did you describe that ring? >> that's going to stay with us. >> i don't care. he proposed. my beloved rock. he proposed to me. it was very dramatic in the jacuzzi. he said, this is the first ring you're not going to have to buy for yourself, and it's true. i've always chosen the starving artist type, and this time i went for an attorney. >> you got a great ring out of it. >> i so -- my life, you guys. >> he's got a big family.

>> huge family we'll see on the holidays, and i just -- i'm just pinching myself, you know, to have this chapter after so much loss, after losing my second husband to bipolar and mental illness, to shaving my head and just kind of -- i've just come to this place of such appreciation and gratitude and i have a beautiful life. >> it shows. >> you have a new documentary coming out about the business of birth control. >> it looks at options and access and so much what women need to consider when they're going on these drugs for many times, decades. it sheds some light. it's an eye-opening thing to share this movie with the world. >> women are not realizing the effects. >> they don't know. there's no time with your provider. you don't have the time to look at the pros and cons of each of these drugs that really do alter a woman's chemistry. >> thank you for coming in. it's great to have you back. >> thank you. it's great to see you guys. >> "under the christmas tree" premieres sunday, december 19th on lifetime.

let's go ginger. >> thanks, george. we are celebrating the holidays with you, our viewers, and "gma" gives back. you have a chance to win a "deals & steals" gift box, that's filled with goodies, plus a $200 gift card. we have had over 100,000 submissions so you can keep entering for a chance to win. what are you waiting for? just scan the qr code right there on your screen to enter, and take a look. and take a look. you are looking at the moment miss india, harnaaz sandhu won the miss universe 2021 competition. morning, look at who's with us now. there she is, now miss universe joining us. let me say good morning. how are you doing? how are you feeling after the night you just had?

>> hi. namaste. i feel great, and it's an unbelievable moment for me because after 21 years, india won the crown of miss universe, so my heart is filled with gratitude and love for all of you who have been supporting me. >> give us perspective on what this means, not just to your family, but to your country. >> well, it means to lot to me, myself because to this platform, i was able to talk about what i believe in, and to, you know, talk about my opinions, use my voice in the right way possible to bring that bond to society which i believe that should be, you know, focused on, and, you know, my mom being a gynecologist has made sure it's a noble profession and talking about women empowerment and feminine hygiene. so i think through this platform, i will be able to talk about such important aspects in

larger amounts, and that's what i'm looking forward to. that really means a lot to me, it's going to change the perspective of life towards me and people around me. i'm looking forward to do that. >> one last thing we have to talk about. steve harvey had a mix-up years and years ago, and it looked like he was about to have another one last night. did you all give him a hard time or did he ever make you all nervous as he was making announcements? >> they wrote portugal on the -- >> oh, my god. i hope you have seen me doing -- i was so tempted to do steve's mimicry also, but it's too much because he's so spontaneous and he's so amazing, and i couldn't stop myself from mimicking him, and it was a dream come true for me to stand next to him, to talk about myself, and to be in front of so many people on that beautiful stage, and i think so many emotions running inside me. >> congratulations to you, your

family, your country, everyone, but what a night for you. >> thank you. >> harnaaz sandhu, miss india, now miss universe, 2021. we'll see you in new york at some point, okay? >> i'm so excited to come to new york. you know, i have never been to new york ever. i'm excited to witness times square because that has been my dream destination for me too. >> we will see you here. >> yes, i'm excited. thank you so much. >> thank you again, and congratulations. stay with us here, folks, on "gma." we are back with k-pop stars. ♪

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♪ ♪ ♪ visit your volvo retailer for special offers during our holiday safely sales event. ♪ we are back now with our "gma" concert series, k-pop supergroup monsta x discuss dropped a new record, and here they are with "one day."

♪ ♪ holding my breath, and then i count to ten ♪ ♪ onto the next, that's what my mother said ♪ ♪ all of my friends, they never liked you, but they never knew you like i do ♪ ♪ they say hindsight's 20/20 ♪ ♪ maybe i'll, maybe i'll see you one day, one day, one day, i will ♪ ♪ yeah, i wish i could have made you love me ♪ ♪ maybe i'll, maybe i'll feel it one day, one day, i will ♪ ♪ but right now i'm drunk, right now i'm wasted ♪ ♪ spilling out my guts to the ghost in our apartment ♪ ♪ mmm, they say hindsight's 20/20 ♪ ♪ maybe i'll, maybe i'll see you one day, one day, one day, i will ♪ ♪ yeah, maybe i will, maybe i

will ♪ ♪ yeah, maybe i will ♪ ♪ i tried to forget you, how your body felt ♪ ♪ your head on my chest, the summer in the hills ♪ ♪ i wish you the best, with somebody new, but they'll never love you like i do ♪ ♪ they say hindsight's 20/20 ♪ ♪ maybe i'll, maybe i'll see you one day, one day, one day, i will ♪ ♪ yeah, i wish i could have made you love me, maybe i'll, maybe i'll, feel it one day, one day, one day i will ♪ now i'm wasted ♪i'm drunk, righ- ♪ spilling out my guts to the ghost in our apartment ♪ ♪ they say hindsight's 20/20 ♪ ♪ maybe i'll, maybe i'll see you one day, one day, one day, i will ♪

♪ yeah, maybe i will ♪ ♪ yeah, maybe i will ♪ ♪ yeah, maybe i will ♪ ♪ ♪ they say hindsight's "gma" concert series is sponsored by the love your car guarantee from carmax. ♪ yeah i wish i wow, no braces, everything's hands free. i wasn't so lucky. invis is not your parent's braces. invis is faster than braces and the clear aligner brand most trusted by doctors. invisalign.

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>> announcer: "gma" this week "the matrix" is taking over, keanu, carrie-ann and priyanka. this is so delicious even santa will be watching. >> cookies! >> it's "gma's" 12 days of christmas cookies. ♪ strahan's living his best life. >> yeah. >> he really is. stray. >> come back to work any time, stray. thanks to monsta x for that performance. >> and monday night football, l.a. rams taking on the cardinals, 8:00 p.m. on both espn and right here on abc. >> have a good day, everyone. ♪ ♪ right now i'm wasted ♪ >> announcer: this holiday season, "gma" is giving back to you. when you see the qr code, scan it for your chance to win incredible gifts. and even get a $200 gift card

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announcer: this is abc 7 news. >> good morning. let's look at traffic. >> good morning. we are going to focus on the two big issues which are the sigalerts. the first is in fremont on southbound 680. chp was giving us estimates as to when the lanes would reopen. they have taken that off because there is no end in sight, unfortunately. the second one is that state route 12. mike: to have the flood advisory into the santa cruz mountains until at least 10:30. we still have leaves of showers happening. the strongest part will come in at the south bay about 6:00.

>> thank you. we will be back at 11:00 for midday live. >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan!" today, from the new film, "matrix: resurrections," jonathan groff. and we are cooking off "holiday cooking dream team" series with chef michael symon. plus, all weight, get ready to meet wonderful people on our holiday "good news story of the day." plus, mark consuelos takes a seat at the co-host desk. and now, here are kelly ripa and mark consuelos! >> kelly: hi, deja. ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] >> kelly: