kumasi: let's wrap this up, good morning, america, for our viewers in the west. on this thursday morning, another hard hit for the heartland. breaking overnight, the first december tornado ever reported in minnesota. at least 21 reported twisters in three states with winds topping 90 miles an hour destroying buildings, overturning massive tractor trailers and now the severe weather taking aim. residents of the devastated region bracing for that powerful storm on the move. ginger is tracking the latest. holiday surge. a new warning about omicron. the new variant becomes more dominant as hard hit colleges start moving exams online.

officials urging people to get boosted. this morning, what you need to know before you use an at home covid test and dr. fauci joins us with the latest only on "gma" this morning. deadly plane crash. nine people killed including a top music producer who worked with some of the biggest names in music. the investigation this morning. build back better roadblock. why the democrats are unlikely to pass president biden's ambitious social spending plan by the end of the year. the new move to combat inflation. what it could mean for your mortgage, car and credit cards. >> the urgent search for 26-year-old mercedes clement who disappeared a year ago last seen on this surveillance footage. >> i am not giving up. i love you so much. >> her parents desperate for answers. breaking overnight, embattled nfl coach urban meyer fired. why he's out of jacksonville after 13 games. number one stunner. the top high school football

player in the nation, travis hunter jr.'s last-second switch signing with hbcu jackson state university and how primetime deion sanders got him on board. ♪ baby we were born to run ♪ also this morning, bruce springsteen's massive deal. plus the remarkable story of how the ultimate watch dog saved this baby's life. and these boss buckets. the lakers' rookies stunning everyone and lebron with an overtime win and fans freaking out when one buzzer beater wasn't enough. another mind-blowing shot leads to the "w." >> the game winnerwinnerwinnerwr ♪ good morning, america. happy friday eve, everybody. >> that was wild. >> buzzer beater after buzzer beater. >> you saw that last night? >> i did see that.

>> you were up that late? >> you're not the only one that can stay up that late. >> i saw this morning when i got up. >> okay, there you go. we're going to move right on to omicron tearing through the country right now. we'll hear from dr. fauci on colleges shutting down and the latest data. first we begin with the massive storm sweeping across the midwest bringing powerful winds, more than 20 tornadoes. let's go right to will carr. he is in the storm zone for us in hartland, minnesota. good morning, will. >> reporter: good morning, robin. this town was pummelled by a reported tornado overnight. you can see the damage. the wall getting sucked out from the building behind me and there is debris everywhere. you can see this telephone pole snapped and tossed to the ground. in the distance you can see the town's bank, the roof there is gone. this is part of a storm system that hit ten states over the past 24 hours. overnight more than two dozen reports of tornados across the heartland. in minnesota the state reporting its first ever tornado in

december. the town of hartland, 95 miles south of minneapolis, taking a direct hit. several commercial buildings have been destroyed including this bank. lightning lighting up the skies overnight as tornado sirens sound the alarm in south ames, iowa. winds wreaking havoc across the midwest. debris flying across this road in iowa. outside our abc station in lincoln, nebraska, wind gusts up to 70 miles an hour. police dash cam capturing the moment a tractor trailer loses control and topples over, sparks fly as it goes careening off the highway. luckily the driver escaped unharmed. in oklahoma, a semi truck unable to navigate the high winds, the driver trapped for an hour before crews could free him. in colorado winds topping 100 miles per hour. this camper picked up and tossed. we are still feeling those wind gusts this morning. the winds have knocked out power for hundreds of thousands across

the region and sparked wildfires in at least three states. michael? >> unbelievable video there, will. thank you so much for that. that storm threat is on the move with the area devastated by that deadly tornado outbreak in its sights. president biden touring the damage wednesday and offering comfort to disaster victims. elwyn lopez is there in mayfield, kentucky, with the latest. good morning, elwyn. >> reporter: hey, michael, good morning. so much of this town is now reduced to heaps of rubble and debris. homes and businesses still standing, covered in blue tarps. they're doing that now as a new threat moves in. we could see heavy rain up to 3 inches through saturday. on tuesday president biden got a firsthand look at all this devastation vowing support as long as it takes. now reports from the national weather service say the tornado that tore through was on the ground for 128 miles packing up to 190-mile-per-hour winds. the mayor of mayfield tells me they are just now getting to the

beginning of hope and also a sign of hope are these tarps. people telling me strangers are providing them to survivors to try to salvage whatever little they have left. >> pitching in. okay, elwyn, thanks very much. we turn to the concern this morning over omicron. the new covid variant is spreading fast across the country. cases and hospitalizations on the rise. some cdc models seeing an increase in deaths to follow. steve osunsami is at cdc headquarters in atlanta. good morning, steve. >> reporter: good morning. the cdc is urginginginging continue wearing face coverings in public settings in places where there is substantial or high transmission of the disease, and right now, that's most of the country. health officials this morning say that the risk of getting sick with covid is going up just as families are about to get

together indoors for the end of the year holidays. the government reports that we're now up to 118,000 new cases a day. and that's 45% more than just last month. the director of the cdc says she worries this new variant that is more transmissible will push the numbers even higher. >> we expect to see the proportion of omicron cases here in the united states continue to grow in the coming weeks. >> reporter: scientists at the cdc watching the spread of this new strain are reportedly discussing two possible futures. a possible peak in cases after the holidays by as soon as mid-january and another moderate rise later in the spring. nyu and princeton are a few of the universities already canceling year end events like holiday parties in the name of safety. and at george washington university in d.c., and at cornell in new york they're moving all final exams from in person to online. for the nation's seniors officials say the booster shots are still very important. the rate of getting the disease was ten times lower with seniors who got the extra dose versus people their same age who didn't get a booster or weren't vaccinated at all. >> given the increase in transmissibility, this also means continuing to be vigilant

about masking in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high community transmission and as of now this represents about 90% of all counties in the united states. >> reporter: another bright spot, the government is reporting that an average of 1 million americans each day are getting their booster shots. george? >> okay, steve, thanks. let's bring in president biden's chief medical adviser dr. anthony fauci. dr. fauci, thank you for joining us again this morning. the head of the w.h.o. says omicron is spreading faster than any previous variant. boris johnson, the british prime minister calls it a tidal wave. how would you characterize it? >> certainly what it is showing us in other countries and i believe soon in our own country, george, it has an extraordinary ability to transmit efficiently and spread. it has what we call a doubling time of about three days and if you do the math on that if you have just a couple of percentage of the isolates being omicron very soon it will be the dominant variant.

we've seen that in south africa. we're seeing it in the uk. i'm absolutely certain that's what we'll be seeing here soon. >> it seems to be that way in new york city. seems to be spreading quite fast. we really are seeing a winter surge. what do we do about it? >> george, we need to do everything that we have been talking about up to now and even more so. i mean, particularly getting people who have been holding off about getting absolutely need to get vaccinated and importantly, boosters. people have been fully vaccinated. to get your booster when you become eligible because the data are showing thank goodness that when you get a booster, you actually increase dramatically the reconstitution of the response that is diminished by this new variant.

>> because these boosters work -- and i know you've said it in the past. we don't need right now a booster specifically for this variant? >> that is true because the reason is if you look at the vaccines that we've been using, they were directed against the original ancestral strain of the virus. yet, when we got alpha and beta and delta, we were able to get an immune response that was good enough and high enough that it covered those very well. and we're starting to see data now with omicron, the same thing, particularly if you get boosted. you elevate that diminished response to a level that would be protective. that's the reason why we're saying absolutely get boosted and at this point, we don't believe you need an omicron specific boost. we just need to get the boost with what you got originally for the primary vaccination. >> in the meantime, colleges are closing down, gatherings are being canceled. should we expect that come the spring, come the end of the winter term colleges are going to have to stay closed? >> i hope not, george. i hope if we get enough people

vaccinated and boosted and continue to abide by the recommendations of the cdc, for example, like masking when you are in indoor settings, i believe we can get through this surge. i mean obviously in the winter months with indoor congregating and the holiday season inevitably we will see more cases than we are seeing now. but if we handle it well and continue to push on the vaccinations, i hope by the time we get through the winter we'll be on a downslope as opposed to an upslope. >> do we need to limit holiday gatherings, limit holiday travel? >> i don't think so, george. i think if we do it the way it's been done now, making sure when you travel, go to an airport, wear a mask. you have to wear a mask on a plane. if you and your family are vaccinated and boosted hopefully, you should feel comfortable about having a holiday situation where you have dinners and gatherings in your own home with family and friends. but that will only be safe if people get vaccinated. >> dr. fauci, thank you as

always for your time and information. >> thank you, george. thank you for having me. george, we go to that deadly plane crash that killed all nine people on board. including a top puerto rican music producer. the plane crashed after taking off from florida. victor oquendo has the latest. >> reporter: this morning, authorities investigating a deadly plane crash in the dominican republic that killed all nine people on board including puerto rican music producer flow la movie. according to flight radar the gulf stream jet was only in the air for 14 minutes, apparently circling the city once before crashing near another airport. among the casualties, the 38-year-old producer, his partner and their 4-year-old child, along with other relatives and colleagues and the three crew members. he was behind numerous hits

including -- [speaking foreign language] the song's popular remix spending 14 weeks at number one on latin ♪ like yesterday you forever in the past to me ♪ >> reporter: the fiery aftermath of the crash forcing the country's busiest airport to shut down for hours canceling hundreds of flights. and now the tributes are pouring in. j balvin posting a couple photos with the producer thanking him for his good vibes saying, rest in peace. george? >> victor oquendo, thank you. we go to washington and the road block for president biden's build back better plan. democrats unlikely to pass the bill before the new year and terry moran is tracking the latest. good morning, terry. >> reporter: good morning, george. that's right. democrats will once again fail to meet one of their own self-imposed deadlines, this one to pass by christmas president biden's ambitious domestic spending agenda.

biden just can't get senator joe manchin, maybe one or two others on board that nearly $2 trillion build back better bill and the big sticking point, the child tax credit. that provides most american families with kids up to $300 per child per month. manchin says that's too expensive and president biden wants it very much in his bill, of course. it expires on december 31st. so there's urgency around that. democrats have suggested that maybe they'll pass some version of this bill in january. stay tuned. >> okay. meanwhile, terry, the president seems to be pivoting toward voting rights trying to get that done before the new year. that's not necessarily going to be any easier. >> reporter: that's going to be very hard, george. he did say yesterday and a sign from him, nothing domestically more important than voting rights and wants to put that at the front of the agenda. the problem is the filibuster. he needs 60 votes in the senate to get it done and senator joe manchin and kyrsten sinema are

not going to change the filibuster. it looks like the president's agenda is stuck. george? >> terry moran, thanks. robin? now to the efforts from the federal reserve to combat inflation. rebecca jarvis is here with how it could impact your mortgage and more. good morning, rebecca. >> reporter: good morning, robin. the issue here is that prices are surnl surging on everything from rent to groceries to gas. the fed can address it by hiking interest rates, something they are expected to do three types next year likely starting in the spring. their goal is to slow down spending by making borrowing more expensive. in real terms for you what this means is that everything from a new mortgage to a car loan to a credit card will cost you more. it's also going to make it more desirable for you to stash money in a bank savings account. the fed does not expect this to bring down prices overnight. instead they are forecasting prices will stay elevated well into next year, robin. >> thanks so much, rebecca. michael? now to the top high school football player in the country stunning the college football world on national signing day and committing to jackson state

university, the hbcu program coached by nfl legend deion sanders. t.j. holmes has the whole story. this was a big upset yesterday. a surprise, t.j. >> it's unprecedented. this is one of the biggest stunners in the history of modern day recruiting. his name is travis hunter from georgia. he is not just a good ball player. he is ranked by many as the number one recruit in all of college football. now, signing day in high school football was yesterday. you've seen these before. he put on a couple of hats and tossed them. he had committed to florida state. tossed that hat. the hat that was tossed to him that he put on was from one jackson state, an hbcu. this is not a big deal that we see kids flip and change their verbal commitments. happens all the time. the fact that he went to a hbcu is a big deal and they call this the prime effect. we are talking about primetime. deion sanders has gone to this

school and gotten more attention to an hbcu. they're getting what they're not used to getting, a lot of attention. when you see a recruit this big going to a school like this, it is a big deal for hbcus now starting to kind of level the playing field and get some of the attention and dollars that many argue they should. now, do not sleep on hbcus. long football history of talent. you go back to doug williams, nfl hall of famer, hbcu, jerry rice, walter payton, michael strahan, hall of famer, hbcu and this is huge for hbcus in all of college football. >> the list goes on. it is the prime effect when you decision they'll make in their career. in you want to be a top defensive back he went and signed with one of the best who ever played the game so i think he will get a lot out of being there. >> big-time players go to big-time schools because they want the exposure. these nil deals, name, image and

likeness, are evening the playing field. >> if you can play they'll find you. coming up on "gma," with demand for covid testing, what you need to know about the at-home tests. the urgent search for a 26-year-old missing dallas mom. i spoke with her own mother who patrols the streets not giving up on finding her daughter. first, let's go to ginger. >> you got to see these pictures out of kansas. visibility to near zero. more than 400 severe weather reports. in font of that all-time december heat. today severe storms in arkansas, west tennessee. your local weather in 30 seconds. first the rainy cities sponsored by dick's sporting goods.

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>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. reggie: good morning. i am reggie aqui from abc 7 mornings. apple is delaying plans to send employees to the office indefinitely. ceo tim cook is giving every employee $1000 to buy home office equipment. they will be given four weeks notice before they are required to return to the office. apple is doing this as the omicron variant of covid-19 raises concerns about a possible winter surge. the plan before was to have everyone come back in february. jobina: thank you. good morning. we have a lot of crashes. we start with the newest on southbound 280 before 380. you can see the slowdown is starting to form. it looks like four vehicles are involved in that crash, so we will keep an ionic.

live shuai will keep an eye -- an eye on it. a big crash on the bridge has cleared but the backup remains. reggie: ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

visit your volvo retailer for special offers during our holiday safely sales event. ♪ 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 ♪ mike: our storm system is taking its sweet time getting through the east bay hills, the diablo range in the santa cruz mountains. by 9:00, in the clear, other than showers across the north bay mountains during the lunch hour. everything with the commute has to do with leftor moisture and slippery conditions that jobina talked about. we have cold morning sent cool afternoons but drive-thru sunday evening. pretty healthy rain monday and tuesday that will linger into wednesday. reggie: coming up on "gma," with demands for covid testing, what you need to know before using an

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♪ baby, we were born to run ♪ ♪ baby, we were born to run ♪ back on "gma," of course, that's the boss, bruce springsteen with his timeless anthem "born to run." the boss selling his music rights to sonyllion. half a billion dollars for a lifetime of work from "born to run" to "born in the usa" to born to run to the bank because it's the biggest deal ever for an individual artist's body of work. >> incredible. good for him. following a hot of headlines this morning, including those 21 tornados reported across the heartland. minnesota reports its first ever

december tornado. the town of hartland, 95 miles south of minneapolis took a direct hit and now on the move heading towards the region already devastated by the outbreak. also breaking overnight, nfl coach urban meyer was fired by the jacksonville jaguars after only 13 games. it happened after reports of a player saying meyer kicked him back in august. also, new details on the jfk assassination. nearly 1,500 previously classified documents were released including details on how lee harvey oswald met with a kgb member two months before he was assassinated. and bell hooks whose ground breaking work exploring race, gender and class and has died. she was the recipient of many top awards. her latest work was on the transformative power of love. cornell west tweeting of his friend, she was an intellectual giant and freest of person. we shall never forget her. she passed away in her home. she was 69.

>> what a talent. now to more on our top story, the battle to contain omicronment testing is a vital tool in fighting the new variant. since omicron started spreading lines at testing facilities nationwide have gotten longer and longer. becky worley joins us now with more including whether you should skip the line and use an at-home test. good morning, becky. >> reporter: robin, good morning. with the variant surging and the holidays approaching testing is more important than ever and in some cases, taking a little longer than before. this morning, christmas cheer and omicron fear as the new variant rapidly spreads. the demand for covid tests is surging ahead of the holiday. >> when we have dinner on the 25th my rules for my home is we have to be tested within 24 hours. >> reporter: while some testing sites are seeing long lines and even longer waits for results -- >> i expected somewhat of a line but didn't think it would be all the way out to the road. >> reporter: others aren't

waiting at all. >> there was no line so it took like three minutes. >> reporter: this testing site at l.a.'s dodger stadium, it's 1 of 16,000 across 40 states operated by curative who tell us they're testing 55,000 a day nationwide. >> we're continuously seeing increases of about 20% week over week over the last handful of weeks. we haven't seen these numbers since the peak of the delta surge back in september. >> reporter: and the seemingly higher transmissibility of omicron means it's more important than ever to get tested before you gather with your loved ones. >> testing is such an important weapon. it's an additional tool in our arsenal that finally we have brought availability of rapid tests that we should be implementing during this holiday season. >> reporter: but if you'd rather not go out for a test on christmas morning, at-home rapid covid tests are another option. abbott, one of the leading manufacturers tells abc news they've beefed up manufacturing to make sure those quick tests are available.

>> searching online you may find stores that say they have these in stock but in my experience that hasn't always been the case. so one tip, buy online, pick up in store and call before you drive there. once you have the test in hand, tips to do it right. make sure you test in an indoor space and because cold temps lead to inaccurate readings, the test should be at room temperature 30 minutes prior to administering. these kits are invaluable. we have a couple on hand at the house and have come in so handy when the gets get the sniffles or for events like the one mentioned where the hosts want to know that you've had a very recent negative test, guys. >> all right, becky, thank you for that. >> good information right there. now we'll turn to a new series on "gma" which takes a closer look at the missing persons stories which have not gotten the attention they need. michael, you have one of them. >> i sure do, george. this is a story of mercedes

clement, 26 years old. she went missing over a year ago. i spent time with her family and the police are trying to find her. you're looking at the last known images of 26-year-old mercedes clement, the single mother of a 6-year-old boy seen here walking across the parking lot of the coco apartments in dallas, texas, accompanied by a man going through the courtyard and walking into his apartment. surveillance cameras somehow stops recording from 1:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. mercedes is never seen or heard from again. missing for a little over a year, her parents alicia and emilano have been looking for her ever since. spending their free time patrolling the streets, following any lead. >> there is a lot of trafficking that goes on in that area. young girls, real young girls. >> reporter: police telling us the spotlight on her case could bring in tips they desperately need to solve it. >> mercedes, she was just a gift. she was always saving her money

for the homeless people, always just had this huge heart of gold. always. >> take me back to the day she disappeared. >> that night she called a couple of her friends. she told one girl in particular she was scared. she needed a ride to her car. >> did it sound like she was afraid to say something? >> she said hello and she said, mercedes, what are you doing and she said, i have, you know, i've got to go and the phone disconnected and that was it. >> reporter: the next day alicia received a letter that mercedes' car had been towed. >> her purse was in her car. her wallet was in her car. her car key was on the front seat. her bra was on the passenger seat. and we just knew something was wrong. >> reporter: detective patty baloo a homicide detective with the dallas p.d. has been assigned to the case. >> so much time has passed by and no one has heard from her so i believe that something has

happened to her. >> reporter: one question, that seven-hour alleged glitch in the surveillance tape. >> we went to the video company and i asked, is this something that happens often? they said not so much. so it was a little odd that it happened. >> reporter: mercedes' purse found in her car also raising the detective's suspicions. >> the same purse you see her walking inside the apartment complex with. so either she brought it back or the people who took her put it in the car and their intentions were to come back to the car but the car was towed before they were able to do that. >> reporter: detectives said they have multiple people of interest including some from her past when mercedes went through a period of drug use. at the top of their list a man mercedes was last seen with on camera that night, 36-year-old tanner losson. >> and we've tried to question him and he's basically refused to speak with us. >> reporter: alicia took it upon

herself, cold calling him, recording their conversations. >> i don't know if you need to drive around and jog your memory. >> i'm saying my memory -- because to me there was nothing significant about that day. >> reporter: losson is in jail on unrelated charges. he did not respond to a request for comment. now they fear the trail is starting to run cold. >> i think that the media, police, missing persons units, there's always a stigma around certain people. if they look a little different or they're not the boy or girl next door, they don't get treated with the same urgency or same consideration. >> reporter: alicia and mercedes' son all have the same wish. >> can you say a prayer before we eat? >> i wish my mom was here. >> what do you want people to know about your daughter? >> my daughter's life mattered. she mattered to us. >> if mercedes is listening

right now what would you like to say to her? >> i am not giving up. i love you so much. i love you so much. i'm just going to keep being strong and if she's feeling weak just know that i'm being strong. >> i'm happy we can bring light to cases like that. so many out there. again, there is still hope for this case. police are really looking for the public for tips and also leads. if you have any information about mercedes clement, please call the north dallas crime commission at 1-877-373-tips. 877-373-tips. we will have much more on this story tonight on "nightline," robin. >> her family doing all they can. >> everything. >> and this is going to be an ongoing series you'll be doing. >> yes, we'll keep going and hopefully we can find some missing persons and give their families some help. >> the public can help. >> absolutely. >> thank you for that. we'll be right back.

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back now on "gma" with the ultimate watchdog. we want you to meet henry, a persistent 8-year-old boston terrier who one night kept barking -- breaking into his owner's nursery waking up the baby. the dog had a really good lifesaving instinct and will reeve will share that story with us. >> a round of applause, robin,

and some belly rubs for henry. making making a race for dog of the year. he is being hailed as a real hero after saving the life of his 9-month-old human sister. >> henry, did you go in the baby's room? did you open her door? >> reporter: it all started when henry began acting a little strange repeatedly barging into the nursery and waking the baby. >> that night he was head-butting the door open and going into her room and standing there. every time i shooed him, he would go back in when my back was turned. >> reporter: while kelly and jeff knew their daughter had a cold, it was henry who sensed things were getting worse. >> she wasn't clearing her airway. she started to turn blue and

go rigid and she just really couldn't -- she couldn't get air. couldn't get any oxygen. >> reporter: the couple rushed their baby girl to the hospital where doctors were able to clear out her airways. they decided he rounds of christmas presents. >> definitely spoiling the dog a little bit more. he was allowed to sleep in bed with me and has a steak in his future. >> never done anything quite so heroic before. >> kelly shared it on twitter writing, i don't know what would have happened if he hadn't woken her. we don't deserve dogs. >> they are special. >> they are. >> good job, henry. >> of course, i did it. >> all in a day's work for henry. >> thank you so much, will. >> you got it. we'll have our "play of the day" when we come back. ♪ ♪ cases of anxiety in young adults are rising as experts warn of the effects on well-being caused by the pandemic. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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visit your volvo retailer for special offers during our holiday safely sales event. ♪ come on baby just pump it louder ♪ back now with our thursday "play of the day." it was a buzzer beater filled night for the nba. first up the overtime winning shot for l.a. by not lebron james but lakers rookie austin reaves. knock it down, young man. the team went crazy on the court and off the court. the lakers tweeting this locker room celebration writing, when the undrafted rookie hits the game winner. that was a great game against the mavericks. >> not just a rookie but undrafted rookie. can we top that? let's see what we can do. a nail-biter to say the least for oklahoma city and new orleans. two seconds to go. thunder makes this shot.

okay. it's tied. then this the 60-footer at the buzzer. he said i got the ball. my grandma or my mama is going to be excited to have it. you see one. you think we got it. >> 1.4 seconds, that far. >> that's all the time you need. >> only need to make it once. coming up, priyanka chopra jonas is here live as she joins "the matrix." we'll be right back. her's determination to treat her baby's eczema. and grows into a family business that helps thousands more. it starts with an army vet's dream of studying the stars. and grows into a new career as an astrophysicist. it starts with an engineer's desire to start over. and grows into an award-winning restaurant that creates local jobs. they learned how on youtube.

what will you learn?

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so what do you get when you have all-time december heat with dry conditions and gusty winds

up to 67 miles per hour? fires, many brush fires. back through kansas city, missouri, all over the place yesterday and that all-time december record heat. not just a daily record but never in recorded history seen in the month of december from missouri right through quincy, illinois, saw some of those numbers in the 60s and 70s. des moines hit 74. today grand rapids hit 62 at midnight. falling from there. doesn't last. look at all the warmth. washington should be in the mid-60s. coming up, the first woman set to lead the nation's largest police force is here live. police force is here live. one on one with the a there's this feeling we chase... like someone upped the brightness on the entire world. like your body is super-charged, but your mind is super calm. it feels like 20/20 vision for your whole being. and we'll chase this feeling, until we can feel it...

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>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. jobina: good morning. we look at traffic. we have a sig alert in san bruno backing things up on southbound 280 before 380. speeds down to nine miles-per-hour. multiple cars are involved in that crash and a big issue in sunnyvale on southbound 101 before lawrence expressway. mike, we have slowdowns across the san mateo bridge as people head towards the peninsula. mike: it looks pretty wet, even though the wettest weather has moved away with light showers on live doppler 7. you can look upstream at the north bay, and it is getting quieter. it is a little damp, but we turn that into sunshine and drier

conditions as we head into the afternoon. enjoy the break. we have frosty cold mornings friday and saturday, and dry through sunset sunday. our next atmospheric river comes in monday and tuesday. it looks like a moderate storm with up to one inch to three inches of rain,

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. massive storm on the move. the first december tornado ever reported in minnesota. at least 23 twisters in 3 states with winds topping 30 miles an hour. now residents devastated by the deadly tornado outbreak bracing for another hit. a first on the force. the nypd's new police commissioner keechant sewell joins us live. what she's saying about making history as the first woman in charge of the nation's largest police force. cte warning. doctors now think that nfl star vincent jackson suffered from brain injuries before his sudden death. now his widow is opening up for the first time and her warning to other families. ♪

rise and shine 2021. our "gma" team showcasing the strength and beauty of america exploring our extraordinary nation. >> rise and shine, colorado. >> rise and sign. >> welcome to dollywood. >> teaming up with extraordinary americans. >> best doubles team ever. >> the can't-miss moves. >> george stephanopoulos hulu right here. >> i can't believe i did that on live tv. >> the best stand-up i have ever seen in my life. >> and we're just getting started. >> we're flying by the seat of our pants here. ♪ i want something just like this ♪ and look who's jumping into "the matrix," priyanka chopra jonas joining us live in times square and she's saying -- >> good morning, america. ♪ >> good morning, america. cannot wait to have priyanka chopra jonas join us.

also here live is keechant sewell who is set to become the first woman to lead the nation's largest police force. we're talking about the nypd. it's a huge job at any time but especially right now with crime on the rise here in new york city so we're looking forward to talking to her live here in our studio. >> big ceiling right there. we'll start out with the latest on that massive storm bringing powerful wind, more than 20 tornadoes and ginger is tracking the latest.tu that ble. see in the foreground snow, this is in wisconsin, you see behind there, damage from what could be either straight-line winds or a tornado. those two things do not go together. this is not something that we see certainly in the month of december. more than a half million folks are without power in parts of the plains, winds were gusting in some spots more than 100 miles an hour in kansas, and then, in hartland, minnesota, what could be the whole state's first december tornado in recorded history so the damage there, they'll do the survey and

figure that out. in parts of colorado you had gusts above 107 miles per hour. so dust was blowing all throughout. visibility was reduced and now we're going to see that same front slide to the south and east. ahead of it record highs again, all-time december record heat was blown away in parts of the great lakes and check that out, arkansas has a chance for severe storms, the hardest hit folks in western kentucky have heavy rain but a lot of it looks to stay just north and west. still something i won't forget. >> seems like we're seeing so many things we've never seen before when when it comes to weather. >> correct, yes. coming up, the widow of vincent jackson speaking out for the first time since his death. what she learned about the pain he was living with. also this morning, the trailblazing first woman to be going to join us live. and lara is upstairs with two great guests. hey, lara. >> hey, george. wow, what a day here.

priyanka chopra jonas talking "the matrix" and then jamika pessoa is joining us, for 12 days of cookies, sugar, peppermint, nutella, oh, my, we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ luna rossa ocean the new fragrance by prada today, business is a balancing act.

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♪ ♪ ♪ visit your volvo retailer for special offers during our holiday safely sales event. we welcome you back to "gma" and we want to get right to our "gma" cover story. the next new york city police commissioner, keechant sewell, is currently the chief of detectives of nassau county and now incoming new york mayor eric adams has named her to be the first woman to head the nation's largest police department. we are very glad to have you live here in the studio with us. how are you doing? >> i am well. it is my pleasure to be here. thank you for having me. >> i enjoyed the conversation we

were having during the break learning a bit more about you. when mayor-elect eric adams was introducing you, talking about you, he said you carried a sledgehammer throughout your career smashing glass ceilings along the way. what does this moment mean to you? >> it is overwhelming. it is monumental. but i believe i'm prepared for this moment. the fact that he would have the -- make the decision to put a woman in this position is so significant, i don't take it lightly. representation matters to little girls everywhere, matters to people everywhere, and the fact that he gave me this opportunity means the world to me. >> and you've earned this opportunity, more than 25 years in law enforcement in various positions. why did you initially want to get into this field? >> i know people always use the term i want to serve people, i want to help people, but i believe policing is one of the noblest professions in the world.

the courage to face crises and to help people in their time of need they gets me out of bed every single day. there is not a time that i go to work that i feel as though i'm not effective. i try to effect change in everything i do. >> your pop-pop as you called him was a new york police officer. >> he was. >> and your father in the military. >> marine corps, yes. >> and so what did their influence have on you and your career. >> they taught me service and hugh mill till is important. courage even in the face of fear because we're all afraid at times but the ability to push past that is what makes the difference and they taught me to no matter what i finish it if i begin it. >> there is a lot of fear here in this city. murders are up 45% compared to two years ago. shootings have doubled. so what are going to be your first steps to make new yorkers feel safe again? >> we have to stop the violence immediately. it's unacceptable. we have to make sure that we coordinate with our communities to get them involved in how to

reduce gun violence. tourists should feel safe coming into the city. we need to work out strategic initiatives to tackle it immediately. what works and what doesn't and i'll try to put initiatives in place quickly to quell the violence. >> something else that the mayor said, incoming mayor said about you. he used the term, emotional intelligence, said you're not just a proven crime fighter but have the emotional intelligence for this job. how do you gain the trust of your fellow police officers and the public's trust? >> you have to meet the moment and the emotions of the people you serve including the officers obviously. so when we discussed that we have to talk about what is the underlying feelings that are happening in that community. how can we touch them and how can we connect with them so we are serving them in the best way possible. the emotional intelligence is being able to label it. are they frustrated? do they feel that they're not

being listened to and being able to meet that. >> how do you strike the balance, because it's a tough ob. i don't have to tell you. we know that but you also know there are concerns in certain communities, underserved communities and that trust, how do you strike that balance of doing what it is your officers need but listening to the public. >> when you figure out what is the issue, what are they feeling if they're feeling as though they're not being listened to or heard, how we balance that is putting them together and talking to one another. >> communication is key. >> 100%. >> there were a lot of high-profile candidates for this position and there are some people who have questioned your experience. i see the twinkle in your eye already, because when you were asked about this before, you said to those people, your doubters, come back and talk to you in a year. what is your hope to be able to say after one year on the job to those people? >> in one year i want to be able to let them know and show them throughout the year that we are absolutely going to make a difference. i have over 25 years of experience. i spent half my life as a police

officer. i bring a wealth of experience and marrying that with the resources and the braintrust of the nypd, i think, a year's time is going to show them we made a huge difference. i think the women that were sought after for this position are phenomenal and i wish them the best in their careers going forward. >> it was very emotional for you at the press conference, the setting, tell folks why that was a full circle moment for you yesterday. >> well, coming back to the city is phenomenal for me. i'm a queens girl so being able to come back to queens bridge and a neighborhood that my family lived in when i was born made me feel like i was coming back full circle and coming back to the city means the world to me. >> we wish you all the best. >> thank you. happy holidays. >> to you as well, michael. >> thank you so much, robin. this morning, we are learning more about the tragic death of former football star vincent jackson who died back in february.

juju chang sat down with his widow who's opening up for the first time revealing his stuns cte diagnosis. >> vincent was an amazing dad. e would do anything for his kids. >> and smiled, my dad is in the army. >> reporter: from the outside vincent appeared to be acing life after a storied nfl career. >> touchdown, vincent jackson. >> reporter: but lindsey says for years he suffered with memory loss, erratic behavior and kept turning to alcohol. >> he shared with me once that alcohol made him feel calm and made limb him feel like himself and his brain was really fuzzy and that this made it not fuzzy. >> reporter: the couple decided they needed a break. he was living at a hotel as his family grew increasingly concerned about his mental health. then vincent was found dead. >> that's a hard day. we had the sheriff come to our house and let us know and i had been telling the kids and letting them know that dad was

really sick and he's going to get better and he's going to be back and here they are in our living room and telling us that's not the case. >> reporter: looking for answers the family decided to donate his brain to researchers at boston university cte center. this morning, the shocking results being revealed. vincent had stage 2 cte. shocking for them because he had never been diagnosed with a concussion during his 12 seasons as a wide receiver in the nfl. i'm imagining that everything clicked at that moment. >> yeah, it all made sense. he didn't know he had it and i think had he known he wouldn't have felt so ashamed or alone. no one should have to die in a room by himself. >> reporter: dr. ann mckee is the foremost researcher of cte, the neuropathologist diagnosed vincent. >> his was stage 2 because he had multiple areas of the brain that were affected on both sides of the brain. they may have violent behaviors, either physically or verbally. they're often depressed and

moody. >> reporter: the doctor says there's too much focus on concussions, not enough on the cumulative effects of head trauma over the years. >> the nfl needs to overhaul their awareness campaign to concentrate on repetitive head hits that don't rise to the level of concussion. >> reporter: in a statement provided to abc news, the nfl said in part, we continue to mourn with the family of vincent jackson. there is more to learn about head injury and related illness and while the nfl is funding that important work, we also continue to make tangible progress in protecting players and making our game safer. it's why lindsey is sharing her story in the hopes it could raise awareness. helping other families connect the dots. it would have explained why he was so sick. >> in his mind, it would have explained why he couldn't fix anything. >> reporter: for "good morning america," juju chang, tampa, florida.

>> vincent jackson's family tells us the final autopsy report will be out today and you can watch more of juju's report tonight on "nightline." now, let's go to ginger. >> thank you, michael. now we have to watch the storms blast over the foothills north of denver, you can see it there in the time lapse. overtaking houses and in boulder, they had gusts up to 93 miles per hour in that area so, yes, they were very windy. there's the storm. you can see that comma as it heads into canada. you'll still have the trailing cold front and with it potential for damaging winds even. gusts could go 40

no surprise 2021 has been a pretty tough year and it also revealed reservoirs of strength all across america and celebrated that in all 50 states with our "rise & shine" series. here are some of the highlights. ♪ ♪ rise and shine looking good it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ♪ ♪ oh, yeah ♪ >> now it's time to "rise & shine." traveling around the country.3 ♪ did you see the sun shine ♪ >> rise and shine -- >> from connecticut. >> michigan. >> tennessee. >> washington. >> alaska. >> "rise & shine," colorado. ♪ it feels good when we're together ♪ >> reporter: the small businesses bouncing back. ♪ when we belong ♪ >> we can weather this storm and anything the world throws at us. >> if you come together as a

community you'll get through the hardest times. ♪ ♪ together ♪ ♪ brothers and sisters ♪ >> i'm really torn, george. buffaloes or eagle. found it. >> robin, are you ready? best doubles team ever. >> all: good morning, america. >> that's not for me. once a giant always a giant, my friend. ♪ >> got it. >> give it a push and a shimmy. bye, "gma." >> i feel very excited. ready for my waitress job, julia roberts, move over. >> aww. that's the secret. how to eat sandwiches, special stance. >> put your feet back, forearms, spread the sandwich like this and then you put your face into it. it's good. we got a little saying here that when you bite this it will return the favor. >> we'll have some of these for you guys in the studio. >> we can handle this. >> check it out.

>> my amigo whit over here is en fuego. >> welcome to dollywood. dolly parton, ladies and gentlemen. what has it meant to know -- you to know everybody banded together during this time. >> the people here are like family. any time you have a crisis of any kind, you just kind of pull together. ♪ >> the first for "gma." celebrating a quinceanera as we "rise & shine" in california. ♪ ♪ >> let's ride. >> "rise & shine," washington. aaagh! ♪ >> george, really anyone can do this, you know, you can do this on the anchor desk, you just make the motion of the ocean

with your hands, you pick the flower. you could do this, george. >> when i think hula, i think george stephanopoulos, definitely. >> this is george stephanopoulos hula right here, i sense it. >> great rendition, i'm doing it all inside. >> you know, i'm doing this "gma" "rise & shine" tour of georgia. any advice? >> like running. >> ah, running. that's great advice. good talking to you, forrest. running through a place like atlanta you never know what you're going to find. look what i just found. ♪ >> arizona balloon classic. getting ready to hit the skies this weekend. >> if this past year taught us anything it's to expect the unexpected. we had this plan to fly balloons in the air. the wind is too strong right now. we're flying by the seat of our pants here as this balloon is

getting squirrely here in the wind. >> we're taking off from the largest slot machine in the world flying across fremont street. i'm picking up to 35 miles an hour. i'm crying. these are tears of joy because it's just that exciting. whoo. oh. just a little jolt to finish it off. that was a smooth ride until then, i swear. i can't believe you guys let me do this on live tv. >> kaylee hartung truly, truly taking one for the team. >> that was the best stand-up i've ever seen in my life. ♪ we all know what it's like to feel like -- >> will reeve live fro the state's most beautiful spots. >> it's like you're in a postcard everywhere you look. >> just absolutely stunning here in the appalachian mountains. ♪ >> this may look like a "star wars" set or the desert but it is not. these are the silver lake sand dunes. >> "rise & shine," rhode island.

i am coming to you from the top of fort adams built 222 years ago. ♪ >> that's one of the most extraordinary sights i think i've ever seen in my life. to hear that sound and feel the ground vibrating. ♪ >> ike ejiochi is live from the original diamond from "field of dreams." >> this field and those cherished memories just another reason to ask, is this heaven? nah, it's iowa. >> will you tell people you are not on a movie set? that is a gorgeous shot behind you. >> that's the thing about oregon. almost everywhere you look you're going to see something beautiful. >> this is the view from pikes peak. what a way to watch the sun come up over the eastern horizon here. >> good morning, america. >> all: "rise & shine." >> "rise & shine." >> "rise & shine." >> " sne." shine."se & s

>> all: "rise & shine," america. >> the tour continues in 2022.ng >> yes. >> a little dose of laughing gas right there. >> exactly, exactly. >> it was great. a big thank you to all that made "rise & shine" possible. >> absolutely. those crews we have and here they are. ♪ i feel alive ♪ ♪ ♪ i feel alive ♪ ♪ ♪ tomorrow's gone ♪ ♪ because the past is not who we are ♪ ♪ and we all know what it's like ♪

♪ as the moments of our life slip away ♪ ♪ and i just can't decide if i should go another way ♪ ♪ in this moment of my life i'm not afraid i feel alive ♪ ♪ i feel alive ♪ ♪ i feel alive ♪ gma830 .

>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. kumasi: here is jobina with a look at traffic. jobina: good morning. we have a new crash reported in the maze as you approach the bay bridge toll plaza, so it has been a mess in this area since 5:30 this morning. metering lights came on shortly after 5:30. at oakland, in the coliseum camera, you will run into a slow down as you travel northbound. that crash in sunnyvale is still that crash in sunnyvale is still in place on southbound 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? shut it down. just remember. you're not a bad mom. you just need better internet. at&t fiber delivers faster upload speeds for more reliable video calls. get at&t fiber, plans starting at $35 a month for a year. limited availability in select areas. call 1.877.only.att.

mike: let's take a look at our forecast. as we come up on 8:30, i probably give another half-hour for the last few showers to dissipate, and then i'm going to take a one off the impact scale. it is clear upstream. there is a chance of a few showers along the north bay during lunch and the coastal mountains, but otherwise, we are dealing with the aftermath of the rain. frigid, cold mornings with frost on the way for our valleys friday, saturday. the rain will come in sunday night and get heavier, a moderate store monday and tuesday. kumasi: another abc 7 news

update in about 30 minutes. you can find the latest on our app and at abc7news.com. ♪ i got you moonlight ♪ ♪ starlight ♪ welcome back to "gma." it is always so fun to have our next guest here, one of my favorites. she is bollywood royalty and a best-selling author and now she's taking on "the matrix," joining the cast of the long awaited fourth movie, "the matrix resurrections," good morning to priyanka chopra jonas. >> thank you so much, michael. so happy to be here and see you for real. >> i know, it's great to have you in person, look you in the eye because i want to look you in the eye when i talk about this movie. it's been more than 20 years since the first "matrix" movie. you were a teenager, and now you're part of this incredible cast. for you what was your familiarity with the movie before this? >> i think like most people in

the world i probably -- i watched it in the theater with my friends and i remember wearing a lot of black. i remember losing my smile for awhile. i just wanted to be cool. it didn't work, but it took me joining the movie to feel a little like i belong. but as a teenager, it was -- it shifted culture. it made you stretch your imagination. it made you expect more from cinema. i remember that very viscerally. >> by the way you're very cool, all right. just so -- duly noted like that. >> thank you. >> you have quite the little backstory here about getting the role. you were halfway around the world when you got the call back. >> yes, listen, you got to do what you got to do to get the job. that's how i see it. i had audition for the part but i had to fly to india to shoot something and i remember my agent calling me, yes. [ laughter ] and saying that, lana wants to meet you. if you want the part she wants to meet you tomorrow.

lana wachowski, the director of the movie, the creator of "the matrix." she wants to meet you tomorrow in san francisco. i'm in mumbai so, okay, well, we're going to the airport and i flew to san francisco, went directly from the airport to her office, caught up on the movie in the car just give me a few more -- [ laughter ] >> if she asked me anything about it and met her for about -- a little bit and she brought out a freshly printed script and said, welcome to "the matrix." >> wow, pretty great. we met sati in the third movie. you play her in the fourth. let's take a look. >> general, thank you for seeing me. >> i figured if there was anyone who could make sense of this mess, it would be you. >> hello, neo. >> i know you. >> i tried to keep my eye on you. >> hmm. >> yeah, i saw you pop up in the movie. i know her. you join a cast that's worked together for a long time and i

talked to keanu just yesteday. what an incredible guy. >> i mean it's like you said he's incredible. he's just so astute and aware of the room. even though he's very quiet and reserved but when it's important, you know, he sets the tone. he's an incredible leader, him and carrie-ann actually, i'm a huge fan of trinity and carrie-ann moss is the queen when you watch her in this movie and she leads the charge and both of them were just so incredibly encouraging to the whole lot of new kids on the block. >> michael asked keanu yesterday you're up today. red pill or blue pill? >> hmm. see i'm usually a red pill kind of girl. i love an adventure. i like the truth more than anything but i'm at the end of the year and i'm tired. [ laughter ] i'm going to take some ignorance. there will be some bliss and go into the holidays with a blue pill. >> that is an absolute perfect answer. that is funny. >> keeping it real. keeping it real. speaking of the holidays, not newlyweds but you all still act like newlyweds.

>> we feel like it because we're never together. >> have you all developed any holiday traditions, family traditions. >> the one thing is trying to be together because we're always far away. besides that we're still building. it's still new. the one thing we definitely try to do is make sure we have family around us. family and friends, that's our safe haven, both of us individually and together, so we try to do that. have a big, you know, big chopra/jonas dinner. >> a tv show too. >> yes, i did. >> can you tell us about that? >> it's for amazon. it's a limited series by the russo brothers with stanley tucci, a lot of stunts, a lot of action, super exciting. >> keeping very busy. >> no wonder you're exhausted by the end of the year. >> that's why i need the blue pill. it would be so amazing to have that. i hope so for you guys as well. >> thank you. always amazing to have you in the house. we love seeing you. > in real life. >> in real life.

priyanka, thank you so much. "the matrix resurrections" is in theaters and streaming on hbo max on wednesday, december the 22nd, everybody. make sure you check it out. coming up, we go one-on-one with the author of the most anticipated -- or one of the most anticipated books of the season. we'll be right back with more "gma." ated books of the ated books of the season. this holiday season, we want to enjoy the gift of being together. for peace of mind, take the first step in knowing. because it might just be a cold, but you want to be confident. the binaxnow covid-19 antigen self test has the same technology used by doctors and detects multiple variants. so in just 15 minutes, you can test, know, and go. available in stores and online. ♪ ♪ hey, angie! you forgot your phone! ♪ hey lou! angie forget her phone again? yep. lou! mom said she could save up to $400 on her wireless bill by switching to xfinity internet and mobile. trcod lou! on reliabwork, lou!

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we're back now with our "gma" book club december pick, "dava shastri's last day." that has been named one of the most anticipated books this season.

who other than deborah roberts who got a chance to sit down with the author. it's good to see you, deb. >> reporter: you too, robin. i always like to give it to you straight. you'll think about this long after you turned the last page. imagine getting a chance to read our obituaries before you passed on. that's at the focus of this clever and absorbing novel and like any other good book there are big secrets revealed and family ties that are strained. how will the world remember you? it's the question at the center of kirthana ramisetti's debut novel "dava shastri's last day," where dava, a terminally ill music mogul leaks news of her death before she's gone so she can read her obituaries. >> i used to work as an entertainment reporter and we have to be attuned to social media and realtime reaction to the passing. i thought what if somebody was

so obsessed they would do something as drastic as leak news of their death early to read what they said about them. >> reporter: the novel set in 2044 on a private compound off the coast of new york. dava has gathered her grown children to spend her final days while reckoning with the shock waves her death sends around the world and through her children's lives. the salacious gossip she thought long buried suddenly front page news tarnishing the philanthropic image she spent her life building. you say at the core of this novel it's all about family, the good, the bad, the messy. was that something you really wanted to explore? >> one of the things i learned while writing the novel is how much we can be shaped by our family in ways we don't fully understand. i think so often especially parents they feel like they need to keep secrets to protect their children. but the consequence of that is that children realize they never really knew their parents and their stories. >> your main character is a 70-year-old powerful unapologetic indian american

woman. not the average protagonist. we don't read much about indian american women. was that important to you? >> it was so important to me. usually if you have a premise of this scope and this kind of strange idea you don't usually expect to see a person who looks like me at the center of the story. this is the novel i would have wanted to read when i was a kid or when i was a teenager. >> representation her readers respect. >> i love the way she highlights the importance of south asian heritage. >> you can't be what you can't see. >> reporter: with nods to her favorite musicians like the beatles ramisetti's love of music plays across the pages and she even penned an original song for the book. >> as i was drafting the novel i was also learning how to play the ukulele and so as i was writing the lyrics to this song i kind of had this melody get stuck in my head. ♪ you and me ♪ >> so when the audio book producers approached me a few

months ago they said we want to produce the song. do you have any ideas? i said, i have the melody. >> i've already got it. >> i got it. ♪ it's you and me and in the light and the dark ♪ ♪ it's you and me we still have the spark ♪ >> oh, she's already ready for the screen and she's already got her music and the book has been optioned. if you're a fan of the tv show "succession," robin, this story will grab you from the beginning although she says she didn't even know that show when she was writing the book. it took her three years and many years and a lot of attempts to make it but she got it on the pages. we hope you'll keep reading along with us @gmabookclub. >> deb, thank you so much. she is incredibly, incredibly talented and speaking of talent our "gma" book club did it again this year. so proud of everybody there. hey, ginger. >> hey, robin. get ready to read some more. we've got a "gma" exclusive with

number one "the new york times" best-selling author of fantasy novels and the creator of the hugely popular shadow and bone trilogy. now sharing the first look at the cover of her upcoming novel called "demon in the wood." take a look. >> good morning, america. i'm leigh bardugo of the hit netflix series "shadow and bone." i'll bring you original art by danny pendergast. it is a prequel. the story of a young man burdened by an extraordinary power who will become the darkling and who is brought to brilliant brooding life by ben barnes on the show. but is this the origin story of a hero or a villain? that's for you to decide this fall. >> "demon in

right now we are helping spread a little holiday magic. "gma" contributor megan ryte is here with a surprise that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. good morning, megan. >> good morning. restaurants have been hit hard by the pandemic. staying in business through closings and delays and this segment is sponsored by the coca-cola company and they understand the challenges many are facing so decided to help those on the front lines of the service industry. let's take a look. >> thank you so much. >> this restaurant has the best vibe. >> the food is fantastic. >> reporter: the super megabien restaurant is serving up latin-american cuisine with a twist. >> when we set out to open, we quickly decided on latin south american food. that's our owner and chef dana's

favorite food to cook and then tony, one of our other owners, he believes you should be able to sit down really fast so that's when we thought about let's do dim sum. which you normally see with asian cuisine. >> small plated food is served takeside giving customers a variety of delectable dishes. >> a little bit hot. >> reporter: chef dana rodriguez is the culinary creator in the kitchen. >> e have mushrooms. we have brussels sprouts, leeks. >> reporter: but at the heart of the restaurant the employees, many of who were laid off at the height of the pandemic. >> it was scary not knowing that we may not make rent the next month. >> it flipped our world upside down. it was shocking to just think that one day you have a job and the next day you don't. >> never in my life did i ever think i would sit in front of a group of people and be like, so sorry, it makes me emotional, because it's hard to tell people you don't have a job and i don't know where your next paycheck is going to come from, so that was really difficult. >> reporter: in those rough

times they did what they could for their employees and their community. >> we have so many great regulars that come in to eat. they're even just stopping in to say hi and all that is what like keeps you going. >> you guys are also helping frontline workers as well. >> we got to provide food for great organizations. we also have an opportunity to help and feed our homeless population. >> reporter: with many in the food service industry struggling, our sponsor, the coca-cola company wants to help restaurants enjoy this holiday season to the fullest. and "gma" was there to share in a big surprise. you know, we know you have been working so hard during this tough time and the coca-cola company wants to help spreading holiday magic this season by honoring small restaurants with a big tip for you and your employees to share. here's a check for $10,000. [ cheers and applause ] >> that's amazing. you don't realize how much this is going to help.

it's huge. our employees have been working really hard since we came back so this is a huge help for them and their families, thank you so much. we really, really, really appreciate this. whoo! >> we want to thank our sponsor the coca-cola company and tell you that over the next weeks we'll be visiting other restaurants around the country spreading more of that holiday cheer. back to you, lara. >> all right, megan, thank you so much. coming up, it is our 12 days of christmas cookies. jamika pessoa is with us. i promise you are going to want this recipe. stay with us on "gma." the x-rays from your urgent care visit look good. just stay off that leg, okay? what about my rec team? i'm all they got. next season. thanks doc. wow, he already scheduled my pt. i love doctors who work with athletes.

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♪ candy cane lane ♪ it is our favorite time of year. our favorite segment really. 12 days of christmas cookies. love this so much. this morning, we've got celebrity chef, food network star, our friend jamika pessoa and get her recipes by scanning the code you might see on your screen and on our website. okay.

jamika, everybody who's come so far has been inspired by a movie or tv show. will you share with us yours? >> well, my movie is my favorite movie, my daughter's movie, "how the grinch stole christmas." i think so many people love that movie and the cookie is very symbol ink i'm doing a hazelnut peppermint grinch cookie. yes, yes. >> guys, in the commercial break she was like, this is all you need to know. sugar, cookie, peppermint and nutella. let's go. >> a cookie starts with nutella, you know it's a good cookie, and much like the grinch, a crunchy kind of rough around the ends exterior. there is a secret. on the inside it's a melty chocolate center. i just melted hearts. can we get started? the crew will eat us if we do not give them cookies right now. you start off with nutella. put it in a plastic bag. >> just a little dollop. >> you'll do like a quarter size and put this in the freezer. if you didn't know you could freeze nutella, yes, you can.

it makes a popable bite but it will keep its shape and that will be our chocolate center. keep it cold and keep its shape. now we make the cookies. this is a basic sugar cookie recipe, flour, baking powder if you will, and a little salt. give that a whisk. so now we'll move over to our butter and sugar. we already have it creamed here and then if you will grab some eggs for me. >> butter, sugar, eggs. >> yes, butter and sugar is already creamed together until fluffy. and then if you'll add vanilla. >> notice, these are grinch cookies with a peppermint taste but only vanilla extract. no peppermint? >> when you do extracts especially with cookies you want to make sure you don't overpower the flavors. in testing it doing peppermint it made it taste too minty. you don't want them to say it tastes like toothpaste. that's not a good flavor for a cookie. use sparingly. the peppermint will come through at the end, right? then we need the green. squeeze, squeeze away. is the top on there? >> uh-oh.

uh-oh. oh, there we go. >> have fun with it. >> choose your shade. all shades welcome. >> all shades of green grinch is what you want to do. >> and then it will end up looking like that. >> add your flour back to it. make sure you chill it so you can work with your dough. you want the butter -- >> after you do this in the fridge for how long? >> a couple hours and nutella should be firm and all your cookie ingredients come together to this beautiful green and then we start scooping. >> scoop away. >> take a little scoop. >> imagine i was scooping. oops. and that is what it looked like and we can't forget -- >> don't panic, i didn't drop it. >> you'll drop your nutella in the center. these got a little soft. >> oh, boy. >> keep it in the freezer. >> tuck it in there. >> oh, wait, mine is already tucked. >> we have some already tucked in there. we're making a little bit of a mess. that's why you make sure you

keep it cold. the melty center is tucked inside there. you'll roll it in crushed peppermint candy. >> just crushed peppermint. >> those candy canes, take them right off the tree and put it on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 10 to 12 minutes. >> and voila. >> and look at that. nice and crunchy and soft in the middle, yes. we got to do that break in the middle. can they see that chocolate center? don't you just love that. >> my mouth is so full, but i want to congratulate you. you have a new project. >> drum roll, please, because premiering january 17th myself, daphne oz and gail simmons we're coming to daytime full time. >> fantastic. >> the name of the show, "the good dish." >> remember that name because talk about good food, good recipes, good people, good laughs and we have celebrity guests, the whole nine and we always answer the question of what's for dinner, because you're asking it right now, we answer that question. >> i know what i'm having for dessert. >> there we go.

so excited about it. >> as always you are such a bright light and your cookies are so good and you guys can get jamika's recipe, so sorry to eat with my mouth full, momma, on goodmorningamerica.com and we'll be right back. any milk? i need milk. [ applause ]

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the day can wait. enter the golden state, with real california dairy. >> announcer: monday say good morning to mr. christmas performed for you by the one and only brett eldredge monday on "good morning america" sponsored by carmax. ♪

cookies. >> testing nutella. hazelnut and chocolate. "rise & shine," thank you for a wonderful year and for putting it all together. what a great job they did. >> yes, they did. putting it all together. what a great job they did. >> yes, they did.

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>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. kumasi: i am, staring from abc 7 mornings. here's jobina. jobina: good morning. finally, i have decent news for your commute. crashes have cleared for the most part and dealing with slow traffic. you can see that to the left-hand side of the screen. westbound traffic on 80 in emeryville with most people making their way towards the bay bridge toll plaza, where it is backed up. mike: look at that sunshine. a harbinger of what is to come until we can get rid of sprinkles. then we will get sunshine. i am taking the storm impact scale down, it is just about over. if you're going to be out, you probably don't need the umbrella but you need the sunglasses. let's take a look at the accuweather 7 day forecast, rigid cold mornings, sunshine, increasing club sunday, sunday

night, the rain begins again. kumasi: time for live with kelly and ryan. we are >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan!" today, star of the new film, "matrix: resurrections," keanu reeves. and we continue "live's holiday cooking dream team week" with chef maria loi. plus, a south carolina nurse is our holiday "good news story of the day." plus, kelly is "all my children" costar and friend, dondre whitfield, joins her at the cohost set. all next on "live!" and now, here are kelly ripa and dondre whitfield! [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ >> kelly: hey, hey,