what else do we have? jessica. alexis. now good morning, america, for our viewers in the west. on this monday morning, with five days until christmas the covid surge coast to coast. omicron takeover. at least 46 states reporting cases of the contagious variant, rapidly spreading, and at least five calling in the national guard to fight the holiday surge. the cancelations around the country from the rockettes to broadway, and some pro sports calling time-out this morning. is a stronger moderna booster on the way to combat omicron? for the busiest week since the beginning of the pandemic. plus, what you need to know about airports offering on-site testing. we're covering all the covid angles this morning. dr. ashish jha here with everything from testing to the holidays. and our exclusive with the ceo

of united airlines. are they ready for the rush and the variant? caught off guard. president biden's ambitious $2 trillion social plan in jeopardy. was the white house blindsided by senator joe manchin saying no to build back better? bitter blast. the coldest air of the season for the northeast. will it warm up for christmas? this as the west braces for up to ten feet of snow and dangerous mudslides. ginger is tracking the major storm. breaking overnight, we're hearing tennis star peng shuai for the first time after her disappearance from the public eye. the player now denying she accused a former chinese vice premier of sexual assault. this morning, what we're learning, and why the women's tennis association is still concerned. last chance. down to the wire to get those presents under the tree. the shipping time deadlines this morning, and what you can still save on as we count down to christmas.

♪ swinging for the stars. "spider-man's" marvelous record-breaking opening weekend at the box office. >> dude! >> dude! >> dude! >> the blockbuster one of the biggest premieres of all time, and netting the top spot of 2021. and tiger finally back in the swing of things, twinning on the green in matching reds. the legend teaming up with his son charlie for his big comeback, and the masterful duo's unforgettable weekend. ♪ this paints a picture ♪ ♪ i'm thrilled for you ♪ good morning, america. i love that. tiger woods and kelly clarkson in the background. >> what a combo. >> perfect monday. >> perfect mix, and it's great to see that image of him and his son in those red shirts. takes you back, right, when he won that masters not long ago, that big hug that had us all crying. >> sweet. >> that's as cool as it gets. >> sends you into the future

too. we have 30 more years of this with charlie. >> much more ahead of course, on on that. we have to start with this highly transmissible omicron variant. >> it's now in 46 states and the district of columbia. dr. fauci saying it's so contagious cases are doubling every two to three days. >> we are going to hear from dr. ashish jha in just a moment, but first, our chief national correspondent matt gutman starts us off at a testing center here in new york where demand is through the roof. good morning, matt. >> reporter: hey, good morning, amy. we are on broadway. the shows here shutting down, testing centers like the one behind me opening up. this line now snaking around the block. it certainly feels like the bad days early on in the pandemic. new york also considering canceling new year's celebrations this year. this as dr. fauci calls the spread of omicron extraordinary. this morning, as we head into christmas week, omicron surging from coast to coast. already dominating in houston where one hospital found 82% of new symptomatic cases are caused

by the variant, becoming the dominant variant there in less than three weeks. >> omicron appears to be so much more contagious and transmissible. it's really achieved in about three weeks what it took delta three months to accomplish. >> reporter: now at least 46 states and washington, d.c. with confirmed cases of what is potentially the most contagious variant yet. >> it has an extraordinary capability of transmitting efficiently from person to person. it seems to be overtaking all the other variants, including delta with a doubling time of about two to three days which means that this is really something to be reckoned with. >> reporter: nationwide, cases up 96% since october. each of the past three days, new york state reporting a record number of positive cases. >> it's "saturday night live," and we planned to do our christmas show, but covid came early this year. >> reporter: after reporting several covid cases, "saturday night live" pulling its audience performing with a skeleton cast

and crew. the rockettes ending their season early, and the lights of broadway dimming. shows like "hamilton" halting their productions over the weekend. covid also throwing the sports world into chaos. the nba postponing seven games. the nfl moving three games. the nhl announcing that games between canadian and american teams will be postponed through christmas. lines for testing in new york and other cities like milwaukee, wisconsin, sometimes hours long. >> what's going on in wisconsin right now, like, we're going to get tested now and we're going to do a rapid test before we leave. >> reporter: increasing cases already putting a strain on hospitals. at least five states calling in the national guard to help fight the surge. this michigan e.r. doctor says most of her patients are not vaccinated and the amount of death they've seen in the icus has taken a toll.

>> there's no way anyone could have prepared us for this level of death and devastation. there's no medical school class that can teach you how to tell family after family day after day that their loved ones are dying. there's no medical school class that can prepare you to do that, and then go home and have to try to keep your family safe. >> reporter: good news from moderna. the company saying its current booster increasing omicron neutralizing antibodies 37 times. double that dose and that increases to 83 times, amy. >> and matt, are we looking at a stronger moderna booster on the way in some period of time? >> reporter: that's up to federal regulators. moderna says it could have that dose available. it says it's also working on an omicron specific faormula. starting clinical trials on that

next year. amy? >> matt gutman, we appreciate it. thank you. t.j.? we want to head to the omicron crisis that's growing overseas. countries in europe reinstating restrictions in an effort to fight the spread of the variant. ian pannell is in london where the mayor has declared what they call there, ian, a major incident. good morning. >> reporter: yeah, that's right, t.j. the picture here on this side of the atlantic looking similar to where you are. a bleak picture really unfolding across europe as the holiday season gets under way with yet more record numbers of positive tests here in britain, although interestingly deaths at the moment are going down. the mayor of london as you said declaring that major incident in the capital which allows him to put more resources into hospitals and emergency services. major stadiums like wembley used now for mass vaccinations. almost a million people getting their booster shots on saturday, and that number continuing to rise. elsewhere though, countries are bringing in restrictions. israel looking to ban travel to america, canada, and asia. the countries in europe, holland closing all nonessential stores

as well as bars and restaurants until the middle of next month. in ireland as well, new restrictions, a curfew, 8:00 p.m., all bars and restaurants are closing. protests here in london over the weekend with the uk government refusing to let a potential lockdown over christmas once again. will, not much to cheer about. >> ian pannell in london, thank you. we go to holiday travel, and likely to reach pre-pandemic levels. loss ton logan international airport packed with travellers there. our transportation correspondent gio benitez has the latest from benitez has the latest from laguardia airport in new york. gio, good morning. >> reporter: hey, will. good morning to you. it's been busy here at laguardia, and by all accounts, this is expected to be the busiest weekend yet. look at the images from airports over the weekend. the tsa screened more than 2 million people on both friday and saturday.

that trend will likely continue every day this week. thursday, december 23rd, that's expected to be the busiest day. airlines are expecting double the passengers of last year. that's when vaccines weren't widely available. really expect long lines if you are flying. will? >> and gio, many airports are offering on site covid testing for travelers? >> reporter: absolutely, but you have to do research on this, because for example, here at laguaraie.a dit,orrps i you don't necessarily need to make an appointment, but in other airports, it's inside the terminal and you might need that appointment. do that research and make that appointment if you need to. te a getting busier and time. busier. >> a very busy holiday travel season. gio benitez, thank you so much. coming up, our exclusive with united airlines ceo scott kirby on the airline's preparation for holiday travel. amy? for more now, let's bring in dr. ashish jha, dean of the brown university school of public health. dr. jha, thank you for being with us. it seems right now everybody

knows somebody or perhaps several people who have covid right now. what do we know about the transmissibility of omicron? >> good morning. thank you for having me back. what we know is that this virus is spreading very, very quickly. doubling in numbers about every two to three days. that's unlike anything we've seen. we think it's a combination of inherently being more transmissible and being able to get by people who are vaccinated and cause at least mild breakthrough infections. >> mild breakthrough infections for people who have been vaccinated. but for those who have not, what do we know about the severity of omicron? >> there's still a lot we don't know at this point. there's a little bit of data out of south africa that suggests maybe it's milding. the data out of the uk suggests that maybe it's not milder. this can pose a very substantial threat. >> we are in the middle of the holiday season, the busiest travel week we believe since the beginning of this pandemic all while this variant is spreading

like wildfire. what is your advice to people who are traveling, especially on planes right now during this week? >> yeah, the good news is we know that planes themselves are pretty safe. what i advise family, friends who are traveling over the holidays is obviously it would be really helpful if they were fully vaccinated and boosted. that i think is the most important thing. the second most important thing is wearing a good mask, wearing a high quality mask because airports, other places don't have such great ventilation, and you want to make sure you keep yourself safe. travel is doable and safely, but we have to take care of ourselves. >> we are seeing so many events being canceled from broadway to the rockettes to some pro sports events. i know you've been an advocate for keeping schools open, but there's a lot of question marks as to what school is going to look like in january. what would you suggest? what's your advice for parents? >> my advice for parents is we have learned a lot in two years in this pandemic. we are now in march of 2020 and know how to keep schools open.

how do we do that? data is clear on this. masking indoors makes an enormous difference. i would keep masks on, and kids during the omicron wave, i think testing on an ongoing basis, make sure everybody who is eligible to be vaccinated now -- all kids can be vaccinated. that will make a big difference. there are a lot of things we learned about how to keep schools open, and i think we can apply those in this wave and keep schools going in-person full-time for everybody. >> dr. jha, i said at the beginning of this interview we all know someone who has covid. we heard two prominent senators in this country, cory booker and elizabeth warren have covid, and a lot of people have been asking is this just something -- is omicron something that all of us at some point are going to get? >> hopefully not all of us, but i do think a lot of people are going to get it. it's an incredibly contagious variant. i think people should understand that the goal cannot be to avoid infection at all cost. that's an unrealistic goal. the goal should be prevent deaths and severe illness, which

vaccinates will do. keep our hospitals from getting crushed, which vaccinations and testing can help with. this is very contagious. lots of americans will end up getting it. let's just make sure they don't get very sick from it. >> that's a good point. and dr. jha, finally, we have had pretty much a very similar conversation with you this time last year, and i think if we thought we were doing this again, i would have pulled my hair out. it begs the question where do you think we'll be a year from now, next christmas? is there any real sense of when this might be over, at least get a lot better? >> look, i think we're going to be in much better shape next year. we have had a year of vaccinations. we're going to have this omicron wave, and people build more population immunity. i'm not saying covid will be gone next winter. it'll be around, but we should be able to get better and better at managing it. this winter is so much better than last year, and i expect next winter will be so much better than this year. >> and we will leave on that high note. dr. jha, thank you as always for being with us today. >> thank you. >> t.j.? we want to turn to

washington now, and that bombshell from west virginia senator joe manchin declaring he cannot support president biden's $2 trillion social spending plan. our congressional correspondent rachel scott is on capitol hill with the latest. good morning to you, rachel. >> reporter: t.j., good morning, and there is no way around it. this is a potentially fatal blow to the president's domestic agenda and one that caught the white house off guard. senator joe manchin of west virginia announcing that he will not support the democrats' social spending plan. now this is the signature proposal by the president that includes funding for universal pre-k, for child care, money to combat climate change. manchin says he is a hard no citing his growing concerns about inflation and about debt. just moments ago, senate majority leader chuck schumer announced he will bring this bill to the floor for a vote and put every senator on the record, but democrats cannot afford to lose a single vote in the senate. so it's still likely due to fail, t.j. >> the white house did not mince

words here, calling this an inexplicable reversal saying it's a breach of commitment to the president. were they really thrown off by this? >> reporter: they were caught off guard, and blindsided, t.j. i'm told they were only informed just minutes before senator manchin actually announced this on national television. senior officials tried to call the senator. they could not reach him. i'm told the president signed off on that statement. his economic agenda now hanging in the balance, t.j. >> wow, he sent them right to voice mail. rachel scott thank you as always. will? now turning to tiger woods' comeback. the golf icon returning to the course for his first tournament since that devastating suv crash. this time he was competing with his adorable mini me 12-year-old son charlie. janai norman, it was almost a perfect weekend for the woods family. >> reporter: almost, will. this is an exhibition, not any major tournament, but it's making big news because it's not just any golf story. we're talking tiger and his cub not quite winning, but twinning and showing the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

tiger woods making his big return, and this time with his mini me. side by side in the pnc championship with his 12-year-old son charlie in lockstep, and matching outfits, with matching mannerisms. from the swing to the moves to the celebration. >> the goal this week, you know, two things, one to have fun, and two, no bogeys and we accomplished both. >> reporter: the golf legend back on the green ten months after nearly losing his right leg in a terrifying rollover car crash. the 15-time majors champ was hospitalized for three weeks, and still recovering, insisting he's not ready for a real golf tournament. >> it's frustrating when i don't hit the ball as far as i know that i can, and the shots that i see that just don't come off the way that i want. i don't have endurance. i haven't played. this is my fourth or fifth round

of the entire year. so i don't have any golf endurance. >> reporter: but the challenges for tiger overshadowed by his son. the five-time masters winner in awe as charlie proved to be the master down the stretch. 11 birdies in the final 12 holes, setting a new birdie tournament record. team woods ultimately taking second, but the father/son duo winning over fans. >> this is my environment. this is what i have done my entire life. i'm just so thankful to be able to have this opportunity to do it again. really this year was not a great start to the year and it doesn't look very good, and to have this opportunity to play with my son and have these memories for us, both of us for a lifetime is worth all the pain. >> reporter: and team woods losing to john daly and his son, but we all got to see those adorable images, guys. >> yeah, we really did. that was amazing, and charlie

has the clutch tee like his dad. he locked in as things got tight. >> you got bragging rights. we beat tiger woods and his son. all right. coming you next, we have much more on holiday travel. the ceo of united airlines joins us live. are they ready for the big rush? and "spider-man" having huge numbers at the box office. this morning, what it means for all those big movies coming soon. but first let's say hello to ginger. hey there. >> reporter: good morning, t.j. good morning, everyone. we're going from below average to above average by the end of the week. look what happened over the weekend. new england getting one of the biggest snows of the season. some spots more than 10 inches, and so now we're in that deep freeze, at least for this morning. single digit windchills for many. teens even here in new york city. let's get those select cities now sponsored by capital one.

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♪ number one. number one. >> i don't want to do this ever again. >> i'm so sorry about that. i can't see anything with your hand in my face. >> dude. >> dude. >> dude! >> dude! >> welcome back to "gma." "spider-man: no way home," swinging into the box office records book this morning. what this could mean for all those big blockbusters that are still yet to come. we'll have more on that in a bit. >> i heard great things. a lot of people went to see this movie. clearly they did, but i heard great things about this movie. looking forward to it. >> few headlines for you here, including the latest

on the fight against omicron. at least 46 states, washington, d.c. all with confirmed cases of the potentially most contagious covid variant yet. nationwide cases up 96% since october. already putting strain on hospitals. at least five states calling in the national guard to fight the surge. also right now, new video emerging of the moment a massive tornado hit mayfield, kentucky. this was a week ago. of course, this is surveillance footage you're looking at from cameras inside a bank. showing the front door blown in, flying inside before the power then goes out. the storm generated more than 40 tornadoes in several states killing at least 90 people. 75 of them in kentucky. also, closing arguments expected today in two major trials. former police officer kim potter is charged with manslaughter for killing a man when she mistook her gun for a taser. and then ghislaine maxwell is charged with sex trafficking for allegedly recruiting young girls for jeffrey epstein. and you got to take a look at this. an absolutely unreal catch by saquon barkley of the new york giants.

reaching back across his body at full speed, snatching the ball and then turning upfield for a first down. one of the only good things that happened for the giants all day. they lost to the cowboys. we have a lot more ahead, including the last minute, drop down, now or never shipping deals you can get right now. some are even free. that is all coming up. as we ount down to christmas here now, travelers, airlines getting ready, bracing for almost twice as much traffic as last year. this week is set to be the busiest for travel since the pandemic began, and let's bring in now for an exclusive interview, united airlines ceo scott kirby. scott, always good to talk to you here. tell me numbers-wise right now, is what you're seeing in your books, is this going to be the busiest week you all have seen since the pandemic?

>> it is. the next two weeks actually are going to be the busiest weeks since the pandemic started. it's still about 13% of where we were -- below where we were prepandemic, but a new record for people traveling over the holida holidays. hopefully doing so safely. >> what have you done to make sure you have the staffing in place? your airline, and you all -- you ran things back up gradually, and that was part of the reason why you didn't see a lot of cancellations. but are you ready staff-wise for what's to come in the next couple of weeks? >> we are. we have ramped up gradually at united. we've avoided some of the big issues, but it is tough now. we've also used technology. yesterday was a bad weather day in parts of the country and over 10,000 people traveling were able to use agent on demand to get a video chat with an employee to help them when there were weather issues in places like houston. so we feel pretty good about. there's a strain in the system, a strain with vendors, catering

and security. kind of across the board as we go through the holiday season this year. >> omicron is making its way of course, through the country right now, and it's making headlines. are you starting to see an uptick in cancellations yet that coincides with omicron now becoming this dominant variant? >> well, here domestically in the united states, demand has not dropped off here in the u.s. internationally it's dropped off pretty significantly as borders have closed and there's lockdowns overseas. so it's really the tale of two different cities, international is down a lot, and domestic demand remains robust as people travel to see their friends and family for the holidays. >> we are seeing 5,600 reports this year of unruly passengers on planes. what are you doing to prepare -- i mean, are your flight attendants going through any extra training, any de-escalation training? not that they should have to do this. plane passengers shouldn't be

unruly. but what are you doing to prepare in that regard for this uptick? >> you actually answered the question. united airlines attendants have done a tremendous job of incidents and our incidents are down about 60% from the beginning of the year, and it really is a tribute to the flight attendants. we've worked with them early in the crisis last year. we were the first airline to require masks on board. we provided training to say don't let arguments escalate in the skies and deal with it when it's on the ground. because of that, it's been different at united. we haven't had zero incidents, but they're down 60%, and our flight attendants have done an amazing job with people as much as possible. we promote a civil and professional environment on board the aircraft. >> we have the question about masks. there's a mandate that's been extended until at least march of next year, but from what you are seeing -- and we were surprised this whole pandemic, we haven't seen an outbreak of covid having to do with air travel. so a lot of arguments, a lot of

your competitors say, you know what, it's pretty safe because of the ventilation on an airplane. from your point of view, masks here to stay at least for the foreseeable future on planes? >> well, as your previous guest dr. jha said, an airplane is really the safest place you can be indoors because of the air flow. we all agree with that, but i can only speak for myself. i think all of us also support the current mask policy that's in place, and we'll wait until the experts decide and the government and cdc decides that it's okay to stop wearing masks on airplanes, but we're supportive of the current mask policy in spite of the fact that aircraft really are the safest place you can be indoors with other people. >> all right. well, good luck to you all. i'll be on one of your airplanes real soon. so really, good luck. >> thank you. >> all right, scott? >> thanks for flying. >> we'll see you down the road. thanks so much. amy? all right, t.j. turning now to marvel's new hit swinging into theaters, "spider-man: no way home" taking

in a stunning $253 million at the box office on its opening weekend. kaylee hartung is live in los angeles with more on that. good morning to you, kaylee. >> reporter: hey, good morning, amy. marvel fans all over the world were waiting for this one, and millions of them made a point to outrun the spoilers and run to the theaters making "spider-man: no way home" the most successful film to premiere since the pandemic hit and put it among the biggest opening weekends ever. "spider-man" is swinging into box office history. >> hello, peter. >> reporter: after only three days in theaters, "spider-man: no way home" is already the highest grossing film of this year, and last. >> dude! >> dude! >> dude! >> reporter: exclusively in theaters, it's the biggest opening weekend of the covid era by a long shot, raking in $253 billion domestically. no other film during the pandemic has topped $100 million a weekend. "spider-man" did that in a single day.

add in the film's massive totals overseas and it's the third biggest worldwide opening of all-time. >> it's not just huge numbers for pandemic times. it's cementing all-time box office records. >> reporter: the final chapter in the trilogy starring tom holland sending die-hard marvel fans racing to the theaters. after teasing the return of familiar characters from previous film. >> the multiverses real? >> reporter: "spider-man," a hero for the box office just as the outlook for theaters is hanging in the balance. there are more blockbuster es returning to theaters, and the animated family-friendly feature is in theaters next weekend too. so if you want to head to the movies and lower your risk, experts suggest picking an earlier show time when it's likely there will be fewer people in the theater with you and there will have been fewer people in the theater before

you. of course, experts say to be safe, wear that mask indoors all time. guys? >> you just gave away the trick now. now everybody is going to go early. kaylee, thanks. >> everybody is going to "spider-man" either way. >> that's true. >> spidey doing numbers. coming up next with christmas just five days away, can you believe it? how you can still get your gifts where they need to go on time. ♪ ♪ this year take the time to melt into your holiday moments with lindor. ♪ ♪ irresistibly smooth chocolate. from the lindt master chocolatier.

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back now on "gma" with the countdown to christmas. just five days away. believe it or not, there is still time to get your shopping done. our deirdre bolton has everything you need to know about those shipping deadlines. deirdre, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, will. while you have retailers, carriers, delivery services rivaling santa's reindeer to try to get you and your family ready. the clock is ticking loudly to christmas with just five days left until the 25th. now you need a strategy. >> scour the stores in your area and see if any have a good buy online pickup in store option where you can basically have all the convenience of the online shopping. >> reporter: buying online and picking up in store is a great way to go, but supply chain issues may mean that your first choice items may not all be there. >> there's definitely stuff still in stores and still online, but you may not have the selection that you usually have. >> reporter: target offering specials up to 40% off electronics, including apple products.

walmart, holiday deals online. these airpods at $179 down from their regular price of $279, and this samsung tv at $498 down from $698. to help with that last mile between the store and your tree, delivery services such as uber, doordash and instacart are partnering with retailers. >> instacart is a great solution right now because you are able to use this gifting feature and get products delivered directly to the door of your loved ones in as little as an hour. >> reporter: instacart has agreements with sephora, bed, bath & beyond and others. door dash and uber have similar partnerships. target and walmart are offering same-day delivery from their stores. as for deadlines, target hits its shipping deadline today at noon central time. for walmart, last call is also today. if you are willing to try shipping, the deadlines for ground shipping have passed for

usps and fedex. you will now pay a premium. >> higher demand equals higher prices. so the consumer, if you are last-minute shopping, are going to pay a lot more. >> reporter: for ups the recommended deadline is today for standard shipping to make it to most places in time for christmas. but long story short, retailers, carriers, delivery services, they are doing their best to make sure gifts are where they should be, under your tree. guys? >> you guys got it all done? >> i think so. >> you don't. i know you don't. >> it's not going well. >> me neither. amy's leading the pack here. coming up next, our rockin' coming up next, our rockin' "play of the day."ssive rewardsu for driving safe and driving less. okay, what message did you hear this time? safe drivers can save using snapshot? -what's snapshot? -what the commercial was about. -i tune commercials out. -me too. they're always like blah, blah blah.

tell me about it. i'm going to a silent retreat next weekend. my niece got kicked out of one of those. -for talking? -grand larceny. how about we get back to the savings? [ everyone agreeing ] [ best of my love by black pumas feat. sofia reyes ] how about we get back to the savings? target makes last minute gifting easier. shop with same day delivery, free order pickup, or free drive up and leave with your list wrapped up. order today, get it today at target. [ music ends ] with mucinex all-in-one you've got powerful relief from your worst cold and flu symptoms. so when you need to show your cold who's boss, grab mucinex all-in-one... and get back to your rhythm. ♪ the relief you need. the cash you want. ♪ ♪ and have yourself a merry little christmas now. ♪ celebrate the season together with a holiday gift from pandora jewelry.

celebrate the season together with a holiday gift some days, you just don't have it. not my uncle, though. he's taking trulicity for his type 2 diabetes and now, he's really on his game. once-weekly trulicity lowers your a1c by helping your body release the insulin it's already making. most people reached an a1c under 7%. plus, trulicity can lower your risk of cardiovascular events. it can also help you lose up to ten pounds. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. it's not approved for use in children. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration, and may worsen kidney problems. show your world what's truly inside. ask your doctor about once-weekly trulicity.

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♪ ♪ back now with our rockin' "play of the day." two "plays of the day." the theme christmas lights. the bostic family back at it again. their christmas lights show in garden city, michigan, outside detroit this year. just take a listen to the sounds of the siberian orchestra. ♪ ♪ >> does this get you in the mood or what? >> this is my favorite christmas song. i love this song. >> it's the only one he likes. let's be honest. >> there's one other, but this is my favorite. >> put that on the playlist for you today. >> yes, love it. >> and we got a bonus "play of

the day" for you. this one across the pond. heading to hogwarts it looks like. this is the train of lights near the english channel. lots going on there. look at that. that seems like a lot of work. to light up a train. >> it's beautiful. thank you for that, getting us in the christmas spirit. >> of course. coming up, how about this for a christmas present? lily collins joining us live. stay with us. "gma's" concert series is sponsored by the love your car guarantee from carmax. night. every night. i live alone, but i still do it every night. right after dinner. definitely after meatloaf. like clockwork. do it! run your dishwasher with cascade platinum and save water. did you know an energy star certified dishwasher uses less than four gallons per cycle? while a running sink uses that, every two minutes. that means even small loads can save water. so why not do it? run your dishwasher every night with cascade platinum. the surprising way to save water.

i wonder where froot loops come from? follow me! ♪ just follow your nose! mmmm! part of a complete breakfast. wow... that's so nice! is that a photo of tepechitlan? yeah! the gift of ancestry®, is a walk through your history. do you remember who this is? it's a gift that surprises you, moves you, and bonds you. ...papa? i can see the nose and everything. she was the original strong woman. i know. this holiday, give the gift of family. give the gift of ancestry®.

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♪ ♪ ♪ all the gifts you really, really, really, can't wait to unwrap. ♪ joy. fully. ♪ welcome back to "gma." as we are below average and certainly below freezing here in new york, they still have not

been below freezing in portland, oregon, even though you see snowflakes flying there. it's been more than a month beyond their average first freeze. that snow did make its way to the ground in parts of montana. three to six inches there. close to the idaho state line, it was closer to 15 inches and now we have this low that will sit off the coast and bring in more moisture. what it will mean for the sierra, some of the spots that got slammed last week, another 5 to 8 feet, and they're saying locally some areas could see up to 10. coming up, why christie brinkley is urging everyone to get their eyes checked after the super model underwent surgery. and how not to take the and how not to take the wrong ste and how not to take the wronexclusive ticket access to unmissable events. that's the real music to your ears. one of the many reasons you're with amex platinum.

>> metering the lights are on. looks like the holiday week has officially started. checking on the drive times, this is how you know it is light. of grain. >> we will have green on the weather maps starting tomorrow. the green for today is good. six to seven days after wet weather that could culminate by sunday evening, and asian after nearly five inches -- an engine nearly five inches of rain. >> another update in about 30

minutes. you can always find us on our news app and abc7news.com.

i'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv. more love, more adventure, more community. but with my hiv treatment, there's not more medicines in my pill. i talked to my doctor and switched to fewer medicines with dovato. dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen. with just 2 medicines in 1 pill, dovato is as effective as a 3-drug regimen... to help you reach and stay undetectable. research shows people who take hiv treatment as prescribed and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit hiv through sex. don't take dovato if you're allergic to its ingredients or if you take dofetilide. taking dovato with dofetilide can cause serious or life-threatening side effects. hepatitis b can become harder to treat while on dovato. don't stop dovato without talking to your doctor, as your hepatitis b may worsen or become life-threatening. serious or life-threatening side effects can occur, including allergic reactions, lactic acid buildup, and liver problems. if you have a rash and other symptoms of an allergic reaction,

stop dovato and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems, or if you are, may be, or plan to be pregnant. dovato may harm your unborn baby. use effective birth control while on dovato. do not breastfeed while taking dovato. most common side effects are headache, nausea, diarrhea, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and anxiety. so much goes into who i am. hiv medicine is one part of it. ask your doctor about dovato-i did. ♪ ♪ 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 ♪

good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. with five days until christmas, good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. with five days until christmas, the covid surge coast to coast. at least 46 states reporting cases of the contagious variant rapidly spreading, and at least five calling in the national guard to fight the holiday surge. the cancellations around the country. and this morning is a stronger moderna booster on the way to combat omicron? supermodel's scare. christie brinkley revealing her sight-saving surgery after a concerning problem discovered during a routine checkup. this morning, the signs to look for, and her doctor's message for everyone this morning. finally free? the woman who went to jail after killing her husband who she says abused her for years. on the brink of being set free, the podcast that brought her

case to light and what it means for other victims of abuse who speak out. ♪ and say bonjour to lily collins, the star of "emily in paris" is live with a sneak peek of the new season, and she's saying -- >> good morning, america. ♪ la la la la la la la welcome, everybody. good morning, america. "emily in paris" fans unite. >> yes. i am so excited. more please, and it's coming. >> yes, lily collins will be with us joining us this morning, and just raucous fans. >> it was the perfect amazing escape when we were all stuck where we were to be in paris for a little while. so we get more starting next week. i'm super excited. >> deja vu. >> i see what you did. >> it's the only french word i know. one of the most popular

presents this year, slippers. you need to watch your step. lori bergamotto is showing us the ones to keep your feet in peak form. we have a lot of news to get to this morning including the fight against the highly transmissible covid variant. omicron is now confirmed in at least 46 states and the district of columbia. dr. fauci saying it is so contagious cases are doubling every two to three days. let's head back to our chief national correspondent matt gutman at a testing center here in new york city. good morning again, matt. >> reporter: yeah, good morning, amy. we are on broadway where shows are shutting down. testing centers like the one you just mentioned behind me opening up. this one's line now snakes around the block and it just opened a couple of minutes ago. that as dr. fauci also noting the extraordinary growth of omicron nationwide, and one of the cdc's predictions is now that omicron could be the dominant variant by christmas. this morning, as we head into christmas week, omicron surging from coast to coast. already dominating in houston

where one hospital found 82% of new symptomatic cases are caused by the variant, becoming the dominant variant there in less than three weeks. >> omicron appears to be so much more contagious and transmissible. it's really achieved in about three weeks what it took delta three months to accomplish. >> reporter: now at least 46 states and washington, d.c. with confirmed cases of what is potentially the most contagious variant yet. >> it seems to be overtaking all the other variants, including delta with a doubling time of about two to three days which means this is really something to be reckoned with. >> reporter: nationwide cases up 96% since october. each of the past three days, new york state reporting a record number of positive cases. increasing cases already putting a strain on hospitals. at least five states calling in the national guard to help fight the surge. amy robach talked to dr. ashish jha earlier about how transmissible the omicron variant is.

>> it's an incredibly contagious variant. i think people should understand that the goal cannot be to avoid infection at all costs. that's an unrealistic goal. the goal should be prevent deaths and severe illness which vaccines will do, keep our hospitals from getting crushed which again, vaccinations and testing can help with. >> reporter: and bouncing off dr. jha, some good news from moderna, the company saying that its current booster increases the omicron-neutralizing antibodies 37 times after taking that initial booster. if you double the dose, you get 83 times the production. t.j.? >> matt for us this morning. thank you so much. we're going to turn to that news breaking overnight. we are hearing the voice of tennis star peng shuai for the first time after she vanished from public view. the player now denying that she ever accused a former chinese vice premier of sexual assault. let's say good morning now to our james longman with the

latest here. hey there, james. >> reporter: yeah, good morning, t.j. this is all pretty strange. when chinese tennis player peng shuai disappeared from public view after posting allegations of sexual abuse online, there was global concern, but now in an apparent media interview in shanghai, she's denied making the allegations at all saying there were, quote, a lot of misunderstandings about the post. this is the first time we've heard her voice since the original post in which she accused a former chinese premier of forcing her to have sex with him. now she can be heard saying, i have never said or written that anyone sexually assaulted me. her appearance has done little to alay concerns. some say she's being controlled and censored by the chinese state which usually doesn't tolerate such public criticism. the women's tennis association said in a statement, it was again good to see peng shuai in a public setting and we certainly hope she is doing well. as we have consistently stated, these appearances do not alleviate our concern for her

well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion. this is going to go on and on. guys? >> so many layers to that story. james longman, thank you so much. >> absolutely. coming up, christie brinkley revealing her close call with losing her sight and the procedure that preserved her vision. also this morning, what parents need to know about santa's naughty or nice rules. and we are bringing gingerbread to the party for our 12 days of christmas cookies. we're looking forward to that. stay with us here on "gma." we are right back. vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia? i help others. but i need to help protect myself. honestly? i couldn't afford to get sick. i want to be there for this one. i can't if i'm sick. pneumococcal pneumonia is a potentially serious bacterial lung disease. you may be at risk if you're 19 to 64 with certain chronic conditions. or if you're 65 or older. don't pause a moment longer. ask your doctor or pharmacist about getting vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia today.

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[ best of my love by black pumas feat. sofia reyes ] target makes last minute gifting easier. shop with same day delivery, free order pickup, or free drive up and leave with your list wrapped up. order today, get it today at target. [ music ends ] chase first banking. a debit card and app for kids, and tools for you to teach them good money habits. set account alerts, savings goals, allowances and chores from your chase mobile app. all with no monthly service fee. chase first banking. ♪ i don't want a lot for ch ♪ i don't want a lot for christmas ♪ ♪ there is just one thing i need ♪ that's the other one.

>> welcome back to "gma" on this monday morning. we have some breaking news to report. t.j. holmes now has two christmas songs he likes. we learned just earlier this morning, one from trans-siberian orchestra and the one you're listening to right now, mariah carey. >> you have good taste. >> those are my two. >> guess what happens when any other christmas song comes on? >> i embrace them. >> scrooge. >> no. but yes. thank you for that, throwing that in there for me. tomorrow here on "gma," we'll be talking christmas songs probably, but also be talking to neil patrick harris. he's going to tell us about his highly anticipated movie "the matrix: resurrection." >> we're looking forward to that. now we go to our cover story. christie brinkley is urging people to get their eye exams. the supermodel undergoing a procedure to correct a type of glie glaucoma. janai norman is with us, and

what could have happened if this was left untreated? >> reporter: she could have had partial or complete vision loss. this is why she said she's to happy to have got this surgery done. she told her fans to brace themselves, saying she had a hole drilled into her eye. having a hole drilled into your eye sounds painful and scary, but this morning, supermodel christie brinkley says she's glad she did it after being diagnosed for acute angle glaucoma. we spoke to her opthalmologist, dr. nancy coles. >> it's a less common form of glaucoma found in patients whose eyes are shorter than the average eye. it gets crowded into a slightly smaller area, and that puts them at risk for having the pressure build up inside the eye. >> reporter: 67-year-old brinkley sharing this picture of herself on instagram just after the surgery with red eyes writing, it's not as gruesome as it sounds.

in fact, i just had it done in this photo. piece of cake. acute angle-closure glaucoma can result in headaches, severe eye pain, blurred vision and even vision loss. brinkley writing, i only found out because i included an eye exam as part of my yearly physical check-up and my brilliant ophthalmologist found this problem, adding i'm very grateful, thank you dr. coles. >> i use a laser light to make an opening in the iris which is the colored part of the eye. it takes me less than a minute to do, and the patient can get up and leave the office right after the procedure. >> reporter: and dr. coles emphasizing the importance of eye health suggesting adding an eye exam to your yearly physical exam around age 45. as for that procedure, christie brinkley says once it's done, it's done, but she'll check it because sometimes that hole can

close slightly and may need to be readjusted. will? >> get those eyes checked out. very important. amy? all right, will, now to a story of one woman's redemption. the subject of a podcast sensation, believe her. nikki addimando has been serving a 19-kweyear sentence for what says was self-defense against her abuser. she could be finding freedom this holiday. juju chang has her story. good morning, juju. >> reporter: nikki addimando is what advocates call an abuse to prison pipeline like so many women behind bars. nikki suffered severe physical and sexual abuse for years, and now a law aimed at examining these kinds of cases means nikki might be freed from prison in time to spend christmas with her kids. >> that was the night nikki said she acted in self-defense, killing her partner, the father of her children who she says physically and sexually abused her for years. >> what's your name? >> grover.

>> reporter: earlier that day child protective services visited the home after an anonymous tip that nikki looked bruised and battered. >> i got up and i went to go get the kids. i reached into the couch and kn kneed him and it fell and i shot him. >> reporter: during the trial nikki maintained that he threatened to kill her, but the prosecution questioned her credibility, and said that if she were being abused, she could have left. >> what did that feel like to hear guilty? >> it felt like the air was sucked out of the room completely. there was nothing. it was just pure helplessness. >> reporter: nikki's sister has been working to help reverse the 19-year to life sentence which was already reduced later this year after appellate court ruled the long standing severe abuse suffered at the hands of grover was a significant factor to her criminal behavior. >> i just want to say that when

you see something wrong and you speak up, it really matters, and when you see people who need help and you show up, it really, really matters. >> reporter: nikki now petitioning for clemency and garnering the support of thousands, including those fighting on behalf of criminalized survivors of domestic violence. many of whom are women of color. >> we hope that it will place pressure on prosecutors across the united states to really rethink their strategy and to stop prosecuting criminalized survivors. >> reporter: her legal team took up nikki's case pro bono hoping to bring about systemic change. why spend your free time doing this for free? >> i want to be part of a system, of which i am -- sorry. sorry. you don't want to be part of a system, the criminal justice system as a lawyer that creates injustice.

♪ this little light of mine ♪ >> why do you think so many people are dedicated to your cause? >> a lot of women see themselves in nikki. they see themselves as a mother, as a survivor. when you see it and you're touched by it, it's impossible to ignore it. ♪ i'm gonna let it shine ♪ >> reporter: now advocates say that they hope nikki's case sparks change and raises awareness about why intimate partner violence feels trapped that you can't just leave as prosecutors suggested in nikki's case. but nikki's supporters hope more than anything that the new york governor will grant clemency this week in time for the holidays. amy? >> juju, a powerful story. thank you for that. we'll head over to ginger now. >> reporter: amy, it is chilly enough that windham, the report in new york was able to make some snow. they're trying to get a base up. they had four natural inches and they have trails open, but it has taken a lot because we had a

mild fall. speaking of, brand-new white christmas chance. this is the christmas average, and we included the last ten years. the chance going down for many folks as you can imagine. that's the big picture. all right. let's turn to one of the most popular gifts this season, house slippers. yes. between 2019 and 2020, slipper sales jumped 70%, but with more people working remotely, could some slippers be bad for your

feet? we have an inside look now to make sure you're putting your best foot forward. >> reporter: from dorothy's ruby red slippers -- >> there is no place like home. >> reporter: -- to cinderella's dainty glass footwear. >> i have the other slipper. >> reporter: while it may be hard to find slippers with magical powers, you can find a cozy, comfortable pair you'll never want to take off. >> it's almost as if you're buying a shoe. you want to get your foot size appropriately. >> reporter: shop for slippers with good arch support and another big tip -- >> if you feel like your toes are gripping inside the slipper to keep it on, and that in turn can cause the tendonitis or the plantar fasciitis of the foot. >> reporter: you want a deep heel cup, a supportive heel to help stabilize the foot so it

fits. always buy slippers with breathable materials like cotton or wool. excessive moisture caused by sweat can lead to athlete's foot, and never go barefoot on those hardwood floors. >> when you break down the fat pad that protects the bones on the bottom of your feet, that can no be replaced. >> let's bring in "good housekeeping" style contributor lori bergamotto who will bring us the top picks for house slippers this year, and good morning to you. we are starting with the best overall and the best budget slipper. take me through it. >> all right. good morning, t.j. we're going to start with the ll bean wicked good moccasins. so these tested overall the best in our "good housekeeping" textiles lab. customers agree. ll bean says they've sold more than 4 million of these in the last five years. they have tested well and they have that lining and a really durable rubber sole and you can get these at nordstrom. if you are looking for something of a budget buy, we found this pair on amazon from ultra ideas. these are $23. it's a great buy. they have memory foot bed in there, so they're really soft and cushiony, and they're made

with synthetic fibers. so depending on how much durability and wear and tear you're going to place on these slippers, those are two great options. >> something i never would have thought about, that you need to consider high arches when you're buying slippers. so somebody who has high arches happens to be our director lily. let's see those feet. what's a good option for folks with high arches, lori? >> so t.j., you must not have high arches because if you do, you know you need a slipper that's going to address that need. the bionic relaxed slipper is where it's at. these are not only podiatrist designed, but they have the american medical -- podiatric, sorry. they have a flexible mid sole which means that in the middle of your foot, it's going to absorb all of that shock and all

of that, you know, wear and tear you're putting on your feet. it's going to really help you, and it's adjustable in the front. they're cozy. they're supportive. they're perfect if you have high arches. >> all right. who knew? let's talk about the kids now. kids and teenagers. what do you have? >> okay. so land's end has a ton of great options. what we love about these, there's something for toddlers up to teens and they have a fleece lined top here so it will keep little toes nice and toasty. because they have a durable sole, they won't be sliding all over the place. >> we have another option here that i never thought i would use fonzie and modeling in the same sentence, but our stage manager is wearing them. if you don't want a slipper, this is a slipper sock. >> exactly, and he's doing bombas proud here. this is the gripper slipper, and they tested really well for us, and what we love about these is it's a slipper/sock hybrid. a lot of us will be home especially over the holidays.

this is a great thing to wear inside your house because it's nice and toasty, but also because it has these treads, you don't have to worry about sliding all over the place, and the best thing about it, t.j., is when you buy one, bombas gives another pair of socks to someone in need. >> that's always good that the company does that. lori, thank you as always. we just learned a lot. who knew? robes? we've all heard the song he's making a list, checking it twice and he's going to find out who's naughty or ginger has more. >> that's right, amy. it's not quite as simple when i couldn't become a parent.

♪ you better watch out, you better not cry ♪ ♪ better not pout, i'm telling you why ♪ >> reporter: these days it's not just santa who's keeping a watchful eye on kids. he's got a parter, the elf on a shelf. >> he's pretty heavy on the naughty and nice. my first grader takes feedback very seriously, and i didn't want to add stress to her life. >> reporter: the pressure grace is speaking of? the unintended message for kids to behave or else. those of you not particular with the elf on the shelf, he is like the eyes and ears for santa. every night he goes back to the north pole, reports to the big guy, and then comes back and pops up somewhere in your home. it's supposed to be magical and fun. not focused on mistakes. >> it's not about anything punitive. it's not a penalty. it really is about a fun family moment. >> reporter: but for some families, that message is getting lost. so when kids hear those terms, naughty or nice, what can be the problem? >> there can be a lot of shame. what category does my behavior fall under? and second, we also set up a situation where kids believe that who they are in the inside is judged by the latest behavior they have on the outside. >> reporter: dr. becky says there's a more positive way to

talk about the elf. >> ask yourself what are our family values and how can we incorporate that into different holiday traditions? >> reporter: for grace and her family, that means leaving the elf with an extra note. >> we all have some hard times and make some mistakes, but the good inside us never changes or breaks. so don't worry about naughty or nice. just remember you're good, take my advice. so what i really wanted nora to get out of it is that no matter what you do, you are good inside. >> it's the morning. let's find the elf. >> reporter: and as for my boys, it's all about celebrating the magic, and we're all naughty and nice, but that's okay. >> yeah. ♪ >> the elf has been a good lesson for me, a recovering perfectionist. the elf has to go back to the

north pole every night. we're not supposed to touch him. but sometimes our elf friend picks the same spot and i forget to remember he needs a more magical place to stay. amy? >> sometimes us moms have to do that. coming up next, everyone, lily collins is joining us live. stay with us.

>> building a better bay area. moving forward. finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> good morning. we want to get a look at traffic. >> good morning. it is so light that there. live look at the golden gate bridge. things are moving very well. it is so light. tracy to d d d d is always slow.

nespresso vertuo. redifining coffee. with one touch. precision brewing technology. a smooth crema. for an exceptional coffee every day. nespresso vertuo. what coffee is meant to be. ♪ ♪ ♪ find the silver lining in flight delays.

vacation starts at the airport with centurion lounge access. one of the many reasons you're with amex platinum. >> good mo f aund san martin. it's not even as cold as it was over the weekend. this is how much rain potential he we could receive. good news these are relatively light to moderate storms so they will soak in. the biggest threats will be some ponding on roadways.

>> will have another abc 7 update in about 30 minutes. ♪ it' ♪ it's beginning to look a lot like christmas ♪ ♪ everywhere you go ♪ just like the sign says there, yes. it is beginning to look a lot like christmas at disneyland and all the disney parks as we're bingeable shows of 2020. back in the city of love for season two, viewers flocked to "emily in paris." it was an escapist treat during this pandemic, and we got to look at the stunning sights, the killer wardrobes and sizzling romances. we're excited to say they're in full force once again. lily collins, emily herself is joining us now. lily, thank you for being with us, and yes, i was one of millions who was glued to my tv screen.

>> hi. >> and just yes, escaping with you into paris. so, yes, we've got season two now. we ended with this love triangle. is that where it's going to pick up? >> yes. it picks up the day after the mayhem with emily and gabrielle and now knowing that gabrielle is going to be staying in paris. so that leaves the openness for a lot of interesting drama. >> lily heard when she introduced -- she called it the sizzling romance and the killer wardrobe. you took us through the romance. let's talk about the wardrobe. do they let you keep any of that stuff? >> i wish. believe me if we get to go to a season three, i know that the wardrobe is going to expand even more. so i'm anticipating great looks if i get to do that again. patricia and marilyn are geniuses at creating the most wonderful wardrobe palette for

every single character and every day i'm in my trailer going, oh my god. how do i -- how i do, like, keep all of these things and have no one notice? but i can't. >> we can't wait to see that, and we can't wait to see this sneak peek that we have of the new season as emily gets upset with a colleague for one-upping her. let's take a look. >> oh, so you were just looking for an opportunity to get back at me? >> look, i'm sorry for what happened with pierre, but it happened because of your actions, not mine. i was trying to defend you. >> maybe next time, don't defend me so much. everything is okay. no one stole anyone. we only work together. there's no need to be mad. >> i'm not mad. i'm disappointed. >> me too. i was looking forward to your party, but you're apparently disinviting me. >> no, i'm not. >> great, i'll be there. >> great. let me know your food allergies. >> so lily, i love -- i said it was an escape, right? in the middle of a pandemic, we

get to go to paris, and you decided on season two, to continue that theme. there is no pandemic. it is an escape. what was that like shooting in the middle of a pandemic? >> it was very strange. it was a welcome to come back to paris i will say. we were all hoping that we would get to go back. we were the only americans for a very long time because borders were closed. so that was very strange because usually paris during the summer is just filled with people from all over the world, but we were so grateful for the strict protocols we have in place. we never had a shutdown. paris embraced us with open arms, and yeah. we got to exist in a world of emily where it's all about escapism and joy and laughter and trying to remember what fun feels like during a time that's been really, you know, trying and dark. so we were just thrilled to get to go back. >> there has been some light in this dark time for some people being able to find, and you found it yourself. you're still a newlywed.

you just got married in september. oh, there it is. there it is. so tell me how has that been going for you all, and you kind of married into a family of acting legends if you will with the parents of your now husband. >> yes. yeah. we were just -- they came over to copenhagen when we were filming in paris. we got to go for a trip right before the wedding which was really fun, but yeah. we just recently got married, and couldn't be happier.ouslaso azg leavn id, around a n foodie tour around scandinavia that my husband planned and it was just wonderful to get out into nature. that's where we found so much joy in the past year and a half, two years where you can just breathe and soak in nature. it's really important. >> and if it wasn't clear that people couldn't see from the

picture i'm talking about, mary steenburgen and ted danson are the parents of your husband. if people couldn't tell from that photo. >> could you help us settle a debate, lily? last year netflix threw us for a loop and said emily and paris should ride in the title. emily in paris. what's happening there? >> i'm not going to li it's very hard for me to remember that so i just always just go with "emily in paris." emily in paris does sound very romantic and i'm sure there's some people somewhere that that does actually come out when they say "emily in paris," but, you know, i'm going to stick with paris for now i think. >> also emily is going to be in san tropez. i'm excited about that. >> yes. definitely. >> all right. since lily iilhey in be sake ofm

in pisis two on wednesday. lily, so good to talk to you. congrats on everything, and have a good holiday. >> thank you so much. you too. happy holidays. stay with us on here on "gma." folks, up next, we continue our 12 days of christmas cookies. ♪

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ntngantoyoy to the toy drive.

just scan the qr code on your screen and find out everything you need to spread holiday cheer to a child that is of need. so far, an amazing 136,371 toys have been donated. we don't want to stop there. let's keep it up. turning now to a "gma" consumer alert. so many of us are spending more time at home these days, so using much more energy than normal. the energy administration is estimating we're using 10% more electricity than this time last year. this morning, becky worleyt has simple changes you can make right away to help you save big. >> reporter: school, work, and play. it's all happening at home these days which means your electricity meter is on overdrive.

>> people are using more energy at home because home is now work as well as home, and much less energy in office buildings. >> reporter: this family from new york is one of those families seeing a big increase. they're stuck at home, and their 20-year-old children returned to what was an empty nest. more laundry, more cooking, more heating, more electricity. >> exactly. >> more of everything. >> reporter: to get some insider tips on cutting costs we went straight to their power source, new york energy con edison. >> is it on most of the times? >> maybe the kitchen a little bit. the dog likes to watch tv. >> reporter: they completed an energy audit to assess the family's power usage. >> we recommend turning your thermostats down as much as comfortable. >> reporter: armed with tips they make several improvements, like switching to l.e.d. light

bulbs, opting out of the dish washer's electric heating source and opening the door to let the dishes air dry, and eliminating phantom power. unplugging things that aren't in use. these wi-fi connected power strips and lightbulbs. they use an app to create schedules for plugs. another way to save money is prevent heat loss. you do that with these. it's a thermal gun. you point it at the ceiling, walls, even doors to see where you might need weather stripping or replacing insulation or patching up cracks. we tracked their progress through con ed's app. many major energy companies allow you to track your realtime usage and after four days, they see some real progress. con ed estimates just switching to e.d.s could save them at least 100 bucks a year. and those power strips, 40 bucks a year. the heated dry cycle off the dish washer cycle could save

them 20 bucks a year. those changes will save them $800 over five years. >> a lot of those little things will add up to big savings over months and over the year. >> reporter: but when it comes to cutting the dog's power-consuming tv habit -- >> did you keep that going? >> yes. he likes watching "good morning america," of course. >> well, then let's just keep the tv on. that's my new favorite dog. >> lots of good tips there from becky worley. >> absolutely. we'll turn now to our 12 days of christmas cookies and this morning, we've got detective host and author of the cookbook "eating outside loud," joining us from a test kitchen in new york. you get the recipes as always by scanning the qr code on the screen. eden, good morning. >> good morning. how are you? >> i'm doing great. really excited to be with you, and the inspiration for your cookies come from the movie "the holiday." now i happen to have seen "the holiday" twice in the past three days. i don't remember any cookies.

so what's happening here? >> okay. well, "the holiday" is actually my favorite christmas movie, and there's a scene in it where cameron diaz is drinking wine and cashing out in this cute town in the uk. there are gingerbread men in front of her. i just picture her drinking her wine and eating her cookies. i had to make this cookie, and there's a little bit of a california twist with our citrus glaze which is also based in california. i wanted to tie that all in. >> all right. >> what we're going to do is we're going to start off with our cookie dough. do you love a gingerbread man? >> always. let's do it. >> yes. yes. super classic for the holidays. we have butter, molasses, sugar, we're going to cream it and get it nice and airy, and what we're going to do is add some vanilla, okay? obviously we want to bring in that beautiful floral note and we're going to really want to play up all the spices, okay? we're also going to add in an egg as our binder, and we want to whip it and get it nice and creamy and airy, and the spices

is what the gingerbread cookie is all about. the holidays you really want to play those up. we have cinnamon. we have clove. we have ginger which are super classic gingerbread cookie spices, but i added in some cardamom. i love that. any excuse to use it and it adds a gorgeous floral note to the cookie, and you add that right into your dry mix right here. all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt, and while that is whisking and getting nice and airy and light, you want to just incorporate your spices right into your all-purpose flour. >> looks delicious. as you make that dough, you move onto the baking, and then after the baking comes the really fun part. >> yes. >> you're using a citrus frosting i understand? that's the english countryside meeting california because we're talking about "the holiday."

that's what that movie is about. what other decorations and things do you use? >> i brought in the citrus to play up california, but you can go for it with the frosting. you can change it up and put pomegranate juice in there. keep it classic with milk and vanilla. maybe even play up that maple flavor that will go beautifully with the spices. i find that the gingerbread cookie is a perfect base to play around with, and what we have here is obviously after you whisk the dough -- after you mix it together, you can chill it in the fridge for one to two weeks or even in the freezer for 9 to 12 months which is amazing you can make ahead. you roll it out to a quarter inch thick right here, and we have our cookie cutters here. keep it classic with your gingerbread cookies and you can make trees. you can make snowmen. you can make stars and you just kind of honestly, you press it out, throw it onto a baking tray, and right into the oven, and you get beautiful and puffy

and delicious cookies and what i love about this recipe, and they're also a little chewy. i need my gingerbread men to be chewy. >> oh, yeah, that's major. >> right, it's major. you don't want it dry and crumbly. you want it chewy and delicious. this is the fun part, okay? i love getting my daughter involved. she takes out the glaze, and we just kind of go at it. it really doesn't need to be perfect. i know a lot of people like to make their decorations super stunning. i kind of like to make it a little, like, homey, a little rustic, a little messy. you have to smell this honestly. the citrus in this frosting goes so beautifully with the spices in the gingerbread cookies. it is like a match made in heaven, and then just sprinkle it up. >> we have some right here. they look absolutely incredible. they smell delicious like you said. will take your word for them being chewy. we can't wait to eat them. thank you so much. you can scan the qr code, and get the full recipe on our website goodmorningamerica.

coming up, a special christmas performance by none other than brett eldredge. ♪ back home again ♪

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♪ we are back now here on "gma" with our "gma" concert series. platinum-selling country star brett eldredge has released a brand-new holiday album called "mr. christmas," full of classics. also features newly written songs including the title track off the album. here now, brett eldredge performing "mr. christmas." ♪ ♪ you miss a sparkle, but you could glow ♪ ♪ you just need a kiss underneath the mistletoe ♪ ♪ i show you magic like you never seen ♪

♪ you are the angel on top of that evergreen ♪ ♪ we'll take a stroll down michigan avenue ♪ ♪ i'll turn your heart green and red instead of blue, oh ♪ ♪ call me mr. christmas, i'll make your spirit bright ♪ ♪ i'll dry your eyes with candy skies and warm sherry delight ♪ ♪ with highfalutin parties, that last all through the night ♪ ♪ yeah, every wish will come true, yeah, i'll be mr. christmas for you ♪ ♪ ♪ i pull out all the stops, sweet as lemon drops ♪ ♪ carols ringing, he is singing as the fire pops ♪ ♪ feel you getting close, cheers and here's a toast ♪ ♪ heart is racing, you have been waiting, watch i'll make it snow ♪ ♪ call me mr. christmas, i'll

make your spirit bright ♪ ♪ i'll dry your eyes with candy skies and warm sherry delight ♪ ♪ with highfalutin parties that last all through the night ♪ ♪ yeah, every wish will come true, yeah, i'll be mr. christmas for you ♪christr you ♪ ooh ♪ >> where do you want to go? chicago? well, hop right in.

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wait, wait. "gma" is really going to santa's workshop? to finland? >> really? we got cleared to get in, all access? >> that's right. we'll see who's naughty or nice. >> i better not be on the naughty list. >> tomorrow, "gma" is live from

santa's workshop. and a big thanks to brett eldredge for that incredible christmas performance. >> and are you ready for some football? because it's tonight monday night football, simulcast, abc, and espn. vikings/bears at 8:00 eastern. >> thank you all so much for starting your week here with us. have a good day. ♪

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here is jobina with a look at traffic. jobina: light conditions as you make your way across the sand manteo ridge this morning. i cannot remember the last time i saw the whole plaza like this. i would say it was going to be like this at the week, but we are expecting rain. mike: the fewer people out on the roads, the faster they are going to drive. today is the only day this week where it will be completely dry. prep for what could be a half

inch of rain in the south bay and nearly five inches in the north bay. north bay. kumasi: tslive with kelly and ryan ! today, host of cash at your door , jason biggs! and a special holiday performance from the amazing kristin chenoweth. plus, last-minute diy gift wrapping tips. all up next, on live . and now, here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest. [ "don't start now" by dua lipa ] ♪ about me now (about me now) ♪ ♪ walk away, (walk away) ♪ ♪ you know how (you know how) ♪ ♪ don't start caring about me now ♪ hey, guys. oh, my knee. there it is, the puppeteer. come on in. get it. get into it, monday. hi. hi, y'all. monday, december 20th, 2021. -what's wrong, dave, what happened? -he said, hi. oh, i thought you said, i thought you said, "i mean..."