right now on "america this morning," remembering bob saget. >> you care about people, and that's why people care about you. >> known as america's dad for his role on "full house," he was found dead in a hotel room. what we're learning this morning, and the tributes from his co-stars. heartache in new york. nine children are among at least 19 people killed in a fire that spread through this high-rise. what caused it, and the decision one man made as his daughter was trapped on her burning bed. sick call crisis as covid cases surge. the growing problem everywhere from schools to supermarkets. the impact of the worker shortage, and a new prediction on the region of the country that could be hit the hardest in the coming days. breaking news. a judge's controversial ruling in tennis star novak djokovic's

vaccine exemption fight. how he's been treated. a moment caught on camera. a cliff collapsing falling onto this boat of tourists. and these railroad tracks as a train is approaching. and are the clues on "jeopardy!" getting too easy? the new questions being raised. good monday morning, everyone. we begin with the shocking death of the man known as america's dad. >> actor and comedian bob saget, the unforgettable and loveable father from "full house," and later the host of "america's funniest home videos" was found dead in a hotel room in florida. >> his cause of death remains a mystery. will ganss is here with more. will? >> reporter: he was doing what he loved, making people laugh,

performing standup in jacksonville, florida, it would be his last show. this morning, fans and friends celebrating the life. he earned the nickname of america's dad. >> hi, michelle. >> hi, daddy. >> reporter: playing danny tanner on "full house." >> anything else you want to talk about? >> yeah, is dinner ready? >> reporter: and hosting "america's funniest home videos". >> hi, everybody. i'm bob saget and this is a new suit. >> reporter: the man who dedicated his life to making us laugh. continuing to perform standup on saturday night performing a show in jacksonville, florida, sharing this photo on instagram after the show writing, i'm back in comedy like i was when i was 26. i guess i'm finding my new voice, and loving every moment of it. >> he didn't seem unheld taltun all. no coughing. i didn't even see him take a sip of water to stop. he didn't take a break at all. >> reporter: and hours later, the 65-year-old found dead in his hotel room in orlando.

officials responding to the hotel sunday afternoon where he was pronounced dead at the scene. >> going to be for a male patient. caller is advising it's an obvious death stating a security officer found the guest not breathing, no pulse. >> reporter: the circumstances of his death unclear, but detectives say they found no signs of foul play or drug use, and this morning, fans and friends alike paying tribute. john stamos tweeting, i am broken. i am gutted. i am in the complete and utter shock. i will never have another friend like you. >> you don't see folks who are able to just connect with so many different audiences the way bob saget did, and that's why this feels so much like a huge loss i think for all of us today is realizing this guy who was in our homes for decades is no longer with us. >> reporter: saget recently reflecting on his career in comedy. >> it's not about money. if you are doing stuff to be famous, that's not the answer.

you have to do it because you love it with all your heart. >> reporter: mary kate and ashley olsen have released a statement saying, bob was the most loving, compassionate, and generous man. he will continue to be by our side to guide us as gracefully as he always has. bob saget leaves behind a wife and three daughters. andrew? >> we'll have much more on bob saget's life and career later this half hour and at 7:00 a.m. on "good morning america." the other story, nine children are among the dead after the worst fire in new york city in more than 30 years. abc's derek dennis reports a dozen families have also been left homeless. >> reporter: this morning, investigators say an electric space heater igniting a mattress is to blame for the deadliest fire in new york city in 30 years. >> a lot of people coming out on stretchers. these babies coming out on stretchers. it's a hard thing, you know, to see. >> reporter: the fire ravaging this apartment complex in the bronx leaving 19 dead, including

9 dhirn. more than a dozen others are fighting for their lives. >> they were saying, fire, fire. i thought everybody got out. >> reporter: you can see burns on this man's face when he leapt through the flames to rescue his daughter trapped on her burning bed. he and his family making it out oi live, but their fireproof door was left open allowing the smoke to spread quickly to all 19 floors of the building and the stairwells. >> the fire's on the third floor of a 1-9 story occupied md. >> reporter: more than 200 firefighters rushing to the scene, smashing windows, and hoisting ladders to save those trapped. firefighters rescuing dozens as they fought through the dense smoke. some running out of oxygen in their tanks. >> the oxygen tanks were empty, and they still pushed through the smoke. >> reporter: aisha mckenzie managed to escape her ninth

floor apartment. she could hear the panic as family members searched for their loved ones. >> it's too much. >> who were they looking for? >> kids, mothers. >> reporter: one woman lost her entire family. >> to see it in a mother's eyes as i held her, who lost her entire family, it's hard to fathom what they're going through. we will not forget you. we will not abandon you. we are here for you. >> reporter: the governor has announced plans to help the dozens of families left homeless secure housing. mona, abondrew? >> our thanks to derricke. russian troops gathered near ukraine's border, vladimir putin wants a guarantee that ukraine won't be allowed into nato. the u.s. has threatened to impose severe economic penalties on russia if it invades. officials say the u.s. may be willing to scale back military

exercises and discuss missile deployments in the region. turning to the pandemic, more americans are calling out sick with covid leaving schools to supermarkets with shortages. experts say another region of the country is about to see a surge. abc's faith abubey is here now with more on that. faith, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning to you, mona. those experts also believe the current wave of covid will peak soon, but there's growing concern about the number of workers everywhere calling out sick. this morning, a new estimate predicts up to 5 million american workers could be home sick this week because of covid. that's about 3% of the u.s. work force. one top economist warns absent employees could, quote, deal a significant hit to the economy over the next month or two. some grocery store shelves have been left bear because of the lack of workers to stock them. one major grocery distributor in michigan has lost about 180

workers to covid sick call. >> now we have the covid surge going on that's just pushing everything over. in my career, i've not seen numbers in volumes like this. >> reporter: at least one in every 70 americans tested positive last week. that number does not include people testing positive using at-home kits. experts predict the midwest will be next to get hit with the omicron wave. >> i expect this surge to peak in the next couple of weeks. it'll peak in different places in america at different times, but once we get into february, i really do expect much, much lower case numbers. >> reporter: more schools are going remote today, but classes are canceled once again in chicago as teachers in the city battle over covid protocols. meanwhile, the country's largest school district could make vaccines mandatory by fall. new york city's mayor, eric adams, says he's considering the idea. >> in this country, we do vaccinate for smallpox, measles, and other things, and we need to

engage in a real conversation about how to educate, use the time before the fall to educate our parents to show the importance of it. >> reporter: while the omicron variant and worker shortage are forcing restaurants to close, so the industry is now pushing congress for more financial aid. mona? >> faith, thank you. time now for a look at your monday weather. two snowshoers and their dog have been killed in the rockies about 90 miles west of denver. avalanche warnings across the region. meanwhile, across the east, a major arctic blast will be felt today all the way to the deep south. it'll feel like 20 degrees this morning in nashville. it gets even worse tomorrow morning when below zero windchills are expected in the northeast, and checking today's high temperatures 70s across the southwest, and nearly 80 in miami today. 49 in atlanta.

coming up, the breaking news about the fate of tennis star novak djokovic. also ahead, the surreal scene on the slopes. witnesses describe the moment a pipe bursts directly below a chair lift. and what we're learning about the cliff collapse caught on camera just as tourists were passing by. cranky-pated: a bad mood related to a sluggish gut. miralax is different. it works naturally with the water in your body to unblock your gut.

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where djokovic has been detained since last week when border officials canceled his visa over his vaccine status. the 34-year-old serbian is an outspoken critic of vac sewn mandates, but he was given exemption to enter australia because he recently recovered from covid. court filings showing djokovic tested positive last month, and after being symptom-free, he received clearance from the department of home affairs. lawyers for the tennis star claim he was questioned for six hours at the airport, and was deprived of sleep by authorities trying to pressure him to cancel his visa. before today's ruling, the judge raised concern about how djokovic was concerned saying, the point i'm somewhat agitated about is what more could this man have done? this video shows djokovic maskless at an event after that positive test last month. it's unclear whether he knew

about his covid status at the time. meanwhile, a tennis official blamed the debacle on conflict between the state and federal governments of australia. we're told the tournament may still have the power to revoke his visa. a cliff collapse in where say. the rock came crashing down in a lake just as several tourist boats were passing by. ten people were killed. all reportedly from brazil. investigators blame heavy rains were causing the cliff side to break apart. several skiers are injured after a freak accident in north carolina. a skier collided with a hydrant sending this geyser of freezing water shooting toward the sky. two people in the share lift directly above fell 25 feet to the ground. >> all i remember is the metal bar flying up, and then me flying up. i remember opening my eyes, belly first on the ground. i have bruises from head to toe. >> some other skiers decided to jump from the chair lift.

a different kind of scare on the slopes. two moose came walking onto this trail. skiers were both alarmed anded excited. >> whoos are loose. coming up, alec baldwin denying new claims about the shooting on his movie set. and the pilot from this plane that crashed on railroad tracks just as the train was approaching. did you know there are surfaces in your home that look clean but a closer look shows there are often layers of invisible dirt left behind. try mr. clean magic eraser for a deep down hygienic clean. magic eraser removes the messes you can see as well as more of the dirt and grime you don't. all you do is wet, squeeze and start erasing dirt and grime all around the house and try magic eraser sheets for a deep clean in hard to reach places that you can toss when your done. mr. clean magic eraser. for a deep down hygienic clean all around the house. ♪ there'll never be ♪ ♪ anyone else but you ♪ ♪ for me ♪ ♪ never ever be ♪

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police officers pulling an injured pilot to safety, after his small plane made an emergency crash landing on railroad tracks. moments later, a train slammed into the wreckage of the plane. you see it there. the pilot was not hurt. a new address from alec baldwin. he's been addressing reports he's been uncooperative after the shooting on his movie set. >> this morning, alec baldwin defending himself. saying he is koomtcooperating w the investigation of the shooting death on the new mexico film set in october. >> any suggestion that i am not complying with demands, that's a lie. >> reporter: the santa fe county sheriff's department issued a warrant last month to seize and search the actor's cell phone for current and possibly deleted images, related to the production of the movie "rust."

baldwin explaining why he has not turned over his phone to authorities. >> going to go through the state you live in. that's a process that takes time. they have to specify what they want. we're going to comply with that. >> at the center of the investigation, how live ammunition got loaded into a gun that was handed to baldwin. >> how could this have happened? >> someone put a live bullet in a gun, a gullbullet that wasn't supposed to be on the property. >> in an interview in december, baldwin told george stephanopoulos he is not expecting to face charges. >> someone is responsible. i know it's not me. >> reporter: baldwin insisting that the only way to honor hutchins is to find out the truth. >> that's what i'm working toward and insisting on, demanding. that the organizations involved in this investigation do everything in their power to

find out what really happened. > >> reporter: authorities in new mexico say they are working new york to obtain materials i- from baldwin's phone. that request is now reportedly in the hands of the local d.a. >> thank you. let's turn to sports. it was a wild ending to the nfl's regular season. the raiders kicked a game-winning playoff-clinching field goal in overtime, to beat the chargers, 35-32. the first round of the playoffs will look like this -- yeah. on saturday, the raiders battle the bengals. then, the patriots visit the bills. on sunday, the eagles against the bucs. followed by the 49ers at the cowboys. and the steelers at the chiefs. next monday, the cardinals visit the rams. the titans and the packers have the bye weeks. >>ing up, the history made at last night's golden globe awards. ahead, is "jeopardy!" getting too easy? [upbeat acoustic music throughout]

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♪ time to check "the pulse," and we begin with "jeopardy!" and a question. is the show getting too easy? >> survey says -- oh, wait. that's a different show. the current champion amy snyder is going for her 32nd win today. she's among a growing number of players who have won multiple games. this has many people asking, why are people having so much success? >> pandemic-related delays have given contestants more study time. >> now "jeopardy!'s" executive producer tells "the new york times," clues are actually getting harder, not easier. >> i have the answer. what is, a hater? next, good help is hard to find in the job market, so one company came up with a unique approach to retain workers.

>> it's paying them to quit. trainual is offering employees $5,000 to resign after just two weeks on the job. the ceo says the ability to turn down cash and commit to the job sets the stage for a great working relationship. >> so far, no one has taken the money. the owner of a car repair shop in georgia who paid his worker in pennies, now facing a lawsuit. >> he poured the pennies onto that worker's driveway. now the u.s. labor department is suing. >> the department says workers are entitled to get their wages without fear of harassment. next, some history on the small screen. >> it was a first at the golden globe last night. makayla j. rodriguez became the first transgender actress to win. she won for best actressn her role in "pose." and a final honor for betty white. >> the buffalo bills paid tribute with his cleats and

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checking the top stories -- an electric space heater is being blamed for sparking the deadliest fire in new york city since 1990. at least 19 people were killed inside a bronx apartment building. nine of the victims were children. a worker at a taco bell drive-through in los angeles has been shot and killed over a fake $20 bill. he was working with his son at the time. the gunman opened fire when the counterfeit bill was not accepted. they are looking for two suspects. dozens of people are safe after being rescued from a large chunk of floating ice in green bay, wisconsin. a ice was a mile offshore. a barge may have destabilized the ice. bit cd arriving for much of the east. more lake-effect snow falls around the great lakes. clear skies across the plains and rockies. showers for the northwest. finally, the passing of bob saget. a statement from abc news

entertainment says saget knew how to connect with families through heart and humor. >> indeed. we're looking back at some of his memorable moments, beginning with this interview with joan lunden back in 1990. >> are you a chronic worrier? >> i'm a type "a." i'm a triple-a penalty. i'm part of the auto club. i'm always working and enjoying my work. if things don't go perfectly, i would get a little stressed. my friends are saying, this is the good time in your life, your special hasn't been critiqued yet. >> bob has a beautiful face, like a flower. yeah, cauliflower. >> bob saget. how about it? all right, bobby. >> thank you. >> my mom is gumby. my dad is poky. and i'm mr. potatohead. i'm fast. i'm not funny, but i am quick.

that's the problem i have with women, too. it's the second time i've done that. i want to take a jacuzzi with you and throw in a toaster. >> bob was the first comedian i ever saw perform when i was a boy. live. i loved him. one thing that bonds us as comedians, we're bitter and jealous and we hate anyone that has success. bob, honestly, has never had an unkind word for anybody. and i love him. and i hope everybody else does. so, i just want to say that. thank you. >> some people are like, that's the family guy. i can't believe that's how he is. and the do-over. i did standup before i did any television. i can't believe you did

right now on "america this morning," remembering bob saget. >> you care about people, and that's why people care about you. >> known as america's dad for his role on "full house," he was found dead in a hotel room. what we're learning this morning, and the tributes from his co-stars. heartache in new york. nine children are among at least 19 people killed in a fire that spread through this high-rise. what caused it, and the decision one man made as his daughter was trapped on her burning bed. sick call crisis as covid cases surge. the growing problem everywhere from schools to supermarkets. the impact of the worker shortage, and a new prediction on the region of the country that could be hit the hardest in the coming days. breaking news. a judge's controversial rulin