umbrella. reggie: because it's gay-rights pride. test. >> test. >> > good morning, america. for our viewers in the west, as we join you on this wednesday morning, the urgent push for action amid the gun violence crisis across the country and the uphill challenge in washington. calling on congress to act. survivors and the families of victims of the uvalde and buffalo massacres set to testify before lawmakers including a fourth grader, a robb elementary school survivor as uvalde native matthew mcconaughey makes an impassioned plea for gun reform and the uvalde pediatrician on his way to capitol hill. >> to the degree of wounds i saw that day on these tiny children there's no need for anyone to have assault weapons.

>> recession risk. overnight the national gas average closes in on $5 a gallon, and why oil prices could mean trouble for the overall economy. breaking news in the fight against covid. moderna just announced results from its next generation covid vaccine saying it's eight times better against omicron. could this shot last longer and when will it be available? also breaking this morning, the world's top gymnast filing a billion dollar claim against the fbi, saying the agency failed to protect them from larry nassar. the doctor who sexually abused the athletes. primetime hearings. the january 6th committee set to take their case to the american public. how they plan to argue that donald trump and his supporters planned the insurrection in an effort to overturn the presidential election. ousted. breaking overnight, why the san francisco district attorney was recalled amid the city's crime wave. the national implication this morning.

johnny depp's attorneys speak out after his courtroom battle with his ex-wife amber heard. their first interview since the bombshell verdict. ♪ i'm blinded by the lights ♪ and from marvel superfan to superhero. >> did something happen to you? >> no, why? did you hear something? >> if you haven't heard of "ms. marvel," get ready, it's the number one trend on twitter. the show dropping overnight. the star herself, iman vellani, is live in times square and she's saying -- >> i'm a superhero. we do say that, a lot of excitement for that young marvel star that you will meet this morning. >> cannot wait to meet her. americans have all eyes on gas prices up more than 50 cents in just one week with more price hikes ahead. we're going to have the latest on that. we start in washington where survivors of the massacre in uvalde and buffalo will testify on capitol hill this morning as lawmakers try to hammer out a package of gun control measures.

congressional correspondent rachel scott has the latest. good morning, rachel. >> reporter: george, good morning. this will be rare testimony here on capitol hill today. an 11-year-old fourth grader will now become one of the youngest survivors to testify before lawmakers. i'm told she was determined to share her story hoping she can drive change. this morning, the families and survivors of the uvalde and buffalo mass shootings traveling to capitol hill calling on congress to act. > my mother's life mattered. my mother's life mattered and your actions here today will tell us how much it matters to you. >> announcer: this i special re. guns in america. now reporting, david muir. good morning, and we're coming on the air this morning because of what we're about to witness from the nation's capital. the country is about to hear

from a fourth grade who are survived the uvalde school shooting. from two parents who lost their child, from a doctor who treated the victims who had to identify some of the victims. all of this as this nation looks to lawmakers in washington now to do something, to come to some sort of consensus, to protect the children, to protect these communities from mass shootings in america. it is certain to be an emotional day, a difficult morning of testimony on capitol hill, and our live coverage of this house hearing comes, of course, in the wake of a series of mass shootings across this nation, including the ten people shot and killed at the tops market in buffalo, new york. authorities say an 18-year-old gunman with an ar-15-style rifle, of course, 19 children and 2 teachers shot and killed at robb elementary school in uvalde, texas. again, authorities say an 18-year-old gunman there as well with an ar-15-style rifle, and more than a dozen mass shootings nationwide just this past weekend alone. and a remarkable show of courage this morning, among the people the nation will hear from is

that 11-year-old, a fourth grader who survived the shooting in uvalde by covering herself with the blood of her murdered classmate, a friend to pretend she was dead. also speaking, those parents, felix and kimberly rubio, the parents of 10-year-old lexi rubio. he was off duty at the time and immediately went to the school like so many of the parents did that morning. we will hear from the mother of zaire goodman who was shot in that buffalo supermarket, and we take note that on the other side of the capital this morning, a bipartisan group of senators try to reach some sort of an agreement on gun safety reform, new legislation which may include expanded background checks and strengthened red flag laws. we have heard president biden call for an assault weapons ban like what we saw in the '90s and he said, if no ban, the president said at the very least, they must raise the age to buy an ar-15-style rifle to 21. let's listen to the chairman of

the community. >> for members appearing remotely, i know you are all familiar with zoom by now, but let me remind you. first the house rules require we see you. please have your cameras turned on at all times. second, members you should remain muted. i will recognize members verbally, but members retain the right to seek recognition. if you want to be recognized outside of regular order, you may identify that in several ways. you may use the chat function to send a request. you may send an email to the majority staff, or you may unmute your mic to seek recognition. we will begin the hearing in just a moment when they tell us they are ready to begin the livestream. the committee will come to order. without objection, the chair is authorized to declare rescess o

the committee at any time. i now recognize myself for an opening statement. today we will examine the destruction and heartbreak that gun violence is causing across our country. i want to express my deep gratitude to each of our witnesses for being here today. i am particularly grateful to our witnesses who will be discussing the loss of their loved ones and their personal experiences from recent mass shootings in uvalde, texas and buffalo, new york. despite their pain, these witnesses expressed their strong desire to share their stories with this committee and the public. i know that i speak for every member of this committee when i say that we are inspired by your bravery. for a parent, there is no greater pain than the loss of a child, but across the country since this gun violence is

claiming the lives of our children and loved ones in places where they should be safe, our schools, our supermarkets, even our churches and our synagogues. gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in our country. as a society, we are failing our children, and we are failing each other. this out of control gun violence is a uniquely american tragedy. as you can see in this chart, in 2019, the united states suffered 17 times more gun deaths than the next highest g7 country. we stand alone in mass shootings. other countries passed sensible gun safety laws and protect their children, and no other country comes close to the number of school shootings we

have. between 2009 and 2018, the u.s. had 288 -- 288 school shootings. all other g7 countries combined had just five. some of my colleagues across the aisle have blamed the violence on mental illness. they have blamed violent video games. they have blamed family values. they have even blamed open doors. they have blamed everything but guns, but we know the united states does not have a monopoly on mental illness, video games or any other excuse. what america does have is widespread access to guns. that includes assault weapons

which were designed to kill as many enemy soldiers on the battlefield as possible as quickly as possible. yet in many states, these weapons of war can be purchased by about 18-year-old just by walking into a store. assault weapons were used in the recent massacres in buffalo, texas, and tulsa. just as they were in parkland, newtown, san bernardino, orlando, las vegas, and so many other mass shootings. these weapons have no place in our communities, no civilian needs an assault rifle, and the second amendment does not protect the right to own a weapon of war. it's time that we banned assault rifles from our streets, from our communities, from our homes, but if we are going to truly

address the gun crisis, we need to be honest about why our country has failed to oact sooner. the truth is the gun industry is making billions of dollars selling the weapons that are killing our children, and they are fighting tooth and nail to keep doing it. that is why i have launched an investigation into five leading gun manufacturers that sell assault weapons used in mass shootings. we need to know where these communities are marketing military weapons to civilians, and how much they are profiting from the death of our children. of course, mass shootings are just one part of this crisis. we can't forget that gun violence is a steady drumbeat, and in so many of our towns and cities, especially marginalized communities. black men make up more than half

of all gun victims in the united states, despite making up less than 6% of the population. latinos are twice as likely to be killed by a gun, and four times as likely to be wounded by a gun as white americans. we need transparency into how guns are reaching the hands of criminals which is why this committee has been working to identify the gun dealers that are selling the most guns used in crimes, including across state lines. today the house is voting to pass common sense gun safety legislation which is a crucial first step in addressing this crisis. i am particularly grateful this bill will include key provisions similar to a bipartisan bill i first introduced more than ten years ago with strong support of elijah cummings. it will make gun trafficking a federal felony and strengthen

guidelines for purchasers which will stop the flow of guns into perpetrators. my goal here today is simple. i'm asking every member of this committee to listen with an open heart to the brave witnesses who have come forward to tell their stories about how gun violence has impacted their lives. our witnesses today have endured pain and loss. yet they are displaying incredible courage by coming here to ask us to do our jobs. let us hear their voices. let us honor their courage. let us find the same courage to pass common sense laws to protect our children. i now recognize the distinguished ranking member mr. comber for an opening statement. >> thank you, chairman maloney, and all of our hearts go out to the victims and the families in uvalde, texas and buffalo, new york. to those who are testifying

before us today, there are no words to describe the horror you have faced and the deep anguish you feel. the american people grieve with you. as elected representatives in congress, it's our obligation to work to ensure that these violent crimes and tragedies never happen again. americans of all backgrounds should be empowered to defend themselves against rising violence. the increased violence we have witnessed since the summer of 2020 is unacceptable. murders and aggravated assaults are all up. this is a trend we must reverse. we have recreptly witnessed several high profile, senseless acts of murder and mayhem that have impacted all americans, including tragically our defenseless and innocent school children. we must respond to those heinous acts and provide justice for the families. at the same time, we recognize

that violence occurs in many of our communities on a daily basis, impacting americans across the united states from every background. too often tragedies are politicized for partisan gain, and we have seen many seek to leverage these crimes and their victims to push for radical left wing policies or for their campaigns to get elected. instead of rushing to score political points at the defense of our system running properly, we must take concrete action to reduce violence in the future. we owe it to the families of the victims. they deserve justice, and we owe it to the american people. we must and can prevent similar tragedies. we all want to live in a country where we can achieve our american dream without the threat of violence in our communities. we must work together to deliver

sensible solutions to secure our schools, protect our most vulnerable among us, and bring to justice those responsible for these heinous crimes. our local officials cannot defund our police, and our prosecutors cannot be soft on crime. i believe that we must carefully consider the security posture of vulnerable targets sought out by evil people. we must ensure that every american has a safe environment in which to live their lives in peace, and that requires thinking solutions to harden our infrastructure and work with existing laws to foster a culture that values conflict resolution and dialogue over gun laws. i strongly believe there is an important place for law-abiding gun owners to serve in protecting themselves and their communities from violence. our second amendment is an

important tool in securing our individual rights to self-defense. knee-jerk reactions to impose gun control policies that seek to curtail our constitutional right to bear arms are not the answer. gun ownership is on the rise in america. people want to protect themselves and their families. we should commend all law-abiding gun owners who safely use, store, and carry those firearms, not vilify them for blatantly political purposes. i also believe we must continue to empower our law enforcement to serve and protect their communities honorably. defund the police and soft on prosecution policies have been a failure across the board. leading to the victimization of the very communities those policies were promised to help. violent criminals should be in jail, not back on the streets to

reoffend and terrorize. we must recommit ourselves to pursuing justice and keeping violent criminals off our street. thank you, chairwoman maloney. i yield back. >> gentleman yields back. i want to clarify that i support the second amendment. i support law-abiding gun owners. i don't support lax gun laws that allow guns to get into the hands of criminals and unstable people. i now recognize the gentlelady from california. ms. porter, your statement. >> i represent a community in mourning. a gunman locked the doors to the geneva presbyterian church. this shooting was an undeniable tragedy, but under different circumstances, it could have been an unimaginable massacre. unlike the shooters in uvalde and buffalo, the shooter in laguna woods did not carry an

assault rifle with high capacity magazines. he was armed with 9 millimeter handguns that forced him to reload. that difference gave a hero, dr. john chang a chance to stop the carnage. he sacrificed his life to stop the shooter, and his bravery was remarkable, but we cannot depend on a hero's bravery to save lives. law enforcement has determined that the gunman was ready to kill every person in the church. had he been armed with a military-style assault rifle, he may have done so. there is no telling how many more lives would have been lost. shootings involving assault weapons are six times as deadly as shootings involving handguns and when assault weapons are equipped with high capacity magazines or bump stocks, the death toll rises even further. california has banned these weapons for years. our laws have saved lives,

including members of geneva presbyterian church. congress must follow california's lead. i yield back. >> the lady yields back. i recognize mr. higgins for an opening statement. >> thank you, madam chair. this is a sober day in congress as we reflect upon the challenges our nation faces. in 2005 as a young cop, i was dispatched to reports of a man down in the street in a part of the city that was crime-ridden and dangerous. i found a victim, a teenager and i held the mortal wound in the back of his head, and whispered prayer into his ear as his life flowed from his body. he died there in my arms on the

street. he was killed by an ax handle. i am prayerful for america. i'm prayerful for healing, and i'm prayerful for discernment amongst this body and my colleagues as a law enforcement officer. i know what it means to swear an oath, to protect and serve my community and my nation, and the importance of bringing justice to the families of those who suffer at the hands of evil, and it is essential that the fundamental freedoms, first amendment, second amendment, fourth amendment are always protected and preserved by this body. i was sworn as a man, a sworn oath to uphold the constitution of the united states and i will never back down from defending that constitution, including the rights of law-abiding americans

to keep and bear arms. madam chair, i thank you for this hearing today, and i yield. >> the gentleman yields. now we will introduce our witnesses. i would like to turn it over to the gentleman from new york, mr. higgins to introduce our first witness without objection. mr. higgins is authorized to participate in today's hearing. he represents buffalo, and you are now recognized, mr. higgins. >> thank you, madam chair, and ranking member, the honorable members of the oversight and reform committee. the greek tragic poet escalus says we suffer our way to wisdom. says we suffer our way to wisdom. to live is to suffer, and endure the suffering is to give meaning to the suffering. we have a problem in this country.

unless we learn from the tragic events of the last three weeks, who are we as a people? and this brave group of panelists from twot cities that were devastated, destruction beyond human comprehension, we have to find a way to deal with this. in buffalo, the shooting started at 2:30 in the afternoon, and was concluded in two minutes and three seconds. one shooter, a semiautomatic weapon, 13 people shot, 10 dead. one shooter. if you look for a common denominator in all of these, it's typically someone that should never have had a gun with a high capacity weapon to kill as many people as quickly as possible.

zenetta everhart is here. she is a friend and a proud citizen of the city of buffalo. she is with us today as the mother of a buffalo mass sh shooting survivor zaire goodman. he was working at the tops friendly market. it was targeted by a white supremacist, racist, deranged g gunman. zaire was also a colleague in government. she is a director in diversity and inclusion for my friend and colleague for tim kennedy. zenetta's story is both tragic and magic. with that, it gives me great honor to present to the committee, zenetta everhart. >> thank you, and after ms.

everhart, we will hear from dr. roy guerrero, who is a pediatrician in texas, and then from a myah. she is a fourth grader. she will be sharing her experience in a prerecorded video. her father miguel is with us in the room today and will be making brief remarks after his daughter's video and then he will excuse himself. next we will hear from felix and kimberly rubio, who were the parents of lexi rubio who tragically lost her life in the texas shooting. i now recognize the man from georgia to introduce our last witness on this panel. >> thank you, madam chair. it's my honor to recognize lecretia hughes. she's an incredibly bright light

in our district and she has an extremely compelling story. i wanted to just publicly recognize her. i want to thank you for being here today. i know it's hard to share the story that you have come to us with, but we are grateful that you are here, and i just, madam chair, i want to say thuank you for just these two seconds to recognize ms. hughes and welcome her here. i yield. >> thank you. the witnesses will be unmuted so we can swear them in. please raise your right hands. do you swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you god? >> all: i do. >> thank you. >> let the record show that the witnesses answered in the affir affirmative. thank you, and without objection your written statements will be made part of the record. with that, ms. everhart, you

will be recognized for your testimony. please testify. >> thank you, chairwoman. zaire goodman, my son or as i lked to call him the kid was shot may 14, 2022 at the tops grocery store where he worked in buffalo, new york. zaire the kid is now a 21-year-old man. he's pure joy. he's everything has good in this world, and as i sit here before you today, i can hear my son telling me to stop being extra and get to the point. i was going to tell you all a bunch of fluffy, funny stories about zaire, but i have -- i have a message. so i'll get to the point. as the record with tim kennedy's

office, stories of gun violence and racism are all too familiar, but now these stories are zaire's stories. these problems literally knocked op my front door. these are issues that as a country, we do not like to openly discuss. domestic terrorism exists in this country for three reasons. america is inherently violent. this is who we are as a nation. the very existence of this country was founded on violence, hate, and racism with the near annihilation of my native brothers and sisters. my ancestors brought to america through the slave trade were the first currency of america. let me say that again for the people in the back. my ancestors, the first currency of america were stripped of their heritage and culture, separated from their families, bargained for on auction blocks, sold, being raped and lynched. yet i continuously hear after every mass shooting that this is not who we are as americans and as a nation. hear me clearly.

this is exactly who we are. education. majority of what i've learned about african american history i did not learn until i went to college and i had to choose those classes. why is that? why is african american history not apart of american history? african americans built this country from the ground up. my ancestors' blood is embedded in soil. we have to change the curriculum in schools across the country so we may adequately educate our history. reading about history is crucial to this country. learning about other cultures, ethnicities and religions in school should not be something that is up for debate. we cannot continue to whitewash education, creating generations of children to believe that one race of people are better than the other. our differences should make us curious, not angry. at the end of the day, i bleed. you bleed. we are all human.

that awful day that will now be apart of the history books, hopefully, let us not forget to add that horrific day to the curriculum that we teach our children. guns, the 18-year-old terrorist who stormed into my community armed with an ar-15 killing ten people and injuring three others received a shotgun from his parents on his 16th birthday. for zaire's 16th birthday, i bought him a few video games, headphones, a pizza and a cake. we are not the same. how and why? and what in the world is wrong with this country? children should not be armed with weapons. parents who provide their children with guns should be held accountable. lawmakers who continuously allow these mass shootings to continue by not passing stricter gun laws should be voted out. to the lawmakers who feel that we do not need stricter gun laws, let me paint a picture for you. my son, zaire, has a hole in the

right side of his neck, two on his back, and another on his left leg. caused by an exploding bullet from an ar-15. as i cleaned his wounds, i can feel pieces of that bullet in his back. shrapnel will be left inside of his body for the rest of his life. i want you to picture that exact scenario for one of your children. this should not be your story or mine. as an elected official, it is your duty to draft legislation that protects zaire and all of the children and citizens in this country. common sense gun laws are not about your personal feelings or beliefs. you are elected because you have been chosen and are trusted to protect us, but let me say to you here today, i do not feel protected.

no citizen needs an ar-15. these weapons are designed to do the most harm in the least amount of time, and on saturday, may 14th, it took a domestic terrorist just two minutes to shoot and kill ten people and injure three others. if after hearing from me and the other people testifying here today does not move you to act on gun laws, i invite you to my home, to help me clean zaire's wounds so that you may see up close the damage that has been caused to my son and to my community. to the families of ruth whitfield, pearl young, hayward patterson, aaron salter, marcus morrison, and roberta drury, i promise their deaths will not be in vain. we will carry their spirit with us as we embark on this journey to create change. i know that their collective souls watched out for zaire that

day, and i am eternally grateful to them for that. to the east side of buffalo, i love you. i'm speaking directly to my people, to my hood. thilmoreotrn beee just like thethat we ce fii keep it real -- together we will continue to fill chose streets with love. no matter what people say about the east side of buffalo. we will not be broken. i was born there, raised there. i raised my son there. i still live there, and i do the majority of my professional work on the east side of buffalo. everywhere i go, i will make sure the people here, the real stories of our people, for too long, our community has been neglected and starved of the resources we need. i will not stop pushing for resources to be funneled into the east side of buffalo. every person who lives withen that community, we are family. not a perfect community, but i know that we are love.

to the greater buffalo area, to everyone from around the country and the world who have reached out and loved on us, on behalf of zaire, zaire's father daymeon goodman, my mother, my father, my sisters, my brothers and myself, we thank you. we thank you for all of your thoughts and your prayers. thank you for all of the love and support you have shown us during this difficult time, but i also say to you today with a heart full from the outpouring of love that you all so freely gave us, your thoughts and prayers are not enough. we need you to stand with us in the days, weeks, months, and years to come, and be ready to go to work and help us to create the change that this country so desperately needs, and i will end with a quote from charles boone and his book "the devil we know." race as we have come to understand it is a fiction, but

racism as we have come to live it is a fact. the point here is not to impose a new racial hierarchy, but to remove an existing one. after centuries of waiting for white majorities to overturn white supremacy, it is to me that it has fallen to black people to do it themselves, and i stand at the ready. zaire, this is for you, kid. happy birthday. >> thank you. dr. gueguerrero. you are now recognized for your testimony. >> thank you. thank you, chairwoman. myuerreerro. i'm b certified pediatrician. i was at the hospital the day at the massacre at robb elementary school. i was called here today as a witness, but i showed up because i am a doctor because how many years ago i swore an oath, an

oath to do no harm. after witnessing firsthand the carnage in my hometown of uvalde, to stay silent would have betrayed that oath. inaction is harm. passivity is harm. delay is harm. so here i am, not to plead, not to beg or convince you of anything, but to do my job, and hope that by doing so, it inspires the members of this house to do theirs. i've lived in uvalde my whole life. in fact, i attended robb elementary school myself as a kid. as often is the case with us grown-ups, we remember a lot of the good and not so much of the bad, so i don't recall homework or detention. i remember i loved going to school. we were able to run between classrooms with ease to visit our friends, and i remember the way the cafeteria smelled at lunchtime on hamburger thursdays. it was right around lunchtime on a tuesday that gunman entered through the school without restriction, massacred 19

students and 2 teachers and changed the way everyone at robb and their parents will remember that school. i doubt they'll remember the smell of the cafeteria or laughter in the hallways. they'll be haunted by the screams and bloodshed. police shouting, parents wailing. i'll never forget what i saw that day. for me that day started by any typical tuesday in our pediatric clinic. moms calling for coughs, boogers, the rush. summer camps would guarantee grazes and ankle sprains. then at 12:30, business as usual stopped and with it my heart. a colleague from a san antonio trauma center texted me and said, why are pediatric surgeons and thesoanesthesiologists on c for a mass shooting in uvalde? i saw parents sobbing and

begging for any news. those mothers' cries i will never get out of my head. as i entered the chaos of the er, i came across a child, sitting in the hallway, and she was clearly in shock, but her body was shaking from the adrenaline coursing through it. the white lilo & stitch shirt was covered in blood and her shoulder was bleeding from a shrapnel injury. sweet myah. i've known her my whole life. as a baby, she survived liver surgeries against all odds, and once again she is here inspiring us with her story today and her bravery. when i saw her sitting there, i remember having seen her parents outside, so after quickly examining two other patients of mine in the hallway with minor injuries, i let her parents know she was alive. i wasn't ready for their next desperate situation. where is olena? that's her 8-year-old sister.

i heard from some of the nurses there were two dead children who had been moved to the surgical area of the hospital. i prayed that i wouldn't find her. i didn't find olena, but what i did find was something no prayer would ever relieve. two children whose bodies had been pulverized by bullets fired at them, whose flesh had been ripped apart, that the only clue to their identities was the clothes clinging to them, clinging for life and finding none, and i could only hope these two bodies for the exception to the survivors. when i met with my nurses and hospital staff for other casualties we hoped to save, they never arrived. all that remained was the bodies of 17 more children and the 2 teach who are cared for them, who dedicated their careers to nurturing and respecting the potential of every single one just as we doctors do.

i would tell you why i became a pediatrician, because i knew children were the best patients. they accept the situation as it's explained to them. you don't have to coax them in order to change their lifestyles or get better or plead with them to get better as you do with adults. no matter how you hard you try to help an adult, their path to healing is determined by how willing they are to take action. adults are stubborn. we're resistant to change even when the change will make things better for ourselves, especially when we think we're immune to the fallout. why else would there have been such little progress to stop gun violence? innocent children all over the country today are dead because laws and policy allows people to buy weapons because they're legally old enough to even buy a pack of beer. they're dead because restrictions have been allowed to lapse. they're dead because there were no rules about where guns were kept because no one is paying attention to who is buying them. the thing i can't figure out is

whether our politicians are failing us out of stubbornness, passivity, or both. i said before that as grown-ups, we have a habit of remembering the good and forgetting the bad. never more so than when it comes to our guns. when our blood is rinsed off the supermarvegt markets and churches, it's erased and we return again to nostalgia. to the rose-tinted view of the second amendment as an instrument of life no matter how many lives are lost. i chose to be a pediatrician. i chose to take care of children. keeping them safe from preventible diseases i can do. keeping them safe from bacterial and brittle bones, i can do. but making sure our children are safe from guns, that's the job of our politicians and leaders. in this case, you are the doctors and our country is a patient. we are lying on the operating table riddled with bullets like

the children of robb elementary and the children of so many other schools. we are bleeding out and you are not there. my oath as a doctor means that i signed up to save lives. i do my job, and i guess it turns out that i am here to plead, to beg, to please, please do yours. >> thank you. we will now play the video from miah. >> i went to yuuvalde elementar.

>> we were watching movies, and then she got an email, and then she went to go lock the door, and he was in the hallway, and they made eye contact, and then she went back in the room and told us, go hide, and then we went to go hide behind the teacher's desk, and behind the backpacks, and then he shot the little window, and then he went to the other classroom, and then he went -- there's a door between our classrooms, and he went through there, and shot my teacher and told my teacher good night and shot her in the head, and then he shot some of my

classmates and the white board. when i went to the backpacks, he shot my friend that was next to me, and i thought he was going to come back to the room. so i grabbed the blood and i put it all over me, and -- >> what did you do then when you put the blood on yourself? >> i just stayed quiet, and then i got my teacher's phone and called 911. >> what did you tell 911? >> i told her that we need help, and to send the police to our classroom. >> if there was something that you want people to know about that day and about you, right, or things that you want different, what would it be? >> to have security.

>> do you feel safe at school? why not? >> because i don't want that to happen again. >> and you think it's going to happen again? >> mr. cerrillo, you're now recognized. >> hello. hello, today. i come because i could have lost my baby girl. she is not the same little girl that i used to play with and run with and do everything because she was daddy's little girl. i have five kids, and she's the middle child. i don't know what to do because i think i would have lost my baby girl. my baby girl not only once, but twice, she came back to us.

she's everything not only for me, but her siblings and her mother. thank you for letting me be here and speak out, but i wish something will change, not only for our kids, but every single kid in the world because schools are not safe anymore. something needs to really change. thank you. >> thank you for your testimony, and i understand you are now leaving. we thank you for sharing your story. thank you and mr. and mrs. rubio, you are now recognized for your testimony. >> i am kimberly rubio. this is felix rubio. we're the parents of alexandria anaya and five other children who have all attended uvalde schools in the 2021 and 2022 school year. she would have completed high

school this year. is isaiah, david, in junior high, jalila, and our two youngest children julianne and lexi 10 who were at robb elementary. on the morning of may 24, 2022, i dropped lexi and julian off at school. we returned for julian's award ceremony and again at 10:30 a.m. for lexi's award ceremony. lexi received the good citizen award and was recognized for receiving all as. at the conclusion of the ceremony, we took photos with her before asking her to take a picture with her teacher, mr. reyes. that fophoto, her last photo ev was taken at approximately 10:54 a.m. to celebrate, we promised to get her ice cream that evening and we told her we loved her and we

would pick her up after school. i could still see us walking towards the exit. in a reel that keeps scrolling across my memories, she turns her head and smiles to acknowledge my promise and then we left. i left my daughter at that school and that decision will haunt me for the rest of my life. after work felix dropped me off at my office, the uvalde leader news and returned home because it was a rare day off for him between normal shifts and security gigs he takes to help make ends meet. i got situated at my desk and began writing about a new business in town when the news office started hearing commotion on the police scanner. a shooting near robb elementary. it wasn't long before we received word from my son's teacher that they were safe, secure in the classroom. once evacuated from campus, the

children were reunited with parents and guardians at the civic center. my dad picked up julian from the civic center and took him to my grandmother's house. one of our robb kids was safe. we focused on finding lexi. bus after bus arrived, but she wasn't on board. we heard there were children at the local hospital, so we drove over to provide her description. she wasn't there. my dad drove an hour and a half to san antonio to check with the university hospital. at this point, some part of me must have realized she was gone. in the midst of chaos, i had the urge to return to robb. we didn't have our car at this point and traffic was everywhere. i ran. i ran barefoot with my flimsy sandals in my hand. i ran a mile to the school, my husband with me. he sat outside for awhile before it became clear we wouldn't

receive an answer from law enforcement on scene. a san antonio firefighter eventually gave us a ride back to the civic center where the district was asking all families who had not been reunited with their children to gather. soon after we sreceived the new that our daughter was among the 19 students and 2 teachers that died as a result of gun violence. we don't want you to think of lexi as just a number. she was intelligent, compassionate, and athletic. she was quiet, shy, unless she had a point to make. when she knew she was right, sh she so often was, she stood her ground. she was firm, direct, voice unwavering. so today, we stand for lexi and as her voice, we demand action. we seek a ban on assault rifles and high capacity magazines.

we understand that for some reason to some people, to people with money, to people who fund political campaigns that guns are more important than children. so at this moment, we ask for progress. we seek to raise the age to purchase these weapons from 18 to 21 years of age. we seek red flag laws, stronger background checks. ew we also want to repeal gun manufacturers' gun liability and unity. we've all seen glimpses of who lexi was, but i also want to tell you a little bit about who she would have been. if given the opportunity, lexi would have made a positive change in this world. she wanted to attend st. mary's university in texas on a softball scholarship. she wanted to major in math and go on to attend law school. that opportunity was taken from her. she was taken from us.

i'm a reporter, a student, a mom, a runner. i've read to my children since they were in the womb. my husband is a law enforcement officer, an iraq war veteran. he loves fishing and our babies. somewhere out there, there's a mom listening to our testimony thinking, i can't even imagine their pain, not knowing that our reality will one day be hers unless we act now. thank you for your time. >> thank you for your testimony. ms. hughes, you are now recognized for your testimony. >> honorable chairwoman maloney, ranking member comer, distinguished members of the committee, thank you for

allowing me to be here today to address the violence in our country. my name is lucretia hughes. i have four children and nine grandchildren. on the night of april 2, 2016, my family got a phone call that will change our lives forever. my ex-husband answered the phone and let out a blood-curdling scream, a scream of pain from the depths of his soul. he screamed, he cried he's gone. he is gone. our 19-year-old son emmanuel went to a party early that night after we got the call. we was frantic. we called his phone. no one answered. we called even the police. i went to facebook and i had to ask, is my son dead? i found out that he was shot point-blank in the head and killed while playing dominos. no one spoke up for weeks, and the killer was on the run.

no one was going to snitch, but that is the street life. words can't describe how hard it is to bury a child. i ache for anyone and all who have done the same. my son's death was the result of a criminal with an evil heart and a justice system failing to hold him accountable for the laws he had already broken. you see, a convicted felon killed my son with an illegally obtained gun. our gun control lobbyists and politicians claimed that their policies will save lives and reduce violence. well, those policies did not save my son. the laws being discussed are already implemented. in cities across this country, we have decades of evidence proving they do not work.

st. louis, new york, chicago, washington, atlanta. o they are gun control utopias and they are plagued with the most violence. ten more laws, 20 more laws, 1,000 more won't make what is already illegal more wrong or stop criminals from committing these crimes. and y'all are delusional if you think it's going to keep us safe. i am a walking testimony of how the criminal justice system and the gun control laws which is steeped in race ism by the way have failed the black community. by the age of 25, i had already went to 18 young, black men funerals. at the age of 25. i have one black man in jail,

one black man in the grave, and my young grandson going to be raised without a father, and it's a curse on the black community, and everyone else's. something has to change. thoughts and prayers and calls for more gun control isn't enough. how about letting me defend myself from evil? i -- you don't think that i'm capable and trustworthy to handle a firearm? you don't think that the second amendment doesn't apply to people that look like me? who and you who call for more gun control are the same ones that are calling to defund the police. who is supposed to protect us? we must prepare to be our own

first respondes, to protect ourselves and our loved ones. i am a legal, law-abiding citizen, and i don't need the government to save me. i teach people how to use a firearm. i empower others to look at me, to understand the second amen amendment is their right. i am a proud member of the d.c. project women for gun rights. we believe that education is the key to safety, not ineffective legislation. we support meaningful solutions that will actually save lives. we support the save student act, hr-7415 which would immediately make schools safer.

in hindsight of parkland, we saw failure of the government at every level, failing the students. students saw something and they said something, and the school did not act. police were called to his residence over 30 times, and they did not act, and finally, the police did not two into their school that fateful day and failed to protect those kids. we need to secure our -- secure our schools and we got to secure this building or like y'all do. what's the difference? we call on congress to ban gun-free zones. fund non-partisan firearm education programs like kid safe foundation and nongovernmental mental health organizations like hold my guns.

and in closing, i claim that nothing in these bills do anything to make a safer or address the mental health crisis in this country. despite living with the heartache of losing my son on a daily basis, i believe it is our god-given right to defend ourselves from any act of violence, making it more difficult or even more expensive for me, and people that look like me and other law-abiding citizens will not make us safer. it will embolden the criminals. gun owners are not the enemies and these gun control policies are not the institution. thank you. thank you. >> thank you. thank you all for your powerful and meaningful and gut-wrenching testimony.

we will now pause. you are excused and we will pause while we seat the next panel for their testimony. >> you have been watching the heartbreaking testimony of the families who have faced down the violence in this country firsthand through loss of their own loved ones in these mass shootings. each of them pleaing for action in this country, and you heard the final witness there pleading for a different course of action. all of them coming forward today with their own emotions and heartbreak and personal stories leading them to capitol hill today. we heard in particular from felix and kimberly rubio of uvalde who lost their daughter lexi. they had two children inside robb elementary that morning. they describe finding one and then the anguish after so much time went by when they learned that lexi had not survived the shooting. they did ask for action.

they want assault weapons banned in this country, but if that does not happen, they said perhaps progress can be made. perhaps there will be some sort of consensus, and they hope that the age for ar-15 style rifles will be raised from 18 to 21 years old. i want to bring in rachel scott who has been listening to this testimony all morning long with us here. she reports from capitol hill and has been on this issue every single night since these mass shootings of the last couple of weeks. rachel, where do things stand right now? the bipartisan effort among the small group of senators to try to get something done here. >> reporter: david, these emotional and gut-wrenching hearings are coming at a pivotal time here on capitol hill. as senators and lawmakers debate gun reform, as they race to try and strike a deal at the end of the week to do something to address the violence, the mass shootings that we are seeing play out over and over again in

this country. you heard from many of the families today asking for the age to be raised, at the very least to purchase semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21 because that is the common denominator in both the buffalo and uvalde mass shootings. the suspects were able to purchase those assault-style rifles at 18 years old. i can tell you from two sources that i have been speaking with that senate minority leader mitch mcconnell has signaled he could possibly be open to that, to colleagues privately, but he has not come out publicly and backed that, and it's unlikely that will make it into the final framework that senators are working on. what they were working on is something that would be more narrowckground checks andng red fg law and funding for mental health and school security b, but it canno be lost that the outcry from families here today that are calling on congress after 30 years of congressional action to finally do something, david.

>> so rachel, background checks, red flag warnings and perhaps help for mental health and the mental health crisis in parts of this country, but again, rachel, just as a follow-up here to you, even though your sources are reporting that mitch mcconnell minority leader in the senate, the republican might be privtely supporting this notion of raising the age to 21, but he hasn't publicly done so, and there's no plan to do that as part of this effort? >> reporter: i can tell you, david, that i have talked to many republicans day after day. we have been putting that question to them. would they support raising the age limit to 21? the vast majority of republicans have told me that they do not support that. they believe it's a bridge too far, or they believe that decision should be left up to the states. i'm told that is likely off the table in these bipartisan negotiations that are still ongoing, but it's still unclear whether or not mcconnell's words will do anything to change their minds and get them to reverse course, david. >> thank you.

for our viewers watching our live coverage this morning, the reason that's such a key part of this debate is both in uvalde and buffalo, authorities say these suspects not only were they 18, but they had just turned 18. it was a matter of days afterward in both cases when they bought their ar-15 style weapons and that's why age has been a particular question after these most recent shootings in this country, if the age at the very least should be raised in this country. i want to bring in our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas in washington. pierre, we also heard frustration there today during testimony about the length of time that went by before authorities actually moved in to take down the gunman in uvalde, and we understand the department of justice will now begin looking into that as they have after mass shootings before, looking into the response to see if perhaps law enforcement can learn as we move forward here. >> reporter: they will, david. in about an hour, the attorney general will lay out a plan to

do a review. not a criminal investigation, but a review of what took place in uvalde. there have been so many misstatements. there has been so little trans transparency. the justice department knows that the country needs to have answers as to what took place. we know that law enforcement is supposed to go in and deal with an active shooter and confront him and engage him until the incident is over, period. the justice department wants to find out what took place, if anything went well at all, but they need to get to the answers that that community needs to have, david. >> pierre thomas with us here. we do have one more question. pierre, thank you. i want to bring in mireya mireya villareal. responding that day to the children being brought in, that pediatrician. many of whom he treated in that community for so long.

one of the things in your note overnight which was very important i think to point out is that he respects responsible gun owners. he's a gun owner himself, but we heard him there today not only ask for gun safety reform, but describing the injuries to these children, what these children looked like when they were brought in. the ones that did not survive, and obviously the country has not seen these images, but there have been questions along the way about whether or not the description would bring that reality home for so many people who simply have not acted after any of these mass shootings. >> reporter: you know, david, i think it was essential for him to be graphic in this moment, and for the american people to hear how bad it was on that day. he talked about these victims being pulverized and near decapitation. we spoke with the justice of the peace who had to go in and identify these bodies of these children and two teachers and he

couldn't even get it out, what that scene looked like, what it smelled like. all he could share with us was the sounds that he will forever hear, and it is the sound of those ringing cell phones in childrens' backpacks and on the back of one of the teachers, he desperately wanted to pick up the phone and tell families what was going on, but he couldn't. he had a job to do, and i think that's exactly what we are seeing from this community is people standing up and saying, enough is enough. well, we don't want to take your guns away. we do want some sort of action. we are tired of the fighting between democrats and republicans, and if it can happen here in uvalde, texas, david, these people are saying, it can happen everywhere, and i think we heard that from the rubio family when she said, you know, i know there's a mom out there somewhere who is listening to my testimony and let me just say, if nothing happens, this will happen in your school to your children. >> mireya, thank you. in fact, just to expand on that

point, she said, there are mothers out there who are thinking to themselves, i cannot imagine that pain and as mireya just pointed out, that pain will come to you if there is no action in this country, and as we say so often after these mass shootings, we don't like to focus on the suspects and there are stories of lives forever changed. we'll leave you with this thought about lexi. the parents you saw felix wiping the tears away from his eyes as his wife, the mother of lexi so carefully and emotionally spoke ally spoke of their personal experience asking for action. there she is right there, lexi. she received the good citizen award that morning. she had been recognized for straight as, and then her mother asking her to pose for a picture with her teacher, mr. reyes. her mother pointing out that's the last photo ever of her daughter, 10:54. this is another cherished image, but that photo with her teacher,

mr. reyes she points out, the last photo i'll have of my daughter, 10:54 that morning. this committee will hear from a second panel of witnesses shortly, and we will have live coverage of their powerful testimony as well on abc newslive. i'll be back with the entire team for "world news tonight" a bit later on this station. bit later on this station. i'm david muir in new york. so do it with cascade. 'cause even small loads save water. (vo) look closely at a wolf. you've seen him before. he's your dog. wolves and dogs share many traits. like a desire for meat. that's why there's blue wilderness, made with the protein-rich meat your dog loves. feed your dog's inner wolf with blue wilderness.

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age before beauty? why not both? visibly diminish wrinkled skin in just two days. new crepe corrector lotion only from gold bond. champion your skin. ♪ i like what i see when i'm looking at me when i walk past the mirror ♪ ♪ ♪ miss mary. mary j. blige, back now with our "gma" cover story, queen latifah speaking about the moment a trainer categorized her as obese. the actress talking about body size and health on the latest episode of "red table talk." kaylee hartung is back with more on this story. hello, again, kaylee. >> reporter: hey, good morning again, robin. we are used to seeing queen pla face cracking jokes and making us laugh. when her trainer told her she qualifies as obese she got mad. now she wants to change the stigma. this morning, rapper and actress

queen latifah speaking out about being categorized as obese. >> i was mad at that. [ laughter ] >> i was like, what? me? i mean, i'm just thick. but i'm saying -- she said, you are 30% over where you should be. you know, i am like obesity? >> reporter: on an episode of "red table talk" she got real about her weight and her new trainer. >> she was showing me different body types and she was, like, this is what your bmi is, this is what your weight is, and you fall into this category of obesity. >> reporter: bmi or body mass index is calculated using a person's height and weight to sort people into categories like underweight or obese, but it doesn't distinguish between excess fat, muscle or bone mass. so it's only one tool that health care providers use. the national institutes of health says bmi may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.

>> bmi is really controversial because it doesn't take body composition into consideration. for women of color we tend to have more muscle mass and also be in bigger bodies. so the bmi will falsely say that we are in the overweight or obese category and then we get flagged but we may be healthy metabolically. >> reporter: queen latifah telling the hosts that her body has been the subject of scrutiny for years as far back as the early '90s when she was in "living single." >> we look like four women who would live in brooklyn and that's who we were supposed to be representing. the word came down that we needed to lose weight. we're on the number one show among black and latino households in america and you're telling us we need to lose weight. maybe you're the one with the problem. >> we need to change the conversation to really be talking about metabolic health. how is your blood pressure?

how is your sugar? how are your lipids? not how much you weigh. >> reporter: queen latifah says when she was just 18 years old she had to look in the mirror and decide am i going to love myself or hate myself. she chose love. you can hear so much more from queen latifah on the newest episode of "red table talk" streaming on facebook watch today. guys? >> i was going to say i love her. >> we do. >> yes, we do. >> she is love. >> yes, she is love. something else we love, our "gma" out loud series, part of our ongoing pride coverage and we're happy to reveal that robin is -- >> gay! >> not only that but -- >> what was the clue, the rainbow colors this morning? >> you're gracing the cover of "people" magazine. >> i couldn't resist. thank you. >> that is a big honor. how do you feel about that? >> you know what, i am honored. i am honored. i am blessed. i am grateful because this issue is about being true to who you are and the fact that no one walks their path alone. "people" magazine is highlighting the role allies

have in the lgbtq plus community. for me when it comes to allies, my cup runneth over. lara, george, michael and my good friend, deborah roberts. good morning, deb. >> hey there, robin. for people who think we're sisters we'll confuse them even more, right? i am thrilled to be a part of this issue with you. "people" magazine has been featuring this pride issue for more than a decade but this one is likely to resonate in such a big way because it focuses on a allyship. so many influential voices along with robin's telling everyone how critical it is not only to be tolerant of each other, but to be supportive as well. ♪ >> the fact that i can help others be seen means everything. >> reporter: that's my dear pal robin roberts front and center on the cover of "people's" pride issue. >> all of the people that we're focusing on are either nominated by or photographed with or speaking about the ally in their

life, the person who made their coming out and their life in this way easier. >> reporter: it's a vibrant celebration of lgbtqia plus allyship, including ours. i am forever grateful to her and i can just be me. >> reporter: more than 20 years of live shots, laughter and love shared between us. >> what i really appreciated, what i feel an ally does is that when they're at a dinner party and the conversation turns to homosexuality, being gay or anything that's in my world, your ally speaks up. i think of her as being that voice in that room. that's where we see how allies really step up. >> deborah represents. deborah speaks up. but what stands out for me about robin and deborah is it's just a

normal everyday friendship. at the end of the day that's what this really is all about. >> reporter: also in the issue, five-time grammy winner christina aguilera who reflects about her allyship and how far representation has come since she released her iconic ballad "beautiful" in 2002. ♪ i am beautiful no matter what they say ♪ ♪ words can't bring me down ♪ >> since then so many doors have been broken down. i was happy to represent and give voice to many who might have been struggling to find themselves. being an ally is not short-lived. it's something that is a part of your dna. >> reporter: that allyship more important now than ever. supporting efforts to make the world a kinder, safer place for the lgbtqia plus community. >> it shows, i hope, how normal an lgbtq experience can be and should be with the right surroundings, with the right community.

>> bless the allies in the world. bless those that step in the gap for us. >> standing in the gap. for more video go to peopletv.com to hear more about this and to learn more about your story. so cool, robin. >> i appreciate you willing to be a part of it. means so much. >> deb, i want to ask you, what does being an ally mean to you? >> you know, it's funny, when that first came up, i thought -- i don't even think of it as a construct. i don't even think of being an ally. for me, both being southern girls, you do right, you live right, you treat people right. i just think of it as being supportive of somebody in life that you would be anyway. now it's important to have an action behind it to be an ally but i think it should just be organic. >> take us inside the conversation when they approached you about the article. >> you know, i had mixed feelings about it. i knew it was going to be the pride issue and i was very honest in -- because it's in my own words and just talking about how i learned that it is important to come out.

it is important to speak your truth. i was very, very fortunate -- and i share a story when i told my sister in my 20s. i get emotional because she was so great and so loving. earlier i had shared with a friend who i thought was a friend and they were so hurtful and so not every family -- how many times do you know of families who have disowned a family member? to have that ally and to have that talked about is so very important. >> it was very touching to me because when i got the call to -- i was -- i got emotional. because i just think of us as friends. i never think about it as something that is active but it is important for it to be active. so it meant a lot to me that you sort of thought of me in that way because i just think we're just sister girlfriend. >> i said my cup runs over. the conversations that i've had with all of you and how you include me with your children because that was something growing up. it was, like, oh, no, no, no. >> that's hard to believe. >> i know but that's what's so great about it. you with -- i remember when your

girls came to my apartment before my bone marrow transplant and it was just -- it was so sweet and there were a bunch of us in there and it's just like you said, it's not even really thinking about it and just knowing that's how it should be, but knowing it's not that way for everyone. so that's why representation is so key, so important. >> when my daughter bonded with you too and that just meant so much to me because she takes with her too into the world just this kindness and this gentleness and this allyship because she knows you. >> for our kids it's not even a -- >> it is not even an issue. >> you beat me to it. this generation really, they understand that it's not -- they're probably wondering why are they spending all this time talking about it? it's how it should be but it's not that way everywhere and we have to realize that. >> it's phenomenal. everybody needs to see it. you look beautiful. your words are so meaningful. >> thank you. >> stand in the gap, i like that. >> we need you to stand in the gap. >> and if you didn't know, robin

is gay. [ laughter ] >> you know now with that dress. >> yes. [ applause ] >> thank you. >> you can read more about it by reading "people's" pride issue that hits newsstands this friday. now let's go to ginger. >> reporter: i love it. thank you so much. i love being an ally as well. and speaking of, we need to be a friend to the ocean. that's why we're out here in sea bright, new jersey. we came down the shore because it is world oceans day. from our drone, you can see the beauty that is that jersey beach. yes, we love the beaches. we love to enjoy it, but our oceans, more than 71% of our world is not well. they have absorbed so much of our greenhouse gas emissions and taking the temperature down for us but they have a cap. they can feed millions of people and they've got marine life beyond. we've seen from our drone whales and dolphins this morning. so it's not just time to celebrate but, boy, when you have to educate, and i can't wait to do that with you, :ar a. our warmest spots again going a.

into the 70's and 80's later on this afternoon. tonight partly cloudy skies. comfortably warm today. hotter tomorrow and it's a very hot day for most of us. an excessive heat watch will be in effect friday. we will turn noticeably cooler bybybybybybyby turning now to gwyneth paltrow. she wants you to eat healthier and happy to show you how to do it inviting our will reeve into the kitchen for some really easy and delicious recipes. good morning, will. that must have been fun. >> reporter: oh, what a treat it was, lara. good morning. gwyneth paltrow is an oscar winner, a mom, a wife, a wellness mogul with her goop lifestyle brand and says her favorite thing out of all that is making food for the people she loves and i got a firsthand experience with her in the kitchen making some of her favorite dishes. her performances on the silver screen, marvel-ous.

inside her test kitchen she is redefining good food and healthy eating. >> people think sometimes it's boring or not delicious and it's my mission to help people understand that that's not true. like really healthy food can be absolutely delicious. >> reporter: we start with a simple salad. >> you know, nutritionists tell you to eat the rainbow, right? so this salad is kind of like a rainbow salad. i'll take baby gem lettuce which i like because, i don't know, it's a very friendly lettuce. it's not too bitter. >> friendly lettuce. are there unfriendly lettuces? >> i think there are some more advanced lettuce. >> are we on beginner lettuce? >> friendly, easy lettuce. everybody likes it. >> reporter: toss in orange tomatoes, purple cabbage and some cucumbers to round out the

rainbow and what's a summer salad without avocado, and that pesky pit removal. >> smack the pit harder. >> see, i got scared. >> there you go, now twist it. there you go, you did it. it's so healthy and i don't feel weighted down and exhausted after lunch. >> reporter: salad complete, it's time now for an easy sweet snack. powerballs filled with blended up superfoods like hemp seeds, dates, coconut and almond butter. >> cheers. there we go. >> oh, it's delicious. >> uh-huh and by the way if you have a sweet tooth and don't want to eat processed sugar this does the trick. >> reporter: something to wash it all down. >> this is something i make or if i feel like i'm getting a tickle in my throat or need a little energy like this is a great 4:00 p.m. pick me up. >> i think a lot of us dive into the coffee later and later in the day. >> then it affects your sleep at night. that's not good for your overall wellness. >> that's bad wellness behavior. it's made from juice from grated ginger. >> milk the ginger. >> you can milk anything. >> i'm very impressed with you.

>> some water, lemon. >> squeeze. >> this is why i go to the gym. >> look at these biceps at work and then add a bit of turmeric but be careful because it stains everything. >> reporter: finally honey and then -- >> then give me a little cracked pepper in it because that will activate your turmeric. >> what does that mean? >> i don't know. >> that's something you say? >> they just told me that. >> really? >> yeah. cheers to you. >> thank you. > mm-mm. >> reporter: that was really a lot of fun and everything we made is straightforward and made from ingredients you can find from your grocery store or local farmers market. anowa tioup r frsaomla gd dressing in a jar, all that rainbow stuff into a container, pack it up, take it to work or on your summer travels, light, easy, delicious, and nutritious, lara. >> will, i am impressed and i think gwyneth likes you, gp as you call her. well done, my friend. >> reporter: yeah, we're old

friends. >> you can get the qr code on the screen for the recipes. coming up, iman vellani went from marvel superfan to a superhero.

announcer: building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. >> good morning. i am kumasi aaron. let's get to jobina with a look at the traffic. >> we have been following an alert on the san mateo bridge the last hour. it is clear so i am giving you the thumbs up. but the backup continues. speeds run 24 miles per hour in the westbound direction on the right-hand side of the screen. we will wrap up with the drive times. everything pretty slow. most notable highway 4 around 29 minutes. >> thank you. meteorolog

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drew: live with kelly and ryan is coming up next. we talk with laura dern at 9:00 on abc seven >> looking at temperatures, 50's along the coast, 60's around the bay. inland already into the 70's. live look from the exploratorium camera. partly cloudy skies. your day features that partly cloudy sky, bright and breezy by midday. comfortably warm in the 70's and 80's away from the coast. by friday an excessive heat watch for temperatures into the

90's at triple digits. >> we will have another update in 30 minutes. you can always find the latest at abc7news.com. ♪ ♪ r ♪ rain on me ♪ ♪ rain on me ♪ we love our next guest already. she went from -- >> of course, you do. >> yes, i do, george. she went from marvel superfan to superhero. now the wait for "ms. marvel" is over. the disney+ series based on a comic starring iman vellani is out now. the morning of her screen debut she's right here with us in times square. good morning. >> tell everybody out there in america what you just told michael strahan.

>> you're asking me if this is weird and i'm like, breathing the same air as you guys is. [ laughter ] the jarring thing is i'm meeting all my idols and everything and adding like legs to their faces. [ laughter ] supposed to be on my screen and we're now in touching distance. >> i love the way you put it. >> i feel privileged to breathe the same air as you do every day, michael. >> i'll put it into a bottle and send it to you. how about that? >> oh, my gosh. >> we're going to talk about you. congratulations. congratulations. this is your first acting gig ever. your first job. >> yeah. >> you heard about the audition in a strange way. >> whatsapp. >> whatsapp. >> whatsapp. it's like honestly the greatest way this could have happened because south asians love whatsapp and forwards. my aunt sent me the casting call that she got through a chat and here we are. i thought it was a scam but -- >> then when you found out you got the job, did you think that was a scam when they called you?

>> it was the last day of high school and i was with my friends. we were going to get burritos and we went to pick up another friend and get a text, sara, the casting director, can you get on this call? i was, like, no. my friends didn't know i had auditioned so i didn't want to get this in front of them and she was like, i sent you the link, get on, winky face. i was, like, whatever the response is i'm not going to have a reaction so my friends don't know. kevin feige got on my phone and i freaked out and my friends were like, did you win the lottery? i was, like, basically. we still got burritos. >> you still got the burritos. >> it was a good day. >> you have priorities. do not mess up the burritos. >> you said you're like a walking marvel encyclopedia. >> a little bit. >> right. your character is breaking barriers here and so are you thinking -- did you have input? >> yeah. it's like all me. there's no acting. yeah. [ laughter ] i'm like so scared to do other roles now.

i'm, like, can i do anything else? >> it's great to give your input. >> no, it's so incredible that they're actually listening to me and, you know, kevin feige put this in the best way possible, if i wasn't giving them all the notes that i'm giving them, i would be saying it online if i wasn't getting cast in this part so they might as well listen to the criticisms now, yeah. >> good point. >> how much fun are you having with this? >> a lot. it's candy land for me. i'm like -- the only thing i'm passionate about in high school and everything was movies and marvel and now this is what i'm doing. how rare is that that people get to actually do this? >> it's pretty great. so great you appreciate it. let's look at a clip. >> does this look like some kind of writing to you? >> it's hard to read. it looks like arabic or urdu. i don't know. >> let's focus on what we know. light comes out of you and it hardens. >> let's call it hard light. >> groundbreaking. >> we saw your superhero moves. how did you train?

how did you get ready for that? >> it's funny. anything i do now is going to be established so we have so much freedom. it's like i can do this and now it's just a thing. [ laughter ] all this happens. i'm like, we're on set and we're like doing that scene, it was just like me doing whatever moves that would come in my head and we filmed it and so they just put it in there and now it's -- >> it's a thing. >> it's a thing. it's a big thing. you are living your best life. you are giving us life. brie larson, didn't she give you input? >> yeah. she was like the first person to reach out e mtoafr tei t as ely bedroom wall and had to hide them when i was calling her.

[ laughter ] >> and now every move you make as you said is part of the marvel cannon. so what's next for you in the marvelverse? >> the marvels, yeah. it's a great title. marvel studios presents the marvels presenting captain marvel and ms. marvel. >> can't wait for that. i'm just curious now. how is it for you to go home? >> weird. >> ms. marvel, is it weird with your friends? does your family treat you any differently? >> no. they -- i mean, they'll put me on a pedestal for two seconds and then it's back to doing chores and everything. what is weird is going back to my old comic book shop because that's where i fell in love with ms. marvel and read the comics and these guys are hyping me up and it's -- it's weird. it's like seeing how everything started. >> i tell you what, we have fallen in love with you here. >> don't change. i mean, i hope that you always feel this way. you know, you always have this outlook. >> i'm pretty sure you're just

getting started. >> and we're honored to breathe the air that you're breathing. >> likewise, seriously. >> we really are. >> what a breath of fresh air you are. "ms. marvel" is on disney+ now. check it out, everybody. coming up, robin will introduce us to a mom on a mission with a beary special project. we'll be right back.

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we are back with an announcement from target. the retail giant will be slashing prices in a massive sale to clear out pandemic-era products. the latest retailer dealing with a buildup of inventory and erielle reshef here with all the details. good morning, erielle. >> good morning, george. first there were those pandemic supply chain issues and they left basically the store shelves bare then finally products were restocked and consumers rushed to buy them but now americans are pulling back their spending in response to the record-setting inflation and many retailers like target have just too much inventory left over. target the latest slashing prices on merchandise, taking up space like home goods and patio furniture. take a look here. this keurig k-cup coffee maker now nearly $40 off, and this outdoor furniture set originally $909, we found it for $442. more than half off. experts say this is a big deal because stores like target can be a big indicator of how the market is trending.

>> other retailers doing it too? >> they are, absolutely. other big box retailers like walmart are trying to clear their overstock by offering sales. this air fryer at walmart, $60 off. the price of this robot vacuum, everybody needs one, at walmart almost cut in half, $165. consumer spending needs have changed over the course of the pandemic as so many know. we're focusing on groceries and essentials and that means clothing retailers like gap and kohl's and american eagle need to work harder to attract shoppers and are doing that by offering deep discounts, up to 50% off in some case. >> how do consumers find them? >> the best deals are -- some of them are out there already. retailers already posting some of these sales as you can see. so grab some of those deals on items you may need to use now but be aware that things like furniture, tech and kitchen appliances and seasonal clothing could be further marked down in the coming weeks. >> that's something. erielle, thanks very much. robin? >> thank you both. here we have first-time entrepreneurs, they run into road blocks as they try to expand their business. i learned that my own neighbor

has turned her garage into a sorage warehouse as she works to sell a teddy bear she calls tooth bear-y. it is meant to be the tooth fairy's helper. we decided to reach out to a pr expert to help her with strategies for success. >> lost his tooth today. he's 7 and lost it in school. >> reporter: an idea inspired by a mom seeking a better solution. >> which one is missing? >> reporter: liz easing her children's fear of the tooth fairy by creating its helper. meet the tooth bear-y. >> this teddy bears fixes fears that kids and grown-ups have about losing teeth and waking a child, but also allows the bear to keep the teeth in its magic heart. >> reporter: liz pouring her heart and savings into her creation. but sales have hit a standstill. >> we were running out of money on storage fees in l.a. so we decided to get an 18-wheeler to ship them here.

now our tooth bear-ys are warm and dry and we have to park outside. >> reporter: i recently stopped by the headquarters at liz's home. >> this is a short commute. hi, there, neighbor. >> hi. >> reporter: to learn how she is working to boost business. >> this is your garage/warehouse. >> it is. >> you have approximate 2,000 tooth bearys? >> 2,000 in there, 18 in each box. >> tell us about the five years, the process of that, of getting to this point. >> long process, you know, trying to find a manufacturer to be able to replicate the mouthpiece because my patent is actually this part here and the tube goes inside. >> have a teddy bear, ripped it apart. >> i found one on clearance. i made a cape and the cape is a pouch so that the tooth fairy still comes. >> what i love is you all are not trying to replace the tooth fairy, it's a collaboration. >> that's right. >> this is really popular in the neighborhood, your tooth bear-y

van. >> this is fun on wheels. >> it's a snowy day, but even in the snow, kids lose teeth. >> thank you. >> liz, what's the biggest challenge, getting this out and letting people know about it? >> the challenges have been, you know, the marketing end of it and for people to know that it's not just a teddy bear. like you're getting a whole new magical tradition. >> reporter: to help her create strategies for success -- >> this is jenna. she's going to be the tooth bear-y fairy coach expert over the next two weeks. >> hi. >> reporter: "gma" teaming liz up with pr expert jenna guarneri, author of the new book "you need pr." >> what is going to be your initial strategy to help tooth-beary? >> it's about perception. so how an end consumer perceives a brand through their messaging and story time. we'll start by assessing your messaging to make sure the look, feel and tone are consistent. the goal for liz would be to increase her customer base,

develop a loyal fan base, increase her profitability and for those bears to get that eviction notice. those bears have to get out of that garage. they need to be sold out. >> we can't wait to see the work you'll do. >> i agree. we have lot to do and excited to be working with you. >> thank you so much. >> so we've been following along on liz and jenna's journey for months. in a few weeks we will reveal the progress and that can be applied to any business owner. "you need pr" is available anywhere books are sold. we shot that april 1st. they've been meeting weekly. and part of it is to show other people when you -- how many have a start-up like that and need a little help? so we'll see how they strategize and what happens. >> can't wait. >> such a cute idea. i love the tooth bear-y. >> it's the helper. >> tooth fairy, your job is safe. >> that's it. let's get back to ginger now in see bright, new jersey. >> reporter: thanks, robin.

we're here celebrating world ocean day but i also want people to take a moment to say thank you to that water because it's saving us. it is our lifeguard at this point when it comes to climate change because we, as you look at the drone, if you can imagine, have produced so many greenhouse gas emissions. the oceans have absorbed 90% of the excess heat we've created. that means it would be 100 degrees warmer on average if it weren't for the oceans. when they take in co2, they end up throwing off the balance. it's in overdrive right now. the ph balance is off. the chemistry is off and you're seeing images of coral bleaching because of ocean acidification. on the top of all that, marine life is impacted. it's so important to remember this because as we go forward, oceania and scientists say we do have impact. we just have to race away from fossil fuels to renewables. >> ginger, you spoke about those

images. we always see those images of the social filled with plastic. explain how big of an issue that is and how do we make it better? >> reporter: you've seen those images because 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year. 14 million tons of that make their way into the oceans and you say, yeah, but i'm not that person that litters. it's not just litter. we have plastic in our clothing. with we watch our clothing that ends up going into the ocean creating micro plastics. i made simple changes and we can demand from industry they do it too. no big bottles for laundry detergent. i use these and will get that one that ran away. sheets that come in a box or shampoo and conditioner in bar form. there are lots of options out there. i hope you can celebrate with us and demand some change. it's world oceans day but a check closer to home. but a chek closer to home. s day but a check closer to home. now to a powerful new documentary about the fall of the boy scouts of america.

"leave no trace" explores the century-long coverup and its failure to protect generations of boys from sexual abuse. it's debuting on hulu. take a look. >> a boy scout is trustworthy. >> loyal, courteous, kind, brave and obedient. >> one thing about scouting once you're in you don't leave. >> parents gave the boy scouts the most valuable thing they had, their children and the boy scouts told parents, you can trust us. >> at first he was a nice guy. it wasn't even, like, a week. it was the night i got there he started doing stuff. >> unbelievably heartbreaking stories. so many of them are haunted by who they would have become if this never happened to them. >> this is about figuring out how to move from victim to survivor. >> and when the detective says he confessed to abuse, i must have read that email 100 times

because i no longer had to prove to people that i was abused. i was free. when big tobacco's products were found out to be killers, they promised smokers safety. they called it a filter. but this filter wasn't safe or useful, just small and made of microplastics

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♪ working 9 to 5 ♪ we're back now with how a best-selling author the paying tribute to the queen of count trcountry, the one and only dolly. janai norman is back now with how author brad meltzer hopes his new book, "i am dolly parton," is more than a just a cup of ambition. >> yes. >> you like that? >> he is a number one "new york times" best-selling author of multiple thrillers and said to be the only author with books on the best-seller's list for nonfiction, advice, comic books and children's books for his series "i am." you could say he works 9 to 5 and now honoring miss dolly parton. ♪ tumble out of bed and stumble

to the kitchen pour myself a cup of ambition ♪ >> reporter: country music legend dolly parton like you've never seen her before. ♪ jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene ♪ >> reporter: animated in a children's book. "i am dolly parton" and "i am i.m. pei" are by the thriller novelist turned children author brad meltzer, and illustrator christopher eliopolous. ♪ there's more where that came from ♪ >> dolly parton came from that spot of me telling my kids, this is where your dreams can take you. look what they can do for you. that's where "i am i.m. pei" came from. >> reporter: the children are telling their life stories while teaching important life lessons. >> the reason their voice comes from that kid's perspective is because kids suddenly realize, wait a minute, that person is just like me. >> reporter: he has written over 30 "i am" books including oprah frida kahlo, and even walt disney himself.

>> i want my kids to have these great heros. i can give them heroes of kindness and compassion. >> reporter: the author says he hopes his readers learn about kindness and humility. >> your future is yours to construct, brick by brick. you can design it, shape it and build something beautiful, build something meaningful, build something that expresses who you are. >> so dolly parton is the 28th in his best-selling "i am" biography series. others include john lewis, billie jean king, just cyst sonia sotomayor, batman, a key time line of the events and "i am dolly parton" is out now. you said your daughter loved this. >> kate read i think every one. she'll probably read dolly because who wouldn't. such great books. thank you for bringing that to us. love it. we'll be right back. ♪ no taking and to giving ♪ ♪ they just use your mind and

>> announcer: tomorrow on "gma," jump start your morning with simu liu live. plus, the one and only jennifer lopez is on. >> good morning, america. >> announcer: then friday live carrie underwood, on her family, her music and a performance you can't miss on sponsored by ancestry. bring your family's story to life. before we go, we want to send a big congratulations to

our coordinating entertainment producer cleopatra. >> cleo. >> got married over the weekend. we wish them all the best. congratulations. >> congratulations, so beautiful. >> mwah. have a great day, everybody. da. - [announcer] the more we learn about covid-19, the more questions we have. the biggest question now, what's next? what will covid bring in six months, a year? if you're feeling anxious about the future, you're not alone.

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>> building a better bay area, finding solutions, this is abc. >> good morning, everyone. here is traffic. >> good morning, everyone. we are going to begin with a live look at the san mateo bridge. we had an earlier alert that cleared about an hour ago, but you are still looking at residual delays on the bridge. your average speeds will track at around 30 miles per hour. >> we are seeing numbers warming through the 60's and 70's. partly cloudy skies out there and on our way to a comfortable day. that sunny sky out there. partly skies throughout the day. 70's by lunchtime. mid 70's to mid 80's into the afternoon. excessive heat watch will go into effect friday morning. >> now it is time for live with

kelly and ryan and we will be back for midday live. we hope to see you then. >> announcer: it's "live with kelly and ryan!" today, academy award winner laura dern. and star of the new series, "ms. marvel," iman yellani. also "live's summer school week" continues with the tech class you need to check out. plus, actress ali wentworth joins ryan at the co-host desk. all next on "live!" and now, here are ryan seacrest and ali wentworth! >> ryan: hi. good morning, deja. how are you? >> ali: thank you. >> ryan: good morning. we made it to wednesday,