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tv   Good Morning America  ABC  June 18, 2022 7:00am-8:01am PDT

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good morning, america. three american volunteers missing in ukraine. video from russian media showing two of them held captive. >> i hope to be back home as soon as i can. >> what their families are saying this morning as president biden issues a warning and vladimir putin weighs in on ukraine trying to join the eu. travel troubles. hundreds of flights delayed and canceled. more than a thousand the day before. what to expect when you head to the airport. plus, pain at the pump. is relief coming in the mail? and an exclusive look at the people pounding the pavement to help track inflation. getting their shot.
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the fda authorizes covid vaccines for children as young as 6 months. the cdc with the last word today. plus, the frustration in florida over a governor's inaction. breaking overnight, members of the production team for "the late show with stephen colbert" reportedly arrested by capitol hill police. what we're learning this morning. trump's talk. the former president taking aim again at his former vp mike pence for certifying the election results. his latest comments overnight on the january 6th riot. stepping away. wwe boss vince mcmahon reportedly being investigated for allegedly paying hush money following an affair. what this means for the multimillion dollar entertainment league and how the company is responding this morning. and triumphant return. the golden state warriors showing off their brand-new trophy.
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and the special phone call for steph curry right after winning his fourth nba title. good morning, america. a lot to talk about on this saturday morning including the economy. wall street wrapping up a tumultuous week with a mixed finish that follows that dreadful inflation report last week. we have an exclusive inside look at how that inflation figure is calculated. it's the painstaking work of hundreds of people tracking product prices nationwide. also ahead, we're just hours away from the cdc weighing in on covid shots for kids as young as 6 months. we'll have more on when they could become available. but we start here with the war in ukraine. word now of a third american missing as ukraine moves one step closer to joining the eu. let's get the latest with abc's britt clennett in odesa. britt, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, whit.
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that's right. a third american is missing. two other men confirmed to be taken captive. meanwhile, their families desperate for any news on the whereabouts of their loved ones. this morning another american confirmed missing in ukraine by his family, retired marine captain grady kurpasi. >> i'd follow that man anywhere. he cared more about others than he did himself. >> reporter: the retired marine now one of the three american volunteers that went missing in the region in the past week. this video from the state controlled media in russia shows the other two americans, alexander drueke and andy huynh, being held captive by the russians in ukraine. this as the kremlin denies any knowledge of the americans' whereabouts. 27-year-old andy huynh was recorded delivering a pro-russian propaganda message presumably forced into doing so. abc news will not air the content of the message. the russian news outlet says the video was recorded a
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couple of days ago at a detention center in the donbas region. >> mom, i just want to let you know i'm alive, and i hope to be back home as soon as i can be. >> reporter: a state department spokesperson acknowledging the videos saying they are in contact with ukrainian authorities. despite being held captive, alexander drueke's aunt says she was happy seeing her nephew on video. >> we are excited to have confirmation that he is alive. >> reporter: president biden aware of the missing citizens, but also making clear that no americans should go to ukraine. >> i have been briefed. we don't know where they are, but i want to reiterate, americans should not be going to ukraine now. >> reporter: heavy russian shelling in the eastern city of lysychansk killing several civilians and cutting off this key highway. this family managing to escape the city and safely reach kyiv. russian president vladimir putin shrugging off signs ukraine is a step closer to joining the european union. this as putin warns the west that so-called stupid sanctions
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against russia will backfire and this as his forces press on in the south appearing to renew their assault. janai? >> and as boris johnson says the uk will work to intensify sanctions. britt, thank you so much. and joining us is now retired u.s. army general doug lute, also a former u.s. ambassador to nato. general lute, thank you so much for being with us. the issue of these missing americans, this is incredibly difficult diplomatically for the u.s. because we're talking about a country that's at war. >> well, that's right. this is obviously a tough situation for the individuals involved and for their families as your clips showed, but it's also a tough position for the u.s. government. the government can advise citizens not to travel there, warn them of the dangers, but when individual citizens choose to make that trip across the border into ukraine, which is a war zone, the government's options are very limited. i'm sure that the state department and others will
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attempt to do all they can to locate these individuals and eventually repatriate them. but, of course, this takes place in the context of the very difficult diplomatic relations right now between us and russia. >> and as we heard in britt's piece, as you just mentioned, despite all of those warnings that americans shouldn't go to fight in ukraine, it's not all that difficult if someone wants to. >> it's very difficult. look, these are free citizens. the travel is open. the borders are open, especially in western ukraine, which borders four nato allies. so american citizens can travel there. it's just that they should not, and i thought the president was quite clear in emphasizing that warning yesterday. >> and, general lute, where are we right now in the conflict, and what's the significance of the european union putting ukraine on a path to membership? >> well, first of all, on the european union's side, they took an important but largely symbolic step yesterday to grant
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candidate status to ukraine, and this simply is the next step in eventual ukraine membership in the european union. but my guess is that that's -- the final steps are years away. ukraine acknowledges that it has homework to do before it fully qualifies for european union membership, and this has to do with solidifying their democratic institutions, working on corruption and so forth and, of course, that's all for now. not as important as winning the fight against russia. on the ground, what we're seeing, especially now that the fight is focused on the donbas, the so-called region just in the very eastern part of ukraine, butting up against russia, we're seeing a slugfest, which is largely playing out against civilian infrastructure as your photos show and will be a contest of logistics. on the one side can russia sustain this kind of assault and on the ukrainian side, can the
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western coalition, 50 nations, can the western coalition led by the u.s. sustain supplies to ukrainian forces? >> and that's what we'll be watching. retired army lieutenant general doug lute, thank you so much for being with us this morning. eva? switching gears now to the chaos at the nation's airports, hundreds of flights canceled today and more than a thousand flights canceled on friday, and the lines just keep growing. abc's andrew dymburt has the latest from new york's laguardia airport. good morning to you, andrew. >> reporter: and good morning, eva. yeah, for days now, travelers have either been stuck in long lines or stranded outright as they try to reach their destinations. and here at new york's of the hardest hit, this as we - approach peak summer travel season. this morning, the travel troubles from the week piling up with hundreds of flights delayed and canceled. your flight is delayed.on said - the very second text was actually it's canceled. >> reporter: overnight flight cancellations topping 1,400
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nationwide with nearly 4,400 delays for u.s. flights and around 1200 more delays and cancellations this morning. >> come to find out it was at 10, then the 10 was pushed back to 2. so we've been here since 4:00 this morning, and this is unacceptable. >> reporter: airlines scrambling to get passengers back in the skies. since thursday over 2,800 flights have been grounded as severe weather pushed across the northeast. those disruptions spilling into the weekend. >> the industry is just stretched to the breaking point and instead of bending when something bad happens, it just snaps and falls apart. >> reporter: airports experiencing the most cancellations include major hubs, boston, charlotte and all new york city area airports, dallas and atlanta according to data from flight aware. earlier this week airline executives met with transportation secretary pete buttigieg. sources tell abc news buttigieg stressed airlines must improve customer service and reliability. this latest flood of cancellations and delays are due in part to pilot and air traffic
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control staffing shortages leading to fewer flights and longer lines. >> they're still working to hire back more pilots to fill the gaps that they've got. >> reporter: delta air lines pilots say they've been flying a record amount of overtime amid all the canceled flights. also this weekend the international air transport association is holding its annual conference. there will be airline executives there. you got to think that all this travel mess will be a top priority. whit? >> definitely, as someone who traveled the past couple of days, i can confirm it was quite miserable. all right. andrew, thank you so much. we appreciate it. we do want to turn to the pain at the pump. the national average for a gallon of gas dropping to just under $5 as the biden administration reportedly takes another look at sending gas rebate cards to millions of americans. abc's ike ejiochi is at the d.c. area with more. ike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, whit. other than the prices at the grocery store, americans' next big concern are the prices at the pump.
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take a look. right here in washington, d.c., this station is at $5.13 a gallon, and you'll regularly see them above $5 throughout the city, and according to aaa, prices national hit a record of over $5 a gallon just last week. so the biggest question is, what are the people here in washington going to do go it? senior white house officials tell abc news' maryalice parks, the white house is exploring a number of options. now, some ideas, a potential gas rebate card sent directly to americans though apparently pretty unlikely due to logistical hurdles and security concerns. now, there's been conversations surrounding a gas tax holiday, temporarily lifting the federal tax on gas, a move, however, that would have to come from congress. meanwhile, president biden has been focusing on big u.s. oil companies writing a letter to several of them this week accusing them of prolonging the pain at the pump at the expense of soaring profits. now, biden asking them to increase supply. now, another idea floating
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around is for the president to invoke the defense production act in a limited capacity in order to possibly move diesel and other products to help with the supply. this would, of course, be on top of his decision to release mllions of barrels of oil from the strategic oil reserve in the past few months. janai? >> because we are feeling the pain at the pump. ike, thank you so much. turning now to the pandemic, the food and drug administration authorizing vaccines for children as young as 6 months. abc's zohreen shah has more. >> reporter: this morning, in a matter of hours, the cdc could give its long-awaited recommendation for children 6 months to 5 years to get vaccinated. the fda granting authorization friday. >> parents, caregivers and health care providers can trust that both of these vaccines have been authorized with science and safety at the forefront of our minds. >> reporter: all states with the exception of florida preordering the vaccine. state officials have been at odds with the cdc's public health experts and the fda
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saying they don't approve of the covid shot for healthy children under 17 years old. >> doctors can get it, hospitals can get it, but there's not going to be any state programs that are going to be trying to, you know, get covid jabs to infants and toddlers. >> reporter: many in the medical community there feeling frustrated. >> to have this sort of stance from the governor and the surgeon general is totally crazy. >> reporter: doses to florida will still likely be delayed. other states prepare to get the immunization started right after the long weekend. many parents are eager. >> i want to keep him safe from severe covid, from hospitalization, so i'm going to be first in line. >> reporter: a poll conducted before the authorization process was completed back in april saying just 18% of parents with children under 5 say that they will vaccinate them against covid-19 right away once eligible. >> my child already had covid. i know his immune system has
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antibody response. >> reporter: the fda and cdc saying recovering from covid may only offer a limited amount of protection for a limited time and vaccines increased the level of protection and that's why they're recommended. and it's not just some parents who are hesitating getting their kids vaccinated. 10% of eligible people over 18 still have not gotten their first shot. eva? >> zohreen shah for us, thank you. breaking news overnight, capitol police reporting seven members of "the late show with stephen colbert" have been arested and charged with unlawful entry into a congressional office building. capitol police say the group had been directed to leave the building earlier in the day. in a statement cbs says the team was there for authorized and prearranged interviews and then stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls when they were detained. former president trump is again responding to the january 6th hearings on capitol hill lashing out at the committee and his former vice president mike pence as trump spoke to a gathering of religious
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conservatives. abc's maryalice parks has more from washington. >> reporter: this was the reality on january 6th of last year. thousands of protesters surging towards the capitol. hundreds coordinated breaking in and threatening lives. despite all of it, the former president yesterday hoping his supporters would believe an alternate reality instead. >> a simple protest that got out of hand. >> reporter: even though hundreds of law enforcement officers were hurt, he said he would seriously consider pardons for those charged in the attack should he become president again. the former president making these comments after the select committee investigating the attack cited chilling new details this week like how the rioters got within 40 feet of the vice president that day and details in a recent court filing underscoring that pence's life was in danger. >> a confidential informant from the proud boys told the fbi the proud boys would have killed mike pence if given a chance. >> reporter: but trump continued
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his election lies and attacked his former vice president last night again. >> mike pence had a chance to be great. he had a chance to be, frankly, historic. >> reporter: over and over members of trump's own white house told the select committee they knew the vice president could not single-handedly reject the election results certified by the states like trump wanted, but the former president pressed pence to do it anyway to keep him in office. secret service so worried about pence's physical safety on january 6th, they tried to get pence to leave the capitol, sheltering him in this underground parking garage. pence's senior counsel testifying that he would not leave. >> the vice president did not want to take any chance that the world would see the vice president of the united states fleeing the united states capitol. >> reporter: now, the committee says this week they plan to show how the trump team tried to pressure state officials, state legislatures to try to get them to go along with election lies and reject ballots and reject
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election results. janai? >> all right. maryalice, thank you so much for that update. we are learning new details this morning about that deadly shooting at an alabama church. a third parishioner has died. all of the victims senior citizens. elwyn lopez has more from vestavia hills, alabama, as the 70-year-old suspect now faces capital murder charges. elwyn, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, janai. good morning. this tight-knit community is still grappling with the horror that took place here. among the victims, beloved grandparents that were part of a small get-together inside this church when gunfire rang out. this morning, we are learning more about the victims of the alabama church shooting. authorities now identifying the three victims as 84-year-old walter "burt" rainey, 75-year-old sarah yeager and 84-year-old jane pounds. >> burt rainey was just one of the kindest people you can imagine. he always offered me rides if i
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needed to go somewhere. >> reporter: officials say gunfire erupted shortly before 6:30 p.m. >> active shooter situation. multiple patients at this time. scene is not secure. >> reporter: the church hosting a potluck dinner thursday night when police say the suspect, who was in attendance, opened fire. >> it absolutely was staggeringly horrific when gunshots rang out. i didn't realize it was gunshots. >> reporter: 70-year-old robert findlay smith now being held without bond charged with capital murder. >> at some point he produced a handgun and began shooting, striking three victims. >> reporter: this newly released mug shot showing the suspect with a black eye. plice now saying someone at the gathering took the suspect down, keeping him subdued until officers arrived on scene. >> it was extremely critical in saving lives. the person that subdued the suspect in my opinion is a hero.
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>> reporter: and tomorrow this church is expected to open its doors once again for service. the pastor adding that they will gather at the table where the victims were seated during that potluck dinner adding that at that table many were taught that love always breaks through no matter what, eva. >> elwyn lopez there for us. time for a check of the weather and meteorologist danielle breezy from our affiliate wkrn in nashville. i was in nashville this week and it was hot. >> very hot, like unbearably hot, triple-digit feels like temperatures. i can tell you this, though, they got some relief because of severe storms that moved through, guys. i want to show you some of this video here. this is in alabama actually just outside of birmingham. the trees down. power outages there due to severe storms. it was also in nashville, tennessee, yes, where i'm from where actually in clarksville we had a lot of tree damage down. wind gusts up to 63 miles an hour in those severe storms yesterday. now, that cold front that caused all that weather, well, that is pushing across, bringing in much cooler air. look at this. high temperatures in philly in
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the 70s, 60s in new york, 70s in so it's actually going to be a really nice weekend in new york city. you got to get outside and enjoy it. >> it's about time. we'll give you full credit for that. >> you you go. i like that. >> you're a hockey fan, by the way, right? >> of course. your team not -- they didn't do as well as you would have liked. >> they lost pretty badly. >> we've got some sad ranger fans here but we are talking about the stanley cup two tonight in denver, the ame -
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avalanche up, 1-0. a lot at stake, of course, tampa bay lightning try for their third straight stanley cup and abc's kayna whitworth has more from denver. kayna, good morning. >> reporter: hey, whit, good morning. so the colorado avalanche looking to take advantage of home ice again tonight before this series moves to tampa bay but in colorado's game one overtime win, there was also a bit of franchise history made when bowen byram who turned 21 gist a few days ago became the youngest player in franchise history to record a point during a playoff game. he was actually born just a few days after the avs won their last stanley cup in 2001. and while it is youth that runs the ice for the colorado avalanche, the lightning are relying on their veteran leadership including superb play from their goalie. but, you guys, you have to keep in mind here that while the avalanche are looking for their third cup win overall, the lightning are looking for their
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third win in a row. so that's pretty impressive, and i'm glad to have a hockey fan on the desk there this morning, whit. >> we got a hockey fan. eva is a hockey fan too. >> we just talked -- kayna actually played hockey. did you see her instagram post this week? >> what? >> i played hockey but in second grade, kayna. i was the only girl in the roller hockey league. >> were you also the only girl on your team? >> yes, the only girl in the league. love some girl power. >> exactly. kayna does everything, by the way, so i'm not surprised about the hockey. game two tonight, our coverage begins 8:00 eastern. we have much more coming up on "gma." stay with us.
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(mmm) (mmm) (hmm) (mmmhmm) ♪♪ milk chocolate beyond words. classic recipe by lindt. >> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc7 news. >> oakland is trying to limit the impact of illegal fireworks this holiday. an effort is underway to curb
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illegal firework use in neighborhoods to curb wildfires. the fire department has set up collection sites, including station one on martin luther king jr. way, 14th street, international boulevard, and 34th street. liska check of weather. >> gorgeous now. plenty of sunshine today for it already in the 50's, even 60 now and mountain view -- now in mountain view. look for highs to reach upper 50's at the beaches, 70's inland and 60's around the bay. >> thanks and thank you for joining us. joining us. the news what can i du with less asthma? with dupixent, i can du more.. catching my train... making moves... ♪♪ making a connection... a train connection. that's how you du more with dupixent, which helps prevent asthma attacks.
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♪ another night i won't remember ♪ ♪ i promise this ♪ welcome back to "gma" on this saturday morning. the beyhive has been all abuzz with beyonce announcing a new album and now a new "vogue" cover. coming up in "pop," all the latest on queen bey and what to expect. guys, we knew this because she went all black and deleted all of her profile pictures. something was up. >> it's been a while. right? six years, something like that. >> yes. you heard it here first on "gma." we broke the beyonce news. let's take a look at some of the other big stories we're following this morning. happening right now a man is under arrest after he allegedly attacked three passengers at san
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francisco international airport. authorities say he pulled out an edged weapon and went after three men leaving them with cuts and scrapes. the motive for the attack still unknown. also right now, members of the committee investigating the massacre at robb elementary school in uvalde, texas, have now gone inside the school to see exactly where the deadliest shooting in texas public school history took place. the three-person committee is meeting with teachers and several uvalde consolidated independent school district police officers behind closed doors. witnesses from the uvalde police department are expected to testify before the committee on monday. >> and the golden state warriors arrived back home in san francisco after winning this year's nba championship title against the boston celtics. on thursday right after that cameras caught steph curry answering a very important congratulatory phone call. it was his golf buddy, former president obama. >> you answer that call. when it comes in.
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i missed that game and i'm a warriors fan because i was stuck on an airplane, delayed fight. >> that's why he is so upset this morning. >> extra angry this morning. but we'll get there with a smile. >> if you heard him in the breakers all right. we do start this half hour with world wrestling entertainment boss vince mcmahon stepping aside while his company investigates him for alleged misconduct. abc's zachary kiesch is here with the details. zachary, good morning. he's been a part of that company for decades. >> he has, janai. good morning to you, as well. vince mcmahon bought the early version of what's become the wwe from his father, and over the years he's been front and center as it's become a lucrative business. overnight vince mcmahon was in the ring, but he's temporarily out as ceo of the worldwide wrestling entertainment organization. >> welcome to "smackdown." >> reporter: the wwe, an iconic brand, is one of the most popular television sporting programs, attracting millions of weekly viewers.
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the man who helped build the business is stepping aside after becoming the subject of a company investigation. "the wall street journal" reporting that mcmahon allegedly paid $3 million to a former employee after the two reportedly had an affair. >> i'm vince mcmahon. and let's hear it. >> reporter: according to the report the woman hired with a salary of $100,000 a year saw her paid double after the relationship started. the report describes an alleged pattern of behavior involving mcmahon, relationships with female staffers ending with separation agreements and payments that prevent them from speaking. mcmahon has been a visible fixture for decades, and while the board investigates, his daughter stephanie has stepped in as interim ceo. >> stephanie mcmahon. >> reporter: a joint statement released by wwe and its board of directors says, they take all allegations of misconduct very seriously, and they have engaged independent legal counsel to assist them with an independent review. abc news has not heard from wwe
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and mcmahon on request for comment. the big question now is, what happens next for mcmahon who is also the company's majority shareholder? >> if they find that he did not act in the best interest of the company, obviously depending on what it is, he can be removed from the position as ceo. >> in a statement mcmahon says he's pledged his complete cooperation and will accept the findings of the investigation. whit? >> all right, zachary, thanks. now to a look at how some prosecutors are using rap music lyrics to build their cases against hip-hop artists charged with crimes. it's bringing up the question over what is protected under the first amendment. abc's ashan singh is here with more on that. as ashan, good morning. >> good morning, whit. young thug and gunna facing accusations in a rico case that has the music industry on edge. now their music, their own creative expression that got them into the limelight is being used against them as part of the indictment. check it out. they are two of the biggest names in hip-hop.
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♪ >> reporter: atlanta rappers gunna and young thug responsible for dozens of chart-topping hits. ♪ >> reporter: but this morning they find themselves at the center of a controversial debate in court. should rap lyrics be used as evidence in the courtroom. ♪ earlier this year, young thug whose real name is jeffrey williams, and sergio kitchens known as gunna were arrested for allegedly participating in street gang activities and violating rico law accusing the men of using ysl, the young slime life gang, to create havoc in our community. the group's ysl name, inc incidentally, also the name of young thug's record label. the rapper's lyrics, one piece of evidence prosecutors are using in the indictment. ♪ i never killed anybody but i got something to do with that body ♪ >> reporter: the prosecution citing lyrics like that in the indictment as proof of criminal conspiracy.
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>> i was also surprised at the 46 extent to which lyrics seem to be part of the prosecution and part of their early argument that he is involved in criminal activity. >> reporter: but a growing petition backed by big music industry names has now received more than 40,000 signatures, pleading with prosecutors not to criminalize rap lyrics and protect black art. but some prosecutors argue there are no legal protections against using artistic speech of criminal activity in the courtroom. >> the first amendment does not protect people from prosecutors using it as evidence if it is such. >> reporter: this as the new york state legislature advances a first of its kind bill pushed by jay-z and other hip-hop artists that would limit lyrics being used in court as crime evidence. legal experts say there is strong precedent for the use of rap lyrics as courtroom evidence. >> if there are facts in real life that hold a very close nexus to the lyrics that he
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articulated in that rap song, then he may have a serious problem. ♪ >> reporter: some artists worried about what this means for rap's future. >> if we allow the courts to prosecute these men based on characters they created and stories of pretend that they tell in rhyme, then next they'll be at your door. >> reporter: young thug and gunna are facing racketeering charges. their attorneys told abc news that they are innocent. industry experts concerned about what they say is unfair targeting of rap lyrics as opposed to other music genres. >> rap music is the only fictional form, music or otherwise, that is targeted this way in the courts. >> is it racist? >> it's absolutely racist. essentially what's happening is rap music is being denied the status of art. ♪ >> guys, while the petition is still going strong, both young thug and gunna's bonds were both recently denied with their trial scheduled for 2023. eva? >> interesting to watch how that will all play out. time for a check of the weather. meteorologist danielle breezy from our affiliate wkrn in nashville. how are you doing? >> i'm doing okay. unfortunately, folks in the southwest not doing so great as
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we do have wildfires continuing to rage. this is actually just outside of salt lake city. you can see here this is a cypress fire where over 100 acres are burning currently. and this is from last night. by the way, critical fire danger again today. not only for salt lake city down 46 to vegas, over to arizona. a lot of fire weather alerts due to the dry conditions and, of course, the windy conditions. it's also monsoon season meaning there is a change in the wind pattern bringing lots of rain to that area, which is a good thing you think, one to three inches likely, but, of course, too much rain in a short period of time could lead to fl and switching gears, i just was reminded it's father's day weekend. so happy father's day to you, my
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friend. >> thank you so much. >> and to all the other dads out there. >> thank you. it'll be good to work. [ laughter ] >> at least you don't have to get on a plane this week. >> we will find a way to celebrate whit. still coming up on "good morning america," how does the government calculate those inflation figures? probably keeps you up at night. we've got an exclusive look at the people doing the legwork. and then patti labelle talks about the healing power of music as we prepare to celebrate juneteenth. my asthma felt anything but normal. ♪♪ it was time for a nunormal with nucala. nucala is a once monthly add-on treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma that can mean less oral steroids. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your asthma specialist about a nunormal with nucala. ♪ it wasn't me by shaggy ♪
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so i started taking osteo bi-flex every day because it has joint shield... ...clinically shown to improve joint comfort within 7 days. osteo bi-flex - available at your local retailer and club. welcome back to "gma." as we take an exclusive look at the workers in the trenches tracking the economy, checking out all kinds of businesses, monitoring those prices. deidre bolton joins us with more about how this all works. good morning to you, deidre. >> good morning. so you already know we are paying more at the grocery, more at the pump. you're already paying more for your rent. but what you may not know is how these costs are measured by the government. here is an exclusive look at the human components with the people wo shape the data. >> we price everything from funerals to nail salons. >> reporter: from groceries to gas, dry cleaners to department stores. hundreds of workers are on the
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move tracking how much everything costs. "gma" with exclusive access watching in realtime as our economy shifts. hitting average families hard with record-high inflation. >> it's interesting to see how everything interacts. very rarely am i ever having a boring day. because it's never the same day. it's never the same place. it's never the same store. it's never the same products, so i enjoy it. >> reporter: workers like diane reporting back to the bureau of labor statistics helping them get a clearer view of inflation in america shaping the consumer price index. >> they check prices on a monthly or bimonthly basis for items that people buy. almost anything that you buy legally can be part of the consumer price index, which is what most people think of as the inflation rate. >> reporter: diane is just like any other shopper, but she is on a price research mission. >> so we're looking for children's clothing, a pair of jeans and we need a 3x3-inch knee patch. >> yeah. >> reporter: the key to the checks, being meticulous, not
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just about price but size and materials. diane showing us how much detail goes into checking something as simple as dental floss. >> we had to see how much was in the dental floss pack, how many feet it was, inches. we're not just pricing a package. we're pricing the amounts or the size. >> reporter: if you can buy it, there's a good chance it's being tracked. >> things like getting your hair cut is in the cpi, and we look at those because all of those things tell a tale with how much prices are changing. >> reporter: and with budgets tighter than ever, this data can shape how a family shops. >> it's not just for economists and, you know, wonky people. like we all need to really know what's happening. >> reporter: the next cpi report july 13th right before the fed's next rate meeting july 26th, 27th, and as we all know, inflation is really the number one issue in our economy right now. >> so fascinating how many inches are in the dental floss because i mean, there are things like that, these invisible
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markups. >> shrinkflation is a real thing. there's a lot of companies cutting back on the packaging, charging you the same price for less. it's happening. >> everywhere. >> everybody's feeling it. coming up on "good morning america," jimmie allen and patti labelle share about celebrating juneteenth and where music fits into all this. ♪♪ we all need a rock we can rely on. to be strong. to overcome anything. ♪♪ to be...unstoppable. that's why millions rely on the strength and financial guidance of prudential to achieve their dreams. who's your rock? ♪♪ ♪ you make me come ♪ who's your rock? ♪ alive ♪ ♪ i'm here to have a good time ♪ ♪ i'm here to have a - ♪ ♪ i'm here to have a good time ♪ summer, made easy! that's totally target.
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back now on "gma" with a look at a new "soul of a nation" special called "sound of freedom: a juneteenth celebration." in it country singer jimmie allen talks to the legendary patti labelle about the meaning of the holiday. >> i know you're in the middle of your tour right now, and you're going to be performing in a minute.
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but first i'd like to ask you what does the juneteenth holiday mean to you? >> it means that it should never have happened. we shouldn't be having a juneteenth celebration. because we were put into this thing called slavery, so we're all -- everybody's recognizes it was just an awful time in our lives and that like i said we're here letting people know that it shouldn't have -- shouldn't be a juneteenth, you know, but it is. but we're here to not celebrate but sing about it and let people know that we're out of that now in a way. >> so how has music been important in this journey for freedom and civil rights? >> well, music is healing. music is therapeutic, and when we go through things, you know, ups, downs, whatever, we sing and we bring joy to each other. >> yes. >> and i'm happy to be a part of this celebration today with a song. >> yes. i'm happy you're part of the celebration. i know everyone else is happy
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you're part of the celebration. so i'm going to go let you get ready to perform. >> thank you. >> it was such a great special and was so great to be involved in this project as well. you can watch the full special, "soul of a nation: sound of freedom: a juneteenth celebration." that was on last night. juneteenth. tomorrow, lots to celebrate. >> if you didn't see it, hulu now. >> there you go. tune in. we'll be right back with our "play of the day." we'll be rigr "play of the day." ment. for a brand new treatment for moderate-to-severe eczema. cibinqo - now fda approved 100% steroid free not an injection, cibinqo is a once-daily pill for adults who didn't respond to previous treatments. and cibinqo provides clearer skin and helps relieve itch. cibinqo can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. before and during treatment, your doctor should check for infections and do blood tests. tell your doctor if you've had hepatitis b or c,
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his 2-year-old daughter wanted raisins from the cereal but did not want a box full of raisins. so a little something extra in the raisins in the cereal. just raisins alone. >> you know how picky they can be. >> oh. >> give them what they want or they cry. >> i'm surprised she didn't realize the raisins were coming out of the middle of the box. >> that's right. >> give dad an "a" for effort. >> well done. "gma" is now two hours on saturdays. coming up, trying to get gas prices under control. the options from washington. plus, our "gma" cover story. post malone opening up about his struggles with alcohol. > plus o. post malone opening up about his struggles with alcohol. >> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc seven news. >> courtney con is returning to san francisco after a hiatus. it is the wagapalooza for corgi
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fans. that starts today at 10:00 a.m. sharp and will last until 2:00 p.m. it is free-for-all. it has been two years, but the alameda county is back for summer, food, games, rides and pig races. today's highlights include the hot dog eating contest regional qualifier, at 3:00 p.m., and the john madden memorial bus county fair will run through july 10. caltrans will shut down a portion of highway 101 in san mateo county, affecting northbound lanes between the highway 92 exits. they are replacing an overhead sign. that will take from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. let's get a check on the weather with frances. >> plenty of sunshine today
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. gorgeous you from emeryville -- view from emeryville. it will be cooler at the beaches with strong, windy conditions, keeping things cool at the bay, 59, san francisco 65, oakland 69. the warmest spots will be parts of the north bay like santa rosa. fairfield 79. warmer for father's day and juneteenth. getting downright hot for the start of the summer on tuesday. >> a lot to get ourselves ready for. thank you. and the news continues with good morning america.
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good morning, america. it's our second hour. pain at the pump. the white house taking another look at gas rebate cards for millions of drivers. when you could expect relief before hitting the road. spears family fractures. jamie spears wants his daughter deposed. inside the new court filing claiming britney is defaming him on social media just over seven months since a judge terminated that 13-year conservatorship. the pop superstar's lawyer not backing down. ♪ you probably think that you

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