right now in america this morning, heading home, brittney griner, making the long journey back to the u. s. after spending nearly 11 months in a russian prison new video of the pro basketball player before her release the prisoner exchan the tarmac and greiner smiling on the plus who is victor boot? the russian arms dealer handed over for greiner, convicted of conspiring to kill americans. the backlash from some lawmakers over his release. the triple dynamic takes hold rising flu cases nationwide and los angeles county reporting a huge spike in covid plus where doctors are now working to contain a measles outbreak, abc news exclusive and actress from

the show one tree hill opening up about her husband's death from a lightning strike. close call a piece of metal flying through this car's windshield, how the driver avoided serious injury. and from the hero team who lifted a truck off his dad to a little girl's pure holiday joy after seeing her family it's friday, december 9th. news in new york. this is america this morning. g friday morning, everyone i'm really in an alley ajaccio. andrew is off. we begin with backup basketball star britney griner touching down this morning on u. s soil, is arriving in texas after being released in a prisoner swap. she spent much of the last year behind bars in russia. state tv there is airing new video grinder s a prisoner put into believed to have been taken last month after months of negotiations grinder was exchanged for a convicted russian arms dealer on a tarmac

in abu dhabi. some republicans are slamming president biden for approve. the swap. house minority leader kevin mccarthy called the deal a gift for vladimir putin. faith a booby has the latest now from san antonio. good morning faith. hey good morning to you, rhiannon and officials believe griner is in good health. but just as a precaution, she will be brought here to san antonio to the brook army medical center just behind me. w. n b a star britney griner landing overnight in san antonio , texas, after spending nearly 10 months imprisoned in russia arrested for illegally carrying his she's oil in vape cartridges at the moscow airport. president biden making the announcement thursday that is swamp had relel inhe arms of r d nd she shouldhe a video fromts greiner, leaving a russian penal colony and making her way to an airplane. happy do you know

where heading to? no, no, no. that boy back home to the to the yes. everything will be fine. hours later, video shows grinder and a red coat released into u. s custody on a tarmac in abu dhabi, the smiling man shaking hands and giving hugs is victor boot, the notorious russian arms dealer who the us swapped in exchange for grinders. freedom boot, was arrested in 2010 and sentenced to 25 years for aiding a terrorist organization and conspiring to kill americans. he has been nicknamed the merchant of death. that reputation has critics blasting the trade as a victory for russia. i'm glad and americans coming home. she was arrested for trumped up charge, but exchange the merchant of death. for this. what a victory for putin. but what i'll sit does it makes every american who is overseas vulnerable. some

experts say boot is still a security threat despite having been imprisoned for over a decade, but grinders, friends, fans and family breathing a huge sigh of relief overnight. the san antonio spurs displayed this message and their home game welcoming grinder back to the u. s. and grinders wife, cheryl at the white house when president biden announced grinders return , just standing here, overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that i have right now is just sincere gratitude for president biden and his entire administration sources say the prisoner swap came together and just the last few days, president biden hoped to also secure the freedom. a former u. s marine paul whelan, imprisoned in russia on espionage charges for four years , but russia rejected the proposal, making it clear wieland's release was not on the table. wheelan spoke to cnn from russia. i'm happy that britney is going home today, but i don't understand why i'm still sitting

here. my bags are packed. i'm ready to go home. i just need an airplane to come and get me the president, insisting the administration is determined to bring will and home we have not yet succeeded in securing policy release. we are not giving up. we will never give up. and guys. secretary of state antony blinken insists the u. s made every possible offer in an effort to get well and hope. back to you like faith. thank you to the war in ukraine. russian president putin admits his forces are targeting ukraine's critical civilian infrastructure, putin saying quote yes, we are doing it. the targets include ukraine's power facilities, which have left millions in the dark and cold. ukrainian officials and some western leaders have described the attacks as potential war crimes. abc is martha raddatz explains. but it is unclear whether this is a war crime. the russians can say the targeting is legitimate because the energy

infrastructure supports the military. but there's no questions. civilians are not only being killed in the strikes , but they are left without heat, electricity and water in the cold of winter, which human rights groups say instills terror and is in violation of the laws of war. martha thank you. putin vowed to continue striking ukraine civilian infrastructure. next the triple dimmick taking hold across the country, flu cases are soaring, los angeles county has returned to a high covid level and now doctors in ohio or working to contain a measles outbreak. our hospital is full of rice useful, and that is scary because we know that there are sick kids out there called tripled. emmick is hammering hospitals across the country. rising rates of covid 19 flew another respiratory viruses flooding hospitals with sick children are pediatric floors and our icus have been full all across the country and in los angeles, los angeles county, new cases of covid 19 have risen 40% in just one week. the city now

designated a place of high transmission by the cdc officials are calling for people to take precautions even if masks haven't been made mandatory, yet we do appreciate that more people are masking indoors and using strategies such as testing and staying home when they're sick. in new york, 80% of adult hospital beds are full, the highest peak since the omicron surge and fluent rsv cases are driving those numbers even higher, seeing high rates of flew higher than we've seen this time of year and over a day.decades overnight. the fda clearing the way for children as young as six months to get the enhanced covid booster. vaccination is the best way we know to help prevent the serious outcomes of covid 19. for some families, it's not one illness or the other. eliana james was rushed to the hospital this week after breaking out in a 104 degrees fever in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road, and your daughters have a seizure and on what to do. she was diagnosed with both covid 19 and rsv. spent four days in the

hospital. what about her fever spikes up again, and she goes into another seizure or she gets like sicker in ohio. there's 1/4 growing threat, measles officials say at least 63 children are being treated for the virus with more than two in oo,0 of t 63ined for mslmothl ledlyleby ds speaking o, po y,an fedex driver delivering barbie dolls to seven year old athena strand has admitted to killing her, according to the arrest warrant. the driver told investigators he had accidentally hit athena as he was backing up his van. and although she was talking in alive he told police he panicked , and then he put a thing in the van before allegedly killing her. athena was robbed of the opportunity to grow up to be anything she wanted to be. i was robbed of watching her grow up by a man that everyone was

supposed to be able to trust. to do just one simple task. deliver a christmas present and leave. maitland gandhi says she will fight to make sure delivery companies beef up their employee background checks. president biden is vowing to promptly signed a landmark bill to protect same sex and interracial marriages. the legislation passed in the house with 39 republicans, joining every democrat and support that will require all states to recognize all legal marriages. some republicans called the move unnecessary. i hope and pray. that my colleagues. we'll find the courage to join me. in opposing. this misguided this dangerous bill we can put to rest the worries of millions. of loving couples who are concerned that some day an activist supreme court may take their rights and freedoms away.

tammy baldwin is the first openly gay senator more than 70% of americans now support same sex marriage. gas prices have plunged below where they were at this time last year, the national average is now 3 32 per gallon that could be under $3 per gallon by january, 1st. and the average 30 year fixed rate mortgages around 6.5% analysts say the drop is due to hopes of cooling inflation. time now for a look at your friday morning weather. near boulder, colorado yesterday , and the person who took the video called them christmas snow globe flakes that weather system brings snow to the upper midwest today, but a major storm is expected to slam into the entire west coast on sunday, dropping heavy rain and up to five ft of snow in the sierras. the system is expected to impact the entire country into next week. checking today's high temperatures forties around the great lakes and in the northeast, mild

across the southeast and chilly in the northwest. dramatic finish on thursday night football head a major update to a cold case dating back decades, who investigators say is the boy in the box found in 1957 and celine dion diagnosed with stiff person

nce. i can hear him and i could feel them gm a this morning. alright this is what's left of a honda accord after a big piece of shrapnel from another vehicle crashed through the windshield on a massachusetts highway mostly shattered the passenger side glass, likely saving the driver from serious injury. incredible video there and now to the murder mystery known as the boy in the box. police in

philadelphia have identified the victim and the city's oldest unsolved homicide. dating back to the 19 fifties. abc is lionel moise explains. this morning, a decades old murder mystery partially solved for 65 years. the story of who would come to be known as america's unknown child has haunted this community . investigators say they now know the boy in the box was four year old joseph augusta cirelli of west philadelphia, discovered back in 1957. he was found beaten to death, malnourished and nude, wrapped in a blanket and left in a cardboard box on the side of the road, and it's very short life. it was apparent that this child experienced horrors that no one no one should ever be subjected to. joseph's body was exhumed in 1998 officials collected dna and gave him a proper burial. but it

was a dna sample taken in 2019 that led to a major break top match was like a second and a half cousin. second cousin was third cousin. they were able to then connect cirelli born january 13th 1953 to his mother. police then. the match gillis is a forensic genealogist who has spent the last three years working on this case now bringing her daughter's with twig cars from the fifties to joseph's grave. actually known about this case since i was a child, i want to have his story told i want him to be out in the world with, you know, to do him justice while this is a major development, this case is far from being solved. we may not make an arrest, we may never make an identification. but we're gonna we're gonna do our darndest to try. police have not revealed the identity of joseph's parents, both deceased or his siblings, but vowed to solve this murder mystery. joseph will soon have a dignified resting place with

plans to etch his name on his headstone and unknown child. no more man in like. lionel. thank you coming up dramatic video of a teen saving his dad by lifting a truck ahead. the actress from one tree hill is opening up about her husband's death from a lightning strike. the abc news lightning strike. the abc news exclusive is covid-19. some people get it, and some people can get it bad. and for those who do get it bad, it may be because they have a high-risk factor. such as heart disease, diabetes, being overweight, asthma, or smoking. even if symptoms feel mild, these factors can increase your risk of covid-19 turning severe. so, if you're at high risk and test positive, don't wait. ask your healthcare provider right away if an authorized oral treatment is right for you. theo's nose was cause for alarm, so dad brought puffs plus lotion to save it from harm. puffs has 50% more lotion and brings soothing relief. don't get burned by winter nose.

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so you can have clearer skin and noticeably less itch. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your doctor about dupixent. asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your doctor about to fix it. california dad says his son's quick thinking and superhero strength. saved him from being crushed underneath the truck. matt wilkinson was working under that truck when it slipped and fell on his chest. so that's when his son 15, year old dalen lifted it up just enough so his dad could roll the safety. how about that? alright singer celine dion has shot fans around the world, revealing a new health battle. she's been diagnosed with a rare and incurable neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which causes her body to lock up. dion says she suffers from constant muscle

spasms, which is going to affect her future as a performer. is it so rare? there's really so much we don't know yet about this disease, whi of at s itgift thatn has given us by bringing attention to such a rare disease. now says she hopes to be back on stage in 2024 to the former actress from one tree hill opening up about her husband dying from a lightning strike. she calls it a living nightmare. i'm just so proud. i'm so proud that i got to do life with him. this morning actress bevin prince, best known for her role on one tree hill is speaking out about the tragic death of her beloved husband will friend. the couple was boating during the fourth of july weekend near their home in north carolina, when the unimaginable happened will was struck by lightning, and they rushed over to him and at the

time of police boat happened to be coming by. they moved him over to the police broke quickly, and, um from what i've heard, you know, spent a lot of time and care trying to resuscitate him and it just i believe it was really his time. you've said that this is larger than you. there was a lot of divinity in it. he was 33 years old. it was july 3rd. and i believe the exact time that the lightning struck was 3 13 pm so knowing that all the resources were there to potentially save him. i have to believe that something bigger beyond me was calling him. prince says she won't let losing the man she called her soul mate. keep her from pursuing life but will live such a life of purpose. i feel a responsibility. to carry that on. and to find my own way to continue to serve in his honor. and that's what my wife will be now. wow. her strength is inspiring. later on. good

morning, america prince reveals what her husband said just seconds before he was struck by lightning. alright some very late drama on thursday night football. the rams trail the raiders all games until baker mayfield through the winning touchdown pass with 10 seconds left field only join the rams on tuesday. they want it. 17 to 16. how about that, huh? coming up the historic change to your money close encounter for this kayaker. we'll show you coming up. my husband and i have never been more active. shingles doesn't care. i go to spin classes with my coworkers. good for you, shingles doesn't care. because no matter how healthy you feel, your risk of shingles sharply increases after age 50. but shingrix protects. proven over 90% effective, shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose.

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the same hospital on the same floor, using the same doctor, everyone else has seen how crazy this is like. my phone is going that's like this is crazy like for. yeah, like like, she said, like this is going to be for like her kids that she has now like, are like my babies now, so i know that it's going to be the same without girls super surreal. that you know our girls were. our girls will share the same relationship we have for breakfast. it is crazy, but congrats to them. here's another item for the unprecedented list for the first time ever to women's names will be on us currency. starting next year, you will see the signatures of treasury secretary janet yellen and treasurer lynn miller, ba on one and $5 bills. next getting way too close to the ocean's most feared predator. that's right. a guy wasn't a kayak off northern california and got lots of attention from the great white shark. lucas in the kayak , asked his friends, danny, what do i do? danny told him film it . finally some pure holiday joy. this was from a child's first dancer settled massachusetts

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♪ reggie: now at 5:00, expect some treacherous travel if you are going anywhere this weekend. a break in the showers today before a winter storm hits us. >> brittney griner back on u.s. soil. she landed safely at a texas airport overnight after nearly 10 months in a russian jail. reggie: the push to get everyone vaccinated as the fda approves another booster for children as young as six month old. >>". the local men who had a kind of scary encounter with a great white. reggie: oh no. >> wow. >> you could see that writer the water. >> it was insane. reggie: happy holidays. good morning. it is friday, december 9. >> we got to get ready for this storm. drew: today is the day toe. if you are of going to