ikea good morning, america. major storm threat. a powerful system moving across the country, flash flooding concerning for up to four inches of rain. in the west, the mountains facing up to eight feet of snow. the blizzard conditions ahead for the plains and rough travel concerns for millions of americans. reunited. wnba star brittney griner seeing her wife for the first time since spending ten months in russian detention. the hopes about rejoining her team and for more prisoner swaps. weapons hunting. russia looking to replenish its dwindling supply. who they're turning to. how the u.s. is trying to stop it, and the new concerns about russia's nuclear program.

back to masks? the recommendations this morning as the tripledemic fills hospital beds across the country and what to do if you can't find the right medicine for your child. breaking overnight, legendary american sportswriter grant wahl suddenly passing away while covering the world cup. his complaints about a recent health care battle. making their case, prosecutors laying out a motive as to why disgraced former attorney alex murdaugh allegedly murdered his wife and son. puppy scams. the warning this holiday season if you're looking to add a furry friend to your family. the doggy dos and don'ts. >> good girl. and close calls, a kayaker speaking out about his brush with a great white shark. plus, argentina and lionel messi keep their world cup hopes alive, but a shocking defeat for brazil and a kick that

misses the mark. good morning, america. thanks for joining us on a saturday morning. we do begin this morning with the major storm sweeping across the country. one of those storms bringing heavy snow to the midwest. look at that, blanketing wisconsin. >> another heading to the great lakes and bringing a mix of rain and snow to the northeast this weekend. >> but the biggest storm threat is in the west where there are multiple snow alerts, and more than 25 million americans under wind alerts. abc's zohreen shah is in sacramento where rain and gusty winds are on the way. zohreen, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning, whit. the winds are incredibly intense right now. this area is expecting a triple threat of heavy rain, wind and snow, just north to us in washington state, heavy snow there had a major impact on the freeways. you can see this jackknifed 18-wheeler off to the side,

along with many cars that were off to the side and stuck, and just east of me, the sierra nevada mountains are expecting major snow totals. lake tahoe may close some mountain passes. they are expecting three, four, possibly five feet of snow, and it's all happening today, tonight and tomorrow. the winds are expected to be very strong, leading to high avalanche danger, and travel in much of this area is discouraged. guys. >> all right, zohreen, thanks so much. let's get the latest on the storm track now with danielle breezy from our nashville wkrn in for us. good morning to you. >> reporter: we are tracking that powerful system out west. wind and winter alerts for seven states over the weekend. take a look at this. we're talking about heavy rain along the coastline. mountainous regions, heavy snow not to mention strong winds and high wind warning we're talking about wind gusts up 65 miles an hour. wind gusts up to 50 miles an hour here. on the future tracker you'll see the low pressure system brings a

lot of heavy rain along the coastline and could see anywhere from one to two inches along the coastline. mountainous region, four to eight feet not out of the question. >> a lot to watch, danielle. we'll check back with you shortly. turning now to wnba star brittney griner recovering in texas after returning to the u.s. abc's faith abubey is in san antonio where griner was reunited with her wife and with a look at the conditions that she lived in during her time in a russian prison. faith, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, janai. soon after brittney griner landed on u.s. soil just a few miles from here, she was brought here to the brooke army medical center. officials say she appears to be in good health, but she is getting a full medical checkup including a mental health evaluation. this morning, wnba star brittney griner reuniting with her wife cherelle after spending a grueling ten months in russian detention. a smiling griner seen on the flight home. >> are you ready for a flight?

>> yes, i'm ready. >> u.s. officials who met her on the ground said she was in very good spirits, appears to be in good health. >> reporter: the state department says the 32-year-old olympic gold medalist receiving treatment at an army medical center in texas. >> the u.s. military has quite a bit of experience with bringing people back, hostages back, people from war zones that have been rescued, and so she's going to get top flight care. this isn't the first time that they've had to deal with somebody who has been held in captivity for a long time. >> reporter: griner was detained back in february for traveling with hashish oil, a substance banned in russia. her sentence of nine years landing her in a penal colony. her russian lawyer telling espn that she recently had the flu and cut her signature hair to have an easier time with the harsh winter coming, adding, griner spent her days carrying fabric because she was too tall to sit at the sewing table where other prisoners worked. >> from what we saw she had no real complaints and she was treated well. >> reporter: her release

coming after months of negotiations with the russians. a prisoner swap with viktor bout, a notorious arms dealer in prison in the u.s. for 15 years. in his first interview he told a russian reporter that he did not feel any anti-russian sentiment while in prison in the u.s. while there's no time line as to when griner might return home to arizona and the phoenix mercury, friends and teammates relieved to have her back. >> everyone is on cloud nine, and we're extremely excited, and now just worried about her well-being. >> reporter: phoenix mercury team president vince k oh z communicating with griner while she was detayed. >> i know how important it is to her. you know, i don't know what her future plans are. like i said, that's up to her on her timetable, but knowing her as i do, i'm optimistic. >> reporter: griner's release bittersweet for former u.s. marine paul whelan, imprisoned in russia since 2018 sentenced to 16 years of hard labor. on friday, putin saying the door is still open for prison swaps.

>> as she was writing to the president, biden, she asked not only for relief for her but she asked for him to help release all the americans detained in russia. >> reporter: and as for griner and her time here at the medical center, the biden administration says it's all voluntary, and part of the standard protocol for someone who's been through the kind of ordeal griner has gone through in the last several months, janai. >> so many excited to see her back on american soil and looking forward to seeing her back on the basketball court. faith, thank you. now let's bring in abc's white house correspondent maryalice parks, and, maryalice, this is another win for the biden administration after the big midterm election and likely ahead of a likely announcement of his 2024 run, but the administration is facing harsh criticism over the handling of notorious arms

dealer viktor bout. how is the administration responding? >> reporter: yeah, janai, that's right. several republicans have been critical of this deal saying that bout, who was convicted of such serious crimes, should not have been able to go free, that that could embolden putin, but i've got to tell you, the white house feels pretty good about this deal. while bout did not serve his entire sentence, he was extradited to the u.s., tried, convicted. he sat in jail for over ten years. i think they feel that at least some justice was served there and that they had a moral obligation to do everything they could to bring an american home. plus, janai, with everything else going on in the world, all of the ways the u.s. has essentially been standing up to russia to support ukraine in its war effort, i think the administration is really proud they were able to keep these negotiations separate and get them done. > and, maryalice, putin has left the door wide open for negotiations for another prisoner swap. all as the u.s. approved another $275 million in u.s. military aid friday to ukraine. how will the administration

balance this diplomatically, and who is currently in u.s. custody that the russians would consider swapping for paul whelan? >> reporter: yeah, just hours after griner was safely back on american soil, we saw the u.s. announce another major security package, hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of weapons to ukraine. the united states is clearly saying that they are not wavering in any of their support of ukraine, and as far as those talks to try to get paul whelan back home too, the administration says that they are not starting at square one, but the big question there, like you said, who could be in u.s. custody that could be up for a trade? we know the russians asked for one man called vadim krasikov. he's a convicted assassin, a russian spy, but he is in german custody, so he's outside of u.s. control right now. yesterday the white house would not formally comment on that, but in the past they have dismissed that possibility. eva. >> maryalice parks for us there at the white house. maryalice, thanks. that major shake-up on capitol hill. kyrsten sinema is changing her

party affiliation to independent. it comes just days after georgia's democratic incumbent senator raphael warnock won the party a 51st seat in the chamber. abc's em nguyen joins us with what this all means. good morning to you, em. >> reporter: good morning, eva. yeah, this is an unexpected damper for democrats who just a few days ago were celebrating their outright majority in the u.s. senate. as a keyemratic hold-out on president biden's domestic agenda, sinema's switch gives the party less breathing room than they were hoping for and give her and other independents like bernie sanders more leverage. sinema's voting record favored president biden's agenda 93% of the time, and she's also made clear she will not caucus with republicans and already asked chuck schumer to keep her committee assignments to which he agreed calling her a good and effective senator. the white house confident this change won't affect the democrats' majority in the stat. the biggest implications may come in 2024 when sinema is up

for re-election and could face a democratic challenger in a general election if she decides to run. democrats will then have to decide who to throw their support behind. for now if it comes down to an evenly split senate floor, democrats still have that tie-breaking vote from vice president kamala harris in their back pocket. whit. >> em nguyen, thank you. now to concerns about virus surges nationwide. the numbers of covid and flu cases are 1 1/2 times higher than last week, and weekly flu cases are their highest ever on record. new york state officials are now strongly recommending that people again wear masks indoors and in crowded outdoor areas in response to the rising covid and flu numbers at a time while rsv cases remain high. let's bring in abc news medical contributor, dr. darien sutton. dr. sutton, good morning to you. always great to see you. >> good morning. >> we're seeing this rise in covid and flu cases following thanksgiving. what should people expect with the upcoming holidays? >> unfortunately, we have to prepare for more cases. last time we spoke before the thanksgiving holiday, we had

a bit of a stabilization, but recently after the thanksgiving holiday, we've seen increasing numbers, as you said, of the flu and covid with rsv steady in the background. right now it seems in my personal experience that patients suffering from the flu are more likely to come to the emergency room for medical assistance, but, whit, those who are highest at risk include those over 65 as well as pregnant patients. unfortunately, even though pregnancy and covid do not mix and pregnancy and the flu increase the risk of harm to the mother and the unborn child, only about 12% of the pregnant population are currently vaccinated against the flu, so we have to increase that, and regardless of your choice whether or not to get vaccinated, i encourage everyone to wear a mask, a high quality mask during this time. >> on to a vaccine of a different kind, what do we know about how well the new covid bivalent booster is working against the current strains we're seeing? >> so far we're seeing this bivalent vaccine is serving

as a really good supplement in order to serve as helping protection in those patients who are at risk for getting hospitalized and dying from covid-19. i think personally we haven't seen many cases that are complex of covid-19 in the emergency room, so that's my anecdotal experience. but overall the omicron variant is the dominant strain. so this bile value lent vaccine is geared toward that, that's why it's so important if you haven't gotten updated, to get that vaccine. >> all right, dr. sutton, thank you so much. we do appreciate it. well, we turn now to the war in ukraine, and russia growing increasingly desperate for weapons as the conflict drags on now reportedly trying to obtain hundreds of missiles from iran in exchange for an unprecedented level of military and technical support. abc's ines de la cuetara is in kyiv as concerns heighten over the threat of a nuclear war. good morning, ines. >> reporter: good morning. the war in ukraine drawing on far longer than russia expected and with russia's weapon supply dwindling, news now that russia is seeking to replenish its arsenal. the uk's ambassador to the u.n.

saying russia is trying to get hundreds of new ballistic missiles from iran. we're also learning that since august, iran has transferred hundreds of drones to russia that have been used to kill civilians and target critical infrastructure. in return, russia is offering iran an unprecedented level of military and technical support. the u.s. responding by imposing new sanctions on russia, specifically targeting russian entities involved in the transfer and use of drones from iran. white house spokesperson john kirby saying iran has become russia's top military backer and that the u.s. will do everything it can to disrupt that coordination. defense secretary lloyd austin, meanwhile, says russia is also modernizing and expanding its nuclear arsenal, and that comes as russian president putin continues his nuclear saber rattling saying this week that russia views its nuclear arsenal as a purely defensive deterrent, but warning the threat of a nuclear war is growing, and, of course, putin has previously suggested he could use nuclear weapons to defend russian territory. now to those mysterious

murders of four idaho college students. police are getting a number of tips about a car they've been looking for that was in the area the night of the attack. abc's reena roy joins us with the latest. >> reporter: this morning, investigators sifting through more than 100 pieces of evidence in a mountain of tips in the moscow, idaho, murder mystery. so many calls coming in, tipsters now being directed to an fbi global call center after occupants of a white 2011 to 2013 hyundai elantra similar to these stock photos. >> we've had an amazing amount of tips come in on the white car. we appreciate everybody's help that has been sending in those tips, and investigators are vetting those and following up on those. >> reporter: investigators saying the car was seen in the immediate area of this off campus home where the four university of idaho students were killed last month. police believe the vehicle's occupants may have critical

information to share about the case. the u.s. border patrol also aware and keeping an eye out for the car. >> but the fact that they're being so specific about the years of the vehicle, the color, says, this is not just someone guessing, this is something probably in the distance on a surveillance camera that they feel really may be connected to the case. >> reporter: as the search continues for a suspect, police urging people to avoid sharing misinformation about the case online. >> what we want to say is, we are the official source of information, and anything that comes from other sources is either rumor or speculation. >> reporter: and police say some on social media are also threatening and harassing people who may have ties to the case. they are reminding people that kind of behavior could result in criminal charges, whit. >> all right, reena, thank you. now to the shocking breaking news overnight at the world cup. grant wahl, one of the most well-known soccer writers in the u.s., passing away while

covering the argentina/netherlands match. abc's lama hasan has more from london for us this morning. lama, good morning. >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you, whit. this news has stunned the sports world. as you can imagine, tributes are pouring in for the beloved and well-respected grant wahl. the u.s. soccer team tweeting that the entire u.s. soccer family is heartbroken adding he made soccer his life's work and we are devastated he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us. this morning, the sudden death of legendary american sportswriter grant wahl in qatar covering the world cup three days after celebrating his 49th birthday, wahl dying friday night after collapsing in his seat at the match between argentina and netherlands. his wife tweeting, i'm in complete shock. on thursday wahl saying on his podcast that he had bronchitis and has been to a medical clinic twice including that day. >> so many journalists have got a crazy cough. it sounds like a death rattle sometimes.

>> reporter: wahl saying he had tested negative for covid-19. >> i can't wait to be on the other side of what i have. >> reporter: wahl whose brother identifies as a member of the lgbtq community making international headlines of his own during his coverage of the world cup tweeting this photo two weeks ago after he says security initially refused to let him into the stadium allegedly telling him, you have to change your shirt. it's not allowed. the sportswriter openly criticizing fifa and wasn't afraid to say how qatar was running the games throughout the world cup. his career spanning decades including 24 years at "sports illustrated," 2002 wahl working on this "sports illustrated" cover story about lebron james when james was a junior in high school. last night the superstar remembering him. >> very fond of grant. any time his name would come up, i would always think back to me as a teenager having grant in our building. >> reporter: now, no further

details have been released about grant wahl's death. the u.s. state department says they are in close contact and engaged with senior qatari officials so that his family's wishes are fulfilled. eva. >> lama hasan for us, thank you. janai. well, a fisherman in northern california came dangerously close to a big fish that he wasn't trying to catch. lucas was kayaking with a friend when he says he saw a great white shark circling around his boat. >> he originally came up and had a fish on the line. i was kind of dangling the fish right over, you know, right on the surface of the water messing with my gopro because i wanted to get a video, and i just see him come out of nowhere like he yanked the rod. i knew if he had been into it it sure would have flipped me and it was scary for sure. >> can only imagine and then just as lucas thought the shark was gone, it came back again. fortunately, everyone made it out of the water okay. he was really cool, calm and collected. >> yeah, because that kayak is

not big at all. >> you're definitely going to need a bigger boat. >> yeah, we're going to need a bigger boat. >> yeah, exactly. time for the weather and danielle breezy from our nashville affiliate wkrn. danielle, a lot of storms out there you're watching. >> reporter: this snow video from southern wisconsin where they picked up anywhere from three to six inches of snow in some spots. that's devil's lake state park. a separate storm system will develop as we head into sunday afternoon and evening over the great lakes and northeast potentially bringing the first accumulating snow for the northeast and bring rain across the coastline from new york city to boston. there could be a few wet snowflakes mixing into that area. it should be out by the monday morning rush. alerts up for five states in the northern plains as we are anticipating a winter storm watch in that area. we could see up to a foot of snow, not to mention

we'll talk more about that coming up. back to you. >> going to make for a fun travel week. just can feel it. thanks, danielle. well, soccer or football as they call it in some places has been in the spotlight. this morning we are talking about american football and the classic rivalry. it's the army/navy game today and ahead of kickoff service members participated in pregame events. since it's being held in philadelphia, challenges for the midshipmen and cadets included push-ups which navy muscled through and carrying

40-pound kettle balls up and down the iconic steps of the city's art museum, a win for army. the pull-up challenge between the teams ending in a tie. then an intense tug-of-war on navy turf at the battle ship "new jersey and camden" with army victorious in their show of strength, and check out this image from aboard the "uss nimitz," the u.s. navy posting, guess what's on everybody's mind this weekend. some 50,000 fans expected at the game. the competitions are what they are, but you got to win the big game. >> love that rivalry. >> got to win the big game, yep. well, guys, stay with us, we'll be right back. no, what e to talk to somebody about our policy but it's late at night? call us 24/7. great, because what if someone still calls his mom for everything? we'll walk you through everything, at state farm we're there for your "what ifs." (phone ringing) yeah mom, everything's great... yeah. i mean uh... not my mom. like a good neighbor, state farm is there.

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edible food recovery will be getting breakfast and t shirts working until the afternoon and then closing out the day with food, music and fun at liberation park and the i'll be doing that on a very rainy day meteorologist lisa arjun here with a look at the forecast, yellows, the rain right here. the cold front the heavy rain up in the north bay, santa rosa, some light to n. noto san rae bit of a break around the mid bay but the south bay you've had some light to moderate rain, windy conditions with a wind miles ann spots, liz. all right, lisa. thank you. thanks f i'm on the phone. when your team needs more space to work and eat... carl, is that mackerel? no, it's uh, trout. [gags]

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♪ near, far ♪ ♪ wherever you are ♪ ♪ i believe that the heart does go on ♪ she is suffering from a rare disorder that has put her career on hold. coming up, more on her battle and the reactions from fans across the globe. >> sending her so much love. let's take a look at some of the other big stories that we are following this morning. happening right now, a former minneapolis police officer who knelt on george floyd's back has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years behind bars for his role in floyd's death. j. alexander keung is already serving a three-year federal sentence. he and two other former officers

were convicted in federal court in february of violating floyd's civil rights. also right now, an oil spill has shut down the keystone pipeline, which transfers oil between canada and the u.s. the spill released an estimated 14,000 barrels of oil into a creek in rural kansas. that's enough oil to almost fill an olympic size swimming pool. this is the largest onshore crude pipeline spill in more than nine years. the government is investigating what caused the spill. and, y'all, this story is so great here. a new york city based art director won a raffle letting him conduct a local orchestra during their rendition of "sleigh ride." yeah, check him out, enjoying every minute of this. the video has already gone viral racking up more than 2 million views. i feel like that's what whit would look like conducting an orchestra. >> only with the kilt and the puffer jacket. >> i knew it was going to be good as soon as she said "y'all"

and the dance moves. >> i'm listening. >> we needed that story this morning. >> yes, we did. we start this half hour with insight into how prosecutors will present their case against once prominent south carolina attorney alex murdaugh accused of murdering his wife and son. they say it was all an attempt to distract from a swindling scheme they claim lasted over a decade. >> why this particular individual would murder his own wife and son. >> reporter: this morning a new twist in the double murder case of disgraced south carolina attorney alex murdaugh. >> that this is a white collar case that culminated with two murders. >> reporter: prosecutors revealing their theory on motive saying that murdaugh killed his wife and son to gain sympathy and to distract from his alleged financial wrongdoings. this in response to a defense attorney's motion called a bill of particulars prompting prosecutors to go on the record. >> what they're really trying to do is force the prosecution to

say exactly why they thought alex murdaugh would have done this. the idea that he's killing his wife and his son to somehow distract or cover up financial crimes, the motive doesn't make sense. >> reporter: prosecutors painting murdaugh as a man who lived a double life. >> there was a huge difference between who alex murdaugh professed to be to the outside world and who he really was. >> reporter: adding that evidence related to a decades worth of alleged financial crimes should be admissible in murdaugh's murder trial claiming the former attorney stole money from his clients and law firm to fund his lavish lifestyle, but was on the brink of being caught. >> the day of reckoning was upon him, and he was out of cards to play after he's been playing every card he could for ten years. >> reporter: prosecutors accuse murdaugh of allegedly shooting his wife maggie and 22-year-old son paul in the summer of 2021

at the family's hunting lodge. murdaugh has pleaded not guilty. his attorneys say he had nothing to gain from the murders. another key piece of potential evidence, bloodstains on a white t-shirt allegedly worn by murdaugh on the night he found the bodies of his wife and son. defense attorneys alleging the forensic lab damaged the shirt during testing giving conflicting reports about whether or not there was human blood spattered on it. >> if the prosecution can show that there was blood spatter on the shirt that he was wearing, that's incredibly damning evidence. >> and murdaugh's trial is just weeks away. that is expected to get under way in january. let's turn now and get another check of the weather, danielle breezy out there in nashville. severe storms moving into several parts of the country. >> reporter: i want to start you off with the snow video from snow valley in southern california. take a look at this. i think this guy was shredding the gnar. i think that's how you say it.

that is expected to pick up 16 additional inches of snow. this area of low pressure drifts south bringing heavy rain to the west coast. one to two inches not out of the question from san francisco to san diego. in the mountainous regions four to eight feet of snow. plus you couple it with very strong winds, that will lead to whiteout conditions. this same system is going to push east into the middle part of the country bringing possible blizzard conditions up to the north and northern plains. but to the south it's all about the rain and actually we could even see some severe weather as we head into tuesday afternoon and tuesday night. take a look at this bull's-eye here. we are anticipating anywhere from damaging winds to hail not to mention a tornado threat there from little rock all the way down to new orleans.

>> shredding some gnar. did i say that right, whit? >> i like the way you said it. like, hey, kid, wouldn't you like to shred some gnar out there. that was excellent. thank you, danielle. all right. still coming up here on "good morning america," harry and meghan's new documentary. the reception it's getting across the pond. and then puppy scams. how to protect yourself from bringing home disappointment instead of a dog. ♪ ♪ ♪ all the snow just melts away ♪ ♪ when i'm with you ♪ ♪ oh baby baby will you please give me a clue ♪ ♪ because today is the day ♪ ♪ i get to see ♪ shop pandora jewelry and receive a free, limited edition bracelet

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with my hectic life you'd think retirement would be the last thing on my mind. thankfully, voya provides comprehensive solutions and shows me how to get the most out of my workplace benefits. voya helps me feel like i've got it all under control. voya. well planned. well invested. well protected. welcome back to "gma" and harry and meghan's new documentary currently the number one show on netflix and adding what could be fuel to the royal rift. abc's lama hasan is at buckingham palace with more. good morning again to you, lama. >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you, janai. well, the documentary is now netflix's biggest show of the year here in the uk, and it has had its fair share of critics. hitting back the sussex camp releasing a statement saying harry and meghan are choosing to share their story on their own

terms, but that the tabloid media has created an entirely untrue narrative that shapes public opinion. >> the sound of hearts breaking all around the world. >> reporter: "harry & meghan" released on thursday already a viewing hit for the streamer with millions tuning in. >> the past six years of my life, books are written about our story from people who i don't know. doesn't it make more sense to hear our story from us? >> reporter: but still causing controversy. >> the level of hate that has been stirred up in the last three years especially against my wife and my son, i'm generally concerned for the safety of my family. >> reporter: meghan's mother calling out the racism she says meghan experienced at the hands of the media. >> and i said to her, this is about race. this is what's coming down the pike. >> no matter what i did, they were still going to find a way to destroy me. >> reporter: some in the uk press hitting back. a bbc journalist calling this claim by meghan absurd. critics asking why they let the netflix cameras in after the pair had been so protective of their privacy.

the couple sharing intimate moments from their home life, and harry candidly comparing meghan to his mother, princess diana. >> she has the same compassion, she has the same empathy, she has the same confidence. she has this warmth about her. >> reporter: now, there's no official comment yet from either buckingham palace or kensington palace on the documentary. many people saying that the episodes so far just are expanding on the narrative that's been there and actually are relatively light on criticism of the royal family but also bracing themselves for the new episodes that drop on december 15th, janai. >> all right, lama, thank you. and joining us now is abc news royal contributor victoria murphy. thanks so much for being with us this morning. what has the reaction been to the documentary there in the uk? >> hi there. good morning. well, a very mixed reaction in the uk, i think. harry and meghan have long

polarized opinion, and that continues to be the case. there's been some positive reaction to their love story and some of the behind-the-scenes moments. i think there has been a lot of criticism, however, and scrutiny of this documentary as we would expect, much of it in the british press. one thing that has attracted a lot of attention over the past 24 hours is this accusation that they are attacking the queen's legacy because of criticism in the documentary by commentators about the commonwealth, and that's been a very big debate still on the front pages today. > and so what about meghan's meeting with the royals, her first interaction with kate middleton and that curtsy with the queen? >> reporter: well, exactly. there's no big bombshells in this documentary, but there are moments that have attracted attention. meghan describing that elaborate first curtsy she did to the queen. that's actually been criticized here. people said it's disrespectful and that she was mocking. i have to say, i do think harry looked uncomfortable in that footage there. also meghan described meeting kate and william for the first time hinting that they didn't really hit it off from the beginning.

she's talked about the formality being behind closed doors, but, you know, no real kind of killer blows from the couple to royal reputations yet, but that could be to come. >> yet there's still so much criticism. and, victoria, what do you think is to come in the next episode due out in a few days? >> well, i think everything could be to come because, you know, we are getting now to the part in the story where we're talking about the fallout and where they decided to leave and walk away, and i think we're going to hear more of their thoughts and feelings. but what we might hear now that we haven't heard so far is kind of specific new allegations, and if that comes out in the next three episodes, then i think there could be significant problems for the royal family that we haven't seen so far from these first three episodes. >> across the world so many will be watching. victoria, thank you so much for being with us this morning. whit. >> i also appreciated the santas riding by on bicycles in the backdrop. >> i was thinking that too. >> just a little something extra. >> merry christmas. >> that i wasn't expecting this

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back now on "gma" and a cute and cuddly puppy is on many kids' holiday lists this year, but officials are warning consumers to be alert about new puppy scams on the rise. abc's deidre bolton has what you need to know. deidre, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, whit. the better business bureau says that scammers are banking on the emotion of families wanting to add a furry new member, and it is costing americans millions. as millions of americans hunt for deals and the perfect

last-minute gift, a new warning about puppy scams. >> good girl. >> reporter: michigan's attorney general and the better business bureau are telling people to be on alert saying pet scams are on track to account for about 18% of online shopping frauds this year costing consumers more than $2 million. they add that yorkies, dachshunds and french bulldogs make up nearly 30% of puppy scams. >> average monetary loss in each of these reports is $850 which is actually up 60% since 2017. >> reporter: jeff and katie wells found a dog online and paid the seller around $750. >> we have a great dane and thought it would be good to get her a sister. >> reporter: but soon realized it was a scam. >> it was $750, and then right after, then they started talking about the shipping and another $1,500. >> it was all in one day. >> reporter: they are not alone. scams like these flourish during the holiday season.

the better business bureau says buying a puppy online is one of the riskiest purchases you can make because it says as many as 80% of sponsored pet ads are fake. >> scammers are really smart and follow the money. they would not be trying to wedge their way into the market if the market didn't exist. >> i was emotional because i had my heart set on that little girl. she was sweet, you know. >> reporter: but the wells now with a happy ending finding their new great danes, ursula and air. >> they're part of the family and we just love them to death. >> reporter: to be sure, many animal lovers say adopting from a well-known organization such as the aspca gives a good dog a loving home, and, as you know, whit, that obviously helps to sidestep some of these bigger scam. >> exactly, exactly, and even for families looking for breed specific dogs, there are great rescues out there. >> tons that want homes. plenty of options. just look into it. deidre, thank you so much. coming up here on "good morning america," the surprise upset and dramatic finishes at the world cup. and dramatic it at the world cup.

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all right, back with our "plays of the day" at the world cup. two quarterfinal games on friday. both decided in penalty kicks. >> and that's it. brazil are out. croatia do it again. >> it was an emotional day at the world cup. fan favorite brazil knocked out after losing on penalty kicks to croatia. >> what a move this is. neymar, oh! >> brazilian superstar neymar breaking down on the field in tears, but just moments before the shocking defeat, it looked like brazil would be the ones moving on. neymar scoring a stunning goal in extra time tying soccer legend pele for the country's all-time men's goal record, but croatia fighting back scoring this goal with just two minutes left sending the game to a shootout. >> a wonderful opportunity and an equalizer for croatia.rivaen world cup hopes alive.

>> tackled away. down and then it's fired into the dutch bench. and here we go. >> it was a scrappy game against the netherlands, messi and argentina losing a two-goal lead in the final nail-biting minutes to send this game to penalty kicks, and, of course, argentina pulling it out too. two big match-ups. morocco/portugal and france/england. we'll be right back. abc seven mornings. all news all morning. good morning, everybody. i'm liz kreutz, sparkly community leaders and residents will rally for housing . today they're calling upon the mayor and city council to implement a tenant opportunity to purchase act or topa topa was authorized in oakland made as a tool to prevent displacement and preserve affordable housing by giving tenants first chance to

buy when landlords put homes up for sale. the rally kicks off at civic center park at noon today . civic center park, a combination flu and covid 19 vaccine shot is getting a fast track designation by the fda. the move speeds up the development and reviewing of a drug needed to fight serious health threats. officials with fighter and bio in tech made the announcement yesterday. last month fighter said the first phase of the vaccines trial began. the company says the two and one vaccine will help protect americans from both viruses. and lisa arjun. good morning to you. let's go check out the forecast is we have a flood advisory until 11 o'clock from marin sonoma napa, where the rain is coming down hard attempt to a half inches, already fallen with a quarter of an inch to three quarters of an inch anticipated. through the next few hours. so the heavier rain in the far north bay you can see santa rosa here lighter amounts through marin, but we're anticipating that heavy rain sweeping through the bay area. the next 30 minutes or so light rain hayward 8 80 union city in fremont will be like mid morning

here. the peninsula your wet around 3 80, then the south bay from san jose to cupertino. more to come throughout the afternoon . there's a look outside montana mid fifties out there. the southerly winds are quite gusty . so the rain just getting into it. now it's still well to the north of san francisco. but look at the wind gusts. 46 miles an hour. sfo level two system today upper fifties and we'll look for 1 to 2 inches list. all right, lisa. thank you. the news at eight am is next on abc seven mornings, so stick

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chase. make more of what's yours. >> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. liz: now at 8:00 is coming down this morning. here is a look at our mount tam camera, hard to even see what are we looking at. the gusty showers and winds, this year getting ready for heavy snow. all of that we are tracking this morning. good morning, i am liz kreutz with lisa argen. good to get all of this rain but it is going to be wet and potentially dangerous. lisa: we are seeing it come down in the north bay and that is why the national weather service has issued an advisory for marin and napa. cold front slicing