good morning, america. flight fiasco. southwest airlines in crisis, more than half of its flights canceled again today adding to the thousands nixed since christmas. passengers stranded for days. >> when you go to try to rebook on the southwest app, nothing is available until january 1st. >> bags piling up around the country. now, the outcry from lawmakers. what the ceo is telling passengers and staff this morning as transportation secretary pete buttigieg joins us live only on "gma" this morning. the big dig. after the deadly storm taking dozens of lives, buffalo starting to re-emerge from feet of snow. the neighbors jumping in to save neighbors. >> you see these young men? this is amazing. >> we're live on the scene as a

new storm pummels the west coast. up to eight inches of drenching rain. the flash flood fears. cars stranded in high waters. where it's heading next. showdown at the border. the supreme court ruling to keep that trump-era policy allowing migrants to be quickly expelled over covid concerns. in place for now. what's next? the political battle now raging. hunt for clues. why police in idaho are now asking for social media posts, pictures and videos as they investigate the killings of those four college students and what they're saying about that white hyundai spotted near the scene. holiday fire alert. christmas trees and decorations causing hundreds of home blazes every year. now our heart-pounding demonstration showing what can go wrong and the tips that could save lives. surprise good-bye. nfl superstar j.j. watt who raised more than $40 million in

hurricane harvey relief announcing his retirement after this season ends. saying his heart is filled with love and gratitude. what's behind his decision that took fans in the football world by surprise? here we go again. no megamillions winner overnight. sending ticket sales through the roof. the jackpot already at least $640 million. what to know with a whole lot of money up for grabs. so you're telling me there's still a chance? >> still a chance for a whole lot of money. >> whole lot of money. >> i love how janai said that. good morning, america. it is great to be here with my good friends, gio and janai and we do have a lot to get to. >> a whole lot to get to. we begin with the major meltdown at southwest airlines. holiday travelers still stranded across the u.s. many unable to get flights for days and already this morning,

the airline has canceled more than half of today's flights. this, as federal regulators are stepping this to investigate. >> in a moment, transportation secretary pete buttigieg will be joining us live. but first let's go to alex perez at midway airport in chicago. alex, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, good morning, gio. this is what a lot of southwest terminals across the country look like right now, just hundreds of unclaimed bags. the airline now promising to get things back on track before next week. >> i'm truly sorry. >> reporter: this morning a mea culpa from the ceo of southwest airlines as the company tries to pull out of a public relations nosedive. >> our plan for the next few days is to fly a reduced schedule and reposition our people and planes, and we're making headway. >> reporter: southwest under scrutiny as the airline struggles to recover from last week's massive storm that led to record delays and thousands of cancellations. passengers forced to sleep at airports. luggage scattered from city to city including in denver, where we find abc's mola lenghi.

>> luggage, as you can see, piling up at denver international airport. folks who own these bags are spread out all over the country. some folks have been stuck for days. others waiting in lines for hours and still after all of that, few answers. >> reporter: kaylin's southwest flight was canceled monday and the earliest flight southwest offered her was thursday. >> when you go to try to rebook on the southwest app, nothing is available until january 1st and they expect you to pay the difference in fare for your ticket. >> reporter: she opted to drive 16 hours to florida instead. >> hopefully they will reimburse us for the rental car and food and anything else -- any expenses we accrued. >> reporter: southwest already canceling 61% of its flights today as the company tries to reset and get back on track. >> again, your bags ill not be here. >> reporter: contributing to the cascade of problems, southwest operating on a point-to-point

flight system. planes hopscotching the country, making it more vulnerable to widespread problems when issues arise. the hub and spoke system helps isolate problems. the pilots union also argues the airline's i.t. infrastructure is outdated. >> they have to look at the processes. they're using processes and i.t. from the 1990s when we were an airline less than a quarter of the size. >> reporter: the u.s. department of transportation is now investigating what exactly went wrong and calling on the airline to make it right. president biden tweeting in part, our administration is working to ensure airlines are held accountable. go to usdot's dashboard to see if you're entitled to compensation. and southwest is asking passengers to submit receipts for hotels, meals and other reimbursements to their website, but they did not say when exactly they expect to respond to those requests. gio? >> almost all of the canceled flights in america today are

southwest flights. just incredible. alex, thank you so much. joining us now only on "gma" this morning is u.s. secretary of transportation pete buttigieg. mr. secretary, thank you so much for being here and joining us. no doubt about it, we are seeing incredible scenes just play out acros the country. tell us, do you see this as a meltdown? >> yes, you know, that word gets thrown around a lot sometimes in coverage of travel disruptions, but in this case it's the only word i can think of to describe what's happening at southwest airlines. and we are past the point where they could say that this is a weather-driven issue. don't get me wrong, all of this began with that severe storm we saw winter weather affecting the country and severely disrupting all airlines. our entire aviation system. but as of today, the rest of the aviation system is down to a rate of about 4% of flights

being canceled. and as you reported, we're north of 60% right now when it comes to southwest. so what this indicates is a system failure, and they need to make sure that these stranded passengers get to where they need to go and that they're provided adequate compensation, not just for the flight itself, and they should absolutely be providing refunds for those flights that were canceled if passengers aren't able to fly or choose not to fly but also things like hotels and ground transportation, like meals because this is the airline's responsibility. >> i know you spoke with southwest's ceo bob jordan. what is he telling you? >> well, i asked the ceo what they were doing to get their passengers and their employees out of this mess, and i reminded them of their customer service commitments. you remember earlier this year, especially over the summer, we saw a lot of problems with a lot o airlines and i pressed them to increase their customer service commitments, to put it in writing. and now that they have put it in

writing, we can enforce that. so i reminded them of their promises and reminded them that we will be here to hold them accountable to things like taking care of the expenses of those passengers. he pledged to me they are going to do that, in the words of his executives, go above and beyond the letter of their customer service plan. we will be watching closely to make sure that actually happens. >> mr. secretary, we know stranded passengers, they've had to pay thousands of dollars to find places to stay, change their plans. people have had to drive for hours and hours. tell me, because of these canceled flights -- tell me southwest says it's going to cover what it calls those reasonable expenses. what would you consider reasonable and how will you make sure that d.o.t. actually gets that money or that the southwest airlines gets that money back to passengers? >> well, we've been able to get passengers hundreds of millions of dollars in refunds this year alone through our rules and through our enforcement. now, we've never seen a

situation, at least not on my watch, with this volume of disruption. so this is going to take an extraordinary level of effort by southwest and we will mount an extraordinary effort to make sure that they're meeting their obligations. think of it from the perspective of a passenger, especially if you are somewhere where you don't know anybody, you're stranded and the hotels are getting booked up. it is putting people under extreme stress, especially people traveling with children, and they need to be made whole. to me, it means that, in order to restore that relationship with their customers, southwest is going to have to, not only make them financially whole, but find a way to really rebuild trust and confidence. again, they pledged to me that they're going to do that. i want to see exactly what that means. >> all right, transportation secretary pete buttigieg, thank you so much for being here. happy new year to you and your family, sir. >> same to you. thanks very much. >> all right, thanks so much. janai?

>> all right, gio. the secretary there making it clear it was more than just the weather system meltdown, but the weather doing a number on its own. now to the latest developments out of buffalo, the death toll there rising as the city begins to dig out. mona kosar abdi is on the ground in buffalo where the airport and many roads set to re-open this morning. good morning to you, mona. >> reporter: good morning, janai. all around the city these dump trucks have been hauling snow off city streets and creating mountains of snow like the one you see behind me. meanwhile, military and state n drivers off the road so these guys can work around the clock. this morning, the death toll in western new york climbing to at least 32. officials say that number is still expected to rise. and now the massive cleanup is under way after the historic blizzard struck the region. the national guard deploying some 100 military police officers to help enforce buffalo's attempts to keep nonessential vehicles off the roads. >> this is potentially a life-threatening situation. if you get stuck and the ambulance can't respond, now they have to jump in the vehicle which drives a lot slower.

>> reporter: buffalo's mayor hopes to lift the driving ban later today saying vehicles left on streets pose challenges. >> we've got cars abandoned, cars stranded all over the city hampering the plowing efforts. >> reporter: new video showing two men carrying 66-year-old debra garcia to her daughter's home after her apartment lost power during the storm. >> you see these young men? this is amazing. >> reporter: garcia's daughter calling them heroes. this morning, we're learning the names of some of the victims tragically killed in the storm. andel taylor's family confirming with abc news she filmed this video as she was trapped in her car. her family calling her the most kind-hearted and loving person and william clay's sister sofia telling me he was a loved father and grandfather. and temperatures are expected to rise in coming days reaching the 50s which could create a cycle

of melting and freezing and pose a risk to roofs across the city. and janai, there's also a possibility of flooding. >> oh, my goodness, mona, already just so tragic. dozens of deaths and the number expected to climb. mona, thank you for that update. mary? meanwhile, out west they are facing a new storm there. it's called an atmospheric river and it's dumping several inches of rain along the coast bringing dangerous flooding to some parts. sam champion joins us now with more. hey, sam, good morning. >> reporter: yeah, good morning, guys. less than a week after a brutal and prolonged winter storm took over two-thirds of the country we have another big weather event on the west coast. let's get to the videotape that has come in and we'll show you what's going on. scenes from heavy rains in king tides combine in seattle neighborhoods, coastal oregon, eight inches of rain. look at portland. this kind of storm can kick winds past 40, 50 miles per hour and we've already seen mountain winds near 100 miles per hour. take a look at other flooding in california. 6 to 8 inches of rain. flooding near the san jose and

monterey area. so what is this system? you'll hear the term atmospheric river. and when you hear that, what it basically is, it's a column of very focused, heavy moisture that floods up against the shoreline. big-time rains and winds and anul leenta areaswahes anwain o more snofomountain areas. as this moves east, it shoves warmer air to the eastern seaboard and that means that places like buffalo that got so much snow will now start melting it. it also looks like it may be a rainy night of it by the time we get to new year's eve. more on the forecast when we come back. guys? >> just incredible images, sam. thank you so much. now to the crisis at the border. the supreme court saying yesterday that title 42, the pandemic-era border policy allowing officials to expel migrants over covid-19 concerns, will stay in place as legal challenges play out. and abc's will carr is at the border with the latest. will, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, gio. this has been a contentious political issue and while it's been playing out through the courts, families have been

coming here to the border this morning. we've seen mothers and kids sleeping on the sidewalks in an all-out downpour of rain and now they're unsure of what to do next. this morning in a blow to the migrants waiting across the southern border, title 42 remains in place. a divided supreme court voting 5-4 tuesday siding with 19 states that requested staying the trump-era policy which allows officials to quickly based on public health concerns until at least next year. >> in the meantime, we have to enforce it but i think it's overdue. >> reporter: a sigh of relief for many governors, including greg abbott of texas, who sent busloads of migrants to the vice president's home over the christmas weekend. the texas national guard now building two miles of fences and barricades and dhs constructing a facility to hold and process a thousand immigrants. meanwhile, states like california, which did not join

the legal case, finding services overwhelmed at the border as title 42 remained in limbo for months. migrants scrambled to the u.s./mexico border inundating cities and services on both sides. the department of homeland security has predicted as many as 18,000 people could cross the border every day if the policy is lifted. yesterday's extension of the policy has done little to stop the flow of migrants. >> specific to title 42, expulsions yesterday was 214. but we do know that there's a large number of people that are waiting for title 42 to be lifted. >> reporter: this morning, the white house is calling on congress to deliver reform messages and also additional funding for border security. gio? >> just incredible stories from the border. will carr, thank you so much. janai? all right, turning overseas to the latest on the war in ukraine and that new move by vladimir putin against countries united to cap oil prices. britt clennett is on the ground in ukraine for us this morning. britt, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, janai. well, russia has hit back at

attempts to cap gains on its oil revenue. as you say, president putin banning oil sales to countries and companies that agreed on the $60 price cap set by the g7 and eu earlier this month. now, russia says it will last five months from the 1st of february but not clear how it will impact the global market at this stage. you know, russia is one of the world's largest oil producers but demand from the west has dropped since the invasion here. although china and india do remain willing buyers. meanwhile, heavy fighting continuing in the northeast with ukraine making gains and in the south russia digging in fortifying their defenses and here in kyiv, really kind of a quiet calm over whether putin might send a barrage of missiles into the country in retaliation for monday's deadly air base attack. janai? >> still remains to be seen. britt, thank you for that update. mary? and now to that giant lottery jackpot.

the megamillions is now up to $565 million. abc's andrew dymburt is here and, andrew, the bad news, no one won. the good news, no one won. >> oh, this morning there is still a whole lotto money up for grabs. see what i did there? there was no winner in yesterday's megamillions jackpot. to quote jim carrey, so you're telling me there's a chance. with no one winning the prize overnight, the next drawing will be worth at least 640 mill. ticket sales soaring from coast to coast. if it feels like you're seeing more big money prizes, you're right. experts say it's pretty straight forward. as the jackpot increases, so too does the allure of winning so more buy tickets then throw in the holiday season and stocking stuffers with lottery tickets and here we are. some did wake up this morning a little richer. five people won a million dollars from tuesday's drawing by matching five numbers, but no one got all six. if you do win it all on friday, remember to be smart and patient with this life-changing windfall of cash. do not go directly to the car dealership and buy a bugatti in all cash.

>> why not? >> don't do that. >> got to have fun with that. i'll take the million dollars, though. >> how about how familiar andrew is with millions of dollars. he said 565 mill. >> just a little bit of cash. >> yeah. all right, coming up here, investigators' plea to the public for help in capturing the killer of the idaho college students. the latest on their search for the white car we've been seeing there. and nfl star j.j. watt's surprise retirement announcement. the tributes this morning. first, your local weather in 30 seconds.

giving way to increasing clouds and we are dry during the daylight hours but after 9 p.m. tonight, a level 1 light storm on the exclusive abc storm impact scale moves into the region with light showers and accuweather seven-day forecast, rain on and off tomorrow and a stronger storm friday evening and we will start the and coming up here, jennifer lopez on her first blended family christmas with new husband, ben affleck. we'll be right back. you didn't live this strong, this long to get put on the shelf like a porcelain doll. but one out of two women over 50 will suffer a fracture from osteoporosis.

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ensure with twenty-five vitamins and minerals, and ensure complete with thirty grams of protein. building a better bay area moving forward finding solutions . this is abc seven news. good morning, everyone. i'm kumasi, aaron from abc, seven mornings new this morning. a man has been detained after allegedly starting a fire at an apartment complex in pleasant hill. it happened just before nine last night on contra costa boulevard . police tell us where they got their man with multiple knives was seen running away from the building eventually used one of the knives to hurt himself. officers deployed nonlethal being bags and then detain the man. he was taken to the hospital. the unit. the fire started in was empty, but residents and three other units had to be evacuated. no one else was hurt. good morning. we're following your wednesday morning drive with a couple of better stories for you earlier. sigalert on vasco road southbound has been cleared. so

you're getting through on your way to livermore. no problem. earlier problems on the signal grade all cleared and we do have an accident. report westbound highway for near willow pass. that is the reason for slow traffic towards bay point. thank you. sue. meteorologist drew

get exclusive offers on select new volvo models. contact your volvo retailer to learn more. take a look at the planner today . we have a beautiful sunrise occurring right now will have increasing clouds throughout the afternoon. the daylight hours they are dry, but later tonight after nine pm showers return to the forecast on the exclusive abc seven storm impact scale. there's a level one lightstorm tonight into tomorrow, so nowhere near as strong as our storm yesterday morning. but still will have light to moderate showers. the heaviest rain falls tomorrow afternoon evening about a quarter to an inch of rainfall expected the next 48 hours. thank you drew. we'll have another abc seven is

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for its holiday travel mess. at least 60% of flights canceled today after thousands have been axed since christmas day with passengers stranded. many without return flights. transportation secretary pete buttigieg telling us this morning that this is past the point of just saying it's a weather-driven issue. it indicates a system failure. and news from the vatican about pope emeritus benedict saying his health is failing due to his advanced age. he is 95 years old. pope francis is asking for prayers for his predecessor. and the co-leader of a plot to kidnap michigan governor gretchen whitmer has been sentenced to 16 years in prison. adam fox receiving the longest sentence of anyone so far convicted in the 2020 scheme though it is considerably less than the life term prosecutors had asked for. and the countdown to 2023 is officially on. the famed times square ball receiving an upgrade with just days to go before its big performance. workers installing its 2,600 waterford crystal panels ahead of new year's eve. the 12-foot in diameter 11,000-pound ball will sit atop one times square until seconds before midnight. it is always so magical to see that. >> a lot of bling. >> god bless them putting those crystals up when it is so cold

outside. >> the wind up there must be intense and we've got a lot more ahead here including christmas tree and decoration fire dangers. the heart-pounding "gma" demonstration showing what can go wrong and tips to stay safe all coming up. we will begin this half hour with the latest on the murders of those four university of idaho students. police with a new plea to the public for help saying even the smallest tip could help them crack the case. mola lenghi has the latest. good morning, mola. >> reporter: well, good morning, janai.

nearly seven weeks into this investigation and still no arrests made, no suspects identified. investigators seem to be growing increasingly desperate pleading with the public for help. this morning, a new appeal for information to solve the november murders of four students from the university of idaho. the moscow police department put out a renewed call for social media content, pictures and videos from the community saying whether you believe it is significant or not your information might be one of the puzzle pieces that helps solve these murders. weeks after the deaths with no word of a major break in the case, members of the community are on edge. >> everybody is doing the best they can under duress. it's really stressful and we're just waiting hopefully every day to hear some good news. > reporter: the moscow police also addressing the latest on that 2011 to 2013 hyundai elantra spotted near the scene saying they have identified over 22,000 vehicles and that whoever was inside may have critical information about the case. mystery has surrounded the murders of kaylee goncalves, madison mogen and xana kernodle as well as kernodle's boyfriend ethan chapin. all stabbed inside the house. two roommates on the ground floor survived. they are not suspects and likely slept through the attack. they have not announced suspects or persons of interest. cole alteneder lived there during his junior year. >> it is an old creaky house. you can't walk up any of the stairs or on any of the floors without everybody knowing it.

>> reporter: the families growing desperate for answers as they faced the holidays without their loved ones. madison mogen's dad saying he remains hopeful. "from the very beginning i've known that people don't get away with these things these days. there's too many things that you can get caught up on like dna and videos everywhere." kaylee goncalves' father speaking with abc just after thanksgiving. >> it's a shame. you know, everybody wants it to go away and it needs to go away but it can only go away when we have justice. >> reporter: a feeling echoed by those living in moscow worried about a killer on the loose. >> we need to find this person or persons now. >> reporter: well, the fbi assisting in the investigation. police say they've received around 12,000 tips since the november 13th murders. janai?

>> but, mola, that dad saying people don't get away with things like this, still so many unanswered questions. mola, thank you. let's bring in brad garrett. let brad, i think most people would say they are shocked that more than six weeks after the thirds police haven't announced a suspect or even a person of interest. but as a former fbi investigator how surprised are you? >> well, after the first week, i just wasn't surprised. you know, one of the key factors in any homicide investigation is a link or connection between the victims and the suspect or suspects and my sense was that this wasn't a strong connection or maybe it's no connection and when you have that, it really limits your ability to investigate a case and it also can slow down information that comes to you because maybe only a limited number of people actually know the killer. >> and that is so disheartening to hear, brad. what does that make you think is the biggest challenge for investigators at this late stage? >> to get one key piece of

information or evidence. what we don't know is what they actually have at this point. is, for example, the hyundai elantra that they have found one but we don't know if that's the right vehicle, how does that play into this? is that a big lead, sort of a medium lead? are you looking for a witness or someone in the neighborhood at the time? so we'll have to see. but i will tell you when you ask the public generally for help, it means you're stuck. >> that is exactly what i was going to ask you. they're putting out such a wide call for any key piece of information and you're saying that that means that they must be stuck. brad garrett, thank you so much for being with us this morning. gio? now we turn to the surprising retirement announcement from an nfl superstar. j.j. watt telling fans that he's retiring after this season and trevor ault joins us now with the future hall of famer's decision. trevor, this was surprising.

>> definitely because he is still playing a high level of football. for people who aren't football fans, the defensive end, michael strahan position. >> why did you look at me? >> for people who aren't football fans. j.j. watt has been one of the best this generation. he's a former walk-on university of wisconsin. became an unblockable force in the nfl and one of the league's most beloved stars for what he's done off the field as well. this morning, one of the nfl's most feared defenders is about to call it quits. superstar defensive end j.j. watt making the surprise announcement that this will be his final season. posting this picture with his wife and baby son koa writing, koa's first nfl game, my last ever nfl home game. my heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. it's been an absolute honor and a pleasure. reaction now pouring in praising the future hall of famer. >> i'm actually shocked that he is a guy that is talking about retiring or that may be retiring. he's more than earned that opportunity and he's entitled to walk away. >> reporter: watt spent ten seasons with the houston texans

before joining the arizona cardinals last year, earning five pro bowls and three defensive player of the year awards along the way. >> number 99, j.j. watt. >> reporter: known for his tireless work ethic, last september he had an atrial fibrillation meaning his heart shocked back into rhythm. he still played three days later. >> it's been tough. you know, it was just weird, just weird. i have a baby on the way. >> reporter: watt's been honored for his philanthropy. his foundation supporting school athletic programs since he was in college. and in 2018 he was honored by the nfl for raising more than $37 million to help texans affected by hurricane harvey. >> we all have to go through this crazy journey together. so why not help each other out and make it as great of a journey as possible? >> watt just played sunday. it was clear that he is still really good at football.

he had a great game. unfortunately, the cardinals are eliminated from the playoffs. so that means he will retire without a super bowl ring but also means he still has his health which is something a lot of football players don't get to get when they leave. >> we are so thankful for that. >> janai, any follow-up questions? >> any thoughts on his legacy? >> no. it's great. we wish him the best. >> how about when he hosted "snl"? >> we loved that too. >> we'll work on some of that. holiday fire dangers, our correspondent's stunning demonstration of how things can go just terribly wrong, plus tips on how to stay safe. so important. all that coming up. from the edge of your seat to the edge of our world our realities turned inside out a kaleidoscope of cultures we are all born from the sun we reach beyond, together beyond the expected beyond the infinite

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plans in your neighborhood that include caremore. >> back now with some potentially lifesaving advice on christmas tree safety. we see hundreds of fires every year and matt gutman has more. >> reporter: burning candles, christmas lights and ornament-filled trees, they're part of the holiday season magic. but they're also what make it one of the most dangerous times of year. this fire breaking out at 2:00 a.m. christmas morning. sacramento fire rescue teams battling intense flames that ripped through the home. they say it started from an artificial christmas tree with an electrical malfunction. 22-year-old destiny abdrazack losing her life. >> it was within seconds that they were overcome by smoke and fire. one of the most common things i hear from homeowners when i arrive, they didn't think it would happen to them. and it does happen and it can happen in your home too. >> reporter: between 2016 and

2019 the national fire protection association says u.s. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 790 home structure fires per year that began with decorations. and those holiday christmas trees are the root of nearly 190 home fires every year. >> turn off those holiday lights before you go to bed. it gets around this time and people stop watering the tree and then that tree dries out and eventually that's just basically fire fuel. >> reporter: back in 2019 at the delaware county emergency training center, underwriters laboratory built us this model home and under the supervision of the philadelphia fire department, we intentionally set it ablaze with me inside to teach you how to get your family out safely. now, working smoke alarms are critical to giving you those precious moments. outside this door it's a thousand degrees. that door shielding me from the worst of the blaze. first thing to do, touch the door, is it hot? is the handle hot?

if it is, do not, do not open this door. keep it closed. it's your fire shield. it's going to keep you safe. >> reporter: on the other side of the door the smoke is blinding and suffocating. the air is obviously unbreathable. just a few breaths without a respirator could knock a person unconscious or kill them. that is why the experts say if you can't see an exit don't try to venture through the smoke. the expert says if you are trapped get a closed door between you and the fire and call 911. if you can get out make sure doors are closed when you leave. they're about to put this fire out. once the blaze was out our expert steve kerber showed us the bedroom just next door where we were which had the door left open. >> you got soot all over the ceiling. the pictures are melted. >> reporter: the room where we were that had the door closed. >> burned up in the hallway. pristine in the bedroom. >> reporter: one survivable, the other, experts say, might not

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what she wanted most, a big girl room. and the big guy came through, take a look. >> what the -- what happened to my room? >> what is that? >> i think santa was in here. >> oh, my gosh. oh, my, gosh. >> i love it! >> doesn't she just melt you? oh, she is just so excited. her mom right there revealing she cried during this. her mom is pointing. check this out. she turns on the light. she is just having the time of her life. nearly 17 million views and counting right now online. her new room including a slide that she made sure to try out. >> adorable. >> ooh.

>> santa coming through with the remodel. did that was a good gift. >> it was. my baby girl totally has that rainbow light. >> aww. i love it. coming up here our big surprise for the woman who gave up a corporate career to become a boxing coach to help deserving a boxing coach to help deserving ki ♪ with the most 5 star cruise reviews on tripadvisor, your gorgeous vacation at sea awaits. ♪

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building a better bay area moving forward finding solutions . this is abc. seven news. good morning, everyone. i'm kumasi. aaron from abc. seven mornings. here is sue hall now to look at traffic. hi, sue. good morning, kumasi and we are heading back to the beautiful bay bridge toll plaza. no metering lights ever activated this morning. it's been like this pretty much all morning long now the sun coming up in a nice, clear day, little bit sluggish on the western portion of the span. if you are coming into town, better news in concord, it was westbound four near willow pass. that accident has been cleared, but unfortunately it's still recovering, backed up to be a point sue. it is chilly out there this morning, thirties and low forties to start out your wednesday, but it is beautiful exploratory in camera. a lot of sunshine today will find increasing clouds as the day goes on dry during the daylight hours, but rain returns to the forecast after nine pm it is a level one lightstorm. act scale

showers. continue tomorrow. kamasi thank you. drew will have another agency seven is update in about 30 minutes, but you can always find the latest on our news app and abc seven news dot com news continues now with good (steven) every time i come to see caremore, they go above and beyond to take care of me. i feel a lot better now. i'm taking medication for what i should have been taking years ago. (vo) caremore health provides advanced primary care wherever you need it, in the hospital, at home, in our clinics, or virtually. (steven) so when i call them over a medical issue, they take care of it instantaneously. i'm not afraid to go to the doctor anymore or put off going to the doctor. (vo) call the number on your screen to learn more about medicare plans in your neighborhood that include caremore. i have something for you. ♪ hi i have something for you too. ♪

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. grounded. southwest airlines in crisis. more than half of its flights already canceled for today adding to the thousands nixed since christmas. passengers stranded for days, still without flights to get home. transportation secretary pete buttigieg on the flight fiasco only on "gma" this morning. the big dig, after the deadly storm taking dozens of lives, buffalo nearly up and running after more than four feet of snow. ♪ every heartbreak ♪ j. lo and ben's blended family christmas. what the superstar is saying about their first christmas together as a married couple revealing how they're learning from each other as parents and what she calls double the love

and triple the chaos. ♪ i love cheap thrills ♪ fans of cheap thrills listen up for the best tips. the secrets to save at liquidation stores. plus, getting the best bang for your buck when it comes to beauty. the top products pulling double duty. ♪ ain't no mountain high enough ♪ >> reporter: beyond the scale, how this mom of two lost 100 pounds and became a world champion power lifter dead lifting over 600 pounds. how she did it and her advice for others hoping to take control of their health in the new year. ♪ i wanna feel just a little ♪ "gma" gives back. this woman is in the corner of kids in her community using boxing lessons to teach them self-respect and so much more. this morning, we have a knockout surprise for her as we say, good morning, america. ♪ just a little ♪

and we do say good morning, america. it is so great to be at the desk with these two knockouts, janai and mary. so much excitement for our big surprise this morning. really excited. >> yeah, can't wait to introduce you to coach jackie atkins, who runs a boxing program that teaches kids in her community so much more than hooks and jabs, and this morning it is all about her. she has no idea what is in store. >> cannot wait for that. first, we have a lot of news this morning starting with the latest on the southwest airlines meltdown. even more flight cancellations happening today with thousands of passengers just desperate to get home. alex perez is back from midway airport. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. southwest has canceled 61% of their flights today, and the ceo

is now apologizing. >> i'm truly sorry. >> reporter: this morning a mea culpa from the ceo of southwest airlines as the company tries to pull out of a public relations nosedive. >> our plan is to fly a reduced schedule and reposition our people and planes and we're making headway. >> reporter: southwest under scrutiny as the airline struggles to recover from last week's massive storm that led to record delays and thousands of cancellations. passengers forced to sleep at airports, luggage scattered from city to city. >> again, your bags will not be here. >> reporter: contributing to the cascade of problems, southwest operates on a point-to-point flight system. planes hopscotching the country, making it more vulnerable to widespread problems when issues arise. the hub and spokes system used by most other carriers helps isolate problems. the pilots union also argues the airline's i.t. infrastructure is outdated. >> they have to look at the processes. they're uses processes and i.t.

from the 1990s when we were an airline less than a quarter of the size. >> reporter: the u.s. department of transportation is now investigating what exactly went wrong and calling on the airline to make it right. this morning, transportation secretary pete buttigieg spoke with "gma." >> what this indicates is a system failure, and they need to make sure that these stranded passengers get to where they need to go and that they're provided adequate compensation. >> reporter: and the company says they hope to be back on track before next week. mary? >> by next week, still a long road ahead for so many of those travelers, alex, thank you. janai? turning now to buffalo. the city digging out after being buried by the brutal and deadly storm that dropped more than four feet of snow. let's go back to mona kosar abdi who has been there live all week. good morning again to you, mona. >> reporter: janai, good morning. crews have been working around the clock to haul snow off city streets and create these mountains of snow that you see behind me and this is just a

fraction of the more than 50 inches of snow that fell during that historic christmas blizzard. the mayor now says they are in the recovery phase doing welfare checks and answering emergency calls. meanwhile, the national guard deployed around 100 military police officers to enforce the driving ban and keep non-essential vehicles off the road. fire has paired ambulances with tactical vehicles so they can navigate these snow-packed streets. the mayor hopes to lift the driving ban by later today and the buffalo airport which has been closed since friday is set to re-open in just a few hours at 11:00 a.m. janai? >> all right, still just starting to dig out after dozens of deaths there. mona, thank you so much. gio? all right, well, coming up here in our "gma morning menu," jennifer lopez opens up about her first christmas married to ben affleck and what that meant for their big blended family. also this morning, busting myths about motherhood in america. yes, please. one mom's new book called

"screaming on the inside," how to create your own definition of being a good mother. speaking of moms, tamara eho made an amazing transformation. her incredible and inspiring story is coming up right here. plus, lori bergamotto is here with the hottest beauty products doing double duty. all coming up right here on "gma." s vapocool drops with two times more menthol per drop*, and the powerful rush of vicks vapors for fast-acting relief you can feel. vicks vapocool drops. fast relief you can feel.

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loud, let's get loud ♪ you hear that bass in the background. we are back with our "gma" cover story. jennifer lopez talking about celebrating a blended family

holiday with her husband ben affleck. this, of course, is their first christmas together for the newlyweds and their kids and erielle reshef is back with that story. >> good morning. basking in the holiday j. glow this morning. this christmas was a merry milestone for the new family. j. lo opening up to fans about the transition for their five kids and how she and her husband ben affleck are handling co-parenting with care. ♪ every heartbreak ♪ ♪ was a yellow brick road ♪ >> reporter: it was a very merry christmas full of family memories for newlyweds jennifer lopez and ben affleck. >> i did it. i found the person that makes me the happiest. >> reporter: in her on the j. lo newsletter the "marry me" singer sharing highlights telling fans we have blended families. double the people, double the fun, double the love, double the presents and triple the chaos.

the superstar also describing her family's return to pre-pandemic traditions writing, for the past eight years we've been doing a christmas edition taco tuesday where we get together and dress up and sing christmas carols. during the pandemic that went to the wayside. so this was the first time in a long time we were able to get together with people that we haven't seen in forever. the party was filled with family, friends, colleagues and people we've known from over the years. we sang and danced and had the most amazing time. experts say adjusting to a new family dynamic can be complicated. >> one of the things that's important to do is to create two stable homes. also, have a clear plan going in who goes where for how long and when. you want to create new traditions in your new home. >> reporter: in the december issue of "vogue" lopez opening up about how she and affleck are learning about parenting from each other adding, what i hope to cultivate with our family is that his kids have a new ally in me and my kids have a new ally in him. and j. lo also sharing she

decorated her christmas tree with ornaments of hummingbirds saying that to her they're messengers of love and she identifies with them because while they fly fast they always have time to stop and smell the roses and she just wanted a reminder of this holiday season. we got to stop and smell the roses. she's in a new phase of her life. >> love seeing them so happy. >> erielle, thank you. we turn to an exciting way to save moaning if you're looking for some post-holiday bargains. we're talking about liquidation stores. consumer correspondent becky worley takes us inside one. >> right off the bat i find this drone. >> reporter: discounted, $7. >> this track pad i found. >> reporter: for only $1. deal after deal. >> this oral b water flosser. >> reporter: from liquidation stores over the country that get pallets of unsold merchandise or in some cases returned gear from some of the biggest retailers and brands. this man frequents this

liquidation store by his home in michigan. >> it's a treasure hunt every week. >> reporter: he says he keeps some items and resells others. >> anything you could expect to find in a retail store or online. so it can be things like electronics, consumables, toiletries. >> reporter: where does all this stuff come from? well, a lot of it is from big chains. we are talking target, walmart, amazon. >> stores are absolutely saddled with inventory. not just at the brick and mortar retailers but all the way up through the supply chain at their distribution and fulfillment centers. >> reporter: retailers are cutting losses. they're unloading it through the secondary market, everywhere from dollar stores, pawnshops to these liquidation outlets. nightlight. tennis balls. to embark on a treasure hunt of our own my producer and i check out liquidation stores in california and new jersey. baby shark coloring book. the store i go to requires a lot of digging to find the good stuff. sprinkler heads. there are some keepers. i get a phone case, headphones,

a meat thermometer, resistance bands, an lol doll, a 10-foot treats. for these seven items before tax i paid $46. i look the prices up online. they would have cost me $128. in new jersey, my producer sara hits the jackpot. >> all of these are brand-new popular brand toys. >> reporter: her liquidation store received a truck load from target, full of everything from toys to decorations to home decor. all 60% off the msrp. >> bar code. >> reporter: this doll retails for $25, but at the liquidation store, 10 bucks. if you're willing to hunt for the good stuff, you'll probably find a good deal and it's a surprisingly fun endeavor. for "good morning america," becky worley, abc news, oakland, california. >> such great tips there from becky, thank you so much. mary, over to you. now for an interview that i know janai and i have really

been looking forward to. jessica grose writes "the new york times" on parenting newsletter and has now written a book about what it's really like. >> yes. many moms will see themselves in the book, even in its title. it's called "screaming on the inside: the unsustainability of american motherhood." thksornge. when i read that title, i thought i feel seen. the first line of the book is incredible. you write, i failed at the idea of motherhood before i even had a child. why did you feel that way? >> so i like to joke that i leaned in to a toilet and that is -- because i had hyperemesis which is extreme morning sickness. i had just started a new job. i was so excited about it. it was a leadership position and i was so sick i had to quit after two months and it was just -- i felt i failed at pregnancy because i was not glowing. i was whatever is the opposite of glowing and i felt i had failed at being a working mom already and i wasn't even a mother yet and so that all just

came together when i was only about three months pregnant. >> i'm so sorry. that is something all of us can relate to. this feeling that what society considers to be a good mother is often so different from the actual reality of motherhood. help us unpack that. what is this idea, and why can't we shake that? >> the idea is just being self-sacrificing at every turn putting yourself absolutely last in every scenario and that's not realistic for anyone and not good for moms or families. what really being a good mother is in my mind is being able to focus on the unique individuals your children are and to be able to find your own values because my values about motherhood are not going to be your values, not going to be all the people watching's values and that's what makes motherhood so fascinating and fun is we have -- we can develop it however we want it to be. >> yes, just as individually unique as us, as we are as individuals. i'm caught.

they just showed pictures of me and my kids. yes, i love to travel with my kids but there are so many external pressures especially for mom influencers on social media. you know, they're showing pictures of my kids and i always hope no one thinks i'm some mom influencer. when they're like how do you do it all, i don't. you shouldn't think anyone is. what do you think of this idea on social media constantly comparing ourselves to the mom influencer who looks like she does it all and looks beautiful doing it? >> absolutely. so we're all showing our own highlight reels on social media and we all intellectually know that's not the truth. toddlers are screaming in the background. we don't have it all together and i have interviewed so many people who found incredible solace through online communities, especially if they went through something difficult like a child in the nicu and finding others in those experiences but it's about finding people whose values you share and make you feel good and who make you feel seen. so if someone is not making you

feel those things, mute, unfollow. you can just step away. >> you've written a lot about the covid experience, which may be something that none of us want to remember but know that feeling of being stuck at home with kids, no child care trying to figure out how to work and do it all. you call it disaster domesticity. what did you learn in talking to women about their experience? >> you cannot do all of the things in a single minute. i think often about this moment in the summer of 2020 when i had a conference call on mute in my ear, i was changing the laundry from the washer to the dryer and my kids were yelling in the background because it was lunchtime and they were starving and i felt pulled in every possible direction in just that minute. and i think that encapsulates the way so many people felt for, you know, a year and moms took on the brunt of that because historically moms have always done the majority of care taking so even if you were lucky enough to have a partner during that time, it all fell to moms and

was too much to sustain. >> that picture is me bringing my son to work and me in the makeup chair and my little boy there. >> i was going to say that picture paints exactly what you were talking about, just that challenge, but we all -- >> we all made it. >> we're all sitting here. >> jess, thank you so much for joining us.drew: giving way to increasing clouds and we are dry during the daylight hours but after 9 p.m. tonight, a level 1 light storm on the exclusive abc storm impact scale moves into the region with light showers and accuweather seven-day forecast, rain on and off tomorrow and a stronger storm friday evening and we will start the and now to "people" magazine's beyond the scale feature highlighting some amazing stories of stance transformation from people who

took control of their health, and joining us is one of those folks, tamara walcott is here who lost 100 pounds and became a world champion power lifter here with wendy naugle. thank you both for being here. >> thank you. >> congratulations to you both. "people" magazine every year share these amazing sort of weight loss transformation stories but here you wanted to call this lehi year >> well, we all know when we step on the scale the number can all of your goals to that, that can kind of set you up for failure but instead these stories this year, we found women like tamara who have a goal and it has nothing to do with the scale at all and the tenacity they show in holding on to that, it is so lasting and so motivating and so inspiring. >> well, there is a number on the scale, her strength. it's just incredible. tamara, you had an incredible transformation but hold the record. this is the world record for the

heaviest raw deadlift by a woman, 639 pounds. >> yes, i did. >> what -- she said that proudly. she said, yes, i did. what made you do that? what motivated you. >> oh, my gosh, so i definitely decided one day it was like a light switch like it's time to take your life back. like wendy is saying off the scale i weighed 275 pounds one time and i couldn't even lift some of the weight that i lift now, so i think one of the biggest things that made me change my life and decide that i wanted to do this is that i wanted to take control of my life and that's exactly what i did. by controlling the weight in my hand. >> i love that. wendy, was there something that tamara and all the people you featured had in common? >> yes. for tamara it was that goal of saying i am not -- nothing is going to stand in the way of me reaching this championship weight lift. you know, she told us that it was just -- there was no stopping her and you could

just feel the dedication and determination in those words and that's what we saw in all of these women. >> it can really be scary to take that leap. so what was the hardest part of your journey? how did you get through it? >> motivation died a long time ago. i am consistent, determined. every single day i do one thing when i wake up that gets me one step closer to my goal. so whether that's eating healthier that day because i know i won't be training so focus on nutrition or the day that i'm training i focus on, all right, what are you fueling your body with in order to attain this lift that you have to accomplish? >> whether you're motivated or not. >> i'm determined. i'm checking all the boxes. >> how does a world class power lifter eat? what do you eat for snacks? >> oh, my gosh, i eat protein, complex carbs, veggies, that's my staple. but you'll see me with like granola bars and like peanut butter, that's my staple. you'll definitely see me like sweet potatoes so i focus on the complex carbs so i make better choices, yeah. >> i love that.

listen, we can't have you here without showing folks some good simple moves because i know that you have some moves that you want to show us and people can do it right now in their living room. >> yeah, definitely can do in their living rooms. that's where i started. i used to bench press my son, but it was not -- >> did you really? >> this is a move everyone can do at home. if you don't have a weight at home, you might have a water bottle, a gallon bottle. so you can definitely do these squats. >> yes. >> clean presses. some other things you can do at home let's say you have no weights at all. no water bottles, want to keep moving and keep your body going, do some jump squats, all right. >> these are so good for mobility. >> so absolutely. >> what do your kids think about this? you call yourself the strong mom on instagram. >> thank you i do. my daughter is 16. first year in high school she was like, mom, i can do a perfect squat. no one else can. my son is always with me, you guys may have seen him with me. my son absolutely loves it.

>> there he is right there. >> he is my hype man. >> he's the one you were bench pressing. >> yes. he thought it was fun and games. now he's deadlifting. >> i love it. >> i think one of the things toom my kids realize too that i can show them, that i can tell them anything is possible. >> anything is possible. all right. tamara, thank you so much. wendy, thank you for being here. "beyond the scale" featured in the latest issue of "people" on newsstands now. coming up, our big surprise for coach jackie coming up here on "good morning america" and she doesn't know exactly why she's here but she's about to find out. it's going to be really special. stay with us here on "gma."

building a better bay area moving forward finding solutions . this is abc. seven news. good morning. i'm job in a fortune from abc seven mornings. let's check in with sue hall for looking traffic. hi, sue. good morning, joe pena. it's quiet. it's a slow week that in between week, christmas and new years, so here's a look at some of our drive times if you are out and about today, 6 80. from highway four all the way to walnut creek 24 interchange just under 10 minutes. 24 is green all the way through the tunnel into oakland from walnut creek and 5 80. you're right over the ultimate past is looking great this morning, and here's the 83 way past golden gate fields. you're moving at a pretty good clip. obina thank you. sue me

(steven) every time i come to see caremore, they go above and beyond to take care of me. i feel a lot better now. i'm taking medication for what i should have been taking years ago. (vo) call the number on your screen to learn more about medicare plans in your neighborhood that include caremore. temperatures this morning. we're starting out a lot colder than we were this time yesterday. widespread thirties and low forties certainly have extra layers with you outdoor. on this wednesday alive. look outside the tam, can we have a lot of sunshine let sunshine will fade throughout the afternoon for increasing clouds or dry during the day. but rain returns to the forecast after nine pm tonight on the exclusive abc seven storm impact scale. as a level one lightstorm we have tonight to martha light to moderate showers. kamasi. i'll take a true thank you. we will have

another abc seventies updated about 30 minutes and as always, you can find us on our app and abc seventies .com. have a great morning. ♪orning. welcome back to "gma." we have a big surprise for that woman right there, jackie atkins who has devoted her life to the kids in her community by creating a boxing program as a safe haven. janai, you're about to walk away with some deals. >> i am. i can't wait for that surprise for jackie, but now to inflation nation. we're bringing tips to save money and with those prices, i put on the high pumps.

so producers said's what i'm bringing it. l yr beauty needs, good ble p morning, lori. so excited for this. >> i'm glad. >> so many people have a thorough beauty routine. i really got into it last night moisturizing my face but many products -- >> you look fantastic. >> thank you. many are multi-functional so we can save. thick moisturizers. >> i'm like morning show topic, late night voice but i'm fine. okay. so this is what we're going to do here. this is something that's thick and really great. this kind of moisturizer you can use instead of an eye cream. you especially if you don't have a specific eye concern, dark circles or crepey crow's feet you can use a really emollient moisturizer to keep that delicate skin moisturized. look for ceramides and hyaluronic acid. if you're looking to brighten it up, look for something with vitamin c. otherwise, something thick and

occlusive will do the trick. >> okay, so eye creams can run pretty eye a cost. what are some alternatives? >> we'll talk about spf actually. >> this is what you were talking about with the eye cream. okay. spf so important to put on every day. >> even in the wintertime it's so important. you can't forget the spf and what a lot of people forget sunblock is actually moisturizer. if you add what's considered normal skin, not really sensitive skin, not really dry skin, if it's pretty typical, you can just use your regular sunscreen as a moisturizer. >> oh. >> and that will keep your skin hydrated and protected from the sun, make sure it's uva/uvb broad spectrum. if it's a big concern and you don't know about it, pick one that has spf in it. there's your two for one. >> you made yourself my favorite guest. no, we're going to talk about

sunscreen now. hair moisturizers can be used head to toe. >> this is cool. it's a little chemistry lesson. were you good in chemistry in high school. >> what do you think? >> i think janai was top of the class in everything. so here it is. hair is negatively charged ionically and hair conditioner is a positive charge, so it is going to coat hair and make it soft. that's why conditioner makes it soft and moisturized. going to do the same if you're shaving. you can use this as a shaving cream so men can use it on their face if they're shaving their beard and women can use it on their legs or under their arms if shaving. if that's what they're doing, it will keep your skin moisturized and glide easily. it's perfect. the only word of caution make sure your conditioner costs less than your shaving cream. >> of course. i just heard gio say, what? you heard it here first, gio. finally this tip has been going viral on tiktok. an unexpected use for dandruff

shampoo. >> we fact checked it with a dermatologist. you have rosasea look for selenium sufficient feed and that will help mitigate redness and help keep it under control because dermatologists think that it keeps skin mites, it keeps them under control so wash your face with it. isn't that insane? >> it's crazy but it's a good reminder that whether it's the head, the skin on your head or on your face or your body it's all skin. you can take care of it at least similarly. >> exactly. a lot of things are marketing, target you. >> all the money but, see. >> do your research and you'll get more bang for your beauty buck. >> incredible. we love that. thank you so much. coming up here, author alex elle is here encouraging all of us to but our mental health first. yep, in 2023 we're here for it. stick around. ♪

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♪ bring me a higher love ♪ welcome back to "gma" as we count down to the new year. many, of course, are hoping to start 2023 by putting mental health first and here to help us out with that is "the new york times" best-selling author alex elle with great tips in "how we heal: uncover your power and set yourself free." alex, thank you so much for joining us. it's great to have you here with us. congrats on the book. >> thank you.

>> you know, it's that time of year, people are looking to make a change. there's so much focus, of course, on your physical health. >> yeah. >> what about your mental health and mental fitness? >> i'm not a big believer in new year, new you. i kind of want us to lean into who we are today and learn it's okay. we don't have to reinvent ourself every single year and there's so much pressure to do that especially with social media and the messages that we get. how about you just focus on where you are today, who you are today, baby steps are still steps, go from there. >> baby steps, always such good advice. one practice you suggest is journaling. i think a lot of people find that kind of intimidating. you say, look, this isn't necessarily a dear diary situation. >> yeah, it's not and i teach writing to heal. so essentially that's my fancy way of saying get on the page and try to see what you are trying to tell yourself. it doesn't have to be a dear diary experience. it doesn't have to be daunting. i love telling folks get a guided journal.

that is something that has prompts so i think a lot of folks think i have to sit down and recap my day or recap my trauma. that is intimidating. that's hard and intimidating, people don't want to do it so the goal is, okay, check in with yourself. how am i doing? how am i feeling and that is still, again, a baby step that we can take to start getting to know who we are, where we are and how we want to feel seen, safe and supported. >> i love it. it just find ways to check in with yourself. what are some other biggest tips as people think, maybe not about changing everything in the new year but sort of taking some new steps? >> so, something me and my husband do is set intentions so instead of setting goals, okay, how do we intend to show up the first quarter of the year? and that can be with ourselves in our family, in our jobs and that makes me feel a little more -- makes it feel a little more accessible for me instead of being i'll set this goal because, if i don't reach it, i may be beating myself over it.

let's start with intentions and start slow. >> one chapters all about what you call befriending your fear. why is that so important? >> because we're taught to turn away from our fear and if we don't turn towards it how are we going to learn how to sit with ourselves and our feelings and our emotions. >> such important advice. thank you so much for being here. thank you for sharing your tips and the books with us. it is such a good point. just baby steps in the right direction. start to focus on your mental health. not just that physical fitness i know we're all focused on too. "how we heal" is available drew: the arrive during the d and into the 50's tonight and after -- tonight, showers move in. accuweather and as we get ready to close out the year and start 2023 we wanted to take a special look back at all the amazing ways

you, our viewers have lifted up the small businesses behind our "deals & steals" with tory johnson supporting them with your purchases of some of your favorite products from this year. take a look. >> reporter: for more than a decade "gma" viewers have saved over a billion dollars shopping our "deals & steals" and your purchases helped countless small businesses too. >> we just celebrated our ten-year anniversary. so thank you, "gma" deals customers for your support. >> your purchase matters. it means the world to us. >> the way "gma" supports small businesses is just second to none. >> frankly if it wasn't for them i may have never met you. >> it was a game changer for our small women run business. >> featured on "good morning america's" "deals & steals" has allowed my company to scale to new height. >> every time we're featured it's anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 new customers. >> you allow us to do what we love doing every day.

>> reporter: your orders enabled many small businesses to give back. >> we've been able to donate over 1.3 million essential clothing items to those in need. >> we have a team of over 100 dental and medical professionals providing full service dental care. life-changing oral health care to people that don't have access to care. >> we've also been able to donate tens of thousands of dollars to ocean conservancy. >> thousands of dollars from "gma" deals enabled us to donate $20,000 to the foundation to empower young girls in tanzania. >> we want to say a huge thank you to tory and team and especially to the "gma" shoppers. >> to "gma" "deals & steals," cheers. >> thank you to the "gma" "deals & steals" family. >> we love "gma." >> thank you, "gma" shoppers. >> thank you. >> thank you, "gma." >> all: thank you, "gma" deals

shoppers, whoo! >> wow, and then the fact that some of these small businesses use some of that money to help other charities, just amazing. >> it really is. and tory does such a great job. >> thank you, thank you, thank you, tory johnson. you make our lives a bit brighter every week with "deals & steals" and thanks to our viewers for all you do. looking forward to many more deals with tory coming up in 2023. coming up here, that woman, let's take a look. this is on tape because she's in a secret room right now about to get a big surprise of a lifetime. she thinks she's here to teach us about boxing but, in fact, we are honoring her for all she gives to her community. now "gma" is giving back. so come on back.

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resolutions to get in shape. for kids, exercise needs to be fun and youth boxing coach jackie atkins right here knows how to do just that. i know tha you think that you're here to show us some workout moves but a little bit of an untruth here. megan will tell us the real reason. >> i am. i am. that's right, jackie, now you run an after-school program and it is called new jersey give a kid a dream and uses boxing lessons to give kids a safe and rewarding place to get fit, build confidence and also do some homework together. this segment is sponsored by netspend. they've been so inspired with how you give back to your community that we've joined forces to honor you. jackie, let's take a look. >> before you were getting bullied. so what's going on now with the bullying? >> they're not hurting me anymore. >> boxing scares away the bullies, doesn't it? >> yes. >> yes. >> reporter: coach jackie is on a mission to make kids champions

of life. >> who are we? >> all: champions! >> she takes kids who are from underserved communities and who are lacking discipline and skills and teaches them life skills through boxing. >> reporter: trading her corporate job for boxing gloves to run new jersey give a kid a dream at gleason's jersey shore boxing gym. >> coach jackie has a way of transferring kids from legal issues, social problems into a nice style of really believing in themselves. >> once they come here, it's like you could just see the peace come over them. as we call her, she's an angel. kind of working, you know, around us. >> reporter: no child is turned away. coming in to spar, punch and jab three times a week free of charge. with coach jackie's discipline and dedication, the boxing ring has become a safe haven instilling confidence and investing in these young athletes' success. >> when i first came into the gym, i was going through an

extremely hard mental battle with myself. i was in serious therapy and every time i came through the door and saw coach jackie all those problems, nothing else mattered. >> when i was matched with the internship, i was very angry going through the motions of life. like this place gave me a purpose. jackie gave me a purpose. >> when i first started, it was only a year since my father passed away, i was 12 years old but this is my escape. i was insecure at that time. i'm not insecure anymore and pretty confident in who i am. >> reporter: now training these young athletes. >> if it wasn't for coach jackie i'm not sure exactly where i'd be, maybe jail. it's hard to imagine what it would be like without her. >> coach jackie on three -- one, two, three! >> thank you for molding me into the young man i am today. >> thank you. >> all: thank you, coach jackie!

>> coach jackie, oh, you are in tears right now. and let's go ahead and bring had a group of people who have been waiting backstage all morning long for you. we've got young people from the gym right here. members of the board and they are bringing you those golden gloves. celebrate this moment and make it so special for you. >> wow, guys. >> anthony, you're a member of new jersey give a kid a dream. we just heard what it was like for you to go to the gym. what impact has this had on your life? >> give a kid a dream and boxing in general has had a huge impact on my life. i went from a kid that was severely depressed and upset all the time to having multiple sponsorships and being very successful and i want to thank coach jackie because she was severely, since i was a little baby, changed my life and moved me into the man i am today. so on behalf of all of us and

all the people that you've changed their lives, thank you. >> aww. [ applause ] >> jackie -- >> that's not all. >> that's my favorite line, gio. that's not all, jackie. we have another big surprise. okay, our sponsor, netspend loves to help people build a better financial future by dlivering a wealth of kindness. they were so inspired by your story, they're giving you $10,000 to continue helping kids achieve their dreams, congratulations, coach jackie. here you go. that's a big check. hold the big check. >> oh, we got the balloons. [ applause ] >> i know, we just surprised you. you're really surprised. >> i was ready to work out. >> she was asking, are we going to work out? i was like, yeah, we'll throw some punches. >> do you see my workout gear? >> what does this mean to you? did you realize how much you've touched the lives of so many people? >> yes. yes, my children tell me every day.

they reinforce it and they give me the reason for doing this. so i thank you guys, thank you. love you guys. >> aww. coach jackie, such a pleasure to have you here. >> wow. >> and to meet you. thank you all for being here. congratulations again and let's keep it going. >> thank you. >> and we will be right back here on "good morning america." stick around. [ applause ] "gma" gives back is sponsored by netspend. netspend's all access mobile account helps you manage your money and build a better financial future.

>> announcer: before you count down on new year's eve count on "gma" to be rocking with mr. rockin' eve himself, ryan seacrest live tomorrow and jessie james decker on friday. the rockingest new year's ever kicks off tomorrow on -- >> "good morning america." we are still not over this big surprise here on "gma." thank you for celebrating coach jackie with us. >> coach jackie says she's not going to the gym today. coach jackie, i was looking to box yesterday. can you school me a little bit maybe? stick around. have a good day. ♪

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(steven) every time i come to see caremore, they go above treat and prevent, all in one. and beyond to take care of me. i feel a lot better now. i'm taking medication for what i should have been taking years ago. (vo) caremore hev y nd it, in t, hm vtu. (steven) so when i call them over a medical issue, they take care of it instantaneously. i'm not afraid to go to the doctor anymore or put off going to the doctor. (vo) call the number on your screen to learn more about medicare plans in your neighborhood that include caremore.

building a better bay area moving forward finding solutions . this is abc seven news morning i'm giovino fortune from abc. seven mornings. here's sue with look at traffic high suit right now, and actually, we're going to look at what's available to you. new year's eve. if you're headed out, we've got bart. extending service money will be free after eight and caltrain with free service after eight until two am so drive carefully if you are driving or don't drive. true so we're gradually warming out of the thirties into the forties this morning, but it certainly feels a lot colder than this time yesterday, sunshine out there from the tam kam will find clouds on the increase this afternoon ahead of our next chance for rain that occurs after nine pm we bring in the exclusive abc seven storm impact scale to level one tonight tomorrow the heaviest rain will occur. tomorrow afternoon. evening, joanna. thank you for your time now for

live with kelly and ryan and we will be back at 11 for midday live and of course, you can find live and of course, you can find us on our app in ♪ ♪ deja vu: it's live with kelly and ryan. today, the one and only kim kardashian. and we get a visit from kelly's son, michael consuelos. all next on live. and now, here are kelly ripa and ryan seacrest! [cheering and applause] ryan: ...we're gonna play christmas psychology? -kelly: yeah, yeah. -how do you even hear anything? [cheering and applause] hi! we didn't know. hi. ♪ ♪ thank you, guys, so very much. thank you. we didn't even hear ourselves, announced back there. thanks. [cheering and applause] we were just talking, just chit-chatting-- i think the speakers are on mute or something around here. -i tell you what it was. -we were just like-- no, no, what it-- was... ed walked by and goes, "wow, you look tall, ryan." and i heard nothing else. -i know. that's it. -i heard nothing else. the lifts are working. well, it's these boots. oh, your high heel boots.