good morning, america. breaking news, retired pope benedict xvi dying at the age of 95. the pontiff who made history by breaking almost 600 years of tradition resigning in 2013 citing health concerns. this morning a look back at his papacy. >> i'm happy to be here as a guest of all americans. i come as a friend. >> his mission to rekindle faith in the world. how he dealt with the sex abuse scandals perpetrated by priests for years that cast a shadow over his papacy. his devotion to history and tradition and reaching out to other religions. the plans now for the public and the current pope to pay their final respects. celebrating the life of a

legend. barbara walters passing away at 93, a trailblazer. in the history of television news, breaking the glass ceiling. >> in those days nobody thought it was possible. >> she was the first female network evening news anchor and a master class in the art of the interview. one-on-one with many of the world's most famous people of the last 50 years. >> did you get married to prove that you were not gay? >> in our country we read that you are unstable. we read that you are mad. >> she created "the view," the groundbreaking daytime talk show. how it got started. >> i thought it might last a year or two. >> and turd into a success. >> look, i was trying to find a show that michelle actually watched. >> this morning, we remember the cherished member of our abc news

family here for more than four decades. a look at the moments that made television history and the memories from colleagues and friends. a special edition of "gma" this saturday morning starts now. good morning, america. we mourn the passing of two great figures this morning. this is a live look at vatican city where it's been announced that retired pope benedict xvi passed away at age 95. he had been battling health problems. and also overnight, television news trailblazer, our abc news colleague, barbara walters, passing away at 93. she forged a path for so many of us on air today, and we are remembering her this morning, talking live to some of those who knew her best, including joy behar and also barbara's longtime executive producer. >> an emotional day for all of us. much more on that ahead. but first we start with the death of retired pope benedict

coming just days after pope francis said his predecessor was very sick. abc's terry moran has covered the vatican for years and joins us live this morning. terry, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, whit. the news came this morning that pope benedict xvi had died at 9:34 a.m. local time in rome after pope francis earlier this week had asked for prayers for his predecessor, and now the world will mourn. millions of people around the world mourning a man who championed a fierce conservative and traditionalist view of the urch, buwho changeth modern papacy by one of the most radical acts any pope has ever done, resigning. millions around the world are mourning the passing of a quiet man of fierce faith, who changed the modern papacy by leaving it. pope benedict xvi elected to lead the catholic church in 2005 after the death of pope john paul ii stunned the world just eight years later when he became the first pope to resign in 600

years since gregory xii in 1415. he was 85 years old, and he said his health was declining. in the days after the announcement, thousands gathered in st. peter's square to bid him farewell. each cardinal saying a personal good-bye to their leader and their brother, and for the first time the world witnessed the end of a papacy on live television, history in the making. soon those cardinals would choose a new pope. benedict leaving the vatican by helicopter for a sunset tour of rome beginning, as he put it, the last leg of his pilgrimage on earth. as the vatican's famed swiss guards laid down their arms and those giant doors to castle gandolfo closed, benedict's rule officially came to an end. when he was elected in 2005, benedict game the first german pope in nearly a thousand years. born joseph ratzinger in a small town in southern germany in 1927, he grew up under

and during world war ii when he was forced into the hitler youth movement and later into the german army where he witnessed the rounding up of jews and the beating of catholic priests. after the war ratzinger entered the priesthood and became a prominent catholic theologian and influential teacher, rising over the years to the rank of cardinal. cardinal ratzinger was one of pope john paul ii's closest confidants, his chief authority on church doctrine and enforcer of a conservative vision for the church, god's rottweiler he was dubbed by some catholic liberals. he was john paul's logical successor but without his friend's enormous charisma, but three years into his papacy on his first visit to the u.s. -- >> i'm happy to be here as a guest of all americans. i come as a friend. >> reporter: -- americans got to know him up close and began appreciating his eccentricities like those regal robes and signature red shoes and his differences from john paul. his meetings with victims of sex abuse perpetrated by priests and covered up for years by the

church -- >> it causes deep shame. >> reporter: -- were also well received, but the issue cast a long shadow over his papacy. anger grew after reports that benedict himself, when he was archbishop of munich in the '70s and '80s, had failed to remove priests who abused children. on matters of personal morality, benedict took a hard line reaffirming the church's traditional teachings regarding contraception, abortion and the celibate all male priesthood. but this was a pope who also preached widely on the centrality of love and hope in the catholic faith. when he stepped down in 2013, benedict pledged his unconditional obedience to the next pope, and as pope emeritus, he kept that promise, lending the more progressive pope francis his support. and this morning, the vatican has announced that pope benedict will lie in state in st. peter's basilica and that his funeral will be held on january 5th presided over by pope francis and in accordance with benedict's wishes, it will be a simple affair.

janai? >> and he preached love and hope, as you said there. terry, appreciate you this morning. turning now to our other top story, the passing of our colleague, barbara walters, at the age of 93. here's our robin roberts with a look at barbara's extraordinary life and legacy. >> reporter: she was a reporter, a trailblazer, and a star. >> are you ready? >> we're rolling. >> we're all set? okay. here we go. >> ready? >> you ready? >> you ready? >> you ready? >> reporter: barbara walters, our barbara, was effortlessly stylish, endlessly fearless and never afraid to ask the question many wanted answered. >> you found yourself alone with bill clinton in the chief of staff's office, and you lifted the back of your jacket, and you showed the president of the united states your thong underwear. where did you get the nerve? i mean, who does that? >> reporter: over 60 years of broadcasting, she used the question mark to build a

legendary career. ♪ you are the apple of my eye ♪ >> did you get married to prove that you were not gay? >> no, i got married because i didn't confront the real problem in my life, that i was a drug addict. >> can i ask you something very directly, which may seem rude? in our country we read that you are unstable. we read that you are mad. you know that those things have been printed. why do you think this is? other leaders are disliked, but they're not as controversial as you are. >> reporter: she interviewed everybody we wanted to hear from. >> there are those who would say that you add to the attention. >> no, i don't. >> well, the masks, the mysterious behavior. >> there's -- no, there's no mysterious behavior.

>> why did you kill john lennon? >> i thought by killing him, i would acquire his fame. >> you cry on this program, and i won't run any of it. you promised me you wouldn't cry. ♪ >> reporter: in the new business of television, the screen was glass and so too was the ceiling. barbara broke through both and became the most important woman pioneer in the history of tv news. >> the fact that i ended up on television, i never ever thought that would happen. >> reporter: she began working in television in the early '50s at a time when nearly half the homes in the country didn't even own one. she got her start off camera at local stations in new rk working her way up to a job as a writer on nbc's "today" show. >> i was a writer on the "today" show. they had to have one female writer. she did the tea pouring, as i call it. she did the fashion shows.

she did the celebrities. >> reporter: what lit up the newsrooms of new york and eventually the television screens across america was the torch of her thousand-watt ambition and her unmistakable talent. barbara walters proved that there was room on the small screen for more than just men. >> barbara is with me right now to give us a film report. would you tell me, was this a very trying experience for you? >> oh, frank, it was awful. i mean, first of all, every day i had to go and look at fashion shows, and then i had to have lunch at maxine's and drink champagne, and then i had to smell all the perfume at dior. i mean, it was so trying that i took absolutely the last plane i could to get back here today. >> reporter: at first most of the work she was assigned to do was less than serious. >> we're going to be talking about something very feminine right now, fashion. this year vinyl is the most exciting new fashion fabric. it was the prevalence of pants.

>> as the "today" reporter, i did several stories. one was a day in the life of a playboy bunny. >> it's like a ballet movement. >> yes. >> reporter: but her first on air report on a national news event came on an historic day in november of 1963. the new medium of television and the new reporter coming of age during a nation's heartbreak. >> one group of young men kept a very special vigil. these are the honor guards who have been guarding the casket of president kennedy. >> reporter: soon she became a regular. >> good morning. i'm frank mcgee. and barbara walters is here. >> frank mcgee went to the head of the network and said that i could not ask the hard news questions. they all had to be done by him. and what they finally decided to do was that he could ask four questions, and then i could come in and ask one. if i could do the interview outside of the studio, it was mine. so i started to look for

interviews outside of the studio. >> mr. secretary, this brings up one of the criticisms about you today, and that is that people say, henry kissinger deals in excessive secrecy. >> when you were a child and you were different from the other kids, did they make fun of you? >> what are you the least tolerant of these days? >> lies or foolishness about me. the only mistake i ever did, the only harm i ever did was sing "over the rainbow." >> how would you like future generations to remember general eisenhower? >> the certain fundamentals, and that's honesty, integrity, and that's how i hope they'll remember him. >> this morning, we mourn the death of our dear friend and our most respected colleague, frank mcgee. >> when frank mcgee died, i became co-host. from then i think up till today the women on the morning shows

are co-hosts. that's a nice legacy to have. >> reporter: as the first woman co-host of a morning show, the other networks took note. so in 1976 abc trailing in the ratings behind the other two networks sought to raise its profile by luring away one of its competitor's biggest stars, the last place network came calling with an offer she could not refuse. it would change her life and the business of tv news. >> barbara walters, who has been on the nbc "today" program for 13 years, signed a contract with abc today. >> reporter: it was more than double the salary of the most famous anchor of the day, walter cronkite. >> the contract for a rumored million dollars a year specifies that she'll co-anchor "the abc evening news" among other network appearances. >> reporter: walters becomes the first woman to be an evening news anchor on network television and the highest paid journalist. >> in those days, nobody thought it was possible.

>> harry reasoner, barbara walters bring you the news. >> i have a new colleague to welcome, barbara. >> thank you, harry. >> reporter: the brash woman from another network's morning show making more money than the man who had been happy doing the job alone, not exactly a recipe for success. >> i've kept time on your stories and mine tonight. you owe me four minutes. [ laughter ] >> harry reasoner did not want to partner, and he certainly didn't want a woman. >> reporter: he wasn't joking. the reluctant partnership became a national punch line. >> i have to shoot an arrow into barbara walters. >> aww, you mean you're making her fall in love with harry reasoner? >> no. harry just paid me to shoot her. >> just didn't care. okay. nice to see you. >> i remember reading the headline in one of the papers, barbara walters' failure. at the same time i was doing these specials, which had been an afterthought. >> countdown, four, three, two, one. ♪ >> announcer: "the barbara walters special."

>> the specials saved my life because they took on a role of their own. people liked them. >> what's the biggest misconception about you? >> i think the biggest misconception is that i'm a bitch maybe if people think that. >> now, why do they think that? why? >> because i'm just like you. i have standards. >> i interviewed fidel castro and spent almost a week with him. also, i spent a great deal of time in the middle east and did the first and almost the only interview that the prime minister of israel, menachem begin, did with president anwar sadat of egypt. they had never talked together before this interview. >> good evening, i'm hugh downs. >> and i'm barbara walters, and this is "20/20." >> reporter: it would become her home for the next 25 years, and she broke yet another record with the most watched television news interview of all time. >> did you ever tell bill

clinton that you were in love with him? >> yes. >> you did? what did he say? >> he said, that means a lot to me. >> did he ever tell you that he was in love with you? >> no. >> reporter: there was no question, it seemed, she wouldn't ask. >> i'm going to ask you a terrible question. did you ever order anyone killed? [ speaking non-english ] >> are you sorry you didn't burn the tapes? >> yes, i think so because they were private conversations subject to misinterpretation as we've all seen. >> reporter: whether ex-presidents, sitting presidents or future presidents, none escaped the tough question. >> shall we begin the torture? >> yes. that's why we chose you. >> you maintained your courteous relationship, even your friendship, over these years with president nixon. >> but if he killed any of the hostages, you would then attack militarily? >> absolutely. >> we are on the verge of a recession, if we're not already there. we see our educational program failing. we see our competitiveness in

doubt. do you feel any responsibility for this? >> are you sorry that you ever said, read my lips, no new taxes? >> mr. president, how important is it for the president to be a role model? >> was it worth it if there were no weapons of mass destruction? now we know that that was wrong. was it worth it? >> mr. president, there are some folks who say that you squandered your political capital with the health care plan when you should have been focusing on jobs. >> how can you unify the country when you make these divisive statements? >> reporter: but while best known for her interviews, she was also a cornerstone of our abc news division, covering breaking news events for close to four decades. >> we would not under any circumstances think of doing this broadcast without barbara walters. good morning, barbara. >> good morning, peter. this is, as you have said, a unique ceremony. it is unprecedented in history. >> i want to you wake up the kids because this is the kind of not going to see again for like another 20 or 30

years. >> reporter: but the show she may have been most proud of was the pioneering daytime talk show, "the view." >> there had not been a show with a group of people sitting together and talking unscripted. it's a great place to express yourself, give opinions, show the kind of person you really are. >> reporter: in 2010 barbara shared a hot topic of her own. >> later this week i'm going to have surgery to replace one faulty heart valve. i have known of this condition for awhile now, and my doctors and i have decided that this is the best time to do the surgery, and since this summer is coming up, i can take a nice vacation. >> reporter: the surgery went off without a hitch, but that vacation was cut short when a vip forced her to return earlier than expected. [ cheers and applause ] >> we were the first daytime w toe ttin president as a guest. >> look, i was trying to find a show that michelle actually watched. [ laughter ]

>> "the view" has shown that women can be together and enjoy each other and have the kind of conversations that you may have in the morning with a girlfriend. >> we want to give our kudos to barbara walters. this is the house that barbara walters built. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: you know, looking back, perhaps barbara walters put it best. >> i have been blessed with a life i never expected, and helping me up the steps of the ladder over the years have been hundreds of people. >> reporter: any newswoman on tv walks in formidable footsteps and is without question in her debt. >> because you're really the reason why we're all here. you're the reason why i wanted to be in television. >> reporter: and many of us paid tribute to her in person when she retired from "the view" in 2014. >> and we all proudly stand on your shoulders, barbara walters, as we honor you. please welcome diane sawyer,

robin roberts, lara spencer. iev set out to be a trailblazer. i never said, i'm going to do this, you know, for women, but i guess it's what had to be done, and as for the women who followed me, i'm very supportive of women i know what the women on the air have gone through, and i've kind of become a sort of unofficial adviser. if they make it, i get all the credit. i want to be remembered in television maybe as a creator, maybe as a good newswoman. no, more than being remembered, i hope that by younger women i can help them aspire. >> i just want to say, this is my legacy. these are my legacy, and i thank

you all. [ cheers and applause ] >> and i would say she achieved that. we all grew up wanting to be her. don't miss a two-hour special edition of "20/20" on sunday at 8:00 p.m. "our barbara," her friends and colleagues and barbara herself reflecting on her life and legacy. time for a check of the weather and danielle breezy from our nashville station wkrn. hey, danielle. >> we're getting ready for new year's eve, and i can tell you it will be soggy for the north and east. take a look. rain will spread in here for your new year's eve festivities

all right, so, guys, it will be soggy here in new york city. whatever you're doing tonight, just saying. >> bring that umht ] >> thank you, danielle. and as we celebrate the life of barbara walters, a look at her groundbreaking daytime talk show, "the view." co-host joy behar joining us live just ahead. we'll be right back here on "gma." ♪ what will you do? ♪ what will you change? ♪ will you make something better? ♪ will you create something entirely new? ♪ our dell technologies advisors provide you with the tools and expertise you need to do incredible things.

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building a better bay area moving forward finding solutions . this is abc. seven news. good morning, everyone. i'm loose croix. thanks for joining us. it's a wet weather weekend. so let's get straight to lisa arjun. tracking the storm. good morning, lisa. all right. good

morning, liz. heavy rain out. there is a cold front working through the bay area right now. urban and small stream flood advisory for many areas until about 10 o'clock look at the heavy rain up in the north bay is the front pushes through. we've got moderate to heavy rain from the east bay. onto the peninsula. san mateo. we've seen two inches of rain already into fremont and in the south bay looking at some lighter precepts. so 10 o'clock we're still looking at heavy rain. in fact, by 23 o'clock, the rain finally ends in the north bay but still rainy through the early evening, then dry late tonight, liz. all right, lisa. thank you. and thanks for joinhe news continues right now, with good morning america have

welcome back to "gma" on this new year's eve morning. a somber morning. we are looking at live pictures from the vatican. the holy see press office announcing this morning that retired pope benedict xvi has died at his residence there. he was 95. we are learning more about the final arrangements for him. let's go to our ines de la cuetara who is live in vatican city. ines, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, janai. the vatican announcing that former pope benedict xvi died this morning at 9:34 a.m. local time. he was 95. he received his last wednesday and he passed at his

vatican residence. he had been living here on vatican grounds since 2013. benedict had become increasingly frail in the last few years and he became the first pope in 600 years to step down back in 2013, all right citing his health and advanced age. as far as what's next, the vatican saying his funeral will be held on thursday in st. peter's square, and it will be presided by pope francis, but this is really uncharted territory. we know what happens when a reigning pope dies but not when a former pope passes. a spokesman for the vatican saying the funeral will be held in simplicity, which is in line with what benedict wanted, so it seems benedict may have left some instructions there, and all eyes on pop francis to see what he has to say. we know the two had a special relationship and that francis would often go to benedict for advice, and the vatican saying that benedict's body will lie in state here at st. peter's basilica starting on monday for the faithful to pay their respects. guys? >> ines, thank you. turning now to more on barbara walters and her legacy as we look back on her remarkable career. our abc news colleague diane

sawyer writing this morning, barbara was a trailblazer. a singular force who opened the television news.oman in - she was also the history maker right down the hall, my friend and road buddy, eager to talk about the news world, the decades of passionate work, the curiosity and laughter that gets us all through. sadness, gratitude and a salute from all of us who know what we owe her. those words from diane sawyer. now more about that history. more than two decades ago barbara had an idea to bring together women of different backgrounds, generations and views to discuss the hot topics of the day. it had never been done before. 20 years later "the view" is still going strong. >> it was 17 years ago when an executive at abc daytime came to bill geddie and me and said, do you have an idea for a show and i said, i have an idea for a show. >> i've always wanted to do a show with women of different

generations, backgrounds and views. this is that show. [ cheers and applause ] >> bill geddie and i sat down then with a group of women to try and see how the conversation would work out. we were going to have various groups. >> which we've all seen 39 dead in a cult suicide. >> these young people are obviously searching for something. >> that doesn't strike me as odd. >> the first group was the best, and that's how "the view" began. there had not been a show with a group of people sitting together and talking unscripted. i thought it might last a year or two. roone arledge, who was the president of abc news at the time felt that my doing "the view," a daytime show, would lessen my news credentials, so he didn't want me to moderate. >> she's the one in charge, meredith vieira. >> yeah. you just remember that, babs, okay? >> so, i chose meredith vieira to moderate. >> they told me part of my job

would be ordering barbara walters around. how do you turn that down? it's a great gig. i had to take it. >> then rosie took on that role. >> no, it's my first day on "the view" and in the meredith chair, and it's exciting. >> and then, of course, whoopi. >> good morning. i'm whoopi goldberg. [ cheers and applause ] >> it's a great place to express yourself, give opinions, show the kind of person you really are. >> i have been married more than once, and i never wanted to get married. >> i was the same way. >> come on. >> and here on "the view" i could be funny. i had women who i could joke with. >> i always think of you not just as a friend or a sister, but as a lover. [ laughter ] >> and i could show good, bad or indifferent my personality. >> when did you first learn about sex? >> well, i didn't learn about sex until i started to do this show, and now i know more about sex than i ever wanted to know.

[ laughter ] >> we were the first daytime talk show to have a sitting president as a guest. >> look, i was trying to find a show that michelle actually watched. [ laughter ] >> "the view" has shown that women can be together and enjoy each other and have the kind of conversations that you may have in the morning with a girlfriend. i will miss being with the women every day. >> i love you guys. >> i will miss giving my opinions. i think perhaps i will miss "the view" more than any other program i've done. >> and joining us now on the phone is original panelist and co-host of "the view," joy behar. thank you for joining us this morning. >> hi. how are you? >> good. you knew her well. >> yes. >> so, what are some of your favorite memories of barbara? >> oh, there are many. i mean, you showed a very interesting clip.

you showed -- i mean, not that i can actually watch it because there's a delay, but i heard it, and i know which one it is where i kiss her on the lips. that's the kind of barbara that the press and the public did no" you know, the fact that she could have a laugh, have fun, told a good dirty joke. you know, she was a lot of fun. i went to her house many times for dinner. she always had an array of the, you know, brilliant people of our time at the table, and she would always include me and my husband as if we were part of that particular group of people, which we were not. we were not friends with them. we were friends with her. she was always very cordial and lovely to me, and we were pals. i mean, we used to have a lot of laughs off camera and on camera as you saw. >> yeah, we saw a lot of laughs between you two. you were on "the view" from the start. a key part of making barbara's dream of the show happen. what was it like working with her on a project that was so close to her heart? >> well, i took the job at a

time when my career could have gone in the direction of acting and the sitcom world, because i was doing a lot of years of stand-up, and there were certain ways that you can go from that, and a talk show came along, and i said, daytime talk show? i don't know about that. doesn't seem to be my cup of tea, you know, because some of them are, you know, who's the wasn't daddy and all that other stuff. it wasn't my type of show. but then this was different, and it had barbara at the helm, and that's when i decided i'll take the job, because if she was in charge of it, it would be a smart show. i mean, she wasn't going to do a dumb show. she was going to do a really smart show, and so, you know, it's lasted 26 years. i've been there from the beginning with a slight hiatus, you know, but i've been there since the very beginning. showing the secret to her success of getting those interviews was she never went to the bathroom. i mean, these are the things i know about her that maybe you don't. >> yeah. >> she never went to the bathroom. she had an incredible bladder,

and that's why she always could jump on those interviews before anybody else did. >> and those interviews lasted a very long time, many of them. what has barbara meant to you? >> well, certainly it's meant a lot to me in terms of my work life, my career. you know, i mean, she came to see me do stand-up at a benefit for milton berle.at'sow t i told the story a few times. but, you know, i did a couple of jokes about salman rushdie and how men could always find a woman, even when they're in hiding. he was married three times. he never left the hotel. a routine about that, and that appealed to her. she understood that humor, and she said to -- regis was there. she said, regis, who is that woman? he said, she has a radio show in new york. she's a comedienne, and that was the beginning of her deciding to call me and put me on the air. >> and a remarkable time.

>> which, you know what they say, 98% of success is showing up. that shows you right there, but, you know, and then she became a mentor. she's very much the role model for a lot of people in showbiz, in the news world for sure. but even for us, it was like she had a work ethic that you couldn't deny. she was always prepared. she was always working on her material. she never went out there and didn't know what she was doing, you know, and that was an important thing to learn, you know, because especially someone -- i was a comic, in my spontaneous -- my spontaneity is part of the show, but you also have research and you have to know what's going on in the world in order to do that show. so she was a definite role model in that way. >> she taught all of us so much. joy behar, thank you so much for being with us this morning and for sharing your memories of her. >> i'll miss her. thank you for asking me. bye-bye. time now for a check of the weather with danielle breezy. danielle?

>> and we start you off with snow this morning from silverton, colorado, where they've seen 80 inches of snow. there's avalanche danger there this weekend. not great news. we've got an atmospheric river that has set up. we've got 15 states under storm alerts this morning. here's what's happening with the timing of that atmospheric river. we're going to see that rain over the bay area this morning. that will then sink farther south into l.a. for the new year's eve festivities. so it will be wet for that area. we are going to get to some other news coming up here on "gma." what we're learning about the suspect arrested in the killings of those four idaho college students and how police tracked him down. that's coming up. hey. jake from state farm! we have to know. yeah, these are state farm pajamas.

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scene. abc's kayna whitworth is in moscow, idaho, with the latest

on the arrest. >> reporter: this morning, authorities putting a face to the fear arresting bryan kohberger in connection with the heinous stabbing deaths of four university of idaho students. >> detectives arrested 28-year-old bryan kohberger. >> reporter: charged in idaho with four counts of first degree murder in addition to felony burglary. the 28-year-old suspect living just a few miles away from the murder scene, pursuing his phd in criminology at washington state university. >> we have someone in custody that gives us even more of a laser focus. >> reporter: police zeroing in on kohberger who had previously completed his masters from desales university in pennsylvania. >> bryan kohberger. >> reporter: back in may someone using the same name posted on reddit looking to recruit volunteers for a research project aimed at understanding how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime.

>> please ask the public, anyone who knows about this individual to come forward. >> reporter: law enforcement sources telling abc news they used dna technology and other tools to identify the suspect, tracking him 2,500 miles to rural pennsylvania through his vehicle. >> we have seized a 2015 white hyundai elantra and have secured a search warrant for it and it has been executed. >> reporter: the small community in moscow terrified for weeks after popular roommates kaylee goncalves, madison mogen, xana kernodle and her boyfriend ethan chapin were found stabbed to death in an off-campus home. kaylee's father now with some hope. >> we are on the path to justice, and this isn't our new normal. this is idaho standing up as a state saying, we weren't going to let this be normal. >> reporter: kayna whitworth, abc news. >> as that father noted, to justice here.

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welcome back. this morning we are just hours away from a new year. let's see, about 16 hours, 9 minutes or so, and that famed ball drop less than two miles from here in times square that will ring in 2023. and for th first time since the pandemic, there will be a capacity crowd with no covid restrictions. abc's phil lipof joins us live there with the big ball behind him with some insight on the big security effort for the big night. hey, phil.

>> reporter: hey, janai. i do have that security information for but, but first i have to geek out and take you with me. they are letting us stand this close to the ball. i have covered times square a number of times but never been this close. these are the waterford crystals, 12,000-pound ball. it's really cool to be close up to it. times square is the crossroads of the world, as you mentioned. an estimated 1 million people, 24 stories down below us tonight and security, as you say, will be tight. security is a major concern. mayor adams says the nypd is working very closely with the fdny and other agencies to ensure the safety of everyone who comes here tonight. at this point, and this is important to point out, the nypd says there are no known credible threats. still law enforcement will be out in full force including bomb squad personnel, heavy weapons team, dogs that can sniff out explosives. there will be a large uniformed police presence, and there will also be undercover officers including 477 rookie cops whose first job will be new year's eve

security, and, hey, back out here live i thought i would give you a test run -- no, i'm kidding. it doesn't work. but it's a nice prop, isn't it, janai? >> don't break anything, phil. thank you so much, and we will be right back on "gma." ♪ ♪ it was time for a nunormal with nucala. nucala is a once-monthly add-on treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma that can mean less oral steroids. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your asthma specialist about a nunormal with nucala. okay everyone, our mission is complete balanced nutrition.

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coming up on "gma," funeral arrangements under way following the death of retired pope benedict xvi. and much more on the passing of barbara walters. stay with us. bill a better bay area moving forward finding solutions. this is abc seven news morning, everyone. i'm liz kreutz. let's get right to meteorologist lisa arjun. she is tracking the storm sweeping through the bay area right now. lisa is our exclusive storm impact scale level to this morning with very heavy rain is a strong cold front is pushing through the north bay right now.

hilberg one. oh one. we're looking at flooding concerns for many creeks and streams, and as we head down to the east bay, you haven't gotten to the heaviest rain yet. you can see the moderate pockets here. they're berkeley and richmond down through san francisco and lighter amounts here from the peninsula to the south bay, so the cold front is still in the north bay, and it continues to work to the south and east. so with this level one level two system we're looking at the wind gusts in the upper elevations. in excess of 50 miles an hour. look outside ver okt this zephyr cove finally changing over to snow. so we're looking at lake level snow now over two ft. visibility here reduced to under two miles so very dangerous out there with the fog and breezy winds. you can see up to 29 miles an hour at the coast. this is at the surface, but upper elevation wins is where we're looking at. the gusty conditions. south winds out ahead of it northwesterly and we northwesterly winds behind it. and as we look at your nine

o'clock timeframe, you can still see the heavy rain 11 o'clock. it's pushed out of the far north bay and by one oclock, we've got lighter rain the front pushing through the east bay in south bay, so it's really not until 45 o'clock that we dry out in the north bay, 5 30 in the south bay, and then it's not only dry for new year's eve, but into the overnight hours into your new year's day, but not before we pick up another two inches in the east bay today, liz. all right, lisa. thank you, and we are counting down to the new year and you can catch dick clark's primetime, new year's eve

good morning, america. it's our second hour. breaking overnight, retired pope benedict xvi dying at the age of 95. the pontiff who made history by breaking almost 600 years of tradition resigning in 2013. this morning, his life and legacy. also this morning, celebrating the life of a legend. barbara walters passing away at 93. a trailblazer, the most important woman pioneer in the history of television news, breaking barriers as the first female network evening news anchor. >> in those days, nobody thought it was possible. >> a famed interviewer, one-on-one with many of the world's most famous people of the last 50 years. this morning, we remember the