. ♪ counting stars ♪ >>> plus, get ready for a star-studded morning in times square with niecy nash, merica. you have to smile whenever you see niecy, she's one of our favorite guests here at "gma." >> she is an absolute delight. >>> and are you ready for a little trash talk? the average american produces -- i know, you are, michael -- the average american produces more than 1,700 pounds of garbage every year so this morning, top influencers in the zero waste movement show us the simple ways we can reduce our trash and make a true difference. >> good advice right there. >>> we begin with the news and the fallout from a federal judge's decision to strike down the nationwide mask mandates for planes and public transport. the justice department is now considering an appeal and right now, a lot of passengers are faced with making their own decisions. let's go back to our transportation correspondent gio benitez at newark airport. good morning, gio. >> reporter: hey, george, good morning again. yeah, the majority of people here at newark are choosing not to wear a mask but, again, as you s