. >>> but first, t-minus one day before michael strahan launches into space. what he's saying in these final hours in the countdown to liftoff. you're watching "world news now." ♪ the final countdown ♪ [female narrator] a message for children: it's hard to be stuck at home right now... but we want to say thank you... because you're being a big helper. when you stay home... you're protecting other people from getting sick. by calling a someone you love who's stuck inside, you're giving them a smile... and they need it! when you wash your hands- for like the hundredth time today... you're keeping your family safe. and by being brave... you're helping us all be brave. we know it's not easy... but helping will make everything go back to normal again as soon as possible. you're part of a big family of helpers around the world. and you're making a big difference. find ways to help children feel safe at unicefusa.org/covid19. that's unicefusa.org/covid19. ♪ rocket man ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> after a brief delay, the countdown is back on to sending our own rocket man up

among that crew, one michael strahan. our colleague, our friend, our brother, our loved one was aboard and completed that mission. we've been talking about, gio, you were there with him saying he got the bug. i cannot repeat some of the words he had for me when i covered this story on "good morning america" and said to them in the commercial break, would you all go. and he was adamant that he never would do something like this, absolutely not. i argued with him over it, and he absolutely said this, i'm looking for the footage because i want the evidence of just how against, folks, just how much he was against doing something like this. and he is -- he's not like you. he is not one to just take risks or unnecessary risks or just -- >> he's smart, i know. >> he's a sharp cookie, he is. just to do it for the adventure of it. that's not in his nature. so for him to come around says a whole lot about what something like this can do to somebody, including maybe one amy j.robach who might end up onboard at one point. >> t.j., no

anchor michael strahan along with his blue origin. teammates are finally ready for liftoff gonna be an adventure but it's gonna be a fun one strahan and other crew members were originally slated to rocket to space aboard blue origin's new shepherd thursday. the mission postponed due to high winds, but if those winds are really strong at 10,000 feet, it can actually blow our capsule outside of our area and when it comes to safety the crew is prepped for it all learning how to buckle up in zero g learning how to get seat in the first place. i'm learning the access control panel the crew control panel stray hand will travel to low orbit alongside five others including alan shepard's daughter. whose dad. was the first american in space and who the spacecraft is named after we got to look inside the exact replica of the rocket. so this capsule has some of the biggest windows in the space industry and check. each of the crew members get their own. they also have a screen that tells them everything that's going on with the flight. so what ar

>> michael strahan is out of the capsule. a big hug for our founder, jeff bezos, followed by laura shepard churchley. dylan taylor, lane bess. cameron bess. and last, but certainly not least, evan dick. welcome back the original six. >> oh, the electricity of the excitement. i feel it. you absolutely can sense it right now. you know, i was reading, colonel hadfield, this is one of the most remarkable year for human spates flight. this year has seen more flights with people aboard than any year since 1985. that is when we saw a flurry of activity, and then of course the "challenger" explosion lapped a year later. of course i was jokingly asking boris if we could get on one of these flights. when is it going to be before regular folk will actually have access to private space flight like this? >> it's still expensive. it's new and complicated, but way cheaper than it was even ten years ago. you used to have to be a trillion nair to fly in space. an entire nation, the soviet union, the united states, but you're right, this past

if anybody can teach us about possibilities, it's michael strahan. really awesome stuff. >> i love what she said there about perspective, what is big, what is small. we'll be right back. why hide your skin if dupixent has your moderate to severe eczema or atopic dermatitis under control? hide my skin? not me. by hitting eczema where it counts, dupixent helps heal your skin from within keeping you one step ahead of eczema. hide my skin? not me. and that means long-lasting clearer skin... and fast itch relief for adults. with dupixent, you can show more skin with less eczema. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. when you help heal your skin from within you can change how your skin looks and feels. and that's the kind of change you notice. talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent, a breakthrough eczema treat

our own michael strahan. he's almost there. charmin ultra soft has so much cushiony softness, it's hard for your family to remember they can use less. sweet pillows of softness! this is soft! holy charmin! oh! excuse me! roll it back, everybody! sorry! charmin ultra soft is so cushiony soft, you'll want more! but it's so absorbent, you can use less. so it's always worth it. now, what did we learn about using less? you've got to, roll it back everybody! we all go, why not enjoy the go with charmin. ♪ >>> good evening. thank you for joining us. high-stakes diplomacy is under way between the u.s. and russia over the fate of ukraine. president biden today saying u.s. troops won't be sent there but is warning there will be consequences if russia decides to invade. ukraine forces say they are ready for the tens of thousands of russian troops that could be on their way. abc's senior foreign correspondent ian pannell is on the front lines. >> reporter: in eastern ukraine, winter is coming. driving through the rolling hills of adeevka

the crew of sticks including abc news anchor, former football star michael strahan. laura shepard, the daughter of former astronaut alan shepard. and four astronauts. joining me now is correspondent rachel crane. what's the latest? >> reporter: michael, we just cleared three holds. we're only 13 minutes away from their schedule to liftoff. right now, those six passengers are strapped into that capsule into their seats. and the hatch is closed. i mean, we're really ticking down to the last few moments before this liftoff. now, michael, two minutes before that liftoff, that's when the vehicle will go into autonomous mode. that's because this rocket, this capsule, flies itself. there are, of course, are no professional astronauts on board. so, the whole thing is autonomous, and a few minutes before liftoff, we'll see gimel checks and the engine move a little bit just to make sure everything is ready for liftoff. at 250,000 feet, that's when the booster and the space capsule will separate. now, both will go past that karman line, the international boundary of space. the

. >> coming up, we catch up with our own michael strahan to discuss his historic journey to where few have gone before. f an, is a walk through your history. do you remember who this is? it's a gift that surprises you, moves you, and bonds you. ...papa? i can see the nose and everything. she was the original strong woman. i know. this holiday, give the gift of family. give the gift of ancestry®. ♪ my hygienist cleans with a round head. give the gift of ancestry®. so does my oral-b my hygienist personalizes my cleaning. so does my oral-b oral-b delivers the wow of a professional clean feel every day. ♪ you pour your heart into everything you do, which is a lot. so take care of that heart with lipton. because sippin' on unsweetened lipton can help support a healthy heart. lipton. stop chuggin'. start sippin'. (burke) this is why you want farmers claim forgiveness... [echoing]op chuggin'. claim forgiveness-ness, your home premium won't go up just because of this. (woman) wow, that's something. (burke) you get a whole lot of something with farmers policy perks. [echoing] get a quote

michael nesmith was 78. >>> when we come back, when to watch michael strahan head into space tomorrow morning. hide my skin? not me. by hitting eczema where it counts, dupixent helps heal your skin from within keeping you one step ahead of eczema. hide my skin? not me. atea ling keepi clearer skin...ahead of eczema. and fast itch relief for adults. with dupixent, you can show more skin with less eczema. hide my skin? not me. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. when you help heal your skin from within you can change how your skin looks and feels. and that's the kind of change you notice. talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent, a breakthrough eczema treatment. talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent, kevin! kevin? kevin. oh nice. kevin, where are you? kevin?!?!? hey, what's going on? i'm rig

this is the storm that delayed michael strahan's trip with blue origin. here comes that storm. that will pass, and they'll be in better shape. he seems to be enjoying the hours leading up to liftoff, sharing these photos on instagram. this one what the caption, having a blast, see what i did there? with my oldest kids and my momma in van horn, texas. at 6'5", he will become the tallest person to ever go to space when they take flight at 9:45 a.m. eastern. catch all the action live on abc news and abcnews. >>> right now on "america this morning," teens across the country rolling up their sleeves after 16 and 17-year-olds are approved for the booster. and the country warning of a $4,000 fine for vaccine holdouts. >>> breaking news, a former nfl star is found dead in his home. the new details coming in from the scene overnight. >>> the contaminated water crisis in hawaii, seemingly getting worse by the hour. video showing a home with fuel in its water. why one engineer calls the problem a ticking time bomb. >>> plus, the state that's moving to ban gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf

this time carrying gma host michael strahan. also, it sounded next to impossible, trading a bobby pin to ultimately get a house. quite an update mrs. claus the shopping boss here to help you merry savers decorate with the best bargains ever! ross has savings on everything you need to get the party started. because who waits for shipping anymore? or guests?! i love saying yes to more merry for less at ross! mrs. claus the shopping boss here to help you merry savers find the best bargains ever! when you have the world's longest list you go to ross so you can work that budget and get those savings. i love saying yes to more merry for less at ross. >> welcome back. united oka -- annual weapons buyback program today. representatives from the mayors's office, san francisco police department, and community organizations accepted the guns from people who no longer need them. no word yet the number of weapons that were handed in. we are learning more about how president biden's bipartisan infrastructure bill will impact public transporta

on board, former nfl star michael strahan. the rocket reached more than 340,000 feet to the edge of space before returning safely to earth. that's safely to earth, what you are seeing right there. the lawmaker lasted about 11 minutes, which the crew experienced about three minutes of weightlessness. >> it was unbelievable. it is hard to even describe it. it is going to take a little bit to process it, but it couldn't have gone better. i got my hat! i got my wings. i can fly. i did today. >> he did. also on this trip, silicon valley venture capitalist lane best got to bond with his son cameron. he spoke to our scott budman saying he wants to look into how to make the experience more available from others. >> from space to the slopes now. >>> good news for skiers and snowboarders, i know you're excited, time to hit the slopes in lake tahoe once again. here are views from kirkwood mountain resort and check out heavenly ski resort. you see families having a good time out there. if you plan to drive to tahoe this weekend, caltrans

new york giants football star michael strahan took a blue origin flight along with the daughter of america's first astronaut. blue origin space tourism market blasted off from west texas today. the capsule going on a supersonic flight, soaring to an amplitude of 66 miles and providing a few minutes of weightlessness for paying customers joined michael strahan and alan shepard's daughter laura. alan shepard, you may remember, went on a suborbital flight in 1961. today, his daughter brought along a tiny piece of his freedom seven capsule that he flew in. this market, the new shepherd was named after. blue origin owner jeff bezos was there to welcome them back to earth. >>> new at 5:00, sequoia national park reopened its giant forest today just three months after it was saved by fire crews. the giant forest includes the general sherman tree the world's largest living thing on earth. back in september, when lightning fires raged in the park, fire crews wrapped the oldest trees in foil and raked up fire fuels. however, the giant forest was saved, fires torched at least 2000 giant sequoias. >>> wi

. >> abc's michael strahan bringing attention to people who have vanished. mr. clean magic eraser: for a deep down hygienic clean. magic eraser removes the messes you can see as well as more of the dirt and grime you don't. all you do is wet, squeeze, and start erasing dirt and grime all around the house. try mr. clean magic eraser: for a deep down clean. kim is now demonstrating her congestion. save it slimeball. i've upgraded to mucinex. we still have 12 hours to australia. mucinex lasts 12 hours, so i'm good. now move! kim, no! mucinex lasts 3x longer for 12 hours. small businesses like yours make gift-giving possible. now, comcast business has an exclusive gift for you. introducing the gift of savings sale. for a limited time, ask how to get a great deal for your business. and get up to a $500 prepaid card with select bundles when you switch to the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses. or get started with internet and voice for $64.99 per month with a 2-year price guarantee. give your business the gift of savings today. comcast business

. >> d-24 hours until michael strahan blasts off to space. all systems go. >> plus, an interesting lesson. we will just say that. a substitute teacher was suspended for this in a classroom. a karaoke machine. that's what that is. we'll get to that story, but first we will check in on traffic. >> good morning everyone. we are starting with a live look at the bay bridge. a bond advisory has been listed. that is not too bad, but things are slow. it means that as you make your way to san francisco, 537. walnut rate, showing you -- walnut creek, showing you a live picture. things are looking good. the slowdown is actually on highway four and also out of teresa. -- teresa. tracy. two hours into mates. antioch is 31 minutes. we expect that to increase. a lot of fog on the tracy's side. not the livermore and dublin side.hopefully things will incre in that respect. here is what is going on with there is valley fog possible. isolated showers today. let's talk temperatures -- san francisco at 50 to 52 degrees under mostly cloudy conditions. temperatures

the latest on the recovery efforts this morning. >> one giant leap for michael strahan. the gma anchor and nfl great making a historic trip to ♪ ♪ when the chapstick goes on. it's on. get yours on at chapstick.com nespresso vertuo. redifining coffee. with one touch. precision brewing technology. a smooth crema. for an exceptional coffee every day. nespresso vertuo. what coffee is meant to be. from one moment to the next, our kids become the most important part of our lives. and even though the years pass, that never changes. we never stop worrying about them. that's why it's important to have health insurance. with covered california, we got a plan we could afford. it includes free preventive care, like cholesterol and blood-pressure checkups. because even though they grow up, they'll always be your baby. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by december 31st at coveredca.com. >> breaking news, dozens of people have died after tornadoes swept through four states including kentucky. at least four tornadoes tore rescue and recovery operations are und

mission complete good morni mor america co-anchor michael strahan and the rest of the blue origin crew launched to the edge of space today. the former nfl star says the term touchdown as a taken on a whole new meeting abc news reporter gio benitez has more on the journey to space. tonight a colleagueagueagueague michael strahan soaring into zero gravity aboard blue origins new shepherd check out his reactions as he leaves the atmosphere. michael and the crews the crewse well beyond the 62 mile high carmen line marking the edge of space peeking at more than 347,000 feet above ground level with a maximum velocity of 2200 miles per hour just more than 10 minutes after liftoff the capsule landing safely back on earth tj watching on in the studio with amy and me on the ground in west, texas. it was great blue origin founder. jeff bezos greeting the crew and this touching moment. michael sharing a hug with fellow crew member laura shepard churchley the daughter of the first american in space alan shepard. amy catching up with after his once-in-a-lifetime flight you see the curvature. atmosph

michael nesmith was 78. >>> when we come back, when to watch michael strahan head into space tomorrow morning. nesmith s why hide your skin if dupixent has your moderate to severe eczema or atopic dermatitis under control? hide my skin? not me. by hitting eczema where it counts, dupixent helps heal your skin from within keeping you one step ahead of eczema. hide my skin? not me. and that means long-lasting clearer skin... and fast itch relief for adults. with dupixent, you can show more skin with less eczema. hide my skin? not me. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. when you help heal your skin from within you can change how your skin looks and feels. and that's the kind of change you notice. talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent, a breakthrough eczema treatment. talk to your eczema specialist

in the gma first look, we are learning more about the training michael strahan will undergo before he goes into space next week. let's get more. >> and the gma first look, it is t minus eight days until michael strahan's liftoff to space, and we are about to hear exclusive details on his training regimen. >> we cover each portion, every event, from the engine start to lift off to separation from the booster to reentry into the atmosphere and landing. >> she serves as caps off communication between blue origin mission control and the crew of new shepard 19. >> they have literally changed my life, and i have never even flown. so i cannot wait for michael to get up in the morning and meet his crew. >> coming up at 7:00, a live interview with one of michael strahan's distinguished crewmates, the daughter of alan shepard, the first american in space and the fifth person to walk on the moon. that is your gma first look, abc news, new york. reggie: coming coming up at 5:30, software that may be making online shopping a little trickier this holiday season. kumasi: small pets you can bring hom

. >> images from inside michael strahan's space journey from weightlessness to the first thing he saw ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ visit your volvo retailer for special offers during our holiday safely sales event. how powerful is an invisalign smile? so powerful you can face anything ... ...even these faces. invis is a powerful thing. invis is the clear aligner brand most trusted by doctors and more predictable. invisalign. ♪ it starts with a mother's determination to treat her baby's eczema. and grows into a family business that helps thousands more. it starts with an army vet's dream of studying the stars. and grows into a new career as an astrophysicist. it starts with an engineer's desire to start over. and grows into an award-winning restaurant that creates local jobs. they learned how on youtube. what will you learn? music: ♪ “i got you babe” by etta james ♪ get groceries, gifts, & more fast and easy so last minute guests are the only thing you'll be waiting on ♪ ♪ joy. fully. >>> back here on "gma," and you're looking live over hard-hit mayfield, kentucky. those power

we have a special message for you this morning, michael. >> michael strahan, bill shatner here. i'm going to wish you good luck. you don't need good luck. i tell you the most difficult thing that you're going to do as you make your way into space is getting up. it's 11 flights of stairs at 4,000 feet. i paused every so often to look at the beautiful thing. michael, you're in shape. just run up those stairs and you're good as gold. take care and good luck. >> oh, i wish they would build an elevator. 11 flights. >> want to see some pep in those steps. >> you know what, i'm happy that he went before i had a chance to go. i did speak to him briefly about it yesterday. he's just so excited and so excited for me so mr. shatner, thank you so much. i'm looking forward to it. >> we are looking forward too. a lot of good advice. >>> first, a lot of news starting with the latest on the new covid variant. five states here in the u.s. are now reporting omicron cases, let's go back to whit johnson there at the javits center here in new york city where a man from minnesota attended a huge conv

julie: we are following the third mission for blue origin with michael strahan on board and alan shepard's daughter and three prominent business venture experts, those who paid for the ride, expected to be $28 million for each of them. part of the massive empire. this is the third such mission for jeff bezos's. origins space group and this will be the most crowded yet all six seats filled. stranahan himself squeezed in with five others but he was commenting earlier, ground controlling vanhorn, texas, for the launch. >> t minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, four, main engine start, two, one. [engine roaring] [engine roaring] [silence] [silence] bill: for those just tuning in you are witnessing the third launch of the blue origin rocket, the new shepard rocket named after alan shepard, the first american to go into space on a suborbital flight. all the various new shepard rockets, the first mission -- they are all suborbital, about 10 minutes. we are already about halfway into this. technically getting into space, they are going to have a couple minutes to look around. you might be hearing crewmembers

and we are celebrating our own countdown to michael strahan. kumasi: he is lifting off tomorrow. today, we get a look at the last minute preparations. >> here with my fellow astronauts, and we have been training so much, going through the different protocols and safety features. we all feel confident we can perform any function we may need to if called upon. all these things, getting in and out of your seat, all of these things that you thought you knew. there is so much that you learn here. it has been fantastic. reggie: just one day away until michael strahan and five others soar into space with blue origin. mike: reggie: as far as i know, he doesn't. mike: i wonder what the others think? reggie: i think some of them are real rich. mike: they are just blessed to have him with them. showers possible but not a whole lot. more sunshine across southern california. we have a 24-hour window of up to 14 inches in our highest peaks. winter weather advisory. look at all the snow next week. yes! kumasi: new at 6:00, san francisco's new sweeping climate action plan. the plan to make the c

. >> richard branson, william shatner, michael strahan soaring into zero gravity. dan: remarkable look back. such a busy and eventful year. both michael strahan and william shatner went to space on blue origin. >> rental car prices are wrapping up again as we close out the year. after my car accident, i wondered what my case was worth. so i called the barnes firm. when that car hit my motorcycle, insurance wasn't fair. so i called the barnes firm. it was the best call i could've made. atat t bararnefirmrm, our r inry a attneysys wk hahard i could've made. atat t bararnefirmrm, to get you the best result possible. call us now and find out what your case could be worth. you u mit bebe sprisised ♪ the barnes firm injury attorneys ♪ ♪ call one eight hundred, eight million ♪ dan: as covid has dominated headlines the past two years, concern about the flu really took a backseat. we saw the weakest flu season on record in fact last year. new data shows the flu is making a comeback in the u.s. every season been to other parts of the country ordinarily. >> right now,

>> very cool congrats to the team and michael strahan. the guy continues to amaze i've gotten to know him a little bit, he's the king of all media now the king of space flight thank you very much. take care. >>> to the lawsuitest in the continued fight against covid. there is good news amid the scary headlines. new research out of israel finding a three-course shot of the pfizer vaccine provides significant protection against the omicron strain that supports the findings by pfizer last week the israel study was done last week using the actual virus. that said we have a long way to go like this time last year, hospitalizations in colder parts of the country are on the rise with indiana, new hampshire and maine deploying the national guard to assist hospital workers. new york reimposing an indoor mask mandate joining us is dr. debbie, society professor at nyu school of medicine, front line worker herself. good to have you back on we've all got friends that work in hospitals i know some front line workers myself i'm going to tell you, they a

michael strahan is just days away from his journey to space. this morning, we are getting a look at what he is going to experience on his blue origins flight. here is g opening test. reporter: we team minus six days until michael strahan's left off to space. what will he experience on this out of this world journey? we went to the experts. >> going to go supersonic. tops out at 2200 miles per hour on its way out. once the capsule separates, that is where they are at zero velocity. >>'s body will be weightless. he can unharness and move around. >> it guarantees he will bump into someone in zero g. reporter: we will tell you what michael can expect in zero gravity and explain how his ship will return to earth. we are giving him a star-studded sendoff as he leaves times square and heads to texas. abc news, vanhorn texas. mike: mariah carey is back. reggie: it is part of a new holiday special. ♪ >> ♪ hear the sleigh bells ♪ kumasi: iat re you can get more on apple tv plus. the one thing i don't have. sorry, a little side note for myself. it i

reggie: michael strahan is set to go to space in just over 24 hours. we are checking in with the launch team on the ground. kumasi: healthier is on-demand covid testing to help you return safely. even if it's still... a little awkward. how've you been? -i'm so good! ♪ this is what healthier looks like. ♪ there's a glitch in the matrix... and denny's is delivering for free! get special glitch-y, freebies at dennys.com but free delivery won't last long. ♪ ♪ see you at dennys.com (phone rings) i am robert strickler. i've been involved in communications in the media for 45 years. i've been taking prevagen on a regular basis for at least eight years. for me, the greatest benefit over the years has been that prevagen seems to help me recall things and also think more clearly. and i enthusiastically recommend prevagen. it has helped me an awful lot. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. kumasi: one more day until michael strahan's scheduled lift off to space after the delay because of wind conditions. he will spend the day training in texas. coming

the daughter of space pioneer and michael strahan taking a supersonic joyride to the edge of space. all the action when we return. f. ♪ ♪ this is how we shine... at zales. the diamond store. tums vs. mozzarella stick when heartburn hits, fight back fast with tums chewy bites. fast heartburn relief in every bite. crunchy outside, chewy inside. ♪ tums, tums, tums, tums ♪ tums chewy bites ray loves vacations. but his diabetes never seemed to take one. everything felt like a 'no'. everything. but then ray went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now he knows his glucose levels when he needs to. and... when he wants to. so ray... can be ray. take the mystery out of your glucose levels, and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free. visit freestylelibre.us ♪ all the gifts you really, really, really, can't wait to unwrap. ♪ joy. fully. ♪ what can i du with less asthma? with dupixent, i can du more....beginners' yoga. namaste... ...surprise parties. aww, you guys. dupixent helps prevent asthma attacks... ...for 3!... ...so i can du more of the things i love. dupixent

michael strahan of good morning america -- guess they are getting down the ladder here. i think you should pay -- romaine:romaine: could you imagine the kind of story i do going up there? taylor: my biggest thought is that katie would not go to space. that is weird. katie: i thought we were all moving into the metaverse. taylor: what about the metaverse on mars? romaine: i want to do this show again and talk about some of the philosophical issues. we got to this idea of, why are we spending all this time and money on space when there is a big problem here on earth. she got to the point of, there is a lot of science that is benefit on the ground. all of those issues, a lot of those, were developed by government funding through nasa and there are a lot of people that look at the current space race, which is primarily private companies, and they have a lot of questions, i guess. katie: it's a wash for the next decade, i guess. romaine: jason thinks it will happen sooner than that. katie greifeld, going into the metaverse this weekend. that does it for "what'd you miss?" blo

jacqui: blue origin sent another six people into space, including good morning america's michael strahan. william shatner went up in october. >> good to see you, jacqui, start to finish, takeoff to touchdown, the whole flight lasts a whopping 11 minutes and after today, well, you can put another successful mission down in blue origin's book. this is the third human submarine -- sub-orbital flight. six new astronauts mach3 more than 60 miles per hour above the earth's surface. experienced weightlessness for three minutes and then fell back to earth pair shueded -- parachuted back down nfl player michael strahan and also daughter of astronaut alan shepard. >> he didn't get to enjoy what i enjoyed. he was all business, i went on it for the ride. >> and now, back in october, blue origin launched 90-year-old william shatner to the edge of space. its inaugural flight was in late july when the company's owner, amazon mogul jeff bezos and his brother made the trip. a trip, by the way, with zero pilots on board, just passengers. the entire system is autonomous. pretty spectacular, jacqui. jacqui:

michael strahan soaring into zero gravity aboard blue origin's new shepard. check out his reactions as he leaves the atmosphere. >>hey! reporter: michael and the crew soaring well beyond the 62 mile carbon line, marking the edge of space and peeking at more than 347,000 feet above ground level within maximum velocity of 2200 miles per hour. just more than 10 minutes after liftoff, the capsule landing safely back on earth. t.j. watching on in the studio with amy and me on the ground in west texas. [laughter] >> it was great. reporter: blue origin founder greeting the crew and this touching moment. michael sharing a hug with fellow crewmember laura sheppard , the daughter of the first american in space. [applause] reporter: amy catching up with michael after his once-in-a-lifetime flight. >> to see the curvature, the atmosphere, blue, the earth. >> going to the mid next? -- moon? >> if they invite me, i am going. reporter: i've seen a lot of space launches. there's something very different about seeing your own friend go up. just 609 people have now been to spa

ama: michael strahan and the crew were supposed to blast off yesterday for their 10 minute flight, it was bumped to saturday because of high winds. straight hand says he is looking forward to experiencing --strahan says he is looking forward to experiencing weightlessness. >> i will stay by my window, you'll enjoy yourselves. dan: such a nice guy. weather permitting, liftoff is set for saturday morning at 6:45 pacific. he can watch the epic spaceflight here on abc 7. ama: world news is next. dan: we appreciate your time. we will see you again at 6:00. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ visit your volvo retailer for special offers during our holiday safely sales event. >>> tonight, breaking news as we come on the air in the west. the verdict in the jussie smollett trial. guilty on five of six accounts. authorities said the actor staged a racist and homophobic attack on himself, after he told police he was walking home when two men attacked him, yelling slurs and putting a noose around his neck. the actor standing by his claims, taking the stand in his own defense. again, guilty on five of six acc

the countdown is on for our own michael strahan's groundbreaking journey to space. >>> "good morning america" sponsored by the u.p.s. store. (vo) for over 50 years purina cat chow has been helping cats feel at home. with trusted nutrition, nume dry cat food in america. come home to cat chow. people everywhere living with type 2 diabetes are waking up to what's possible... ...with rybelsus®. (♪ ♪) rybelsus® works differently than any other diabetes pill to lower blood sugar... in all 3 of these ways... increases insulin when you need it... decreases sugar... and slows food. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. people taking rybelsus® lost up to 8 pounds. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects ma

michael strahan ready to blast off into space jeff bezos blue rjen giving him a ride what the former super bowl star is bringing for the flight. >>> and michigan battling an unrelenting wave of covid patients one that has the state making a request that we haven't seen since last year. new reporting from a hard-hit hospital as we approach the bottom of the hour and the top bottom of the hour and the top of the news on cnbc. that helps you build a future for those you love. vanguard. become an owner. at vanguard, you're more than just an investor, you're an owner with access to financial advice, tools and a personalized plan that helps you build a future for those you love. vanguard. become an owner. >> man: what's my safelite story? vanguard. my truck...is my livelihood. so when my windshield cracked... the experts at safelite autoglass came right to me... with service i could trust. right, girl? >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ >>> in 2013, a british man accidentally threw in which a hard drive it contained $7,500 bitcoin. fast forward today the crypto in the h

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we appreciate it. >> my pleasure. >>> tv host and former nfl player michael strahan set to blast off to space tomorrow. one of six people slated for a blue origin launch from texas in the morning. it was supposed to take off thursday but it was pushed back because of high winds. flights like this typically last 11 minutes he is going as honorary guest so he dunlt doesn't have to pay seats go for millions of dollars. the ceo gave the football player a football to take with him and set to enter the football hall of fame after the spaceship returns to earth he plans to take his retired jersey, hall of fame jersey, and sule bowl ring and shell casings from his father's military funeral. >>> america's railroad is pulling the brakes on service. that's what's topping cnbc on the money. amtrak is set to cut service next month the reason, amtrak's president says they may not have enough workers to operate all the trains about 95% of amtrak workers are at least partially vaccinated but the rest face the january 4th deadline to get the shots under the mandate for federal contractors. the move a

also on that flight, football hall-of-famer, michael strahan. >>> tonight at 7:00, could scott peterson eventually be set free? our legal analyst explains what happens next. >>> marin county's health officer joins us and tells us why he might reinstate the mask mandate. >>> 60 years later, a classic tale is reimagined. rita moreno as the only latino first starred in the original, now she has a new role as valentina. lester holt sits down with the stars to discuss the remake. >> were you concerned in a remake it may lose some of its soul? >> oh, no. on the contrary, i think it has way more soul. >> more authenticity? >> absolutely. there isn't a latino in the script of character who isn't being played by a hispanic person. >> next on nightly news, a discussion on the importance of diversity and representation in the film. >>> tonight, promising news from pfizer in the race to contain the omicron variant. pfizer saying two doses of its covid vaccine may not be sufficient against omicron but that a third dose offers significant protection it comes as the u.s. faces a delta winter surge wit

. >>> next the countdown to strahan in space. >> abc's michael strahan is preparing to head into space with blue origin. he heads to texas on sunday where he'll take part in a full flight simulation, then he's got to learn how to sit up in space. >> so when you sit down in the seat here on earth, it's relatively simple. when you're in space, you have to learn a different way to secure yourself. there is a loop in the belt buckle, and they will grab it around their shoulder, hold it close to them and then gently roll into the seat. >> we're wishing him the best of luck. on day two of training michael visits the launch site where he'll get acquainted with the rocket that's going to send him into space. >>> all right, next "sex and the city" fans are poring over a new trailer for the show's revival. >> it's called "and just like that" and features sarah jessica parker and her gal pals now in their 50s. >> all the changes -- ♪ i'm so much stronger now i'm so much stronger ♪ >> -- you're still you. hello, lovers. >> "and just like that" debuts next thursday on hbo max. >>> and finally a

the news michael strahan and five other people successfully lift off to space and return back to earth. good morning. it's saturday december 11th. you're watching abc 7 news at 8 am life. on abc 7 hulu live and wherever you stream i'm liz kreutz, and we do have a lot to get to this morning breaking news of tornadoes in the midwest. we know l u he beehiin just real devastatn there this morning. yeah after the trip of a lifetime. countdown to christmas is on we've got the sweet the midwest from kentucky to arkansas with over 50 tornadoes. and in fact the length of this was about 200 miles wide, so 200 miles long and a mile wide. so as we look at our own weather, it seems pretty calm as we have just a few clouds moving into the region today, but starting out clear and cool as our freeze warning is about expires so it's been frosty but as we look a golden gate bridge looks like a nice looking saturday with 30s to low 30s and mountain view 34 and a half moon bay mountain. report. hello everyone. tj holmes here reporting from abc news in new york and we are coming on the air here to get an u

. >>> all right, next, the countdown to strahan in space. >> just six more days before our michael strahan launches into space. now he heads to texas this weekend for training with spruge who trains all of blue origin. kevin walks us through what michael will experience during the launch. >> it will go supersonic, topping out at 2,200 miles an hour on its way up. once the capsule separates, that's essentially where they are at zero velocity. it's 100% guarantee he will bump into someone in zero g or someone will bump into him and that's part of the experience. >> liftoff is next thursday. >>> and finally, a christmas light fight. >> a man in southern california set up a huge display, this one inspired by national lampoon's "christmas vacation." the city says it must come down because he doesn't have the proper permits. >> he said he'll pay the fines >> he said he'll pay the fines so everyone can like many people with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or crohn's disease, i was there. be right back. but my symptoms were keeping me from where i needed to be. so i talked to my doctor and l

dan: b dan: good morning america host and former nfl star meiko stranahan -- michael strahan is hours away from going into space. he and five others make up a third all civilian crew blue origin has sent into space. he says he is raid to go, following several days of training. >> training has been more than i expected it to be. we trained for nine hours a day, just going through the different protocols, in and out of your seat, learning how to buckle up in zero g, get in your seat in the first place. dan: straight hand and his crew members were supposed to blast off earlier this week, high winds in texas delayed the launch until tomorrow. you can watch it happen tomorrow, abc news will cover it live starting at 6:00 -- 6:30 a.m.. tune in for that, godspeed to straight hand and his fellow crewmembers. warriors start steph curry is chasing history in philadelphia. a big nig >> abc 7 sports, sponsored by river rock casino. larry: steph curry might break the all-time record tomorrow -- three-point record. tomorrow in philadelphia. it could happen monday in indiana. he might sit out that n

strahan is hours away from going into space. he and five others make up a third all civilian crew blue origin has sent into space. he says he is raid to go, following several days of training. >> training has been more than i expected it to be. we trained for nine hours a day, just going through the different protocols, in and out of your seat, learning how to buckle up in zero g, get in your seat in the first place. dan: straight hand and his crew members were supposed to blast off earlier this week, high winds in texas delayed the launch until tomorrow. you can watch it happen tomorrow, abc news will cover it live starting at 6:00 -- 6:30 a.m.. tune in for that, godspeed to straight hand and his fellow crewmembers. warriors start steph curry is chasing history in philadelphia. a big night hi honey! hi mommy! oh i missed you! you just want to video call the kids. ok. hush little baby...don't say a word... but if slow upload speeds turns your goodnight call into an accidental horror movie... can you hear me? shut it down. just r

michael strahan is a great football player, never been to space. what is like for someone who hasn't, what is he about to experience? >> he is physically fit for this ride. we know he has the physical feel for this but he is going to experience an amazing acceleration, four geez -- a lot of vibration from the rocket and all of these people on board, laura shepard churchly, they will experience the heightened senses that come when you are strapped into a rocket and fly into space. everything will be hypersensitive. everything you hear and sense, the vibration levels, even the smells of the interior of the capsule will be burned into your memory. i think he will experience a real adrenaline rush with fellow passengers on the new shepard and the thrill of seeing the curvature of the earth, there is nothing like your first view of space. when i got to orbit the first time and looked out the window, couldn't see a think the totally black outside and then the sunrise began to race towards us at 5 miles per second and when you see the curvature of the ear

. >>> we want to say good morning to michael strahan down in van horn, texas. got one day of training under your belt now, stray. we're all curious, how did day one go? >> reporter: it was a long day, t.j. nine hours of training on my first day of astronaut training school yesterday. it was fun. it's very interesting. i had a chance to step into the capsule for the very first time. i sat in one of the seats. i wanted to get a feel of what it's going to be like on thursday and there is so much more that i cannot wait to tell you all more about. >> and you got your seat assignments as well, didn't you? >> reporter: yes. i got seat number one, robin. right in the front. >> that's right. >> reporter: a lot of responsibility in seat number one. >> but you're not driving. >> thank you, michael. >> stray, we'll talk to you plenty throughout the morning and will have more from stray as the countdown to his liftoff continues here in just a bit. >> that's right. >>> we're following a lot of other headlines including our interview with the father of hannah gutierrez reed,

abc's michael strahan and laura shepard churchley, the daughter of alan shepard, the first american in space. >> his era, you know, 60 years ago was so different from today. i mean, i still can't believe that nobody was driving that space ship. >> reporter: do you approve of the original shepherd on the new shepard? >> yes. >> reporter: you do. >> , i'm very proud of it. > reporter: blue origin hasn't announced hair next mission but they have already sold out seats on several upcoming flights. omar villafranca, cbs news, van horn, texas. >> o'keefe: still ahead on the "cbs weekend news," kansas says farewell to a favorite son, bob dole. with directv stream i can get live tv and on demand anywhere. look, serena williams... matrix... serena... matrix... serena... matrix... ♪ ♪ ♪ get your tv together with the best of live and on demand. introducing directv stream. for the power of a deep clean in minutes try mr. clean clean freak with the best of live and on demand. unlike bleach sprays, clean freak begins deep cleaning on contact with 3x the cleaning power to break down tough messe

. >> reporter: our michael strahan tweeting, "when you played and jaund madden was on the call, it was time to shine." troy aikman calling him a treasure and incredible friend. on thanksgiving, he was ans institution. >> you cut it, likes right down here. >> reporter: and he was just as good as a pitch man, from beer -- >> could i go for a nice cold beet. >> to foot powder. >> boom, tough acting tinactin. >> reporter: he transcended generations, with the help of his iconic madden nfl video game series. >> hello and welcome to madden nfl 09. >> richard sherman tweeting, "it was one of my greatest honors to grace the cover of your video game. thank you for the years of joy and motivation!" >> i never worked a day in my life. i went from player to coach to broadcaster. and i am the luckiest guy in the world. this has been the sweetest ride of them all. thank you. >> our thanks to kaylee hartung for that report. have a great night. >> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> masks back on, the counties that were exempting certain people from fac

on board, former nfl star michael strahan. that's what it felt like when it came down like that. whoa! it looks rough but everybody is fine. >> look at them. smiling, hugging. >> yes. as well as silicon valley venture capitalist lane bess and his son cameron. it reached more than 340,000 feet to the edge of space before turning around and coming back. the trip lasted about 11 minutes, that's it, during which the crew experienced three minutes of weightlessness. bess spoke to our scott button earlier this week. he said he wants to look into how to make the experience accessible to others. >>> santa con is back. if you were in the city today, you may have noticed crowds of people dressed as santa or elves on the epic bar crawl and toy drive. it was cancelled last year because of covid. this year bars required proof of vaccination. people who came out were happy to be a part of the celebration again. the annual santacon isn't fun and games. many say they count on the event to keep them in the black. >> look at this. mr. and mrs. claus visiting george maine elementary school in san j

the spacecraft including former n f l player michael strahan white. so we're done on that the training center here and i got to say it was sir tony. we'll have you want to go there where it was on the label. it's hard to even describe it. i've gotta take a little bit to process it way. couldn't have gone better, get my hair. i got mad, we haines aquifer are here today. ah, this is al jazeera, these are the headlines. tornado storms in 6 us states of killed at least 84 people . and left a trail of destruction. dozens from main, missing his homes, factories and in town neighborhoods were flattened as an joe biden, as colon for national unity just promising the full supports of the federal government. i want folks in all the states, you know, we're going to get through this, we're going to get through this together and the federal government is not going to walk away. this is one of those times when we aren't democrats or republicans. sounds like i personally, but it's real where all americans, we stand together as united states america. and so i said al