And a brandnew spin on turkey 911. Were helping you have your best thanksgiving ever. Today, three top chefs are taking your questions all morning long. And you dont want to miss these big deals steals made in america. Only on gma. Well, we do hope youre sleeping in on this thanksgiving morning. A good morning to all of you, america. Thank you so much for spending a little bit of time with us on this thanksgiving. And happy hanukkah, as well, to everybody celebrating there at home. Lots of bookkeeping to take care of. Sam, meanwhile. Samuel j. Joining us in philadelphia this morning. Right there in the middle of the oldest parade in the country. Well talk to him in just a bit. Ginger zee, meanwhile, outside in the sub arctic new york. Hopefully the balloons shall fly this morning. And it is great to have paula faris, dan harris and sara haines all here this morning. Happy thanksgiving. And happy hanukkah, guys. And thanks to everybody who tuned in to us this thanksgiving morning. We have a lot to get to this morning. Including lots of lastminute tips and tricks as you get ready to dig in with friends and family today. Well let you know everything you need to know to get cooking. And sara promises to have good desserts that we cant wait to try ahead in pop news. Right . Yes. I always bring food. Josh is cooking. I am indeed. We have a lot of weather to get to. And samuel j. All bundled up in philadelphia after a very long night. Sam, happy thanksgiving, my friend. Happy thanksgiving, josh. Happy thanksgiving to everybody in new york and all over america. It is a hardfought, gorgeously cool thanksgiving. We had a big storm system try to make a mess of this day. Lets get to the boards and show you whats going on with that thing. Look at the departing snow, rain and ice, as the low pulls up a little to the north here. And you can see that colder air spinning in a little behind it. Did we get snow . You bet we did. About 35 of the nation is covered with snow. Thats the earliest, the most weve had so early in the season, in about ten years. Look how much snow is down on the ground because of that storm system moving through. Wind gusts, 63mileperhour to 64mileperhour, from massachusetts to long island. Rhode island had a 59mileperhour wind gust. And look at the cold air thats gone to the deep south this morning. Good morning, atlanta. 22 is the way that windchill is this morning. Tallahassee, feels like 31. Even orlando has a chill this morning at about 40 degrees. We have a cold thanksgiving start. But were not the morning show that delivers one parade. Ladies and gentlemen, you get a twofer here. Right here in philadelphia we have the oldest running parade. And we have another one in new york. We have another one in philadelphia. I know well be going back and forth all morning long. Thats right, sam. We will be heading to ginger. Do we have ginger right now . A touchandgo affair. Such is the weather here in new york city. But, ginger, youre braving it for us this morning. Will the balloons fly . Reporter a very happy thanksgiving it will be here at the macys thanksgiving day parade. Look behind me. The nets up. We see snoopy and woodstock, the pumpkins to the right. Yes, the balloons will fly. Its certainly breezy but a little cold, i can tell you that, with hand warmers all over my body. You can see the wind speeds for the day. These are gusts youre looking at. Either way, the balloons will fly. Looks like well see the safety precautions all taken, of course. Look at the energy. The energy is starting to pique. Its going to boo so much fun. 50 Million People going to watch. 3. 5 million lining the streets. Back to you. Were going to turn to gma weekend anchor and nightline anchor, dan harris, pulling a double for us. Congratulations to you, my friend. More coffee. Who needs sleep . Thats my question. You tell em. Happy thanksgiving, everybody. And happy thanksgiving to you at home. Were going to start with breaking news overnight. A ninehour hostage standoff that began with this gunfire. [ gunfire ] that extended gun battle, really incredible, caught on camera by a neighbor in the Los Angeles Suburb of inglewood. Police say the suspect started firing at officers after taking his girlfriend and her daughter hostage during a domestic dispute. One officer was shot in the chest. But he was saved by his bulletproof vest. Finally overnight, the suspect who has a long criminal record, surrendered and released his hostages. Both, thankfully, unharmed. And now, to washington. And a fresh wrinkle in the long saga of obama care. The president postponing another key aspect of the law. A development that could impact tens of thousands of americans. And Abcs David Kerley is at the white house right now with more. David, good morning. Reporter good morning, dan. Youre right. This is the second time this president is delaying a part of his signature legislation, as computer code writers are working overtime to fix the problemplagued health care website. As the president was pardoning a thanksgiving turkey. I want to grant popcorn a full reprieve reporter critics were suggesting that the latest delay in his Health Care Plan is inexcusable. It really is an indication that Small Business is not a priority for the administration. Reporter the news, that the troubled website wont be ready for Small Businesses for another year. So, in order to meet the Affordable Care mandate, those Small Businesses will have to go directly to Insurance Companies or brokers. All this, just days before the president promised that the website would finally be working. But the administration continues to roll back expectations. First, the president said by the end of this month, we anticipate that it is going to be working the way it is supposed to. Reporter then, it was that it will be working for the vast majority of americans. Followed by, 50,000 people at a time will be able to get on. The latest from the administration that has never meant there would be zero problems with the site. Reporter that the sunday deadline is really not that special. To be clear, november 30th does not represent a relaunch of healthcare. Gov. It is not a magical date. Reporter it is clear that the white house is trying to take the pressure off what is a relaunch of this website. You take the Small Business people off. And hopefully individuals will be able to buy insurance when the website is back up and running come monday, dan. Well see how it works on monday. They think they can handle up to 50,000 to 100,000. They dont want to see a crash. It is a big weekend for obama care. No question. David kerley, thank you. Were getting some amazing, new pictures of the moment a tornado touched down and ripped apart a middle school in indiana. Look at this. Surveillance cameras capturing the scene in the gym and the hallways. President obama has freed up more federal dollars for families who lost their homes in last weeks tornado outbreak across the midwest. The pictures, incredible this morning. New concerns this morning about brazils readiness to host next years world cup after a section of the main stadium collapsed, killing two workers. Construction was nearly complete when a crane crashed on to a 500ton metal structure, which then tore through an outer wall. A judge has approved the merger of American Airlines and u. S. Airways. The combined carrier, which will be the largest in the world, will keep the American Airlines name. But the two will operate separately for about one more year. Overnight, weve been tracking some news from outer space. The socalled comet of the century has now reached the sun, traveling at 200 miles a second. The big question now, will the suns powerful gravity pull the comet apart . If not, we hear on earth may be in for a dazzling light show sometime next month. And finally, a change of heart on this thanksgiving. Tony rohr has been employed by the pizza hurt in elkhart, indiana, for ten years, working up to manager. But when the boss told him he had to open on thanksgiving, that was it. Tony refused. And he was fired. However, when the world got out, social media exploded with outrage. And this morning, were happy to report that pizza hut has offered tony his job back, admitting they made an error in judgment. Tony was trying to protect his workers from having to work on thanksgiving. And we wish them all a happy and pizzafree thanksgiving. What a lovely story. Yeah. Great story. Weve seen the shopping madness. Right. Grow exponentially. Good to see somebody dial it back a bit. Hopefully the employees wont use the time to go shopping. The irony there. Good point, dan. Well, the Holiday Shopping season is starting earlier than ever this year. And for many shoppers, the turkey is a brief timeout between runs to the store. Rebecca jarvis is at toys r us in times square, for a look at the thanksgiving shopping madness and some of the best deals out there. Happy thanksgiving, rebecca. Reporter happy thanksgiving, paula. You hear the sound right now . That is the quiet before the crazy crowds get here. This is toys r us. They open first of many retailers at 5 00 p. M. Nationwide. Thats when the deals start to flow. This morning, black thursday goers are prepping to storm the stores. Scooping up early bargains like this 69 blue ray player from k machine mart. You do have to do the research. Step one, have a plan. With the seemingly Endless Supply of circulars stacking up, shopping experts say there were 20 or so deals you must make sure to zero in on. Not just nobrainers like amazons 98 32inch flat screen. But the bigticket markdowns like saving 400 on this washer and dryer set from sears. Even profitmakers. And the Samsung Galaxy comes with a 100 gift card. Step two, be choosy. Stick to price tagged slashed by at least 30 off. Average savings are on the rise, from just over 25 off in 2010. Experts predict this year could be as much as 35 off. I think we all instinctively cringe a little bit when we hear the Stores Opening on thanksgiving day. At the same time, a lot of us will show up and take advantage of that. Reporter step three, embrace it. Lets go, baby reporter doorbusters are as much a tradition as cranberry sauce and football. Walmart pushed back its shopathon to a chorus of complaints. But that didnt stop the retail giant from cranking out 5,000 sales per second before the clock struck black friday at midnight. Last year in the first hour, we did 10 million transactions at our register. Just in the first hour. Reporter in one hour . That is an incredible number. Incredible discounts. But we all know nothing beats free. Some free things to talk about, too. Jcpenney has snow globes. Cvs giving out free batteries. And pet smart giving out free puppy treats to the first 100 customers today. And you can ask if any retailers are giving out something free. But ask before you walk out of the store. Good advice. No puppy shall go hungry on this thanksgiving. Time to take a look at the hottest toys of the holiday season. And weve actually called in an expert. And were going to stay here to do it. Lisa harnisch is Senior Vice President of toys at toys r us. I cant imagine a better job. A happy thanksgiving to you, lisa. Thank you so much for joining us. I do want to start with your hottest toys. And i want to start with one that sarina cannot get enough of at home. The loom craze has struck. And you have the craz loom for us. Absolutely. This is a trend that is sweeping the nation. And this is our shimmer and sparkle craz loom braceletmaker. The extravaganza set. 3,000 rubber bands, 2 looms, 2 hooks, a carrying case. Loads of fun. Comes in a blue option as well as a pink option. I know, sarina, youre watching at home. Well see. Ill talk to santa. Well see. Moving along now. The infinity. I know this is something coming from our parent company, disney. It looks terrific. Thats right. This is a disney infinity, immersive video game. Just hit stores this year. Hot, hot toy. Today, were having it at 50 off. 37. 49. Kids are loving this item. And a toy that is ugly in name only. Yes. This is our ugly pet, our little pug. The uglys. He makes 30 different offcolor noises. Kids love it. Parents think its very entertaining. If it doesnt break the tv, we can all agree. It is cute. Lisa, give us some context today. We hear so much about what this day could be like. What do you expect at toys r us on this brown thursday . Toys r us is opening nationwide at 5 00 p. M. Today. So, we are superexcited to get this season started. Its the official kickoff to the Holiday Shopping season. Toys r us has the hottest toys. You have the best chance of finding them in stock here. Lisa, thank you for joining us. We want to thank the employees at toys r us and all of the employees in the Retail Industry who are going in to work so the rest of us may work the turkey off as we shop. Thanks for joining us on this thanksgiving. And now, to the amish family on the run to avoid medical treatment, after the courts ordered 10yearold Sarah Hershberger to undergo chemotherapy to treat her leukemia. Her parents who object to the treatment have taken their daughter and fled. Abcs alex perez has this story. Reporter this morning, theres a mystery swirling around the 10yearold amish girl who doctors say could die if she doesnt get lifesaving chemotherapy. Sarah hershberger and her parents who oppose the chemo therapy, have vanished, leaving the country to seek alternative treatments. Its not just the constitutional right. But the moral right to refuse conventional medical treatment. Reporter the girls chemotherapy treatment initially worked. The tumors got smaller. But in a rare interview by phone last august, her father explains why they stopped the treatment. Were seeing how sick it makes her. Reporter hershberger says the family wanted to focus on herbal and natural remedies. Our belief is the natural stuff will do just as much as that stuff does, if its gods will. Reporter but in october, a judge sided with the hospital, appointing a nurse to be the girls temporary guardian to handle medical decisions. The family wont say where they are now. But have no plans to return to their ohio home any time soon. Sarahs condition has gotten a lot better since the family has been pursuing the alternative treatment. Reporter doctors say without chemotherapy, the girl could die within a year. Without chemotherapy, the survival rates are very, very poor. Reporter hospital officials declined to comment on the case or whether they will seek other legal action. Law enforcement officials say, at this point, there is no formal search for the girl. For good morning america, alex perez, abc news, chicago. Really tough situation right there. Wish that family the best. We certainly do. Especially on this thanksgiving holiday. We will shift gears now. Speaking of thanksgiving, it is time. Our dream team of food network chefs. Seated on their turkey thrones. Theyve got the thinking caps on. Happy thanksgiving to all of you. Were going to get right to it. First up, our turkey expert, alex guarnaschelli. Spin around. The milliondollar throne. Really broke the budget on those. And here we go. Would you recommend using a turkey oven bag . I say bag the bag, josh. I say just go for it. Im getting booed. Honestly, i soak some cheesecloth in a lot of butter. And i drop that over the breast meat. And i let that roast up. It gets all juicy and buttery. Yeah. Won them over. We like the butter here. Who knew that the proturkey bag zealotry would be rampant. Yeah, im over the bag. Got to go. Spin back around. Well be back with your compatriots there, in just moments. Bag the bag. Bag the bag. Bag the bag. Something i find myself saying to our next guest, samuel j. Champion, each and every day. Samuel j. , a look at the weather in philadelphia, as youre surrounded by the Westchester University of pennsylvania marching band. By the way, josh, this band is so cool. Moments ago, they were playing firework. We were having the best time here. This is the Westchester University of pennsylvania marching band. As josh was saying. A little Winter Wonderland for you. Lets talk about the weather forecast. Im going to try to do it as loudly as i can. Im sorry im screaming into your television sets. Well start with the west coast. Oh, wow. Are they so good . They have volume control on this marching band. I love you guys. Im crazy about this band. This is the way it looks in the west. We have the offshore low. I think it keeps the showers just off the coastline for most of the state of california today. L. A. About 68. Seattle, still about 54 after that record high yesterday. Can we talk about seattle at 58 degrees . Thats unbelievable. You got another mild day today. Speaking of milder temperatures, after this big cold air push in the middle of the country, the middle of the country will start to warm up over the next couple days. Follow the dancing turkey as he points to lakeeffect snow, ladies and gentlemen. Thats the last snow from this departing system, as it leaves our country and moves up into canada. Were left with a little chilly air. Later on. Okay. Thats the weather around the nation. Happy thanksgiving. A look at the live doppler 7 hd radar satellite, high clouds for much of the day. Heres a look from the san jose camera, pretty cloudy in san jose, but temperatures will top out in the mid60s. Thats the story for much of the bay area. We have 64 degrees along the coast in halfmoon bay and the north coast. 66 in napa. 66 in antioch. 67 degrees in morgan sam, stay warm and properly aerobicise. Yes. Happy thanksgiving to you, my friend. Coming up here on the program. The shocking allegations against Nigella Lawson. Her exhusband set to stake the stand today. Ryan ferguson recently freed from prison. His first holiday at home after almost a decade behind bars. And deals steals made in america, just for gma viewers. And turkey 911. Black friday deals up in the store. Getting presents and so much more. Thats my holiday, thats my kind of holiday. Buy today, come back for more. Save next time you shop in store. Thats my kind of holiday. [ male announcer ] if we could see energy. What would we see . The billions of gallons of fuel that get us to work. Wed see all the electricity flowing through the devices that connect us and teach us. Wed see that almost 100 of medical plastics are made from oil and natural gas. And an indus