Please welcome back the vocal bible, Brandy.

[cheering] [Singing Up in My Room]

Mm-hmm.

Because, um, they, they called, were called into question in this case.

To your, to your question, um, Florida was really the first state to adopt them in 2005, and now there are about 30 states that have those laws.

But, um, Susan Lorenz thankfully was sentenced to 25 years in prison for manslaughter- [audience applause]

all this obsession with true crime is about? What does it say about us?

Listen, you ask the question that I ask all the time.

And not only do I report on 2020 every week on this, but I also host our podcast, 2020 The After Show, every Monday talking about this sort of dissecting what we just learned.

And I ask myself that, too.

I mean, of course, it's intriguing.

Of course, the stories we report often are captivating and just, as you said, hard pounding and on the edge of your seat.

But I'm thinking to myself, oh, my gosh, I am stunned when women, a lot of women, probably mostly women come up to me and say, I can't wait for this week's episode or last week.

Can you talk about the book and the sisterhood that has sort of helped you through this 30-year career at ABC?

[laughs]

Absolutely, and when you think about, right, the celebration of America, I mean, when you think about the values of America, who doesn't think about the pursuit of happiness? And we thought it would be sort of interesting because so many people this time of year, of course, are flocking to, say, Disney theme parks, and Disney really is sort of the personification of America.

I mean, when you think about Main Street America, when you think about Cars Land, when you think about Tomorrowland, there's so much there that just sort of taps into who we are as a country, and we're gonna bring that to you, uh, in this special, um, The Pursuit of Happiness.

Um, and also, a little music.

You gotta have a little music.

Jon Batiste is gonna be there with us talking about, you know, uh, what that, what America means to him and New Orleans, and sharing a little bit of music.

And then of course, uh, toys, when you think about toys.

Okay.

Tell us, what can you tell us so far about this special?

Well, first of all, I have to tell you, it's going to be an extravaganza, right? ABC has just decided to just jump into this whole celebration of our 250th anniversary by looking at what makes us special, what makes us great as a country.

And as we like to say, from coast to coast, Will Reeve on the West Coast with Disneyland.

I'm gonna be on the East Coast with Disney World.

And we're gonna talk about how so many people, of course, flock to Disney every year.

But what is that all about? It's about nostalgia.

And we'll talk about that and show you really all those little unique ideas that just make our country so special.

Is that something that stood out to

you? Yeah, and that's what's so interesting because when you think about Walt Disney was such a visionary and at the time it just seemed a little bit pipe dreams when you think about what he really wanted to do, but he really wanted to salute America.

And these parks really have gone there, not only just when you think about movies and animation and all of those things, but Tomorrowland.

When you think about the future, let's take a look at moon exploration.

We're going to think about the things that he never would have even been able to envision.

All of those things that really make this country stand out and make it so special.

We're gonna explore all of that, not only just beginning on Monday, but throughout the week.

Deborah Roberts, thank you so much for joining us.

Tell us about the special.

Hey, guys.

Well, first of all, it was just a great opportunity for me to just go to Disney.

I mean, my kids are grown.

I haven't been in a long time.

But when I got this assignment, I thought, how cool is that? I got to spend some time at Disney World.

Will Reed, my co-anchor at Disneyland.

I was wondering if there was one story that really stood out for you or really surprised you, Deborah.

Yeah,

it's the same story, of course, of Ajaka Owens down in Ocala, Florida.

And many people had heard the story about this woman, a neighbor, who marches up to her neighbor's home with her two children because she's complaining.

The woman had tossed something, according to one of her kids, had tossed something at one of the kids.

There had been a brewing dispute for a long time.

And she wants to confront her, and instead she's hit with a bullet.

For this Friday, we take you inside the story to learn not only who Ajaka is by hearing from her mother, but hearing from one of her children, hearing from the neighbors who were there, who saw this building and building and building, but who also feel like it could have been them.

It

yeah there's a lot happening yeah because i know it's a tough like situation being in the spot that you're in we need you there but i'm also just concerned like watching so many things happening so many shifts so many things like not able to be reported on in this way and people just kind of having to delicately um say things

when they may want to scream it out to say more it It's a very difficult time.

And I think it's always been a little bit difficult, I think, for us in the news industry, because at the end of the day, we are an industry and we have corporate parents and all of that.

But it is a very different time.

But, you know, there are people who are saying to me, if you look back at the 60s and the 70s and the tumult going on in the country, that was also a very difficult time.

And news mattered more than ever.

Now, we didn't have, you know, people trying to shut down news.

Are you doing any like book tours or anything? I'm doing some signings

I

am honest about it.

So after I finished writing the last book and I had such a great experience, I started thinking, what would I do next? And you write really what you know.

And I started thinking about the things that interest me.

And at the time, I think maybe just, I don't know, my sisters were on my radar.

And I've had sisters who have dealt with illnesses, including one sister right now who is sick.

fighting cancer and I was sort of thinking about sisterhood in general and I had read a study that said sisters boost your emotional well-being having a sister is actually good for your mental health and I thought that is so interesting and then I started looking deep into my own relationships with my sisters because they're all over the map I grew up in a large family as you both know with six sisters six sisters and two brothers and one bathroom By the way, in the house.

And people just kind of having to delicately say things when they may want to scream it out to say more.