♪♪ captioned by los angeles distribution and broadcasting, inc. right now on america this morning. closing arguments in court. chaos outside court. >> take that stupid hat off. you're a bunch of clowns. >> the trump hush money trial wraps up. both sides make their final appeal to the jury. what's

expected today? plus, the new move by the biden campaign and what the secret service will need to do if the jury convicts trump. >> relentless storms claim more lives in the south. more than 1 million power outages in texas alone. some families will be without power for days. the new concern, plus the families who've lost their homes to a tornado for the second time in three years. the historic change to our national pastime. >> how major league baseball is acknowledging the achievements of league players from generations ago. rewriting the record books affecting everyone from babe ruth to barry bonds. >> the deadly building explosion a bank in ohio is blown apart. what investigators are saying the death of a general hospital actor brings new attention to catalytic converter thefts. >> his car on the list of most targeted. what's being done to protect drivers? >> later, after a series of

devastating wildfires in the west, the new push to ban gas grills and the rare flower in bloom in the midwest, people lining up for a view. >> but hold your nose. you don't want to smell it. >> from abc news. this is america this morning. >> good wednesday morning, everyone i'm andrew dymburt. >> good morning to you i'm rhiannon ally. we want to begin with former president trump's criminal trial. the jury that will decide trump's fate will begin deliberating today, closing arguments in this historic case wrapped up in court last night. >> and on the streets outside as a day of chaos. you are a move outside the courthouse in lower manhattan. yesterday, the scene was described by one legal expert as pandemonium. america trump supporters wearing horns and painted faces, and actor robert de niro in a shouting match with hecklers. >> take that stupid hat off! take that stupid hat off. you're a bunch of clowns. >> the chaos unfolding as closing arguments got underway in court. trump's attorney, todd

blanch telling jurors they cannot convict trump based on testimony from the prosecution's key witness, trump's former fixer michael cohen. blanch called cohen the greatest liar of all time. the mvp of liars, and said cohen is bent on revenge with an ax to grind blanch, telling the jury this isn't a referendum of your views on president trump. this is a very easy and quick not guilty verdict. in his final pitch to the jury, which took nearly five hours, prosecutors josh steinglass downplayed cohen's role in the case, characterizing cohen as nothing more than a tour guide through a mountain of evidence, steinglass argued trump choreographed a conspiracy and a cover up in a brazen attempt to pull the wool over voters eyes. trump is charged with falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to stormy daniels before the 2016 election, so voters would never know about their affair, which trump denies. it. elected to you back outside the court, a major shift for the biden campaign for the first time, sending supporters to the courthouse, including de niro

and first responders from the january six riot at the capitol. >> i don't mean to scare you. no no, wait. maybe i do mean to scare you. if trump returns to the white house, you can kiss these freedoms goodbye. >> the trump campaign responding, accusing biden of sending a, quote, washed up actor to speak for him after months of saying the politics had nothing to do with this trial, they showed up and made a campaign event out of a lower manhattan trial day for president trump. the move by the biden campaign comes as top democrats reportedly become increasingly worried about biden's poll numbers, the website politico reports. white house advisers are in a full blown freak out. the white house pushing back. >> are you guys here at the white house in full blown freak out mode? what are you talking about? >> again, i'm being mindful. i'm not going to comment on 2024 election. i will say this the president has never forgotten where he comes, where he came from. >> as for trump's trial, if

convicted, the former president could be sentenced to prison time. before his sentencing, an official says the secret service would work with local authorities to determine how his imprisonment would even work, including whether agents would be armed inside the prison. once the jury begins deliberating today, they'll have until 4:30 p.m. before returning for more days of deliberations as needed. >> the other big story we're following this morning is the weather and those deadly storms. the resulting power outages in texas could last for days. we're in it. >> bring it home. i can't do anything terrifying. >> new video of the deadly storms hitting texas. at least seven people killed in recent days. these power lines yesterday sparking like fireworks. more than a million power outages as a new storm system swept from dallas to houston. some families could be in the dark for days. this historic church outside of dallas set ablaze and destroyed in the storm. >> oh my god. >> torrential rain drenching dallas drivers. intense winds

ripping this plane from the gate at dallas fort worth airport. more than a thousand flights canceled nationwide this year is now the busiest severe weather season in 30 years in kentucky, devin johnson and his family are combing through what's left of their home. it is the second time in three years a tornado has left them homeless. a twister in 2021 devastated the region. hey baby. hey, that storm in 2021 led to this harrowing rescue. two infants in a bathtub blown away by a tornado. their grandmother lost her home again this past weekend . back in texas, a 16 year old was killed after a home under construction collapsed in the storm. we will check today's forecast coming up in just a few moments, a powerful explosion blew the facade off a building in youngstown, ohio, killing at least one man and injuring seven people. >> investigators are trying to determine if a gas leak is to blame. the building includes a bank with apartments above it

and a brand new f 35 fighter jet has crashed in albuquerque, new mexico. the pilot ejected with serious injuries. the $100 million jet was being transferred from the lockheed martin factory in texas to edwards air force base in california. it went down after stopping to refuel. >> we turn now to a major decision and major league baseball that will rewrite the record books. the decision involves acknowledging the achievements of players from the leagues. abc's perry russom explains more on this. perry. good morning. >> ryan. good morning. this is a game changer for major league baseball. reigniting the debate over which player should be called the best of all time. it's a historic change to our national pastime. major league baseball is set to announce statistics from the leagues will now officially be integrated into the mlb's record books. >> over 2300 players who played in the leagues from 1920 to 1948 will now have their statistics counted as official. >> with those new stats come new record holders hall of fame

catcher josh gibson, who played in the 1930s, and 40s, will now become the mlb's career batting average leader, passing ty cobb. gibson passes babe ruth in multiple stats, including career slugging percentage. the decision to integrate stats from the leagues follows a years long research project by a committee made up of experts, former players and journalists who compiled the stats. josh gibson's great grandson was on that committee. >> we all know josh gibson had a great career in the leagues. i mean, he's considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time, but we always consider josh gibson a major leaguer anyway. it's just now that he's recognized in the major league baseball stats. >> mlb commissioner rob manfred saying this initiative is focused on ensuring that future generations of fans have access to the statistics and milestones of all those who made the leagues possible. all their accomplishments on the field will be a gateway to broader learning about this triumph in american history. >> with league statistics now added to major league historical record, major league baseball's history can be told in a

broader, more complete picture. >> an updated version of the major league database will be made public before the cardinals and giants play a tribute game to the leagues next month. andrew barry, thank you. >> a second american held for months in turks and caicos for bringing ammunition into the country, has been freed by a judge, tyler wenrich was arrested in april. he pleaded guilty and faced 12 years in prison under a new law in that country. but a judge yesterday sentenced him to time served and fined him $9,000. a pennsylvania man was also freed with a fine last week. meanwhile, two other americans are still being held in similar cases. >> home prices here in the u.s. have hit another record high. prices are up 6.5% from just a year ago. the median cost of a home is now almost $408,000. san diego saw the biggest annual jump in prices over the last year, followed by new york city and cleveland. >> time now for your wednesday weather. >> good morning. we're going to

have additional thunderstorms rumbling through the southern plains and texas early in the day, but additional thunderstorms will fire off to the west and all the way up into the western part of the dakotas. even with large hail, damaging wind, and some potential for flash flooding. so we're going to be dealing with round after round of heavy rain to the south. but there are some of those late day storms farther north through sunday. additional heavy rain will lead to flooding in parts of the southern plains and into louisiana. for accuweather, i'm jeff cornish for abc news. >> coming up, police capture a dangerous fugitive who has earned a nickname because of his bad breath. >> also ahead, the death of a general hospital actor shining new light on the epidemic of catalytic converter thefts. the cars that are most often targeted by thieves these days and later. >> remember all those orcas attacking and sinking so many boats? we may finally

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>> and this morning we're at it again. it's show me the money on gma. >> we're back with a remarkable rescue in washington state a 19 year old survived a 400 foot fall down the side of a canyon west of seattle. crews installed a pulley to bring him up. he suffered only minor injuries. no word yet on how he fell. >> well, the nearly 17 year search for a massachusetts man known as the bad breath rapist has ended. in california. teen kit lee has been captured near oakland. he has been on the run since 2007, when he was on trial for rape and kidnaping. a major piece of evidence against him was his bad breath. >> the murder of a tv soap opera star this week is shining new light on the epidemic of catalytic converter thefts. it turns out the actor's car is one of the vehicles most often targeted. and here's abc's andrea fujii this morning.

>> police are asking for the public's help tracking down suspects in the killing of general hospital star johnny wactor. shot during a car part theft, making him the highest profile victim of a crime plaguing the u.s. we actor's ex-fiance sharing her grief for the person who did this. >> if you're watching, i'm sorry, but you shot the wrong guy, police say wactor interrupted thieves who were stealing his catalytic converter, a device meant to reduce smog. >> it can easily be cut off a vehicle by thieves who want the precious metals inside. in 2022, more than 64,000 were stolen, with california seeing the most thefts. wactor drove a toyota prius, one of the five vehicles most targeted by catalytic converter thieves. the others include the ford f-150, ford explorer, honda accord and honda crv. experts say the thefts are common in california because they're considered property crimes and the punishment is light. >> there's certainly an

incentive there. and if the if the consequences that they can look forward to don't outweigh the risk that they're going to take, certainly they're going to go after this kind of thing. >> police say they have no leads and they're now combing through surveillance video. >> i hope and pray that they catch them and get him convicted . and that's what i would like the whole world to pray for, they took a wonderful person. >> catalytic converter thefts did decline last year, but are still much higher than pre-pandemic levels. a new federal bill would require vin numbers on catalytic converters in new cars, making them easier to track. andrew. rhiannon. >> all right. andrea thank you for that update. coming up, what appears to be a deadly alligator attack in texas. also ahead, back to titanic, the submarine tourism industry sailing again one year after a deadly one year after a deadly implosion underwater some people just know that the best rate for you

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waters off europe. orcas have rammed more than 670 vessels off the coast of spain, portugal and morocco since 2020, sometimes even sinking them, one expert says the animals are just bored and trying to have some fun. >> just have teens having fun navigating the high seas is certainly dangerous enough, but some billionaires are now planning to venture into the depths below to view the titanic. here's abc's lionel moise this morning. >> some uber wealthy americans are making plans to travel to the titanic wreckage, nearly one year after the deadly implosion of ocean gates. titan submersible, which killed all five on board. attempting to make the journey nearly 13,000ft below the surface, billionaire larry connor and patrick leahy, the founder of triton submarines , plan to make a new voyage in a $20 million vessel. connor reached out to leahy just days after the titan implosion, telling the wall street journal, i want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is

extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life changing. if you go about it the right way. safety in the industry has been under intense scrutiny. >> this is a rare opportunity for you to explore titanic ocean gate ceo, who was also killed, often spoke about his sub defying industry standards. >> i think it was general macarthur said. you're remembered for the rules. you break and you know, i've broken some rules to make this. >> but since the tragedy, triton and its european competitor have claimed their subs are safer because they're classed, meaning they're certified as safe and up to code by a third party. other billionaires have been intrigued by tourism into the deep sea. business mogul ray dalio owns a 285 foot research boat, which has two submersibles attached. he and james cameron, director of the titanic movie, both have stake in triton. fascination with the titanic continues far beyond submersibles. australian

billionaire clive palmer plans to build the titanic two, a replica expected to retrace the original ship's doomed voyage. no word yet on when the triton sub will set out for the titanic wreck. as for the ocean gate implosion, several agencies, including the ntsb, are still investigating what went wrong. rhiannon. andrew. >> lionel. thank you. now to sports where the timberwolves extended their season last night with a 105 to 100 win over the mavericks. they'll try to stay alive again tomorrow night because the series winner faces the celtics in the nba finals and in the nhl, the florida panthers and new york rangers needed overtime for the third consecutive game. florida finally scored to win 3 to 2, tying the series. >> it's anyone's game now. coming up, what could be the best way to protect your kids from peanut allergies? >> plus, the new push to ban gas >> plus, the new push to ban gas grills ♪ stay ahead of your moderate—to—severe eczema, and show off clearer skin and less itch with dupixent.

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>> and this morning we're at it again. it's show me the money on gma. >> well it's time to check the pulse. we begin with a growing push to ban gas grills. >> yep. insurance companies in the west are warning more homeowners associations that they will lose coverage unless they stop residents from firing up their grills on their balconies and decks. other parts of the country could follow. >> the crackdown comes after insurance companies lost billions from recent wildfires in california and hawaii. next, marie antoinette said, let them eat cake. and now for kids. doctors are saying let them eat peanut butter. >> a new study this is out of the uk. it suggests giving babies smooth peanut butter can reduce the risk of peanut allergies when they're older, researchers found. introducing the food to babies as young as four months old reduced the allergy risk by more than 70% by the time they were adolescents. next the once in a decade bloom in wisconsin, a rare corpse

flower is blooming at a botanical garden in milwaukee. >> it opens up every 8 to 10 years. some compare the smell to sweaty socks, but people have been lining up to see it, maybe even to smell it too. next, a big surprise at a wedding in england. >> the groom kept his plan a big secret hiring a penguin to be the ring bearer at waddled down the aisle, shocking everyone in the crowd. the groom was inspired after visiting a zoo. >> and finally, there's a new flavor of m&m. you don't have to wait for the fall. >> they are pumpkin pie flavored m&ms hitting shelves soon. m&ms hitting shelves soon. >> too soon. ♪ missing out on the things you love because of asthma? get back to better breathing with fasenra, an add-on treatment for eosinophilic asthma that is taken once every 8 weeks. fasenra is not for sudden breathing problems or other eosinophilic conditions. allergic reactions may occur. don't stop your asthma treatments without talking with your doctor. tell your doctor if your asthma worsens. headache and sore throat may occur. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. step back out there with fasenra.

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caught on camera at middle school. brawl during lunch time. now at five. some students involved are in juvenile detention this morning. upset parents demanding answers and action. >> scott peterson's bid for freedom lands in court once again. the arguments we can expect during the hearing today, the case against donald trump, now in the hands of the jury deliberations begin today in the former president's hush money trial