making news in america this morning, dire warning. the u.s. targets. new developments and a live report from washington. courtroom drama. the man who held three women captive for a decade said he's no monster. one of the brave women stares him down with an emotional message. lawmakers let their fists do the arguing. a brawl inside one country's parliament overnight. 14 and dancing dog. two pets in tandem. when their owner sings them a tune. good friday morning, everyone. i'm tai hernandez, in for diana

perez. >> i'm john muller. an ominous warning for u.s. interests overseas. >> the state department has ordered the closure sunday of all u.s. embassies and consulates across the muslim world, based on what officials are calling a credible threat. >> joining us now, with the very latest from washington, is abc's devin dwyer. good morning, devin. >> reporter: the decision to close these facilities shows just house confident the intelligence community is about the credibility of this threat, even though they don't yet know the exact target. a siren from the state department. american diplomatic outposts across the muslim world, now facing a specific and credible threat. officials say more than a dozen embassies and consulates will be closed on sunday, including some of our biggest, in egypt, iraq and kuwait. the mass closure is the first of its kind in over a decade, since the one-year anniversary of 9/11. >> individual u.s. embassies and consulates will announce whether or not they are open and whether they're implementing

restrictions or other husbands. >> reporter: a senior u.s. official told abc news, it is a specific threat. a concerted effort against the u.s. embassy or consulate. we just don't know what the specific target is. u.s. officials suspect islamic jihadists may be plotting an attack. fresh on their minds is last year's surprise assault on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya. insurgents with ties to al qaeda killed the u.s. ambassador and three other americans. at the white house yesterday, president obama discussed counterterrorism with the president of yemen, a country home to a top al qaeda affiliate. >> these threats are not only national in nature, but also cause severe hardship for the people of yemen themselves. >> reporter: those threats, urgent enough that the u.s. embassy in yemen's capital will be closed on sunday. the state department has not ruled out keeping those embassies closed for additional days. there's also a concern that other american targets could be

connected to this threat. tai? >> devin dwyer in washington. thank you. also overseas, former nsa whistleblower edward snowden has finally left the airport in moscow where he's been holed up for more than a month. he's been granted one-year asylum by russia. he evades u.s. espionage charges. the white house is threatening that president obama may decline president putin's invitation for an upcoming summit meeting at the kremlin. here at home, a stunning sentence has been handed down in cleveland to ariel castro. that sentencing hearing wasn't without a few surprises. abc's alex perez was there. >> reporter: she was his first victim. and during 11 long years of abuse and torture. but michelle knight stood tall, hugged those around her and faced down the man who held her captive. >> days turned into nights. nights turned into days. years turned into eternity. he told me that my family didn't care. >> reporter: knight was 20 years old when castro lured her in with promises of a puppy for her son.

aman, 16 when she was abducted. today, she's 27. gina dejesus, just 14 when the ordeal began. now, 23. >> gina was my teammate. she nursed me back to health when i was dying from his abuse. >> reporter: michelle was the only victim who came to court. she's 32 years old. but so small, her rescuers thought she was a child. she was a tiny tower of strength. as she spoke, ariel castro's eyes never let her. but this is the moment he registered emotion. >> i spent 11 years in hell. now, your hell is just beginning. i will overcome all this that happened. you will face hell for e internty. >> reporter: a new glimpse of what the well endured. the rusty chains that castro used to restrain them. often for weeks at a time with little food. we learned they all diaries, documenting their ordeal. fearing they would never make it out alive. in a bizarre, rambling, 16-minute statement, castro implied he was the real victim.

insisting that he never abused any of the women. >> i am not a violent predator. they're trying to make me look like a monster. i'm not a monster. i'm a normal person. i'm just sick. >> reporter: he was sentenced to life in prison plus 1,000 years. even though she shed those tears inside the courtroom, michelle's strength never wavered. she says all of the support she's gotten since she was freed, has taught her there is more good than evil. alex perez, abc news, cleveland. among those still awaiting their punishment are the players in baseball's doping scandal. particularly, alex rodriguez of the yankees. his representatives and major league baseball officials have been trying to reach a settlement on a long suspension that would avoid a lifetime ban. they aren't anywhere close, to making sure a-rod could cash in on some of the $100 million he is owed under his current contract. a trader at goldman sachs

has been found liable on a fraud case. fabri fabri fabrice tourre known as fabulous fab, has been found accused of misleading big investors about subprime mortgage securities. those contributed to the mortgage crisis in 2007, which helped drive the country into recession. he faces fines and could be banned from the industry. transit workers in california's bay area are threatening to walk off the job again if they don't get a new contract. they paralyzed the b.a.r.t. system for four days last month. if there's no deal, b.a.r.t.'s two largest unions say they will strike sunday evening. that means the monday morning commute will be a nightmare. the national weather service confirms that a rare tornado touchdown in jacksonville. it damaged some houses and brought down some trees. at least one person was injured in the storm. it's believed to have been an ef-2 twister. the exact speeds of its top winds have not been determined. about 300 miles south, a party for young children turned into a panic for parents in ft. myers. with water was

sucked into a storm train. adults jumped into the ditch to try to find him. but he was being swept 300 yards through the drain and into a nearby river. >> they started running down and tracing the drain line down to the river. that's when they heard the kid screaming. he was trying to climb out on his own. >> luckily rescuers got to the little boy in time. and this morning, he is safe and sound. >> an amazing ride that must have been. checking today's weather. more rain in florida, along with other parts of the southeast. some severe storms across the middle of the country, around the great lakes and in new england. storms also in parts of the rockies and the southwest. >> triple-digits of 106 in phoenix. readings in the 80s from baltimore up to boston. some cool temperatures in the northwest. riding in style. how you can tour the world's largest passenger plane without a ticket. also, roads turned into raging rivers. two people rescued after getting swept away in a flash flood. the entire rescue caught on camera. the controversy brewing over the winter olympics. why there's talk of some athletes actually boycotting the games.

7,000 high-school students drop out every school day. let's catch them before it's too late.

to start helping students in your community, visit boostup.org. it's looking to be another record day on wall street, which kicked off the first day of august with a series of record-breaking highs. the dow and s&p 500 all hitting all-time highs. the nasdaq also up sharply. all three indices up about 20% for the year. and you can expect today's trading to be influenced by the government's new jobs report. that's being released this morning. it's expected to show that 180,000 new jobs were created last month. and that should be enough to drop the unemployment rate 0.1%.

google-owned motorola is making history with the first smartphone made in the u.s. it's called moto x. there's 2,000 color combinations to choose from. and you can even order a back made of wood. moto x ships from ft. worth within four days of placing your order. a growing number of millennials are living with mom and dad. more than 21 million since march of 2012. 36% of 18-year-olds to 31-year-olds have moved back home. that's the highest in four decades. google's street view technology is taking us inside one of the world's most luxurious airliners. you can travel down the aisle of the emirates double-decker a-380. look at the first-class suites. pretty sweet. neon-lit lounges. a spa, equipped with a shower. that sounds pretty nice. what do you think? >> just what you need, when you get on and off a plane, a nice massage. >> yeah. sounds like a plan. >> and a shower, too, wouldn't hurt. and when we come back, water tossed and fists fly. what sparked a brawl between lawmakers overnight. and a health warning this morning. why the fda is putting out an

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and leading companies are interested in our graduates. we'll even help you decorate your new office. ok. let's get to work. welcome back. how would you like to be flying or driving and see that massive dust storm coming towards you? that's what they were dealing with yesterday in phoenix. it's all part of the so-called monsoon season. and there's more to come. the season runs through the end of september. >> i'll go the other way when i see that thing. more storms expected today in the southwest and parts of the rockies. wet in the nation's middle around the great lakes and into new england. rain in the southeast. >> and if you're flying, delays are possible in kansas city and chicago. the rain we mentioned in the southeast doesn't take a lot of it to create flash flooding. that's simply because some areas have had so much rain this summer. >> those flash floods are bringing out daring rescues as steve osunsami reports. >> reporter: behold the power of

a flash flood, at a christian camp in the north georgia mountains. swift water rescue crews had to pull two frightened teenage interns to safety, after rushing water swept their truck on to a small island. >> it was literally under our feet. and we were like, we got to go. >> reporter: the water came in a hurry, thanks to five inches of rain that fell in places, washing out roads and trapping families in their homes. in gilmer county, families along the river were forced to leave and find higher ground. >> you just got to be prepared. >> reporter: across the southeast, we've just finished one of the wettest julys on record. asheville, greenville, south carolina, and roanoke, virginia, all setting records. miami beach, more than 18 inches of rain, 4-times what's normal. nationwide, more than 2,000 cities saw record daily rainfall in july. in north georgia, the water is receding and families here have had enough. steve osunsami, abc news, atlanta.

there are growing fears this morning that some of america's top athletes and their fans heading to russia for the winter olympics could end up in jail. russia is putting those fears to rest. the country will suspend their new anti-gay laws during the olympics. the law criminalizes talking about homosexuality around minors, showing affection or showing pro-gay similar bombs. the nation's top lawmaker says the olympics is a national event. and many will be -- several athletes said they will show up to the opening ceremonies holding flags and symbols of the lgbt community. so far, though, there's been no reaction from the international olympic committee. for the first time, the fda is setting a guideline for gluten-free food. the fda will establish a definition of gluten-free, that will govern how much they can label their products.

the aim is toward americans who are allergic or cannot tolerate gluten. and the fda has issued a warning about rare skin reactions from tylenol and other painkillers. the acetaminophen in those drugs has been linked to skin rashes and blistering. the fda has required prescription strength acetaminophen products to carry warning labels about the link. and they are expecting that over-the-counter brands do the same. a political battle turned into a physical brawl in one of taiwan's parliaments this morning. lawmakers debating the completion of a nuclear power plant came to blows in taipei. kicking, punching, putting each other in headlocks. anti-nuclear activists also got into the action there by splashing legislators with water and throwing bottles from the balcony. another huge late game rally for the boston red sox. >> details, now, from espn. >> welcome to our "sportscenter" studios here in los angeles. i'm stan verrett. what a night for the red sox in boston. at fenway park, they did it again. boston with its 11th walkoff win

of the season. we pick it up ninth inning. red sox trail by as many as six. jonny gomes, with a base hit off medina. shane victorino scores. game tied at 7-7. they're going nuts at fenway. two batters later, bases loaded for daniel nava. he had walked to lead off the inning. nava sends that one to straight away center. dustin pedroia coming in to score. the red sox rally with six in the ninth. and john farrell's team does it again. rangers had three walkoff wins against the angels. yu darvish, throwing for texas. what a job he did. parra down swinging. chavez down swinging. he struck out 14. seven innings, gave up five hits. now, bottom four, two outs. rangers up four. daniel murphy, going deep. his 12th home run of the year. no walkoff needed for the rangers. they win 7-1. the rangers' pitcher looked like he's worth every penny of the considerable investment that

they made in him. that's a look at sports. now, back to you. some four-legged friends and their excitement over eating is why this is our "play of the day." >> meet hope and rosie, a couple of english springer spaniels. their owner fires them up in their premeal routine. >> are you hungry? it's ready. ♪ it's dinner time dinner time ♪ ♪ hope and rosie want their dinner time ♪ ♪ they're hungry hungry, hungry girls ♪ ♪ yeah, hope yeah, rosie ♪ >> awesome. >> that's how i feel before a meal, john. meal time for hope and rosie, twice a day, every day. >> and he says hope sings beforehand. but he left that part of the video out. like a big pizza, when i'm being bad, that's how i feel. get them on "dancing with the stars." >> that's a good point. coming up next, "the pulse."

and not all coffees are equal. which chains give you the biggest jolt? we'll tell you. and a man that was born blind can see at 68. the amazing way he says this happened. i'm in my work van, having lunch, next minute i'm in the back of an ambulance having a heart attack. the emts gave me bayer aspirin. it helped save my life. i was in shape, fit. i did not see it coming. my doctor recommends i take bayer aspirin to help prevent another heart attack. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i've lived through a massive heart attack. i don't take life for granted. see your doctor and get checked out. ♪ for shopping that took half e the time. get checked out. converse, skechers, nike, and more at famous footwear. victory is yours.

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♪ i love coffee i love tea ♪ ♪ i love time to check out "the pulse." since it's the early morning, we'll start off with caffeine. if you think all coffee is created equal, think again. >> the coffee at mcdonald's and dunkin' donuts is not as strong as starbucks. >> and that is nothing compared to some death wish coffee, with a staggering 54.2 milligrams per

ounce. drink at your own risk. you might not sleep for a week. we know -- the uconn lady huskies have gut, too. >> when president obama arrived, the ncaa champions went to the white house. some of the players turned the photo op into a photo bomb. >> there was no disrespect intended. it was in good fun. and the president seemed to be getting a kick out of it. one man in montreal falling down the stairs ended up being the best thing that ever happened to him. >> 68-year-old pierre-paul thomas was born blind. he had a fall that sent him to a hospital and that's when his life changed. >> the surgeon repairing fractures around his eye sockets discovered the blindness was caused by cataracts. after a lifetime of blindness, thom has had to relearn everything, including how to train his brain how to process colors. he has to buy outfits that he

thinks looks nice. and finally, a bear with a taste for german food. here's how we know this. it was seen this week, rolling away a dumpster from a german restaurant in colorado springs. >> some sauerkraut. he came back the next night and rolled away a second dumpster. they finally locked up the dumpsters through a fence last night to keep them in place. he's not camera shy. he takes it out of camera range. why not eat there? maybe he doesn't like the bright lights. >> i like his strategy. >> german food. goo f go figure. >> he knows what he likes. check him out. like he's done this a million times. >> all right. well, for some of you, your local news is next. >> and for everyone else, we'll be back with your "friday funnies," everybody. stick around. the hall of success.

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>> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good morning, everyone. thanks for joining us this morning. >> it is friday. we will see watt weather is like today and the weekend. mike? >> we. start with live doppler 7 hd. it will show things are quiet. we do have a few more clouds along the coast. around the bay and inland it is clear. we will have light late arriving clouds like yesterday. late arriving clouds again. the first forecast is sunny inland and warmer feeling like summer, 81 to 89. at the bay, 70 to 80. the coast will be partly sunny and 62 to mostly sunny and 68 in downtown san francisco.

now the traffic. light day. we have the unexpected bart strike on monday. we will see what happens. we have a closure because of an accident that occurred this morning right across 880. you can see market as an alternate. to the south we have lane closings until 5:00 a.m. southbound 880 from 23rd to embarcadero and northbound from 16th to the embarcadero, as well and the bay bridge toll plaza show clears conditions from emeryville to san francisco. katy and eric? >> the bay area is waking up to the threat of another bart strike. the transit age two biggest

unions issued a notice and they could walk off on monday morning for a second time. abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is at the bart station with the latest. amy? >> they say they will continue bargaining but this is a warning. if they cannot reach an agreement they will strike on monday. start thinking about alternate plans. the two unions issued the 72-houren watching last night. the finger-pointing from both sides continues. bart management says the strike notice only stalls negotiations. union representatives blame bart chief negotiator saying he is a union buster. >> we are giving you a 72-hour notice of an impending strike if we are not able to come to agreement with the district by midnight sunday. >> a lot of things have been agreed to. how is that bargaining in bad faith? >> this is what the commuteed like when they hit