making news in america this morning -- heading to rehab. for the first time since his arrest, we're hearing from the congressman who admitted he bought and used cocaine. what is his future in politics? cabin scare. a plane is forced to make an emergency landing. >> it just seemed all of a sudden, there was a big noise. and then, it blew up, like. >> passengers on the ground this morning talking about the bizarre mishap that happened mid-flight. violent crash. a wild wreck at more than 200 miles per hour. and the number of cartwheels this car makes isn't even the most remarkable thing about this story. close encounter. men on a paddle board has quite a sighting. and the video to prove it.

good morning. we begin this thursday morning with breaking news about florida congressman, trey radel. >> he's speaking out for the first time since his arrest on cocaine charges and dropped a bombshell last night during a press conference. speaking to reporters from his office, a contrite trey radel apologized and announced he is taking a leave of absence. >> i'm sorry. i have no excuse for what i've done. i have let down our country. i've let down our constituents. i've let down my family. >> reporter: during the news conference, radel admitted he has been struggling with alcoholism and substance abuse on and off for years. the florida republican and tea party favorite, pleaded guilty to cocaine possession after being nabbed in the federal sting.

the charges, radel was charged to a year's probation. florida democrats are canningster his asking for his resignation. supporters are already rallying behind him. >> should he resign? absolutely not. he's going to come out a better person for this. and i believe that people in southwest florida are going to benefit from that. >> smart, hard-working, dedicated, loyal, strong. trey supporters believe he can fight through this, he can get better and he should stay in office because he worked so hard for southwest florida. >> reporter: during his leave of absence, radel says he will donate his salary to charity. and like so many fallen public figures before him, radel drew on his strength. >> i believe in faith. i believe in forgiveness and redemption. >> congressman radel is entering an inpatient treatment program. and critics are pointing to his support for drug testing for

food stamp recipients. grace meng mugged right on capitol hill. this happened just a few blocks from the capitol building. she was hit from behind and knocked out. >> after i hit the ground, there was a period of time when i don't really remember what happened. i was just so glad that nothing worse happened for the sake of my kids and my family. so, i -- honestly, i feel very thankful today. >> the mugger got her purse. but she was not seriously injured. and by yesterday afternoon, she was back at work, casting votes in the house. meng says she's a, quote, tough girl. the future of u.s. involvement in afghanistan is being discussed in kabul. >> troops could be on the ground for the next decade and even beyond, per a new agreement that has to be approved by a 3,000-member council of elders. muhammad lila is joining us from kabul with details. muhammad? >> reporter: a very big week here in afghanistan. the future of the entire u.s. mission here rests on what happens in the next few days. nearly 3,000 afghan delegates

from across the country are gathering in a large, public tent to debate whether the u.s. should stay here after the mission officially ends some time next year. it's called the loya jirga. basically, a public assembly. and for centuries, it's how afghans have been settling their disputes. and the delegates will be voting on a document that spells out the relationship between america and afghanistan. some of the highlights include nine american bases still here in afghanistan. full freedom to move american troops in and out of the country. and one of the more controversial points, full immunity for soldiers. in other words, when they commit something wrong, they cannot be prosecuted under afghan law. since this war began, more than 2,000 american soldiers have given their lives. so many historic moments. few would have seen that the most important mission would come not on the battlefield, but in a public tent where afghans will be voting. that vote is expected on sunday. john and diana? >> thank you. there are urgent, behind-the-scenes negotiations to free an elderly american tourist now being held by north korea.

merrill newman is an 85-year-old korean war veteran and a grandfather. he was wrapping up a trip to north korea when authorities pulled him off of the plane five minutes before takeoff. his family has not heard from him since october 26th. abc's martha raddatz explains why newman went there in the first place. >> friends say he just thought it would be a fun, interesting trip. and even though they are not saying, the u.s. government is certainly seeking ways to get him released. and as you can imagine, he is the talk of his retirement home. >> the state department is talking with sweden's embassy in north korea to gain newman's freedom. the fbi is investigating evidence that known terrorists have been able to settle in the u.s. as refugees. this fbi surveillance video shows an admitted al qaeda terrorist, who had already killed american soldiers in iraq, trying to get weapons to kill more of them. he was allowed to settle in bowling green, kentucky, because of a flawed system of background checks. breaking overnight, a jumbo

jet landed at the wrong airport. and now, it's too big to take off again. the boeing 747 cargo plane landed at wichita's airport late last night by mistake. the runway is too narrow for it to turn around and not long enough for it to take off. boeing has sent a tug to the airport and will drag it from there, through the streets of wichita, to mcconnell air force base. this entire process is expected to take several hours. >> that will be quite a sight. kennedy cousin michael skakel could be released from prison today. the cousin by marriage has served more than 11 years in prison. he was convicted of killing a teenage neighbor nearly 40 years ago. but the conviction was set aside last month. there will be a bail hearing today. if his wealthy family puts up the bond, he will be able to walk out of the courthouse. president obama sent some time reflecting on the life of john f. kennedy, just days before the 50th anniversary of his assassination. >> the president was joined by his wife and bill and hillary clinton, in laying a wreath at kennedy's gravesite at arlington national cemetery.

president obama says kennedy stays in the nation's imagination because of the character of the body he led. earlier, he awarded the medal of freedom, to president clinton. 15 others were honored. the medal of freedom was established by jfk. but he was killed before he had a chance to award any of them. time, now, for the weather across the nation. another day of dry weather for the east today. but a light band of rain showers will stretch from texas into the great lakes. with a band of snow extending from arizona to wisconsin. mountain areas could see heavy accumulations. rain showers for southern california. >> highs for the northeast will be in the 40s. mild across the midwest. windchills could fall below zero in wyoming and parts of colorado. someone hit the jackpot and doesn't even know it. where a winning $16 million lottery ticket is about to expire. and in-flight emergency. what opened up inside this plane that forced the pilots to make an emergency landing?

and a-rod unplugged. the embattled yankee goes on the radio and doesn't hold anything back about his steroid controversy.

welcome back, everyone. how much is an upgrade to first class really worth? american airlines is now letting passengers bid for the better service. interested customers can submit an offer along with their credit card information. and they will be notified by e-mail if they've won. you may need that upgrade after fighting your way through the airport. a new study says we will be facing holiday-like congestion at many major airports every week within a decade. it's already happening in some cities.

jcpenney putting pressure on its rivals by offering pants and other goods for less than $2. the retailer has been struggling and hopes the promotion will not only bring in customers but clear out some old inventory, as well. the auto show is under way in l.a. but what you see at the events is not what you get. the honda hydrogen fuel car will not look like this. >> but it will seat five passengers and have a range of over 300 miles. it goes on sale in two years. that looks kind of nice. >> they look nice. but if you are in need of a car sooner than that, we were just having this conversation. you can get in on the bidding for this rare ferrari starting today. how convenient for you. this one's called the 250 lm. 1 of only 32 that were ever made in 1964. and it has only 10,000 miles on it. it's expected to fetch up to $15 million. >> that's it, huh? >> come on. >> why not?

i'll take two. meantime, in florida today, is the last day for the owner of a winning $16 million lottery ticket to collect their prize. >> waiting to collect and go buy a ferrari. the ticket was purchased last may at a convenient store in tampa. the owner of the store has placed signs everywhere, hoping to jog the winner's memory. >> this would be the largest unclaimed jackpot in florida since 2003, when someone failed to claim $53 million in a florida lotto game. >> today's the deadline. i hope everybody's scrounging around looking for those. how about you? >> nope. when we come back, wild wreck. all of it caught on camera. a driver tries to go 200 miles per hour. what went wrong? >> wow. look at that. and talk about trust. this seems like a standard tandem bungee jump. but there was something very different and terrifying about this one. this is the quicksilver cash back card from capital one.

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all right. setting the skies ablaze in oregon. a fireball caught on camera. it's been heating up social media, with many people calling it a ufo. by the book definition it is a ufo. experts are pretty sure it was a meteor, though. whatever it was, not likely to have survived landing on earth. the jury is still out on what it really was. >> unidentified flying object. you're right. here on solid ground. a look at your morning road conditions now. rain could slicken roads in cities from dallas to milwaukee. while snowfall, heavy in some areas, could make for icy conditions from arizona to wisconsin. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible in minneapolis, denver, los angeles, salt lake city, kansas city and dallas. faa investigators are getting work this morning looking into the somewhat bizarre reason for an emergency landing. >> a jetblue flight from

ft. myers, florida, to boston, had to land after an evacuation slide deployed inside the cabin. one passenger said the slide pinned a flight attendant into a small area at the front of the plane. >> all of a sudden, there was a big noise. and then, it blew up, like, you know? it was the -- scary. a little scary. >> the flight attendant closest to the slide suffered only minor injuries. none of the other 77 people onboard were hurt. another plane was used to complete the passengers' journey. new rules requiring seat belts for all those onboard large buses are being put into place. the government says beginning in november 2016, all big buses must have lap and shoulder belts for each passenger and the driver. that does not include school or transit buses. the new rules come after a number of accidents, some of them fatal, involving intercity buses. the seat belts could reduce fatalities and serious injuries by up to 45%. the florida state attorney has dropped charges against two girls accused of bullying a fellow classmate to death. the 12-year-old and 14-year-old

girls were accused of cyber bullying. rebecca sedwick posting comments like drink bleach and die and kill yourself. the 12-year-old girl eventually climbed a silo tower at an abandoned concrete plant and did jump to her death. >> let's not lose focus. we have a 12-year-old child that's dead. that child was tormented. that child was harassed. that child was beat up. there's a victim. >> i don't think that rebecca's death had anything to do with the conduct of my clients. >> jose baez, attorney for one of the 12-year-old accused bullies. went so far as saying his client was a victim here, having been bullied herself. new developments in the sexual assault investigation of florida state quarterback jameis winston. espn reports that dna provided by winston matches the sample taken from a garment of his accuser. also, a statement from the accuser's family says police

warned the young woman about pursuing a case against winston. the accuser's attorney says her client was told her life could, quote, be made miserable if she pressed charges. winston's lawyer says his client here is innocent. it remains to be seen if yankees slugger alex rodriguez will show up today when an appeal hearing over the 211-game suspension resumes here in new york. >> a-rod stormed out of that hearing yesterday, after an arbitrator decided that baseball commissioner bud selig did not have to appear and be questioned about rodriguez's case. in an interview later, rodriguez accused selig of being out to get him. >> 100% this is personal. and i think it's about his legacy and it's about my legacy. he's trying to destroy me. he's retiring in 2014. and to put me in his big mantle on the way out, that's a hell of a trophy. >> during that interview, rodriguez also said he shouldn't be suspended one inning. he claims he is innocent of what he's being accused of. moving on to the rest of the world of sports. and some more off-season baseball news. >> and the struggling knicks try to pull off a big win. here's neil and stan at espn with the details.

>> good morning, america. >> good morning. >> welcome to our "sportscenter" set here in los angeles. i'm stan verrett. this is neil everett. >> make sure you brush. >> big baseball trade to tell you about. rangers wanted prince fielder before he went to detroit. now, they've got him. tigers traded prince fielder for second baseman ian kinsler. rangers will get a big bat in the middle of their order, plus $30 million from detroit because of the seven-year and $168 million left on fielder's deal. here's a look at the comparative numbers on the field. last season, fielder posted his lowest w.a.r. since 2008. the batting, fielding and running against a replacement player. plus, his career postseason batting average is 100 points less than kinsler's. two bests in the nba, indiana and san antonio, both 9-1. we drew straws. indiana wins. they're at new york. knicks trying to get a win on their home court. paul george, in the final seconds, with the pacers down three, iman shumpert fouls him.

gives him three free throws. 80% career free-throw shooter. hits all three. we're tied. carmelo anthony says, we're going home. that's what he says. but that's not what happened. we're going to overtime. george, 9 of his 35 in o.t. and the pacers win their tenth, 103-96. >> so, the knicks are 3-8. everybody says it's not time to panic. j.r. smith says, i'm panicking. >> should have taken my own advice. >> he's talking about brushing. that's too bad. talk about scary. take a look at this driver as he tries to set a land speed record going 209 miles per hour. he loses control suddenly of his car. there it is. it starts to flip and flip and flip and flip. >> finally, it ended with a nosedive into the ground. a cloud of dust. the driver was hurt. but believe it or not, but the safety cage inside the car saved his life. >> i want to say smart enough to have a safety cage. but you can't really use the

word smart and going 209 miles per hour in a car in the same sentence. >> when i first saw the video, i thought this guy didn't survive. amazing. >> did he set the record? we don't even know. >> yeah. coming up next, it's "the pulse." we're going to show you a split stunt performed by jean-claude van damme. but now, a hollywood hunk has his own hilarious version. a man in the water off the coast of california captures some amazing video of a dangerous predator. [ husband ] i don't know. [ laughter ] hey buddy? . thanks! huh! [ female announcer ] here's to moms who know what a dollop of daisy can do. unlike others, it is 100% pure with nothing else added. ♪ do a dollop, do, do a dollop of daisy ♪ ♪ do a dollop of daisy i took my son fishing every year. we had a great spot, not easy to find, but worth it.

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welcome back. it's time, now, to check "the pulse," the stories we think you'll be talking about all day long. starting with a hollywood hunk that doesn't take himself too seriously. remember this jean-claude van damme stunt, as he does

a split between those two trailers. >> now, look at channing tatum's version. he's on top of two food carts. that's the reaction. magic mike doubles over in pain while grabbing his -- you know. twig and berries. whatever you want to call them. >> nether regions. we have video evidence now that there may be more great whites swimming off of the california coast. this youtube video was taken in santa monica bay, just 50 yards from the shore. >> a paddle border gets shots of what he says are three different sharks. >> no thank you. this one, too. a couple of young folks in russia taking the leap of faith. it's our "play of the day." >> here they are, ready for a tandem bungee jump. but check her out. she's not wearing a harness. the only thing she is hanging on to is him. >> telling her to hold on tight. she did just that. we understand they are both fine afterwards. but don't try that at home, folks. >> that's not a -- >> why? the risk/reward is not in the cards there. >> not really all that well balanced. >> it's great if you do it.

and it's all-bad if you don't. >> she's lucky he held on to her. ♪ [ male announcer ] laura's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

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uh just gonna hang out. it's a school night. with gary and todd? yea. not sure about those two. i've been meaning to ask you - this is tougher than i thought - is there any drinking going on in this crowd? no. i hope not, because alcohol can lead you to say things and do things you that you really wish you hadn't. isn't this what you're supposed to say? i know. so if any of your buddies ever pressure you to take a drink, just tell them you promised your dad you wouldn't. i'd do anything to keep you safe. ok. i will. i hope this is working. i promise. i love you too dad. they really do hear you. brian? yea? so start the conversation even before they're teenagers. good idea. for tips on what to say visit underagedrinking.samhsa.gov a message from the substance abuse and mental health services administration.

live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good morning at 4:28 on this thursday. >> guess what? still using the wipers. >> lucky you. dry for me. >> in the east bay there is light rain and sprinkles through livermore and danville and concord and antioch and pittsburg with smaller ones, the last push, around bodega bay, all sliding to the south to southeast. you can see quickly behind this there is clearing on the way by noon. the clouds are over san francisco with afternoon sunshine and it will become breezy. temperatures are upper 50's to 60 at the coast and the rest of

us are in the low-to-mid 60's. leyla gulen? >> so far, the commute is quiet with no accidents to report. as we take you into the east bay we have a construction project in the works until 9:00 this morning. eastbound 580 from greenville to north flynn we have green with areas of blue on the map. that is an indication that rain could affect the commute. if you headed westbound we do not see too many delays and it will only take you 25 minutes away from tracy to dublin. highway 4 and 101 through marin county all looking cheer. >> break news in sonoma county. authorities have caught a driver who had a warrant after a police chase that started as a traffic stop near the new graton resort and casino. there were no headlights on but rather than pulling over the driver took off. the chase went down highway 101

south of petaluma where c.h.p. deployed a spike strip to top the s.u.v. the man was arrested after a foot chase. a passenger was detained. >> vallejo police are investigating a string of eight armed robberies in four hours. investigator say they were all carried out by the same group of men between 5:30 and 9:15. detectives say the victims were held up in the parking lot of businesses some problems at homes. one delivery river was held up at costco on plaza drive. the last happened in the parking lot of a people boys. all victims gave similar descriptions two or three armed men with blood hooded sweatshirts. >> bart will vote on a disputed contract with the two biggest unions and a "no" vote could rei night