making news this morning, pursuing diplomacy, a new strategy hopes to put an end to the crisis between ukraine and russia. high-level talks between the two countries with the united states right in the middle. massive explosion. a neighborhood rocked and homes leveled. debris in the trees and nearby windows blown out. new details on what caused the deadly blast. swallowed by the sea. a van tossed like a toy in the ocean. a rescue unlike any other. >> it started to go down pretty quick. i mean, she went straight into the water. >> the terrifying moment there and dramatic rescue all caught on camera. epic reactions this morning after putting a rotary phone in the hands of some youngsters. baffled kids. >> i just wonder why my ipod is

not like this. >> good wednesday morning, everyone. i'm john muller. >> and i'm marci gonzalez in for diana perez. we begin with high-level talks aimed at putting an end to the tense situation between ukraine and russia. >> secretary of state john kerry meeting with russia's foreign minister in paris this morning. kerry is also speaking with ukraine's foreign minister who hitched a ride to france on the secretary of state's plane. abc's tahman bradley is following all of it from washington. >> reporter: the u.s. and other nations are still trying to defuse the volatile standoff in ukraine. in crimea, tensions remain high with russian and ukrainian troops staring each other down. walking the streets of kiev yesterday, kerry saw the shrines where ukrainians died in last month's protests. the secretary blasted vladimir putin's invasion of crimea. >> it is not appropriate to invade a country and at the end

of a barrel of a gun dictate what you are trying to achieve. >> reporter: putin says he ordered troops in to crimea to protect ethnic russian, a claim many believe is false. president obama warned russia is violating international law. >> president putin seems to have a different set of lawyers making a different set of interpretations, but i don't that's fooling anybody. >> reporter: the russian leader may be trying to turn the temperature down sending representatives to brussels today to meet with nato officials about the crisis, but putin has called the new ukrainian government illegitimate and is reserving the right to use force ignoring the u.s.' warning. >> over the course of obama's six years in office, though, i think vladimir putin has come to see barack obama as very weak. >> reporter: amid all this tension, russia made another bold statement, going ahead with the planned test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile like this one. president obama said there's room for ukraine to be friends

with both russia and the west, but he says putin's invasion of ukraine could just drive countries away from russia. marci and john. >> tahman bradley live in washington. thank you. all right. now to south africa where day three of testimony in the murder trial of south african olympic runner oscar pistorius is under way. already this morning, pistorius' defense attorney has challenged testimony of a husband and wife who say they heard screams then gunshots from pistorius' house on the morning reeva steenkamp was killed. yesterday the wife cried on the stand during testimony. at one point pistorius covered his ears as if to stop from hearing what was being said. here at home, emergency crews remain on the scene of a deadly explosion in new jersey. a gas leak led to the blast which killed one woman and hurt several others. ten homes were destroyed and dozens of others were so damaged that families were not allowed to return. some spent the night at a firehouse. neighbors describe the terrifying moments of the explosion. >> the loudest sound i ever

heard. >> we saw just flames and smoke and just chaos. >> all of a sudden all our windows just blew out. >> like a sonic boom and like everything just shook, the foundation, everything. >> seven utility workers were hurt but are expected to be okay. they were digging when they hit a gas line triggering the blast. a surprise revelation from former penn state assistant football coach mike mcqueary. he was a key witness in the case that put jerry sandusky behind bars. well, now our sister network, espn, is reporting that mcqueary himself once told penn state players he could relate to sandusky's victims, because he was abused as a child, as well. he didn't say who had abused him or when. >> to politics where george p. bush has taken a step towards continuing the dynasty. he won the nomination for the little known but powerful post of texas land commissioner. bush is the son of former florida governor jeb bush. and in the high-profile

texas governor's race democrat wendy davis will face texas attorney general greg abbott. davis gained national attention for her hours long speech on the floor of the texas legislature last summer there vying to replace rick perry who is not seeking re-election after 14 years in office. president obama travels to connecticut today to push for an increase in the minimum wage. that's after the president sent congress a $3.9 trillion budget that includes new spending for pre-k programs, job training and about $300 billion to repair the nation's aging infrastructure. republicans say there is no chance it will pass. and abc news poll out this morning shows record support for gay marriage. the dramatic shift in opinion is speed up with 59% of americans now supporting same-sex marriage. just 34% opposed. 81% say businesses should not be allowed to refuse service to gays and lesbians based on religious beliefs as was recently vetoed by that arizona governor in that proposed bill. and sad as it is to say,

another mardi gras has wrapped up in new orleans. >> yeah, despite it being the coldest fat tuesday since 1986, thousands of people lined parade routes and packed into the city's famous french quarter to celebrate. but it ended at the stroke of midnight when the season of lent got under way, and if you missed the celebration, well, there's always next year. another annual tradition will happen soon. the cherry blossoms will bloom in washington, d.c. national park service officials say the city's 3,000 cherry trees will be in full bloom between april 8th and 12th barring a major ice storm. spring now just 15 days away. counting down. >> dare we even dream of bloom, right? >> i know. time now for the weather from across the nation. a rainy day across much of the south as another storm moves across the southern plains and east texas. light snow across the lower great lakes and parts of new england. a new and powerful storm blows into the pacific northwest. >> chilly in the northeast and mid-atlantic states this morning but temperatures look to be bottoming out. cold along the northern border.

warmer in the southwest with 81 in phoenix. all right. well, facebook going to the clouds. why is the social media giant getting into the drone business. plus, financial fight. a teenager takes her parents to court for cash, college costs and a whole lot more. well, this morning, the harsh words the judge had for her. a dramatic rescue. a van filled with kids crashed into a rough ocean. the lifeguard's heroic action caught on camera.

welcome back. investors seem to have shaken off their fears about ukraine, at least for now. the dow opening this morning

after a 227-point surge, the largest one-day gain since december 18th. all three u.s. markets scored their best day of the year, but analysts warn big swings are still likely. radio shack may close up to 1100 stores after posting its eighth straight quarterly loss. the texas-based company is struggling to compete with online vendor and electronics discounters. 20% of its stores may close as it updates its inventory and image. and united airlines is getting tough when it comes to passengers trying to stuff huge suitcases in the overhead compartments. the airline is now positioning contract workers at security lines to look for people who might be carrying too much. united says it is not a new policy, just an enforcement of the rules and that it's aimed at loading and unloading planes more quickly. well, a first ever tv ad for medical marijuana has hit the air. >> yo, you want sushi. i got sushi. i got the best sushi.

>> the ad goes on to ask, quote, you wouldn't buy your sushi from this guy so why would you buy your marijuana from him. it's an ad for marijuanadoctors.com. it connects patients with doctors who prescribe legal medical marijuana. this aired late monday night in new jersey. facebook following amazon and google into the world of robots. the social network is buying titan aerospace which makes solar powered drones. >> it's part of their effort to provide internet access throughout the developing world. and if you've ever really needed to find a toilet, well, there's an app for that now. >> yeah, who hasn't had that once in a while. it's called the airpnp that allows you to find private toilets nearby or if you're so inclined, you can add your bathroom to those on the list so those in need can use your bathroom when they need one. call me old-fashioned, but i'm not putting my bathroom on that list. >> yeah. all right. when we come back, lucky dog. a pet being saved after being stuck there on a frozen lake. wait until you hear how long he was there and what the coast guard used to assist in the rescue.

and fierce fight. a pair of bald eagles locked in battle attracting a whole lot of attention. [ male announcer ] never before. in the history of mankind. has one march. meant. so. much. your quicken loans college basketball bracket picks could change your life...forever. ♪ the quicken loans billion dollar bracket challenge with yahoo sports. pick a perfect bracket. win a billion dollars. enter today at quickenloansbracket.com.

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against a new jersey honor student who sued her parents for child support. >> 18-year-old rachel canning will not get the $650 weekly allowance she requested nor will she get the money to cover the rest of her private high school education. canning says her parents kicked her out, but they say she left because she didn't want to live under their rules. >> have you ever in your experience seen a young adult, child, whatever you want to call rachel show such gross disrespect for a parent? >> now, the judge will decide next month whether to make the parents pay for her impending college costs. canning has been living with a friend in a lavish house. her parents say they want her to come back home. well, the parents of a nebraska beauty pageant need help looking for their missing daughter. mckella wells was seen sunday night while taking out the trash

and left her heavy winter coat and her cell phone in the house. police in bellevue say they don't believe that the 16-year-old was taken against her will or that foul play was involved. and now to a story from my hometown. a terrifying drama which unfolded on daytona beach. watch as this minivan filled with children rolls right into the ocean. some beachgoers began reaching inside the van to get the kids. >> wow. the lifeguards sprang into action. one of them ended up trapped inside the vehicle. the tourists described what happened. >> the lifeguard went in the car to rescue like the little girl and then he was stuck himself in the car so the other lifeguard took him back of the car. >> they say the mother was incoherent when they reached her behind the wheel. she was taken to the hospital and the children were turned over to family services. >> scary stuff. >> you got that right. some frightening moments caught on camera at a 7-eleven in fresno, california. a car plowing flew the front windows. no one hurt, the 17-year-old said he accidentally hit the gas inside of the brake. he was cited for driving without

a license. a dramatic seen on a frozen lake in michigan. the coast guard coming to the rescue of a dog in distress. the crew of a coast guard cutter jumped into action when they spotted the dog stranded on the ice on lake st. clair. the dog was shivering, dehydrated and suffering from hypothermia. >> i just kind of scooted up there, sat next to him and just moved my way closer to him until i gained his trust and a handful of lunch meat actually helped out that process. >> oh, they think the dog may have been stranded for at least three days. he was treated for frostbite and is expected to survive. the crews named had imlucky. >> good for lucky. all right, there's a new warning about high protein diets an extensive study found people in their 50s and 60s were at a much greater risk of dying if they ate foods high in animal based protein like meat and cheese. researchers found people in their late 60s though and older actually did well with an animal -- diet of animal protein and seemed to improve their survival. probably because the aging muscles need that protein to stay strong and prevent falls.

and here's a fascinating look at nature starring two american bald eagles. they were spotted in a tree in portland, oregon, seemingly stuck together. >> they were up there for hours before an eagle expert with a small camera on her helmet was hoisted up by a bucket truck. the birds weren't caught on anything. in fact, they were actually fighting over territory. >> wow. >> eventually they both just flew away. that's an interesting fight. >> yeah. >> great stuff. all right, sports right now and we're going to go to college basketball. smaller conference tournaments are starting to get going, that's all ahead of march madness. as for the nba, we get last night's highlights from espn. >> good morning. along john buccigross i'm adnan virk. a night after lebron james had 61 points, the other main contender in the mvp race made his presence felt. that would be kevin durant and the thunder hosting the sixers and durant once again putting on a phenomenal performance here backing down the opposition, just so long and lean.

42 points durant put up, his tenth game with 40 or more, the most in the nba. the thunder win it 125-92 and the sixers, 15th straight loss. >> so that's kevin durant's answer to lebron james. how would lebron answer his own 61? this to tie up the end of regulation. not going to do it. james and the heat fall to james harden, dwight howard and the rockets, 106-103. james with 22 points. the warriors and pacers. a good matchup between paul george and steph curry of the warriors and last chance for the pacers here and george missing the deep three. klay thompson was phenomenal for golden state knocking down that jumper. he scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter. they could not come up big there. warriors win it, 98-96. curry blanked in the fourth quarter, which is a rarity for him. for john buccigross, i'm adnan virk.

you're up to date with all your sports highlights. trade deadline at 3:00 eastern today. check it out. up next in "the pulse," a fearless feline refusing to give up in a fight against a much bigger dog. and the hilarious reaction after putting an old-fashioned phone in front of some kids. ♪ ♪ your current deviled eggs, they got enough devil? the one-of-a-kind, creamy blend of sweet and tangy. miracle whip and proud of it. a cj it was hard to do what mattered. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia... thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica

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showers or storms, and if you don't understand all of this, i'm sure you have an app on your phone. >> all right. perry is in australia to promote her upcoming tour. >> i like her enthusiasm for 33 degrees in perth. >> and a pointer, no less. got to get one of those. >> i know, right. a humorous look at just how fast technology is advancing, just put an ancient relic in front of a child and see what happens. >> kids 13 and younger, completely baffled by this rotary phone in this video by the fine brothers, the children stared, scowled and approached with caution, no idea how it works. >> know what they call that type of phone? >> no. >> no. >> a dial phone. >> a home phone. >> huh-uh. i just want my ipod like this. i have no idea what you're talking about. >> that kid needs to be on a tv commercial. doesn't he? >> wow. >> they also tried their best to figure out how to text on the

rotary phone. dial tones, busy signals all foreign to today's smartphone generation. >> wow. yeah, i loved watching them try to text. it was like they can't understand the concept that there was no texting. >> exactly. when you get a lot of snow, you can build a really big snowman. granddaddy right there is 50 feet tall. he dwarfs his maker, minnesota farmer greg novak. he to do something with the snow that was apparently collapsing his greenhouses. >> so novak used a skid loader to put the snow in place and while some of his neighbors have questioned his sanity, people have been driving for miles to check granddaddy out. give him a big smile. >> whatever gets you through one of those minnesota winters, it's all good. >> i think that's pretty cool. and the little cat who tried and tried but was never going to get his reward. check out the adorable little feline battling that much bigger dog for a piece of meat that the dog is just holding on to for dear life. >> yeah, the kitty trying with all his might. eventually the dog actually lifts

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>> announcer: live from the kgo broadcast center, this is abc 7 news. good morning. it's 4:20 on this wednesday. i'm kristen xi and we have breaking news in the commute. >> we do indeed. i'm eric thomas. first a check with sue hall. >> right, eric. the south hayward station is closed this morning due to an ongoing police investigation. so what this means is they've set up a shuttle between south hayward and fremont in the union city line, and you'll have to transfer coming into san francisco at bay fare. limited service in respect a ee. we're guessing at this point the san mateo bridge will be affected to. an accident in san jose in a ditch, southbound 110 at the guadeloupe parkway and tenison,

northbound 880, that ramp cleared with a solo spinout there. the north bay, a closure for about another 30 minutes. north 110 from fulton to shiloh due to workwork. here's mike with a look at weather. >> thank you very much. good morning, folks. look at live doppler 7 hd. zoom dip on the north bay. sea ranch towards cloverdale, clear lake, into the central valleys seeing light rain this morning. there may be drizzle some sporadic light rain in the north bay for the morning commute. for the most part you can see all dry this morning. look in to the future as we look at downtown san francisco. all wait over towards the east bay hills. a little hard to see from time to time because of a few sprinkles this morning. for the most part r commute will be dry. rain is best in the north bay during the north and int to the afternoon hours. south bay towards the evening.

upper 50s to mid-60s along the coast. more news with eric and kristen. >> thank you very much. 4:29, make that 4:30. more now on the fatal incident that caused that b.a.r.t. shutdown last nyp. amy holyfield is near the south hayward b.a.r.t. station. what happened? >> reporter: hi, eric. look at the sign here that was just hastily posted by the service agent who didn't even know what was happening until she got to work this morning. no train service. she even put a sad face. so busy trying to get the word out. you can see her inside her booth now. this is the first time we've seen her in there. she has been running around. there she goes again trying to get word out to people. we've seen passengers stranded. we've got one right here behind us. he even had to use our cell phone to try to make alternate plans. so people this morning feeling stranded, wondering what to do. here's why. are here's