making news in america this morning, stern warning for russia amid the crisis in ukraine. president obama reaches out to vladimir putin. what was said during that tense hour-long phone call. possible link. several murders are now connected to what could be a serial killer. the similarities, the new evidence tying them together and the warning from investigators. violent collision. new video this morning of a high-speed crash. what one driver was doing wrong that was likely the cause. and foul play. a college basketball fan doesn't like what he sees from the stands and confronts the opposing coach. good friday morning. i'm john muller. >> and i'm marci gonzalez in for diana perez.

we begin with that tense one-hour phone call between president obama and russian president vladimir putin. it is the second time in less than a week the two leaders have talked about the crisis in ukraine. president obama urged a diplomatic solution while proposing a pullback of russian troops. >> putin upped the ante saying ukraine's government is not legitimate, and the conversation did little to quell the violent protests in ukraine. abc's tahman bradley live in washington now with the very latest. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: john and marci, good morning. this standoff has taken a dangerous turn. secretary of state kerry returns home without a solution as vladimir putin digs in. with the crisis in ukraine rapidly escalating -- >> the slightest miscalculation could see it spiral out of control. >> reporter: -- the united states is offering vladimir putin a diplomatic solution. president obama is proposing direct talks between ukraine and russia. russian forces returning to their bases and international monitors in ukraine, but even after mr. obama and mr. putin spoke on the phone for an hour on thursday, the russian leader

doesn't seem ready to budge. in fact, he's tightening his grip. putin claims ethnic russians living in crimea are being threatened and have asked for help. pro-russian authorities pushed crimea's parliament to call for a referendum vote to officially become part of the russian federation. the u.s. calls that illegal. >> in 2014 we are well beyond the days when borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratic leaders. >> reporter: the international community has moved swiftly to impose sanctions on russia. european leaders meeting in brussels on thursday suspended talks with russia on an economic pact and a visa agreement. >> we have issued a very clear warning to president putin that he must not destabilize the situation further. >> reporter: president obama has ordered a ban on travel here for those deemed responsible for the russian takeover in crimea and is freezing their u.s. assets. the u.s. has also sent fighter jets to the region to help nato monitor the skies. this could get very dicey if the people of crimea decide during

that march 16th referendum to join russia. the u.s. and eu say they're not going to recognize that vote. john and marci. >> tahman bradley, thank you. well, also in washington a setback for supporters of an effort to combat sex assaults in the military. commanders will retain their power to prosecute rape and other crimes after a closely watched vote in the senate. the vote was 55-45 in favor of stripping commanders of that authority short of the 60 votes necessary. the bill's sponsor, senator kirsten gillibrand of new york, says she will likely force another vote in the spring. and the army is prosecuting one of its top sex crime prosecutors. it is for an alleged sex assault. lieutenant colonel joseph morse accused of groping and trying to kiss an army lawyer while both were attending a conference in northern virginia, that was in 2011. morse is currently on suspension pending the result of the investigation. more gripping testimony this morning at the murder trial of south african runner oscar pistorius. his attorney has been furiously questioning a doctor who was among the first people on the scene after pistorius shot his girlfriend. among the details being

challenged are what the doctor saw in pistorius' bathroom, which can be seen from the doctor's house, and what the doctor heard before arriving where he found pistorius trying to keep reeva steenkamp's airway open. the doctor's testimony yesterday caused a strong emotional reaction from pistorius. at one point he appeared to be physically ill. >> four suspects have been arrested after a shooting at a memphis mall that sent shoppers running for cover. police say the shooting was the apparent result of a dispute between the suspects and the victim, all who knew each other. the victim is in critical condition at a local hospital. at the annual conservative political action conference or cpac under way outside washington, gop presidential hopefuls are jockeying for position. among those trying to rehab his battered image is new jersey governor chris christie. he urged republicans to focus on their own good ideas rather than tear down democratic proposals. >> when we say that we want to make a difference in our society, we need to make a

difference through the type of free market reforms that have always worked in our country, and we don't need to, mr. president, your opinion on what income inequality is. we don't have an income inequality problem. we have an opportunity inequality problem. and perhaps the most enduring image yet from cpac comes from senate republican leader mitch mcconnell who took the stage brandishing a rifle. well, it turned out to be an nra lifetime achievement award for retiring senator tom coburn of oklahoma. cpac ends tomorrow with a speech by sarah palin. massachusetts lawmakers are proving a new voyeurism bill a day after a court ruled it was not against the law to sake secret photos up a woman's skirt. well, the legislation was quickly drafted after a man who took pictures under the dresses of unsuspecting women on the boston subway was let off the hook. the ruling said the existing law did not apply to photographic or videotaping people who were fully clothed in public places. strong thunderstorms left a mess across parts of south florida. more than an inch of rain fell

in just a few hours. gusting winds knocked out power, tore up trees and scattered debris all over the place, and several sporting events were either canceled or delayed. much more pleasant and dry day today for all of florida, but the rest of the southeast can expect some wet weather. also, it'll be a bit snowy in western higher elevations then changing to a mix of sleet and freezing rain stretching into wisconsin. otherwise, mild and dry almost everywhere else. >> temperatures are heating up a bit. mostly 40s from the great lakes to the northeast. some 50s in the midwest. lots of 60 degree plus readings in the south. forecasters warn there is a more than 50% chance that the phenomenon known as el nino will form in the pacific later this year. that's likely to mean heavy rain and flooding for drought-stricken california next winter and less snow and rain for the midwest and northeast. well, this weekend marks the beginning of daylight saving time. that means that on sunday morning at 2:00 a.m., most of us will move our clocks ahead one hour to 3:00 a.m. it's also a good time to test your smoke and carbon monoxide

alarms and make sure to replace those batteries. >> good idea. all right, it was an incredible ladies night at the white house with some great women of soul belting out some greatest hits. >> the amazing patti labelle there. president obama had much praise for the singers, but he had a little spelling trouble when it came to introducing the queen of soul. >> when aretha first told us what r-s-p-e-c-t -- [ laughter ] ♪ you're no good >> aretha didn't seem to mind the president's flub of her anthem. she brought down the house with a string of her hits. also part of the lineup, melissa etheridge, jill scott and 20-year-old ariana grande. the women of soul concert airs on pbs april 7th. two americans found guilty accused of selling secrets to china. what oreo cookies have to do with it all. plus, a scare in the suburbs. is a serial killer on the loose near the nation's capital? and heroic actions on a burning bus.

a brave driver jumps into action just in time.

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serving 30,000 kids globally every year. at no cost to their families. welcome back. the government's new jobs report, the most important measure of the nation's economy, is out this morning. it's expected to show 145,000 jobs were created last month. that's an increase from 113,000 during january. the unemployment rate is expected to remain at 6.6%. bank of america offering a checking option that it hopes will appeal to low-income customers. the account will carry a set monthly fee of 4.95. customers won't write paper

checks. they will do all their banking electronically much the accounts are now available in five states. they will be offered nationally soon. the irs says that so far this tax season americans are getting an average return of just over $3,000. in a sign of more of us saving moneyly, only 19% plan to splurge on something they really, really want. two american businessmen have been convicted of economic espionage involving the oreo cookie. they conspired to steal the company dupont's method of making titanium dioxide, a formula used to whiten everything from cars to the middle of oreo cookies. now, the plan was to sell it to the chinese. $17 billion a year in sales. now the men could face more than 15 years in prison. chrysler is forcing schools across the country to destroy nearly 100 dodge vipers including one worth $250,000. >> yeah, the preproduction muscle car, they were donated to high schools and colleges mostly for research.

the decision reportedly came after two of those vipers were involved in accidents that cost the company millions of dollars. all right, when we come back, an un expectexpected visitor gets distracted by something they weren't ready for. and courtside confrontation, a basketball fan runs from the stands, but this has nothing to do with the celebration. [poof!] [beep] [clicks mouse] nice office. how you doing? good. automatic discounts the moment you sign up.

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neosporin. makes everything algood even better...ilk from the bowls of cereal you make... to all the delicious recipes you bake. because inside every carton is the goodness of blue diamond almonds. almond breeze. almondiciously good! a grounds crew at wrigley field in chicago busier than most digging the diamond out from under a heavy blanket of snow that's been accumulating all winter. they have until april 4th, exactly four weeks from today, to be ready for the cubs' home opener against the phillies. now for a look at morning road conditions, watch out for snowy roads in the rockies.

also plan on some slippery conditions from nebraska to wisconsin and in the southeast. if you're flying, the only possible weather-related delay will be in denver. a washington, d.c. suburb on edge this morning after getting word that a serial killer may be on the loose. >> three unsolved murders in alexandria, virginia, appear to be connected. police say bullet markings from each crime scene are similar. the killings, one last month, one in november and one in 2003, took place within a two-mile radius, and the victims were all respected and active members of the community. >> he believes in his mind that these three people represent the city of alexandria, and the city has wronged him, and he's going to make it right. >> and now police are looking for this man. the victims were all killed in the middle of the day, but investigators stopped short of saying that the same gun was used. medical news now. and troubling new research about skin cancer. scientists have found those who survive the most common type of skin cancer have a 36% greater risk of developing other kinds of cancer.

they say it holds particularly true for patients diagnosed before the age of 25. researchers say it may be because sunlight suppresses the body's immune system. well, check out this cringe-worthy crash caught on dash cam in canada. the pickup truck driver apparently did not come to a complete stop before pulling right into traffic. oh, boy, looks like he's talking on his cell phone and apologized afterward saying it's completely his fault. thankfully nobody was seriously hurt. a scary ride for a group of minnesota students on their way to school but the hero bus driver saved the day. alfred louis pulled over as soon as he smelled smoke. black smoke filled the school bus and he managed to get all four special needs children out including two in wheelchairs. police believe a faulty heater is to blame and say the driver did everything right. and from phoenix, we will call this one the pugnacious pug versus the police. the pug is right there in the street basically just being a nuisance to the s.w.a.t. team that was on scene because of a robbery suspect who had

barricaded himself in his home. >> unbelievable. despite his little size there, he's -- and being outgunned, of course, the pug creates a little bit of a stir before he hastily retreats to a safer distance. you got to love that little fellow. >> uh-huh. a student at u.c. barbara is now facing legal action and discipline from the school after some outrageous behavior last night at a basketball game. >> the guy charged on to the court to confront the coach from the university of hawaii and he was challenging the whole team while retreating back to his seat. security then escorted him out thankfully. >> what a dufus. >> well, meanwhile, it seems johnny football is now a nike guy, and we're talking about quarterback johnny manziel, the most marketable player in the upcoming nfl draft. >> he signed a new marketing deal with nike for an undisclosed amount bringing manziel on board is a big win for the company, which beat out adidas, under armour and others

for his signature. all right. now our friday morning sports highlights. >> we get those from our guys at espn. good morning, jonathan coachman, john buccigross. two big nba games. last night, let's take a look at them. the two biggest stars in the league, we'll start lebron james, another latin night for the nba. and lebron does not like wearing these tight t-shirts when he's playing basketball. maybe after the game, also doesn't like to wear that mask after tony parker got two of his 17. lebron takes the mask off. nice pass here to chris bosh. heat kept trying to scrap back into it, but then the spurs just pull away. tim duncan, 23 points, 11 rebounds and san antonio beat the heat by 24. >> johnny, you mentioned the other big star. kevin durant. >> there he is. >> he met with muhammad ali actually before this game. fast forward to the fourth. gerald green had himself a career night. 41, suns go up by 5. a high-scoring affair.

russell westbrook, 36-9-8. ties the game at 116. later, durant, serge ibaka and thunder take the lead but down the stretch, too much from the smooth lefty goran dragic. he had 22. dupts, by the way, had 34 in the loss. the suns score 128. that's going to do it for us. he's bucciman. i am the coach. please, please, please enjoy your friday. >> take care. >> yeah. >> guy, thanks. we've seen some creative alarm clocks lately but no one can sleep through it. that's why it's our "play of the day." >> a woman came up with a surefire way to make her boyfriend rise. all it took was a laser pointer and a playful husky. with his eyes fixed on the laser, the dog pounces on the sleeping man all the while just trying to catch the moving dot. the ultimate wake-up system here. not a bad idea. >> looks like he's taking his sweet time waking up. that would get me out of bed real quick. i love it. >> that's great.

all right. up next "the pulse," and we want to show you. notice anything wrong here? take a look. one politician taking some serious heat for it. we'll explain why. >> lucky winner. a woman is $2 million richer, and you won't believe where she got her winning lottery numbers. let me get this straight... [ female voice ] yes? lactaid® is 100% real milk? right. real milk. but it won't cause me discomfort. exactly, no discomfort, because it's milk without the lactose. and it tastes? it's real milk! come on, would i lie about this? hello. [ female announcer ] lactaid. 100% real milk. no discomfort. and for a 100% real dairy snack you'll 100% enjoy try lactaid® cottage cheese. and for a 100% real dairy snack you'll 100% enjoy before using her new bank of america credit card, which rewards her for responsibly managing her card balance. before receiving $25

toward her balance each quarter for making more than her minimum payment on time each month. tracey got the bankamericard better balance rewards credit card, which fits nicely with everything else in life she has to balance. that's the benefit of responsibility. apply online or visit a bank of america near you. he actually told me that a lot of the foods that i thought were really healthy for me can do damage to the enamel on my teeth. i am a healthy girl, i love salads, i love fruits, and it's not something i want to give up. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel twice a day as my daily toothpaste. pronamel will help protect the enamel from future erosion. it's just so great because all of those foods that i enjoyed so much, i didn't want to give up, and now i can continue to have them.

♪ no offense to you don't waste your time here's why because i'm happy ♪ welcome back. time now for "the pulse," and we know one great grandmother here in new york is happy. >> oh, yeah. >> after coming up with her winning lottery numbers in a pretty unique way. >> yeah, she's 75 years old.

her name is emma duvoll. she won $2 million in the february 1st powerball drawing. she had five of the six numbers and came up with them from a fortune cookie inside a chinese take-out dinner. >> did you think it was wacky to do that? >> no, i think other people have done that before. >> but have they won? >> i don't know. >> lottery officials say she's just the second person in the last 25 years to use fortune cookie numbers to win the big prize, but i think that reporter was right. i think others have probably used it. they just haven't won. congrats to her. >> absolutely. yeah, now i'm craving some chinese food and even more incentive. >> bingo. >> look in that fortune company. a campaign mailer sent out by a mayoral candidate in long beach, california, appeared to be right on the money. endorsed by governor jerry brown, check it out, it's a quote from the local business owner, background of the city, not so much. that's the problem. >> that is the san diego skyline. not long beach. oops. the candidate says she was horrified to discover the mistake. her campaign manager has taken all of the blame saying it was a mix-up at the printer.

yeah, sure, blame the printer, real nice. >> the city got a little bigger all of a sudden. >> wow. all right. well, it has taken four months but a newborn polar bear cub at the toronto zoo now has a name. >> take a look at this little guy. is he cute or what? the cub made the most of his special moment tearing away at a blanket finally revealing a plaque that says, da, da, da, hello, my name is humphrey. that was the top choice of the voters. the contest at the zoo, humphrey was born in november, by the way. he was in a litter of three to survive beyond the first two days. >> what a cutie. >> that's a pretty cute name. >> i think that's a great name. i feel like a lot of the animals have had names you can barely pro-noups, the ones they unveil at zoos, so, humphrey, i can remember. >> no doubt about it. how do you think they got him to do that? >> there's got to be some food in there. >> bacon planted in there somewhere. >> got to be. >> got to be. for some of you, your local news is next.

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car into the center divide. that is out of lanes. that road work over in oakland. may be slowing you through oakland as well kristen. >> sue, thank you. a raging apartment fire overnight to escape a 3-year-old child had to be thrown from a win be doe and others had to jump. abc 7 news reporter amy hollyfield is live at the scene. >> reporter: you can see the damage behind me. there is a crew here boarding up the building right now at the residence. they are not here. you can see how far they had to jump to make it out of the apartment. they did jump out of that second

story window. three adults safely escaped the fair. they did sustain injuries jumping from the window. they were taken to the hospital. they also had to toss a 3-year-old child out the window. the child was taken for evaluation but we're told the child was fine. this happened before 11:00 on 7th street in hayward. there are four units and five people at home at the time when the fire started. >> oh, my gosh. i heard everybody screaming and it's just like, it was scary. fire, fire! then all of a sudden i see the red flames come from the top of the roof. it was terrible. the people jumped out of the window. i ended up with a baby. the black smoke came out of the window. it was really bad. >> reporter: the fire started in the kitchen. the apartment is a total loss. three other units have smoke and water damage so 12 people in all had to find