making news in america this morning -- millions of americans inhale them. but what is inside those e-cigarettes? we may soon find out. new, this morning, the government announces plans to regulate this addictive form of nicotine. plus, tough talk. as the world watches, president obama tackles the topics of china and russia. what he has to say. guns everywhere. that's the premise of a controversial, new law in georgia, where not even schools, bars and churches are off-limits. and a wild scene inside a movie theater when a fire sends patrons rushing out of the building. a scary scene, but one that had a very common cause. good thursday morning, everyone.

we begin with a big change in the works for people who use and make electronic cigarettes. >> the fda is taking a bold move and cracking down on every step of their manufacture, marketing and consumption. abc's tahman bradley joins us, now, from washington, with more. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, diana and john. this is something the federal government has been working on for years. there's virtually no federal oversight of electronic cigarettes, which more and more people have been using for a quick high. they've been called a safer alternative to cigarettes. and they're wildly popular. e-cigarettes, those battery-powered devices that give users a nicotine high from a vapor. >> we think the harm is less than with a traditional cigarette. >> reporter: maybe. e-cigarettes don't have tobacco tar found in traditional cigarettes. but it's not clear what's in them. that's because since they burst in the u.s. back in 2006, they've gone unregulated. the federal government wants to change that. >> right now, it's like the wild, wild west in terms of what people are doing. the products are evolving with

no regulatory oversight and being marketed in ways that are very worrisome. >> reporter: this morning, the fda is proposing new regulations for e-cigarettes. under the new rules, e-cigarette sales would be banned to people under age 18. a warning label would be placed on the devices. and e-cigarette manufacturers would be required to tell the fda what's in their products. >> we don't have the answers we need about e-cigarettes and their role in the marketplace and their role in health and disease. >> reporter: public health officials are especially worried about protecting children. e-cigarette manufacturers use flavors such as bubble gum, pineapple and vanilla, flavors that could attract kids. the proposal would also place pipe tobacco and cigars under the fda's authority to regulate. for now, the fda is not seeking to ban marketing for e-cigarettes on tv ads and online. but the fda could look at that in the future. john and diana? >> abc's tahman bradley live for

us in washington. thank you. breaking news just into abc. three american doctors are shot and killed in an hospital in kabul afghanistan. a person opened fire on the grounds of the hospital. the shooter was wounded and is now in police custody. it's the latest in a series of attacks against foreign civilians in afghanistan. we'll have more ahead on "good morning america." and turningover seas, now, to the rising tensions in the crisis over ukraine. hundreds of u.s. troops are on the ground in eastern europe, part of an obama administration effort to calm jittery nato allies. meanwhile, a journalist with vice news, simon ostrovsky, remains in the custody of a pro-russian militia in eastern ukraine. he's accused of provocative reporting. all right. that situation casting a dark shadow over president obama's tour of asia. he's not ignoring it, either. making comments overnight and sending a warning to russians. abc's devin dwyer is in tokyo this morning. good morning, devin. >> reporter: good morning. president obama's visit to japan is in full swing, with plenty of pomp and pageantry. and some tough words for russia

and china. mr. obama arrived at the imperial palace this morning, in his armored cadillac, decorated with japanese plates. the emperor greeted obama with all of the honors for an official state visit. it's the first for an american president here in nearly 20 years. by the president's side, caroline kennedy, the popular new u.s. ambassador to japan. later president obama got down to business with japanese prime minister abe. both men discussed the crisis in ukraine and possible new sanctions against russia. president obama said those could be coming soon. >> so far, the evidence doesn't make me hopeful. it is a matter of days and not weeks. assuming that they do not follow through, we will follow through on what we said, which is there will be additional consequences on the russians. >> reporter: president obama also said the u.s. military would defend japan in a dispute with china over the senkaku islands. tomorrow, president obama heads to south korea, the second stop

on his week-long, four-country asian tour. devin dwyer, abc news, tokyo. the search for missing malaysia airlines flight 370 is now in its 48th day. that piece of metal found on an australian beach that generated a near fever pitch of excitement in the media yesterday, turned out to have absolutely no connection to the missing jumbo jet. and the american robotic submarine has now covered 90% of its search area. so far, though, it has found nothing. and now, to south korea, where divers are working their way deeper into that submerged ferry, hoping to find more victims. nearly 160 are confirmed dead. and more than 140 are still missing. also this morning, investigators have raided the home and offices of that doomed ferry's owner and his relatives, in a move that could produce more arrests. so far, 11 of the 22 crew members who survived have been detained or arrested. a sweeping, new gun rights law in georgia is stirring debate on both sides of the controversial issue. starting july 1st, what's being called the guns everywhere law takes effect.

it will allow licensed carriers to take weapons into bars, into some schools and churches and government buildings under certain circumstances. >> i will put into law a gun bill that heralds self-defense, personal liberties and public safety. ñ> to do it in the name of safety, it's beyond preposterous. it's tragic. >> an anti-gun group founded by shooting survivor gabby giffords says the new law, quote, moves georgia out of the mainstream. pro gun groups say it restores the right of citizens to protect themselves wherever they go. north of the border, a powerful underwater earthquake has rattled parts of eastern canada and the u.s. pacific northwest. the 6.7 magnitude quake struck south of the city of port hardy, british colombia, seven miles underground. the quake was reportedly felt by coastal residents for about 30 seconds for hundreds of miles around and even as far away as seattle. >> i felt the ground actually swaying.

my knees were kind of swaying back and forth. i was sitting in a chair. and i looked up to my ceiling and saw my chandelier actually swinging back and forth. so, my kids got pretty freaked out. and they got underneath the table. >> however, for all of that shaking, there are no reports of serious injuries or damage. no tsunami warnings or watches were posted. moving on to a look at the nation's weather now. another taste of winter for new england, with some snow and chilly temperatures. a wide band of thunderstorms poses a threat from the central plains to the ohio valley. snowshowers for the northern rockies. and yet another day of rain, heavy rain, for the pacific northwest, stretching down into california. >> highs range from the 40s to the 60s for the northern half of the country. but warming up in the south. hot spot today, phoenix, 92 degrees. still ahead, a heartless crime. police say a thief lived in the lap of luxury in an oceanfront penthouse and a bentley, all on the money that she stole from an elderly woman. plus, scrawled in the sand,

three, little letters. saved the lives of boaters stranded at sea. the chance encounter that turned an ordeal into an adventure. but first, another heavyweight enters the battle for home entertainment. the new deal that puts amazon prime on the t when i have an asthma attack... i feel scared. sometimes my parents have to take me to the hospital. i feel like a fish with no water. you know how to react to their asthma attacks. here's how to prevent them.

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and screening finds polyps, so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. if you're over 50, get screened. screening saves lives. it could really save your life. welcome back. the federal government is going to allow pay for play on the internet. the fcc, today, announced new rules permitting companies providing programming to pay for better, faster service. critics say that will give an edge to huge media conglomerates. the fcc chairman will not allow behavior that harms consumers or competition. some of hbo's programming

will be streamed to amazon customers. those subscribers will be able to watch older hbo hits like "the sopranos" and "the wire," as will as past seasons of current shows. it's the first online streaming deal for hbo. and is a big win for amazon as it battles netflix and hulu. two tech companies are giving people a reason to love them. apple announced better revenue for the last quarter. and facebooks profits in the last quarter tripled. the social network says there's more coming. mobile advertising, now almost 60% of facebook's revenue. and a starbuck's frappuccino not sweet enough? it will offer the chunky cookie frappuccino, which contains an entire cookie. because of the pieces of cookie, it comes with a wider straw. it will the available, only from mid-may to august. and only in japan. sorry, chocolate lovers, there's no plans to offer it here in the u.s.

i am bummed. >> road trip to tokyo. fast food spokesclown getting a makeover. ronald mcdonald's jump suit is going to be replaced by rugby shirt, cargo pants and a vest. the new duds created by a broadway costume designer who said it was one of the highlights of her career. >> i don't know how i feel about this. >> i know. >> what are the special occasions he wears a bow tie to? >> or does the hambuglar get an update? >> i have a lot of questions. when we come back, a lucky rescue. a time-tested plea for help gives stranded boaters a much-needed lift. and a mother takes it upon herself to get rid of an eyesore. there it goes. we'll be right back. the day we rescued riley was a truly amazing day. he was a matted mess in a small cage. so that was our first task, was getting him to wellness.

without angie's list, i don't know if we could have found all the services we needed for our riley. from contractors and doctors to dog sitters and landscapers, you can find it all on angie's list. we found riley at the shelter, and found everything he needed at angie's list. join today at angieslist.com you may be muddling through allergies. don't get caught off guard. try new zyrtec® dissolve tabs. powerful allergy relief now in a tablet that starts dissolving instantly. new zyrtec® dissolve tabs.

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check it out. a peculiar problem yesterday in salt lake city. one utah blogger catching this scene. winds so strong, a port-o-potty blows down the street. a whole new meaning to portable potty. no word on if someone was inside the port-o-potty at the time. yikes. let's look at morning road conditions. no potties there. slyke driving, northern new england, with a wintry mix of rain and snow. rain will slicken the roads of the midwest from louisiana to the great lakes. another day of wet roads in the pacific northwest. >> and if you're flying, airport delays are possible in dallas and memphis. we have an update on a story that aired yesterday. we aired this video of two small children being patted down at an airport that triggered criticism online. this morning, the tsa is responding. saying the children's father is on what's called a selectee list. a subset of the terror watch

list. a fact the father admits. the tsa adds its officers will work with parents at checkpoints to resolve concerns about screening procedures. still kind of weird. >> yep. residents of a tiny town in wyoming waking up this morning three miles outside of town. all 95 of the towns residents evacuated yesterday, after a gas pipeline explosion and a fire at a gas processing plant. no reports of injuries. no damage to homes. all of the employees have been accounted for. the cause of the blast is under investigation. the earth is moving again underneath homes in retirement communities northwest of orlando. a 60-foot deep sink hole that was filled in at the villages has reopened. it's getting even bigger. so far, only two homes are affected. but experts are worried that thousands of sinkholes are waiting to hope up all over florida, as underwater water washes away the limestone. a woman accused of stealing millions of dollars from an elderly woman with alzheimer's. she allegedly defrauded the

92-year-old. she is said to have used that account to buy a beachfront guest house and a bentley. she is charged with exploitation and larceny. and a male contestant on the upcoming season of abc's "the bachelorette," eric hilled died in a hospital. he was in a pair gliding accident last weekend. he was about a quarter of the way through a journey to visit 195 countries in 3 years. captain american couldn't help a megaplex in miami last night. all 18 movie theaters had to be evacuated when a popcorn machine caught fire. those watching "heaven for real" was told that the fire was for real and had to leave. everyone remained calm. but the theaters had to stay closed until there was transcendence from the fumes. >> nice. i get it. we're learning more about the run away horse and carriage accident in charleston. when the rig crashed into the

city market. the carriage company says the horse panicked when its bridle got caught on a large water bucket. the animal was not injured. horse and carriage tours are customer with tourists. a group exploring the waters off australia are happy to be on solid ground after being stranded for nine hours. they stopped to relax on rocks and collect some shells. suddenly, everything selled off without them. >> i looked back. and i could see that the boat is drifting. >> they were preparing to spend a chilly night. they spelled out s.o.s. on a sand bar. a chopper spotted the s.o.s. and plucked them to safety. "people" magazine has crowned the most beautiful woman of 2014. actress lupita yong go.

it's flattering for the kenyon, who said as a girl she was subconscious about her dark skin and wished she had a lighter complex. now, sports. the new nfl season kicks off thursday september 4th, with the packers visiting the seahawks. >> as for baseball, a bizarre incident last night. we get details from our guys at espn. >> good morning, america. he's stan, i'm neil. put pine tar on my tongue. that was a mistake. >> tmi. michael pineda had problems with pine tar the last time the red sox and yankees got together. that was in new york. this is boston, fenway park. dustin pedroia singles in grady sizemore. 1-0, red sox. second inning. pineda has something on his neck there. looks like what he had on his wrist and hand. john farrell talks to jerry davis. says what have you got on your neck? looks like pine tar to me. get a shower and wash it off.

pineda gone after 1 2/3. red sox win it, 5-1. rockets, portland. game two. almost missed my cab to come from los angeles to connecticut, watching the finish of game one. >> you took a cab from l.a. to connecticut? >> i did. it was a heck of a ride. lamarcus aldridge, 46 in the first one. he had 34 in this one. damian lillard misses. aldridge had the putback there. lamarcus aldridge is playing like a man possessed. and when houston had to have a stop, the rockets forgot to play defense. and portland wins two in houston. so, rip city will be rockin', as the blazers come back home. >> i guess that's a great fare if the driver has the time. you know? >> it was -- i charged it. >> guys, thanks. up next in "the pulse." a view from above. b.a.s.e. jumpers tackling the world's tallest building. we're along for the ride.

plus, jodie foster ties the knot. plus, jodie foster ties the knot. we'll be right back. explaining mte to severe chronic plaque psoriasis to another new stylist. it was a total embarrassment. and not the kind of attention i wanted. so i had a serious talk with my dermatologist about my treatment options. this time, she prescribed humira-adalimumab. humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body. in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b,

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♪ life in the fast lane sure to make you lose your mind ♪ ♪ life in the fast lane time to check, "the pulse," the stories you'll be talking about today. isn't it frustrating when the person in front of you is going too slow? it is, right? that's why a mall in britain has created a lane for fast walkers. >> it was suggested by her, a 10-year-old girl. chloe said slow walkers annoyed her she wanted to scream. the mall is going to give it a try and see if it works. there aren't going to be tickets issued for using the wrong lane or failure to signal. >> why do i get the feeling that she was walking in the mall with her dad and were complaining

that people were going too slow. jodie foster and her new life, photographer, alexandra hedison. >> she is private about her personal life. she famously came out of the closet during a rambling acceptance speech at last year's golden globe awards. >> it was a low-key affair this weekend. the couple have been dating less than a year. finally, hold on tight for this one. check it out. two guys b.a.s.e. jump off the world's tallest building. >> they had cameras mounted to capture it from every possibly angle. that building is in dubai. and it stands a mere 2,717 feet tall. >> a little perspective, that building is more than twice the size of the empire state building. they land perfectly, by the way. and they're fine. and incredibly cool. >> and very cool. just for even attempting that. but they get extra cool brownie points for mounting so many cameras in so many angles.

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. good thursday morning at 4:28. i am kristen sze. >> i am happy to be here. i am eric thomas. we have rain in the forect. mike? >> good morning, nice to see both of you. you will like the quiet radar with a few sprinkles on live doppler 7 hd which evaporates before it reaches the ground. maybe a sprinkle or two. you can see we have fog near sutro tower and toward the coast this morning. i don't think it will make much men station inland i am worried about the high and mid-level

clouds. the temperatures will be close to average and inland, 64 in the north bay to 73 in the east bay. 62 in san francisco to 71 in san jose and along the coast at 57 to 61 in san francisco. leyla gulen? >> we may not have the high wind from yesterday so that is good news. however, we have an accident in oakland southbound 880 where we will fine three cars tangled up blocking one lane. northbound traffic has a slow down as you continue away from the scene of the accident. everything else is moving along fine. the san mateo bridge shows clouds along the coast are pleading over the spay yes bridge if you make your way from hair to foster city it could be a hazy commute. dozens of people are out of

their homes of a an apartment house fire that may have started with a single match. ma keller is near the san jose state university campus. matt? >> we are a block away from the san jose state campus. normally all the students would be in the apartment complex but you can see why they are not. the damage left behind by a two-alarm fire that started over night. firefighters say it started at 1:30 when a man in a third floor apartment lit a candle and tossed a match on the couch and walked outside and a few minutes later noticed smoke coming from the apartment. the couch was on fire and yelled for people to get out including his roommate in a bedroom. the roommate ran through the flames to escape. >> i saw a guy