making news in america this morning, american connection. a united states citizen killed in syria fighting alongside isis. what we've learned about his past and new details about how many americans are fighting with jihadist groups in a live report. coastal concerns. two hurricanes causing dangerous surf in the atlantic and pacific. we're tracking the timing and the impact of both storms. black hawk bath. a hangar full of the super military machines covered in foam. what caused the mishap? and stealing the show, the 15-year-old who has joined tennis elite with a stunning upset.

and a very good wednesday morning to you, everyone. i'm dan kloeffler. >> and i'm brandi hitt. we begin with new details about possible u.s. military action inside syria. president obama reportedly speaking with allies and is close to making a decision on whether to launch air strikes. we are also learning more about the homegrown terrorist who left his american life to die alongside extremists in syria. abc's carolyn costello has more on the path douglas mccain took from the midwest to helping a group that is being called the greatest terror threat since 9/11. >> reporter: 33-year-old douglas mcauthur mccain grew up in minnesota, went to college in san diego, an american rapper with likes on his facebook page including pizza hut, the chicago bulls and the koran. hardly appearing to be a dangerous terrorist, mccain, one of two americans killed in syria in the last few days reportedly fighting for the terror group isis, according to a rival syrian group. a cousin said mccain lost his

way. >> i felt like he may have lost his identity because all of this is not him. >> reporter: an estimated 100 americans have been recruited to fight for jihadist groups in syria. back in may, u.s. officials say another u.s. citizen blew himself up in a coordinated suicide attack reportedly fighting for a rival rebel group to isis. he left behind this threatening video for fellow americans. >> you think you are safe. you are not safe. >> reporter: with top u.s. officials describing isis as a threat to u.s. security, president obama has authorized surveillance flights in syria, but the white house stresses no decision has been made on whether to conduct air strikes. >> this is a serious threat from a serious group of terrorists, and we need to stay mindful of doing what we need to do to protect american citizens at home and abroad. >> reporter: the pentagon is now preparing options for air strikes, and it is clear the

u.s. has moved from just containing isis to degrading it. brandi, dan. >> carolyn costello, thank you so much. well, an american journalist freed by islamic militants in syria three days ago is now back home safe and sound on u.s. soil. peter theo curtis was reunited in boston with his mother nancy curtis last night. the 45-year-old freelance writer was kidnapped two years ago while covering the syrian uprising. his release was won through actually the intervention and extensive mediation of u.s. ally qatar. there are also celebrations in the streets of gaza after a cease-fire agreement between israel and hamas. that agreement halts a seven-week war that has killed more than 2200 people and left tens of thousands in gaza homeless, but the deal falls short of demands by hamas that egypt and gaza open the borders. here at home, a pair of hurricanes churning on both sides of american shores. >> it is a rare double punch with both systems generating dangerously high surf and life-threatening rip currents on

both the east and west coasts. in the atlantic, hurricane cristobal is moving towards bermuda after pounding atlantic and caribbean islands flooding being blamed for at least five deaths. cristobal is not expected to make landfall in the u.s., but it is churning up dangerously high surf from central florida to north carolina. >> this is hurricane cristobal, again, not making landfall on the east coast here, going to stay offshore but going to keep some rip currents and high surf in place along the eastern seaboard. meanwhile, off the west coast off of baja california, powerful hurricane marie, which is weakening, but that will keep dangerously high surf in place along the west coast here too. >> this is massive marie from space. on the ground in long beach, they're building sand berms several feet high to protect against flooding. >> the water came in here the last flood, and it looks like they're trying to prevent that. >> reporter: but already the powerful swells have apparently killed at least one surfer in malibu, a 40-year-old man found face down and unconscious in the water.

>> a couple of guys went to go rescue him, but i heard the lifeguard was right there on the scene. i actually heard a lifeguard jumped off the pier to rescue him. >> reporter: lifeguards have been trying to keep surfers out of the water. >> it's supposed to be the peak of the swell, and if you're not extremely experienced we don't want you out there. >> reporter: but those high swells are too hard for many surfers to resist. >> done for tonight. i come back tomorrow and until the swells die, i want to surf it as much as i can, you know. >> reporter: some beaches could see swells of up to 10 to 15 feet, and there is also extreme weather in the midwest. >> that's right. tens of thousands of detroit area residents are in the dark after powerful storms hit the motor city yesterday afternoon uprooting trees, many of which fell on power lines. many local roads and highways were flooded right at the height of the afternoon commute. today, storms will stretch from western pennsylvania all the way across the middle of the country to the rockies. the rain could be especially heavy in the central plains but also showers and thunderstorms along the gulf coast. breaking political news

overnight from florida. former republican governor charlie crist has won the democratic primary and his old job back. crist famously left the gop in 2010 after losing a u.s. senate primary to marco rubio. he's going to face the current governor now, rick scott, come november. as earthquake victims are picking up the pieces in napa, california, one young survivor is sharing his harrowing tale from inside that quake zone. 13-year-old nicholas dillon is recovering from major injuries he suffered when a chimney collapsed on him. dillon was having a sleepover sleeping at the foot of the family's fireplace. when he felt that first jolt, he tried to crawl to the door. the bricks came crashing down on top of him. >> i crawled out of them. yeah, i had -- i didn't have all of them on top of me. i had -- i don't know how many landed on me, but i just remember crawling, crawling. i thought i was paralyzed. >> nicholas was stuck under those bricks for half an hour until he was rescued by firefighters.

he underwent ten hours of surgery suffering a broken pelvis. the good news is he is expected to be out of the hospital within a week. an army commander will be awarded the military's highest honor for his actions during the civil war. lieutenant alonzo cushing was killed while helping fight off pickett's charge on the final day of the battle of gettysburg. that was back in 1863. now he will awarded the medal of honor next month after a decades long campaign by historians and civil war buffs. it took a special exemption from congress to clear the way for cushing's honor. coming up, a whopper size deal for burger king but with some criticism. is this move just a way to save money on taxes? also, tragedy at a shooting range. a 9-year-old girl using an uzi pulls the trigger with her instructor in the line of fire. plus, military mishap caught on camera. how a parachuter ended up like this.

burg burger king is on the defensive after announcing it will combine with canadian doughnut giant tim hortons. the corporate headquarters of the new company will be in canada where corporate taxes are lower. the ceo is insisting the deal is not about taxes, but some experts estimate by moving to canada, it could save as much as $50 million a year. some outraged americans are now calling for a bk boycott. don't look for american airlines tickets on the orbitz travel website. the airline has pulled its listings in a dispute over fees

and co-owned usairways will withdraw next monday, as well. american says orbitz has gotten too costly and the dispute affects vacation travelers not business and orbitz says it's no big deal because it says there are lots of other airline choices out there. it is getting more expensive to pay youth sports these days. baseball and softball equipment up almost 4.5% this year alone. ice hockey, nearly 5% and lacrosse, 5.7%. also some two-thirds of the kids participating in school sports now pay to do so. apple apparently is planning to supersize more than just its iphones. bloomberg news reporting the company will introduce a larger ipad tablet early next year. its screen will measure almost 13 inches diagonally. the iphone announcement, that is expected in two weeks. and chick-fil-a now not only offering waffle fries but real waffles. the chain is testing an expanded breakfast menu at several locations including chicken and waffles, greek yogurt and

multigrain oatmeal. the selections are being tested in four markets. a heroic story under the microscope. why a usc football player's claim of saving his nephew is now being questioned. plus, a big bath for some black hawks. how several of the helicopters ended up covered in foam. and from the streets to the slammer, why police want to talk to miley cyrus' vma date.

welcome back. this was shot during a mexican military training exercise. and take a look. the troops are jumping out of the plane when a paratrooper's chute got caught leaving him dangling. the plane was said to be flying 3,000 feet. the video does end with the soldier spinning helplessly. reports say he was rescued and was being treated for undisclosed injuries. >> unbelievable video there. now for a look at the

morning road conditions here. watch out for flooding in the central plains all the way over to west virginia and pennsylvania. roads will also be wet along the gulf coast and in florida. and if you're flying, airport delays are possible in denver, kansas city and in houston. back to the news now and a tragic story we've been following from arizona. a firearms instructor has been killed by a 9-year-old girl who was firing a submachine gun. >> the instructor was standing next to the girl at an outdoor shooting range. when she pulled the trigger, the recoil sent it over her head and a bullet hit the instructor. that girl was at the range with her parents visiting the area from new jersey. lots of questions about a story being told by a university of southern california football player josh shaw. he was being hailed a hero for jumping off a second story floor balcony in order to save his nephew from drowning at a family event last weekend. saw says he badly injured both of his ankles in that fall, but usc has received

several anonymous calls contradicting shaw's story. his coach calls him a good person. >> i have no reason, no history to not believe josh in his story and what has occurred. obviously within the last few hours or so, we've gotten a few phone calls contradicting what josh said occurred saturday night, so we're going to continue to vet it. >> he also says shaw is adamant about his story. josh shaw's sister calls reports that he was actually injured during a burglary, quote, speculation. the woman accused of trying to sneak aboard several flights without a tickets has now been arrested again at an airport in phoenix. marilyn hartman was taken into custody near baggage claim. she was recognized by airport personnel who said she was just hanging around a checkpoint once again without a ticket. the stunt may have done wonders for the homeless but not for jesse helt. he is the homeless man who accepted miley cyrus' video of the year award at the vmas. now we find out there is an

outstanding warrant for him. oregon authorities say helt violated probation after an attempted burglary four years ago, and if he ever visits his mother there, he, in fact, will be arrested. listen to this one. a canadian mom and her son thought their house was haunted. creepy things kept happening like a lamp was knocked over and glasses falling. this turns out to be their ghost. a ten-foot python, southeast asian species which can grow up to 23 feet long. animal control was able to move the houseguest after coaxing it from underneath the sofa. the snake's owner was found but since it's illegal to keep it as a pet, it went back to the local zoo. now take a look at this big mistake. fire suppression foam filling a hangar in tulsa spilling out on to the tarmac covering ten national guard helicopters and happened while the firefighting system was being checked. the black hawks were not damaged and there were no injuries. as the football season is getting under way, a

major equipmentmaker is out with a safer helmet designed to cut down on the number of head injuries. this speedflex helmet is made by riddell. the company says its new helmets flex to absorb impacts to the head all thanks to these anti-concussion technologies. college and nfl players will be wearing them this season. and speaking of football, the first major college game of the year is tonight. >> that's right, the season will went with a four-team playoff game on january 12th so a bit of a ways to go. as for last night's sports, our guys at espn are talking baseball. >> this is the "sportscenter" set in los angeles. he's stan. i'm neil. these are fitted suits. >> you had to look down at the set to make sure -- >> where i am. >> okay, all right. we got it covered. the next stop is san francisco. the reds taking on -- i'm sorry, the rockies taking on the giants there. see, you got me confused. bumgarner on the mound. he gets mcbride looking. struck out 13 in the game. he gets drew stubbs and then nolan arenado.

bumgarner perfect entering eighth inning. retired the first 21. the only problem, justin morneau hitting .317. and there goes, perfect game, no-hitter broken up, but pretty good start anyway. how about a one-hitter. third career complete game, sixth -- third career shutout. sixth career shutout game. how about the royals? hi, may i help you? the twins are up 1-0. bottom nine, glen perkins is in for the save. he's been great on the road. relief right there so you got one on. your next batter is alex gordon. walk this way, royals win 2-1 and hold on to that lead over detroit. the bat boy told ned yost how to manage the ninth, and the bat boy is now an assistant gm. >> he made that part up. >> maybe. >> but it added to the story. >> maybe. >> that's all we got. >> you don't know for sure. >> backcheck it apparently. a young american has made

quite a debut at the u.s. open tennis tournament. she is 15-year-old cici bellis. >> and she won her match yesterday becoming the youngest u.s. open winner since 1996. her opponent was ten years her senior and had once played in a grand slam tournament final. bellis is from california and she's about to start the tenth grade. her second round match is tomorrow. good luck. >> sort of makes you wonder what were you doing in tenth great, ride? >> got to be pretty mature to handle all that pressure. >> big congrats for her. coming up next in "the pulse," have mercy. the classic sitcom that soon may be making a return. plus, cashing in. why one kid is making big bucks off a lemonade stand.

♪ everywhere you look everywhere you go -- that classic song. time now to check "the pulse" starting with a big headline for "full house." >> that's right. tv guide reporting that john stamos is spearheading the revival of the show with the executive producer actively involved. cast members, candace cameron bure and jody sweeten also on board. the olsen twins not so much. >> speaking of board as in washboard, check out good old uncle jesse. that is john stamos. he instagrammed a selfie showing off his 51-year-old physique. >> so his secret, guys, two years of pilates. he joked, i'm the only guy in there but i have a beautiful woman's body now. nice work. a young florida entrepreneur is getting their show of support over his lemonade stand. t.j. guerrero has run it since he was 11 years old. he never had trouble until now. one neighbor complained the stand was a nuisance. even claimed it lowered property values. so when neighbors heard about

the complaint to city hall, it got national attention and that's when hundreds of people turned out. t.j. says he learned a valuable lesson here. >> i am showing that i work hard for my money and that i'm not just taking it from my parents. >> good for him. just two hours supporters ended up raising more than $600. t.j. is still mulling over what to do with the cash. i think he's going to invest it in a big business. finally a simple question. how does a 99 pack of beer sound, that's right, 99-pack? it's been offered by a brewery in texas right now. >> specifically it is a 99-pack of anytime ale from austin beerworks. the package obviously huge, very heavy. it's going to take more than one person to carry it out and getting it home, well, that actually might take up two lanes. >> limited edition 99-pack will run 99 bucks and shipments start tomorrow ahead of the long holiday weekend, of course. the question is how much does it cost to ship that thing? >> yeah, but i'm sure you're

making plenty of friends along the way to get it home. >> we'll be right back.

live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good wednesday morning. it is 4:28. you may remember last night there were problems on bart. what is it like? everything is running. bart has trains running on time. there was damage done to the third rail on the pittsburg line with 19 trains running perfectly. the golden gate bridge is moving fine. the car in the middle has construction and possibly a stalled vehicle for the right-hand side. we waking up to an accident through pleasant hill to walnut creek you will find northbound

680 at main is clearing a car hit a couple of barrels. meteorologist mike nicco? good morning, everyone. good news if you do not like cloud cover. we don't have much. just a little along the coast. visibility is unlimited. the clouds are barely making it over san francisco. hot inland at 84 to 94 the coast toast to san francisco is 64 to 72. around the pay up to 84. bart riders are looking for a smooth commute after crews worked all might to fix track damage at pleasant hill that caused problems last night during the commute. matt? >> bart believe they did enough

repairs overnight the trains will run this morning. sky 7 was over the seen as all service between service and concord was stopped. part of the wheel fell off and damaged the truck of the bart single tracked the trains this both directions. here is what the platforms looked like, passengers faced the possibility of delays up to 20 minutes. engineers figured out a solution they feel allows for normal service. they will determine what caused the wheel to call off and damage the track. the next train to arrive if half yet is at 4:40 this morning. the latest on the south napa earthquake. 29 of 30 schools in the school district re-open. only stone bridge charter is closed because of possibly structural damage. 103 buildings are red tagged and 60 building