making news in america this morning, a different tone from the republican candidates. fewer fireworks and more policy at last night's debate, but it wasn't all civil. plus, donald trump talking about the recent violence at his rally. historic flooding. entire neighborhoods surrounded by water. the national guard rescuing people from their homes. feet of rain across three states. when it's all moving out. final farewell, a ceremony today for nancy reagan, vips and celebrities on the guest list. we're live with the details. and the big bash at the white house, a parade of famous faces, the first lady wowing once again and the emotional moment during the president's toast.

well, good friday morning. we begin with the gop candidates putting their most presidential face forward. >> it was the 12th debate. it was in miami, and it was marked by a dramatic shift in tone. all four men sticking to the issues and refraining from personal insults. donald trump was also uncharacteristically low key even as he faced questions about violence at his rallies like this attack you see here on a protester. it's "your voice, your vote." we get the highlights from abc's stephanie ramos. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, kendis and reena. there were no playground insults this time around. the republican candidates showed up to talk about the issues. no swipes at small hands or orange tans. >> don't worry about it, little marco. >> reporter: and no name-calling at last night's 12th and most civil gop debate. >> please do not talk over one another. >> reporter: and they didn't.

the republican presidential candidates in miami on the cusp of crucial primaries in florida and ohio focusing more on policy issues like social security. >> i will do everything within my power not to touch social security, to leave it the way it is. >> reporter: to entitlement reform and immigration. >> we clearly have to control our borders. we can't have people just walking in. >> reporter: and how to handle the violence in the middle east. >> we have to do whatever is necessary to utterly defeat isis. >> reporter: all of the candidates appearing to be on their best presidential behavior, even donald trump. >> so far i cannot believe how civil it's been up here. >> reporter: trump was asked about his recent statements saying islam hates us. >> did you mean all 1.6 billion muslims? >> i mean a lot of them. i mean a lot of them. >> the problems is presidents can't just say athing they want. it has consequences here and around the world. >> reporter: trump put on the spot asked about the recent violence at his campaign events. the question, is he encouraging this type of violence? >> i hope not. >> reporter: police say the man who threw the elbow at a north carolina rally is 78-year-old john mcgraw.

he's now charged with assault and battery. mcgraw later boasting to "inside edition" about his encounter with the protester. >> the next time we see him, we might have to kill him. >> reporter: trump blaming that anger on his supporters' love of country. >> it's beautiful in many respects but i certainly don't condone that at all. >> reporter: cruz eager to take on trump and trump bracing for a contested convention. >> i think whoever gets the most delegates should win. >> reporter: trump is banking on a win with ben carson by his side. trump is expected to officially announce an endorsement from ben carson today. kendis and reena, back to you. >> stephanie ramos, live in washington. thank you so much. well, more now on what appeared to be a concerted effort by gop candidates to abandon the school yard antics for their calmest face-to-face discussion yet. >> yeah, it was a different tone, indeed. abc's political director rick klein gives us his analysis on the debate. he's in miami. good morning, rick. >> reporter: reena and kendis, donald trump tamed himself. his ultimate enemy finally he

showed control, dominated the stage because no one was attacking him. by far the tamest republican debate to date. republicans saving their tamest for the last, and the other candidates seemingly not wanting to hit donald trump. they had tried so many strategies, they have failed in the past. this time around they decided to hold their fire and donald trump was left soaring, standing at the end. he is the overwhelming front-runner. the other candidates playing their own games, playing in their own zone, playing in their own lanes but after some of the most raucous and wild debates we've had republicans are ending with an essential whimper and growing acceptance that donald trump likely to be the nominee. the next contest, of course, critical. reena and kendis. >> the focus to the democrats and a boost of star power for hillary clinton. >> the clinton campaign rolled out a new ad featuring the leading women of shonda rhimes' hit abc shows. we hear from kerry washington, viola davis, ellen pompeii and rhimes himself and the a was directed by

tony goldwin who plays the president on "scandal." bernie sanders is holding rallies in three states hoping for more surprise victories in those key primaries next week. but yesterday his focus was on delegate-rich florida. he made several campaign stops attracting 20,000 people in all. sanders promised to expand social security and told supporters he could win florida if there is a large voter turnout. now to this morning's other big story, ten southern states under flood watches and warnings as almost two feet of rain has triggered historic and deadly flooding. at least four people have been killed by floodwaters stretching and inundating hundreds of miles. louisiana and mississippi could see another 10 inches of rain through saturday. take a look now at the latest radar which shows the most powerful part of that storm system stretching hundreds of miles. it is marching eastward. a live report from the region on "good morning america." well, security will be extremely tight today for the funeral of former first lady nancy reagan.

>> she passed away last sunday at the age of 94, and today reagan will be laid to rest beside her husband at his presidential library. >> and abc's brandi hitt is there for us live this morning. brandi, good morning, and who are we expecting at the funeral today? >> reporter: good morning, reena and kendis. more than a thousand people are expected later on today. first lady michelle obama. hillary clinton, also george w. and laura bush. governor jerry brown will be here. even former governor arnold schwarzenegger will be in attendance, and there are also going to be a lot of hollywood celebrities attending this funeral, a long list, we've been told, wayne newton, tom selleck, anjelica houston, gary sinise, john stamos and mr. t. remember he played an integral role in the first lady's "just say no" anti-drug campaign. he will make an appearance, as well, reena and kendis. >> lest we forget. they were very popular in the hollywood crowd and "the a team" as well.

who will be doing readings and who will eulogize mrs. reagan? >> reporter: nancy reagan's children are going to be reading two reflects and so will tom brokaw, he will delivering one, and abc's own diane sawyer is going to be here and she's going to deliver a gospel reading. we've been told there will be a choir, an opera singer but the library spokespeople also told us that when they went over each detail with nancy reagan because she helped plan her own funeral she wanted a service, short sweet and very memorable. we're all going to see how it plays out later today. the good news, they have been able to cover it with a large tent because, unfortunately, there is going to be a lot of rain this afternoon but they prepared for everything here. >> all right, brandi hitt joining us live from simi valley, california. thank you, brandi. and we should note that abc news will have live coverage of nancy reagan's funeral starting at 2:00 eastern time on air and online. well, still ahead, the cost of mailing a letter going down for the first time in a century.

and finally found, two teenagers missing for nearly a year alive and well. a person now under arrest. plus, glitz and glamour at the white house. a state dinner for the canadian president. the moment that got president obama emotional.

for colon cancer? get tested i don't have any symptoms. [female announcer] of cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer is the 2nd leading cancer killer in the united states. and it doesn't always cause symptoms, especially early on. but i'm only 53. i'm too young. [announcer] screening is recommended for men and women beginning at 50. but no one in my family had colon cancer. it doesn't run in my family. [announcer] most colorectal cancers occur in people with no family history of the disease. but. that test... [announcer] there are several kinds of screening tests for colorectal cancer... talk to your doctor about which one is right for you. i've been screened...and it turned out i had polyps.

and the doctor removed them before they had a chance to turn into cancer! [announcer] no buts about it... this is one cancer you can prevent! if you're 50 or older, talk to your doctor and get screened for colorectal cancer. screening saves lives! those flames you see there lighting up the night sky in east los angeles, an industrial building was completely destroyed in the blaze. it took more than 100 firefighters hours to put the fire under control. luckily no one was inside. arson investigators were called to the scene. president obama says he will nominate a supreme court justice for the vacancy created by the death of antonin scalia despite republican objections. there's word the president is interviewing at least five

potential nominees and could be close to an announcement. but senate republicans insist that anyone nominated will not get a hearing for a vote. >> there hasn't been a vacancy created in a presidential election year filled in 80 years. this vacancy will not be filled this year. we will look forward to the american people deciding who they want to make this appointment through their own votes. >> well, that said, a new abc news/"washington post" poll shows 63% of americans say the senate should hold hearings. president obama also says he expects the senate to do its job as outlined in the constitution. federal prosecutors are reportedly set to formally charge iran for that cyberattack three years ago on a dam outside new york city. the hackers never managed to fully infiltrate the system and investigators say they never posed any danger. the feds hope the indictment will act as a deterrent against state-sponsored cyberattack.

>> there's something you don't often hear, the price of stamps is expected to go down next month for the first time in nearly a century. it could happen on april 10th but not if the postal service gets its way. here's why, a recent temporary postage increase was meant to be reversed once the postal service collected about $4.5 billion in revenue. well, that should happen next month. but postal officials say reducing prices shouldn't happen because of the agency's poor financial condition. a major frozen food under way. nestle is pulling nearly 3 million boxes of digiorno pizza and stover's lasagna and lean cuisine meals after customers reported finding glass in their food. the company says the glass may have come from the spinach packaging used in those meals. we posted more info for you on our website, atmfans.com. when we come back, a health alert. a 10% higher chance of you having a heart attack this coming monday. and the last time we'll ever see this, kobe and lebron on the court together. highlights from their last game. on the

court together. highlights from their last game. alright, let's do this. i got minds to twist and values to warp. mr. tyler, your skittles portrait. that is e to the z oh twiddly dee-sgusting! you haven't heard me sing diddly-ding yet. ♪ dream on! higher. ♪ dream on! i think a little higher! ♪ dreammmm onnnnnnnn! ♪ dreammm onnnn! rock the rainbow. taste the rainbow.

there has to be a way. carry the centimeter, divide by 3.14 something something something... [ beeping, whirring ] great caesar salad! ♪ and now the name your price tool shows people policy options to help fit their budget. is that a true story? yeah! people really do save an average of over $500 when they switch. i mean about you inventing it. i invented the story, and isn't that what really matters? so... what else about me? back now with a look at your morning road conditions. flooding across nearly all of texas and much of the south up to the midwest, and roads will be wet up and down the west coast into nevada and idaho along with mountain snow. if you're flying, airport delays are possible in dallas, houston, memphis, new orleans,

san francisco and los angeles. well, two top executives at the wounded warrior project have been fired. >> accused of squandering millions of dollars in donations on travel and lavish staff retreats. ceo steven nardizzi and coo al giordano, according to reports on tax forms, spending on conferences and team building meetings, skyrocketed by more than 150% after nardizzi took over, $250,000 a year spent on snacks and sodas. less than 60% of the charity's funds went to the charity. most charities spend about 90%. a dangerous murder suspect on the run for more than a week shot and killed in mississippi. rafael mccloud broke out of jail last week threatening a guard with a homemade knife and stealing his clothes. he had been a fugitive until yesterday when he forced his way inside a home holding a man, his wife and 5-year-old son hostage in their bathroom.

eventually the woman broke free and grabbed a gun and gave it to her husband who shot and killed mccloud. in upstate new york two sisters have been found nearly a year after they vanished. and a woman has been charged with kidnapping. ky-lea and shaeleen fortner had not been seen since last april when they were waiting for a school bus. the girls now 16 and 14 were living with a foster family at the time of their disappearance. the woman charged with abducting them is said to be an acquaintance. well, this weekend we dial the clocks ahead by one hour for daylight saving time, but with this year comes a reminder, a health warning, in fact. researchers say there's mounting evidence that the stress and disturbance of the internal body clock by springing forward could raise your risk of a heart attack by up to 24%. it's recommended that everyone try to go to sleep earlier saturday night to make up for that lost hour. it's very good advice. i could see how that could happen. >> yeah, one more thing that will have hearts racing, the conference tournament titles and

automatic bids to claim this weekend in college basketball, of course. on sunday we're going to know all the details about march madness. >> get your brackets in. last night's hoop highlights from our well-dressed friends at espn. >> i'll button my coat because i'm taking this segment seriously. he's stan, i'm neil. >> sure sign of a serious segment, the buttoned jacket. kobe bryant, lebron james, staples center, last go-round for these two head-to-head because bryant's final year in the nba and vintage kobe bryant during the game, he had 26 points. >> what if he changes his mind. >> james had 24. what, and comes back? >> yeah. >> then he plays another year. i don't think that will happen. >> i don't either. >> i think he's one of those guys when he says he's done, he's done. the lakers have won two in a row coming into this game. there you go. look at that. man, he had some moments in this game. but james and his team had more moments. the cavaliers win it, 120-108. nothing but respect there.

>> kobe bryant rethinking retirement is now trending. >> no, it's not. iowa state/oklahoma. >> making stuff up. >> i don't even know what trending is. but, hield, i know who he is. hey, buddy. you know, it's going to be interesting to see how he translates to the next level. >> i think he's going to be really good and can create his own shot. >> yeah. >> he can do that. >> there you go. >> he had 39. >> you know what he had for pregame? >> what. >> pops. oklahoma by three beat iowa state. >> anything else? >> yeah, when in oahu stop down and say hi to murphy. >> you can unbutton your jacket now. >> yeah. >> back to you. >> we got to look up this murphy. >> we'll send you out over there. the bromance budding at the white house. president obama and canada's prime minister justin trudeau and the long list of celebrities at the state dinner. plus, a sly fox rummaging through a golfer's bag making

off with something important. introducing the fusion of exceptional taste with the benefits of our probiotic yogurt. new activia fruit fusion, with the exclusive probiotic bifidus regularis. delicious and good for you. new activia fruit fusion.

find fast relief behind the counter allergies with nasal congestion? with claritin-d. [ upbeat music ] strut past that aisle for the allergy relief that starts working in as little as 30 minutes and contains the best oral decongestant. live claritin clear, with claritin-d.

♪ time now to check "the pulse" starting with a star-studded event at the white house. >> yes, a state dinner celebrating the visit of newly elected canadian prime minister justin trudeau and his wife, of course, sophie. president obama got emotional during his toast. >> he was talking about trudeau's young children saying they reminded him of sasha and malia when he was elected. >> when i was first elected to this office, malia was 10 and sasha was just 7, and they grow up too fast. this fall malia heads off to college, and i'm starting to choke up, so i'm going to wind -- it was in my remarks and -- [ laughter ] i didn't -- i can't do it.

it's hard. >> you know he said he told someone recently at an event that he was asked to speak at malia's high school graduation and didn't because he was so emotional. >> yeah, exactly. he said he wouldn't be able to make it through. well, the president thanked trudeau for not building a wall along the canadian border with us, an obvious jab at the donald. >> and stealing the spotlight was first lady michelle obama. look at her. amazing in a custom gown by one of her favorite designers, a canadian, jason wu. >> nice tribute to the canadians there. and among the attendee s some of hollywood's best known, canadian ryan reynolds with his american wife blake lively and mike myers looking different along with "saturday night live" producer lorne michaels. >> everyone looked pretty dazzling. >> justin bieber not in attendance. >> no, you were disappointed by that. >> yes. >> send a letter to the white house. >> yes, start a petition. next up an effort to deal with what you're seeing there in the wall, that's a depiction of what's known as man spreading. >> my eyes up here, ladies. of course, man spreading is when

some guy takes up more than one seat for whatever good reason he no doubt has and now a proposal in the bay area calls for hefty fines for offenders. >> first offense, 100 bucks, second time, 200 bucks, repeat offenders after that a $500 fine. the proposal must be approved by transit officials. okay, and it's been said that golf is a good walk spoiled. one group's round was nearly spoiled by a fox. >> this happened on a course in ireland. the players looking on as a fox pokes around in a golf bag. >> then the fox grabs a wallet, yeah, and takes off. one of the guys had to give chase. thankfully the fox dropped the wallet and was retrieved. that's the last time they'll let a fox get that close. >> nope. it's pretty impressive that the fox knew to go right after the wallet, right? i'm wondering if the taste of leather wasn't so good and realized it wasn't so good after all. >> talk about your golf hazards.

>> talk about smarter than a fox. more news after this. i accept i'm not 22. i accept i do a shorter set these days. i even accept i have a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. but i won't play anything less than my best. so if there's something better than warfarin, i'm going for it. eliquis. eliquis reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin, plus it had significantly less major bleeding than warfarin... eliquis had both... that's what i wanted to hear. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... ...and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk

if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. i accept i don't play ...quite like i used to. but i'm still bringing my best. and going for eliquis. reduced risk of stroke plus less major bleeding. ask your doctor... ...if switching... ...to eliquis is right for you. do you sign invoices likeour fathey're autographs?en, then you might be gearcentric. right now, buy two get one free on all pens, pencils, and markers! office depot officemax. gear up for great®. one...is all it takes...... ...to turn the tables. crest 3d white toothpaste... ...removes 5 times more stains...

...than the red box. for a smile like that, crest 3d white... is the way to whiten.

live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> if you are not waking up to rain you will see it soon as a threat of swollen rivers and creeks beyond. good morning to the 4:30 club, today is the most rainy day of the week the i am regular. >> i am natasha zouves. it is friday, march 11 and now a check on both and traffic. mike? >> looking quiet. just light rain out there. i am starting to see the yellows develop along the coast, through half moon bay and this is all heading up to the northeast. look what is behind it: stronger cell of moderate-to-heavy rain. that will push on to the peninsula. through san francisco and to

oakland and vallejo the next hour or so. sfo from 10:00 today, this morning, until 5:00 this evening, it is going to be bumpy with weather wanting because of the wins. here is the day planner, heavy rain moving in through 7:00, becoming more scattered at noon and thunderstorm is possible during the afternoon hours. we will get you call the up on the watches, there are a lot. >> in the richmond-san rafael traffic is light and c.h.p. has lifted a winter weather advisory but it is still blustery. i got blown around this morning coming in on the golden gate bridge so, remember, roads are wet and slick. we have reports of a solo spinout with traffic on the san mateo bridge for 4:30 in the morning, solo spinout on the high-rise blocking the left lane with possible accidents and another car and c.h.p. is back on that in the next report. >> storm watches in affect throughout the bay area and that will be until the end of the weekend, we are mily --

particularly concerned about the north by. amy? >> good morning, it is not raining here, we are in novato, the north bay here, getting a little bit of a break. a break that the north bay did not see yesterday. look at what they were dealing with yesterday, the rain was relentless it would not step. everyone keeping a close eye on the creek. look for how they are moving with the creek to show you, and we have the creek in mill valley, firefighters, businesses and residents, all watching the creeks rise. they are watching them closely. >> we have three storms over the weekend, the first hitting right now. we have a heightened level of awareness. >> the fire department in mill valley said that they will put out a reverse 9-1-1 call if the flood does spill over the banks.