d biennial and biennial and biannual andmorning, new york s. the presidential candidates converging on the empire state. donald trump greeted by hundreds of protesters and a cold welcome for cruz, told to get out of the bronx as the back and forth heats up between hillary clinton and bernie sanders. breaking overnight, severe storms tearing through the south causing damage and spawning possible tornadoes. plus, the dry and windy conditions on the west coast sparking wildfires. caught on camera, a school police officer slamming a female student. this morning the student and her mother talking about what happened. and what a mess all over a house. the prints left behind leaving no doubt who's the culprit. the pictures going viral.

good thursday morning, everyone. we're going to get started with the latest war of words in the race for the white house. the front-runners really hoping to rebound from wisconsin on their home turf now. >> 10,000 people came out to see donald trump in new york as supporters and protesters clashed outside hurling insults at each other. but police managed to keep them apart. inside, trump blasted ted cruz, and the democrats are also exchanging fierce attacks. it's "your voice, your vote." we get the latest from abc's stephanie ramos. good morning, stephanie. >> reporter: good morning, reena and kendis. you got it. the presidential candidates are back on the campaign trail trying to reach out to voters ahead of another big primary vote. >> all: bernie, bernie, bernie. >> reporter: at a rally in pennsylvania, a bolder bernie sanders. >> let me just say in response

to secretary clinton, i don't believe that she is qualified if she is -- >> reporter: sanders firing back after hillary clinton released a flurry of attacks his way. the clinton camp tweeting, "this is a new low," saying clinton never said sanders was not qualified. with new york set to vote in less than two weeks, clinton is gripping a sanders stumble. >> on a number of important areas he doesn't have a plan at all. >> reporter: sanders tripping up during an interview with "the new york daily news" about how he'd break up the big banks. >> you think that the fed now has that authority? >> i don't know if the fed has the authority, i think the administration can have it. >> reporter: sanders remains unfazed despite his uphill climb to the nomination. clinton has nearly 700 more delegates. sanders needs to win 74% of the remaining delegates to beat her. for the republicans all eyes set on the empire state. a mob of protesters and supporters greeting donald trump in long island as the gop front-runner tries to win over new yorkers in his home state.

for ted cruz, a rough welcome in the bronx. >> get out of the bronx. >> reporter: cruz defending the remarks on new york values that he first made months ago while also trying to show off his spanish to an immigrant dominant community. [ speaking spanish ] >> reporter: so we're likely to see a battle over delegates at the gop convention this summer. on the democratic side that's something bernie sanders is hoping for as he goes up against hillary clinton. kendis and reena, back to you. >> and i imagine ted cruz is not going back to the bronx any time soon. >> no. >> stephanie, all right, thank you. well, severe weather is taking a huge toll in parts of the country, and it's not over yet. >> yeah, in central alabama a possible tornado touched down overnight crushing mobile homes, uprooting trees and knocking out power. no injuries reported so far, but some of those downed trees are blocking roads and trapping people in their cars. looking at the radar, you can see the massive weather system stretching from the florida panhandle to the canadian border and the storms in alabama overnight now moving through georgia. rain expected today in the northeast.

the other big weather story, winter has returned this weekend. more arctic air settling in. the freeze line from missouri to north carolina likely smashing some april cold records. but in the west, the heat. a suspicious wildfire now growing to nearly 1,500 acres along the california/arizona border. fire crews are having an especially tough time because of sizzling temperatures, gusting winds and dry conditions. the flames are burning near a resort area where some rv parks have already been evacuated. over in oklahoma the governor declaring a state of emergency in ten additional counties where flames driven by powerful winds have destroyed homes and forced hundreds of people to flee. wildfires have scorched hundreds of square miles, and at least one firefighter has been injured. we're going to turn now, though, to the growing worry nationwide over the zika virus outbreak. >> the obama administration is hoping to add some extra firepower to combating the spread of the virus. abc's diane macedo joins us now with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: reena and kendis,

good morning to you. nearly $600 million in federal money left over from the fight against ebola is now earmarked for research into a zika vaccine and efforts to stop the virus from spreading. but the white house and health experts say it's not enough. the administration's original emergency request of nearly $2 billion to congress still stands. zika has been linked to serious birth defects and brain damage in infants and even paralysis in adults. health officials now say at least two species of mosquito can carry the virus and latest maps show one of those species is stretching as far north as southern new england along the east coast. as of last wednesday, there have been 312 travel-related cases of zika in the united states. health officials now worry as temperatures warm up, people could start getting zika here in the u.s. kendis and reena. >> all right, diane, thank you for the latest on that. well, president obama hits the road today to promote supreme court nominee merrick garland, but it shouldn't be too difficult because he'll make his

argument, not from garland's hometown, at the university of chicago law school where the president once taught constitutional law. mr. obama wants garland to have a full hearing on capitol hill as outlined in the constitution despite objections from republican lawmakers. and it's not every day that you get a call from the white house, then again, it's not every day that you clinch the ncaa title. president obama personally reached out to the head coach of the national champion villanova wildcats calling jay wright to congratulate him on the big win. >> your team showed grit and, you know, really a high character team throughout the thing, so it was a pleasure to watch and congratulate all of them and tell jenkins that he looked pretty cool out there taking that shot. >> well, coach wright told the president that his wife had a crush on him. the president said to make sure that he brings her to the white house when the wildcats visit, and he promised to take a picture with her.

that's a selfie, everybody, a lot of people would have. >> that will be very cute to see those boys there, and the ladies will be there, as well. don't worry. >> exactly. don't write hate mail in to the white house because they are definitely going to be there. >> uconn. still ahead, a carmaker scrambling to fix a billing error that double charged customers for payments. and under arrest, a teacher with a gun at school working in the same district rocked by a massive shooting. caught on camera, a truck toppling in high winds while driving over a bridge.

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you're watching an extreme case of road rage in southern california. a motorist says that he was rear ended by a chauffeur driving an suv then attacked by that same chauffeur. he smashed his window apparently with a crowbar, and police are investigating but so far no arrests.

a flight heading to san francisco was forced to return to hawaii after the pilots got concerned about having enough fuel. the flight was halfway across the pacific when the pilots realized that they were in a condition known as overburn. that's too much fuel being burned because of strong head winds. >> we do know to a great extent what those winds are going to be, but that is a long stretch of water, and there's no weather stations out there. >> well, such a return is rare, but the rules for reserve fuel at landing is very strict. a middle school teacher in newtown, connecticut, has been arrested after he was found carrying a gun at school. police say jason adams, who had a valid pistol permit, was charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds. he was placed on paid administrative leave. newtown, of course, the scene of a massacre at sandy hook elementary, which left 26 victims. a texas teenager is the tenth american whose death is blamed on takata air bags under recall. the 17-year-old was killed in a

car crash after the air bag in her 2002 honda civic ruptured. honda said it sent the registered owner a recall notice for it, but the repairs were never completed. more than 28 million of those inflaters are under recall. well, many honda owners are learning firsthand the dangers of automatic bill pay. honda finance deducted monthly car payments twice from many customers who then overwhelmed customer service lines. honda blames the payment processing error and promises that affected customers will begin receiving refunds today. >> that's not cool. when we come back, secret recording on the operating table. a patient shocked to hear what the doctors were saying about her. and remembering merle haggard. the tributes pouring in overnight for the country music legend. . are you?

nope animated attack. takata. great, mind if i have another taste? not at all mmm you're all right bud? never better i don't know if he likes that. yeah part of the complete breakfast hey sweetie, how was your first week? long. it'll get better. i'm at the edward jones office, like sue suggested. thanks for doing this, dad. so i thought it might be time to talk about a financial strategy. (laughing) you mean pay him back? knowing your future is about more than just you. so let's start talking about your long-term goals... multiplied by 13,000 financial advisors. it's a big deal. and it's how edward jones makes sense of investing. to you, they're more than just a pet. so protect them with k9 advantix ii. it kills fleas, ticks and mosquitoes.

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younger looking skin can start today. new absolutely ageless® from aveeno®. check this out. high winds nearly knocking this truck off a bridge in england. it scrapes along the railing and then smashes into a lamppost. no one seriously hurt, but the windshield of the truck took quite a beating. >> incredible images there. and here at home, it's wind along with wet weather creating problems for this morning's commute. plan on heavy wind gusts across the northeast, and watch out for rain-soaked roads from boston to d.c. and as such, airport delays are possible in d.c., philadelphia, new york and boston. a suspicious death in austin, texas, has students on edge this morning at one of the state's largest college campuses.

>> the body of a young woman was found at the bottom of a creek that winds through the university of texas campus. police are calling it a homicide, but they have not yet identified the woman. meantime, the university president is urging the 51,000 students to be extra cautious at night and to stick to well-lit sidewalks. also in texas, a mother of a 12-year-old girl body slammed by a school police officer is speaking out. cell phone video captured the moment when the officer grabbed the girl and threw her to the ground. he has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. the mother's demanding some answers from the school. >> i was upset. i was angry because i still couldn't believe that he had done that to her, and then she told me, mom, i wasn't fighting. why did he do that? >> right here it was a bigger bump the first day, but i mean it got down, but it's still bruised. >> the girl was suspended for two days for fighting, but she's been too scared to return to school. the police department says there's no tolerance for excessive use of force.

also in texas, a houston hospital patient is outraged over what doctors said about her while she was unconscious on the operating table. ethel easter had hidden a recording device in her hair extensions, and this is what it picked up. >> you see her belly button. >> easter admits argui with the doctor when he couldn't schedule her surgery sooner. in a letter to easter, the hospital says it alerted staff to be mindful of their comments at all times but that no further action is warranted at this time. easter is now considering suing. and florida governor rick scott was just trying to get his morning cup of joe at a gainesville starbucks when another customer went ballistic loudly ripping into him over his health care policies. >> you don't care about working people. you should be ashamed to show your face around here. you stripped women of access to public health care. shame on you, rick scott. >> well, that woman is a former commissioner in another city. she wouldn't let up on the governor until he finally gave

up and left and, by the way, he didn't end up getting his cup of coffee. this morning fans are mourning the loss of country music legend merle haggard known as the poet for the common man. haggard died yesterday on his 79th birthday ironically. he was a master guitarist, fiddler, singer, songwriter with dozens of number one songs drawing from real-life experiences including an early life of poverty and a stint in prison. stars are paying tribute. take a look. willie nelson tweeting this photo saying, "he was my brother, my friend. i will miss him." carrie underwood tweeting, "love and prayers for the haggard family. merle was a pioneer. a true entertainer, a legend. there will never be another like him." well, time now for sports. just nine days left until the nba playoffs start. >> yeah, some teams are still trying to clinch a spot. here with last night's highlights, our friends at espn. good morning. >> america. >> there you go. she's nicole. i'm neil. and if you haven't seen the dogs

playing hockey, google that and then just enjoy these highlights in the meanwhile. >> best thing you'll see all day, of course, besides this one. mavs and rockets. both teams vying for playoff positioning. j.j. barea had a baby earlier in the week. scoring a lot of points. 27 points, 8 assists. under 20 seconds to play. rockets down one, james harden with the ball stripped by dirk nowitzki. he had seven points. but that one, that strip, that's pretty big. devin harris at the line there making both free throws and then on another play, jason terry makes his first at the line but misses the second, clock goes to zero. mark cuban loves it. dallas wins, 88-86. san diego has not scored a run in its first two games of the season at home against the dodgers. and no team has been shut out in three consecutive games to open a season, this from lee swinger, research extraordinaire. kenta maeda, six innings, five hits, nothing earned. hit a home run.

that's it after andrew cashner. dodgers are up 5-0. they're going to win, 7-0. puig, yard, his first. the padres have yet to score a run. >> you wake up. we're going to go to bed. >> when you wake up, the padres will still have not scored a run. >> it'll still be 0-2. all right. thank you. well, last week we told you about a hard core texas rangers fan, elizabeth sullivan, 105 years old, of course, and chosen to throw out the first pitch at yesterday's game. >> oh, she got the whole vip treatment once she arrived at the ballpark, then when she took the slightly moved up mound and made her pitch, the crowd went crazy. and like all sporting event big shots she, of course, had a postgame press conference where she reminded everyone that her secret energy drink is dr. pepper, apparently three bottles every single day. >> three bottles of dr. pepper will keep the doctor away apparently for 105 years. all right. up next in "the pulse,"

germs at the gym. what piece of equipment is the nastiest. what a mess. a family comes home to this. one look at the paw prints, and it didn't take long to figure out what happened. one look at the paw prints, and it didn't take long to figure out what happened. my psoriatic arthritis i'm caused joint pain.o golfer. just like my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis.

and i was worried about joint damage. my doctor said joint pain from ra can be a sign of existing joint damage that could only get worse. he prescribed enbrel to help relieve pain and help stop further damage. enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common, or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. joint pain and damage... can go side by side. ask how enbrel can help relieve joint pain and help stop joint damage. enbrel, the number one rheumatologist-prescribed biologic. it's realizing beautyg doesn't stop at my chin. roc©'s formula adapts to delicate skin areas. my fine lines here?

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that's always one of the highlights. there were plenty of holes in one, perhaps though the best of all of them was 80-year-old golf legend gary player. he knocked it out of the green then a left hook down the hill and you see the celebration right into the hole. that shot is definitely one for the record books because player is now officially the oldest one to record a hole in one in the par 3 contest. >> how do i perfect that swing and get that exact same motion? >> you need some practice. >> i need a lot of practice. >> yeah. okay, so next before you head to the gym, you might want to bring some hand sanitizer. >> ooh, a new analysis of bacteria growing at large chains around the country finds that workout equipment is far germier than some of the grossest surfaces that we touch every day. >> really. >> here's an example. you see this exercise bike. it has 39 times more bacteria than a plastic cafeteria tray. and the treadmill, 79 times more bacteria than a water faucet. >> that's disgusting.

okay, but the worse offender apparently, free weights. >> don't you use free weights? >> not really. you can tell from these guns. clearly not. but they're covered with 362 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, 362 times more. >> than a toilet seat. >> yes. >> oh, my goodness. wash those hands. >> sweating to the oldies. right there. >> you like that. well and now this is why you should not leave your beloved family pet home for too long. >> this husky that you see there has good reason not to make good eye contact during a well deserved time-out. he left his mark all over the house literally and got its paws on some calligraphy ink and had a field day. >> so the family returned and thaw found these paw prints everywhere in the entire house. black ink all down the carpet, black ink all up the wall. guilt written all over the culprit's face, and you know who i'm talking about. >> did you know there was only one print on the bed. he was smart enough to know not

to go on the bed. >> more news after this. bed. >> more news after this. es of diabetic nerve pain, these feet were the first in my family to graduate from college, raised active twin girls, and trained as a nurse. but i couldn't bear my diabetic nerve pain any longer. so i talked to my doctor and he prescribed lyrica. nerve damage from diabetes causes diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is fda approved to treat this pain. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or blurry vision. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. now i have less diabetic nerve pain.

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> 4:28! >> good morning. >> i am regular. >> i am natasha zouves. >> we do not have the high temperatures to contend with today. >> no? >> you loved them. >> for one day. >> one day. >> now we are back to spring spring-like levels. a fair amount of cloud cover from the south. it will be cooler air moving in. we still have heat left over from yesterday. we had record highs in many spots. we are above average for now. 64 in san francisco. 67 in san jose. 68 in concord. 56 in livermore. a mix of sun and clouds.

cooler today than yesterday. highs in the mid-60s to mid-70's. noticeably cooler. sue? good morning. really mild. 66 in san rafael at 3:00 a.m here we go to the san mateo bridge. it is a nice ride this morning. nice and clear. 15-minute ride cross the span. san rafael is my drive with hardly any cars. beyond the north gate mall and the civic center. we have road work. we have an update on that in a few minutes. >> developing news, all lanes are open on highway 101 in san francisco. there was a deadly accident involving a motorcyclist. a man crashed his motorcycle on northbound 101 beyond the 80 split at 11:30 last knit. the victim flew over the guard rail and lunged several stories to the street below. he was pronounced dead at the scene. c.h.p. is asking for your help

to identify a driver that caused a deadly crash in redwood city and took off on northbound 101 before the woodside road exit in wood -- redwood city. >> at 1:00 p.m. a brown van was speeding on northbound 101 recklessly and hitting another car. according to the witnesses, the minivan struck the rear of the vehicle causing it to spin identity, hit the center, and overturn. it happened before the woodside road exit. >> the person did know they had caused the collision and this was complete disregard for life. >> the victim, 58 years old from pacifica was taken to stanford and pronounced dead. the driver of the minivan is nowhere to be found. c.h.p. officers say the vehicle was a brown early 200 toyota or nissan which likely has left front damage. the hope is someone spots the vehicle or has video of the