making news in america this morning -- widespread damage after a tornado outbreak. homes and buildings leveled overnight. people inside a collapsed starbucks surviving after getting in the bathroom. plus, a new hurricane named late last night. rescuers in italy are digging through piles of rubble after a powerful earthquake, trying to rescue any survivors beneath. survivors are being now pulled from the debris. donald trump ramping up the rhetoric against hillary clinton calling her a bigot overnight. clinton responding. and watch as bullets fly as a restaurant, customers forced to duck for cover. police say it's actually a waiter firing that gun. we'll tell you what started it all.

and good thursday morning. we begin with breaking news, major damage in the midwest after powerful tornadoes touched down. >> the line of severe storms hit first in indiana and then moved over to ohio late last night. this is just one of the twisters as you can see, picking up a barn there, as it tore through a rural area near tornado. >> in kokomo, indiana, this is what's left of a starbucks, completely flattened. luckily, everyone inside was able to take cover and survive. kenneth moton continues our storm coverage. >> reporter: tornado emergency in indiana. >> we headed for the basement and it was crazy. like our roof got ripped up. >> reporter: this morning, residents are getting a better look at the mass destruction just outside of indianapolis. at least eight twisters were spotted. >> it's been a very active afternoon of weather for us.

>> reporter: roofs torn off apartment buildings. homes and neighborhoods obliterated. vehicles tossed like toys. one strong storm in kokomo. >> a lot of power outages throughout the city. even in areas that weren't directly impact bd i the tornadoes. >> reporter: students took cover in school hallways. customers and workers in this now-flattened starbucks survived in a bathroom. this 14-year-old boy got to safety in his home just in time. >> it jerked the door out of my %-p. >> reporter: a one-two punch for the heartland. in iowa, flooding after more than 8 inches of rain fell. the men of the luther college football team left the field to help their neighbors. >> making sure they were safe and their possessions were safe before going back and playing the game. it was kind of easy to do. >> our thanks to kenneth.

and to another weather note, the storm known as gaston is now a hurricane. far out in the atlantic, the third hurricane of the season. it's not expected to threaten land. but 1,000 miles southeast of miami there is another system that we're looking at. forecasters say it could be a risk to south florida this weekend. the last hurricane to strike florida was in 2005. now to italy where the search is intensifying for survivors of yesterday's earthquake. >> the death toll from the quake rose to 247 overnight. three-quarters of the dead discovered in and around two of the three affected towns. a firefighter spokesperson said crews are still hopeful they'll find people alive. this is a live picture of amatrice there. you can see that small historic town, hard-hit there. abc's jennifer eccleston is following the developments. she joins us now from london. good morning, jennifer. >> reporter: good morning, italy's leader warned his citizens that the death toll would increase due to the large number of missing people.

but this is still a rescue operation and those teams digging throughout the night. many of them on the job for more than 24 hours. with bulldozers and bare hands, rescuers working feverishly. as the death toll rises this morning, there are amazing stories of survival. a 10-year-old girl pulled from the rubble 17 hours after the quake hit. shellshocked and covered in dust, but alive. this man speaking to an 80-year-old woman pinned under a collapsed building. he tells her to stay calm. that woman eventually saved and brought to a hospital to recover. abc's terry moran is in amatrice. >> just a few minutes ago,

one of the dogs seemed to have alerted on this rubble, they put a listening device. >> reporter: this drone video over the town showing the devastation, churches, homes and shops leveled by the tremor. the before and after pictures of main street, a grim testament to the destruction. new video this morning showing the moment that powerful earthquake hit. this traffic camera at a tollbooth shaking violently. the 6.2 magnitude quake unleashing more than 200 aftershocks so far, felt all the way in rome. rescue operations are under way across three italian provinces. in some of those towns for the survivors they're now homeless, spending last night outside under donated blankets. or makeshift camping areas. to make matters worse facing strong aftershocks. kendis and diane. >> that does make things worse. jennifer, the u.s. mission to italy just issued a statement to american citizens to stay away

from that region understandably, but what are we learning about any american casualties? >> as for americans caught up in the disaster, the state department say they're unaware of any deaths. but they instruct all u.s. citizens to check in not only with their families but also make immediate contact with the american embassy. that's a good thing to do whenever you travel overseas. >> jennifer there for us live in london. great to hear at least some survivor stories. now to afghanistan and that deadly siege at the american university in kabul. it is finally over, at least 12 people were killed in the attack. and dozens more wounded. some managed to escape. others barricaded themselves in classrooms. bombs were detonated and guns fired. at least two of the attackers are dead. at least 700 students were evacuated from the school. and u.s. navy is calling an

incident between iranian vessel and u.s. destroyer unsafe and unprofessional. in the persian gulf. it came within 300 of the u.s. vessel. u.s. officials said the iranian ignored repeated warnings and radio calls. it's the most recent in several incidents of iranian ships of taunting u.s. vessels in the persian gulf. now to "your voice, your vote," and the latest name-calling on the road to the white house. >> donald trump has launched a new assault on hillary clinton labeling her a bigot as he tries to appeal to minority voters. the insults came during a rally in jackson, mississippi, last night. >> hillary clinton is a bigot. who sees people of color only as votes not as human beings worthy of a better future. >> clinton immediately fired back telling cnn last night that trump is the one pedaling

bigotry prejudice, paranoia. >> he's taking a hate movement mainstream. >> and we can expect to hear much more on this issue. hillary clinton is set to deliver a speech in nevada today aimed at linking donald trump to the alternative right movement often associated with white nationalism. >> it was actually kind of interesting. trump not only one getting a lot of attention for what happened at that rally last night. >> take a look at this woman standing behind trump as he made that comment where he called hillary clinton a bigot. you can see her eyes go very wide. some people got a kick out of it. they made gifs and memes online. >> it's a trump rally, you know to expect the unexpected at times. still ahead -- two bird strikes in one day at one of the country's busiest airports.

and the teen sentenced for sexual assault. and a dramatic shooting at a restaurant. hear why the waiter opened fire. ire. they don't help single moms. hi. hi. what happened to our house last year? it flooded. and the water flooded out. yeah. the red cross arranged the hotel for us. they gave me that break, that leverage, to be able to get it together

and... take care of them, you know? i feel like we've come full circle. like that! this is how i'll do it. sarah: there you go. wow. college already. ( chuckles ) yeah. - ( engine starts ) - we gotta go. ♪ for all the truth that you made me see... ♪ i love you. ♪ for all the joy you brought to my life... ♪ i love you too, daddy. ♪ you're the one who saw me through... ♪

and thanks - for everything. - ♪ through it all... - ♪ you were my strength when i was weak... ♪ - ( woman speaks ) a message from the foundation for a better life. it's a big concern in aviation, two flights were struck by birds and just hours apart. these strikes happened yesterday at new york's jfk airport. a small bird struck the side of a jetblue flight upon landing. and two hours later, a flock of birds hit a singapore airlines flight. both flights landed without incident. bird strikes can be serious. an investigation is under

way this morning after a woman fell to her death on a zipline course. the 59-year-old woman was at the go ape treetop adventure in delaware when she fell 40 feet. she was treated at the scene but pronounced dead at the hospital. there's more pressure this morning on a major drug company after a massive price increase on epipen. the american medical association is now calling on mylan pharmaceuticals to bring down the cost. they jacked up the price 400%. now charging $600. mylan ceo blamed the increase in part on obamacare. a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit over the amount of ice in starbucks cold drinks. a man sued the chain the use of too much ice misleads customers on the drink size. the judge said a reasonable person knows that

volume of ice drink includes ice. here's an x-ray of her hands. those circles are microchips. they allow her to unlock doors without using a key, kind of like the force. she can also access her computer without a password. problem solved. >> i kind of feel like i have the force when i walk into a supermarket and the doors open. >> you do? coming back -- more trouble for hope solo. why the soccer star is being suspended. and going viral, a soccer team's trick that got this reaction. what did they do? reaction. what did they do?

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like no artificial colors or preservative ingredients. and with 70 calories... maybe we're kind of bragging? new light & fit. this morning, we're tracking severe weather in the center of the country. radar shows storms moving toward the chicago area. >> and those storms will make for wet roads from the midwest down into the plains. showers as well and storms are also possible from the southwest up to colorado and montana. if you're flying, you can expect airport delays in chicago and kansas city. a massachusetts judge is facing backlash over the sentencing of a teen in a sexual assault case. >> apparently that judge ignored prosecutor's recommendation for prison time and thousands want him to pay with his job. abc's linzie janis with more. >> reporter: thousands of online petitioners are calling for the removal of the judge who sentenced 18-year-old david becker to probation instead of

prison time after he was charged with sexually assaulting two classmates. at a plea hearing in june, the judge thomas estes siding with becker's lawyer who argued that becker had already suffered due to his actions. becker was arrested in april after two 18-year-old girls told police they had been drinking at a house party and went to sleep in a bed with him. according to police documents, each of them said they woke up at separate times to becker assaulting them. becker told police he was unaware that one of the alleged victims was sleeping and he denied having any contact with the other. linzie janis, abc news, new york. some patrons in a texas steakhouse got quite a scare after gunfire erupted right in the middle of serving. witnesses said a waiter fieshd three rounds into the ceiling after he was put in a headlock. those witnesses told police that he was first berated by two customers after bringing out the wrong order. no arrests have been made. authorities may charge the customer with assault and the

waiter with unlawful carry of a weapon. a major health headline this morning, a new study adds to research that ties obesity with your risk to cancer. previous studies had linked being overweight to five types of cancer. but now, years after reviewing years of data, scientists are linking at least eight more cancers to excessive weight gain. they include stomach cancer, as well as liver, gallbladder, pancreatic and ovarian. star u.s. goalkeeper hope solo will be on the sideline for a while. the u.s. soccer has suspended her for six months and terminated her contract after she called sweden a bunch of cowards. the u.s. soccer call her comments unacceptable. solo said she's saddened by the federation's decision. her supporters called the punishment overly harsh saying it's far more severe than the treatment received by ryan lochte following his robbery story. well, no cowards in baseball especially when you take a look

at this highlight of a walk-off. >> here are our guys at espn. good morning, "sportscenter" from los angeles. stan verrett, neil everett. let's start here in l.a. >> yeah, i'm wearing pants. john cueto and the giants, visiting the dodgers. get a farmer john's hot dog. justin turner putting mustard on it. gone. cueto. cueto had a no-hitter going until turner hit that. pitched well, six innings, five hits. nothing earned. joe blanton to the wall. not enough from crawford. dodgers in the end. how about the red sox and rays. boston and toronto, in chase for the a l. east. david ortiz, oldest player with

a 30 home run season. red sox take a 2-0 lead. to the 7th, he drops the ball. dropped ball at the plate. luke maile scores and the red sox go down 4-3. the rays walk off with the victory. both these races are going to go down to the end. a.l. east and n.l. west. >> the pants comment was an inside joke. >> that's enough of that. back to you. >> that is. >> just leave it at that. up next in "the pulse" -- a sea of red bags and mixup for olympians at the airport. the science behind the sneeze, proof that you should really cover your mouth. ou should really cover your mouth. it's a tangle of multiple symptoms. ♪

♪ trintellix (vortioxetine) is a prescription medicine for depression. trintellix may start to untangle or help improve the multiple symptoms of depression. for me, trintellix made a difference. tell your healthcare professional right away if your depression worsens, or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. trintellix has not been studied in children. do not take with maois. tell your healthcare professional about your medications, including migraine, psychiatric and depression medications to avoid a potentially life-threatening condition. increased risk of bleeding or bruising may occur especially if taken with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners. manic episodes or vision problems may occur in some people. may cause low sodium levels. the most common side effects are nausea, constipation and vomiting. trintellix did not have significant impact on weight. ask your healthcare professional if trintellix

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♪ time to check the pulse, starting with an olympic-size headache you might say at baggage claim. >> when britain gave athletes matching red luggage. the olympian tweeted, mine's the red one. >> alex gregory said, anyone seen my red bag? >> some saw the task of collecting their luggage more daunting than the games themselves. we're about to show you why you should cover your nose and your mouth when you sneeze. this is what it looks like in slo-mo. not moisture and air shooting from your face. those large droplets they can land up to 6 feet away. the smaller ones more than 25 feet. >> researchers at m.i.t. said

respiratory infections easily hop from person to person. keep them to yourself. >> yes, please. you have to do the elbow >> coaches want their players to use their heads. soccer coaches more than others. >> at syracuse university, that liam callahan in the middle, the goal is 25 headers between each other and then this -- into the garbage can. they all celebrated like they won the world cup. >> callahan will be on "good morning america" to tell us how all of that worked out. >> i think i would have been

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>> good morning, south basement let's get going. this is abc7 morning. >> good morning, 4:30 club on this friday eve. i am natasha zouves. >> i am reggie aqui. >> jessica castro and mike nicco and alexis smith is here with traffic. mike? >> a little wet. as far as measurable rain, check out live doppler hd. you do not need the umbrella. the exploritorium shows the marine layer is lower. 52 to 58 through 7:00. at noon, 57 to 75. cool to comfortable with a few lingering clouds and 59 at the cost to 85 inland the clouds are remaining at the coast. the rest of us need the sunglasses. >> we have a me tell problem,

westbound 580 at the altamont pass. often the traffic map you can see the red. this is the same spot we had a stall at this time yesterday at north flynn road. it sounds like a experts car was traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control causing a traffic collision with another vehicle. trying to confirm in this is off to the shoulder. another update in a few. >> in san francisco, the search is on right now for a man seen on camera punching a woman in the face. >> over and over. he attack the stranger for no reason. amy hollyfield is here with the story. amy? >> some residents in pacific heights are talking of the need for security after this attack. it was caught on camera. look at the woman out for a walk at 7:45 in the evening on washington street. this is saturday night. a man just walked up to her and started hitting her. this happened on saturday.

the woman said she did not know the man. police hope someone will see this video and recognize him. and help them make an arrest. we showed the video to people living in the area. >> very surprised. we will have to have gathering and be able to pay for some guard to go around the block on a regular basis because we cannot live with that. >> this happened at lafayette park. the man broke the william's nose and several -- in place severals. he could be homeless. they do not know if he suffers from mental illness or under the influence of drugs or which will. if you know anything about this man call police. >> terrible video. a bart station in san francisco is back on a