making news in america this morning, the senate taking on russia's interference in the election. the first hearing getting under way today as new allegations surface about hundreds of hackers paid to spread fake news about hillary clinton before the election. we just learned when president trump will meet with the president of china. new this morning, lawmakers strike a late night deal in north carolina's bathroom bill. how a vote today could put an end to the controversial law. a medical emergency at 30,000 feet, a co-pilot collapsing in the cockpit and the emergency landing. new details about what happened. plus, this -- >> whatever will be will be. you know, there's nothing i can do about it. >> a great grandmother stranded in her car for days. hear how her quick thinking kept her alive.

and we do say good morning, everyone. the investigation into russia's influence in the u.s. election takes center stage today on capitol hill. >> the senate intelligence committee is holding its first hearing on the case and the leading republican and democrat on the panel are vowing to work hand in hand. >> they are planning to interview a long list of witnesses including the president's son-in-law, jared kushner. abc's janai norman joins us on what will be a critical day in washington, d.c., good morning, janai. >> reporter: good morning. the intelligence committee in both chambers has been looking into russia's election meddling and possible ties to the trump administration. while the house investigation is essentially on hold, senators are promising to work together. a rare bipartisan promise, the top republican and democrat on the senate intelligence committee pledging a nonpartisan collaboration to get to the bottom of russia's interference

in last year's election. >> and that should be a concern to all americans regardless of party affiliation. >> reporter: senator mark warner said that includes investigating disturbing reports a russian army of so-called trolls used fake news and blasted negative stories about hillary clinton on the internet to hurt her chances of winning the presidency and help donald trump. >> at least some reports and we've got to get to the bottom of in that there were upwards of a thousand paid internet trolls working out of a facility in russia. >> reporter: the two senators said they'll be open throughout the investigation and even share sources. >> he usually knows my sources before i do. >> and let me assure you, i've also got his cell phone. >> reporter: it's a far cry from the chaos unfolding across the capitol with the house intelligence committee. >> it doesn't apply to your committee, though? >> no. >> reporter: chairman devin nunes is still refusing to recuse himself, the congressman on president trump's transition team came under fire for rushing

to brief the white house on information he received before telling his own committee. we then learned the day before he had a secret meeting with a source on white house grounds. he is still refusing to reveal the source as more republicans are questioning his credibility. >> has he lost credibility? are you concerned he can't lead an impartial investigation? >> i think so. i really do. >> reporter: and senators say their committee has looked over thousands of documents and outlined a list of 20 witnesses they plan to interview. that list includes former acting attorney general sally yates. kendis and diane. >> all right, janai norman live from washington. many people will be listening in to see what that testimony reveals. thanks, janai. one more note about something critical on the calendar. we actually learned late this morning that president trump and the president of china will hold their first face-to-face meeting next week. >> china says president xi jinping will travel to florida a week from today for a two-day visit at president trump's mar-a-lago estate. he had sharply criticized china during the campaign.

and breaking overnight, the president's travel ban will stay blocked for the time being. a federal judge in hawaii extended his previous order. the state has argued the ban discriminates against muslims and hurts hawaii's tourism industry. the white house has argued the executive order comes under the president's power to protect national security. ivanka trump now has an official job in the white house. the president's daughter has been hired as assistant to the president. it's a government position, but she will not take a salary. ethics experts had questioned trump's plans to serve in an informal capacity. she released a statement saying she's working in good faith to address the unprecedented nature of her role, but before her father took office, trump appeared to have different plans. >> i'm going to be a daughter, but i've said throughout the campaign that i am very passionate about certain issues and that i want to fight for them. you know, there are a lot of things that i feel deeply, strongly about but not in a formal administrative capacity. >> trump still owns her fashion

brand, but she's handed over daily management to the company's president. new jersey governor chris christie has a new role with the administration. he's now leading a task force on opioid and substance abuse. a pledge he and the president as you see there shook on. but as that was happening, two of his former aides were sentenced to prison for their roles in the plot to shut down the nation's busiest bridge. bridget kelly received 18 months and bill baroni was given 2 years. north carolina lawmakers are expected to vote on new legislation today to repeal its bathroom law that sparked outrage nationwide. the original measure requires people to use public restrooms that correspond with their gender on their birth certificate. republican leaders and the democratic governor reached a compromise overnight that would repeal that law but still leaves state legislatures in charge of policy on restrooms. gay rights activists say it's still discriminatory. now to the weather and the very strong severe storm system

that wreaked havoc in texas and other states is working its way eastward. it is now hammering louisiana and mississippi. the system will continue moving east so bad today that schools in tennessee are closed as a result. accuweather's justin povick has the forecast. good morning, justin. >> kendis and diane, thanks and good morning to you. we're tracking more severe weather on this thursday. this go around, the tennessee valley, the deep south and also the gulf coast states. heavy rain, flooding, damaging winds, hail and tornadoes all going to be possible, especially as we work our way throughout the afternoon and into the evening hours. meanwhile, into the northeast, it's a cooler day, but rain is on the move later on into the afternoon. kendis, diane. >> justin, thank you. and first lady melania trump made a rare appearance handing out awards to women she described as true heroes. this was at an event celebrating international women of courage at the state department. 13 women from around the world

were honored, and mrs. trump praised them for fighting on the front lines against injustice. all 13 will take part in an exchange program in cities around the united states. well, still ahead, the new changes coming to the oscars after this year's major mishap. and new this morning, a co-pilot collapses midflight. the pilot declares an emergency landing. see how the plane made it down safely. plus, a must see rescue as firefighters race into a burning building.

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it's not unusual to see a disabled vehicle parked on the shoulder of a highway, but this one, well, it had wings. the two people on board said the cessna experienced engine failure. they weren't injured and the plane wasn't damaged and traffic on i-75 there in south florida just kept on moving. nothing to see there. in the meantime, in

southwest texas investigators are looking into a deadly head-on crash. at least 13 members of a church were killed when their van collided with a pickup truck. the truck's driver and another person in the van were also injured. a witness who was behind one of the vehicles reportedly noticed reckless driving before the incident. church members gathering as news of the crash started to spread. >> lift us up. lift this church up. lift the people on the bus up. lift their families up and even the driver of the other car, you know, i don't know what happened to him or her, but lift that family up too. >> the prayers of the church members there. now, the church will have counselors available today to comfort those who are grieving. police are releasing new details on the woman charged with murder in a botched oklahoma home invasion. saying she planned the crime. investigators say 21-year-old elizabeth rodriguez was supposed to be the getaway driver. she allegedly took three teenage boys to a home outside tulsa on monday. then made them return to the

home to steal more valuables. all three of them were shot to death by the homeowner's son. detectives say rodriguez drove off after the killings now being held without bond on murder and burglary charges. a senate subcommittee has heard from a man allegedly poisoned by the putin regime. russian activist vladimir kara-murza says he nearly died after the latest incident last month. he says what happened to him is an example of what the kremlin will do to silence critics. kara-murza says he wants help in fighting putin's government, but not in the form of political support. >> what we do ask for, the only thing, in fact, we ask for from our friends in the international community including the leaders of the democratic countries is that you're honest and open about what's happening in our country, that you recognize and call things for what they are and that you stay true to the values and principles of which your systems are based.

>> kara-murza has now had two attempts on his life. the first was in 2015. last month's incident left him in a coma. doctors still don't know what was used to poison him. the number of deaths involving pedestrians are soaring, and it appears cell phones are to blame. according to the governor's highway safety association, there were 6,000 pedestrian deaths last year. that, by the way, the highest in more than two decades. researchers say the biggest factor is drivers and walkers distracted, of course, by those cell phones. and samsung is moving on after those disastrous smartphone fires. it has unveiled its next flagship smartphone. it is the galaxy s8. it comes in two sizes. it has edge-to-edge screen facial recognition, bixby, which is a virtual assistant and samsung says it also gets more tests and inspections than previous ones to prevent battery problems like the note 7. when we come back, a great grandmother lost in the wilderness for five days. how a wrong turn almost cost her life and how she was saved.

plus, a man rescues a bear cub, but he may have broken the law actually. overnight we learn whether or not he'll be cited. how do they make starburst taste so juicy? they use wicked small fighter jets to shoot the juiciness into every starburst. [ pilot ] it's about to get juicy.

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a severe storm near houston tossed cars and trucks around the parking lot as if they were just toys. strong winds also overturned trucks, trailers and tore the roof off one of the buildings. driving most of texas will be a breeze today, but many roads in the south may be flooded or wet. all the way from the gulf coast to the great lakes, watch out for snow and even avalanches in the western mountains and rain and mudslides in the northwest. if you're flying expect some airport delays in chicago, detroit, memphis and new orleans. an american airlines flight ended in tragedy when its co-pilot suffered a medical emergency in the cockpit. >> he lost his life despite paramedics performing cpr for more than a half hour on the ground. abc's alex stone with the details.

>> reporter: american airlines flight 1353 from dallas was landing in albuquerque when a man believed to be the captain made this emergency call to the airport tower. >> tower american 1353, yeah, we've got an issue with one of the pilots has declared an emergency. we'd like to have the medical crew meet us on landing. >> which gate? >> we're going to bravo one. >> reporter: the boeing 737 landed and taxied normally to a gate where it was met by paramedics. once at the gate first officer william grubbs known as mike was pronounced dead. american airlines identifying the pilot while the captain had maintained control of the landing. landing a modern airliner can be done safely by a single pilot but stress in the cockpit was likely high as the first officer had the medical issue on final approach. in 2015, an american airlines pilot died on a flight from phoenix to boston. that plane made an emergency landing in new york. in wednesday's case, american airlines says in a statement to

abc news, "we're taking care of first officer grubbs' family and colleagues and our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time." alex stone, abc news, los angeles. >> alex, thank you. a dangerous mission was caught on camera in brockton, massachusetts. firefighters pulled an elderly man from a building apartment after -- an apartment building, that is, after he was trapped on a third floor balcony. you can see them carrying him to safety. he escaped with just minor injuries. they crew said they happened to be nearby on another job and they spotted the smoke before the first alarm even came in. an incident in oregon has authorities reminding those who enjoy the outdoors to leave the wildlife alone after a hiker posted these photos showing him caring for a bear cub. he brought it to a wildlife center, but officials say doing that usually decreases an animal's chances of survival back in the wild.

we understand the cub's health, though, is improving. this morning, a great grandmother is talking about her survival story after getting stranded in her own car. 85-year-old ruby stein took a wrong turn after visiting her family in colorado. she drove deep into the rural mountainous area and got stuck on a muddy road for five days. stein melted snow on the dashboard for water, rationed rice krispie treats and contemplated actually eating cat food. stein had no cell phone signal but she didn't give up hope. >> i was never so glad to see anybody in my life because i've always been a strong woman, a strong person, i believe in whatever happens happens for a reason. >> she says that her cat who was with her at the time kept her spirits up. eventually the two hikers stumbled on her car and rescued her. >> very cool story. the cat had a trunk full of food. the cat. we can hack out here. >> i'm good. >> as long as you want. >> let's hang out. got a litter box outside. it's called nature. we're good. >> all right. good thing she had some company and happy to see she made it home okay.

now let's head over to some sports starting with the nhl which is heading to china for the first time ever. the league has announced that the los angeles kings and the vancouver canucks will play two preseason games there. >> so, those games will take place september 21st in shanghai and two days later in beijing. both teams have held youth hockey camps in china in recent years. the kings won their game last night, by the way. the canucks didn't play. all right, as for last night's nba action, let's get the highlights from espn. good morning, america. i'm not buttoning my jacket for this. he's kenny. >> i care a little bit more obviously. >> apparently. >> the warriors and spurs competed in a basketball game and it was rather one-sided. some of the warriors came out early to try to stack up points. but those didn't count. that was kevin durant. that wasn't. the spurs went out to a 22-point lead, but then this stuff happened. klay thompson down low, steph curry. steph got called for traveling in this game. not that time.. they know who they are.

they're the warriors. they came back from way down to win it. >> russell athletics went for 57, the most ever while amassing a triple-double, and he did it in style too. this was a team that was down 20 plus points, and then westbrook i could say single-handedly -- >> nope. >> -- put the team on its back but neither of those would be true. >> not true at all. the other guys played. >> yeah, other guys played. >> got on his back, yeah, westbrook who was drafted by the sonics -- kevin durant. this went to overtime because westbrook hit a shot at the buzzer in regulation. you can just imagine what that looked like. thunder won by 8. >> here's a little sports fact you can drop at the water cooler. first time this season in the nba that two teams on the same night came back to win after being down 20 or more points. wow, your sports friends will be impressed. >> i'm going to drop that on my husband later. >> yeah, exactly. i've already forgotten it.

all right, so up next in "the pulse," let's call it a bad bust. so, this is a statue of one of the world's most famous athletes. can you tell who it is? and the academy is making some changes at the oscars after this year's whole best picture fiasco. we'll tell you what. it's late it's an all nighter when are we even going to sleep? got a little all nighter refuel going on this is the best morning ever! look at that joy and excitement mmmmm but when we brought our daughter home, that was it. now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how.

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backstage. >> oh. portuguese soccer star cristiano ronaldo has taken on a new look. but it's not so flattering. >> okay, so ronaldo is on many lists where they say he is the most handsome man in the world but the bust of him at the portuguese airport that now bears his name isn't really cutting it. >> so here's a side-by-side look of ronaldo's likeness sparked a lot of reaction on social media. >> this one on twitter says which is worst, the ronaldo bust or tom brady courtroom sketch. >> then the comparison to the crying jordan. >> of course. >> in bust form. i sure had a lot to think about. what about the people i care about? ...including this little girl. and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital, but wondered, was this the best treatment for me? so i asked my doctor. and he recommended eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. yes, eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding

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good morning. it march 30th. natasha is off today. >> mike, when i was driving in, it was wet. was it the same for you guys? >> i didn't see anything, but i see it on the cameras. >> i had little drizzles. i came across the bay bridge, so it's out there. here's a look at those, and you can see a little there, and it's enough to make the tarmac wet down at it's a mild morning. the breezes will kick up at 7:00 and they will keep us in the low

to mid-60s , about ten degrees cooler than normal. san mateo bridge, you will notice the camera shaking around a little, too. we have a high wind advisory with the san mateo bridge and bay bridge. and also a couple trouble spots to kick things off here today, including a rollover crash on the 66th avenue on the ramp to 880, north of the coliseum. that's next. and then the elections office in >> matt, how big is the problem? >> reporter: jessica, it's big enough that it caught the attention of a local state lawmaker. he wants to make sure when you vote you don't question the

validity of the election results. an assembly committee approved an audit, and the assemblymen cited several errors over the past several years, and the latest came where the wrong dates were placed in three different places, and they don't know of any other county that has the same frequency of mistakes, and the after these past mistakes they will continue to look at the way to improve all of the processes. the odd it is expected to take five months. developing news in san francisco. police are searching for the person that open fire killing a 65-year-old woman. she was walking down the street. >> two men were also hit and are expected to survive. it happened yesterday in the ocean view neighborhood at

plymouth and broad street. >> we knew she was on her way out. >> the 65-year-old seen in this go fund me picture was killed in the ocean view neighborhood. she was one of three people hit by gunfire. >> it's a wednesday, and, like, to me, that's unheard of. >> the non-profit faces the intersection of plymouth and broad street. two men were also hit. a contract working for muni and a local resident walking home from the store. one of them stumbled into anna's market. >> call the police. we don't know what happened. >> police released few details about the shooter or shooters. >> and we are doing all we can