making news in america this wednesday morning, happening now, secretary of state rex tillerson meeting with top kremlin officials as he turns up the heat on russia and its involvement in syria. plus, press secretary sean spicer apologizing after saying hitler did not use chemical weapons. under fbi scrutiny, the bombshell new report this morning saying a former adviser to president trump was being monitored by the feds because of alleged ties to russia. what he told abc news overnight. the growing outrage following that united airlines fiasco. the new video this morning showing what happened before the incident. plus, a passenger on another overbooked united flight saying he was threatened with handcuffs. and caught on camera, look at this. a truck plows through a storefront, but this was no accident.

we do say good morning on this busy wednesday. i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm linsey davis in for diane macedo. we begin with those high-stakes talks getting under way in moscow this morning. secretary of state rex tillerson holding face-to-face meetings with russian officials amid a growing divide over syria. and following a major fumble by white house press secretary sean spicer, he had to apologize for a comment about hitler and the holocaust. that sparked international criticism and calls for him to be fired. abc's maggie rulli has the latest from washington. >> reporter: the u.s. puts moscow on notice just as secretary of state rex tillerson is set to begin a tense day of meetings with russia's foreign minister. the white house accusing the kremlin of engaging in a full-scale and deliberate cover-up of that deadly syrian chemical weapons attack ordered by syrian president bashar al assad on his own people.

>> frankly, putin is backing a person that's truly an evil person, and i think it's very bad for russia. i think it's very bad for mankind. >> reporter: on fox news president trump demands russia withdraw their support from the syrian regime but russian president vladimir putin -- [ speaking a foreign language ] >> reporter: -- continues to deny that the assad government was behind the attack. the future of u.s. involvement in syria remains uncertain. while ambassador to the u.n. nikki haley has said the u.s. is prepared to do more, president trump clearly states -- >> we're not going into syria. >> reporter: not providing any clarity, white house press secretary sean spicer igniting a firestorm after he suggested that not only is syria's bashar al assad worse than adolf hitler, but that hitler did not use chemical weapons during world war ii. >> you had, you know, someone as despicable as hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical

weapons. >> reporter: advocacy groups are calling for him to resign. spicer has since apologized for his comments. secretary tillerson says he's open for meeting with russian president vladimir putin. the two have a long-standing relationship and putin even once awarded him with the order of friendship. but, guys, that friendship is certainly being put to the test today. kendis and linsey. >> yeah, the kremlin saying that meeting with putin will not happen during this visit. maggie, thank you. a war of words is also escalating between the u.s. and north korea. >> yeah, the north threatened to respond to u.s. provocation with a nuclear strike. president trump tweeted, north korea is looking for trouble. the u.s. deployed an aircraft carrier to the korean peninsula and the president is making it clear that more firepower is on the way. >> i don't talk about the military. we are sending an armada, very powerful. we have submarines, very powerful, far more powerful than the aircraft carrier.

that i can tell you, and we have the best military people on earth, and i will say this, he is doing the wrong thing. >> that said president trump spoke by phone late last night with the chinese president xi jinping. the chinese leader reportedly said that he's willing to work with washington to try to curb north korea's nuclear ambition, but he wants a peaceful solution. the fbi reportedly obtained a secret court order to monitor the communications of a trump adviser last summer. according to "the washington post" intelligence officials believe carter page was acting as a russian agent. page is among those under scrutiny in the investigations into russian election meddling and possible collusion with the trump campaign, but he tells abc news that the existence of the warrant confirms that he was the victim of human rights violation. a new interview this morning is raising questions about the future of steve bannon's role.

in the trump administration. a "new york post" reporter asked the president if he has confidence in his top adviser. the president did not endorse bannon. he said, i like but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late. president trump also addressed bannon's feud with jared kushner who is another adviser and the president's son-in-law saying he told them to straighten it out. well, the attorney general jeff sessions has unveiled a new get tough approach to immigration. sessions toured the u.s./mexico border in arizona, and he outlined a series of changes to mark the start of a new crackdown calling on prosecutors to intensify their focus on immigration crimes and bring felony charges against people who enter the country illegally at least more than once. >> we don't have any obligation to keep somebody in our country who came here on permission, on a visa or illegally on top of that, and they get to commit crimes, and we have to apologize for deporting them from the country. this is ridiculous.

>> among other things sessions wants u.s. attorneys to prioritize prosecutions by appointing a border security coordinator to oversee investigations. overnight the gop managed to hang on to a congressional seat in a special election. ron estes replaces cia director mike pompeo in kansas' fourth district. estes won by seven percentage points just months after pompeo took the seat by 31 points. experts see all four races as a test of the so-called trump effect on gop seats. the next contest is in georgia. heavy rains pounded central texas causing massive flooding and stranding dozens of drivers. one driver is missing in ft. hood after being swept away in a flooded creek. dozens of people had to be rescued from their vehicles as floods washed out roads. look at those scenes. now, during the worst of the storm, drivers were advised to stay off the roads understandably. some power outages were also reported. in florida the governor has declared a state of emergency

over those raging wildfires. more than 20,000 acres already scorched this month alone. the flames have destroyed 19 homes. evacuation orders were lifted in pasco county. that's near tampa, but residents were warned to be on alert. much of the state experiencing drought conditions which officials blame for the flames. still ahead, higher gas prices for the summer. just how high will they go? and more fallout from the united airlines passenger getting dragged off a plane. the new video this morning showing what happened before the confrontation. plus, not so smooth criminal. the bumbling robber who dropped his cash during an escape. oops.

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overnight the 8-year-old who was killed in san bernardino was remembered at the place where he was shot. jonathan martinez was an innocent bystander when his teacher was gunned down by her estranged husband, and there are some new details that we're learning about that gunman in that deadly school shooting. records indicate cedric anderson's criminal past included an arrest for domestic violence. investigators say anderson walked into the elementary school's main entrance after trying several locked doors. they also say he reloaded his gun firing ten times killing his estranged wife karen smith as well as martinez. a 9-year-old student was also hit. that student is in stable condition. one woman is dead and two others injured after a workplace shooting in tennessee. witnesses say the woman opened fire outside an auto parts plant. one man and one woman were injured. police say the alleged shooter then took her own life. authorities say the male victim was a former boyfriend. investigators describe the shooting as a domestic incident

but no motive has been provided. german authorities say one of their country's biggest soccer teams was targeted by a series of explosions. three blasts shattered windows on a bus which was carrying the team to its stadium in northwest germany. one player was injured. a letter claiming responsibility was found. the match was rescheduled for tonight. german media report police are investigating a possible link between the explosions and islamic extremists. interesting development overnight. back here at home, a surprising one from embattled fox news host bill o'reilly. he's going on a break, on vacation. he says the break was planned months ago and that everyone needs a little r&r. it comes as dozens of companies have pulled advertisements from the popular show amid sexual harassment allegations. the program has seen a bump however in ratings. gas prices, they're going up this summer. the government estimates the average price of gas will increase to $2.46 a gallon. that's still lower than a few years ago.

if that price holds, it would mean the average household will spend $200 more on gas this year than last year. all right. when we come back, caught on camera, the dramatic moment a truck plows into a store and authorities say that was not an accident. and delay of game. the feline friend who crashed a major league baseball game. tech: when your windshield needs to be fixed... trust safelite autoglass. for these parents, driving around was the only way to get their baby to sleep. so when their windshield got cracked... customer: we can't drive this car. tech: ...they wanted it fixed right. so they scheduled with safelite. our exclusive trueseal technology means a strong, reliabe bond, every time. at safelite, we stand behind our work. bye, bye. because the ones you love, sit behind it. (parents whisper jingle) safelite repair, safelite replace.

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only tylenol® rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast, for fast pain relief. tylenol® this is not the way a california teen intended to take a dip. his mom says the 19-year-old crashed and then splashed into a santa clara pool because he was tired. he apparently was driving a friend home at 3:00 a.m. and fell asleep. he managed to get out of the car through the back door before it went under. well, now for a look at morning road conditions, expect a messy commute in the pacific northwest and from western texas into oklahoma. if you're flying you can

expect airport delays possibly in san francisco. united airlines is trying to end the firestorm over that video of a passenger being dragged off of a plane. >> yeah, the airline's ceo reversing course apologizing to the passenger as well as everyone else on board. this as the stock price takes a hit, and this morning we're seeing what was going on before the man was removed. abc's alex perez in chicago. >> reporter: united airlines hit by severe turbulence. [ screaming ] the video of that passenger being dragged off his flight to make room for united employees is seen by hundreds of millions around the world. >> oh, my god. look at what you did to him. >> reporter: even after being pulled from the plane, the passenger bolting back into the cabin. >> out of nowhere we saw him running back towards the end of the plane. he had blood streaming down his face. >> i'm physician. have to work tomorrow 8:00. >> reporter: this morning our first look at the moments before things escalated.

dao talking to the airport officers after he was told he had to get off of the full flight to make room for united employees. >> no, i'm not going. >> reporter: that passenger who has been identified as 69-year-old dr. david dao of kentucky is undergoing treatment at a chicago hospital. records show his license was temporarily suspended after a felony conviction more than a decade ago involving his prescribing of drugs. passengers report he did nothing unusual other than refuse to give up his seat on the overbooked flight. the investigation ongoing with one of the aviation security officers put on leave. the ceo of united, oscar munoz, who received a public relations award as communicator of the year last month yesterday called the passenger, quote, disruptive and belligerent, but in an about-face now apologizing directly to the passenger saying no one should ever be mistreated this way. but the damage may have already been done. united losing $700 million in

market value before settling at a $255 million loss for the day. alex perez, abc news, chicago. >> so, it's been a pricey incident. that embattled ceo from united airlines will be on "good morning america" later on this morning in an exclusive but that said another flier is talking about an overbooked united air lines flight. his name is jeff fearns and he tells the "l.a. times" he booked a flight from hawaii to l.a.x. paying a thousand dollars to fly one day early. well, after being seated, fearns said workers told him it was overbooked in first class. fearns refused to get off and a united employee threatened to put him in handcuffs. he was eventually placed in economy on the same flight. he said united refunded him the difference between first class and economy. united, by the way, did not comment on this particular "l.a. times" report. a couple of passings to note starting with j. geils who lent his name to the popular

band who rose to fame in the early days of mtv. "centerfold" their number one hit in 1982. j. geils was the band's guitarist. he was found by police in his massachusetts home. they say it appears he died of natural causes. j. geils was 71 years old. and david letterman's mom has also passed away. dorothy mengering became an unlikely star on her son's show and served as correspondent during the winter olympics and delivered top ten lists from her indiana kitchen. she even authored a cookbook, "home cooking with dave's mom." she died at her home in indiana. she was 95 years old. >> and stephen colbert last night thanked dave for sharing her with all of us because it was definitely a wonderful moment seeing her. well, police in florida are asking for help to catch those responsible for a destructive smash-and-grab robbery. take a look here. whoa. that blue pickup truck plowing into a gun store driving inside leaving behind that massive hole. three people following it stealing guns, as well as ammo. the truck was later found on fire in a wooded area.

so far no one in custody. and in the world of suspected bank robbers, this would be an epic fail. police near york, pennsylvania, trying to find this bicycle bandit. he's wanted for robbing a credit union. unfortunately, the money kept trying to escape. eventually he scooped it up and then he kept on riding. i think he was lucky it wasn't a windy day. >> and taking his time there. >> yeah, just calm. >> 20, 30. >> nothing to see here. not at all. and back to florida for a strange moment at last night's marlins baseball game. >> a gray cat found its way onto the field, and when players and staff approached, the cat got away. look at him there. eventually wound up on the center field sculpture that lights up every time a marlins player hits a home run. it was turned off for the cat's safety ultimately. >> so, the marlins were calling it a rally cat. in a tweet the team said the cat was captured then escaped again into the night. they're used to nine players on the team, not one with nine lives.

>> oh, ba-dum-dum. that was a good one there. up next in "the pulse," spinning records in the hottest clubs, the deejay who is proving age is only a number. and can't touch this. a football coach's dance moves going viral. >> looks like your moves. >> yeah. and on our facebook page, see how a pilot walked away after crashing a plane into a highway guardrail. that's on atmfans.com. you brush or floss spit blon you may have gum problems and could be on the journey to much worse. help stop the journey of gum disease. try new parodontax toothpaste. it's clinically proven to remove plaque, the main cause of bleeding gums. for healthy gums, and strong teeth. leave bleeding gums behind. new parodontax toothpaste.

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♪ your wednesday "pulse" starting with an unlikely star who is rocking tokyo's club scene. >> yes, she is. sumiko iwamuro makes dumplings for a restaurant by day but the 82-year-old does her best work at night. >> wait. how old? >> 82 years old. she deejays in some of the hottest clubs in japan and the

20-somethings can't get enough of her. >> do you blame her? sumiko started spinning records in her '70s and she spent a year learning the trade after picking out music for her son's parties and she's hoping one day to show off her skills, her mad skills here in new york city. >> you will be right there. >> yes. >> for that. okay, so a 19-year-old college student decided to get creative when she dumped her boyfriend, so she did it by using spotify. >> yes, so kerstin titus made a playlist where the song's title let her ex wyatt know it was time to go. so, they read out here, do you still want to kiss me because i am kinda lovin' someone else but we can still be friends. >> wyatt said he wasn't upset. he actually got a good laugh at it. has a good sense of humor, i guess. >> and as such it's going viral now because kerstin's sibling put the list on twitter. a college football coach is showing he's still got it. >> yes, he does. take a look at alonzo who in a past career was mc hammer's lead backup dancer featuring in the video for "you can't touch this."

alonzo hasn't lost a step as he showed his players. ♪ you can't touch this i told you home boy can't touch this ♪ ♪ yeah that's how we're living ♪ can't touch this >> dropping it. >> don't hurt him, hammer. okay, let's hope he does his thing again on saturday. >> that's when his team, san jose state, wraps up its spring practices with a full squad scrimmage. >> you kind of forget that was part of the move but definitely. >> love it. >> man, i could do that. er 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

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good morning, and thank you for joining us. it's wednesday, april 12th. i am matt keller in for reggie. >> good seeing your face. >> i peeled myself off my couch and got all the pile of out of the way. >> wet out there this morning and more rain on the way. hi, everybody. let's look at live doppler 7. you can see scattered drizzle to light rain out there. and you can see from our roof camera here the embarcadero is wet like many areas. it will be heavier and keeping

our temperatures cooler than average once again, low mid-50s for the coast. >> how are doing? >> commute is okay, and we are hoping for a light day again today and so far looking at the bay bridge toll plaza, and it's looking a little soggy. we do have a report of a two-car crash once you make it to the other side of the metering lights. we could have slick pavement out there this morning. a rollover crash in the pleasant hill area and we'll check on that next. the red cross is helping 60 people forced out of their apartments by a fire in san francisco. firefighters evacuated the building after the fire broke out around 9:00. firefighters say it started in the basement in the storage area. residential units are above. on to developing news, still

turbulent times for united airlines and one supervisor is taking steps to make sure police do not remove sfo. >> reporter: here's the video that has everybody talking. united airlines brought in officers from the chicago airport to remove a passenger from an over booked flight and now the san francisco supervisor is asking the city attorney to draft a policy. >> this bad business policy is not something our police department should participate in enforcing. >> the united ceo will be appearance exclusively on "good

morning america," and he has done an about-face, and now he is apologizing for what happened so stay with us, later within this hour we will bring you suplg of the exclusive inner here on abc7 news, and reporting live at sfo, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. and a man is claiming similar experience, and he paid for $1,000 for the first class seat and he needed to give up his seat for a priority passenger, and then he refused and they said he would going off in handcuffs. chris christie is calling for the secretary of transportation to suspend regulation that