making news in america this friday morning, breaking right now, part of the famed bellagio hotel in las vegas up in flames. fire shooting from the roof. the dramatic video coming in overnight. also breaking right now, an explosion rocks a college campus injuring at least four people. what investigators are saying on the scene. the mother of all bombs, the u.s. military's biggest weapon ever used other than a nuclear bomb dropped on isis targets in afghanistan overnight. we're learning about casualties as many ask the question, is president trump sending a message to other countries? we're live in washington. and trapped for hours 80 feet in the air, passengers on a roller coaster stuck, and it's not the first time it's happened on this ride.

and we do say good morning on what's turning out to be a busy friday morning. i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm linsey davis in for diane macedo. we begin with breaking news overnight, a huge fire along the famed las vegas strip. >> it broke out at the bellagio hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels on the strip and in full view of people enjoying a balmy night in sin city. overnight flames shooting into the night sky over the las vegas strip. a fire ripping through a shopping area at the bellagio hotel. [ sirens ] firefighters getting the call around 10:45 local time. las vegas boulevard, the strip, packed at the time with visitors. many of them capturing the massive fire on social media. the flames raining down from the roof, but the fire despite being located just steps from the bellagio's famed fountain was difficult for firefighters to knock down. the vegas strip shut down, it would be more than 20 minutes before fire crews could get the

flames under control. at the same hotel just last month, four burglars, some in animal masks, smashed their way into a high-end jewelry store. some are still on the run. this morning as authorities try to figure out the cause of the fire, they say no one at the 4,000-room hotel was injured. and authorities there in clark county in nevada tell us the cause is still under investigation. we're going to continue to watch the developments in that breaking story. also breaking overnight, an explosion on a college campus. at least four people were hurt. one critically in the blast at the university of idaho. it happened during a test of an experimental rocket. campus police say there is no damage to any buildings. right now the fbi is sending personnel with explosives expertise to the scene. the united states is facing a series of hot spots around the world. that's putting the new administration to the test. >> president trump returning to his mar-a-lago estate for the easter weekend after praising the military for a massive bomb attack in afghanistan.

u.s. forces used what's called the mother of all bombs for the first time targeting isis with the biggest nonnuclear weapon in its arsenal. this morning afghanistan officials say at least 36 militants were killed. >> some say the strike was meant as a warning to north korea, but officials there remain defiant amid speculation that they're about to test-fire a nuclear weapon. abc's maggie rulli joins us from washington. good morning, maggie. >> reporter: kendis and linsey, good morning. what a week for president trump. having to deal with one foreign policy test after another, and heading into the weekend, it seems like north korea could jump to the top of his priority list. it's president trump's latest foreign policy threat dealing with the fallout from an expected nuclear weapons test in north korea, which could occur as soon as this weekend. >> north korea is a problem. the problem will be taken care of. >> north korea's got to change its behavior. >> the time for action is now. >> reporter: america's top military leaders say north korea's increasing pace of missile tests in the past six

months have made the situation urgent. according to monitors the latest satellite images show a north korea nuclear test site primed and ready for a launch. we're expecting it saturday as the nation prepares to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the nation's founder, their eternal president. the u.s. is countering with a show of military strength moving an aircraft carrier strike group into position near north korea. and in what may have been a not so subtle warning to the hermit kingdom, the use of this massive 22,000-pound bomb nicknamed the mother of all bombs, it's the biggest nonnuclear weapon ever used in combat by the united states. on thursday, the u.s. dropped it on eastern afghanistan targeting an isis cave complex. >> this was another very, very successful mission. >> reporter: a pentagon official tells abc news it was the right weapon, the right target and the desired effect. experts say there may have been a secondary effect, sending a signal to america's enemies.

>> the message to them is that no matter how much you hide, no matter how deep you dig, we can still get you. >> reporter: in a response north korea's vice foreign minister blames the united states for making things more complicated and says washington has become, quote, more vicious and more aggressive since donald trump took power. kendis and linsey. >> it's definitely been tense times between us and the north korean government. maggie, thank you. the white house is pushing back against criticism that president trump has flip-flopped on several key positions. the president reversed course on china deciding not to label the country a currency manipulator and on the same day he changed his mind about nato saying it was no longer obsolete. press secretary sean spicer described the president's reversals as reactions to changing circumstances. >> i think you can look at what you're referring to as a shift in a lot of ways. and by that i mean i saw a couple instances with respect to

nato being one of those shifts yesterday. and if you look at what's happened, it's those entities or individuals in some cases or issues evolving towards the president's position. >> the president also shifted his position to consider reappointing federal reserve chair janet yellen and he switched to a favorable view of the export/import bank. overseas and a mass evacuation under way in syria this morning coordinated by the government as well as the opposition. they're moving 10,000 people from four towns besieged by that civil war. dozens of buses are taking them to other syrian cities in hopes of escaping violence and hunger. it is the first of several rounds of evacuations planned for hard hit areas. and the syrian president, bashar al assad, is denying that this horrific chemical weapons attack that killed more than 80 people ever took place. assad claims the whole story was fabricated so the united states would have an excuse to bomb its air base. now, even though u.s. officials say there is solid forensic

evidence proving it was all real, he's dismissing the heartbreaking images of the dying children as a hoax. >> what they did at all is fabrication. we don't have arsenal. we're not going to use it. >> assad's claim is believed to be part of a russian propaganda campaign spreading fake news about that attack. the night it happened #syriahoax was trending on twitter here in the u.s. two secret service agents have been fired for allowing a mace-carrying intruder onto the white house grounds. it took 16 minutes to catch the man after he scaled a fence there last month. he allegedly made it to the rear entrance of the white house before being caught. the president was not there at the time. both of the terminated agents had been with the secret service less than two years. still ahead, big plans for tesla. the new vehicles we could soon see on the road. plus, a senator holds his first town hall in months, and he gets an earful. [ chanting "shame on you" ]

>> the angry crowd asking the tough questions and demanding answers. plus, passengers stuck on a roller coaster. how did it happen and the risky rescue high above the ground. rescue high above the ground. s

senator, my question is when are you going to choose your country over your party? >> overnight a rowdy crowd confronts an arizona senator during his first town hall meeting in several months. in fact, it's the first time that senator jeff flake who's considered a moderate republican faced his constituents since coming under criticism for his voting record. nearly 2,000 people packed the convention center in mesa.

the republican sparred with the crowd on a number of issues including president trump's policies and health care. >> america has no business in health care reform. >> i don't happen to agree. i think the free market system -- >> i hope behind that smile that you're doing some serious soul searching listening to these people here tonight. and i would suggest that you take another long drink of water because you're going to need it. >> thanks. >> i think he needed water and a shot of something else after that. >> tough crowd. >> yeah, senator flake is seeking another term next year. new details about the injuries to the doctor who was forcibly removed from that united flight. dr. david dao suffered a concussion and a broken nose and lost two front teeth in the incident. his lawyer claims he will need reconstructive surgery. dao has been released from the hospital. his attorney says dao is likely to sue united. he spoke to reporters in chicago along with dao's daughter.

>> we were horrified and shocked and sickened. seeing it on video made those emotions exacerbated. >> what's unfortunately occurred here in dr. dao's case is rudeness, bullying customers has gone the next step now. >> united says its ceo and others have called dao numerous times to apologize but dao's attorney claims they have not heard from the airline. tesla has big plans to go bigger. the electric carmaker will unveil a semi truck in september and ceo elon musk says the company will also show off a pickup truck within two years. there are also plans for an electric bus, but no time line was given for that as yet. well, when we come back, the new details in the case of that missing student and the teacher accused of kidnapping her. the teacher's family speaking

out. it's an abc news exclusive. plus, giants quarterback eli manning facing a lawsuit accused in a memorabilia scam. listen up, heart disease.) you too, unnecessary er visits. and hey, unmanaged depression, don't get too comfortable. we're talking to you, cost inefficiencies and data without insights. and fragmented care- stop getting in the way of patient recovery and pay attention.

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every step of the way. with an estate plan including wills or a living trust that grows along with you and your family. legalzoom. legal help is here. it certainly does not look like we're nearly a month into spring with this hailstorm in oregon. it actually looks painful. but take a look at this dog. he appeared to be loving it. >> he is. >> there will be snow showers in the mountains of the northwest today. >> there will be some april showers at lower elevations of the northwest today. wet roads also in western texas as well as from the plains all the way to the great lakes. >> that's why if you're flying today, weather-related airport delays are possible in chicago and kansas city. an emotional plea this morning from the family of the tennessee teacher who disappeared along with his student. >> of course, we're talking about 50-year-old tad cummins allegedly kidnapping his 15-year-old student elizabeth thomas a month ago.

we're learning that cummins left his wife a note that may have been used as a diversion. in an exclusive interview with abc news, she says she never saw it coming. >> i had no reason not to believe him. 31 years of marriage, you know, with no problems. why would you not believe him? >> no matter where you are, daddy, no matter what you've done, we just want you to come home. we miss you so much. we're here for you no matter what any time, anyplace, anywhere. >> well, cummins and thomas were last seen in oklahoma city spotted on surveillance tape at a walmart with their hire dyed. investigators are trying to figure out why a maryland roller coaster became stuck 100 feet in the air. two dozen people were rescued from joker's jinx just outside of washington, d.c. the ride stalled yesterday afternoon at six flags, maryland. it took more than three hours to get everyone down. passengers were stuck on the same ride for five hours back in 2014.

not often does the reality of life interfere with what happens on reality tv. but it did on the latest episode of "survivor." the two contestants involved in the incident were jeff varner and zeke smith. they were at a tribal council deciding who from their tribe was going to be voted off and that's when varner went too far. >> why haven't you told anyone you're transgender? what i'm showing is a deception. >> but that's personal. >> i didn't want to be like the trans "survivor" player. i wanted to be zeke the "survivor" player. >> and you are. >> and i feel like i am. >> and you are. >> varner apologized but was sent home without a vote. cbs says the episode provided an unexpected dialogue about acceptance. there will be more about the uproar that the incident sparked on "good morning america" today. new york giants quarterback eli manning is in the middle of a legal fight over memorabilia. several collectors are suing manning, the giants and others claiming they provided items

that were supposed to be game worn but actually were not. a new court filing in the case includes e-mails that may confirm that. the giants lawyer says the whole thing, quote, is just the latest misguided attempt to defame manning's character. well, a couple of sporting events last night. and the fans got a little more than they paid for. >> yeah, in one case they got a lot more. highlights now from espn. >> welcome to our "sportscenter" studios. i'm chris hassel. that's kevin connors. on thursday night we got the longest game of the season in baseball. i know it's early, but this one went deep into the night in florida. >> deep into the night is right in deep florida. south florida, mets and marlins having at it. top of the 16th inning, it was tied at 8 until travis d'arnaud goes deep. a solo shot. second home run of the year for him. mets take a 9-8 lead but we were not done. bottom 16, marcell ozuna, the major league rbi leader with a chance to win it in the bottom

of the 16th. oh, he gave it a ride but juan lagares squeezes it. and the mets win in 16, 9-8. game one of a sexy little first round match-up between the maple leafs and capitals. alex ovechkin had a chance to win it for the caps later or give them a late lead in the third. but that thing went just high. we go to overtime. ovechkin wasn't the hero. backstrom wasn't the hero. oshie wasn't the hero. it was tom wilson who caught it, put it down and sent everybody home happy in the nation's capital. capitals have a 1-0 series lead. the blackhawks lost game one at home to the nashville predators in the west. the nba playoffs begin on saturday 3:00 eastern on abc. you'll see lebron going up against the pacers. enjoy your friday. for chris hassel, i'm kevin connors. >> all right. thanks, fellas. up next in "the pulse," have "the simpsons" predicted the future yet again?

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the first two people to the front will be upgraded to first class. >> okay. you two. >> come on, bart. they're going to pamper us. >> so bart and lisa headed to first class instead of being forcibly removed. >> and now some people are saying that one of the passengers closely resembles the doctor who was taken off that united flight. okay, so it's spring. you might be feeling a little randy. love is in the air and trying tinder, grinder or bumble to jump-start your dating life. >> well, now there's new advice and help in finding a perfect match. don't pick your own profile pic. >> what? >> researchers found that strangers are actually better at picking the most flattering images of you, better than you are even. >> i think that -- i always thought the back of my head was the best part, so that's what i use. >> see, and that's why i would say, no, let's use the side. >> exactly. so for some people easter

means peeps, which i can't open. and for d.c. area residents that means the annual peeps diorama contest. >> take a look at the winner. it's the peeple, get it, the peeple versus o.j. simpson. >> the marshmallow manifestation of the 1995 so-called trial of the century won the competition. it took 66 hours to make. the artist said she watched so many o.j. documentaries, it kind of got out of hand. i would say the toughest part about these are actually opening the box. that's a workout. there you go. i talked to my doctor and found a missing piece in my asthma treatment with breo. once-daily breo prevents asthma symptoms. breo is for adults with asthma not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. breo won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. breo is specifically designed to open up airways to improve breathing for a full 24 hours. breo contains a type of medicine that increases the risk of death

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i brought the sunshine, too, so that will help also, i hope. >> yeah, let's try to segue that way. it's going to be a sunny day today. put the umbrellas away, you won't need them until easter and we'll talk more about that coming up. >> it's dry on live doppler 7. here's a look at east bay hills as we look back towa

bridge. we'll hangout in the mid to upper 50s. we'll stay in the 50s at coast. grab a coat if you are headed out this evening. temperatures are the evening. it's good friday and a loft folks off for the holiday and we have spring breakers and so we will have a light day here today. 880 around high street we have roadwork scheduled until 5:00 this morning. looks like on southbound 880, looks like a fire overnight at the bellagio hotel in las vegas.

you can see flames engulfing part of the roof at one of the biggest hotels in the world and 80 firefighters responded to the scene. they had it under control in half an hour and luckily nobody was hurt. the las vegas strip was closed for a while and it's re-opened. funny thing, the fire was not enough to stop the world famous water show at the bellagio, and that went off several times during the fire but did not help out firefighters. a fire chief said they were doing renovation work in the hotel and it's unclear if that's what started the fire. we'll keep you updated. matt, back to you. santa clara county will be back in court to defend its back in court to defend its decision not to help authoriti authorities.

it would be the equivalent of cutting somewhere between 25 to 35% of your employees, depending on who you cut. >> the county took the national lead following this lawsuit defending the order. afghan leaders are saying 36 isis fighters were the u.s. dropped what some are calling the mother of bombs. military officials say it targeted a network of four to five network tunnels that were used by up to 800 isis fires. it's the most powerful nonnuclear bomb used. >> i am all for going after isis. we can't just bomb our way to national security. >> as is