and have a great wednesday. making news in america this wednesday morning -- the alabama senate candidate backed by president trump, losing in a special election overnight. why it's seen as a major defeat for the republican establishment. millions of americans are pleading for help as the disaster in puerto rico grows worse. hear what president trump is now saying about washington's response. plus, the celebrities now stepping up, sending their own planes filled with supplies. we're live in washington. change in policy. the tv provider now offering refunds for customers offended by athletes kneeling during the national anthem. and the global reaction this morning as the last country in the world to ban women from driving changes course. and we do say good morning

on this wednesday. we begin with what is being called a major blow to the republican establishment and to president trump. >> roy moore has won the republican senate primary runoff there in alabama. the former judge twice suspended from the alabama supreme court is known for his sometimes provocative comments on topics like homosexuality and islam. >> he easily beat incumbent senator luther strange who was endorsed by president trump and senate leader mitch mcconnell. janai norman explains why this could be a major warning to republicans. >> reporter: voters in alabama have spoken. >> i'll fight for you. for the united states senate. i'll fight for the people of this state. and of this nation, who want to bring our country back. >> reporter: conservative roy moore, the gun-toting, horse-riding former alabama chief justice. winning the state's senate primary tuesday night. beating out establishment-aligned incumbent luther strange. >> this is not the result that

we wanted. i have congratulated judge moore. i have talked to him on the phone. we wish him the best. >> reporter: moore is a hero to the religious right who garnered the support of president trump's former chief strategist steve bannon. the elections garnered national attention, pitting trump and bannon against each other. and testing the political sway of president trump's administration and those who put him in the white house. the president tweeting his congratulations to moore. trump admitted backing strange may not have been the right choice. >> i might have made a mistake. and i'll be honest. i might have made a mistake. >> reporter: even as the senate leadership fund pumped $7 million into the race. big bucks that ended up not being enough to secure a win. >> let's go again and make america great. >> reporter: janai norman, abc news, washington. and now to the other big story unfolding this morning. the humanitarian crisis in puerto rico. president trump is now defending his hurricane response effort. >> he plans to visit the island next week to view the devastation. millions of americans there still have no power.

nearly half the island has no drinking water. lana zak has new details on the conditions and how the u.s. military is boosting its response. good morning, lana. >> reporter: good morning, kendis and diane. the president intends to travel to puerto rico and the u.s. virgin islands on tuesday. he says that is the earliest he can get there because he doesn't want to interfere with the response efforts currently under way. president trump is answering questions about his response to the disaster in puerto rico. >> is puerto rico getting all the help it needs from you? >> puerto rico is very important to me. puerto rico, the people, are fantastic people. >> reporter: on the ground, the island is in crisis. 95% of puerto rico is still without power. more than half of the residents without clean water. and take a look at this. what appears to be a line of parked cars is actually a gas line. while hundreds wait at the airport trying to flee. but there are not enough planes. and those that do get out

remember those that were left behind. >> i left back my family, friends, and co-workers here. and they have -- you know, they don't have water. they don't have lights. they don't have so many things that they need. >> reporter: puerto rico is a u.s. territory. its residents are american citizens. but a week after hurricane maria, many say the federal response has been insufficient. are you getting the stuff you need fast enough? >> no. no. and i'm sorry if that's not politically correct. >> reporter: san juan's mayor says bureaucratic red tape is holding up relief efforts. new york velasquez on cnn went even further. >> this is going to turn to be mr. trump's katrina. >> reporter: in response to the criticisms, the white house released photos of the president in the situation room being briefed on puerto rico. and he brushed off questions about whether he's been preoccupied by his battle with the nfl. >> was i preoccupied? not at all. not at all. i have plenty of time on my hands. all i do is work. >> reporter: the trump

administration is increasing efforts in puerto rico. announcing that they will potentially double the number of troops working on the ground there. and that the federal government will now be taking up 100% of the cost associated with debris removal and emergency assistance. kendis? diane? >> all of it much needed, lana. thank you. over to health care now. bipartisan talks are resuming on capitol hill after strike three for republican hopes to repeal and replace obamacare. on tuesday, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell scrapped the latest proposal, admitting a lack of support. senators from both parties are now trying to work together on a short-term fix for obamacare aimed at lowering premiums. to iraq and the increasing tensions that are rising after a nonbinding vote by the kurdish minority to declare independence. in the wake of the vote, iraq has now given the kurds until friday to hand over control of their airports or face a ban on international flights. the referendum is said to be

unconstitutional and destabilizing. neighboring turkey has threatened military action if the oil-rich kurds take further action toward independence. president trump is turning up the heat on north korea. announcing new sanctions aimed at the regime's access to the global banking system. it's the first use of new sanctioning powers that the president created with an executive order last week. the sanctions target eight north korean banks as well as 26 north korean officials working for those banks overseas. meanwhile, the parents of the american student who died after being released from captivity in north korea now claim their son, otto warmbier, was tortured. before being sent home. >> otto had a shaved head. he had a feeding tube coming out of his nose. he had -- he was -- he was staring blankly into space jerking violently. he was blind. he was deaf. as we looked at him and tried to comfort him, it looked like someone had taken a pair of pliers and rearranged his bottom teeth.

>> warmbier was in a vegetative state when he arrived back in the u.s. the north koreans claimed he contracted botulism. american doctors found no evidence of that. time now for a look at your weather for this wednesday morning. >> hurricane maria has now been downgraded to a tropical storm. the latest radar shows maria's reach extending nearly 600 miles off the coast of the carolinas right now. 70-mile-an-hour winds will kick up rough surf and dangerous rip currents from florida to maine in the next few days with a four-foot storm surge possible in north carolina's outer banks. however, maria is not expected to make landfall. it is expected to make that hard right turn and eventually head out to sea. no other storms in the atlantic. still ahead, new details about a top member of the trump administration taking private jets with your tax money. plus, the cold case involving a killer dressed as a clown finally solved after

nearly 30 years. the new clue that led to the arrest. and how the anthem controversy in the nfl is leading to refunds for some customers of a television provider.

[ crowd yelling ] so politics are pretty rough in washington, d.c., these days. but nothing like this. >> wow. >> not yet. a brawl erupted in uganda's parliament. with lawmakers throwing chairs at each other, scuffling for 20 minutes. they were angry about a plan to remove the age limit for presidential candidates in the east african country. we have new details about the private planes chartered by secretary tom price and paid for by tax payers. politico says price combined official travel and personal visits. with friends and family on at

least two occasions, including a flight to georgia, to a georgia resort, that is, where he owns property. and his trip to nashville, where he visited his son. department officials insist that price has not violated travel arrangements. but the inspector general is investigating. meanwhile, the head of the epa, scott pruitt, is under scrutiny for spending $25,000 to install a secure phone booth in his office chrks is soundproofed for privacy. the embattled ceo of equifax is stepping down. he'll not get his retirement benefits until until after the review of the company's data breach is complete. richard smith has been under fire after it was discovered the hack could have exposed up to 143 million americans. and a big change in policy from directv. the satellite service provider, is refunding the price of nfl sunday ticket subscriptions for some customers who say they were offended by last weekend's national anthem protests. refunds are usually not provided once the nfl season has started. the company tells espn that it

won't be sharing information about how many subscriptions are canceled. and a company best known for building fancy vacuum cleaners is getting into the electric car business. dyson is investing $2.6 billion in the project. ceo james dyson warns the dyson electric car will be pricey. he hopes to unveil the battery-powered vehicle by 2020. when we come back, a potential problem with o.j. simpson's release from prison. and also ahead, the last country in the world to ban female drivers changes course. what is behind the decision in saudi arabia. and a story developing overnight. a rapper shot outside a landmark hollywood hotel. to most people, i look like most people. but on the inside, i feel chronic, widespread pain. fibromyalgia may be invisible to others, but my pain is real. fibromyalgia is thought to be caused by overactive nerves.

lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i'm glad my doctor prescribed lyrica. for some, lyrica delivers effective relief for moderate to even severe fibromyalgia pain. and improves function. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions, suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worse depression, unusual changes in mood or behavior, swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or blurry vision. common side effects: dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, 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've had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. with less pain, i can do more with my family. talk to your doctor today. see if lyrica can help. when food is good and clean and real, it's ok to crave. and with panera catering, there's more to go around. panera. food as it should be.

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he sent his private plane to the devastated island to bring cancer patients to the united states so they can get much-needed chemo treatment. pitbull says it's the least he can do. a developing story in los angeles. a rapper was shot outside a famous hotel. in a busy tourist area. >> police say 32-year-old young dolph was shot multiple times outside the lowe's hollywood hotel during an argument with three other men. he's in critical condition. one person has been detained. it's not clear, though, if he was involved in the fight. police are investigating if the shooting is connected to a rivalry with another hip hop artist. police in virginia have made an arrest in a bizarre 27-year-old cold case involving a killer clown. marlene warren was murdered in 1990 by someone who came to her door dressed as a clown. the person shot her and calmly drove away. the case was reopened. a few years ago because of new dna evidence. and sheila keen warren was just taken into custody. the suspect is now married to

the husband of the woman she's accused of killing. after serving nearly nine years for armed robbery and assault, o.j. simpson is days away from freedom. he could be released from a medium security prison as early as sunday. he may have to stay in nevada for awhile. authorities say he hasn't yet field paperwork that would allow him to move to florida to live with his children there. meanwhile, an official has now revealed nevada's parole board did not consider simpson's 1989 conviction for spousal abuse when it granted him parole in july because the case was not in the national database of fbi crime data. that has prompted a new effort to change nevada's parole law. a health alert this morning about the dramatic rise in std rates. a number of cases now hitting a record high. the cdc says more than 2 million americans were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease last year. officials blame a lack of awareness and a decline in condom use. a young mother in oklahoma may be facing charges for allegedly abandoning her baby

right along a busy highway. the 4-week-old infant was spotted by a group of good samaritans who had pulled over and found the baby sleeping in his car seat in the grass about ten feet away from traffic. they say the baby appeared to be unharmed. >> his prayer is that as he was walking up to the -- please, if there is a baby, let it be alive. there was no sweat. no sunburn. this was a 90-degree day. >> police found a birth certificate, social security cards, and cash next to the baby. they eventually located the baby's mother. they're deciding whether to file charges. federal prosecutors say their investigation into college basketball is not over, even with the arrest of four assistant coaches. those coaches from auburn, usc, arizona, and oklahoma state. all have been suspended by their schools. they're among ten people facing fraud and corruption charges for allegedly taking cash bribes in return for steering nba-bound athletes towards specific financial advisers and in some

cases, sports agents. let's stick with sports and head over to baseball. >> it's the last week of the regular season. and there's still plenty to play for. highlights now from espn. here we go! cubs-cardinals. cubs magic number? one. that means, according to swinger in research, if they win this game, they're in the playoffs. and they're at st. louis. kenny mayne says st. louis has the best baseball fans. they used to love jason hayward. he used to be one of theirs. his first home run against the cardinals now as a member of the cubs. 8-6. ben zobrist. st. louis never had any affection for him. solo shot. his 12th. it's 8-7. and all of a sudden, we're wondering, are we going to have cubs post game as they clinch? will they pour the champagne? no, they will not! baez strikes out. juan nicasio gets him. cards win, 8-7. champagne on ice. magic number one. twins, magic number two, they have cleveland. they need to beat cleveland and they need the angels to lose.

that's paul molitor. he once came over to the shane victorino foundation event. was a good dude. brian dozier strikes out swinging. max kepler strikes out. the point being the twins had a lot c on that chance they took advantage of. dozier said, i struck out swinging? i struck a three-run homer to right in the top of the eighth. his 33rd. the twins win, 8-6. but the angels also won behind mike trout's 31st. meaning minnesota's magic number is at one. >> our thanks to the fellas there at espn. up next in "the pulse," the future hall of fame quarterback who may soon run for senate. and closing the door on "fixer upper." why chip and joanne gaines are walking away from their hit show. joanne ya gaines are walking away from their hit show.

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drive. >> and they won't need a male guardian's permission to get a license. the new law takes effect though next june. some clerics opposed to it saying it would corrupt society. the woman who led the campaign for the right to drive says saudi arabia will never be the same. in reference to the long fight women have endured? she said the rain begins with a single drop, which was her rallying cry. the first major driving protest in aud rabe ya was back in 1990. and now to peyton manning. a well-known football player. after retiring from football, he's become a well-known pitchman for several companies. >> but, could he have thoughts about a political career? manning is said to be considering a run for senator in tennessee in 2020. >> he's reportedly eyeing the seat currently held by 77-year-old lamar alexander. a tennessee lawmaker has been quoted as saying manning is not

interested in the seat being vacated soon by senator bob corker. >> corker said manning is a possible candidate for lamar alexander's seat. ♪ and he's on your side so chip and joanna gaines, hosts of the hgtv show "fixer upper," have announced season five will be their last season. >> the couple has been dogged by rumors that their marriage is on the rocks. they say their marriage has never been stronger. that is not the issue. they actually say that they never wanted their four children to grow up in the spotlight. and so they want to give them a chance to have a normal childhood. and twitter may soon give president trump and everyone else a lot more room to express themselves. by doing away with the 140-character cap. >> oh, the company is considering doubling that tweet limit to 280 characters. it's already testing out the idea on a small group of users. twitter says people actually tweet more when they don't have to cram everything into such a small box. >> so just imagine the tweets we'll get at 6:00 a.m. now with

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the central valley commute up next. explain the spread to a nearby three-story. >> i will let you know as soon as we get any updates. reggie? >> jess, thank you. and red flag conditions today have firefighters this morning.

amy hollyfield is live in oakland. >> reporter: good morning, natasha. the smell of fire is very strong here in this neighborhood. we don't see any active flames. we do see some firefighters here in the neighborhood but they aren't out were damaged, though and no one was hurt. >> they were great once they got here. they just jumped into action. i didn't know they could climb that way. it is a steep grade right there and they just took off and they were amazing. they were very quick. there were flames everywhere, helicopters, water dumped everywhere.

>> reporter: here's the view from sky 7 of the affected area. they did lift that evacuation order so everyone got to sleep in their homes, and it looks like the active emergency part of this is over. firefighters are even going to take a breath and give a briefing to the media at 8:30 this morning. they are worried about today's weather and the red flag alert. that's why we see the firefighters here on sky view drive. they're not ready to walk away from this one quite yet. live in oakland, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. a group of bay area firefighters are helping to fight a wildfire threatening homes there. the alameda fire department tweeted this out, getting briefed yesterday. the canyon fire scorched 2,000 acres near corona. at least 1,500 people are evacuated and the fire is only 15% contained this morning.