making news in america this morning, controversial comment. president trump's vulgar slur about immigrants from haiti and africa. >> this remark by the president of the united states smacks of blatant racism. >> new fallout from the remark and what the white house is saying this morning. searching for survivors following those massive mudslides in southern california. new images of the damage as authorities increase the number of missing. and the storm that caused it all marching east bringing snow, rain and strong winds. deadly flu season. cases surging across the country. >> i really don't want my kids to get the flu. >> a public health emergency. what doctors say if you haven't gotten the flu shot yet. the first guest, david letterman's new show launching overnight. >> i've been waiting for this

for quite a long time. ladies and gentlemen, my next guest, the 44th president of the united states of america. >> what former president obama says about running again. plus, the sweeping change coming to facebook. why a man is running a marathon backwards and how a foul mouth gives you a bigger boost in the gym. good morning. i'm maggie rulli in for diane macedo. >> and i'm kendis gibson. we're going to start with the anger and outrage over that vulgar and some are calling it racist comment from the president. it came behind closed doors, a small meeting with lawmakers all about immigration. >> the president asking why are we having all these people from expletive countries come here? the reaction, well, it has been quite fierce. lana zak has more. >> reporter: good morning to you, kendis and maggie. these comments seem to echo those reportedly made by the

president earlier in the month in which he said all haitians have aides and nigerians won't go back to their huts. the white house at the time denied those comments vehemently but it is a different story today with some within the white house thinking that this will play well with the base. the white house is not denying the president's comments characterizing some countries with a curse word. sources tell abc news that when lawmakers at the white house briefed president trump on their daca immigration plan, his response to restoring protections for immigrants from haiti and several african countries was, why are we having all these people from expletive countries come here proposing instead that the u.s. should bring in more people from countries like norway. it was a setback to the daca immigration plan. >> we have no agreement with the president. >> reporter: but it was also a defining moment for the president. outrage was swift. here's senator richard blumenthal on msnbc. >> this remark by the president smacks of blatant racism, the

most odious and insidious racism masquerading poorly as immigration policy. >> reporter: utah congresswoman, the daughter of haitian parents, mia love calls his words as divisive and said about her parents they worked hard, paid taxes and rose from nothing to take care of and provide opportunities for their children. the president must apologize. the white house shows no sign of back-pedaling. their official response president trump is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation. and on twitter the president pointed blame at his political opponents writing in part, the democrats seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country. and the backlash has gone global. former mexican president vicente fox used that expletive to describe mr. trump's mouth and we also know that the president of haiti called america's top diplomat for a meeting today. kendis, maggie. >> lana zak, thanks so much. in the meantime, the

president is also raising some eyebrows with comments about the leader of north korea. >> trump telling "the wall street journal" i probably have a very good relationship with kim jong-un. the president refused to comment about whether he's actually spoken to or met kim. publicly the president has called kim little rocket man as well as twisted and depraved. and the president has confirmed that he will not be going to london next month to open the new u.s. embassy. there was concern that a trump visit would lead to large protests in london. overnight he tweeted reason i canceled my trip to london is that i am not a big fan of the obama administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in london for peanuts. only to build a new one in an off location for $1.2 billion. bad deal. wanted me to cut ribbon, no. turns out, though, the first steps towards relocating the u.s. embassy in london were made in october of 2008 when george w. bush was president. crews are racing to

find the victims of the california mudslides. they're hoping that some who are still missing may have left the montecito area on their own. but rescuers are fearing that the worst. here's abc's marci gonzalez. >> reporter: from above, that incredible before and after. >> see this area with this home and pool and what's left. absolutely nothing. >> reporter: in the thick muck swamped mess surrounding the nearly 600 homes and businesses damaged or destroyed by this week's mudslides in southern california, an urgent search. >> he's looking for human remains. >> reporter: hundreds of first responders and volunteers also holding on to the last shreds of hope that the missing may be found. >> i've lived through fires, earthquakes. i've never seen anything like this. this is devastating. >> reporter: that devastating rush of fast-moving water, mud and boulders. >> oh, my god, mom. >> reporter: that tore through communities in santa barbara county. >> wake dad up. >> reporter: killed at least 17 people. >> i know people already

personally who have died. >> reporter: the youngest. >> kaley benitez, 3 years old. >> reporter: also among the victims, 12-year-old sawyer corey, her sister morgan and realtor rebecca riskin. her son returning to her mud pummeled home. >> i hope she knows that i was giving everything i could to find her. >> reporter: as time starts running out for these teams to find others. marci gonzalez, abc news, burbank, california. a major winter storm has 120 million people in its path. parts of the northern plains could see up to two feet of snow. that system is pushing bitter cold temperatures into the midwest and in front of that heavy rains will soak the south as well as the major cities of the northeast. let's take a closer look at today's weather. good morning.

we're talking about a major storm in the northeast. big concern for the i-95 corridor is wet weather that is going to lead to flooding but with cold air plunging in behind the system, we'll have a changeover to ice and even some snow for the interior part of the northeast. when it comes to snowfall amount, we'll see the highest totals close to the canadian border. could see upwards of a foot and a half in some spots. with your accuweather forecast, i'm meteorologist julia weiden. the new york city subway bombing suspect has entered a plea. he told a judge from his hospital bed that he was at this moment not guilty. he's accused of setting off a pipe bomb in an underground subway passageway. he was the only one person seriously injured in the december 11th attack. then still ahead, the big change coming to facebook. and also, coming up, teens putting laundry detergent pods in their mouth.

the new warning from doctors as the new challenge goes viral. caught on camera. one driver's amazing recovery

facebook is making some sweeping changes to its news feed. it wants to encourage more meaningful interactions between family and friends. over the next few months users will see less public content from businesses, brands as well as media. facebook has faced growing criticism over its content and whether the site is a negative influence on users. there is a disturing trend for teenagers, eating those colorful tide detergent pods as part of the so-called tide pod challenge. teens are putting the pods in their mouths and posting the videos on social media. some videos even feature the teens cooking with the pods.

the american association of poison control center says there is an increase of teens misusing the pods and getting sick from them. the pods should never be eaten. walmart is raising wages and giving thousand dollar bonuses to some of its workers. the changes are due to the new tax plan. starting wages for new workers are now $11 an hour, that's a $2 increase. at the same time, walmart is closing 63 sam's club stores across the country. the move likely means that thousands will be out of jobs. some stores closed abruptly on thursday with workers and customers only finding out when they showed up and found locks and signs on the doors. at least 12 stores will become e-commerce distribution centers. some workers could apply to other locations. fiat chrysler is using the new tax overhaul, it says, to reinvest in america. it'll spend more than $1 billion to revamp its plant in warren, michigan, moving thousands of jobs from mexico. some 2,500 new jobs will be added and it says it'll pay

thousands of employees a reported bonus of $2,000 apiece. and a warning from ford. if you're driving a 2006 ranger pickup truck, stop driving it immediately. ford is blaming a second death on a defective takata air bag. about 3,000 vehicles on the road are at risk. dealers are prepared to come to you to get the vehicle with a loaner if necessary to fix the problem. all right. when we come back, new details about the governor of missouri after admitting to an affair. why there's a criminal investigation now involving him. and how dr. oz helped save the life of a passenger on his flight. flight. ! more nights in... more gooey cheesy dishes. more pie plates... more bake sales... so many goodtimes... so many dirty dishes. tackle them all with finish® quantum. even on the toughest messes finish® gives you a unbeatable clean.

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perfect recovery without a scratch on anybody. hollywood might want to sign him up. all right, now we'll move on to that sex scandal involving missouri's governor, a former navy s.e.a.l. and a rising republican star. >> yeah, so the state's top prosecutor is investigating claims that eric greitens blackmailed a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair. he allegedly took naked photos of his hairdresser and threatened to reveal them if she spoke publicly about their relationship. greitens admits the affair but denies taking naked photos and the blackmail allegation. he's also denying a claim that he slapped the woman. at least two democratic lawmakers have called on him to resign. we're expecting to get an update from the cdc later this morning on this season's deadly flu outbreak. well, this year's strain is already blamed for dozens of deaths with widespread illnesses across 46 states. alabama is the latest state to declare a state of emergency and

an entire school district in idaho has closed until monday. this after nearly 40% of its students were out sick this week. doctors are urging everyone to get a flu shot right away if you haven't already. and it was dr. oz to the rescue when a passenger collapsed on a cross-country flight. according to page 6, oz was heading from new york to las vegas when a flight attendant asked him for help. a 30-year-old passenger had collapsed. dr. oz kept an eye on him until the plane landed. it's believed the man had a bad case of the flu. it's not the first time dr. oz has stepped in to help. a few years ago he saved a woman who was struck by a taxi. well, we know of at least one runner in this year's boston marathon who probably won't be seeing the finish line. well, that's because loren zitomersky of los angeles plans to run the race backwards. he's already training to backpedal the more than 26 miles through the streets of boston. he says people who watch him think it's a bit unusual. >> the number one thing i hear is you're going the wrong way.

the majority of the records have to do with different costumes, so -- and i was thinking, you know, i don't want to run a marathon dressed as a frog. >> loren checked the guinness book of world records and wanted to try something he thought he could do. he says the current mark for running backwards is slower than his best forward time so seemed like a good plan. >> seems to make sense. all right, so the nfl playoffs resume again tomorrow afternoon. by the end of the weekend we'll know the league's four final teams. >> but first some of last night's hoops highlights from espn. good morning. it's "sportscenter" from los angeles. i'm stan verrett. let's begin in the nba. and problems for the cleveland cavaliers. they lost five of seven on the way to toronto to meet the raptors for the first time this season. remember, they swept them out of the playoffs last year, but norman powell, wide open knocking down the three. toronto hit 18 threes in this game. pascal siakam going right to the rim. dunking that one. cavaliers call a time-out. lebron james animated in the huddle but cavaliers are down 27

in the third. tries to pass to crowder. ball goes off a defender's leg and you can see james. cavaliers give up 133 points and they lose by 34. college basketball, arizona taking on oregon state. pac-12, early second half, arizona down by one, deandre ayton with the steal. allonzo trier over ethan thompson. and check out the bench. they're always fun to watch when we see dunks like that. following oregon state possession, rawle alkins, he'll reverse that one, and the wildcats take it 62-53 over oregon state. that's all from here. now back to you. up next in "the pulse," david letterman's new show hits netflix overnight. his first guest, barack obama. what the former president says about running for office again. plus, the revelation about

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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. ♪ okay, time for your friday "pulse." we'll start with two of the most famous retirees in the world. >> the first episode of david letterman's new netflix series started streaming overnight with letterman and president obama. >> letterman's first question, what was your first day like, not as president? obama says he slept in. >> i don't blame him. sounds nice right now. the former president also addressed the idea of running again. >> let me just say this, that if it were not for the

constitution, there would be michelle. no, no, no, no, no. you guys are misunderstanding me. what i'm saying is i'm prevented from running again by the constitution. but even if it were not for that amendment, michelle would leave me. >> constitution, wife. letterman also told obama a story about when he met the ex-president's daughter. >> i go over and i say, you don't know who i am. i know your mother and father. my name is dave letterman and i'm very happy to be here at the party and thank you for inviting me to the party. and she says, yeah, you look like a guy who really knows how to party. [ laughter ] >> obama did not mention president trump. he did warn against getting your facts from twitter.

>> interesting, and he also talked about being in the zone and dancing and getting some daddy dance moves. >> in your pocket. >> exactly. don't move out of the pocket. >> no karate kicks. >> so, it appears that alabama overcame more than just a 13-point deficit to win college football's national championship. >> just two days before monday's game against georgia, the crimson tide's defensive line coach left a backpack in the team's hotel. one of the items inside, 'bama's playbook. >> so the playbook is still missing. police have images of the thief on surveillance video. wonder if it's the same guy that stole tom brady's jersey back in houston last year. >> the plot thickens. >> who knows. if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. well, now rapper 50 cent is getting his chance to try again. >> you might remember this. this was disastrous. that first pitch four years ago, the team is giving him a second shot tweeting, hey, 50 cent, we heard you're ready to redeem yourself. here is your invite to throw out

a first pitch this season. toss a strike this time. >> 50 cent he tried to throw the pitch too hard. that's why it all went wrong. that was why. >> that's it. >> no word yet if he's accepting the offer. >> oh, well. moving on now, and foul words at the gym may actually boost your workout. a new study found that cursing during a 30-second stationary bike test gave participants a 5% increase in power. >> they say the profanity may boost tolerance providing a distraction. so we should be swearing at the gym. >> oh, i already do so i'm doing great. e gym. >> i'm doing great. ike i used t. i even accept i have a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. but whatever trail i take, i go for my best. so if there's something better than warfarin, i'll go for that too. eliquis. eliquis reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin, plus had less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis had both. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding.

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and good morning. welcome to friday. i hope it's friday. our teleprleprompter says it's thursday. is it friday? >> thank goodness. thank goodness. we can't do that again. >> it is 4:27 on this friday and you're never more than seven minutes away from your accuweather forecast. >> here is lisa argen in for mike. well, have you looked out the window, you folks still in bed? dense fog advisory in sacrament% and we could have one here in the bay area. live doppler 7 showing zero visibility on the coast, a half mile to a quarter mile to the north. a mile in concord. a quarter mile in livermore. a little better around the bay and the south bay, but it could change. use caution this morning. it's 52 in san francisco, hayward.

51 in mountain view. we will be looking at the foggy start, a sunny afternoon with milder temperatures ahead. sue? and fog is an issue for your morning commute. again this morning a live look at the richmond/san rafael bridge. fog is heavy, thick on down to the roads and most of marin county. and it's moving around which we found out this morning as i was driving in. it's thick in some places and then disappears in others and very limited visibility. keep the speeds at a moderate level this morning. otherwise traffic is flowing nicely on the san mateo bridge at 4:28 this morning, looking at a 14-minute drive from hayward to foster city. breaking news in san jose. a big apartment fire overnight. and right now more than a dozen people are without a home. abc 7 news reporter matt keller just arrived on scene. matt? >> reporter: good morning, jessica. check out this devastation.

you can see these units are destroyed this morning. what a fire here in san jose. firefighters will be out here for a while making sure there are no hot spots and they have to secure the building. check out what they faced early this morning. the first call came in just before 12:30, a two-story, eight-unit apartment building. firefighters went into rescue mode. once they had all 16 people accounted for, which included five kids and some pets, they backed off and went defensive spraying water from the outside. took about an hour to knock down the flames. fires like this in the middle of the night can be dangerous because most people are sleeping. >> we had a lot of people at risk at night. these scare the fire service because we are concerned about citizen safety. thank goodness we had good samaritans helping get people out. >> reporter: firefighters say there were no injuries from the fire. a couple units were compromised. no one is allowed in except to get personal belongings.

firefighters are looking into what started the fire. matt keller, abc 7 news. matt, thank you. hundreds of rescue workers continuing to look for victims of the deadly mud slides in santa barbara county. >> the death toll remains at 17. this morning 43 people in montecito are still missing. crews are working around the clock trying to get mud out and find those still missing. further up the street from the hotel the destruction continues. people are still missing among the wreckage of homes and boulders. >> we know that window is closing but we're doing our best to search and rescue. you hear stories people have been missing for eight, nine days and they were found alive. we're hoping we'll find those people. those people are out here working hard to make that happen. >> mandatory evacuation orders have been expanded to nearly all of montecito. officials estimate residents will not be allowed to return to their homes for another two weeks. >> it is now 4:30. let's check in with lisa argen